Just how important are stamps?

I just came from a meeting where one of the members, a newlywed male, was sharing a conversation he'd had with his wife.

Actually, the way it started was with a female member of the meeting saying that she and her husband had a mis-communication about a project she was working on. I commented that often we communicate poorly with members of our own family.

The newlywed pipes in and says, "Yes, I had a miscommunication with my wife as I drove to the meeting tonight. She'd called to see if I had used the last stamp."

The women in the meeting all gasped.

He said, "Yes, I think I did use the last stamp." His wife went on to explain that she'd been addressing the envelopes for a bridal shower and needed that stamp for the last envelope.

The women in the meeting said, "You didn't use a LOVE stamp for a bill, did you?"

"Yes," he admitted. He had. "It's just a stamp," he failed to defend his actions.

He went on to explain that he should have known better because earlier in the week he had been sent to the post office to purchase the stamps and originally came home with VEGETABLE stamps.

The women in the meeting knowingly chuckled.

"She said, what are these?" the newlywed told us. "Stamps," he told his wife.

"No they aren't, they have vegetables on them, I can't use these."

"What do you mean," he was clearly confused. "It is just for an envelope, no one will care."

"Women care," his wife countered.

The women in the meeting collectively nodded their heads. Yes they do.

As a writer, I hand-write most of the envelopes I send to clients and prospects. I am careful about the stamps I use - never using a postage meter - selecting a stamp that reflects my business. When the stamps rose in price to $.39 it wasn't the cost difference that most irked me, it was the fact that I could no longer use the Dr. Suess stamps. He was also a writer.

I am currently using the Disney stamps. Not to reflect that my writing is "Mickey Mouse" but that I am creative.

Actually, when mailing to a client or a prospect, it pays to take the time to hand-write the envelope and use a real stamp as oppoesd to a meter and typed label. In the midst of the mail received, your handwriting will be noticed and will stand a better chance of being opened.

So just how important are stamps? Clearly, in one marriage tonight they are of great importance and I would argue that in your business they should be given some consideration.

Photo courtesy of OKAGGI

People competing to give you money???

In the May edition of INC. Magazine. there was a small blurb sharing this exciting tip:

e-Bay is now auctioning off small business loans. You can log onto eBay with basic information about your business type, the reason for the loan, the amount you want and your credit score. Then people can offer up all or part of the amount you need.

You can even request what interest rate you want to pay!
For more information visit www.prosper.com. Loans range from $2,500 on up for schooling, surgery, debt consolidation and business ventures.

Check it out!

BizInformer.com

Guess what? I am now blogging on www.bizinformer.com. Check it out - there are several great writers sharing tips that will help your business. Additionally, there are links to additional sites and blogs with a wealth of valuable information.

Currently, I'm writing about how we communication through our body language.

DCB

Blogs Galore

I am amazed at the number of blogs available for small business owners to learn from, ask questions of and share tips with. One such repository of blogs is www.allbusiness.com in which they are currently highlighting "The 6 for '06 Resources." They are following six vastly different businesses, each with a different business challenge:

1. Improving marketing
2. Recruiting and keeping great employees
3. Creating a technology investment strategy
4. Improving cash flow
5. Managing cost centers
6. Creating a growth-oriented business plan

Allbusiness.com will report on these businesses for six months (April - October) and you can follow along. If one of the business challenges touches a warm place in your heart, check out the blogs associated with the challenge. The suggestions are being made by experts in the associated field and you can apply the guidance offered.

Speaking of great business blogs: www.bizinformer.com is another great place to land, and one on which I've been asked to blog occasionally. So check it out!

DCB

5 Ways to Get Rich

This week I attended a seminar for the Trump Institute.

The truth is, I received an invitation for a free seminar with a coupon for a copy of his book, Think Like a Billionaire. Whether you like Trump or not, you have to admit that he has access to some amazingly talented people and I have found great tidbits in his writing.

The seminar was a pitch for a 2-day class, (only $1399) that would teach me all his real estate secrets.

"If you are here for the free book," the speaker (not The Donald) announced, "You are here for the wrong reason."

Guess, I was there for the wrong reason. But I did hear a few interesting facts. For example, 5 ways to get rich:

1. Win the lottery
2. Inherit a fortune
3. Marry money
4. Own a successful business
5. Become a GREAT investor

Well, I don't buy lottery tickets, I hope to never loose a family member and I married a librarian, so the first three are out!

Guess I will have to concentrate on numbers 4 and 5.

DCB

A Great Picture is a Work of Art

As you strive to combine all of the lessons learned, you hope to create a work of art. This picture of one of the nurses in the Nurses Memorial statue in Washington DC is my favorite of all the pictures I took.

It has emotion, light, focus and it tells a story.

Now think about your communications. Although your message is conveyed through the words you write, how it looks is equally important.

A few tips for creating a visual communication:

• Use white space - it gives the eye a place to rest between important thoughts on the page
• Use bullets, lists, key phrases instead of lengthy sentences - they are easier to read
• Add graphics and color to emphasize or enhance your message
• Keep it short and sweet - remember to be focused on one single thought or key message

When you create a visually appealing message along with words that are easy to understand and reader focused, your finished product will be a work of art.

DCB