For many it is a dream. Wake up in the morning
walk into your home office and begin your work day. No long commute, parking
problems and wasted time. Rather than pay rent for an office put that money back
into your own home. But than the question… can you work from home and run a
professional business and not look like a fly by night company?
Well… in this section we talk about and show you how to create a perception in line with corporate excellence. We will show you how to create a image that will instill confidence in prospects and clients
alike. We will show you the tools and strategies to turn your home based business into an empire.
You can work from home and be successful
in the process!
Section Table
of Contents
Feature Article:
Before You Start Your Business... by:
Steven Samblis
Creating
Your Image
How to Look Like a Large Company by:
Michael Zirngibl
Your
Virtual Company
Top Ten Benefits of Working with a Virtual Assistant by:
Janet Winter
Tools for the Ultimate
Home Office by:
by:
Taking
the Exasperation out of Confrontation!
by: Mark
Walter
3 Part MP3 Download
running time 3 hrs 15 min. Add
to cart
Effectively
dealing with crises caused by confrontation involves
both preparation and recognition of behavior patterns.
It requires preparing answers for the toughest possible
questions.
Mark Walter
has help everyone from the famous to the infamous to
regular people. He has spoken before thousands around
the world and delivered the steps and techniques to
dealing with confrontation at home, in the
work place and in life in general.
This program
is invaluable for anyone looking to take control of
their lives!
3 Part MP3 Download
running time 3 hrs 15 min.
Your price: $59.95
Our Section Editors and Writers creates
actual sales meetings that readers can purchase
instantly.
A script for the meeting leader.
A hand out for the
attendees explaining the theme of the meeting.
An Audio which
coaches the leader on the meeting.
The meetings each have a theme. Example:
One may be base on
coach
John Wooden and another on Napoleon Hill. They may deal
with cold calling or planning your day for success.
Each is themed and speaks to a particular industry or
subject matter. The price is $19.95.
It is cheap enough to use every week. The
delivery is over the internet so it is available
instantly.
NEW!
c-Site puts the protective power of the federal
government square in your corner!
Just as a trademark protects a logo and a patent
protects an invention, a federal copyright protects your
Web site, literary works and more!
When you value your Web site, source code or music and
the hard work and original ideas that went into it, you
need indisputable legal proof that YOU own your work!
And that proof is a Registration Certificate issued by
the U.S. Copyright Office.
Until now, getting this essential federal protection was
complicated and often required the hassle and expense of
an attorney. Those days are gone!
c-Site eliminates the confusion and complexity from the
copyright process. Its step-by-step wizard and expert
assistance guides you through completing the copyright
application in just minutes (Show me).
Once completed, simply upload your work. Our team of
experts will review it for accuracy and compliance with
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Then file it with the U.S. Copyright Office. Upon
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directly to you. It's that simple!
DO YOU KNOW?
Fifty-five million people work from home in North America;
one-third of them (18 million people) run home-based
businesses.
About our editor:
From his home In 1998 Steve took his passion for self help programs and created a self help web site which he took public one year later with a market value of 35 million. This led to Steve consulting with many companies on how to run successful web businesses. After several years of consulting Steve revitalized his passion for the home based business and created the site you are looking at today...Self Help Centers ...the ultimate destination for people looking to build success in their lives.
From: "How To Speak Real Estate"
While Surviving The Unspeakable. By: David Fletcher - Illustrated by:
Scrawls
Design and layout: Steven Samblis
Available soon here at Self Help Centers
Before you open your business, determine which of the numerous local, state and
federal regulations apply to you. Avoid the temptation to ignore regulatory
details. Doing so may save time in the short term, but could become an obstacle
as your business grows.
Below is a list of the most common requirements
that affect small businesses. The list is by no means exhaustive, however, as
regulations vary by industry. For example, if you are in the food service
business, you must comply with health department regulations. If you use
chemical solvents, you must meet environmental standards. Consult the list
below for a solid start to meeting your regulatory requirements, and then
carefully investigate the additional regulations that affect your industry.
Business Licenses There are many types of licenses, and you will need one to operate
legally. If your business is located within the city limits, you must obtain a
license from the city. If you are outside the city limits, you must obtain a
license from the county. Investigate whether you need a business license through
your
state government web site.
Business Location The three most important things in real estate are: location, location,
and location. Location is important in business too.
