November 20, 2007

Gallery of Giving

I’ve always been of the mind that businesses have an obligation to give back to their communities and to the worldwide community in ways commiserate with their own success. It’s something I practice as a (very) small business owner and that I appreciate very much when done on any scale. The Gallery Collection is of the same mind and they are doing something magnanimous this holiday season. I live in an area that is heavily militarized. It’s a painful but pride-inducing fact that many of our neighbors will not be celebrating the upcoming holidays with their families intact. So many of them, even in my own tiny community of sixty homes, have family members who are serving active duty in the Middle East. This is a tremendous sacrifice on behalf of the military members in service and of each person who loves them and waits at home. The Gallery Collection has teamed up with Soldiers Angels to acknowledge these amazing people by seeing that every military member will get a Happy Holidays and Happy New Year greeting card that will also thank each one for their service. In addition, each care package being sent by Soldiers Angels will include a blank greeting card so that our military folks can send their own holiday greetings home. The packages and greetings will be going out to all branches of U.S. military service in appreciation of all that they do.

The Gallery Collection is the kind of company I like to do business with and I hope that you do, too. They carry a beautiful line of Corporate Christmas Cards that includes something to appeal to every taste. Their original artwork is stunningly beautiful and sentiments and greetings can be personlaized to make them your very own. I was especially impressed with an entire line of military themed greetings. The artwork is simply beautiful, tastefully blending our support of our service memebers, our longing for peace and the warmth that the holidays invoke.

If you’re tired of seeing the same old greeting cards - if you want to support a company that gives back to the community - if you want to send truely beautiful greeting cards to your friends, family, clients and business cohorts - you owe it to yourself to check out The Gallery Collection. You’ll be very pleased with what you find!

Technorati Tags: business greeting cards, greeting cards, holiday cards, public service, support our troops

October 25, 2007

Incommunicado

I can’t think of many things that are worse for business than being unable to communicate. I discovered late Sunday that my phone line was dead. On Monday morning I called my service provider and stepped into that nightmarish scenario, the automated answering system. You know how it works. A not unpleasant voice asks you for information, then asks you to reply by selecting a number for the most correct answer. This particular call, which would have taken a minute or two if a human had responded, sucked about twenty minutes out of my morning. I found myself wondering if I would need a diet patch to help me stave off starvation while I waited. After providing my phone number I answered a few questions. Yes, I was calling from a different number. No, there was no service on the line I was reporting. Yes, I checked to see that the phone was plugged in before I called them. Each response from me brought a new question. This took a while as the phone bot selected phrases to make up sentences, with long pauses between each phrase: “Please provide …………… another number where you can be reached.” After I had supplied all of the basic info I got: “Please wait while we ………………………… check your phone line. This may take …………………………… up to two minutes.” It took about that long. The voice then came back and advised me that: “A repair of your line has been requested. Please expect this ………………………….. repair to be completed by ………………………………………. Wednesday afternoon at four p.m.” Now, first of all, I had called their business service center. How acceptable is it to advise a business that they might have to wait three days to have basic phone service? Secondly, since they had just run a line check and then scheduled service, it stands to reason that the line check had revealed a problem with my line, right?

The waiting began. The only good thing about the problem is that my phone would ring and caller ID would tell me who was calling, though I got dead air when I tried to answer. A friend advised me that calls were going straight to voice mail, so I was able to return client calls and I don’t think I’ve lost any business. Yesterday afternoon I got a call on my cell phone from a service tech, advising me that he was at my gate. After I got the boys secured (the beagle is a runner) I let him into the yard and showed him where my service panel is located. It’s on the front of my house, under an overhang. When I had my deck built I called the phone company and aked them if I needed to have the box moved, since it would now be under the deck. They said no. Their field tech took one look a the location and told me he couldn’t inspect the box because safety concerns preclude them from going under structures. Hah! Wimps! Crawling under houses is a routine part of what I do and I’m not exactly a spring chicken. Company rules, insurance requirements, risks - yeah, I get it. You won’t be providing me with service until I hire someone else to move the box. Yes, I’ll let you inside so you can check from there. No, the dogs won’t be able to get to you (wuss!) Yes, you can keep your shoes on (we take our shoes off at the door in Hawaii unless permission is given to keep them on.) We tramped back to my office where I had to unplug my fax machine and move it away from the wall so the tech could access the phone jack that hides behind it. He unplugged my phone and plugged in his **and**got**a**dial**tone! Thus we discovered that I’d gone three days without a phone because the phone itself was bad, not the service connection. I would have had a new phone on the line Monday if their bot had not told me I needed line service.

