Client Rapport: Increasing in Impotance

Recently, I have been collaborating with a local bank to create a booklet that will be sent to each of their customers. In the past, I would create the logo, document, etc and then the client would verify its quality at the end of the project cycle. With this project, however, the client has been involved in every step along the way.

This article on the American Bar Association website explains that the client/customer relationship is changing:

Developing high-quality interactions with clients will increasingly be key to satisfaction and loyalty. The groundwork is already laid. How will your firm choose to build on it?

The nature of the relationship between companies and their customers is changing dramatically. In general, today’s customers are more informed, more networked and more involved with the products and services they consume. They aren’t satisfied to simply buy a product or a service—they want to be part of the process of creating it.

We may not be attorneys, but we can learn from this realization. We must be ready to become truly connected to our client, especially to the point person on the project. Developing a rapport with him or her will help throughout the project. Assuming we complete the project on time and exceed expectations, we can expect more work from the client or even referrals to potential clients.

Social Media Etiquette from an Expert

An article on Entrepreneur.com caught my eye because I am a Jane Austen fan. I have read all the books and seen many of the corresponding movies. The author, Laura Hale Brockway, explains how the social lessons penned over 200 years ago are applicable in our digital age. There are three lessons in particular: Facebook over-sharing, questionable connections, and having an actual conversation. Click here to read the article.

Gmail Shortcut

If your inbox is like mine, you receive junk email even though you have applied filters. Although it does not seem to take much time to delete unwanted messages, all those seconds add up to minutes and eventually hours of time lost.

Google has done it once again by adding an inbox feature/shortcut for its users that will save them time. Quite often to unsubscribe from unwanted emails, you have to scroll to the bottom of said email and hunt for a way to unsubscribe, which will usually take you out of Gmail. Now a button will appear next to the promotional email that will allow you to unsubscribe.

"We want our users to not have spam, and we also want you to reach the user," said Google’s head of anti-abuse research, Elie Bursztein, at a conference in San Francisco held by M3AAWG -- an anti-abuse messaging group -- where the new feature was announced last Thursday. 

According to IT World, The unsubscribe tool is Google’s latest of several “quick action buttons.” This is a button I know I will use. Read more at Entrepreneur.com.

How to Protect your iPhone

If you have an iPhone, read the information in this infographic for ways to protect that valuable asset. Also, if your company passes iPhones out to it's employees, make sure the employees know ways to protect the company's asset.

10 Crazy Facts About Valentine's Day (Video)

A fun way to learn some Valentine's Day facts. Look out for # 2...not sure I could hold it that long!

Travelogue of the Temporary Worker

Last week I had the opportunity to work at one of the many Williams-Sonoma stores, Pottery Barn Kids. If you have never been in Pottery Barn Kids or looked at their website, you will be unaware of how adorable - and how outrageously expensive - most of their products are. A very tempting place for a mother of three girls. Although, some of the neatest items were the Star Wars sheets and Darth Vader and Storm Trooper decorative pillows. I made it through without purchasing anything even though I did receive a 20% discount.

I was working at the store because a friend of mine is in management at the Tampa location. They close all the stores across the country on the same day each February to complete their inventory check. They hire a few temporary employees in order to make the day go faster. I have never worked retail before or been in the back of a store to see where all the goods are kept. When I first saw the rows of floor to ceiling shelves, I was somewhat daunted.

Our task was relatively simple, we just had to go shelf by shelf scanning each item's bar code and then verify the number of each item. I am kind of a weirdo int hat I find that kind of work fun. ALthough, I would not want to do it on a daily basis. I was pooped by the end of the day. We worked from 6 am to 4:30 pm.

Working for that day reminded me why I love being an entrepreneur. No getting up at 4:30 am, no 30 minute commute, no supervisor, better pay. It also reminded me why I love working someplace other than my home office. Mainly being around other people and knowing work was done when I left the building.

That day was a fun diversion. It was good to be back in work environment. However, I would not trade it for my small business for anything.

