Internet Explorer - It's safe to go back into the water!

By: Stan Washington
Date: May 13, 2014

In April the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement that Internet Explorer had vulnerabilities.  This scared the already nervous population of internet users and they began flooding away from IE in droves. I am a long time Microsoft user so this news made me do a little research.

The real issue was the support of the Windows XP operating system, said a  Microsoft spokesperson. People need to upgrade in order to remain secure. Here is that news item:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usanow/2014/05/01/microsoft-issues-internet-explorer-security-fix/8562737/

If you wish to go back to Internet Explorer do this first:

Check for updates.  This security patch was not pushed because a large portion of IE users were not affected.  Check for updates and apply any pertaining to the operating system and Internet Explorer.  If you don't see updates, you were probably fine.

Honor Services Office Now Available!

Thank you for your business!

We are "Honored" to serve you!

www.honorservicesoffice.com

Small Business of the Year 2014 - Win $1000 by drawing pictures

Why did we choose to have a Small Business of the Year contest?

We wanted to develop a contest that would actually benefit your business. By entering this contest, it brings fresh eyes to your business and you can couple telling people about the contest with any special offerings you may have.

What is a *Web Presence Page?

Your clients and potential clients need to be able to find you on the internet and the more places you appear the more likely they will choose your business. Career Coach Office offers a Web Presence Page that tells people about you, your products and services.

What is a Banner?

If a picture speaks a thousand words, a beautiful banner speaks volumes about your business! A banner on your Web Presence page should invoke confidence or a good feeling about your business. Some keep it simple and some are more complex. Make sure it’s 960 x 220!

After I enter the contest what should I do?

When you enter the contest, most of the work has been done for you!

A.    Log into your account

B.     Upload the banner to your Web Presence Page

C.     Modify and send the Small Business of the Year Email Marketing Campaign that has been supplied for you to your friends, family and those who will vote for you! They can vote more than once!

How will I be judged?

The entrant with the most votes AND the most “Learn More” clicks wins.  The Small Business of the Year Marketing Campaign has been supplied for you and will keep track of your click thru’s. Be careful to explain to them not to use the “Like” button  but click on “Learn More” and click on “I love your business” on your Web Presence page.

What is a vote?

A vote is a tally of two scores, a click on “Learn More” from the Small Business of the Year Email Marketing Campaign supplied for you AND a click on a button located on your Web Presence page.

What are the prizes?

The contestant with the most votes wins $1000. Second prize is a new IPad Air (valued at $499). Both winners will also have their name and business posted in any media publication we choose to reveal our winner in.  Their businesses will be prominently displayed on our website for the world to see!

http://careercoachoffice.com/smallbusinesscontest.php

Small Businesses are Marketing Better Than Large Corporations!

By: Stan Washington

Date: January 08,  2014

2014 is going to be a great year for small business! I say that because large corporations are turning to tactics small businesses are already using, namely e-mail marketing.  In a recent Forbes article, even our competitors are developing a strategy to tailor marketing to smaller audiences to increase sales.  

Check out the Forbes Article. 

Here are a few things to do in 2014:

Plan on increasing your audience

As I have stated before, referral only business is too random and therefore you cannot plan for the revenue very well. Take time to identify your audience and nurture the relationship with some sort of Customer / Client relationship manager.  Be organized and know your audience.

Market through e-mail
E-mail is still the top when it comes to technology.  Yes we get waayy too much and adding to the noise seems counter-intuitive. Research shows, however, that one of the most effective modes of marketing is by contacting your audience directly.

Get out of your shell and market through e-mail. Have a compelling message and they will buy from you! Be confident about your product and service and tell people what you have to offer.  Is your product or service unique, superior or extremely useful? If so, then why don't people know what you do or better question, why aren't more people buying your product?

Market to you audience and explain what you do and why it benefits them!

Follow up

Make sure you follow up with potential clients!  One of the biggest complaints I hear from people about various companies is they do not follow up in a timely fashion.  Follow-up in 24 - 48 hours.  If you will be away, then tell the person when you will follow up and make the time acceptable to your potential client.

2014 Forecast - Warm and Sunny for Small Business!

By: Stan Washington
Date 01/03/2014

Happy New Year and this time I mean it.  My forecast will be sunny skies remaining all year and possibly into 2015. Small businesses experiences a serious comeback over the past 12 months. According to Dun and Bradstreet CEO Jeffery Stibel, small businesses are getting healthier.

Lending
Small businesses were able to obtain more loans because the health of their business is getting better. Banks made nearly $18 Billion in loans last year by the end of 3rd quarter.  This is up from the prior year and is showing signs of health spreading in all sectors.

