Suggest You - Business

Brand Building 101: How Your Pricing Strategy Can Build Your Brand
Strong brands become so as they develop a reputation for consistency - be that how they position themselves, the use of their corporate identity, in their messaging and their pricing.Yes pricing - a subject not talked about much in the context of branding.Let’s explore two specific case studies about price inconsistency and the impact to a company’s brand and business performance.Case Study 1 - Price Harmonisation in a Merger I recall a merger that I was engaged in and one of the biggest challenges we had was the harmonisation of trade terms for the products we were providing to our 14,000 customers.We had no record of the specific discounts each of our sales representatives had negotiated with the customers and through the merger the plan was that all the invoicing would be brought together.The customer had been aware they had different agreements in place with the separate organisations prior to the merger which they may not like but understand, as we created one business this was not going to be tenable.In fact the harmonisation of trading terms, and effectively the implementation of the full merger of the company took us al

ing phone plans, upgrading/fixing computers, your internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you’re enhancing your data storage procedures, you need new printer or fax ink cartridges… Office administration takes up a surprisingly large chunk of your day. Make sure you allow for it. This means allowing time to do the work, and factoring that time into your quotes. If you don’t, you’ll be continually working into the wee hours and/or losing money.

8) Marketing strategy

How do you generate business? Cold calls? (See http://www.divinewrite.com/coldcallingcopywriter.htm.) Website? (See http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for numerous website & SEO articles.) Networking? Word of mouth? Repeat business? Agencies? (See also http://www.divinewrite.com/freelancecopywriting.htm for some tips on succeeding as a freelance copywriter.) No matter what your strategy, you need to give it the time it deserves. It’s a good idea to average around an hour a day to thinking about and implementing marketing strategy.

9) Industry research

What to Look for in a Self Storage Company
With literally hundreds of local self-storage facilities in any given area, how is one to choose one from another? Are those with the big, flashy signs the best, or should you stick to the one close to home? Your friend’s cousin rented one last spring- maybe you should give her a call? How will you know if you are choosing the right self-storage company to suit your needs?For the majority of us, when it comes to purchasing something that we have never needed before, hind-sight is almost always 20/20. Our research is hindered by the bright and snazzy colors of bulletin boards, local newspapers and other ad sources in the community, making us easily forget what it is that we we’re actually looking for in a product or service. The self-storage industry is no different.For starters, do your homework. Your efforts on this venture will need quite a bit of forethought and a knowledgeable customer service associate to help you out. Making a couple of phone calls, paying a few visits to local companies, and asking a lot of questions are key to getting your ideal storage unit.First on our list (assuming that all companies are similarly priced and have the same size units

Ever wanted a job where you could spend all day, every day, writing clever and inspiring prose? Yes? Well don’t become a freelance copywriter!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great job, and for some of us it’s a calling that won’t be denied. And you definitely do get to write clever and inspiring prose. It’s just that you don’t do it all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you’ve done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low.

So what does a freelance copywriter do other than write copy? Well, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also provides some tips for performing them successfully.

1) Quoting

Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you’re calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.

2) Submitting Proposals

A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (“Where to from here?”).

3) Chasing reviews

The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussing deadlines on the next job.

4) Project scheduling & tracking

No matter whether you work on big projects or small, project scheduling and tracking are vital. You need to know the exact status of all work in progress (tracking), and you also need to be very aware of what’s coming up and how you’ll manage it (planning). If you’re doing it right, you should be using your tracking and planning tools several times a day. In fact, they should be the hub of your business. TIP: A good way to track copywriting projects is to use a job (and contact) tracking database. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Click to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You’ll need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I’m no database expert, so it’s not a work of art. It’ll certainly get you started though. (TIP: When using the database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.)

5) Accounting

Issuing invoices, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, putting tax aside… It all takes a lot of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices

6) Visiting clients

Although the wonders of modern email let a freelance copywriter get through about 95% of their work without ever leaving the office, it’s sometimes still a good idea to do things the ‘old-fashioned’ way – especially if you expect to work with them quite a bit. Shake hands and put a face to a name. And remember, everything about the meeting reflects on you and your business. As with your proposals, think about WHAT you say, HOW you say it, how you PRESENT. Always organise the meeting with plenty of notice, confirm the day before the meeting, be on time, summarise the meeting, and provide a call to action. (Try to do these last two both at the end of the meeting and via email after the meeting.)

7) Office admin

Even for a low overhead business like copywriting, there’s always something! Changing phone plans, upgrading/fixing computers, your internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you’re enhancing your data storage procedures, you need new printer or fax ink cartridges… Office administration takes up a surprisingly large chunk of your day. Make sure you allow for it. This means allowing time to do the work, and factoring that time into your quotes. If you don’t, you’ll be continually working into the wee hours and/or losing money.

8) Marketing strategy

9) Industry research

Employment and Career Opportunities in the Car Wash Business
There are employment and career opportunities in the car wash business. That sounds rather interesting doesn't it? Do you know why there is so much opportunity and employment available in the car wash business?It is because car wash owners have been exploiting the cheap Hispanic illegal alien and illegal immigrant labor for over four decades. That is about to end and now they will have to hire American citizens to do the work and that might require paying them a little more and making a little less profits and even perhaps raising the price of the car wash one or two dollars. Is that a bad thing?There are employment and career opportunities in the car wash business and it is an easy business for someone to work their way up the ladder to manager and eventually learn enough to run their own car wash and get into the car wash business as an owner and not just an employee or manager.I have been in the car wash business for over 27 years and have made a pretty good life of it. I recommended the car wash business for someone who decides not to go to college or perhaps someone who really loves cars. It is a rewarding profession and a good one, why? Because on the fir

are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be.

