Issue 3 - March 29, 2003

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2003 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

1. Editorial

3. Resources

5. Classifieds

6. Sponsors

7. Feedback

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

1. Editorial

Hello. Good to see you back again ... and a warm welcome to our new subscribers.

Before we begin Part Three of the current series, I would just like to take a few lines about the war in Iraq. I'm hoping you will join me in a short prayer for the troops of the coalition who are in Iraq, their loved ones who remain home awaiting their return, and for the innocents whose country is in turmoil, throwing them into the middle of something not of their making.

Right or wrong, this war is a reality. I'm sure, like me, you hope that it will be swift, and with the least loss of life.

People from many walks of life, cultures and religions are involved, either fighting, or defending, or just standing by watching the horror unfold. May their God watch over them and keep them safe.

For those of us safe in our homes, may our God continue to help us understand. Please take just 60 seconds for your own prayer, or wish, to help heal the world.

And now ... back to work!

Although Wedge (our beautiful Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle, and our logo) is an Aussie, most of the information you will see in this and coming issues, is relevant, no matter where in the world you live. We will provide links for other countries where possible. If you know of some useful and relevant websites in your part of the world and you'd like to share them with us, please do. We'd love to hear from you. Not only will you be helping me, you'll be helping others. How? We'll put your suggestions up on our
resources page. So, a big THANKS in advance.

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: So, You Want To Be In Business? Part 3: Starting Out - the Basics

In Week Two, we talked about some of the legal requirements for setting up a business enterprise. Now that we've covered those necessities, here are some other important things to help you get started. Firstly, you'll need to consider your skills and how to keep on improving them. Taking courses to upgrade or add to your skill base is worth serious consideration.

What is your business? Providing a service? Manufacturing? Something to do with the Arts? What ever it is, you need to make sure it's what you do best. Some of you might even be lucky enough to have your passion as your business. That's great! Then there's your Business Stationery.

So ... Let's start with "Whatcha gonna do?" What ever it is, have you done your homework yet? OK! Your place of business has been chosen, be it rented office space, a factory or warehouse or an office or workshop at home. You've checked out the legalities like taxation, insurance, council requirements and you've registered your business name. Getting excited yet?

Do you have a business partner? Will you being hiring staff? Are you a sole operator? Which ever it is, you've now got to make sure that everyone involved has the skills to do what is necessary. They must also know what you expect of them. Will they be prepared to put in the hard yards with you?

If you're a sole operator, you've obviously chosen a business that suits your skills and your personality.

If you're going to hire staff, choosing who's right for the job is not as easy as matching skills with tasks. Oh, no! This is hard work! Not everyone gets it right the first time, but with proper planning, seeking appropriate and relevant advice will help. Knowing what you need, what you expect from others, and making sure you have the skills and support you need, you've taken positive steps to help ensure you're ready to take off!

Click on the links below. These websites offer information about matching jobs and staff for optimum results. Just a thought ... you might like to turn this around and pretend someone is going to hire you to manage the business you've chosen. Will you measure up? Click and see!

The first three are Aussie sites:

http://www.mindfeats.com/extra/selecting.html
Good information. Check out the home page for other useful tips.

http://www.camcoc.cth.com.au/~gcutts/Management/SelectingStaff/13selectstaff.htm
This site offers you the principles of selection.

http://www.employment.qld.gov.au/employers.htm
Helpful to any prospective employer.

http://www.bpwnz.org.nz/herbusiness6.htm
This one's from New Zealand. Information is well written and very useful. Don't let the fact that the site is Women Working for Women, the basic principles apply anywhere to male and female (in most cases - depends on the type of job and duties).

>> Honing your skills

Regardless of whether you are a sole operator or you have others working with you, don't rely on your current level of skill in any area. Make sure you continue to hone and upgrade your skills on a regular basis. You've heard the old saying, "Practice makes perfect". Well, that's not necessarily true. Some people practice all their lives and get nowhere! At some stage, you have to stop practicing. You have to get out there and do it! Investing money to improve your skills is good business practice.

Business courses especially designed for people just starting out are available in most corners of the world. Here in Australia, there are several bodies which offer specific information for the small business owner. Here are just a few websites for you to check out. See if they offer what you need. They probably do, and they probably have other very useful things you've not thought of yet.

The Centre for Innovation, Business and Manufacturing http://www.cibm.sa.gov.au This one is in South Australia and offers seminars and workshop for those just starting out and those already in business. Much of what they have on offer is free of charge. Don't stop at the first page, have a look around the website. It's full of information for people who are just starting out, and for those already in business. Most of their workshops and seminars are those you have to go along to. There are probably similar bodies in your locality which offer similar resources.

