Our Prayer for You and Your Efforts This Holiday

By: Stan Washington
December 25, 2014


May your day be focused on those you love

May the things that brought you worry be taken care of.

May your efforts be blessed beyond your expectations.


              May you feel the love GOD has for you in 2015!

It's Year End Time - Prep for a Brighter 2015

By: Stan Washington

Date: December 23, 2014

 "Merry Christmas" and Happy Holiday's, but don't stop yet. Have you prepared for taxes yet? Calculating year end is a great way to plan for 2015. Here are a few tips:

Keep a record of your transactions

Always keep an accurate record of your transactions. Whether it’s for an annual tax payment, a yearly audit, or just assessing your balance sheet, keeping a record of your debit and credits can prove to be very important further on down the line.

Keep personal and business accounts separate

Separating your personal accounts from your business accounts will save you from confusion and protect your business in case of a tax audit. By keeping everything separate, you will be able to manage bills and taxes more efficiently.

Protect your personal assets

It’s important that you take action to protect your personal assets, failure to do so may give creditors access to personal assets such as your house car etc. to pay for any debts. Many entrepreneurs put all of their assets on the line, and if their business fails, they don’t recover anything. But there are a number of ways to minimize any risk; you can do this by formal a legal business entity that will provide you with liability protection.

Save as much as possible

You should try to save as much money as possible each month, whether it’s in a bank or assets to recoup any unfortunate liabilities which may arise in the future. Investing in assets that will provide a return will also make your money work for your business.

Plan your finances

Financial planning is more important than ever. It will determine how much money you will need to meet your financial goals and objectives.Accountants are your closest allies when it comes to strategically planning and managing your finances. If you don’t have the budget to hire the services of an accountant, consider using online accountancy software.

Know your financial situation

You should monitor the financial progress of your business on a weekly basis. You should also know exactly how much money you have in the bank, the amount of sales your making and how much stock you have left. At the end of every month you should review your financial position against the targets that were set in your business plan.

Find a reliable bank to partner your business

If you have a limited amount of capital, you should find a reliable bank that are able to provide you with the right financial help without paying high interest rates. It’s also recommended that you open a checking account. But only use the checking account for business purposes.

Charge what your worth

This can be tough for some businesses. Don’t try to undercut other businesses just to get extra work in, charge what you feel your products or services are worth.

Meet tax deadlines

Failure to submit tax returns and payments on time can be very costly as you’ll incur hefty fines and daily charges. These are unnecessary costs that you can avoid via forward planning. There are a number of ways that you can reduce your tax reliabilities and it’s important that you get the correct tax advice to ensure you take full advantage of them.

Chase any unpaid debts

If you have any unpaid debts, don’t just leave them. It’s your money that’s tied up in someone else’s business and it’s likely that you’re not in business to finance theirs. You can write your own first reminder and final demand letters, but if this doesn’t get you anywhere you may need to use a debt collection service.

Tabulate Your Cashflow, Payables and Income

Have you calculated your cashflow on a regular basis. In other words, how much cash do you have in the bank? For those of you who use Honor Services Office, you can run annual cashflow, income and expense reports to start the year knowing how much you have. Use the auto bookkeeping to understand where you are financially in 2015.

Helping church leads women to Christmas business - Washington Times

By : Stan Washington
Date December 20, 2014

See the full Story:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/30/helping-church-leads-women-to-christmas-business/

By CHARMAINE SMITH-MILES - Associated Press - Sunday, November 30, 2014

IVA, S.C. (AP) - The small shop where Barbara Campbell and Jean Fleming work smells of warm air and dust, but these two women have spent countless hours in their little shop in Fleming’s backyard.

“Time just slips away out here,” Fleming said. “We have spent hours and hours out here. Sometimes, my husband comes out here with my dinner.”

There is a large, slab roller in one corner. Wooden shelves line a couple of the walls. A small table sits in front of the shop’s one window, and a small, round wooden table in the middle of the shop takes up most of the room.

This is where these two women create the white porcelain, trimmed in gold, ornaments that tell the story that is most important to them: the story of Christ and salvation.

It is something that this veteran teacher and factory-floor worker never thought that they would be doing.

For 27 years, Campbell was a substitute teacher for Anderson School District 3. She helped with study hall and worked in the library at Starr-Iva Middle School and taught the 4-year-olds and the children in kindergarten at Iva Elementary School. Fleming worked for 37 years in the spinning room at Mohawk Carpets in Lowndesville.