Small Business Big Crime

With a slew of recent big name companies becoming victims of cyber crime, it has given all of us business owners reason to reflect on our own security against all types of business crimes. Because of the nature of my business and how I get paid, I have not felt the need to obtain business insurance. I would definitely if my business sold products. Here is an interesting infographic put out by Bolt Insurance Group.

When did 'Halls' Become my Personal Cheerleader?

The other day I popped a Halls Triple Soothing Action cough drop in my mouth and absentmindedly smoother out the wrapper into a rectangle. It was then that I noticed words on the wrapper.

We have all seen positive statements on wrappers before, like Dove Chocolate. I have never seen them on medicinal products, however. When I read the pep talk-like statements on the wrapper I did start to feel better. I told myself, "March forward!"

Very cleverly, Halls becomes our personal cheerleader with the idea "A pep talk in every drop." Many people need encouraging words if they are feeling bad enough to use cough drops. Does this make me like the company more? Yes. Does this make me more likely to buy Halls cough drops in the future? Yes.

I say the marketing team hit a home run.

What are some hidden advertising methods you have seen or even used?

When Does Opportunity Come Knocking?

There are times in life that opportunity presents itself that are more ideal than others. I am a firm believer in creating out own opportunities when none are being thrown our way. Anna Vital, of Funders and Founders, created an infographic that depicts the best times in life to start a business (or another one).

When you started your business, was it at any one of the points of opportunity she mentions? When I started Polaris Administrative Concepts, I had a six-month old baby. I was at a point where I was desperate to stay at home with my daughters (the infant was girl #2) while contributing to the household income. I think the figurative "Window of Opportunity" IS that feeling of desperation. It can be what drives us to either create or hunt down entrepreneurial opportunities.

Share your story in the comment section!

Always Under-promise

Even though I don't eat fortune cookies, whenever I eat at a restaurant that offers them, I take one anyway. I always enjoy the anticipation of opening the cookie (after the meal of course) and reading my fortune. In recent times it seems that the "fortunes" are really just sage advice. If I believed in fortunes, that may disappoint me, but I find advice more practical and useful.

I pulled one such bit of guidance from a fortune cookie last week. It reads:

Always over-deliver & under-promise.

(And just in case you wanted to know how to spell the word gooseberry in Chinese, it is 醋栗.)
I do actually find that to be brilliant advice. If you can get a job done without promising your client the moon, but then actually give them the moon - you will be well on your way to more business from them and even referrals.

To illustrate this point, I will provide an example.

For one of my clients, I would edit, upload and publish 5 articles to their website twice a month. When I would receive the copy of the articles, I would then give them a turnaround time. I was often tempted to say I could get these articles completed in 24 hours because in all reality I could. It would generally take 2 hours per article. However, I would give them a turnaround time of 2-3 days. Sometimes more pressing work would come up and take presidence and sometimes personal life would interfere.

If I would have given a 24-hour turnaround time, and then did not deliver in that time frame, my client's estimation of my competency may have suffered. However, if I gave 2 or 3 day turnaround time, and actually accomplished the task in 24 hours, their estimation of my competency would have increased.

It is always better to impress than to disappoint...that could even go into a fortune cookie!

Commitment to Ambiguity

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy path to follow. It is probably more appropriate to say "Being an entrepreneur is not an easy path to clear." The world is full of entrepreneurs who have created their own businesses. I doubt there are any two who have following the exact same path to success.

There are many reasons that entrepreneurship is difficult. I find the ambiguity the most difficult. I am certain that I could find a job rather easily if I was in the market to work at an office somewhere. However, I am not certain who my next client will be or which of my many marketing and networking activities will get me that client. Why do I continue to follow this path I have cleared?

Commitment. I am committed to the vision I had for my business when I started it in 2007. My vision was/is to help small business owners to manage their businesses by providing many administrative support services that will help them save time and money. Also, I am committed to creating such a successful business that I have enough work to hire contractors who also want to have a flexible family-friendly schedule. 

