Atricle Dump - Business

Three Tips for Successful Networking
I generally shy away from using the word “networking” when it comes to our business. As professional “headhunters”, we are constantly practicing and performing the art of networking in our daily operations. Many only consider the subject of networking when they are either seeking a new job or seeking new business opportunities. From our perspective, networking should be a daily event in your life. Networking is the art of building relationships that create benefit for yourself. Here are three tips to becoming a top notch “networker”.1. Develop an “Elevator Speech”: The theory goes that if you were to get into an elevator with a key decision maker and they asked you what you did, you should be able to respond in a concise and articulate statement that would conclude before you reached the bottom floor. The elevator speech is a brief statement of both fact and “tease” meant to open up the potential for future discussions or business development. The elevator speech(s) should be well rehearsed and roll off your tongue as if it were second nature. Ideally, you should have a couple of different versions of your elevator speech. You should be able to tailor it depending on the group or individual you are speaking to. This is a must for the savvy networker.2. Give first, expect second: Successful netw

ning.

There is no sorrier sight than meeting a has-been-hotshot now "consultant" who thinks he/she knows it all. If you go into business thinking that your clients are going to pay you to keep improving your skill set – you are wrong. Schedule a class, trade show, or conference at least once a month. Sure, you may have had sixty people working for you in the past at your beck and call. Now? You are on your own. So for goodness sake, learn how to really use Word or create Excel macros. Go to trade shows, pick up literature as an exhibits-only attendee, and now and then PAY to attend a conference and go to the sessions. Taking those one or two day seminars that dive beneath the surface of applications can help you in unexpected ways when you are trying to solve vexing problems. Really. Take time to develop an alternate view of everything you can.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conferenc

Medical Billing - DME Software Install Options
In this installment of medical billing and the DME industry, we're going to focus on the basic setup of the DME software starting with the installation options.Installation options is the first place that the billing company goes to when first setting up the software to bill. The reason for this is because they want the software to have a certain look and feel for each biller. Plus, as is true with most software for any type of application, they're going to want to setup the software for the particular type of operating system they will be using.Because most billing companies are fairly large, most DME software packages have the option to setup the software to run on just about any kind of network, whether it be Microsoft, Novell, or even a peer to peer network. However, there are some DME software packages that specifically say not to use on a peer to peer network. So please check with the software company before purchasing their product.After the software is setup to run on the network, the next step is to customize the look of the software. This ranges from simple things like how the software looks when running to what options are actually shown to the billers. For example, let's say a billing company does not want billers to see patient's social security numbers. An option can

In an environment where more and more people are leaving the “security” of a steady, corporate job to hang a shingle as an independent, the difference between those that succeed and those that fail can often be related directly to how much people are willing to invest in themselves.

Putting “skin in the game” is an expression that conveys how far you will go to prove that you are invested in the business. I’ve met so many independents that seem to think that an idea, a cell phone, and an old computer entitles them to contracts but I have found that the people who do best on their own have made significant investments in themselves before expecting others to invest in them (buying projects or infusing capital.) Over the past ten years, I have come up with a list of "no-brainers" that I think every consultant should keep in mind when deciding to go out on his own.

9 No-Brainer Non-Negotiables Keys to Success as an Independent Consultant

1. Give your company name real thought
2. Get a separate business phone line, internet address, web page
3. Buy good equipment and keep it updated
4. Ongoing education counts – go to conferences, trade shows
5. Visit clients on your own dime now and then
6. Don’t misrepresent yourself, and don’t discount the value of a virtual corporation
7. Join associations, volunteer, and network
8. Don’t be cheap
9. Don’t be greedy

What’s in a name?

Your company name and logo makes an impression before you ever get a chance to dazzle your prospect with your expertise. There are lots of opinions on naming conventions – but one thing that screams “small” are people who run one person shops, and name their companies by adding “and company”, or “and associates” to their last name. The exception to this are of course, those career professionals who have a real recognizable name in the industry they are working in. Otherwise, naming your company after yourself ties you and everyone you may hire to your name. And your name usually is NOT an indicator of the benefits you offer your clients. Starting a real business means creating something above and beyond YOU. Get out of your own way. Be clever, be original, and be descriptive. And, incidentally, if you come up with a good story about how you got your name you’ll have something to break the ice when you meet prospects.

You are NOT your company.

