Greetings-
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Today I received a free download compliments of the SCORE organization. If you are not familiar with this group please take the time to check them out. They have proven invaluable to me a number of times - and I have had several mentors.
The following is a link to the download and it is on organizing - it is really a good article!
http://www.score.org/pdf/JulieMorgensternExclusiveTips.pdf
Warm Regards,
Victoria
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Happy Holidays!
Hello Everyone-
I hope this finds each of you well and enjoying your holiday season. Many of you offer Holiday Decorating as one of your services. I recently received a number of photos from Barbie Leavell in Texas. Her Christmas decor designs are truly stunning! She has also offered this service to commercial clients. Without a doubt, this will be repeat business for Barbie in the years to come.
I know everyone is busy but don't forget to take some time out and work on your 2009 marketing campaign. You will want to be ready to hit the pavement running. January, statistically for me, at least, has always been a HUGE month for business.
Once the tree comes down and the ornaments are packed away, the client is often hit by the fact that their space looks really blah - cold and naked! Gear up to have a postcard mailing ready to go out to your clientele list. Perhaps offer a special pricing to those who respond immediately.
On another subject I watched the following webinar given by Sherwin Williams a few weeks ago. For those that attended the Vegas conference you met Jackie Jordan, who is one of the webinar presenters.
In case you missed it I am including a link for you to view it:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/975056938
you need a Windows Player 9 to view it - I guess I have this because I was able to watch! :)
If this doesn't work for some reason go ahead and contact Jackie Jordan for instructions. Email her at getcolor@sherwin.com
Sherwin Williams has also released their most popular colors used this past year. If you did not receive this list and would like one please emai me directly. I can attach it to an email and send to you.
A Newsletter will be going out soon - so be watching for that.
Also check out my latest blogging at www.nationalredesigninstitute.wordpress.com
Enjoy the Holidays!
Warmest Regards,
Victoria
I hope this finds each of you well and enjoying your holiday season. Many of you offer Holiday Decorating as one of your services. I recently received a number of photos from Barbie Leavell in Texas. Her Christmas decor designs are truly stunning! She has also offered this service to commercial clients. Without a doubt, this will be repeat business for Barbie in the years to come.
I know everyone is busy but don't forget to take some time out and work on your 2009 marketing campaign. You will want to be ready to hit the pavement running. January, statistically for me, at least, has always been a HUGE month for business.
Once the tree comes down and the ornaments are packed away, the client is often hit by the fact that their space looks really blah - cold and naked! Gear up to have a postcard mailing ready to go out to your clientele list. Perhaps offer a special pricing to those who respond immediately.
On another subject I watched the following webinar given by Sherwin Williams a few weeks ago. For those that attended the Vegas conference you met Jackie Jordan, who is one of the webinar presenters.
In case you missed it I am including a link for you to view it:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/975056938
you need a Windows Player 9 to view it - I guess I have this because I was able to watch! :)
If this doesn't work for some reason go ahead and contact Jackie Jordan for instructions. Email her at getcolor@sherwin.com
Sherwin Williams has also released their most popular colors used this past year. If you did not receive this list and would like one please emai me directly. I can attach it to an email and send to you.
A Newsletter will be going out soon - so be watching for that.
Also check out my latest blogging at www.nationalredesigninstitute.wordpress.com
Enjoy the Holidays!
Warmest Regards,
Victoria
Sunday, November 9, 2008
SCORE WORKSHOP - FREE!
Hello NRI Readers,
If you are not already signed up to receive Score's free newsletter then please consider it. Their website and newsletters contain an amazing amount of information for the small business owner and entrepreneur.
I have utilized their free counseling on more than one occasion. Their counselors are top-notch, extremely knowledgeable and right there to help you!
They are offering a free online business workshop which you can check out by clicking here:
http://www.score.org/Finding_Customers_Workshop.html
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Warmest Regards,
Victoria
If you are not already signed up to receive Score's free newsletter then please consider it. Their website and newsletters contain an amazing amount of information for the small business owner and entrepreneur.
I have utilized their free counseling on more than one occasion. Their counselors are top-notch, extremely knowledgeable and right there to help you!
They are offering a free online business workshop which you can check out by clicking here:
http://www.score.org/Finding_Customers_Workshop.html
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Warmest Regards,
Victoria
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Questions from our Members
Hello,
Here are questions asked by our fellow members - please share any tips or advice! This forum is for all and would like to encourage member participation - just jump in! If you have problems posting, just email me - I will try to help! :)
Victoria
From Cindy:
I'd like some feedback from my comrades as to what they are charging and/or how they charge for their Highlighting Services (i.e. bump up the cost of the displayed items purchased and/or do they charge by Open House dates or by the month, etc.) Thank you.