The need for new ornaments on their church’s Christmas tree has led them into this completely unexpected mission.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/30/helping-church-leads-women-to-christmas-business/

Home Based Business Ideas - Veteran's Affairs

By: Stan Washington

Date: December 10, 2014

Full story on: http://www.usveteransmagazine.com/article/top-home-based-small-business-ideas-2014

Whether it is your first business venture or a new one, finding the right business to invest in is crucial. Many successful business owners started out small and then branched out to become multimillion dollar enterprises. Every successful business starts with an idea, and any idea can be worth billions of dollars.

However, before starting any type of business, it is always a good idea to check the market. What are consumers looking for? Is there a high demand for the product or service you are offering, and what kind of return can your business expect over time? These are normal concerns any business owner will have before investing in a new business.

Our "Do it Yourself" Marketing Book - Plans to Prosper is NOW available

Plans to Prosper: Strategies, Systems and Tools for Small Business Marketing Success

Our Marketing Book is NOW available. 

Learn how to choose a marketing strategy that’s right for you. Market in a short period of time on a small budget while increasing visibility, raising buyer awareness, and growing sales using our step-by-step High Achieving Marketing Process ™. Take out the guess work and save money.

Many business owners often feel as though they’re “winging it” as they carry on day to day. They lack a plan or resources to keep them focused. Also, they aren’t reaching their financial goals.

Does that sound familiar?

Plans to Prosper: Strategies, Systems and Tools for Small Business Marketing Success is a step-by-step guide to growing businesses through effective marketing. We take the guess work out of marketing strategies in order to help save you money. In this book, you will learn how to:

Choose a marketing strategy that’s right for you.

Market in a short period of time on a small budget while increasing visibility, raising buyer awareness, and growing sales.

Profit from the marketing mistakes small business owners have made and how to avoid making the same mistakes.

We also provide examples, tips, resources, and warnings to help guide your business toward focused growth.

Victoria Cook, founder and managing director for The Center for Guilt-Free Success, helps women entrepreneurs grow their businesses through coaching and training. Known for her proprietary 7-step Guilt-Free RESULTS™ process, Victoria often is in demand as a speaker. She was named a "Business Brick Builder" by the International Coach Federation Chicago Chapter in 2013. Her innovative approach reflects her commitment to building the strengths of her clients as she helps them market their businesses more confidently and easily.

Stan Washington, a McDonald’s executive turned entrepreneur is founder and president of Honor Services Office, software that helps small business grow sales, market businesses, and process invoices easily. He has helped thousands of small businesses achieve sales into the millions. His leadership of operations and technology enabled multi-billion dollar corporations to increase sales and he is ready to share their tips. Stan also is the co-author of Peaceful Selling: Easy Sales Techniques to Grow Your Small Business.

Victoria and Stan met while serving on a local board of the International Coach Federation, an organization with 22,000 members. After discovering they shared a similar approach and mindset to marketing, they became passionate about working together to create a tool business owners like you could use to save money and grow a business simultaneously. The result is this resource.

Young Women Entrepreneurs Growing with a "Purpose"

By: Stan Washington

Date: November 24, 2014

Helping people is a great business. Tammy Tibbetts is bold enough to help young women around the world, go to school.  For most people, the decade between 18 and 28 is transformative. Often, it’s in those angst-ridden, exciting years that you begin to find your voice as an individual and carve out your professional career. For young entrepreneurs, one of those things can’t happen without the other.

That’s how it was for Tammy Tibbetts, the 28-year-old founder and CEO of She’s The First, a nonprofit that helps girls in developing countries become the first in their families to complete secondary school. A decade ago, Tibbetts was voted “Most Shy” in her high school class. To be where she is now, at the helm of an organization that has helped nearly 400 women find their voice, she first had to find her voice. read more... http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240101

Original story by:

CATHERINE CLIFFORD

ENTREPRENEUR STAFF

Frequently covers crowdfunding, the sharing economy and social entrepreneurship.

FEATURED - Debra A. Matthews (Premier Resume Writer / Coach)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Debra Ann Matthews  Founder / Career Coach, Resume Writer Mock Interview and Development Coach at Let Me Write It For You: Job-Winning Resumes and Career Services

Stan: Debra please tell me about yourself and your services.

Debra: I work with motivated job seekers and career changers who may need a variety of services ranging from coaching, job interview assistance, career research, cover letters, statements of qualifications, resumes, 30/60/90 day plans, LinkedIn profiles and updates on all career communications.

!

