Archive for May, 2008

To Get Paid What You Are Worth - Don’t Say a Word

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

By Kathleen Poole If you’re like most freelance copywriters and other solo entrepreneurs, you get rattled when its time to talk about money with your clients. You may feel like you are being greedy or sleazy, or you might worry that your fees are too high or too low. Inevitably, though, you must state a price for your service or product. And if youre serious about making a good living in your solo enterprise, you must command a reasonably healthy price. After 20 years as a freelance copywriter, I feel very comfortable stating my fees. In fact, I even enjoy it. With some practice, you may grow to enjoy it, too. And youll certainly reap economic rewards if you do it right. Stating a good fee for a project is a skill you can learn. I cant teach you everything you need to know about it in one brief article. But I can give you what I think is the number one rule for successful fee-stating: After you tell a client your desired fee, stop talking. The first one who talks loses. Preferably, the last word you say should be the dollar figure. So try to explain everything you will provide before you state your fee. Heres an example: “Mr. Smith, Im very excited about working on your companys print brochure. I will gather all the information, write the complete copy, and make up to two rounds of any changes you request that substantially alter your original intent. Ill also proofread the brochure copy before its printed. My all-inclusive fee for the project is $750.” Dont elaborate. Dont make excuses. And above all else, dont say, “Is that okay?” Just stop talking. Youll probably sit through a period of silence for a minute or two…although it may seem like hours. But dont say a word, no matter how uncomfortable you feel. The ball is in the clients court. If you can hold your tongue, you are much more likely to get the fee you want…or at least something close to it. During the silence, your client may be thinking: Is that a fair price? Can I afford it? Should I make a counteroffer? While the client ponders your fee, stay silent. You want the client to talk first, because that will give you the edge. If you talk first, you give the edge away. Eventually the clientwho is probably just as uncomfortable about the silencewill say something. Then you can respond. Perhaps youll need to negotiate because the client feels the fee is over his or her budget. The client may ask a question or two. Or maybe the client will say, “Okay.” By the way, if the client quickly says something like “Great!” or “That sounds very reasonable,” your fee is too low. You cant go back and ask for more money, but you can make a note of the mistake so youll be less likely to make it again in the future. Get paid what you are worth. To help ensure that, keep your power with the sacred silence that comes after you state your fee. And remember the cardinal fee-stating rule: The first one who talks loses (the edge, that is). 2006 by ProClarity, Inc.All Rights Reserved.Kathy Poole has had a highly profitable freelance writing business since 1985. As a Writer’s Coach, she helps other writers prosper financially, create freely and live passionately. For more information, resources and inspiration, visit ProsperousWriter. This article may be copied and distributed in its entirety and without alteration, if accompanied by this paragraph. If you find a typo or error in this article, e-mail Kathy at clarity@iag.net and receive a FREE 30-minute writers coaching session! (Sorry, intentionally broken grammar rules don’t count!) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Poole http://EzineArticles.com/?To-Get-Paid-What-You-Are-Worth—Dont-Say-a-Word&id=139145 jacksonville bad credit new car loan no credit check bank accounts uk houses in atlanta georgia for rent with no credit check instant approval cash advance wilmington

