Archive for the 'Priceless Information' Category
Looking to improve the customer service that your business provides? Wondering why your website seems to lag behind the competition? Don’t fall victim to the misconceptions of web maintenance or scare away customers with undesirable customer support. Check out last month’s issue of Priceless News. The Priceless Vault will now feature past issues of our newsletter. Remember, if you want to take advantage of future discount coupons for quality content, you must become a VIP member!
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From cars and transport to homes and furniture, there seems to be a green alternative to just about everything these days - shouldn’t your business be one of those options? Many companies are taking steps to make their products and operations more eco friendly. Green businesses play a major role in the future of sustainability and also share a huge profit potential as more people adopt environmentally-friendlier lifestyles.
Why Go Green with Your Business?
Scientists have finally agreed that global warming is primarily caused by human activities and that the future doesn’t look too bright - especially if we continue to live with our present habits. Reducing carbon emissions and finding more sustainable solutions for living are a priority if we want to continue existing on our planet.
The most important reason to green your business - as well as your personal lifestyle - is to protect our planet, our population, our animals, and our future.
Your clients and consumers will also benefit. Companies that contribute to pollution and do nothing to curb emissions will eventually be forced to change their habits, either due to environmental protection laws or because the planet simply won’t support their harmful behavior any longer. Whatever the reason, these businesses will invest a great deal of money into financing the necessary changes and will then pass those costs to the consumer. Adopting greener business policies now can save you and your clients money in the future.
Finally, greener practices can increase your bottom line. While going green may seem costly at first, most environmentally friendly choices will save your business money in the long run. This could come in the form of lower electric bills, tax incentives, reduced disposal fees, or even increased sales.
How to Green Your Business
Photo credit: Net Efekt
Going green is obviously a smart choice for both you and your business - but what can you do to be more environmentally friendly? For some companies, the answer is obvious. An oil company, for example, would be wise to search for and manufacture alternative fuel options. A manufacturing business may examine cleaner ways to produce their products or choose more sustainable materials for the process.
Many businesses, however, will need to look for more subtle ways to adopt greener practices. This could be something as simple as changing a light bulb or recycling. I’ve already mentioned 3 small things you can do to make your business greener in another post - here are a few more!
The Brick and Mortar Business World
Small offices, local stores, hair salons, and other small businesses that make our neighborhoods complete can find a variety of ways to make their company more environmentally friendly. Many of the same things we do to reduce, reuse, and recycle at home can be used in the office:
- Switch out standard light bulbs for Energy Star bulbs.
- Avoid chemical-laden cleaners and products, opting for eco-friendly versions.
- Substitute Styrofoam or plastic cups and food containers with biodegradable dishes.
- Recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum that passes through your office.
- If you can’t reuse boxes and shipping cartons that enter your doors, find a local arts and crafts program, moving company, or school that may have a use for them.
- Encourage shoppers to bring reusable shopping bags rather than contributing to the ever-growing plastic bag problem.
- Search for vendors and suppliers that do their part to improve the environment.
Home Based Businesses and Online Companies
Several of the ideas listed above can also make your internet or home based business more eco friendly. Some of these suggestions may work with a small office or shop as well:
- Purchase durable and sustainable computers and electronics.
- Use lamps with energy saving bulbs rather than overhead lights.
- Offer shipping with an eco-friendly carrier using biodiesel or alternative fuel.
- Save important information digitally rather than printing.
- Choose recycled and biodegradable packing materials.
Contractors, Builders, Landscapers, etc.
If your small business operates on the road or at the job site rather than out of an office, you can still make it greener.
- Provide estimates and invoices via email rather than wasting paper - use a recycled option if paperwork is a necessity.
- Power your equipment and tools with a diesel generator and consider biomass.
- Choose cleaner fuel alternatives for trucks and heavy machinery as well.
- Mulch, recycle, sell, or donate waste materials rather than burning or dumping.