Outsourcing work to other consultants is part of my business model and over the years I have learned that people who don’t take themselves seriously as contractors are inconsistent with their deliverables. I look for partners who: have a separate work space in their home (with a door!), have established a business line of credit (separate business from personal expenses), have a cell phone (not one for the family that they share, but their own), have a dedicated phone line, own a domain name for business use (e.g. don’t use yourname@yahoo.com for business mail), have a relatively new notebook computer, a scanner, and at the very least a black & white laser printer. Buying legitimate copies of software counts, too. When you are “official” you have access to help lines which comes in handy when inevitably, you need real assistance to solve a problem. (As an example, I’ve gotten stuck writing complicated if/then statements in Excel, but my legitimately purchased software entitled me to tech support.)

Keep yourself updated with the best tools you can afford

I always pay a little more to get equipment that meets today’s needs and gives me room to grow. A high quality business-class telephone (like the Polycom), a laser printer, a scanner/fax machine – all of these are essential for your home office. Virtual phone systems such as GotVMail can forward your calls to any number while giving you a professional appearance for less than $10/month. And of course, keep in mind that today’s great package is tomorrow’s old tool set. When you are on your own, your time is your most valuable asset that unfortunately, you can’t buy more of. When you take the time to equip yourself from the get-go, you’ll be able to deliver professionally with the least amount of anxiety! And as you grow, you need to keep reinvesting to maintain that edge.

Keep learning.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conference

Business - Cash Flow
A potentially profitable business can fail because of poor management of cash flow. Equally, an unprofitable business can enjoy a period in which is has plenty of cash before the bills arrive!Cash flow and profits are two very different concepts:- A business makes a profit if, over a given period of time, its rebenue is greater than its expenditure. A Business can survive without making a profit for a short period of time, but it is essential that it earns profits in the long run.- Cash Flow relates to the timing of payments and receipts. Cash flow is important in the short term as a business must pay people and organisations to whom it owes money.Unless a business manages the timing of its payments and receipts carefully, it may find itself in a position where it is operating profitability but is running out of cash regularity. This could be because it is forced to wait for several months before receiving payment from customers. In the meantime, it has to settle its own debts.Why do businesses forecast cash flows?Businesses undertake cash flow forecasting for a variety of reasons:1) To make sure that they do not suffer from periods when they are short of cash and are unable to pay their debts by forecasting cash flows, a business can identify times at which th

. Buy good equipment and keep it updated
4. Ongoing education counts – go to conferences, trade shows
5. Visit clients on your own dime now and then
6. Don’t misrepresent yourself, and don’t discount the value of a virtual corporation
7. Join associations, volunteer, and network
8. Don’t be cheap
9. Don’t be greedy

What’s in a name?

You are NOT your company.

Keep yourself updated with the best tools you can afford

Keep learning.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conferenc

Mexico Manufacturing Industry
I see another possible future industry brewing in Mexico, that is the making of mobile homes and coaches. They have year round possibilities and abundant labor. Also they have trade deals with China for inexpensive parts that need to be made for these on the road vehicles. I see a problem for the areas of Indiana, the northern areas and parts of TX where coaches are made. Also in the Carolinas, Virginia and Oregon. If these manufacturing facilities move over the border we will lose another round of jobs. Remember when the appliance businesses and furniture businesses moved over the border, followed by automobile factories. Many Mining industries too. NAFTA creates a place for this and our own labor and facilities are not paying attention to it. We now have another reason, the costs of steel and other metals with Import taxes up.Monterey Mexico has capacity and labor to do these jobs and the parts are cheaper and the railroad delivers. Finishing touches can be done there and the trucks and frames built there, fiberglass and painting laws for environmental issues make it needed, I cannot see a single reason that companies like Winnebago that are hungry to shave price and keep their newly rocketed stock at the all time high after 9-11 as people chose motor homes to travel rather than risk air fl

bove and beyond YOU. Get out of your own way. Be clever, be original, and be descriptive. And, incidentally, if you come up with a good story about how you got your name you’ll have something to break the ice when you meet prospects.

You are NOT your company.

Keep yourself updated with the best tools you can afford

Keep learning.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conferenc

Intelligent Business Makes Sense
We’re so used to thinking that business is all about margins and bottom line ink that we sometimes accept dictums without thinking about their content and implications. Take customer service for instance. Each transaction is an implicit contract between two suppliers each offering a very specific item (and I’m using the term item generically here to include both services/products and currency). The customer comes offering currency and asking to exchange it for a service or a product. Under the very sound criteria of the old medieval village marketplace barter system the customer is prepared to haggle and expects to get the best value possible for what he is offering. In this case it’s money so the quality of the customer’s offering is determined by the size of the price he is being asked to pay. At this point the customer will want, like his medieval counterpart, to make sure he is not sold a sub-standard service or product. Some sort of exchange will take place explaining what he will get for his money and what guarantee comes with it. So far, so good. Everything is cosher and everyone understands what they’re supposed to do. Then, spoiling things a little comes the blind dictum of customer service professionals who think that a kneejerk reaction is always the key to p

evitably, you need real assistance to solve a problem. (As an example, I’ve gotten stuck writing complicated if/then statements in Excel, but my legitimately purchased software entitled me to tech support.)

