I Have Found the Answer to End All World Conflict

I was just reading the book "Feeling Good, 100 ways to feel better every day" and found the secret to peace and harmony in our life.

Massage.

Have you ever treated yourself to a massage? Perhaps your company offers chair massages or you've received a gift certificate to a spa and reveled in the pure joy that comes from the relaxation of a great massage.

Well, here's what the book says:

"According to one Swedish study, young children who massage one another do not fight."

Just think about that. If we start young, that sense of well being would permeate our youth, stress levels would decrease, and peace would fill the air.

Yep, that's it. Massage. It's the answer to world peace.

photo courtesy of eggybird.

I attended a seminar today and in the opening of the speech, the speaker talked about the fact that there were three categories of attendees in the audience:

- The group whose boss made them come – he called them Hostages
- The group that just wanted time away from the office – these were called Vacationers
- The group that was there to learn – he called them Sponges.

Sponges are people who are successful in business and in life and he said they all had three things in common:

They manage their career
They are great communicators
They are life long learners

That last trait reminded me of a book a friend of mine has written called Learning For Profit.

It is an easy read, less than 100 pages, filled with easy to follow instructions to help prepare your mind for learning. Some you’ll have heard before, some you’ll say, “yeah, I’ve tried that and it works,” and most you think – “now why didn’t I think of that.”

I love his advice on how to read books. He provides a step-by-step guide to reading for retained learning.

Check it out, Learning For Profit by Daniel Sitter. You’ll be glad you did.

Welcome Akron Beacon Journal Readers

In today's ABJ - there is a great article by Sarah Filus entitled "More owners have new chore as they take Web plunge - Small-business blogs grow."

She features a few bloggers and their view points in her article (yours truly as well) and does a nice job of providing an overview of blogging and its benefits.

But I take exception to the word "chore."

For me, blogging is a pleasure. It is an opportunity to talk about different aspects of the business world from my point of view. It's better than a conversation because you can't be interrupted! Others can comment - which creates a wonderful dialog and the more you blog, the more your name is visible on the Web.

I would encourage you to visit Technorati and type key words into the search bar to see what people are saying. What key words reflect your business or industry? How many bloggers are writing about your topic. Do you have something unique to add? Make a comment! Get involved. It's easy - jump in, the water's fine!

For the complete ABJ article, click here.

Set Appropriate Expectations

This summer I have been working on refining my brand message. As a writer, I help companies communicate their message in all types of venues, but have decided that I needed a phrase that encapsulated what I do for my customers.

After reading Robin Fisher Roper's book, Making a Name For Yourself, I came up with a new description for my business. I'm DCB from AllWrite Ink and I write "words people read SM."

I checked with the US Patent Office and the phrase wasn't taken. So I decided to complete the form necessary to make the phrase mine.

The process was simple, however, I will tell you that you need to be prepared before going on line with a credit card and a JPEG file that can be attached of your phrase or word in use.

I hit the "send" button and off my information went to the great cyberspace in the sky. I quickly received a confirmation from the government - they are so efficient, I thought as I saw the email was from the Patent and Trademark Department.

And then I opened the message:


"In approximately 6-7 months, your application will be assigned to an examining attorney; however, the critical date for determining registrability is your filing date, NOT the actual examination date. You will not receive any further USPTO communications until examination. At this point, your mark is not registered it is only a "pending" application. The overall process, from the time of initial filing to final registration, can take 13-18 months, and even longer depending on many factors, e.g., the correctness of the original filing, or the type of application filed."

I could be dead by then! I knew there would be a delay but a year and a half????

So take my advice - if you are planning on registering a trademark, set your expectations appropriately.

Need the form to register a mark? Click here.

Name, Rank and Serial Number

When you are at a business or networking event - how do you introduce yourself: with your name, company and job function?

So how's that working for you?

Do people's eyes glaze over?

"I'm a financial planner or I sell insurance, or I'm in the manufacturing and waste management industry."

No matter what your role, by just stating your name and job function, you'll be hard pressed to excite the listener. I mean, think about the last time someone came up to you and said "Hi, I'm Joan Smith with ABC Corporation and I sell widgets."

Oh boy. Not only do you NOT need widgets, you don't really understand what kind of widgets Joan sells and she hasn't described them in a way that makes you want to ask, right?

So try this, the next time you have an opportunity to introduce yourself.

Forget your name, company and job title and just tell them what you DO for your customers.