Another Australian resource is the Business Enterprise Centres. They offer free advice for small business. They also operate in other states. http://www.becsa.com.au

This one http://www.coursepal.com/info/about.htm has courses on just about anything. Click on Free On-Line Courses and search for what you want to learn. This site is offered as a learning resource only. We are not suggesting that you use it to obtain degrees, as those degrees may not be relevant in your part of the
world.

>> Accreditation

It's always a good idea to have your skills Accredited. Electricians, plumbers and many other tradespeople must be accredited through the relevant industry body. If you're a doctor, a lawyer or an architect, you must have accreditation. If you're not any of those, you still need to consider becoming Accredited, what ever your job is. Yes, even administrators, managers or secretaries should be Accredited. These days, it's a must. Competition is healthy and keeps us on our toes. Why not stay a few steps ahead of your competition and make sure you have bone fide Accreditation?

A word of warning while you're looking for someone to assist you with Accreditation. There are lots of websites you'll come across which offer "diplomas", "certificates" and "doctorates". Some of these are legitimate operations, but many are "false universities" or similar. These are the shady outfits who wait for you to sign up, pay up and shut up. Your dollars will provide you with a piece of paper which looks very classy and legitimate. That paper will give you qualifications without the "training body" ever having met
you or checked your skills and abilities. Buyer beware. Not only are these papers worthless, they have the potential to get you into a whole mess of trouble.

So, how do you go about Accreditation? You look for legitimate training bodies in your own locality. A good place to start would be your local Institute of Technology, Department of Further Education or University. Many of them offer a variety of subjects such as Hospitality, Hairdressing, IT, Manufacturing, Secretarial,
etc. Check them out in your Yellow Pages or ask your local council where to find them.

If you think you've done enough study and don't want to "do it all over again", then consider the option of what is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). This can be gained by doing a few short courses with your local Institute or similar body. Yes, you still have to do a little work, but because you already
know what you're doing, the RPL will give you the Accreditation without years of study. It will also bring you up to speed with new ways of doing things since you last studied. The Tried and True practices in business are just fine, but you also need to keep abreast of changes. Gaining Accreditation through RPL is an
extremely worthwhile investment.

You'll find that as your business grows, you will need to grow with it, which means possibly adding to your skill base. Time and money invested in YOU can only benefit your business.

>> Pricing Structure

Here's where you have to do some more research. What are others charging? Investigate by using your Yellow Pages or local service directory and phone those businesses who are already doing what you
intend to do. Ask about fees charged for various services or prices for particular products (make sure you are clear about the price being inclusive of taxes if they apply). Most businesses do this type of sleuthing, even when they've been in business for years. It's just one of many ways we learn what our competitors
are up to. We call this practice "a fishing expedition". In fact, of all calls to my business, there are at least three calls per month, which are people like you and me checking out our competition and staying in touch with realistic fees and charges If you're producing a product (toys, art, motor vehicle accessories, furniture, wine), you'll need to factor in your overheads. Plant and equipment may be something you've inherited from the previous business owner. Make sure all of the equipment is in good working order before you open your doors to the public.

Materials used to produce your product - electricity, third party assistance such as suppliers of the materials you need, tools, maintenance of plant and equipment are all things you need to factor into your pricing. If you're an artist producing sculpture or painting, the same thing applies. Calculate the cost of your overheads.

How much time does it take to make your product? What is an hour of your time worth? It depends on what you do, how well you do it, how long you've been in business ... there are many factors which will determine your hourly rate.

If you need to travel for the delivery or collection of work, factor in the time it takes and add it to your fee. Remember too, that petrol in your tank costs dollars. If you use a courier service, factor in the cost you incur. Always give your clients the option of using their own courier or other service.

If you're in the business of providing secretarial services, you'll need to consider not only your hourly rate, but also the cost of maintaining your equipment, replacement of printer and toner cartridges, stationery, telephone, fax and email services on behalf of your clients. Yes, there certainly is a lot to consider.

When your research is done and you've worked out the cost to you, there's still one more thing you need to consider. Your profit margin.

Whether you're a mechanic, dressmaker, secretary, accountant, artist, architect or consultant of some sort, Profit Margin is a difficult thing to work out.

If your business has been borne of a hobby, make sure you don't sell yourself short. Your time is also a commodity. Keep in mind that your time, as well as your work, is of value.

Have in mind an achievable annual income. Divide that by the number of weeks in the year you're prepared to work. Continue to break it down until you have your hourly rate. Add your overheads and you should have a pretty good idea of just how much you'll need to charge. Two things to keep in mind: Don't price yourself out of the market. Don't undercut your competitors by setting your fees and charges at a ridiculous low. Both of these practices will harm you and your business.

Right ... you've worked really hard figuring out all that training and pricing stuff ... now it's time for a bit of fun ... serious fun!