Hiring
Small businesses hired more people last year than the prior two years. 2013 got off to a bleak start but ended stronger with 102,000 new jobs being created in November mostly in the small business sector.

Innovation
Innovation poured out of many large companies and small in 2013.  I believe this boom in innovation will come from small businesses throughout 2014. Here is the list of the most innovative companies in 2013
Here is the article that summarizes innovation in many ways.

http://www.fastcompany.com/section/most-innovative-companies-2013

Overall I believe you will have a great year if you focus your efforts on growth.

Our Christmas wish for you

Is your business model too rigid? Forbes Article says maybe!

By: Stan Washington
Date: December 10, 2013

Forbes Article has some wonderful words describing how people jump the gun before they have their business ready.  Take it from me, business development takes an extreme amount of time and for those who
are doing your business part time, I would suggest hiring people to do many aspects of your business as quickly as possible.

Check out the article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2013/01/24/the-7-worst-marketing-blunders-small-businesses-make/

Here are my thoughts:

Plan to grow!
I know you have heard me say this before!  Plan, plan plan but do not go into analysis paralysis!  How are you going to get new clients? What is your real pipeline?  Social Media is nice, but are you really meeting people?

Develop new products and services
There is nothing worse than a stale one trick business.  Your clients expect more from you than one idea. If you desire repeat business then you may have to discover new lines of business.

Develop a compelling story
Are you making a compelling statement to purchase your product or do you sound like everyone else?  Why you? Why your product?

Revisit your pricing
Are you too low?  Yes I said it. People need to value your services and if it's too low they will think it is not a value.  On the other hand, be careful not to price yourself out of the market.

By revisiting your plan you can determine where you need to put your energy!

Expiring Tax Credits and Being Prepared for Year End 2013

By: Stan Washington
Date: December 04.2013

T'is the season to be jolly, thankful and prepared! Yes it's that time of year where we want to relax and enjoy in many festivities, but are you prepared to relax? I remember one year I worked extremely hard and was too busy to focus on taxes.  My accountant asked for my documents and I had a pile of garbage.

She looked at me and shook her head with a despondent stare.  Her retort was "Come back to me when you are prepared." Okay, she wasn't that harsh but it felt that way!

Start Preparing for Taxes NOW
Why not start collecting your documentation now.  Before you schedule your next party, schedule time for collecting documents and summarizing your year. I have included tax credits to prepare you for your conversation with your accountant. You should schedule a meeting before the year ends.

Expiring tax credit full document: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43124.pdf

Bank Statements
I don't know about your bank, but mine makes it easy to access statements online for one (1) year. This means you need to collect your statements from last December until now if you haven't done so already.

Other Considerations
Have you done charity work? Do you have miles listed for business expenses? Have you tallied all operational expenses? Are you missing tax credits you are unaware of? Do you have an opportunity to get a credit in the next three weeks? Are you aware of the filing date for next year? (There is a two week delay extending the start of the season to February 04, 2014). Is your hardware fully depreciated? Should you purchase computer and other hardware now?

Filing season link:http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/2014-Tax-Season-to-Start-Later-Following-Government-Closure;-IRS-Sees-Heavy-Demand-As-Operations-Resume

Being prepared will help you reduce your heartache and headaches!

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Visit http://www.careercoachoffice.com to do online invoicing today!

Do your clients understand what you are saying?

By: Stan Washington
Date: December 02, 2013

Original Story and pictures
http://www.businessinsider.com/dialects-of-american-english-2013-12

If you would have told me there are more than 24 dialects in America before I read this article, I would have said you were crazy.  Four at the most, maybe five!  Business Insider quotes Robert Delaney who studied regional dialects in America. This map lists 24 or more dialects in America.  Read the article for more detail on each dialect.

How Can Dialects Affect Your Message?
If you are using regional references in your communication, you may be confusing potential clients and losing business.  In Chicago we say "Da Bears" which may not translate well if I'm speaking about "Da business!" Neutralize your regional references because you are facing a national or global client.

Does Your Humor Translate?
I have read many of your articles and some of the humor does not translate across regions very well.  Connect with your friends in other regions and ask their opinion of what you are writing.  This opinion can save you from sending out something offensive.

Look at Other Regions
Where are you getting your information from?  If you are getting local information, then maybe it's time for you to read news from other cities to get a fresh perspective. Check out what's going on in different countries, states or cities to round out your communication. Your clients will appreciate your broad perspective,

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Visit http://www.careercoachoffice.com and try out our client management tool. Your clients can log on and get the custom plan you built for them! 

Not Just for coaches!

Great for any small business! 

You Talkin' to Me? (How are you treating your potential clients?)

