Best Practices For Your LinkedIn Profile

Most entrepreneurs and business professionals already have a LinkedIn profile, but not all of us have succeeded in getting the most out of it. A common tendency is to model one’s LinkedIn profile after one’s resume, but that is not necessarily the most effective approach to attracting visitors and potential contacts. After all, if your profile doesn’t stand out from the pack, why should anyone gravitate to it?

Instead of a rote summary of your qualifications, education, and experience, a compelling LinkedIn profile should demonstrate your unique personality, passions, and brand, and the practical applicability of your skill set.

A professional-looking photo engenders confidence.

This is really a no-brainer. People with LinkedIn profile photos tend to attract more page views than those without, and a professional-looking shot (in focus and with proper posing and lighting) conveys the impression that you’re both competent and attentive to details.

Try to portray yourself in a manner consistent with your professional brand and desired message. Consider whether a smile or a serious expression is more conducive to drawing the right people to your profile, whether you should wear a tie or a jacket, whether your sleeves should be fully extended or rolled up, what colour of outfit would be most appropriate. Even gestures that may seem inconsequential—like the interlocking-fingers pose made famous by German chancellor Angela Merkel—send body-language messages that can help to reinforce your personal brand.

What’s special about you?

Once people have seen your photo, they’ll move on to your profile summary—which should at least match the standard of the photo in terms of professional quality and attention to detail.

Of course, impeccable spelling, grammar, and syntax are indispensable here; if you have difficulty in any of these areas, you may want to enlist the proofreading skills of a trusted friend or associate. But there’s more to a great profile summary than just getting those elementary technical details right. You also need to communicate who you are and where you excel—preferably in a manner that’s engaging and memorable, but also informative. Use simple, comprehensible language, and be true to yourself.

Why are you passionate about the work you do? What professional achievements are you proudest of? And perhaps most importantly: what can you offer that would help others to achieve their goals?

Expand beyond the two-dimensional LinkedIn profile.

One of the great advantages that a website like LinkedIn offers over a traditional CV or job application, is the fact that it’s online. The dynamism of the Internet offers you the opportunity to go beyond a static photo and written summary, to not only describe what you can do, but to literally show people examples.

If you have YouTube videos, presentations, or multimedia files of which you’re especially proud, link to those from your LinkedIn page. You can even record a short introductory video in which you describe your strengths and passions.

Feel free to allude to your life outside the office—within reason.

Social factors often influence both hiring and client-relationship decisions. Most people prefer to work with others to whom they can relate, and with whom they get along. If you give the visitors to your profile an idea of your life circumstances, your personality, and the activities you enjoy away from the office, there’s a good chance that you’ll draw like-minded individuals to your LinkedIn page.

But use your discretion—the information you reveal will be visible to LinkedIn users everywhere for a very long time.

Don’t force people to hunt around for your contact information.

Prominently display your e-mail address, Twitter handle, links, and any other contact information you don’t mind sharing widely.

Perfecting Your Three-second Statement

In their 2009 book Brand You: Turn Your Unique Talents into a Winning Formula.*, social scientists John Purkiss and David Royston-Lee discuss the concept of the three-second statement: a brief (usually one- or two-sentence) response to the question “What do you do?”

Often, people who pose this query expect to hear about your career and professional aspirations. But a three-second statement can communicate more than just what you do for a living—including aspects of your personality, and passions of yours that are unrelated to your vocation.

Why is it important?

Like an elevator pitch, the three-second statement is designed to convey information in a clear, concise form. It permits you to instantly connect with individuals whose interests are similar to your own, and can elicit further conversation and idea-sharing.

Imagine yourself at a typical social gathering, like a reception or mixer. Introductions at suchlike events are typically brief—often less than ten seconds—before the conversation drifts on to another topic. The next person you meet could lead you to a great opportunity, and it never hurts to make an endearing, memorable first impression. A succinct but informative description of yourself will help you achieve exactly that.

Keep the following principles in mind when crafting your three-second statement:

1.    What is your unique combination of attributes?

In addition to your primary job, do you have another hobby or side gig that you think may be of interest to people? What else are you passionate about?

Aim to list two items—for example, “I’m a venture capitalist and hobby photographer.” Or, “I’m an ophthalmologist and blues guitar player.”

Many people have similar professional training, and most of us cannot realistically claim to be the best or most qualified professional in our field. However, by highlighting interests, passions, and personal attributes aside from our day job, we can still stand out from the crowd.