Ask me how happy I am with my phone service today. Go ahead. I dare you.

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Technorati Tags: business, business services, phone service, stupidity

October 23, 2007

Protecting your space on the web

The widespread distribution of information and technology through the internet has changed the face of business forever. That same exposure, though, has created vulnerability for those who use the internet within their corporate environment. Open Invention Network (OIN) has announced that they have signed a license agreement with Barrracuda Networks which will enhance the protection they offer for the stated purpose of “creating a shielded Linux Ecosystem that is a deterrent against organizations looking to harm or slow the pace of Linux and open source growth and adoption.” Barracuda Networks, a leading provider of network security appliances, has won the Community Choice Award for Anti-Spam Applications in Business from Windows IT Pro two years in a row with their innovative Spam Filter. This new partnership combines Barracuda’s powerful, cost-effective and user-friendly network security appliances with OIN’s shielded Linux Ecosystem, providing a protected environment where web developers, software vendors and their clients can continue to embed and use Linux to host specialized services or create complementary products.

“As we grow the Linux Ecosystem, we are pleased to have Barracuda Networks become a licensee. Barracuda Networks is one of a growing number of companies that value the openness and collaborative culture of the Linux and open source communities.” said Jerry Rosenthal, CEO of Open Invention Network. You can read the entire press release for details of the new partnership.

Open Invention Network plus Barracuda Networks equals security for your creative innovations. Check them out to start protecting your work today.

Technorati Tags: Barracuda Networks, internet security, internet technology, Linux systems, Open Invention Network, spam protection, web development

October 12, 2007

Business Christmas cards

The Gallery Collection is a publisher of premium quality personalized Christmas, holiday, and all occasion greeting cards. Sending out business christmas cards is an affordable way for even a very small business like mine to create customer goodwill. Living in Hawaii with its diverse cultures, I prefer to select cards with a generic greeting instead of those that contain references to a particular holiday. I’ve found one that I really like for this year. The calendar with my business imprint will remain with my clients long after the holiday season has passed.

Greeting cards for years to come have yet to be designed, and the one I select for next year may well be created by one of the young artists who enter the scholarship contest being sponsored by The Gallery Collection. US high school and college students are invited to submit photos, artwork or computer graphics appropriate for a holiday card, birthday card or all-occasion greeting card. The winner will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship. Entries will be judged on:

1. Overall aesthetic appeal
2. Quality of execution
3. Creativity and Originality
4. Successful incorporation of design elements
5. Appropriateness for use as a greeting card
6. Attractiveness to The Gallery Collection’s corporate and consumer customers
7. Suitability as a design in Prudent’s Gallery Collection greeting card line
(see www.gallerycollection.com website for current designs)

The contest opened on October 1st and entries will be accepted until January 15, 2008. Check out the contest rules for compete details. This is a great opportunity for students to use their skills and creativity to help defray the costs of their education. Get those creative juices flowing and start on your entry soon - and good luck to all the scholars!

Technorati Tags: art, business greeting cards, greeting cards, scholarship contest

October 11, 2007

The Wealth Expo

Y’all know that I love my island paradise home. I’d be crazy not to. After twelve years I’m pretty firmly planted in Hawaii. Having a home and a business here, it would be difficult to move anywhere else anyway. Still, there are some things that I miss and always will. Proximity to friends and family is at the top of the list. Familiar places and regional cuisine are near the top. The ability to hop in the car and take off for a road trip - I really miss that. Any travel outside the state is time-consuming and requires a lot of advanced planning when you live on a dot in the middle of the Pacific. When you blog about a weekend getaway to see a concert in Chicago or driving to New England to watch the leaves turn I get a little jealous. I miss a lot of opportunities to indulge in events I find posted on the web, too. You’ll recall that I recently had to borrow against the equity in my home in order to pay a backlog of taxes. My finances have stabilized now, but that means that I’m accumulating more personal and business taxes daily. I’d love to be in New York next week to attend the Wealth Expo at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. There’s a Friday afternoon session on asset optimization, Tax Free Wealth Accumulation, that I’m sure would be beneficial to me. I’ve only got perhaps ten more years of working life left in me, but Uncle Sam is taking such a big bite out of my income that there’s nothing left for me to set aside for retirement. I believe the wisdom of the saying that you should always pay yourself first, but I’ve never quite known how to do that. The Wealth Expo would be a great starting point for learning the things I need to know. They’ve gathered some of the savviest minds in business and finance to teach the secrets to their success and will also provide some great opportunities to network with other successful people.

