From Stagnant Content to Profit Generating Product

Do you have files upon files of presentations you have given or articles you have written that are just sitting on your computer, threatening to be forgotten? These files can be your key to an increased earning potential that would not require much extra work.

Start by organizing your articles, presentations, PowerPoint slides, etc. into different categories. Once organized, there are many things you could do with the content, including:

• Creating an ebook
• Creating a white paper
• Combining a live recording of a webinar or seminar with a PowerPoint presentation
• Transcribing a webinar or seminar
• Creating a book

After you decide which product(s) you will create, you must simply market the item(s) at a reasonable rate. Make sure you do not sell for too little, however. Depending on how much of the work you did yourself, the majority of the money generated is pure profit. What an excellent reward for information just sitting untapped in your computer.

Have fun and remember...there is no such thing as luck!

Weeding Through the Bad to get to the Good

I recently began looking on Craigslist for new clients/opportunities. Now some of you may be rolling your eyes and wondering if I am crazy, desperate, or both. I would like to think that I was just inquisitive.

A colleague gave me a tip to a grant writing job posted there, so I checked it out. It turned out that the job was with an organization that wanted to have someone in office, (which does not work for virtual assistants) but I began looking regularly on Craigslist.

For about a week I responded to several ads; I was excited about the prospects. Yet, I found within another week that that excitement was not well-founded. On Craigslist there is a "Scam Alert" disclaimer that warns you that there could be bogus ads on the website. I feel like I am pretty aware of scams and schemes. I was amazed how creative the scammers are. Here are common tricks they may use:

1. They'll ask you to buy something and promise to pay you back, usually through certified check or money order.
2. They'll tell you that they will send you more money than necessary and ask you to forward the rest of the money to someone else.
3. They may tell you that you will make thousands a month, all you have to do is pay a small fee.
4. They will create bogus websites that make you think it is real
5. Eventually they will ask you to reveal personal information that is unnecessary and that could compromise your identity.
6. Look for bad English grammar.

Are there any ads that are for real? Here are some things to look for:

1. A company name
2. A local phone number and address
3. A website
4. Meeting in a local place

One of the ads I responded to was awful in the sense that the scammers took a real person who has a photography studio in Idaho and used his name and website. Because of this, I thought it was for real. The ad claimed that he needed an assistant. I researched the company and the man to make sure that he was a real person. This was so difficult because he is a real person, but he was not the one who was writing the ad and contacting me. I noticed his bad grammar after a couple of emails and then I had a hunch. I decided to call the number listed on his website. It became clear that the man's voice on the machine was definitely American with no trouble with his language. I knew then that this was not the man emailing me and I cut off communication at that point.

Now I am leery about any ads. I find it better to use other job websites instead, like the local classified ads or Monster to look for potential clients. Be careful and remember, there is no such thing as luck!

What is Going to Happen When You Die?

Until a year ago I never thought of myself needing a "Last Will and Testament." No, I did not have a near-death experience, I just had a visit with a financial planner.

My husband and I do not have much as far as worldly possessions are concerned, so it didn't occur to me that we needed to actually have a will. Our wise financial planner, Rodney Jacobs, explained the benefits of having all our financial and legal affairs in order now to make life easier for our children and other family members we will leave behind.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this when my primary audience is small business owners. Every small business owner has a personal life. Not only do business owners need to have their personal financial and legal affairs in order, they also need to have their business financial and legal affairs in order.

Here are a few affairs to think about:

1) Get a lawyer

2) Get a legal Last Will and Testament

3) Get a Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney

4) Set up a trust for your children

Get a lawyer. Not only does it sound impressive to say "Let me talk to my attorney and get back to you...", but having an attorney can be very handy on a moment's notice. Last year I was dealing with an unfortunate situation involving a major rental car company. They took some of my money unjustly, and I wanted it back. So, I told the company that I was going to call my attorney. I had my money back within a week.