2.    Tell your story.

After your three-second statement, your conversation partner will likely follow up on the item that most interests her (either your career or your hobby/side gig). You can then elaborate on the topic in question. You may find that it’s helpful to think in advance about how you would answer common follow-up questions, like: How long have you been doing X? What do you most enjoy/find most rewarding about it? What are some of the challenges involved?

3.    Keep business cards handy, and your website up-to-date.

If you strike up a conversation with someone who is keen to learn more about you or your work, but pressed for time (as many professionals are), you will find it’s helpful to have business cards close at hand. A frequently-updated website with a memorable, easy-to-spell URL likewise comes in handy for situations like these.

4.    Test your three-second statement on a trusted friend or family member.

           

Before you put your three-second statement into practice, you may want to seek feedback about it from a person you trust to offer constructive criticism. Perhaps that individual will suggest that the items you’ve chosen are too commonplace, or not sufficiently interesting or memorable. Or she may offer fresh ideas that hadn’t occurred to you.

5.    Honesty is the best policy.

Don’t even think about exaggerating your credentials. Odds are you will eventually come across an expert interlocutor who can call you out on even minor misrepresentations. Instead, strive to offer a realistic appraisal of your skills, talents, areas of specialization, and past accomplishments. This is another area in which the advice of a person you trust (see item 4. above) may prove useful.

*London: Artesian Publishing LLP, 2009.

Guidelines for Pitching to the Media

There is arguably no form of advertising more effective than a favourable news story, broadcast segment, or article in an industry publication. The endorsement of a trusted media professional can expand your prospective market, and engender public trust and goodwill toward you and your business. Many businesspeople appreciate the importance of effective media relations, but there is a right way, and countless wrong ways, to communicate with media outlets.

This post will recommend some general best practices for business marketing communications with the media, and detail a few “pet peeves” to avoid.

•  #1 rule of thumb: Respect media professionals’ time.

Media professionals tend to have full schedules, and are obliged to keep their interactions with PR and marketing departments brief. If you respect their time—or better yet, can save them time—there is a greater likelihood that they will respond positively to your pitch.

•  Personalize your communications with media professionals.

Many journalists and industry writers specialize in a particular subject area—or, in media lingo, a beat. How familiar are you with the recent work of the journalist, publication, or news organization you hope to reach? Have you been in touch with anyone at that that outlet before? Who are its competitors?

Before you pitch story ideas to writers, editors, or broadcasters, make a point of getting to know them and the sort of stories they cover. This will improve your chances of delivering information that is both relevant to them, and of interest to their regular readers/audience.

Each e-mail should be tailored specifically to one individual—avoid sending identical bulk e-mails to many different people.

Always confirm the name, gender, and appropriate honorific of the person to whom your e-mail is addressed before you hit the “send” button.

Don’t pitch to a media professional unless you’re reasonably confident that person will be interested, and hasn’t recently covered a very similar or identical topic. Otherwise, you will give the impression that you’re a self-promoter who can’t be bothered to do your homework—not a good start.

•  Get right to the point.

The majority of “hard news” stories are written in the inverted-pyramid format—the most compelling pieces of information appear in the lead sentence, and then greater detail and context follow. Likewise, marketing communications on behalf of your business should be succinct and lead with the most eye-catching pieces of news right away. Toward the end of the text, provide times, locations, and contact information to facilitate follow-up calls and/or e-mails.

Some marketing departments try to entice media professionals to pursue a story by strategically withholding information. Don’t do this. The people you’re trying to reach will rarely take the bait, and may even resent your efforts to sidetrack them.

•  Learn each media professional’s preferred mode of interaction.

Many media professionals don’t mind follow-up phone calls, but some prefer to confine all of their interactions with marketing departments to e-mail. Once you know the preferred medium of the person you’re trying to reach, make a note of it. Don’t call up people who prefer not to receive phone calls, or send the same e-mail to the same person multiple times over the course of a day.

When the time comes, be prepared to take “no” for an answer.

•  Clarity, concision, and quality are important.

Try to convey your message in as few words as possible, while avoiding insider jargon and rambling. In many cases, time-constrained media professionals will simply re-purpose press releases and publish them as news or advertorial stories, or transform them into broadcast segments. The better they understand the content of your communicational materials, the quicker and easier this will be for them.

•  When in doubt, hold off.