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Debra: Set your professional goal for your practice; find 5 professionals to emulate and begin to shine in like manner.  Our senior colleagues don't mind helping you at all; once you can substantiate your professional raison d'etre (reason to be). Don't be shy about communicating the attributes that you bring to the profession and to your ideal clients.  Know how to verbalize your passion for your existence in this business.  


Debra can be reached at: 

www.letmewriteitforyou.org | www.facebook.com/letmewriteit4u | |www.linkedin.com/in/letmewriteit4u

931.269.WR1T(9718)

As seen in USAA Military, NBC Chicago, MSN Latino, Monster.com,

The Calgary Sun (Canada), Careerbuilder.co.uk

Career Affiliate, Career Thought Leaders, Nat'l Resume Writer's Assn, Career Director's Int'l

FEATURED - Tom Powner (Career Coach, Resume Writer Mock Interview and Development Coach)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Thomas Powner  Founder / Career Coach, Resume Writer Mock Interview and Development Coach at Career Thinker Inc.

Stan: Tom please tell me about yourself and your services.

Tom: We provide branded resumes, bios and LinkedIn profiles to enable career minded people to get the job they seek. We have a unique job search strategy that works! We also help our clients by performing mock interviews. We increase their career Connect-Ability!

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Tom: Understand and infuse technology in your business operations to increase productivity. Referrals are key, so stay connected to your clients even when they no longer need your services or products.  


Tom can be reached at: 

866-369-9634

http://careerthinker.com/

TomPowner@CareerThinker.com

Global Career Brainstorming Day - CTL and RWA

By: Stan Washington

http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/brain-day-2014/

How does Brain Day work?

Groups of career professionals meet for 4 hours to talk, explore, learn, collaborate, discover, and share. Each group is led by an experienced facilitator working with a discussion outline we’ve created to guide the conversation. Yet, you should never feel restrained by the outline! One of the most fascinating aspects of Brain Day is that each group is dynamic and conversations flow in every direction and around every topic imaginable. That’s a great deal of what makes this event so very special!

There’s also a scribe (note taker) at each event to record the highlights of the day. Using a note-taking tool that we’ve developed, scribes capture all of the insights, ideas, new perspectives, resources, and more that everyone shares. The role of scribe is very important because our final publication of findings is only as strong as the information we capture from each event. That white paper is distributed to:

• Brain Day facilitators, scribes & participants
• Thousands of career professionals worldwide (10K+)
• Colleges & universities in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia & Australia
• Military installations, government agencies & workforce development centers
• Broadcast, online & print media
• Social media outlets & PR channels
• Job seekers

FEATURED - Jan Marino (Founder / Personal & Business Reinvention Expert)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Jan Marino, Founder / Personal & Business Reinvention Expert

Stan: Jan please tell me about yourself and your services.

Jan: High Gain provides reinvention services for individuals and businesses including branding, social media, sales & marketing strategies, sales training, business intelligence and disruptive progress/results

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Jan: Talk to your customers every day and find out exactly what they need to be more successful. 


Jan can be reached at: 
630-299-9927
http://highgaincompanies.com  
jan.highgainco@gmail.com

By: Stan Washington


From Forbes Article: By Meghan Casserly
http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2013/04/17/why-small-businesses-are-losing-on-social-media/

Photo by: Manta.com

Why Small Businesses Are Losing On Social Media

A new report from online business community Manta shows that, desperate to increase sales numbers in 2013, American small business owners are turning up on the social web in droves. The trouble is, no matter how much time they spend, they’re simply not seeing a return on investment.

Social media use is trending upward according to the survey of more than 1,235 small business owners, no surprise given the attention paid to the various social platforms by big businesses and media outlets. Nearly 50% have increased time spent on social media this year and nearly 55% say they’re using platforms like Twitter and Facebook as a primary tool for either acquiring new customers of generating sales leads.

It all sounds promising until this head-scratching result: despite their dedication and belief that social media is the Hail Mary of small business owners everywhere, more than 60% of small business owners say they haven’t seen any return on investment from their engagement online. None.

Social guru Ted Rubin isn’t surprised one bit—and says it’s because the small business community’s expectations of social media platforms, how they’re using them and the reality of the technology are simply way out of whack. He should know—as the Chief Social Marketing Officer of Collective Bias , a FORBES Most Promising Company that drives retail sales through coordinated creation of social media stories and which recently raised a $10 million round—the man lives and breathes online.

“First of all, small business owners are being sold on the strategy of social by ‘experts’ who are trying to get them to pay to set up accounts,” Rubin says, talking, of course, of firms not unlike his own who manage social media platforms for businesses. “But more importantly, their expectations are being set up in the wrong way.” Set up, it seems, for failure.