Relationship Advice: 5 Relationship Destroyers and What to Do About Them

Monday, May 26th, 2008

By Shuford Davis Anger: Either passive or aggressive anger hurts. Underground anger that does things to sabotage the other person or seeks revenge is not overt but still hurts and destroys. The tongue can be a verbal fist used to deliver a knockout punch. Sarcasm by definition means to rip the flesh as to inflict severe pain. If you want to destroy your relationship, keep it up. Withdrawal: Silence, pouting, leaving the room, leaving the house, stop hugging or other types of affection all say, Im pissed and Im punishing you. Asking whats wrong often leads to the nothing response, but we know by the tone we are in deep do. Sometimes withdrawal is OK to cool off, but prolonged emotional distance is a bad sign for most relationships. Abuse: Verbal abuse takes the form of demeaning words, comparisons, profanity, accusations all with the purpose of putting the other person down, or manipulating them into right behavior with a verbal barrage. Physical abuse is grabbing, choking, hitting, throwing the person or throwing objects at the person. Most physical abusers are control freaks who are jealous, accusatory and totally hypocritical because they are often doing the thing they accuse their spouse of namely messing around. Emotional abuse takes many forms from demeaning words to lower self esteem, to false accusations to keep the spouse on the defensive, to attacks on ones family of origin, to threats of harm to self or children, to a promise of financial or reputation ruin. You know when you are emotionally abused its when you have to chose your words carefully so as not upset your spouse for fear of what will be said to you or to or in front of children. Sexual abuse can and does occur within relationships. Forcing sex when one partner does not want it is rape. Forcing sexual behaviors which are personally unacceptable such as swapping is abusive. Cheating: Affairs are rationalized in many ways. They destroy trust and respect. It takes a long time to rebuild those feelings. See all the articles on affairs. Selfishness: If you are in a relationship with a selfish person you have to love a small package. Its all about them. They are not very good spouses or parents. Sometimes they can appear to be a good parent, even adored by their children, because the narcissistic child in them makes for a good playmate for a while. As kids get older the lies and broken promises add up and they figure out the parent is selfish. Visit http://www.advancedrelationshipskills.com for more tips and tools for making your relationships a great place. You can also visit our Relationship Skills Buidling Blog at http://www.advancedrelationshipskills.com/blog.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shuford_Davis http://EzineArticles.com/?Relationship-Advice:-5-Relationship-Destroyers-and-What-to-Do-About-Them&id=383125 guranteed payday loans cash advance really lend 1500 what is the avarage interest rate for personal loans deceased employees last paycheck

Can You Predict Your Cash Flow?

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

By Mark Little If you provide terms for your products or services to your customers, it can be a challenge to predict how your cash flow will be from day to day. You are actually providing financing for your customers. I hope you understand that is what takes place, you are being the bank. Terms are a necessity in today’s business environment and to land some accounts, it is an absolute. Even though the agreed upon terms are 30 to 60 days or more it does not always come in on time, however an inconsistent and unstable cash flow does not have to exist. If you are struggling with inconsistent cash flow, you need to look into factoring. It is a very powerful form of finance that will allow you to predict your cash flow, and grow your company at a rapid pace. You do this by selling your credit worthy accounts receivable to a factoring company. This allows you to get an immediate injection of cash. The factoring company will wait for your customers to pay the invoices while you use your money to meet your cash flow demands. Factoring is one of the oldest forms of commercial finance, however it remains unknown or misunderstood in the commercial finance market place. Factoring is also known as accounts receivable financing and can be the perfect solution for start ups as well as seasoned and rapidly growing companies. A start up company can qualify for factoring due to the fact that the invoice is the asset being used. As long as the invoice is to a credit worthy company the invoice then becomes an asset that can be sold to a factoring company for immediate cash. The factor waits on the customer to pay the invoice instead of you waiting on the payment. It is as if you are turning all of your term invoices into COD without taking away your terms to the customer. Thanks for reading. Mark Little is President of Diversified Funding Services, Inc. He can be reached at 888-603-0055. His company website can be found by Clicking Here and the Company blog Click Here Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Little http://EzineArticles.com/?Can-You-Predict-Your-Cash-Flow?&id=199838 citibank personal loan keywords payday loans no hassel unsecured loans fast title loan