Original picture and Article from Mashable:http://mashable.com/2013/11/25/customer-relationships/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-bus-link

By: Stan Washington
Date: November 26, 2013

What Sales Approach Works?

I recently spoke to a number of small business owners and they had different ways to approach sales. One person was very bold and direct and another was shy and timid. Both had sagging sales and both need to consider rethinking how they handle their potential client

Pressure Cooker Approach
"What would it take to get you in one of these?" seems like the cheesiest line from the used car salesman. The pressure sales tactic leaves a terrible taste in everyone's mouth. After a while you get a reputation that you are only there to sell your house with the leaky roof built on a graveyard.

Whisper and Run Approach
"I have a product to try" whispered the shy person. When people said "No!" they ran for cover! This shows a lack of confidence in your own product. People will try to test to see if you believe in your own product. If you don't then they will run away from you and your scary service.

Bad Mouthing the Opponent Approach
"They don't have what I have! They are bad and I am good" makes the potential client ask "How can I trust you?" This approach seems slimy and uncomfortable. It seems like you will do and say anything to get my cash.

All the approaches listed above use one common style. They talk "AT" the potential client.

Build the Relationship Approach
"Let's address your problem together" is the statement that resonates with your potential client.  By understanding your clients' needs, you can provide a great solution to even the simplest problems they face.  This requires keeping notes on each potential client and client.

Yes it's easy to remember facts about 10 or 12 clients but when you get over 50 forget it! Some small business owners had 2,000 and 3,000 people they had to keep track of and there was no way to do it without software!

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Try keeping powerful notes on each potential client to land the deal with at http://www.careercoachoffice.com. Try it FREE today!

Is a BOOK in your future in 2014?

By: Stan Washington
Date: November 22,2013

Continuing on trends for 2014, one that seems to be emerging is picturesque cookbooks with easy to follow steps.  I remember the cookbooks of old... full of words and expectations that I had knowledge of how to turn on the stove.  Today this could be further from the truth. People want pictures.

Check out this article from Entrepreneur Magazine

Publishing Trend for 2014: A New Demand for Eye-Catching Cookbooks

Technology Relating to Book Publishing
What does this have to do with technology you ask? I decided to investigate and found some interesting sites that you may use to self-publish your book. In fact with a few clicks, you are a published author on Amazon!

I looked up some sources for you


Kindle Direct Publishing
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
This relatively easy process takes minutes to set up and you can publish any book any subject.  Please keep it professional! I suggest hiring an editor.










25 things you need to know about self publishing
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10119891-82/self-publishing-a-book-25-things-you-need-to-know/

CNET has some great tips regarding self publishing.








CreateSpace
https://www.createspace.com/

Yes this is Amazon again!  They are going to own the world one day. They aspire to be all things "books" and they purchased BookSurge and CreatSpace and merged them under the CreateSpace brand.  Again, very easy to publish!



Lulu
http://www.lulu.com/
Lulu has been around for a while.  They have great resources regarding writing that book and self-publishing. They even challenge you to think e-book!



In all cases the first thing for you to do is start!  You have had the idea cooking for a number of years, so why not write it down and publish it?



Career Coach Office
http://www.careercoachoffice.com

When you self publish your book why not let everyone know about it using E-Mail marketing?  This is the most cost effective way to directly tell them about your great book.

Smaller is Bigger for Marketing in 2014

By: Stan Washington
Date November 21, 2013

Original Article: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229806

What is your primary message? Whatever it is you have to get to the point these days! With smaller devices and access from anywhere, people expect small slivers of advertising versus the dying ONE minute segment. If you can't wow the consumer in 160 characters (Text) or 140 characters (Twitter) or 6 seconds (Instagram / Vine) you're being too verbose!

Here is how you should prepare:

Reduce your message - Practice tweeting your message today.  Twitter forces you into a 140 character concise message. Reference material is not good for this format.

A picture is worth a 1000 words - Can you say your message with pictures? The trend is to be able to post a picture related to your material for the ever growing visual community.

Did you know pictures increase the likelihood of your message being read by 75%?

Trash the old - Your website is one of your most powerful web tools and if you have old, stale information on it, then your potential client will question your business.

in 2014, brevity will be key!  Create a marketing plan that includes smaller bursts more frequently!

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Visit us at http://www.careercoachoffice.com and start your e-mail marketing campaign today!

Can your personality dictate how much you earn?

By: Stan Washington

Date: 11/06/13

According to Time Magazine, your income is dictated by your personality type. Wait a minute!?? You mean if I'm on the far side of being a shy introvert I would earn less than the boisterous windbag extrovert? Yes, that's what this article says.