What if you sell widgets that help a company's existing equipment work fast, more efficiently and cost effectively?

Put your hand out there and proudly say, "Hi, I help my customers be more effective and drop more money to the bottom line."

WOW. I bet you'll get some interesting responses.

For more information on networking and in particular overcoming your fears of networking, check out my latest post on Biz Informer.com.

Photo by x180s

Giving Back - It Feels So Good

Recently in a commentary entitled "Beyond wine, cheese: Third phase of aging", in the Akron Beacon Journal, writer, Laura Ofobike, talked about the trend of baby boomers looking for ways to give back to the community.

I say - hurrah.

In a day of "what's in it for me" and "gimme gimme" it is refreshing to see a trend of volunteerism. Ms. Ofobike states that as baby boomers age and leave the full time workforce, they are looking for ways to use their experience, knowledge and energy in a way that will benefit others.

Locally, we have a new organization building steam called the Women's Central Project, led by Deb Lemire of Queen Bee Productions, Theresa Beyerle, Ph.D. of the University of Akron and Roberta Aber, of Planned Parenthood. The Women's Central Project seeks to bring women and women’s organizations together in collaboration, as well as to reduce competition among service providers.

Look around - is there a way that you can get involved?

For Ms. Ofobike's complete commentary, click here.
For more information on the Women's Central Project, click here.

Photo by Fatal Cleopatra

August 7 A Day To Say THANK YOU

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, August 7th is set aside as a day for saying thank-you to your customers.

We just don't do that enough.

Consider picking up the phone and calling your favorite customer just to say thank-you. It will make both your days.

Photo courtesy of EMDOT

Are You Considering Writing a Book?

Peter Bowerman, author of the critically acclaimed book, The Well-Fed Writer, has just published a new book, The Well-Fed Self Publisher.

If you have ever considered writing a book, whether fiction or non-fiction, at some point you've wondered how you get it published.

Do you need to hire an agent?
Do you need to join a guild?
Do you send your precious writing off to every publisher in the industry?

A growing trend in the publishing field is that of self-publishing. I have also recently joined the ranks of writers who have self-published their works. In June, I wrote a workbook called "It's a Party, Planning a Successful Retail Sales Event."

I wrote the words, laid out the text in a book format, hired a designer to create a lovely cover, researched printing houses and printed 100 copies.

Ever since I have been sending press releases, showcasing my book when I give speeches, featuring it on my website and believe it or not - I've been selling them!

If you have something to say but hesitated because you didn't know how to go about finding a publisher - look no further. Check out Peter's latest book - and give self-publishing a try.

Could You Feed a Village for $400?

Imagine if $400 would be enough to start a business, buy the supplies, make the product, sell to consumers, have enough left over to feed your family and maybe even your next door neighbors and buy the supplies you'd need to do it all over again.

Welcome to KIVA.

"Kiva, which is Swahili for "agreement" or "unity," is harnessing the power of social networking to support microenterprise in the developing world."

Similar to borrowing money from friends or family members to achieve a dream, KIVA is helping enterprising people in developing countries by organizing loans that provide the support necessary to start a small business. Villagers are using the money for small craft businesses, food sales, clothing retailers and with the profits are able to support many members of their community and pay back the loan.

You can help. KIVA has established the opportunity for multiple people to donate small amounts of money (as little as $25) to help these entrepreneurs. Check out this recent article in Business Week or check out KIVA's website for more information and for some of the people currently seeking finanical assistance.

Dream Jobs - Whose dream? Not mine

I just finished reading the MSN.com articles listing five dream jobs for women and five dream jobs for men.

Here are the jobs:

Women
1. Hollywood wardrobe stylist
2. Vacation tour director
3. Ice cream creator
4. Concert promoter
5. Doll fashion designer

Men
1. Video game designer
2. Brew master
3. Toy creator
4. Comic book guru
5. Casino host

Now I am sure that these jobs sound like fun - kind of like those "easy A" classes we would look for in high school and college. But as life's work? What about the person who wants to make a difference. I'm not knocking the people who currently hold these jobs, but is the world really a better place because of Barbie's wardrobe?

I take offense at a list that lumps all women into a category that states they aspire to be an ice cream taster. Sure, I love ice cream. On a hot summer day the idea of getting to try ice cream and get paid sounds fun. But 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year?

Where is the stimulation? Where is the brain activity?