It is not unusual for some media professionals to receive hundreds of e-mails and dozens of phone calls each day. So pick your spots, and hold off unless you’re reasonably confident that your pitch is buzz-worthy. If possible, seek the opinion of a disinterested third party whom you trust not to leak privileged information. Is s/he as excited about the story as you are?

The Write Way: Effective Business Writing

It’s hard to overstate the importance of effective writing to the success of a business endeavour. The words you choose to describe your idea, product, or service can make or break a prospective transaction, and attract or repel clients. Furthermore, proficiency in writing can make the difference between being perceived as a consummate professional, or an overweening amateur.

The basics always matter

In the era of spell-check, it’s easier to avoid egregious spelling errors than it was in the past. But there is a pitfall: when we rely on technology to correct our mistakes for us, we risk indulging in complacency—which can yield errors of a different kind. Nowadays, “correct” misspellings crop up frequently, like the following:

Delivery service is available in over one hundred countries, on six contents.

...a conveniently located house with an ensuite bathroom and specious kitchen.

Some misspellings/grammar mistakes are distressingly common, even among highly educated people:

The French Revolution lead to the ascendancy of Napoleon Bonaparte.

It is always important to chose one’s words wisely.

For more on grammatical faux pas, see this page at Copyblogger, and this (more advanced) one at Lit Reactor. Where spelling is concerned, this comic strip at The Oatmeal is both humorous and instructive.

Proofread your work, twice

As an entrepreneur, you are certainly conversant with time pressure and tight deadlines. But there is no substitute for carefully proofreading your work. Pay particular attention to your company website and social media, the foundations of your brand. Don’t underestimate the value of a disinterested second pair of eyes; ask someone you trust, with strong spelling and grammar skills, to peruse your work before you publish it. A credible reputation for attention to detail is a priceless asset in the business world—sloppy writing, on the other hand, is a red flag.

Aim for clarity and economy of words

If there is a rule of thumb for effective writing, it is that clarity and economy of words nearly always yield a superior final product. Whenever you write something, ask yourself: “Could I convey this concept more clearly, or in fewer words?” You may be surprised at how often the answer is “Yes.”

Think of yourself as a journalist who is attempting to shoehorn information into a limited word-count, highlighting the most salient details.

Show, don’t tell

Adjectives can be useful and illustrative in proper measure, but many prospective customers are wary of being “over-sold.” Accordingly, err on the side of too few adjectives rather than too many; emphasize the tangible properties and past successes of the product or service you offer. Testimonials from satisfied customers can be useful in this regard. What particular want or need does your product fill? How, exactly?

Know, and cater to, your readership

Understand the level of familiarity of your prospective clients with your product. Avoid jargon wherever feasible, and use your discretion in clarifying ideas and defining terms.

Clients will invariably ask questions, and some queries may arise repeatedly. Keep a list of those that recur, and set up a FAQ page on your website.

Read in your spare time

One of the surest ways to enhance any skill is to learn from others who excel at it. Read widely—news, press releases, literature, magazine articles. Reading will help you expand your vocabulary, learn new figures of speech, build linguistic precision, and gain general knowledge. Staying abreast of current events and the latest advancements in your industry is useful for networking purposes, too. The more you can impress people with your expertise, and your ability to articulate it, the more your prospective client base will grow.

How Twilio Will Change the Telecommunications Industry

Twilio has quickly become the newest darling among the communications investors. The cloud communications company is reinventing telecom by merging the worlds of cloud computing, web services and telecommunications.

Using Twilio's cloud-hosted API, developers can build software apps that integrate an operator's telephony infrastructure with Web apps. It bridges the old world with the new, and it lets developers interact with voice calls, send text messages, and add IP voice communications into their mobile or Web apps.

Simply put, it's changing the way businesses handle their telecommunication needs because the infrastructure offered by Twilio is allowing web programmers to integrate real-time phone calls across a wide range of platform applications.

For developers it all comes down to a matter of exploiting open source programming which many companies are finding remarkable benefits from.

Pay-As-You-Go

One of the most beneficial ways that Twilio is transforming the telecommunications industry is with its Pay-As-You-Go pricing structure. Under these terms a customer pays for the amount of cloud space capacity they need in the moment. In other words, there isn't any waste paying for extra storage or data compilation space when you don't need it.

Because Twilio's cloud solution eliminates programming, operational and contract hassles rapid growth is easier to come by. There won't be trouble with traffic spikes which is exactly what every company is hoping for. Twilio scales usage in both directions whether you experience highs or lows in your traffic.