>> Business stationery

Design your business card, letterhead and any other office stationery so that there is continuity. Developing an "image" is important. All stationery should be uniform, including your logo if you have one (not always necessary). Use the same layout, typeface, colours and wording on your letterhead, quotation forms,
invoices, receipts, business cards, etc.

The buzz-word at the moment is "branding". It's a very important word with a very important meaning. Branding is what you buy at the supermarket, when you're purchasing a car, when handing over your money for just about anything. You have your favourite products, large and small. You know them by their brand names and how they're packaged. Easy to find. You can probably sing the "jingle" you hear on radio or television!

Your business stationery can do the same for you! Make sure your design is one you really like. Ask friends and family what they think. You'll be surprised by some reactions you get when you do your first "draft". Be ready for things like, "Oh, it's tooooo buzzzzzy!! or "I don't like the colours!" Ultimately, the design, layout and colours you choose for your stationery is up to you, but do listen to your friends. If they have negative comments, then it's a pretty good indication that you may have to consider a few changes.

If you're not good at design, talk to businesses who advertise in glossy magazines and daily newspapers. Talk to people who have sent you advertising material. Look at other peoples' business cards. Ask them who came up with their design. As long as your "image" is individual, unique and professional, you're half way
there.

The other half is the cost of your stationery. You don't have to purchase large quantities right off. Do remember that down the track, when you're up and running, that buying in larger quantities becomes cheaper.

Stationery is very important to create your "image" and establish your presence. Make sure you get your business cards ready before you open your doors, if that's all you do for the moment.

Carry your business card wherever you go. Now, your business card is not going to act as a magic wand and bring you clients or customers. You need to know how to use your Business Card. It's a great marketing and networking tool. (We'll talk in more detail about Marketing and Networking in Part Four).

Learn to look for opportunities. There is an appropriate way of exchanging business cards and promoting your business. Never, never do it in a personal, social situation (dinner party or similar), unless someone asks what you do. That situation then becomes the perfect opportunity to present your business card and
talk just a little about what you do. Back up your Business Card with your enthusiasm ... but don't go overboard.

When you're out and about shopping, talking to business people, don't be shy. If your particular product or service is one they may need, let them know that you are now in business and offer them your assistance. Present them with two cards. You never know what may become of that brief encounter. I've had people call me six months after giving them my business card.

There is also a little "art" in the way you give your business card to someone. Don't slide it across the desk or counter. Hand it to your prospective customer with the text facing them. Look them straight in the eye and say something like, "If you ever find yourself in need of this type of service, please give me a call ...
I'd like the opportunity to work with you."

And so ends Part three. To sum up ... Be sure you've chosen a business that's right for you. Do you have the ability and strength to put in the hard yards to make it work? Make sure that others who'll be working with you know what you will expect from them. Make sure your skill base is adequate ... hone your existing
skills and add new skills. Invest in Training and Accreditation. Keep up with changes in business practice. Set your pricing structure and design your business stationary.

I hope I've helped you to understand a little better, some of the things you need to know if you're going to be in business. Although you may feel a little apprehensive about whether you should start, remember this. If you believe you can do it and you lay the groundwork, build strong foundations and forge good and useful relationships, you CAN!!!

In Part 4, we'll cover the value of Networking and how it can be a boon to your business, Marketing and Advertising, Memberships and Subscribing to newsletters, both on and off line.

Look forward to seeing you back here in two weeks!

Take care of yourself and those you love.
Lynne

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, and helping small business to grow and prosper.Lynne Bullen Strategies was registered and commenced business in 1991 to offer VA services to the small business owner. She is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. lynne@associatedsecretial.com.au

3. Resources

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4. Article: The 10 Most Popular Myths About Running A Home-Based Business Online

Several weeks ago I finally took the plunge into the world of network marketing. I had been running an online business for almost three years by then but knew that I would have to make the leap to network marketing at some point since it was such an obvious fit with Internet marketing. And I haven't been disappointed.

One thing did surprise me though -- the number of people who approached me about my network marketing business, interested in running their businesses exclusively online, but with the mistaken belief that it would be somehow easier and less expensive than establishing and running a home-based business offline.

Well, let me tell you, there's nothing easy or inexpensive about running a home-based business - online or off. The Internet is just a different way of going about it. And that's all.

Here's my top 10 myths about running an online business (and in answer to the missing Myth#11, NO, you CANNOT run a serious online business with WebTV - get a REAL computer already).

MYTH#1 - It's Easy, Anyone Can Do It

FACT - It's not easy, by any stretch of the imagination, and no, you may not be able to do it.

Reality is, establishing an Internet business is a long, slow, frustrating process. Your first attempt at creating your own web site will be an abomination. You'll look back at it in 12 months and shudder. I know I did.

You'll feel utterly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information you need to absorb. And the fact that six different "experts" each tell you six different things doesn't help. (There are no "experts", by the way, just a lot of people with a lot of opinions. Bottom line? Do what works. For you.)