- Buy materials and parts locally - from sustainable suppliers - whenever possible.
There are plenty of little things every business owner can do to make a greener, healthier planet. Your business can go green without buying a company hybrid or installing wind turbines - the little changes are just as important and equally beneficial!
What is your business doing to go green? Do you think more companies should adopt eco friendly policies? Share your thoughts on green businesses in the comments!
Don't let Microsoft Spell Checker create lazy habits in your writing!
The inspiration behind this post comes from the red-squiggly line that greets me every time I type ‘positivity’ into a sentence. Let’s face it - Microsoft Spell Checker is not our best friend, especially when we’ve become too dependent on using its services. Oftentimes, this popular feature provides a false sense of security, from stressed-out college students to the best of writers. Spell Checker makes it much easier to skimp on proofreading or glance over similarly spelled words.
Spell Checker also makes us lazy and less adept in our writing. We start to form habits impossible to kick - like ingrained spelling errors that we’ll use whether we’re typing a blog comment or drafting a handwritten thank-you letter. I’m guilty of it - when I email friends or engage in a bit of Instant Messaging, my spelling is sometimes comical. I find that I’m usually misspelling some of the same words over and over again, but instead of grabbing the dictionary and committing these common flaws to memory - I brush it off because I know Spell Checker will serve as my attentive companion.
However, we are often placed in everyday writing situations where the computer does not come to the rescue, like:
- Completing college exam essays
- Typing directly into online forms
- Sending a postcard to loved ones
- Writing a simple school sick-note for your kids
Where is Spell Checker then? Nowhere to be found and in the end, your spelling accuracy and grammar suffers. Then, there are the people who rely on Spell Checker to not only catch their spelling mistakes, but to also correct their grammar bloopers. What happens when they encounter a Web editor that doesn’t offer this feature?
Don’t Weaken Your Image
For the freelance writer, typos are not only embarrassing, but they often suggest unprofessional work when you’re guilty of the blunder more than once. Clients are not paying for mistakes and errors. While we are all imperfect humans and occasional slips of the proofreading process are to be expected, many clients in the business world are unforgiving. And please, please, please - whatever you do - don’t overlook a typo on your resume.
Recommendation: Always manually proofread your pages and when dealing with a large amount, print out your work and edit away from the computer. Sometimes, the strain of looking at a bright screen when going over your writing can contribute to overlooked misspelling and grammatical errors.
We’re All Victims…
Just the other day, I sent an article in for a second round of proofreading and was alerted to a rather embarrassing slip of the eye. Apparently, I had substituted “pubic” for “public.” I reread the article several times, yet did not pick up on the mistake. Sometimes, you just have to step away from a piece for a few moments to give your eyes a chance to refocus. There is a fine line between knowing what you want to say and actually accomplishing it without error. At times, we are truly blinded when it comes to proofreading our own work, especially if it’s regarding a piece we’ve spent a great deal of time on.
However, that’s why at Priceless Writers, clients not only have one sweep of the proofreading wand, but at least two once-overs by fellow partners. We keep each other on our toes, pointing out the glaring and not-so-obvious mistakes that appear hidden in text.
And, we don’t rely on our not so best friend, Mr. or Mrs. Spell Checker.
Are the leaves turning crisp shades of brown, gold, yellow, and orange in your neck of the woods? This month, we say “hello” to autumn-dotted landscapes and hot apple cider. October also means Halloween is just around the corner, bringing out all the things that go ‘bump in the night.’
However, this isn’t the time to scare away the customers by failing to effectively market your business or by stumbling over the latest methods of driving traffic to your website. Subscribe now and you can still enjoy our Halloween Edition of the Priceless News…
Don’t let your opportunity to catch the attention of potential customers, consumers, and clients pass you by – learn how to use the newspaper to benefit your business. This and other valuable news can be found in the Priceless Vault.