Reducing the Learning Curve

Twilio cuts back on the learning curve needed to build out dependable voice communications applications. Think of this as "if it's not broke, don't fix it" approach to programming. Twilio is enabling developers to integrate business communication, VoIP and messaging right into web, desktop and mobile software applications.

There is no longer a need for a startup developer to square off against the telecom giants to help with the testing and developing phase of their products.

Bridging the Gap

Twilio is bridging the gap for software developers to create new communication applications without the burdens of complexity and expense that might have proven to be a hindrance just a few years ago. This puts Twilio on the forefront of helping development quickly move on ideas that can be the most benefit to the end users. It is this kind of direct and rapid response to the development process in the cloud which is making Twilio the go to source for a wide range of mobile communication applications. 

How your business can benefit from the iPad

Between watching movies on the go, playing games and reading books you can certainly have a lot of fun with the new iPad. However, for small businesses the iPad is a very serious device that provides a wide range of support. Consider these practical benefits used for the iPad to improve your business:

1.      Portable Information: All of your company’s vital information can be stored in a wide array of document applications available for the iPad. Anything from inventory lists to PDF legal contracts can be downloaded onto the iPad for easy access and review. Keep in mind that these documents aren’t just for reading. Depending upon the application, you’ll have full access to edit, copy, create and email any document you’re working on. The iPad can also serve as your “virtual secretary” by providing scheduling and business meeting reminders.

 

2.      Communication: Just because the iPad isn’t a phone, doesn’t mean you can’t stay in constant contact with your business associates and staff. The built in Face Time application will allow you to have a live video conference with any other iPad user. For a company that provides its staff members with their own iPads this can be an extremely effective communication tool. You also have full access to email accounts and Skype. An application like WebEx allows you to set up a web conference for multiple users.

 

3.      Productivity: Just as you would find with surfing the internet on your desktop PC, there is a vast amount of research information available on the iPad. That information will keep you on the cutting edge of any new developments for your business. The iPad allows for extensive note taking whether you’re in a business meeting or flying in a plane. Whatever notes you take on your iPad can be instantly uploaded onto your desktop computer which cuts back on the time it would take to make copies. A good one is called Bamboo Paper.  There is even a whiteboard app which lets you use your iPad as platform to brainstorm through drawings and doodles. If you have a need for your business, there’s going to be an app for that.

4.      Sales on the Go: If your business involves any type of direct customer sales, you can plug in a credit card swipe to any iPad using Squareup. This will allow you to take an instant payment for any service or product. It also provides you with instant inventory records and accounting. Clearly, this is much easier than carrying around a cash register!

 

5.      Standardization: The iPad you’re using is the same system being used by clients halfway around the world. Aside from some language issues, the iPad is a universal device being used in the same manner by businesses everywhere. Once you become a member of the Apple community you’ll discover a legion of helpful users who will always have a great new app to share. 

Small Business Focus – Shift Space Inc.

CorporationCentre.ca was established to help entrepreneurs and small business owners get their government and administrative filing done quickly and efficiently so that they have the time and energy to focus on growing their business. Over the years we've incorporated thousands of new businesses and have had a chance to watch them flourish and grow. Here is just one example of two entrepreneurs that incorporated their business with CorporationCentre.ca and have found great success with their company.

Shift Space Inc. is a Montreal- based communications company that gives people from various backgrounds the tools to communicate differently and effectively by providing workshops and services for individual and corporate development. Shift Space wants to focus on bridging the gap between the artistic and corporate worlds by teaching their clients new and creative forms of communication.

Shift Space was started 15 years ago by Lisa Kagan and Liz Valdez. They had been working at the local universities in Montreal, using their theatre-based training tools to help students develop their own communication skills.  Lisa recalls that their decision to go into business together was an easy one to make: “One day I just woke up and said ‘Liz – it’s time.’” After over 20 years of friendship the two women take a leap of faith, leave their jobs, and go off on their own path. And they haven’t stopped since.

Over time, Shift Space has grown from not only providing workshops and training sessions, but also by sharing a networking centre, bringing together groups from various communities, businesses, and fields. From this, Lisa and Liz are seeing new relationships growing in unexpected ways - musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, professionals and students are coming together to better human interaction and communication.