Keep yourself updated with the best tools you can afford

Keep learning.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conferenc

Tax Tips for 2006 - This Will Shock You
While 90% of the U.S. population is bemoaning the quickly approaching April 15th tax deadline, I am waiting for my gift from the IRS. I big fat refund. How you ask? I take advantage of the one last tax shelter available to the average person. Before I tell you my best tax tips for 2006, I'd like you to be aware of a couple of things.First, do you realize that what you pay in taxes each year is your number one expense?! In fact, the average employee works the first five months of the year for Uncle Sam for free. How does that make you feel about going to work January through May?Second, most people think the way to have more income is to get another job. Adding a second "job" to increase your family's income is in most cases a bad idea. Especially, if it pushes you up into a higher tax bracket! You basically sign up for even more taxes, increased car expenses, childcare costs, food and clothing costs. This doesn't take into consideration the physical and emotional stress added to families by having both parents working outside the home. You can't even put a price tag on that expense.Here is an absolute fact. You will never make true steps toward financial independence until you learn how to get your taxes down to the legal minimum.So, now I'm back to my top

ning.

Stop in and say hello.

Not just to the clients that are in your city. Schedule a trip – go visit clients that are across the country, just because – and do it at your expense. Find a conference and schedule trips around it. The more proactive you are, the more top of mind you will be when a project comes along. The key is not to have a high pressure sales call. Your long term agenda might be to get more work, but short term -- you should focus on checking in with people and demonstrating that you care about them and their problems even when you are not on the clock. Setting up your schedule is easy if you don’t pressure people to see you. At least twice annually, I find a good conference to attend in a city where I have clients and prospects. I mention that I’ll be in town for the X conference and would love to stop in and catch up. While I don’t leave with contracts all the time, more often than not, I’m the first person they call when something new and intriguing comes up. And don’t limit yourself to clients. If you work with others virtually (other contractors, vendors) make it a point to meet them. It makes all the difference in the world when people can size you up in person.

Represent yourself as you are.

I’ve run a virtual corporation for nearly ten years. I have had Fortune 50 companies meet at my dining room table. How is that possible? I represent what I do honestly. I explain that I have a virtual team. We are all connected via the internet with group collaboration software (think Basecamp, WebEx Intranets) and we meet regularly for updates on our projects. I invite clients to visit with the team – and host everyone at my home, or we agree to meet at a trade show. On those occasions where it counts, those who want to grow together find ways to get there. Showing up is 90% of success or so it seems. Once people know they can count on you, they do.

No consultant is an island, get out there, network and share!

As a professional information specialist, I belong to as many associations as I can to keep on top of industry trends. In my business, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), American Marketing Association (AMA), Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), Market Research Association (MRA) are just a few of the many groups that I have associated with through the years. As a woman-owned business, I joined the WBOC in Syracuse, NY and the National Women’s Chamber of Commerce as well. While I can’t attend all the meetings, I actively participate on list serves, attend conferences, and volunteer when I can. Keeping up with contacts is easy using LinkedIn as well as address book software, such as Plaxo. I find that the more I share with others, the more they share with me. The more I know, the more value I bring to my clients.

Don’t be cheap.

Just don’t.

The tighter you are with your money, the more people think you are desperate and the less likely they are to do repeat business with you. On the other hand, don’t be a prima donna. You don’t have to go overboard to impress others. If someone invites you to join them on a client call, pick up the tab for lunch. If an associate invites you stay over (instead of staying at a hotel), bring a small gift. When you’re at a conference and you go to get a coffee, buy one for your client. And when it comes to projects and deliverables, if you can throw in something extra, do it. Nickel and diming your associates and clients will earn you a reputation that is impossible to shake. The old saying "it takes money to make money" -- is true. You need to dress the part, act the part, feel the part, and suddenly, you will be the consultant you envision.

Don’t be greedy.

Some of the smartest people I know are lousy team players. They put themselves first – above and beyond rational expectations. Over the years I have been very close to working with potential partners who decided at the last minute to negotiate hard – and almost exclusively in their own favor to the detriment of the rest of the team. I suppose that is why some people are independent; they really don’t play well with others.

People do not like to be taken advantage of or forced into a corner. The more you push someone, the more he is likely to drop out of the discussion. I have learned to think through the options and to keep them open as opportunities evolve. Keep in mind that a truly beneficial agreement is one where ev

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Getting repeat sales is a critical element in growing your business. Here are 8 tips on how you can keep your customers or clients coming back again and again.

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