Have you ever started out with a good idea or creative plan of action, but over time, you begin to realize that it is morphing into a great disaster? Not every personal project or business idea that you come up with will turn into profit or ultimately benefit your company, interests, or goals. Not every ‘next best thing’ will necessarily fit your business profile or niche either.
In order to save time, money, and energy - it becomes important to learn the signs of impending problems that not only drain your assets and resources, but also squander valuable time better spent on completing more favorable tasks.
To pinpoint potential projects that may cause problems for you in the long run, become familiar with some of the warning signs listed below:
1) Unrealistic Expectations
A project is doomed to fail when expectations fall just short of perfect and highly unlikely. Let’s say there is a client who is unhappy with their brand image, recently suffered negative backlash for a new product, and hasn’t increased their profits in two years. Perhaps, the client gets it into their head that a new website will make all of their troubles go away. Unintentionally, they place this burden on the shoulders of a hired web designer.
Expectations are too high. A new website will still market the same failed product, offer the same prices, and involve the same brands linked to the company. It is unrealistic to assume that revamping a website will solve all of their problems. Combining efforts in marketing, product reassessment, pricing, and damage control will most likely bring better results - not a new website.
2) Unrealistic Timelines, Schedules, and Deadlines
Setting strict deadlines and schedules for completing business projects will increase your chances of failing to fulfill tasks or reach your highest potential. Don’t bank on pushing the limits of work, speed, and determination without allowing a bit of leeway for human error or unforeseen circumstances. What if you experience an electrical outage? What if your web designer is out with pneumonia? There are many factors that are simply out of your control.
Examples of setting unrealistic goals include:
- Scheduling group meetings for 5am on Saturday mornings.
- Launching a complete website with Flash from scratch in two days.
- Coding 4,000 pages of HTML in three weeks.
3) Trying to Tackle Too Much At One Time
Projects that try to accomplish too many things all at once, as well as lack sufficient resources or time, are in for a roller coaster ride of disappointment. While you may have a ton of great ideas that you’d like to achieve for your business, you’ll only suffer frustration and regret if you spend your time and energy trying to complete a million-dollar vision with $5,000. Instead, try to pick out an idea most important to the success of your company that fits within your budget.
4) Missing the First Deadlines
When working with a team, missing a lot of early deadlines is a clear sign that something is not working out with the project at hand. Perhaps the deadlines are too strict, not giving people enough time to accomplish their assigned tasks. Maybe members of the team have been assigned roles that do not speak to their strengths. Sometimes, there is a lack of resources or information that prevents a project from moving forward. It is important to address this problem early before wasting precious time, money, and energy.
5) New Technology
In this world of ever-evolving technology, it is quite common for businesses to rely on new software, hardware, and other programs. However, while new, technological advancements make life much easier or showcases the latest concepts, there is also a downside. Keep in mind that quirks, downtime, and bugs are common. Do not place the success of your company, business, or website solely in the hands of newer technology.
For example, spread your article marketing efforts across different article directories, as many systems have been known to crash and burn without giving any notice to users. Avoid storing all of your image files on a system still in the Beta-testing phase and rely on sites with a proven track record. Come prepared with a back-up plan if you’ve fallen in love with new technology because just like many new businesses, the risk of failure is quite high.
As a business owner or website owner, you’ve either had to write content, articles and blog posts or you’ve had to hire a freelance writer to do it for you. The written word is the oil that runs your online business or website and it’s essential to have excellent, readable and helpful content, articles and blog posts.
If you write them yourself, you must research and spend a good amount of time getting it right. If you hire someone to do it for you, you are paying money to have the best quality written work. Considering all of this – wouldn’t it be better to make those articles, web content pieces and blog posts count more than once? Here are a few tips to help you do just that!
Create a Series:
One way you can make your written works go the extra mile for you is to create a series. For instance, if you have a web design business you might create a blog series that has to do with the way customers perceive different characteristics of a website. What colors do people trust for commercial sites? Where do people automatically look when they pull up a web page?