Much of what makes Shift Space so successful is the actual space it inhabits. An open and fluid area conveniently located in downtown Montreal, the “blank slate” space is designed to satisfy the needs of anyone using it, whether it be artists or professionals – or both!  Shift Space is continuously offering exciting programs and workshops targeted to anyone who wants to improve their communication skills in a new way. With their Montreal presence established, Lisa and Liz say that they are happy to travel to provide their services to those that can’t come to them.  They are striving towards setting the standard internationally for communication-based training – and they are well on their way.

For more information on Shift Space and their services, please visit www.shiftspace.ca.

Are Smartphones Good For Your Business?

It’s not a stretch to consider that the development of any form of technology can be distilled down to two goals: for fun or for profit. Fun technology are all the gizmos, gadgets and electronics we surround ourselves with to be entertained and communicate. We don’t really need to send out a tweet of the meal we’re having but it’s fun! On the other end of the technology spectrum are all the practical applications for businesses. This would include all the innovations meant to increase productivity and profitability. There is where smartphone technology plays a key role. Can you run your business off your smartphone? Although it really depends on the nature of the business but the answer is yes; you can actually accomplish many important tasks right from the smartphone you hold in the palm of your hand.

One of the most important aspects of new smartphone technology is the ability to bring the power of the internet with you wherever you go. In some instances, uploading a webpage on your smartphone could be quicker than your laptop. This matters for businesses that maintain an internet presence with a company website. It allows managers and other staff members to instantly access their company’s website for status/sales updates. This powerful connectivity also allows companies to keep a watchful eye on financial markets all around the globe with immediate updates delivered by text.

There was a time when businesses were driven exclusively by paper. Contracts, sales orders, receipts and inter office communication was all printed out and delivered by hand. Nowadays that has all changed with the vast majority of companies conducting their communications and contract negotiation electronically. A smartphone provides the user with complete access to all of these documents and communications. It also allows for instant messaging for a quick answer to a business question.

Even though there are such things as electronic signatures, the need to sign “hard copies” is still required. Here the smartphone can bridge the gap by allowing any document to not only be reviewed but also to be printed out. This can be accomplished by docking the device or sending out the print request via WiFi or Bluetooth.

Smartphone technology also allows for complete backups of all information. What is read on a smartphone will also be available on a laptop, pad or computer thanks to iCloud downloads. Additionally, there is the matter of keeping track of your business. Your smartphone can store all important contacts and provide reminders for upcoming appointments. There are also apps which offer assistance in bookkeeping, payroll management and budgeting. Even a small business that sells products can use a credit card swipe attachment on the smartphone to accept payments.

With all of these smartphone innovations, businesses are finding it easier to stay in touch and get instant access to pertinent information. Because this technology is making businesses run smoother, it gives time for everyone to get back to having fun!

How to Manage a Remote Workforce

Just because a business has been deemed as “small” doesn’t mean they can’t take advantage of the same remote workforce that the big players tap into. Thanks to innovations in Internet technology, it is a lot easier (and often more profitable) to utilize the services of a remote workforce to handle a business’s many tasks. Even your own company roster could benefit from flexible hours by completing their work tasks from home. This type of scheduling goes a long way to increase productivity and promote company loyalty. Although your workers might be “off-site” and online, that doesn’t mean they still won’t require decisive and strong management. What follows are some helpful tips to help your small business manage a remote workforce.

Put It In Writing

If you are hiring a new remote worker you should create a clearly defined list of goals for the project they are working on. These guidelines should leave nothing to doubt as they will serve as a vital template for the project. It’s also helpful to provide examples of just how you want the work completed.

Tap Into Technology

While it is true that the bulk of your communication with your remote workforce will be handled through email, there is no reason why you can’t utilize other forms of communication. Today most savvy remote workers have access to web cameras and headsets which allow for video conference calls via services like Skype. It could be beneficial to schedule a weekly Internet conference call to check on the progress of an ongoing project. This is also the perfect method for providing power point demonstrations as training for new remote workers. What’s great about this for a small business is that many of these conference services can be set up for free or at a minimum cost.

You can also set up a common communication area through a project management system where all the remote workers will have access to upload their projects and share comments or questions.

Set Deadlines

Just as you should provide your remote workforce with complete guidelines it’s important to provide them with a thorough schedule of when their work needs to be delivered. For your own sake, you should pad these deadlines with extra time. As a small business it is vital that you build a solid reputation with your clients for dependability. Although a remote worker can promise to meet the deadlines, sometimes they end up faltering. You should never put your own business at risk.