Do you agree?

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Career Coach Office helps you market you business no matter what style you have. Visit http://www.careercoachoffice.com and try it today!

Do I need cash to start my Start-Up?

By: Stan Washington

Date: 11/05/2013

On a recent radio program I was asked the question "where do I get money to start my business?" My answer to him was "start your business before you get the cash!"  This shocked the audience and the radio host! She paused and regrouped and asked me the question "Start your business before you get funding? What do you mean?"

Here is what was behind my answer... Too many people jump into business for the wrong reason or without having a plan or by thinking it's an escape from corporate.  They think of a nice business idea without thinking through the financials of what it will truly take to operate their business on a larger scale. Here are my thoughts

Before investing a large amount prototype your concept!

Take your concept before a very small audience on a much smaller scale to see if the concept works.  It is worth the investment to understand all aspects of your business concept before you send your concept out to a large audience.

Work out the kinks before you ask for money

There is nothing worse than making a lot of noise about your product or service and having it fail the day you open the doors. By starting small, you can work out the bugs in your processes while understanding the landscape.

Fully understand your spend

What is the true total cost of ownership?  Have you looked at all costs of your business or have you only figured up how things will work in a perfect world? You may need help here to determine all costs you may run into for your business.

Consider crowdfunding

Many people are raising capital through grass roots efforts and bartering.  Sites like Kickstarter have become a way of raising capital from many sources.  Make sure you know all terms and conditions before jumping in.

How will you pay your investors?

Once you raise money, remember... It's NOT yours! Yes you now have room to breathe but you must track all investors and determine a way to pay dividends in your company.  They invested in order to make money off of your concept so make sure you factor this in before you seek cash!

Listen to the full broadcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpsG2viMA7I

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Please visit us at http://www.careercoachoffice.com as a low cost investment to running your small business! Instantly start growing your business today!

Set your clock BACK!!

www.careercoachoffice.com

See you next fall!

Business Over the Phone

By: Stan Washington
Date: November 1, 2013

I laughed as I tripped over a piece of archaeology in my driveway last month.  I picked up the relic and removed it from its bag. It was a phone book! It brought forth memories of when gas was 50 cents and travel agents existed.

This relic reminded me that the use of phone has changed over the years.

 I actually had a conversation about home line versus cell phone versus business lines and here is what we ran into.


Are Toll Free Numbers still a viable option?
I would say it depends on the business. In the 80's, 800 numbers were a must for businesses, but so were the yellow pages. Ask yourself, does it save my customers money? Vanity numbers could be a draw and it depends on the size of your business whether you need to have a toll free number these days.

Should I get rid of my land line?
I have seen more of a movement to drop the expense of a land line and move to cell phone only business.  Again, it depends on how many people are in your business and do you need to share the phone number?

How do I get on the No Call List?
visit https://www.donotcall.gov/ and register your number.  Please note that you can only register so many numbers and there may be other limits.

How do you communicate with global clients?
Global reach can be expensive.  Many people are trading in their phones for web conference communication, but the meeting has to be set up in advance.  Voice over IP (VoIP) has many groups that offer free service as well as paid. I like VoIP but do you have to speak to the person? Can you go to web technology instead?

Should I use a virtual number?
Virtual numbers are nice especially when you don't have a brick and mortar business. They offer messaging services that can send the voice mail as an audio file to your e-mail. Is your business ready for multiple numbers? Do you have sales, support and other departments?

How should I use call routers and voice-mail?
Brevity is key!  It's annoying to call a business with a long message with twenty routing  options.  Keep messaging and routing options simple. Please drop the temptation to oversell while your client is on hold but mention upcoming products.

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Career Coach Office helps you move you business practices to the web enabling you to reach clients world wide. Visit us at http://www.careercoachoffice.com and try it today!

Career Coach Office Featured on Naperville News Channel 17 (Business Connection Show)

In a recent interview, Stan Washington (Founder and President of Career Coach Office) revealed the latest version of the software is now open to small businesses of all types. He also mentioned workshops and consulting for small businesses especially start-ups.

Twitter - @CCoachOffice
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/CareerCoachOffice
Website - http://www.careercoachoffice.com

Honestly we can't find you on the web!

By: Stan Washington
Date: October 22, 2013

I recently added about 50 contacts and in my usual way, I visit their website and social media presence.  Out of the 50, a dismal 8 people had Facebook pages, 17 had Twitter accounts, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube were nonexistent. I went to a popular search engine, typed in a person's business name and their site did not show up.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Google Your business name - If you don't show up then your "Web Presence" is too low!