These things are really great for your clients to know and having a series of blog posts will allow you to do several things. Readers will be interested to get the next post in the series, so you will likely get more subscribers to your blog. You can also refer to your previous and future posts to keep new readers interested. Of course, these posts would also drive traffic to your website and build your credibility as the expert in your niche. This is a great way to get more out of your blog posts.
Compile and Re-Create:
Another great idea is to gather all of your informative articles which have been written and compile them into an informative eBook. If you have had a lot of different articles, you could even do a series of eBooks. Of course, you may have to have them rewritten a bit so that they are fresh and unique, but why let those great articles or blog posts go to waste? You can then offer your eBooks up for sale – which is another income stream for your business!
Ex: A website designer probably has a lot of articles on the importance of design, tips and tricks for design and text placement and more. He or she could compile all of their tips articles and create a web design tips eBook for ‘do-it-yourself’ individuals. It would also work to find articles on specific topics, like how customers relate to visual characteristics on the page and create an eBook or course on how to make your website attractive to visitors.
Always Refer to Other Posts and Articles:
Of course, as you’re adding new website content, articles and blog posts to your marketing arsenal – a great little tip is to refer back to your older ones. This allows new readers to quickly learn more about your business and the things you offer. It pulls the visitors in and gives them helpful information, and this builds credibility. Doing this whenever applicable will help increase your traffic, subscribers, sales and profits!
By making your articles, blog posts and website content pieces count more than once, you can save time and money. This is a big plus with any sort of business and will make a difference in your sales and profit numbers!
Calling all female entrepreneurs!
Some of the most influential women in business will gather in the coming months to inspire, educate, and share some of the tools, tactics, and strategies that has brought success into their lives.
The Fourth Annual PINK Conference Series will visit seven cities across the United States, allowing attendees to share a motivating two-hour lunch with some of the most powerful players in the business world.
Attendees are encouraged to bring along friends, family, mentors, clients, and employees to share in the experience, which focuses on:
- Discovering ways to balance personal and business relationships
- Building career strategies that bring success
- Learning valuable business lessons
The 2008 PINK Conference delivers an unforgettable luncheon from 11:30am – 1:30pm, offering an event panel that consists of five panelists plus a moderator. The conference schedule includes:
Chicago (InterContinental Chicago) – September 24th
Speakers: Candace Bushnell (author, Sex and the City and Lipstick Jungle); Mary Dillon (executive vice president and global chief marketing officer, McDonald’s); and Christie Hefner (chairman and CEO, Playboy Enterprises)
New York (Marriott Marquis) – October 1st
Speakers:Lisa Ellis (executive vice president, Sony Music Label Group); Donna Sturgess (vice president of innovation, GlaxoSmithKline); and Sara Mathew (chief financial officer, Dun and Bradstreet)
Dallas (Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas) – October 3rd
Speakers: Hala Moddelmog (president and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure); Nikki Sells (vice president of franchise development, Tasti-D-Lite); and Karen Quintos (vice president of marketing, Dell)
Washington, DC (Omni Shoreham Hotel) – October 10th
Speakers: Kim Martin (executive vice president and general manager, WE tv) and Susan P. Mucciarone (managing executive, calibre, Wachovia). For more speakers to come, keep checking the PINK Magazine website for more details.
Boston (Four Seasons) – October 14th
Speakers: Irene Chang Britt (vice president and general manager, sauces and beverages, Campbell Soup Company U.S.A.) and Julie Gilbert (senior vice president, Best Buy)
Los Angeles (Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza) – October 30th
Speakers: Karin Gilford (senior vice president of online entertainment, Comcast Interactive Media); Carla Christofferson (co-owner, WNBA Los Angeles Sparks); and Launi Skinner (president and COO, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? )
Atlanta (Omni Hotel at CNN Center) – November 12th
Speakers: Kelly Regal (executive vice president, Turner Broadcasting System); Laurie Tucker (senior vice president, corporate marketing, FedEx); and Gloria Mayfield Banks (executive national sales director, Mary Kay)
Tickets are $125. Tables of 10 are also available for purchase.