Jonathan Aberman wrote an article for The Huffington Post Blog about the commitment level of entrepreneurs from the perspective of an investor. In talking about the truths of entrepreneurship, he states:

The first is that entrepreneurship, particularly, startup entrepreneurship is a 24/7 job. It is not something that should be done lightly or without passion. Successful entrepreneurs make their startup business their number one priority. This happens because of some of the key behavioral aspects of entrepreneurial behavior: passion for the entrepreneurial journey, optimism and a belief that an entrepreneur's own efforts can change the surrounding world in a material way. 

In my opinion, the only way to stay committed to an organization (even if it is your brainchild), is by maintaining that passion and optimism. It may be difficult to do that when you aren't bringing in an income or when your business has strayed from your original goals.

When my business struggles, what do I do to remain committed?

• I remind myself that things will work out, even if I do not know how I will get from here to point Z. If I am committed to making things work, they will.   
• I brainstorm ways to reach my goal. Then I decide on which ideas are best at the moment and do them!
• I do something everyday to bring me toward success - try not to slack off.
• Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up!
• Show gratitude that I have to opportunity to have my own business.

What do you do to remain committed to your business?

What to Expect from Social Media in 2014

We all know that Social Media is necessary in our world today, but how necessary? Below is an infographic provided by author, Janet E. Johnson that predicts what we will see in terms of social media for 2014.

10 Marketing Tips from Indiana Jones

Being from Indiana and being an Indiana Jones fan, I couldn't help reposting this blog article found on my colleague, Larry Bodine's Law Marketing Blog.

We’ve all watched the Indiana Jones movies and wished that we could have adventures like him. Instead, we’re stuck working in business, and trying to figure out great marketing strategies that will actually help those businesses. Instead of wishing our lives were more adventurous, though, how about we take some good marketing lessons from Indy?

Correct Spelling and Grammar
Indy discovered just how important spelling was in The Last Crusade, while trying to get to the Holy Grail. Walking in the name of the lord, he tried to spell “Jehovah” with a “J” rather than the Latin “I,” and the path under him collapsed.

Your life might not hinge on having good grammar and perfect spelling, but the reputation of your company does. Before you release any ad copy for your marketing campaign, check the spelling and the grammar, or have someone you trust check it for you.

Concise Messages
Indy’s not one to beat around the bush. He gets right to the point and doesn’t let outside forces distract him (often). Whether he’s searching for his father or fighting for his life, he handles it as fast as he knows how to.
When you attempt any marketing strategy, get to the point. You only have about 5-7 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, and if you don’t get them in that time-span, you’ve lost. Get in quick, and get out quick. Be as concise as you can, and grab your audience’s attention.

Read the rest of the post here.

Are you Notable Enough to have a Wikipedia page?

An article was published today that caught my eye; it is titled "Does your small business need a Wikipedia page?" It had never even occurred to me to ask myself that question. My first thought was, "Of course my small business needs a Wikipedia page!" I checked, and no Polaris does not already have a Wikipedia page. Should it though?

According to Wikipedia's rules, it is appropriate to have a Wikipedia page if the page is encyclopedic in nature - NOT a means of promotion. My business is not notable enough (yet) to have a page. At this point, anything someone would want to learn about my business can be found on my website, so there is not reason to have a Wikipedia page.

What about your small business? Are you notable enough? Read this article found in the Miami Herald with some points to consider when contemplating creation of a Wikipedia page.

Three Things I Absolutely Want to Accomplish Before I Start the Weekend

Quite often, Friday can seem to last forever. It tends to be a quieter day, which may make it drag. One way to finish off the week with a bang is to pick three things you absolutely want to accomplish before the weekend. This will vary from person to person and from Friday to Friday.

I happen to have a busy day today with non-work related activities. Yet, I still want to finish off the work week feeling like I accomplished something for my business. Here are my three things:

1. Update both my blogs. In order to increase visibility, it is important to update this and my running blog at least three times a week. 
2. Email two contacts asking for referrals. I currently building my business by adding new clients. Sometimes it takes reaching out to many people to even find one potential client.
3. Create a handbill. This is a "new" trend, but is essentially just a flier. I am creating one with information about Polaris to have "on hand."