First up, if an expert or strategist tries to sell you on the notion that setting up a Facebook page or Twitter handle (or even a LinkedIn company page) will open the floodgates to an Internet’s worth of sales leads, they’re selling you some bad medicine. “It’s not going to cut it,” Rubin says. “Social actually can be a powerful lead generator,” Rubin says, but not in the way SBOs think. Jumping online to check in on Facebook once a day or posting current sales deals isn’t going to bring the business in. It just isn’t.

Instead, he says the only real way to use social to bring in new sales is to dedicate a staffer (think low-level, he says, “Think your teenaged son or daughter.”) to spend some serious time online just listening. “If you’re selling insurance, or plumbing, carpeting or other services,” he says, “Listen for people who are complaining about their current service providers. Those are leads worth pursuing.” Filters and using social as a search tool can help, but the most critical factor here is time. According to Manta’s survey, despite the increase in time from 2012-2013, more than half of small business owners spend less than three hours a week online.

It’s frustrating, of course, this notion that you can’t simply set something up and watch the sales stream in—which explains the disappointment of the majority of business owners surveyed who say they aren’t experiencing a return on their investment in social. “Small business owners are being told social can generate leads and bring in new customers, so they often consider it as another direct marketing vehicle, like getting their company into a weekly ValPac or Penny Saver circular,” Rubin continues. Those directives are easy to measure. You spend $1000, you get 20 new customers as a result.

In contrast, social is a patience game, which for many can be a bitter pill. “Return on relationship takes time,” he says. “People are being sold on social as a place to generate leads, but it’s really a place to build loyalty, answer customer service questions and to build a community.” These things take time, he says, and commitment to the platform, but in his experience they have proven to be the value that does result in an increase in revenue. How? Through trust and loyalty.

“Any business owner small or large will say that’s the win,” Rubin says. “If people trust you they’re going to be loyal. If they’re loyal, their average order will be higher, the frequency of their purchases will be higher and the life expectancy of them as a customer will be longer.”

According to this survey from Manta, small business owners are eager to embrace social media, but they’re going about it all wrong—and it’s creating real discontent. Rubin—who has seen first-hand the results of social media marketing and building communities between brands and consumers—says that with a few subtle shifts in priorities and an adoption of the long-view, small business owners can put themselves back on the path towards success.. and sales.

“Small business owners have got to be thinking of their social presence as first and foremost an extension of what’s happening on their physical locations,” he says, whether it’s a storefront of service business. If customers come in for local gossip, then tear it up online, he says. “Facebook is a great place to extend your personality online so that customers existing and new feel connected.”

What Facebook isn’t is a portal to millions in instant revenue. Once small business owners can appreciate that, they’ll have a much better time of it—and long-term reap much more profitable rewards.

FALL BACK - Please remember to set your clocks back!

It was a pleasant surprise to wake with another hour available to me. I actually forgot. Hope you remembered.

FEATURED - Nickquolette Barrett (Chief Resume Writer & Interview Coach)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Nickquollette Barrett, Chief Resume Writer / Interview  Coach

Stan: Nickquollette please tell me about yourself and your services.

Nickquollette: I specialize in people salesmanship wherein I create personal marketing plans taking people from job applicant status to a rockin' career candidate. I craft resumes, cover letters, professional bios, and prep. candidates for interviews. 

In addition, I coach in all areas of career development and career enhancement. My ideal client include all levels of career seekers. I always say, a well-written resume and cover letter gets you the interview and a well-prepared interview gets you the job!

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Nickquollette: Brand your company to match the personality, product and processes of your business. Our Brand is I Rock Resumes and we make our clients feel like rock stars. Every process we have is geared toward elevating our clients to the level of confidence they need to land the job. We also looked at the “Rock” as a foundation for a very strong resume.

Branding is something you have to live with so choose wisely. Do your research to see if the name is available. Keep in consideration how you want to treat your customers and you will do well.

Nickquollette can be reached at: 
www.irockresumes.com l www.facebook.com/IRockResumes l www.twitter.com/iRockResumes 

(469) 666-0753

FEATURED - Juan Marcos (Author - HR Consultant / Leadership Coach)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Juan Marcos, Author 

Stan: Juan please tell me about yourself and your new book.

Juan: We assist on Human Resources Policies and Practices, We also provide "effective leadership coaching." I'm the author of Warriors at the Helm: A Leader's Guide to Success in Business that outlines my perspectives on the traits that make leaders effective. The book is available at Eliepress.com, Barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. 