Click Here to Register
As a freelance writer, you will most likely submit your work to many different calls for content and exciting opportunities to snag a by-line. With a never-ending pool of talented writers pursuing the same objective as you, rejection is a common part of freelance writing. Even the best of writers have suffered rejection. However, it’s what you do after the dust settles that truly matters.
Why Did I Get Rejected?
Inappropriate Writing Style
Not everyone is going to fall in love with your writing style. While some clients enjoy punchy statements and original thought, others encourage writers to present a conservative tone that oozes professionalism or speaks to academic circles. Certain clients view highly descriptive pieces and imagery as ‘fluff’ or ‘flowery text,’ while others demand detailed pieces that allow readers to indulge in all five of their senses. Sometimes, you’ve simply been rejected because your writing style was not the perfect fit. Don’t take it personal.
Misunderstood the Market or Target Audience
Clients are looking for writers that can speak to their target market, audience or a specific gender; sell products and services; improve brand recognition; and express the thoughts and ideas that they are unable to convey. For example…
- When a job calls for web content geared towards teenagers and the video game market – your writing tone and knowledge of the subject is vital.
- It is not uncommon for a retired chemical engineer to encounter a bit of trouble connecting with 4-year-olds looking for a bedtime story.
- And… if you don’t have any experience writing persuasive, sales copy – getting rejected for a sales letter gig on your first try shouldn’t come as a surprise.
One of the most important aspects of writing is to understand your market. Who is the reader and what kind of information are they looking for? What will keep the reader interested? Let’s say you’re interested in writing for a magazine. The first thing you should do is scan an assortment of publications to get a feel for their audience, tone of voice, content, and style of writing. Make sure to become familiar with the ins and outs of a magazine, including the kind of ads they publish. This will help you better meet the needs of a potential client when sending sample submissions.
Didn’t Follow Directions or Writer Guidelines
Go over the original directions or writer guidelines with a fine-tooth comb – did you deliver what was asked of you? Perhaps you injected opinion when you needed to remain objective in your writing. Maybe you were instructed to send an original sample of your work, but submitted a previously published E-Zine article.
Sometimes, adhering to a specified word count is a deal breaker. When a 500-word sample article is asked of you, sending a 2,000-word piece (no matter how brilliant it is) probably wasn’t the best idea. Keep in mind that many clients are looking for writers who know how to write under various restrictions…and follow directions.
Time of Submission
There are tons of freelance writing opportunities decorating the Web, including Craigslist ads, blogrolls, newsletter services, Elance, Guru, and Scriptlance. The competition is fierce, as you are sometimes vying for projects that have caught the eye of thousands upon thousands of other writers. The key is to strike fast in order to increase your chances of being ‘heard.’ Although you may have written the ‘next best thing,’ chances are – if you’re #788 out of 900 responses – your piece may never come in contact with the client. For example, some clients choose to sift through only the first 100 replies they receive for an ad. Many writers are rejected simply because they never had a chance to shine.
…and the dreaded Didn’t Write Well Enough
Sometimes, the answer to your rejection is staring you right in the face as you glance over your work – incomplete sentences, spelling errors, improper tenses, and overall poor grammar. Have someone look over your writing piece, making sure they are familiar with the project details. Did you fulfill what was asked of you? How many grammar mistakes were found? Did you carelessly misspell a common word? Poor grammar and spelling blunders quickly overshadows any good writing and thoughts.
Overall, writing is a never-ending journey of learning and growth – a process that matures as you mature. In the end, you will find that practicing your craft is one of the best ways to sharpen your skills and improve client and reader responses.
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