Tackle Problems ASAP

In a typical office setting, a worker who has a question about a particular project can simply walk down the hall to their manager and get an answer. A remote worker will have the same type of questions that can be related through email. It’s your responsibility as manager to answer those queries as soon as possible. You don’t want to bring a remote project to a grinding halt due to a lag response time. 

If you small business plans to active a remote workforce, treat them as you would your own immediate staff with proper instructions, deadlines and support. You might just find that with the help of a remote workforce, your business can expand faster than you’ve ever imagined.

Providing great customer service

Everyone knows that loyal customers are profitable customers.  They purchase more frequently, buy a broader range of products and talk about your company to others as much as possible. It’s important that you take care of them as the more you do and show how much you appreciate their business, the more your clients will keep coming back.  As a company, providing great customer service should be a priority at all times. Here are some tips that will help you provide the best customer service you can. 

Fast service, faster communications.

Remember to communicate everything to your client quickly.  Reply to your clients’ communications as quickly as you can, as not acknowledging an email or voice mail is merely going to create more frustration.  Always be considerate of their needs by acknowledging their request or communications. You may not be able to complete a task or a request immediately, however you can always let them know that you received their message and provide a new schedule. Manage your client expectations by communicating your customer service communications policy i.e. when they should expect a response from you.

Keep clients updated.

Always let your clients know where you are in a project or in a product repair. Not knowing where they stand or what the status of a project is not a great feeling to have.  Make regular reports to your customers and let them be aware of how things are progressing. Are you facing any issues or challenges? Or is everything on track? Even if you’re experiencing any trouble, do not hesitate to let them know immediately and propose a solution to solve the problem. It shows that you’re keeping them in the loop and that you have things under control. Communicating any issues right away helps your client plan for contingencies.

Fix your mistakes.

If you did something that didn’t end up working, you should repair it as soon as possible. An easy way to lose a client forever is not admitting that you are at fault and not fixing your own mistakes. When you don’t take responsibility for your own faults, it is a quick way of getting a bad reputation.  

Go beyond the call of duty.

There is a maxim that you should always over-deliver and under-promise.  Not only will this result in a happy client, you will always be in top of mind as someone who can get things done.  Surprise your customers in not only delivering it ahead of time but providing an extra discount! Offer value – replace their product while it’s being fixed or pay for the shipping to pick up their broken item from their home.  You are not limited in how you can provide great value as long as you make it easy for the customer to do business with you.

Listen. Listen. Listen.

In all communications, the most important part of it is listening. If you’re not listening to what the client is saying, you are setting the stage for future frustrations. When a client is being very vague, don’t be afraid to ask them to clarify. Try to read between the lines - by understanding what they are really saying, you can offer suggestions on the best way to go about fulfilling those needs.

Remember that providing great customer service is knowing  how you would want to be treated if you’re faced with the same situation.  No matter what kind of business you have, if it is customer based then maintaining quality customer service is the key to a success and profitability.  

Setting goals for the new entrepreneur

Setting goals is very important for a business – especially a new one. As an entrepreneur you have so many fires to put out that it’s easy to get lost in the wrong things. By setting long term, quarterly and daily goals, it can help you focus on the priorities that will help your company grow. Your goals set your priorities and serve as a tool to measure your company’s progress .

Setting corporate goals require everyone’s input and should be communicated clearly to everyone. It provides your employees a benchmark to evaluate whether they’re on track and moving forward towards business growth. Without a measurement of progress, it can be difficult to determine what needs to be changed or improved upon.

To set goals for your company and yourself, here are some tips to follow:

1. Create long term goals and break them down.

As an entrepreneur, you need to provide the company vision and to do that is through providing long-term goals. Start by listing your long term goals and then work backwards by breaking these down into more manageable quarterly, monthly and weekly targets. Do you want to make $500,000 in one year? Then break your annual goal into quarterly objectives – $125,000 every 3 months. You should then break this down even further into monthly and daily goals.

2. Goals must be specific and measurable with a clear timeframe.

Like everything in business – you must be able to measure progress. Determine what metrics will be needed to see if you’re on track. For example, to achieve an increase in sales revenue, you must have your sales team make 200 calls/day, send out 7 quotes a day with 2 hours talk time.