The Wealth Expo, sponsored by MyWallSt.net: Your Financial Social Network, is three days of intense sessions jam-packed with seminars and keynote addresses on every aspect of investing and financial management. If you can be anywhere near the East Coast from October 19 through Oct 21 you’d be doing yourself a great service to attend. The keynote speakers are well-known investment professionals, and you can visit exhibitions by some of the largest public and private companies in the world between sessions. Breakout sessions will give you the opportunity to select topics you’re especially interested in, and there will be cocktail hours on Friday and Saturday so you can mix, mingle and network. Here’s the info you’ll need to get you started:

Where

Jacob Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

When

Friday, 10/19: 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. EDT w/ a cocktail hour to follow

Saturday, 10/20: 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. EDT w/ a cocktail hour to follow

Sunday, 10/21: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT (no cocktail hour)

Why

Because you’re worth it! Road trip, anyone? Go! Learn from the best!

Technorati Tags: asset management, business, finances, investments, tax planning, The Wealth Expo

September 26, 2007

Business financing

I started my business with a small inheritance from my father. It wasn’t much, but start-up expenses were not much either: a van, some inspection tools, insurance and licensing, a computer and some office supplies were all I needed. I was very fortunate to have the money to pay for everything up front, but most people don’t have that luxury. With a solid business plan, though, business and restaurant loans are available to help you launch your own business. You can be up and running in a matter of weeks if you start the ball rolling today. Have you always wanted to own a business or restaurant? Follow the link and you’ll see how easy it can be to get started!

Technorati Tags: business, business loans, business financing, restaurants loans, restaurant financing

September 25, 2007

Small business phone service

I have two phone lines for my office. One is the voice line and the other is a dedicated fax line. I also have a cell phone, of course. When I leave the office during business hours I forward the office phone to my cell phone. That way I don’t miss calls and don’t have to pay someone to babysit the phone while I’m out. It’s a pretty simple system that has worked for me for quite a few years. It’s inevitable, though, that my business will grow and my communications technology will need to change to keep up with that growth. The Packet8 Virtual Office is a complete small business phone service that is designed for folks like me. It offers unlimited and global calling plans, Outlook integration and professional installation services, but that’s just the beginning. Special features include:

Even a very small business like mine can structure a cost-effective plan by selecting only those services that will enhance communications with clients. The Packet8 Virtual Office will allow me to service clients in the field, knowing that I’m not neglecting existing clients or delaying contact with new client inquiries. Your needs are probably different from mine, but effective communications are vital to the growth and success of any small business. Take a look at Packet8 Virtual Office and see how they can help you manage your small business comminications.

Technorati Tags: business communications, phone services, small business services

September 7, 2007

ePerks = $aving$!

The average list price of the homes I inspected during the second quarter of this year was about $600,000. I’m sure some of the buyers were able to negotiate lower prices, but the average still works out to about that much. Realtors charge a 6% commission, so that’s about $36,000, and only one of the fees that has to be settled before closing. Additional transaction fees like escrow services, loan fees and my termite inspection fees can add thousands more. All of that money has to be paid before the property can change hands. Home buyers and sellers need every break they can get, and ePERKS.com provides one of the best I’ve seen. Finding your realtor through ePerks can earn you up to 20% cash back on your transaction. When you’re dealing with those kind of numbers, 20% is a significant chunk of change you’ll get to keep in your own pocket. It makes good sense to check out ePerks before you hire your realtor. And, hey! ePerks can help you save money on other types of purchases, too. Check them out and see how much you can save!