Certificate of Occupancy If you are planning on occupying a new or used building for a new
business, you may have to apply for a Certificate of Occupancy from a city or
county zoning department. For more information contact the county or city office
in your area.
Business Organization There are many forms of legal structure you may choose for your
business. The most common structures are Sole Proprietorships, General and
Limited Partnerships, C and S Corporations, and Limited Liability Companies.
Each legal structure offers organizational options, which are appropriate for
different personal situations, and which affect tax and liability issues. We
suggest you research each legal structure thoroughly, and consult a tax
accountant and/or attorney prior to making your decision.
Fictitious Business Name Businesses that use a name other than the owner's must register the
fictitious name with the county as required by the Trade Name Registration Act.
Check for the appropriate name of the Trade Name Registration Act in your area.
This does not apply to corporations doing business under their corporate name or
to those practicing any profession under a partnership name.
Protecting Your Idea If applicable to your business, you may want to apply for trademarks,
patents and your copyrights. Information regarding these applications is listed
below.
Trademarks Trademarks are names or symbols used in any commerce that is subject
to regulation by state government or the U.S. Congress.
State Registration of a Trademark Trademarks and service marks may be registered in a state for a term
of ten years. For more information about Applications for Registration of
Trademark or Service Mark in your state, contact your
state government .
Federal Registration of Trademark and
Patent To register a trademark contact: U.S. Department of Commerce
Trademark Office
2021 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202
(703) 305 8341 or (800) 786 9199
To register a patent, contact:
Asst. Commissioner for Trademarks, Patent Applications
Washington, D.C. 20231
(800) 786 9199
Caution: Federally registered
trademarks may conflict with and supersede state registered business and
product names. Businesses are encouraged to check for conflicts with federal
trademarks.
New and useful inventions can be protected by a
U.S. patent. Professional assistance from a patent attorney is strongly urged
because patent procedures are detailed and technical. A patent search is
performed to see if a patent currently exists on the same or nearly the same
device and, if not, to make proper application with the Patent Office.
Note:Only
attorneys and agents registered with the U.S. Patent Office may represent
inventors in related matters. The office has geographical and
alphabetical listings of the more than 11,000 registered agents. Only these
agents may perform patent searches in the patent office. Inventors or their
attorneys can make arrangements with one of those agents. U.S. patents are
issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.C.
Additional information is provided in the
publication, General
Information Concerning Patents. This and other publications are
distributed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Copyrights U.S. Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building
Washington, D.C. 20559
(202) 707 9100 Order Line
(202) 707 3000 Information Line
Copyrights protect the thoughts and ideas of
authors, composers and artists. A copyright prevents illegal copying of
written matter, works of art or computer programs. In order to ensure
copyright protection, the copyright owner should always include notices on all
copies of the work.
Business Insurance Like home insurance, business insurance protects the contents of your
business against fire, theft and other losses. Many small businesses must
protect themselves from lawsuits and other situations for which they might be
deemed liable. All businesses should research the advisability of appropriate
liability insurance. Contact your insurance agent or broker.
Sales Tax Number In each state, there is a specified percent sales and use tax which
applies to the retail purchase, retail site, rental, storage, use or consumption
of tangible personal property and certain services. In other words, sales tax
must be collected on just about every tangible item sold.
A sales tax number is required for each business
before opening. The number, plus instructions for collection, reporting and
remitting the money to the state on a monthly basis, can be obtained through
your
state government.
Other Considerations
All businesses with employees are required to
comply with state and federal regulations regarding the protection of employees.
For information on state labor laws, work force availability, prevailing wages,
unemployment insurance, unionization, benefits packages and employment services,
contact your
state government.
Unemployment Insurance Tax Businesses are required by the state to pay unemployment insurance tax
if the company has one or more employees for 20 weeks in a calendar year, or it
has paid gross wages of $1,500 or more in a calendar year. The taxes are payable
at a rate of 2.7 percent on the first $8,500 in annual wages of an employee.
Unemployment insurance must be reported and returns made to the state. To learn
more, visit your
state government
Immigration Act The Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires all
employers to verify the employment eligibility of new employees. The Immigration
and Naturalization Service makes available a Handbook for Employers which
provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete the "Employer
Eligibility Verification" Form I-9, which is required by law when hiring a
new employee. To obtain a copy of the handbook and the form, and for additional
information, contact the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Health and Safety The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
outlines specific health and safety standards employers must meet for the
protection of employees. Many states have similar standards. For information,
contact OSHA.