3. Your goals should be achievable and realistic.

Make sure that the goals you create for yourself are attainable. Don’t aim so high that you don’t believe that you will achieve them. For example, if your company has never reached a target of $100,000, then setting a goal for a million dollars in revenue will not be believable. You must feel that you and your employees have the knowledge, skill set, and resources to successfully get there.

4. Review your goals regularly.

Make sure that your goals are communicated to all your employees and that they understand how to accomplish them. At the end of each month, review your annual goals to see if you’re on track or if you’ve lost your focus. Do not be afraid to change your goals if you find that they are not achieving your aims.

By defining your goals, it will help both you and your employees to work towards a shared outcome as well as manage expectations. Without these goals, employees may feel lost and lose their focus. Setting goals is like creating a roadmap for your business to progressively grow... Each step you take should be towards the success of your business.

The Benefits of CRM Software

Having customer relationship management (CRM) software offers you a lot of advantages in running your business. As a small business, you need to take advantage of every tool that will help you deliver great service to your customers and using a CRM can provide that. Choose your CRM software wisely, however with the right choice, you will be able to jumpstart your business’s ability to maintain long term relationships and eventually drive sales. Some of the benefits of having a CRM are:


1. Creating a customer database: A CRM will allow you to create an in-depth database of your customer. You will be able to track everything from their purchasing habits to their personal interests. It will allow you to predict when the customer is ready to buy and being able to personalize any contact with them.


2. Automating marketing tasks: You can automate many of your marketing tasks such as reminders, documentation or email newsletters, saving you time and effort. It also allows you to keep all your marketing communication templates in a central place and use them to send to clients during any transaction. And finally, you can keep track of your marketing campaigns, evaluating their effectiveness and also measuring long term customer value.


3. Make strategic decisions quickly: You will be able to access data and make strategic decisions without wasting time. CRMs allow you to build dashboards that give you a snapshot of where your business is at any point of time.


4. Strengthen your customer relationships: A CRM allows you to communicate with your customer at all times, choosing the right message to send at the right time. By improving your customer communications, you strengthen your relationship with them and increase customer retention. A big advantage for CRMs is the ability to create personalized communications with thousands of your customers more efficiently.


5. Customer service operations are more efficient: Your customer service functions will improve as you can provide better service. You will also be able to keep track of any customer service issues and follow-up without losing track of where you are. With a CRM, sales, marketing and customer service can now be integrated as each department would be able to obtain a deeper picture on a client, thereby targeting and servicing a client according to their needs.


A CRM allows you to keep track of your customer data throughout the entire purchasing lifecycle. This gives you a great snapshot of what is happening in your company in real-time, helping you make the best strategic decisions quickly and profitably.

Reasons for creating an advisory board for your business

One common problem that entrepreneurs face is the problem of finding a group of peers who understand the challenges of running a business. Sometimes, with the constant battles of putting out fires, solving problems on a daily basis that they sometimes forget they need to take a step back from the business and deal with larger strategic issues. This is where an experienced board of advisors can come in and provide a sounding wall to vet ideas and strategies that will benefit the business.

Advisory boards are such a great tool that no small business should be without one. It’s like having a group of experienced consultants working for your company, those who can provide you with their:

• independent perspectives,

• experience,

• special skills,

• and network of connections to your company.

Is creating an advisory board right for me?

Although there are numerous benefits to having an advisory board, it does take a lot of planning and determination to create one. As an owner, you must be aware of confidentiality issues – to be able to trust that your advisors have your best interests at heart and not divulge company secrets. Likewise, you must be ready to communicate the issues that your company face, such as operations, employee problems and even opportunities. Without open communication from both yourself and the board, it will be very difficult for your business to benefit from this collaboration. Of course, when you recruit for an advisor, the person you want has to be capable of handling sensitive issues and confidential information.

For your advisory board to be effective, you must create guidelines in these areas:

Responsibilities – You should create a formal job description for everyone involved in the board. By clarifying their duties, there will be no overlap and misconceptions on their duties. When you recruit, be aware of what your organizational needs are, so you have the right expertise available.

Meetings – You should outline the frequency, length and location of your meetings. Remember, your advisors are also busy, so you should leave some flexibility in meetings to accommodate their schedules.

Compensation – Be clear on how you plan to compensate your advisors. Will you compensate them for attending meetings? And how will you do it – with cash or stock? You should be upfront about this – remember that your advisors are helping you out of their busy schedule.