2. Have your friends search for your business name in Facebook. It took me several tries, but I finally found some of you! You will always find you because your page is connected to you.

3. Put your big girl and boy pants on and grow your network!  Get on social media and increase your web presence!

If Social Media isn't in your plans, you may want to rethink your strategy. Your clients will be looking for you in some interesting places. Check out this Forbes article:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/09/24/the-top-7-social-media-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2014/2/

Get your FREE "Web Presence" page when you sign up at http://www.careercoachoffice.com

De-cluttering my home office made me productive

by: Stan Washington

Date: October 14, 2013

Working from a home office has its rewards but can be distracting at times. The availability of "home" stuff like television, neighbors and errands used to find their way on my daily to do list and distract me from executing my daily business plan, but not anymore.  The main distraction seems to be organization. 

I don't know what has happened over the past year but I seem to be getting more paper than ever before!  Here are a few tips:

Clean my house in the morning - The first thing I do is clean my kitchen. I wipe down every surface and put away everything in its place. I do this before I grab my morning coffee!

Online Banking - I have switched over to on-line banking and I receive my monthly statements on-line. I can download my statement and e-mail the information to my accountant. I pay for business related items online and I don't remember the last time I wrote a check.

Handle a piece of paper twice - I was actually taught that I was only supposed to handle a piece of paper once, but who am I fooling?  I still get mail, paper invoices, articles, doctors' instructions, periodicals and statements from companies who haven't moved their processes on-line.  I look at the information to make sure nothing is pressing.  I then file the documents in their proper place on Friday. 

Create a directory structure that makes sense - I know this is tiny but many don't do it.  I have folders for everything on e-mail and I have the same folder structure on my computer.  I also back up my information in the cloud or on an external hard-drive. (I just bought a 1 TB drive for $60 and backed up all my files.

Company Name

           Accounting

           Marketing

           Projects / Workshops

           Client Documents

Delete or trash old files - Ask yourself... "Do I really need the file from 1997?" If you haven't looked at it this year, then the idea or thought is probably old. (I'm giving you a lot of leeway here)!  I finally got rid of an award certificate from one of my first companies in the 80's. I chose one or two memory items and chunked the rest.

Time box decluttering efforts - I only give my decluttering efforts 2 hours. I usually wind up making phone calls and doing other administrative tasks during this time but I can definitely benefit from scheduling this effort.  I can think better when I'm not cluttered!

Visit http://www.careercoachoffice.com and organize yourself today!

Your clients can sense your loneliness from your website!

By: Stan Washington
Date: October 11, 2013

I make it a point to visit as many websites as possible on a daily basis.  In fact this year I believe I have seen over 3000+ sites and I have observed a very "lonely" group of people!  How can I tell they are lonely? Just by what they say and their lack of "web presence."


Twitter - I visited someones twitter page and they had ONE lonesome tweet from last year which showed a lack of commitment to this social tool. People are interested in your current information.

Benefit - Quick concise messages with reference links help people find information quickly increasing your presence.


Pintrest - On the other hand I saw some interesting business ideas on Pinterest. Some have taken pictures with their smiling clients holding their product. I don't know why, but I felt this business owner wasn't lonely rather quite engaged with their client.

Benefit - Cool points with your clients if you can swing it. Oh and don't forget brand recognition.




Facebook - Where are you?  I went to some websites and couldn't get to several Facebook business pages. When I arrived on some of the pages I saw pictures of great grandkids and the dog eating chicken soup. Please keep your business page professional!

Benefit - Maximum reach! With over a billion people using Facebook, this cannot be ignored as a tool that will assist in your growth.





Google+ - Someone said to me , "I'm already on enough social tools." My response... "They already have too much business and it must be time to hire and expand, otherwise get on as many social tools as possible."

Benefit - The more mentions your company has within Google's suite of applications, the higher you appear
on their search engine results.


LinkedIn - The grandad of all things social has truly added some nice business apps that enable small business owners to tell people about their company every time they post or connect with someone.

Benefit - Viewed as the most professional way to connect with clients and potential clients.




YouTube - Here is another avenue where people are missing. I noticed a lack of video presence from many small businesses.  Just point a camera in front of yourself and say hello.

Benefit - We are in a very visual time. The more you can present yourself and your products in a visual way the more it will be received.



Career Coach Office - I noticed people were not using a database to keep track of clients and potential clients.  How in the world can the small business owner keep track of all those facts?

Benefit - CRM and Client Management on steroids! Invoicing and E-mail marketing are included and there is a free "Web Presence" page that increases the visibility for those who have a website and provides an inexpensive immediate solution for those who do not.





All of these applications are now expected by your clients.  Start using them today to maximize your web presence!