It would have been nice to find just one job that didn't sound like Potsy from Happy Days came up with.

photo courtesy of Scottie

Making a Difference, One Woman at a Time

Today the Women's Network of the Greater Akron, Ohio region held their annual Women of Achievement awards luncheon. The event was well attended, over 300 area men and women, and several women were recognized for their professional excellence.

Two women, Ruth Dean and Diane Johnson, RN, BSN, JD, were honored for their contributions to the community progress of women and the economic progress of women (respectively).

Additionally, three women, Jewell Cardwell, Sister Suzanne Repasky and Rhonda Gail Davis were recognized for their overall achievements in the field of encouraging success among women.

Their contributions were vast, awe inspiring and humbling. We think we are busy doing; for our families, our businesses and our community, until we hear the contributions of award winners like those recognized today.

Yet, they were all regular 'folks' like you and me. They get up every morning and start their day. They have family and professional challenges. They have health concerns. They have doubts; good days and bad.

So what sets them apart?

Many of the women, either in their acceptance speeches or in the speeches said about them, had one thing in common. They didn't set out to win an award. They found a cause they believed in and they just started helping.

ONE WOMAN AT A TIME.

So often you hear the apathetic mantra - "the problem is too big for one person to fix."

I tell you those with that attitude are WRONG.

You can make a difference. Your efforts DO matter. That age old saying "if I can just help one person" is really true.

Tonight as you lay your head down, just before you go to sleep. Look in your heart for that one cause you truly believe in and think: "What can I do tomorrow for one person that might make a difference?"

And then do it.

Sleep tight and congratulations to all of those amazing women recognized today at the Women of Achievement luncheon. You inspire me to take up the cause!

D

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

Is Your Subject Well Lit?

This photo was taken of a portion of the Nurses Monument in Washington DC. At this point in the lesson I was beginning to combine all that I had learned:

• Determine the subject
• Come in close
• Make sure there isn't anything in the photo that you don't want
• Edit in advance

And make sure the subject is well lit. I got down on the cold ground to take this picture so that I could capture the sun as it glinted off the face of the wounded soldier. The shadow on the nurse's face mimicked the despair she must be feeling - out in the battle field with limited medical treatment for the thousands of soldiers she and her peers were trying to save.

When I look at this picture, I feel the hopelessness of both participants. I am reminded that although the Vietnam War was in my youth, my children are now faced with another such brutal activity involving fighting and death.

In my communications, I work to create the same image, the passion, the focus and the spotlight on the key message that I'm trying to convey.

Often when we communicate, we are in a hurry. We have a message with a task and deadline that needs to be communicated. Who has time to ensure it is crafted in a way that will evoke the necessary emotion?

I challenge us all that we owe it to our readers to try. Begin to implement some of the tips I learned from my photography teacher in your corporate writing. You'll be amazed at the results.

DCB

Add a Touch of Color

If you have been to the Vietnam Memorial, you know what an amazing work of art it is. A wall of names as far as the eye can see in a reflective marble that allows the visitor to see their own reflection in the names on the wall.

Our photography teacher told us to look for the opportunity to add a dash of color to create a contrast in the picture. So when I took this picture I found a section of the wall that had been decorated with a single rose. Note the reflection the rose makes. The simplicity of the single rose speaks of the love that someone must have felt for a name etched in the wall close by. Was it a relative of Robert Staley or Larry Tolliver? I don't know, but that rose made me pause and pay closer attention to that section of the wall.

Adding a dash of color to your communications will also add to its impact. You might select colored paper or well chosen colored font to make certain points stand out in your message. Adding graphics or photos that enhance your message will also make it more appealing to the reader. A more visually appealing message increasing the odds of it being read, understood and acted upon.

So add a little color to your communications.

Planning to Edit? Do it before you hit send

This is a picture of the inside of Union Station in Washington DC. The architecture is magnificent. Before taking the class, I might have taken this picture with the idea of zooming in with my computer photoshop and focusing on the ceiling design and editing out all of the people.

Why wait. I'll just have a zoomed in picture of an image that was taken from far away.

Move in closer and get what you want the first time.

It's the same with your business communications. You might write down a whole lot of details thinking that the reader can edit and find the nuggets of information that are the most important. Why make them work that hard?

Through the use of captions, bolded phrases and bullet pointed lists you can zero in on the most important details and edit out the extra stuff that really isn't all that important.

Targeted communications are more likely to be read. Just like a focused picture that zooms in on the desired object is more enjoyable to look at.