Workers' Compensation If a business employs three or more people, workers' compensation
insurance must be carried to provide protection to those injured in on-the-job
accidents. The State Board of Workers' Compensation aids people who need claim
assistance.
Minimum Wage Virtually all business entities are subject to the federal minimum
wage, overtime and child labor laws. Information on these laws and other federal
laws may be obtained from the U.S.
Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division .
Bar Coding The Uniform Code Council, Inc. (not a government agency) assigns a
manufacturer's ID code for the purposes of bar coding. Many stores require bar
coding on the packaged products they sell. For additional information, contact
the Uniform
Code Council, Inc.
Your small business may have the best products, lowest prices and smartest
people – but it all goes for naught if potential customers don’t believe your
company has the market heft to put it all together.
Perception can be everything. The truth is that in today’s sink-or-swim business
environment, small companies must be aggressive in raising the profile of their
brand, establishing their credentials and making their presence felt in their
market sector.
While small companies can choose to pour precious dollars into these endeavors,
there are a lot of quick, inexpensive and effective ways to achieve the same
results with affordable new technologies – and a good dose of common sense.
No-Cost Measures
First, there are some things that your small business can do that cost little or
nothing, but pay big dividends.
Harness existing outlets to reinforce messages. Every time your company reaches
out to its customers, it has an opportunity to reinforce your message. By using
vehicles it already has in place – such as monthly statements, reminder calls
and customer service contacts -- it can increase its outreach and get more
business from existing customers. All of those contact points provide
opportunities to share company news and provide information about new products
and services. Your firm needs to make sure customers know your business is
active and growing.
Provide the best customer service. You want to retain the customers you have and
lock in new ones. The quality of your customer service will be largely
responsible for whether your past customers return to their peer purchasing
communities as critics of -- or advocates for – your company. Don’t
underestimate the influence of word of mouth. If your customer service is
slipping, fix it.
Share marketing expenses. By partnering with other businesses in your marketing
efforts, your company can expand its circle of influence, reduce its budget,
open the door to collaboration in other areas – and most importantly, help your
company expand its customer base.
Make the Most of the Web
Online technology can play a huge role in helping today’s small businesses
convey market heft. Here are a couple of key moves every small company can make
to seem larger and more substantial.
Dress up your online resources. A good web site has become one of the fastest
and most cost-effective ways to reach potential customers. Make it interesting.
Tell your story effectively, with current bios, service descriptions and contact
information. And don’t let information get stale: Outdated information makes
your company look second-rate. New technology lets you update sites faster and
more easily than ever – an important consideration, because fresh content keeps
customers coming back. It also is essential to invest in a good domain name to
make it easier for customers to remember you and return to your site.
Use technology to leverage customers. Electronic tools – your website, databases
and email -- can help you collect and manage customer data that allows you to
personalize and expand your marketing efforts. Potential customers react better
to personalized communications, whether it comes from custom web sites or e-mail
messages. The main thing is that you demonstrate that you know what your clients
need.
Turn your telephone into a real business tool
For a small company, a telephone is more than a phone – it is the front door of
your business. How a phone is answered -- and how a call is processed -- is an
instant measure of a firm’s efficiency and tone. With the right combination of
new call-handling tools, even a garage-based start-up can project
professionalism and competence right from the get-go. In fact, today’s
intelligent phone systems are able to incorporate, accommodate and augment such
a wide range of key business processes that interactive voice (IVR) technology
is having a leveling effect similar to that of the web. By using pay-as-you-go
phone tools offered by application service providers (ASP), even the smallest
business can appear bigger, more substantial and more professional.
Companies can use ASP-provided IVR to tap into a few features and functions, or
a lot of them, depending on specific needs – without a capital investment in an
on-site IVR system. Here a few of the most significant applications:
Virtual Receptionists. Lifelike-sounding receptionists with voices keyed to
various types of businesses can provide voice-activated transfers to the proper
employees and departments, furnish voicemail notification to employees; and
provide after-hours services.