2) Submitting Proposals

3) Chasing reviews

4) Project scheduling & tracking

5) Accounting

6) Visiting clients

7) Office admin

8) Marketing strategy

9) Industry research

Career Advice: Share Power To Get Power
The way to get more power (a.k.a. responsibility) in your career is to hand off those tasks that others can perform as effectively as you can, so you will gain the time and energy to concentrate on the more demanding and visible tasks that will enhance your career.If you want more power take five steps as quickly as possible:1.Take a hard look at your responsibilities; rank them according to their importance to the goals of your employer.2. Eliminate tasks that are no longer required. (You'll be surprised at how many are on your to-do list just because "that's the way we have always done it".)3. Pass off the less critical tasks at the bottom of your list of priorities to others.4.Concentrate on improving your performance in carrying out the most important assignments in your portfolio.5. Reach out and grasp more responsibility. Find those tasks that are most visible in their contribution to your employer's success.You will know you are making progress up the career pyramid when you can declare "the only thing I can't find someone else to do as well or better than I can is organizing and managing the people and resources in my span of con

lients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off – or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussing deadlines on the next job.

4) Project scheduling & tracking

5) Accounting

6) Visiting clients

7) Office admin

8) Marketing strategy

9) Industry research

The Last Minute Interview
Your breath catches in your throat — at last, an interview! Elated, you write down the time and place of the interview, who to ask for, say thanks, and hang up!But, wait, it’s such short notice, and you haven’t been interviewed for ages. Too, you never did get around to practicing. How can you possibly prepare in time to perform well? You hesitate to call them back to reschedule—that might not look good. You feel the anxiety building, even a little panic. What should you do?Here are three easily remembered tips that will help a lot.Relax. Remind yourself that you would not be interviewing at all if they didn’t like what they saw on your r?sum?. Review the ad and the response you sent them earlier (you did keep them, didn’t you?). Be reasonably sure that you understand what it is they are looking for in the person they hire. But be prepared to ask questions during the interview if the position description seems vague. Your primary goal is to have a clear idea about what it is they need.Tell them what they want to hear. Your purpose in the interview is to expose and provide personalized solutions to their specific and stated (or imp

tainly get you started though. (TIP: When using the database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.)

5) Accounting

6) Visiting clients

7) Office admin

8) Marketing strategy

9) Industry research

Lamination of Signs
I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination is even if you have only seen it in passing. Restaurant menus are a common example. A plastic finish is placed over the menu to protect it from food and stains. But did you know that you can laminate just about anything that is flat? If it needs to be protected and reused, it is something to consider for lamination. The laminate also makes the original material stronger and more durable. All of our signs can be laminated, but the reasons are varied and not all signs should be laminated.A number of our customers have fondly taken to our dry erase laminate. They can have engineering plans, tables, or other diagrams printed on almost any of our substrates (for example, PVC or aluminum). Once we cover them with the dry erase laminate, it allows the users to mark up the signs with dry erase ink which can easily be wiped off. It is wonderful for talks and demonstrations.But our primary use for laminates is to protect signs and give them longer life expectancy. For example, our UV inks used in digital printing have a life time of about 3 years before they begin to fade without lamination. But a laminate can giv

8) Marketing strategy

9) Industry research

Stay up to date on the latest copywriting industry research. Read research on usability, readability, and scannability (visit Jakob Nielsen's website on usable information technology or GoodExperience.com and subscribe to their newsletters). Read up on search engine optimization (see http://www.divinewrite.com/SEOCEO.htm or try subscribing to a newsletter from WebProNews.com or Site-Reference.com). Try to track how day-to-day language is changing (what buzz words to use, what buzz words to avoid, what rules are being overlooked in spoken English, what sounds make a positive impression on people, etc.). Know the difference between writing for the web versus writing for print versus writing for search engines (see http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for some relevant articles). If you want to scratch the surface, spend 10 minutes every day.

10) Subject matter research

Whether it’s website copywriting or advertising copywriting, to do a good job, you need to know a lot about your subject material. This means both specific knowledge about the client’s product or service as well as more generic ‘domain’ knowledge. Clients have a tendency to not supply enough information. Make sure you interview them thoroughly. And then let them know you’ll probably need to ask further questions. Even then, you may find yourself doing a bit of independent research. The Internet is your saviour, but always run any information by your client before publishing. When you’re quoting on a job, try to figure out how much detail the client will be able to supply. You can even ask them to estimate how much they’ll supply (i.e. All, Most, Some, or None). This is a good technique as it gets them thinking about your requirements while at the same time giving you some idea how much time you’ll spend researching.

11) Planning

In one important respect, website copywriting and advertising copywriting are no different from any other form of writing; planning is vital. For more specific planning information, see http://www.divinewrite.com/benefits.htm and http://www.divinewrite.com/webbenefitwriting.htm.

Happy writing!

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Localization, in a general sense, means to adapt a particular service to a different culture or many different cultures. It is one of the methods used by businesses to expand into other countries. Localization helps to build trust.

With so many “experts” floating around, how do you spot the really good ones and what can you expect when you find them? Yellow Page businesses listen up.

Ever wondered if you could become a trainer? Perhaps you've considered enrolling on a train the trainer course, but something is stopping you. Well it's time to introduce the five big myths about being a trainer? Take a close look, because one of these could be holding you back.

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