Technorati Tags: eperks.com, home buying, home selling, real estate transaction fees, realtors

August 31, 2007

Work shoes and boots

When I first got into pest control there weren’t a lot of women doing what I did. There were other women who came before me, but there were only a few in the New Orleans area. My initial training and my first route handled residential pest control with a few small businesses thrown in. Seven months later I applied for a transfer to a commercial/industrial route. My boss said “no,” the work was too heavy for a woman. That was already illegal back in 1980, but people got away with it anyway. I was tenacious and worked out a deal with the boss. I was given probationary approval to work the route for a few weeks to see if I could handle it. At 5′3″ and a hundred and ten pounds on a good day, I was a little bit of a thing, but I soon proved that my small size did not keep me from doing a good job. My biggest problem was not a chauvanistic boss or accomplishing the required tasks. It was finding the right work clothing and safety gear. By far the biggest hurdle was finding work shoes that suited my need.

My clients on that first industrial route included marine fabricators and suppliers, a gypsum manufacturing plant, a couple of oil refineries and other heavy industrial sites. Well-run industrial facilities will not allow you to enter their plants without appropriate safety gear, so I had to find pair of work boots right away. It was a maddening search and I just could not find a local supplier who was ready for that first wave of women moving into the traditionally male blue collar work force. I ended up buying a cheap pair of men’s steel-toe work boots in the smallest size I could find, and I wore them for several weeks while I waited for a more appropriate pair that I had to special-order.

Two decades later you gals in the workforce are so much better off, and so are all of the guys! MetBoots.com carries every kind of work shoe and can provide precisely what you need. Good work shoes aren’t just about meeting safety regulations. A well-fitted work shoe will keep your feet comfortable and healthy, contributing to your overall well-being. MetBoots has men’s and women’s styles for every type of work situation, in a range of styles that is simply astounding. For those of you who don’t need the heavy-duty steel-toes like I used to wear, there are work shoes, safety shoes and boots that are so stylish that you’ll be totally comfortable wearing them away from the work site, too. Actually, there are even fashionable steel-toe shoes and boots available now. The marketplace has evolved to meet the changing needs of the workforce over the years, and MetBoot is a fine example of that. Their prices are competitive, too (believe me, I know what work shoes and boots cost!) and they offer free shipping on orders over a hundred dollars. My son is not exactly faithful about reading my blog, so I’m sending him the link to MetBoots.com. He doesn’t need heavy-duty work shoes, but he’s on his feet all day dealing in a casino. He thinks the sun rises and sets on Doc Marten’s. He’s going to love the huge selection of Doc’s available at MetBoots.com.

Technorati Tags: safety shoes, work shoes, work boots

August 24, 2007

Meanwhile, back in the real world …

Having wasted several days goofing off, I find myself playing Friday catch-up. The laundry is going, the dishes are done and now the office awaits. There’s a teetering pile of filing on the corner of my desk, threatening to bury my mouse pad. The books are at least a week behind. Checks remain un-opened and un-deposited. My date book is a shambles with inspection orders crammed between pages instead of being neatly penciled in.

Having a home office is a mixed blessing. I’m working in my jammies at half-past noon. That’s a big plus, but it blurs the line between business and pleasure. When I’m in pajamas I feel like it’s okay to take frequent breaks to visit with my message board friends or sort through the new batch of email forwards from a cousin. By the same token, when the weekend comes and I can give myself permission to ignore work, I can’t do it because it’s always *right there* reminding me that there are things to be done. It’s a routine I’ve tried to balance for over seven years and I’m still not very good at it. How do you separate work and private life when they are so intertwined? If you have the answer I’d love to hear it. My computer is a work tool and a toy, so it’s hard to focus on one appliction without the other intruding. Should I get a second one and put it in another room, so that I can clearly define my intent at any given time? I don’t think such mind games work very well for me. I would know they were both mine, and probably find myself working on reports in the living room while watching TV or checking my blog from the office computer rather than going down the hall to do it. Leasing a commercial space for my office might do the trick, but I’m a small business and that’s a ridiculously expensive way to address what, in actuality should be addressed by bettering my organizational skills. And the problem with that is that I’m an old dog, resistent to learning new tricks.

So I’ve answered my own quesitons, but still would welcome your input. How do you focus on the things you need to do when the fun stuff distracts? Those of you with home offices - how do you put a meaningful division between work and everything else? Is it possible to establish organization out of chaos? I may or may not learn your tricks, but I’m eager to know what they are.

Technorati Tags: business, goofing off, home office, organizational skills