Customer Service. These applications free companies from the intensive human
resource requirements or repetitive functions such as routing callers to the
right person, delivering answers to frequently asked questions, and providing
the status of a customer orders. More time-critical requests can be routed
directly to the appropriate person.
Marketing & Advertising. Using toll-free numbers, companies can bolster ad and
marketing efforts by offering prospective buyers additional information;
identifying and qualifying callers as sales leads; and using inbound calls to
build detailed reports on ad respondents.
Commerce Applications. IVR services can do a lot of the dollars-and-cents work
by taking detailed orders, soliciting and recording credit card information and
processing transactions.
Information Portal. A phone system can serve as a portal to “heads-up” services
from which clients can retrieve tips and breaking information, as in an investor
hotline.
Strategic Branding – Selecting the personality of a virtual receptionist, a
company can help establish and extend the desired tone of its business. And, as
a company grows and expands the functionality, usage and reach of its IVR
system, it can use phone-driven branding to continue to develop the company’s
public “face.”
Because ASPs offer web-integrated IVR, these systems are easily configured and
managed. And because the service is relatively inexpensive, a five- to 10-person
company can conduct a broad range of business processes without having to hire
additional staff – while freeing up existing employees.
You’re on your way
It can be done. By making some no-cost changes, keeping your web presence sharp
and current, and integrating some low-cost interactive voice response solutions
into your phone system, your company not only will look bigger and better, but
it actually will become more competitive as it begins to match the efficiency
and sophistication of larger companies.
Michael Zirngibl is President and Co-Founder of Angel.com based in McLean,
Virginia.
Angel.com leverages the web to allow corporations to quickly and
cost-efficiently develop and launch high quality speech-enabled telephony
applications. Sophisticated and customizable, Angel.com's patented Voice Sites
connect businesses with customers in an intuitive and natural manner. Sold
directly online at www.angel.com and through a qualified network of
telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers, Angel.com's hosted
service enables companies to implement business-grade communications solutions
for a fraction of the cost of unwieldy, proprietary interactive voice response
systems. Angel.com gives companies the ability to build a virtually limitless
number of speech-enabled applications, bounded only by human creativity.
The power of the Internet transforms the business world on a daily basis. Companies are being compelled to explore various forms of tele-commuting, as cities struggle with grid-lock rush hours, pollution and increased dependency on fuel.
The economy has forced many businesses to lay off employees. Many of these displaced workers have chosen to start their own companies rather than spend months seeking new employment.
Successful new business owners are quickly finding that they can no longer ‘do it all’. Yet they hesitate to hire someone to work in their home or make the move to rent office space and hire employees. Is there a solution that will be a win-win?
Many forward-thinking business owners are taking their businesses to the next level by partnering with a Virtual Assistant.
There are many benefits, but this ‘Top Ten’ list enumerates the most valuable reasons they've found a Virtual Assistant to be the answer.
Eliminating time-wasting tasks gives you the freedom to concentrate on growing your business.
You only pay for the actual hours worked. Initially, you may only need five to ten hours per month, but you may well find that as your business grows, the hours required will increase. Many business owners ultimately partner with additional VAs, delegating tasks based on their areas of expertise.
No extra office space, perks, furniture, or phones are required. You can still operate your business from your home, if that’s your desire.
The expense for additional office equipment is eliminated. The VA will typically have everything required to assume the desired tasks.
There are no payroll expenses or payroll taxes.
You receive superb off-site assistance, and your VA can be located in any part of the country - or the world. Visit AssistU to discover a source for some of the most highly trained VAs you will find anywhere.
A VA is more cost-effective than equivalent temporary help. Why have someone in your office that you may have to pay for idle time?
A highly confidential relationship based on trust is guaranteed. VAs are also business owners, so they bring more than skills to the table.
You gain a 'partner' who understands your projects and will see them through from start to finish.
You are free to focus on more important matters including the benefit of a high-quality, balanced lifestyle.
Virtual Assistance is no longer the wave of the future. It’s a viable resource now and it’s flourishing. Business owners are no longer asking, “What is a Virtual Assistant”? They are now asking, “Who is your Virtual Assistant”?
To Your Next Level,
Janet Winter is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant (CPVA) and graduate of Assist University. She began her successful VA business in June 1999. Visit her online at Your Next Level.
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Feature Article:
Taking
the Exasperation out of Confrontation!
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