Having an advisory board is a huge benefit to your small business, provided there is a clear direction and is supported properly by yourself and your company. It will allow your small business to compete against larger competitors by working with talent that might not otherwise be available.

Who Wants to be a Techie?

Remember the days when the computer technician worked almost around the clock to keep the system up and running, or develop that new program that would save the company? It would appear that the classic techie image is not what one might imagine. Several studies have been conducted recently and the world of IT employees has changed dramatically over the last decade.
 

     Recent industry figures indicate that 420,000 Canadians are employed in technology, nearly half of them in Ontario. The tech personnel divide into two basic categories – development and support. The development professionals, who comprise a small percentage of the field, do work incredibly long hours in order to perfect their products and get them out in the market as soon as possible. Product competition is fierce and time is of the essence. Most techies, though, work in support positions and the vast majority is employed at non-tech companies. Studies show that most of these techies work, at most, a 40 hour work week and barely 10% of them work overtime hours. No more is required. A company's IT department is no longer the mysterious room hidden in the sub-basement of the building. It is a regular functioning department of most companies, solving problems and providing services, as do other departments.
 

     As companies continually seek the youngest and brightest stars of the IT world, the question arises as to aging employees. A young employee may be computer savvy but lacks the management skills to run a department or complex system. Most IT managers come from within the ranks of the tech staff. In fact, most overtime hours are logged by older IT management staff. Generally, they help out on the technical side by day and complete their administrative tasks after hours. The higher you go, the harder you work. A far cry from days gone by when everyone went home after dark.

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How a Virtual Phone System can give your company a competitive edge – without having to spend big bucks

As the Internet brings the world closer and closer together, it’s impossible for a small business to see its competition purely at a local level.  Instead, competition has now grown to be national or international in scope, and your small business needs to have infrastructure in place to maintain a competitive edge over the competition.
 
One great tool in retaining that edge is by using a Virtual Phone System.  The basic concept of a Virtual Phone System is simple: instead of having your customers contact you and your employees at different phone numbers (sometimes in different area codes, depending on the nature of your business), a Virtual Phone System brings your whole network together, under one phone number.
 
Your client’s calls are answered by a virtual receptionist, who then routes the customer to the correct extension.  Besides the obvious streamlining for your customer, this method provides a number of additional benefits to make your company competitive on a national level:

• Always in contact, no matter where you are: With a Virtual Phone System, you can change the phone number your extension routes to instantly.  That means you can always be in contact with your customers, no matter if you’re in the office, or on your mobile. 

• Give a big company feel: Having all of your employees under one joint number gives your customers a “big company” feel – no matter if your employees are in the same office as you, or half way around the world.

Q&A extensions to free you up from unnecessary phone calls: If you have common questions you receive 

• a number of calls about, a Virtual Phone System can help eliminate the human time required to answer them, with automated Q&A extensions. Your customer can get the answers they need, without ever having to contact you directly.

Ready to gain the competitive edge you need to take your company to the next level?  Then sign up with Virtual Call System today.

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Canadian Broadband's Poor Rating

In a recently released report commissioned by U.S. regulators, Canada, compared to other leading nations, rates very poorly in areas such as national broadband adoption, network capacity, and prices.

Employing results from a detailed survey conducted by Harvard's Beekman Center for Internet and Society, Canada ranked a disappointing 22nd place overall out of 30 countries. Japan, Sweden and South Korea ranked highest in the survey. The United States placed 13th in the survey.

The survey was commissioned as a basis for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a national next-generation broadband plan.

Broadband service is viewed as a key factor to enable economic growth that can benefit a wide range of intrinsic services in areas such as telemedicine and management of transportation and energy systems. It can also greatly reduce infrastructure costs for businesses.

European nations support open-access policies to spur competition among service providers. Open access allows new companies to lease lines from a network owner. This has proven to be a highly effective method of promoting competitive pricing to the consumer market. Currently, both the U.S. and Canada have yet to adopt this policy. Both nations rely upon competition between cable and phone companies to develop better and cheaper services. The Beekman Center study concludes that this method is highly ineffective for the short and long term of the industry.

Canada's CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications COMMISSION) did implement open access rules in 1997 but, by allowing network owners to charge the highest lease rates on the planet, the CRTC effectively hampered any positive development. With rates as much as 70% higher than some nations, open access did not progress in Canada.

With a rating that has continued to decline over the last decade, Canada must seek to revamp its broadband policy if it wishes to compete with the world.

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