Regards,
Cindy
Redesigns by Cindy
Cindy Benward, CRS
573.496.3908
http://www.redesignsbycindy.com
Recognizing the potential in your home - design anew and staging.
And Jennifer writes:
I recently purchased redesign powerpoint presentations from a couple different teachers, but I don't know how to put on the show at a venue. I need to know what equipment to buy and how to operate it. Or how to hook up to equipment available at some venues. Any help in this regard would be helpful. Also, I could use advice on what to say at presentations rather than just reading the slide verbatim. I have heard from other people it is deadly to just read from the slides. It really alienates your audience. But if all I know is what the slides say, what do I do? Thanks for your help. Enjoy the fall!
Jennifer Crabtree
www.roomredesignwizard.com
Here are questions asked by our fellow members - please share any tips or advice! This forum is for all and would like to encourage member participation - just jump in! If you have problems posting, just email me - I will try to help! :)
Victoria
From Cindy:
I'd like some feedback from my comrades as to what they are charging and/or how they charge for their Highlighting Services (i.e. bump up the cost of the displayed items purchased and/or do they charge by Open House dates or by the month, etc.) Thank you.
Regards,
Cindy
Redesigns by Cindy
Cindy Benward, CRS
573.496.3908
http://www.redesignsbycindy.com
Recognizing the potential in your home - design anew and staging.
And Jennifer writes:
I recently purchased redesign powerpoint presentations from a couple different teachers, but I don't know how to put on the show at a venue. I need to know what equipment to buy and how to operate it. Or how to hook up to equipment available at some venues. Any help in this regard would be helpful. Also, I could use advice on what to say at presentations rather than just reading the slide verbatim. I have heard from other people it is deadly to just read from the slides. It really alienates your audience. But if all I know is what the slides say, what do I do? Thanks for your help. Enjoy the fall!
Jennifer Crabtree
www.roomredesignwizard.com
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Our Websites
What a Day! I have spent almost all day writing. First, updating my blog at www.nationalredesigninstitute.wordpress.com and then submitting another ezine article - and also wrote and submitted an online Press Release -
both of which will need to be approved by "someone" out there in cyberspace before they are published.
And now, here I am on our blog - and it is "ours" - it's just that nobody but me writes or comments on it!! I know many of you read it because you tell me that you do - Oh well....I have learned to just go on! :)
I recently read an article in how to create a small business website that works. I found it very interesting and also confirmed so many of the things I have "preached" about for a very long time.
In a nutshell I am going to list the most critical components of a successful website -
1. It needs to have a PROFESSIONAL appearance - if it smacks of being home-made (and trust me, visitors are extremely saavy to this) you will lose all credibility- it's as simple as that!
2. Provide relevant content and don't turn-off your visitors with an endless sales pitch!
3. Make it easy as 1-2-3 for your visitor to CONTACT you
4. If selling a product invest in a "shopping cart"
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) needs to be done on each and every page of your site
6. Utilize sites that offer free listing of your website to garner more traffic
7. Use quality web site hosting!
And last but not least - make sure those before and after shots are nothing less than top-notch! Photos do not convey the "feeling" of the room - our redesign can truly be fabulous that "feel" is elusive and it doesn't translate that effectively to the picture........use only your best shots - lose all the others. In this instance, less is often better!!!!
both of which will need to be approved by "someone" out there in cyberspace before they are published.
And now, here I am on our blog - and it is "ours" - it's just that nobody but me writes or comments on it!! I know many of you read it because you tell me that you do - Oh well....I have learned to just go on! :)
I recently read an article in how to create a small business website that works. I found it very interesting and also confirmed so many of the things I have "preached" about for a very long time.
In a nutshell I am going to list the most critical components of a successful website -
1. It needs to have a PROFESSIONAL appearance - if it smacks of being home-made (and trust me, visitors are extremely saavy to this) you will lose all credibility- it's as simple as that!
2. Provide relevant content and don't turn-off your visitors with an endless sales pitch!
3. Make it easy as 1-2-3 for your visitor to CONTACT you
4. If selling a product invest in a "shopping cart"
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) needs to be done on each and every page of your site
6. Utilize sites that offer free listing of your website to garner more traffic
7. Use quality web site hosting!
And last but not least - make sure those before and after shots are nothing less than top-notch! Photos do not convey the "feeling" of the room - our redesign can truly be fabulous that "feel" is elusive and it doesn't translate that effectively to the picture........use only your best shots - lose all the others. In this instance, less is often better!!!!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Press Release Content and Template
Hello All,
Want to attract more attention to your business???
