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Are You SURE You Want To Start Your Own Business? Part Two of a Series
Why, exactly, do you want to go into business for yourself?
Is it because you cannot stand the thought of working for an uptight, demanding, and perfectly dreadful boss?
Is it because you cannot bear the thought of going through...
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff with your Credit Policy
Do you know how many customers you have that are past due right now? How many bad checks are sitting on your desk that you don't know what to do with? How many dunning letters do you send out a month?
How would you like to answer those questions...
Failure is Not an Option
I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that online businesses -- just like brick and mortar businesses -- have a very high failure rate for startups. Ever wonder why that is? There are several business consultants, success...
Small Business Loans 3 cs
If you’re a small business owner applying for a loan or other credit, it pays to understand what lenders are looking for. From the point of view of the small entrepreneur the decisions that banks and other credit institutions make can often seem...
Why Does Your Business Need An Autoresponder?
Suppose you have a website with 500 visitors a day, and one in fifty of them requests information. That's ten e-mails you're going to have to send manually for the next few days or weeks. And tomorrow you get another ten, and the next day...
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Email Etiquette 1
I thought it might be worth visiting some email etiquette for all as the majority of the readers of this newsletter are now on email.
It is important to consider that when emailing people you are on show, whether you like it or not, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is one of my ‘pet’ subjects on which I speak when giving a public presentation about the Internet. I am constantly amazed at the number of people who have never thought about it, including secretaries, but once it’s mentioned they say ‘oh, yes, I hadn’t thought about that!’
Let’s face it – many people use email at work AND at home – but who they are does not change.It is best to type messages in full, and do not use phonetic spelling or lots of abbreviated words and half sentences. I know it is common practice on chat programs to shortcut the process, but email is quite different, and these days, generally accepted almost the same as a written letter. The reason not to type email in the shortcut form is that it can become habit-forming and not something you would want to promote to prospective clients, bosses or other business associates. It is important to remember that your 'professionalism' is on show 24 hours a day via email - a small point, but important.
Another thing – develop a signature block and let people know who you are and what you do! I have it set as an automatic feature
whenever emailing, or replying to email, and sometimes forget to delete it when emailing my parents or other family members – but that doesn’t really matter. The thing to remember is that anyone is a potential business associate and letting them know who you are and what you do helps promote your business or your industry. It is a business card that is on show all the time.
Third – take notice of the correct spelling of people’s names. I’ve lost count of the number of times that people have replied to an email of mine and spelt my name as either Kathy or Cathy – it’s neither. In addition, I’m sure the spelling of your own name is just as important to you and it is quickly noticed when someone spells it incorrectly.It’s these little things that make the difference between an average business operator and one who does that extra something – every little thing counts when it comes to attracting clients and associates and keeping them. Taking the time to care about these things and looking after even a client’s name goes a long way to developing good business relationships.
Kathie M. Thomas is the secretary you need when you haven't got a secretary. Heading a global team of virtual assistants and home-based secretaries, she assist businesses with their admin and internet needs.
kathie@asecretary.com.au
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United States Small Business Administration |
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SBA |
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Business & Small Business |
Online and print small business publication. Information to help start, grow or manage a small business. |
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Microsoft Small Business Center |
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SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" |
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Small Business and Self-Employed One-Stop Resource |
IR-2006-2, January 3, 2006 - Temporary and proposed regulations will significantly reduce tax filing burden for nearly 950000 small business owners. ... |
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Small Business Service | Home |
Provides information and advice to help small businesses realise their potential. |
www.sbs.gov.uk |
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NSW Small Business |
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Small Business Funding Opportunities (SBIR and STTR) |
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grants.nih.gov |
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Microsoft bCentral Small Business Directory |
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sbd.bcentral.com |
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