Weddings Inspired By France

Friday, May 9th, 2008

By Lesley-Ann Graham Have you always dreamed of getting married in romantic Paris? With the moonlight shining and the Louvre in the background, it must be a magnificent sight! Too bad the budget won’t accommodate your actually having your nuptials there and having your family present at the same time. Don’t be sad. If you can’t go to Paris for your wedding, why not bring Paris to you? With a little creativity and some help from the experts, you can have a Paris inspired wedding without the extreme cost of transporting everyone there. Paris is a city of romance. Bring a touch of that romance to your wedding by having it in the moonlight. Why not have a tent to protect you and your guests from the coolness of the night, as well as from inclement weather. There are now tents that are clear or almost gauzelike so that you can see the stars shining above you. You may not be in France but that doesn’t mean you can’t have french food. How about having fromage as an appetizer instead of butter and rolls? Cheese is a favorite in France and is considered a course all on its own. You may also want to have pate de foie gras as well. Oysters have long been considered aphrodisiacs, and you definitely want your groom stimulated for the wedding night, right? A Salade Nioise would make for an interesting salad dish. Escargot is an acquired taste but definitely delicious if your guests don’t mind eating snails. Coq Au Vin is another favorite and not as startling to those of your guests not used to exotic dishes. If you want to give your guests something more familiar to eat, how about a steak au poivre. Don’t forget the wines! The French are famous for this and it makes sense to have at least some wine flow at your nuptials if you want to stay in theme. If nothing else, champagne for your toasts will be present. Dessert is always supposed to be the perfect finish to a meal. Crepes are a healthy and beautiful favorite. Chocolate Mousse and Baba au Rhum are also favorites. There are so many pastries to choose from, it will really be up to your taste in desserts in the end that will determine what treats to close the meal with. The Eiffel Tower or the Louvre are too big to transport. But you can have a similar feel if you have your wedding high up on a hilltop so you get a good view of the city. Lighting and creative construction by a good crew can create a fake pyramid behind you. That will make for interesting pictures and a bit of dramatic effect for your reception. Of course a key element will be the music. France has a very deep musical culture. The variety is quite wide. Unless you are very familiar with their music, you may want to ask for some assistance in choosing the appropriate songs to play at your reception. Unless you speak french you may end up with a song that has a great beat but without your realizing it may be a song about breaking up. Definitely not something to play at your wedding. It always pays to consult professionals. Hiring them can take a major load off your shoulders if you want to pull off something authentic since you will need truly inspired people to work on a theme such as this. It may cost you a bit more but the results can be worth it. Lesley-Ann Graham runs WeddingTrix.com - a valuable wedding planning resource with articles, tips and advice to help you plan your perfect wedding. Visit Lesley-Ann’s wedding forum for more free wedding planning help and advice. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lesley-Ann_Graham http://EzineArticles.com/?Weddings-Inspired-By-France&id=221405 no fax payday advance bad credit car loan cash advance 1 hour quick guaranteed personal loans

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

By Alvah Parker Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves 1.Do I have the persistence and patience necessary to be a business owner?It would be nice if once you wrote your business plan all you needed to do would be to execute flawlessly and everything would fall into place. Maybe it happens to a few businesses but usually in some part of the plan you get different results than you expected. It takes patience to wait for the result in the first place. It takes persistence to keep updating your plan and then trying something else until you find how to make it work. 2.Does this business idea really energize me? Am I really excited about it?If your vision of this business is really compelling it will give you the energy to move forward on your idea. The energy allows you to persist even when things are not going as planned and it helps you to generate enthusiasm in others. 3.Can I generate enthusiasm about my idea from others? New business owners have to spend most of their time marketing initially. If the business owner him/herself can get others excited about his/her business idea, then that is the first step in generating interest from a customer/client or a strategic partner. The owner must be able to articulate the idea in a way that is convincing to the customer or client. 4.Am I convinced that I am exactly the right person to own this business? Can I articulate why? Self-confidence is important in the success of the business. You must believe in yourself before others will believe in you. 5.Do I have the commitment necessary to put aside other interests to focus my energy on this business?There will be lots of distractions while you start your business. Are you willing to commit to whatever it takes to get the business up and running successfully? 6.Am I able to quickly recover from setbacks and not take things personally?Can you still keep working and feeling confident even on a day that a big client or big prospect decides against using your service or buying your product? 7.Who will support me in this endeavor?It helps to have people in your life that appreciate you and really want you to succeed. Family support is critical because youll need to spend large amounts of time working and your family needs to understand this. Mentors, colleagues and coaches also are important for advice and encouragement. 8.Do I have enough financial reserves to carry me until I am profitable?Your business needs enough capital to get going until it is profitable. You also need money in reserve for your personal expenses if things get tight. Worrying about money will sap your energy. 9.What weaknesses do I have that may get in my way as I start this business? What will I do about them?Identifying your weaknesses and strengths is an important task. Use your strengths in running your business and find ways to off load the tasks you are not good at. Shore up those weaknesses as best you can in the beginning when finances are tight. Being aware of them is the first step. 10.What is my intuition telling me about this venture?Be in tune with your intuition. Business people get caught up in the analytical part of the business. The numbers are very important in running your business but dont ignore what your gut tells you. Leave some time in your day to spend time thinking about your vision. (Daydreaming!) About Alvah Parker Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parkers Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Her clients are attorneys, business owners, sole practioners, and people in transition. She is also a Practice Advisor for attorneys. She coaches lawyers to create thriving businesses. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alvah_Parker http://EzineArticles.com/?Ten-Questions-For-Entrepreneurs-To-Ask-Themselves&id=49729 secured personal loan payday loanes payday loans in pennsylvania how to determine paycheck taxes