The only way to learn is by trial and error. Some days you'll feel like you're on a roll, the next you'll feel like you're backsliding and FAST. No sooner do you manage a respectable ranking on Altavista, than your Yahoo listing disappears altogether, and where the hell did that number 5 listing with Google go?

After spending an ENTIRE DAY trying to work out what's going on with your search engine listings, giving up, going searching for yet another "expert" to tell you what you're doing wrong, finally realizing there is no such expert and you're going to have to learn how to do it all yourself after all (dammit to hell!) you suddenly
realize that you've done absolutely nothing all day to promote your business and you still have to write the article for this week's ezine which has to go out tomorrow but you can't work your business tomorrow because you have to go work at your J.O.B. .... AAAARGHHHH!!!!!

Many, many people, give it up. Most, probably. It's hard work and it's frustrating. At the end of the day, most are just not prepared to do what it takes.

MYTH#2 - I Can Get Wealthy Overnight

FACT - The only way to get wealthy overnight in this world is to win the Lotto. Period. It will NOT happen on the Internet. Not these days, anyway.

MYTH#3 - Once I Build My Website I Can Relax And Let It Do the Work For Me

FACT - Hah. See Myth #4.

MYTH#4 - Once I Build My Website The World Will Beat A Path To My Door

FACT - No. It won't.

Merely creating a web site and uploading it to your host's server means that your web site is available for viewing by *those who know it exists*. Only problem is, you and your web host are the only ones who know. And even your web host doesn't care (at least as long as you pay your monthly hosting fees).

You now need to submit your site to the search engines (no, they will not just find it automatically and no, your web site is not just automatically added to some great universal Index once it's uploaded). Then you have to wait several weeks or months to find out whether it's been indexed. And if by some miracle it has,
where and for what keywords. And then fix it.

In the meantime, you have to drive traffic to your site via other means. You'll need to submit it to directories, negotiate reciprocal links with other complementary web sites, start publishing a weekly ezine (electronic newsletter) and start promoting that to start developing your own opt-in list, start writing articles and submitting them wherever you can (including a link to your site in the resource box at the end is good free
advertising) and, shudder, advertising. And not in the FFAs and free classifieds either. In other people's ezines. On other people's websites. In the classifieds section of newspapers (yes, the kind that leaves black stuff on your fingers when you read it). All of this costs money. Plenty of it. If you're running a
network marketing business, you're also going to need to pay for leads during this period as well.

MYTH#5 - I Don't Have To Spend Money To Market My Business

FACT - Yes, you do.

You wouldn't expect to be able to market an offline business without financial outlay. Well, guess what? It's just the same in your online business. See Myth #4.

Oh, and by the way, when you're re-reading Myth #4, keep this in mind. You haven't made a dime yet.

MYTH#6 - I Can Put the Whole Thing On Autopilot And Make Money While I Sleep (Or Vacation)

FACT - True. To a point.

By automating as many of your tasks as possible you necessarily free up time to do other things. You COULD use that time to sleep or vacation and you MAY make money while you're sleeping or vacationing. THIS time. But you must sow before you can reap and if you're not continually planting and growing your business, the time will come in the not too distant future when you have nothing left to harvest. You'll wake up one morning and find that, far from filling your inbox with overnight orders, your business has bitten the dust.

So, instead of taking that freed up time and spending it sleeping or vacationing, spend it working your business.

In other words, you'll get out of your business precisely what you put into it. Just like anything else in this world. Funny about that.

MYTH#7 - I Don't Have To Deal With People, I Can Do Everything Via Email

FACT - Email is what you use to handle routine administrative issues and a tool to get prospective customers or networking partners to contact you. Once that happens, you take the relationship OFFLINE.
You get on the phone and actually TALK to these people. The Internet is not an iron curtain that protects you from having to have real life conversations and relationships with people. It's just a tool that brings you together so that the real work of establishing relationships can begin. Offline.

MYTH#8 - I Will Be Able to Fire My Boss And Work Where I Want, When I Want ... In Six Months Or Less

FACT - Don't give up your day job just yet.

MYTH#9 - When I'm Working For Myself From Home In My Online Business I Will Be Able To Spend As Much Time With My Children As I Want

FACT - When you're running a business you're running a business. It's not a pleasant little hobby that you fit in between the stuff of your REAL life. If you're not going to run your business as a business, forggeddabouddit.

MYTH#10 - The Internet Is A Magic Wand

FACT - See Myths#1 through #9.

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical ideas, resources and strategies for your home-based or online business. http://www.ahbbo.com

5. Classifieds

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6. Sponsors

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Digital-e --- Info To Go!, your source for ebooks, e-courses and information to help you achieve your dream of your own creative home-based business. http://www.digital-e.biz/

7. Feedback

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From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

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