Attorney fees are expensive, right? They do not have to be. Again, at the sage suggestion of our financial planner, we started using a service called "Pre-paid Legal Services." This is a very simple and affordable legal solution. There is a monthly fee (We pay about $27) that gives access to a major law firm in your state. We live in Indiana, so our law firm is "O'Koon Hintermeister, PLLC," based out of Indianapolis. If we have a legal question or issue, all we have to do is call up the law firm and give the receptionist our membership number and a brief description of why we are calling. Without fail, an attorney from the firm calls us back within 8 business hours.

If you have even thought of writing a Will, you may know that it is not generally cheap to have a Will drawn up through legal measures. You can expect to pay around $500 for two Wills. With Pre-paid Legal, the process is much more affordable. If you start the Will procurement process during the first six months of your membership, then both your Will and your spouse's will be free. You pay no lawyer fees at all. If the six-month period lapses however, your Will is free and your spouse's is only $20. Unimaginable! Check into it

Get a legal Last Will and Testament. If you are a parent, it is essential to understand that if you do not have a Will, the state has one for you. It may not be what you want for your children because the state and the court will decide where your children and your assets will go.

Another reason to get a Will is to make it easier for any family that will be left beind once you are gone. I have heard many horror stories of sibling fights that happen once both parents are gone. You can eliminate this possibility by creating a specific Will.

Get a Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney. Although we do not like to think about it, there is a possibility that we may need someone else to make our healthcare wishes made know. If we want that person to be someone who knows us, then we need to create a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will. I have included helpful links that explain the difference between the two documents.

Set up a trust for your children. This is another delicate issue. A trust can allow you to manage how your beneficiaries can spend the money you leave to them. For other reasons for creating a trust, click here.

Although estate planning is not the most enthralling topic, it is one that is better managed while we are living than when we are dead. I encourage you to complete these four steps to get your affairs in order and remember there is no such thing as luck!

"I'm (not really) Lovin' it!"

For nine years I consciously boycotted a major national food chain like the H1N1 virus. Yesterday, however, I experimented by eating at McDonald's and buying my seven year-old her very first "Happy Meal." I recently researched the nutritional information of many fast food restaurants and came to the conclusion that the McDonald's menu is actually healthier than the other hamburger fast food joints, and here, I define healthier as "lower in calories." Needless to say, I was very surprised by this.

So, yesterday as we were coming home from a weekend trip we decided to stop at McDonald's. The drive-thru line was a little long, but the staff was friendly. Everything went off without a hitch until we were a quarter mile down the road and my daughter announced that they had forgotten her apple juice. So, we had to go back. Before I went in to get the apple juice, my husband jokingly told me to not cause $1500 in damage. He was referring to the woman who threw a temper tantrum when she was not happy with the customer service at a Kansas City McDonald's in December.

The staff was courteous and apologetic when I went in to get the missing juice. As we continued on our way, I was thinking about whether or not they should have done more to elleviate the inconvenience they caused us. They gave me the missing apple juice and two different workers apologized. Was that enough? What more could I have expected?

I decided that what they did was sufficient. They would not need to do more. If I was a regular customer, I would come back even though I had been inconvenienced. However, I would have been highly impressed if further steps were taken. I could have been given a gift certificate or an additional food item to make up for the inconvenience.

That led me to think about my own clients and how I would handle the situation if I made an error. Would I just offer a simple apology? Would it occur to me to offer something more? What could I offer?

I can't speak for my clients, but I would venture to say that an apology would be acceptable if I made an error similar in nature to the missing apple juice. BUT, I think they would be highly impressed and much more likely to offer referrals if I went further. I could give them a discount off the next month's invoice or complete a project at a reduced rate. That would let them know that I was serious about my apology and that I would not let it happen again.

Now, if McDonald's would have offered me free food, would I go back? No, I can't say I would. Besides Subway, I am staying away from fast food restaurants. My ban is back on for McDonald's because this is the restaurant that really took the fast food industry to a new level. For an interesting read, find a copy of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.

Many may look at McDonald's and praise the company for it's unprecedented success. The revenue is amazing, but I don't want to follow a business model that affects other's lives in a negative way. I do praise the "healthier" menu, but will continue with my self-imposed boycott.

In the meantime, I will find ways to impress my clients with the customer service they receive. Remember, there is no such thing as luck!