What are you going to accomplish today?

FREE WEBINAR: Taking Control of Your Work+Life "Fit" as an Independent Professional

Today I received an email about this free webinar for the self employed. I know nothing about it except what I have provided below. I registered for it, though. Sounds like a topic we can all use. Here is what I know:

Please join us on Thursday, January 30 at 1 p.m. ET, when we will hold a webinar titled "Taking Control of Your Work+Life "Fit" as an Independent Professional."

For the self-employed, setting your own hours and working from a home office are considerable benefits, but can also create problems. Where and when does work end and your personal life begin?

To help independents maintain a healthy balance, MBO Partners welcomes internationally-recognized flexible work strategist and author Cali Williams Yost to our webinar series. Yost, who has appeared on the Today Show's Kathy Lee & Hoda, will share practical advice on managing your unique work+life fit on a day-to-day basis using the simple TWEAK IT practice.

You can register for it here.

Deflect Mistaken Identity by Managing Your Online Repuation

Years ago, my mother injured her back while at work at a nursing home. She ended up getting surgery, so of course Workers' Compensation got involved. At some point, either the nursing home or the Workers' Compensation office had someone follow my mom around to take photos of her to prove she was not as injured as she claimed to be. They did indeed have the evidence to prove she was not injured - only they mistook another woman for my mom. Oops!

I remember another time in a drive thru, a worker thought my mom was someone else and talked to her as if she was the other woman. We think it was the same woman - her true Doppelganger. This woman was happily living her life, not even aware that her looks were causing trouble for another person. This mistaken identity could have caused more trouble than it did, though.

We, too, can find ourselves in similar trouble if we are not careful or aware. Sometimes, we may be dismayed about something we actually did. What then? Can we ever make that blemish go away or will it forever tarnish our reputation and career?

I read an article by Forbes that explains how we can protect and even correct our online reputation. I didn't realize that there are actually companies out there that exist to clean up the reputations of its customers. The author, Susan Adams,  talked with several of these companies to find out what we can do to manage our online reputation:

What the advice comes down to: Create your own content and optimized profiles, to push offending content down to that proverbial third page in Google search results.

She specifically gives 6 things to do to manage your online reputation. Click here to read the article in entirety.

1. Search yourself.
2. Buy your domain name.
3. Put all your content in one place.
4. Join social networks.
5. Optimize your presence on these sites.
6. Keep private things private, while assuming nothing is truly private.

I would add a number 7 - don't do something that will tarnish your reputation! That is the best protection of all.

Find the Pink Duck!

Today we are playing a game called "Find the Pink Duck!" On the website for Polaris Administrative Concepts, I have hidden a pink rubber duck. See if you can find it. When you do, come back to this post and comment that you found it. Shh...don't tell where you found it though!

You may wonder why we are playing this infantile exercise. First of all, it it is fun! Second, I am simply looking for website exposure. How many of you have actually been on my website?

Take a look and have fun!

Tag Cloud at TagCrowd for more Effective Job and Client Searching

A while ago I wrote a post about a program called Wordle that you can use to scramble words of your choice into a "word cloud." I was reminded of this when I ventured onto another website called TagCrowd. On this website you can fill in text and the program creates a "tag cloud" that shows you which words are used most often in the text.

This can be very helpful when searching for a job or a new client. Here is the example I used when checking out this effective tool. First, I found a job description on the common job search website, Monster.com. This position is for a senior administrative assistant for a company called MMP. See the job description here. Second, copy and paste the text of the job description into the box on the website. Next, click "Visualize!"

Finally, your new tag cloud will appear with the key words from the text you entered. The larger and more bold the words appear, the more important it is that your resumé, cover letter, brochure, etc. contain these key words.

Try this out to see if you fit a job description in your field or if you can fulfill the needs of a potential client.