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Juan: Regardless of your business people are the engine and the catalyst to success. Hiring right, acculturating effectively and treating and rewarding people the right way is essential for any enterprise to prosper and grow. You can have the best products and business model in the world but without committed people to your business and to execute your strategies most will die on the vine.


Juan can be reached at:

JCMarcos Consulting (email: jcmarcos1231@gmail.com   Phone: 303-915-0572)

FEATURED - Advice from Small Business Owner Mary Konow

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Mary Konow, M.S., GCDF

Stan: Mary please tell me about yourself and your business.

Mary: As the owner and career coach for MK Career Designs, I prepare job seekers and proactive professionals for success through empowering Career Coaching, effective career documents and strategic LinkedIn Profile Optimization. I help alleviate the stress of job searching with job readiness strategies, empowering job seekers to take the next step. I help professionals position themselves before the next big opportunity, show them how to grow their network and build professional credibility. www.MKCareerDesigns.com

Stan: What advice would you give small business owners right now?

Mary: As small business owners, we are always marketing our products and brand- whether we realize it or not. All networking efforts should be seen as a part of our overall marketing plans. Get out there, talk to people in your community and build relationships- in doing so, you will also build your brand. Stay consistent in your marketing and your efforts will pay off.

To see more information about Mary and her service please visit: www.MKCareerDesigns.com

Would you like to be featured? Contact me with "Feature Me" in the subject at contact@honorservicesinc.com.

Avoid a $16,000 Fine - CAN-SPAM ACT 2014

By: Stan Washington


Email is a great way to reach large audiences. Unfortunately there are those who have ruined this great medium by being too noisy or in some cases malicious. Be Smart.

 No we don't mean you have to give up your tasty treat! 

How to Quickly Lose Your Audience
SPAM means the recipient has received too many irrelevant emails from someone who they do not have a relationship with.  It is easy for someone to report your email message as spam simply by looking at the subject. They may never open it and then your message is flagged for spam. Too may of these flags will result in a potential fine.

Fish bowls for cards, trade-show lists and business meeting lists are gold for the marketer yet even if you have words right in front of the consumers face, you can still get your email flagged.


Please review your email policies today. According to the 2014 CAN-Spam Act, you can get fined up to $16,000 per instance if you are not handling email properly.

How to avoid being a Spammer

• Check your email lists for valid email addresses
• Build a relationship instead of going for quantity.
• Have a clear unsubscribe process
• Honor All Unsubscribes immediately
• Don't use purchased lists
• Have a professional email. If it looks bad then people will mark it as spam faster.
• Stop being so pushy in your email subject. Promises you can't keep are the reason for this act in the first place.

We at Honor Services take email very seriously.  If you have an account with us then you agree to not be involved with spamming otherwise we will remove the account and in some instances report the spammer.


To download a copy of the CAN SPAM ACT click on a link below. A PDF will automatically be downloaded to your computer.

http://www.business.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business.pdf

About our founder:
Stan Washington - Founder / President of Honor Services Inc., Board Member International Coach Federation, Board Member National Resume Writers Association, Board Member Academic Cultural Technological and Scientific Olympics. Ex McDonald's executive who led Restaurant Technology for 14,000 US Locations.

It's not too late to meet your Business Growth Goals!

I heard many people complaining about the lack of growth in their business so I worked with some great business people and collected specific ways to be focused on business growth for the remainder of the year. We built a complimentary series  and all that is required is that you begin meeting new people to share your expertise and questions.

Remove your fear and focus!

Don't Miss out!

October Webinar 

10 Surefire Ways to Grow Your Business with the Cloud

Click Here to Sign-up: 

https://cc.readytalk.com/r/dd1ax22r6ye5&eom

November Webinar

7 Secrets to Generate More Leads and Referrals This Week

Click Here to Sign-up: 

https://cc.readytalk.com/r/78igvldxogf2&eom

December Webinar

How Small Business Owners Get Invoices Paid Quickly

Click Here to Sign-up:

 https://cc.readytalk.com/r/n6erv7izau45&eom

Not a member:
Please join the LinkedIn group "HSO Small Business Innovators to attend this complimentary venue.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/HSO-Small-Business-Innovators-4668076

Please note:

HSO Small Business Innovators is a discussion group for Entrepreneurs and small businesses to share expertise, needs and ideas. Let your voice be heard and connect with others in your field.

We do want to hear about your projects.  We desire a forum with rich discussion about approach to small business growth.

Please be exciting! INNOVATE!

Spammers will not be tolerated!