Want your phone to ring, bringing you new clients???
Want to advertise and promote your services??? ...FOR FREE????
Try submitting a Press Release -
a number of you found how successful this can be when using the NRI Vegas Conference press release.
To help you out read the following tips. In addition, be sure to follow the format to a "T" - this is the accepted format for all publications.
Good Luck,
Victoria
Always check with your local newspaper to see who and how they prefer to receive press releases. Then you are comfortable that it is being received in the format they want.
For example, some may ask that you email your copy, while another requests that you forward your release through the mail.
Try to follow up within a few days after sending your press release. Once you have emailed or mailed it you lose control of what happens to your information.
It could be one of several different scenarios:
They print it (Yipppeee - but when?)
They file it away for a later date. (It is now "filler" to be used at unknown or never date)
They throw it away. (Actually, if they don't print it, it is better it met a clean disposal)
A template follows that you can adapt for your own personal use by substituting personal information.
Learn to adapt it for other press releases and future business announcements or achievements
Press Release Format
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact
NameCompany Name
Address
Phone Number
Fax NumberEmail
AddressURL (Your website)
Attention-grabbing HeadlineCity, State, Date: Introductory paragraph describing who, what, where, when.
Paragraph 2: More detailed information
Paragraph 3: Information describing the person and/or business.
###
The pound signs are not typos - they mean "end of copy"
Want to attract more attention to your business???
Want your phone to ring, bringing you new clients???
Want to advertise and promote your services??? ...FOR FREE????
Try submitting a Press Release -
a number of you found how successful this can be when using the NRI Vegas Conference press release.
To help you out read the following tips. In addition, be sure to follow the format to a "T" - this is the accepted format for all publications.
Good Luck,
Victoria
Always check with your local newspaper to see who and how they prefer to receive press releases. Then you are comfortable that it is being received in the format they want.
For example, some may ask that you email your copy, while another requests that you forward your release through the mail.
Try to follow up within a few days after sending your press release. Once you have emailed or mailed it you lose control of what happens to your information.
It could be one of several different scenarios:
They print it (Yipppeee - but when?)
They file it away for a later date. (It is now "filler" to be used at unknown or never date)
They throw it away. (Actually, if they don't print it, it is better it met a clean disposal)
A template follows that you can adapt for your own personal use by substituting personal information.
Learn to adapt it for other press releases and future business announcements or achievements
Press Release Format
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact
NameCompany Name
Address
Phone Number
Fax NumberEmail
AddressURL (Your website)
Attention-grabbing HeadlineCity, State, Date: Introductory paragraph describing who, what, where, when.
Paragraph 2: More detailed information
Paragraph 3: Information describing the person and/or business.
###
The pound signs are not typos - they mean "end of copy"
Friday, July 11, 2008
Marketing Evaluation
Hello Everyone,
I just finished putting together the NRI Newsletter which members will receive shortly. Since then I have received yet another wonderful e-newsletter from SCORE and I absolutely must share one of the articles - it follows below. I would love to encourage each of you to take advantage of all the information for small businesses that SCORE so generously shares - simply go to www.score.org and sign up! They have just incorporated a blog especially for women entrepreneuers and they have a staff of experts available for all kinds of topics.
Here is the article -I hope you take the time to read it and enjoy!
Victoria
Resilience for the Small Business Owner
Contributed by Russ Newman, PhD, JD Executive Director for Professional Practice, American Psychological Association
The threats of terrorism and a soft economy have combined to make times uncertain for the small business owner. You may be spending all of your energy in getting your company to bounce back, but it’s essential that you focus on your own resilience as well. The good news is that the skills of resilience can be learned. Here are 10 ways to build resilience. Make connections. Networking doesn’t just make good business sense, it makes good psychological sense. Form a network of professional and personal resources who can step in with advice or even just a sympathetic ear when times get tough. The support goes both ways—helping others in their time of need can benefit the helper as well.
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. Whether your business has had to downsize or just changed markets to accommodate the economy, you should focus on the big picture and realize that these setbacks do not necessarily threaten the life of your business. Accept that change is a part of living. People evolve, and businesses do too. While change can be painful, accept that your business will change to meet new circumstances—whether it is an updated business plan or a new niche of customers served. In today’s business and economic climate, the ability to be flexible is key. Move toward your goals. Small business owners tend to be very goal-oriented, but sometimes the inactivity forced by a stagnant market can stall an entrepreneur. Develop some realistic goals and do something regularly - even if it seems like a small accomplishment - that enables you to move toward those goals. Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away. Problem-solving is an active and ongoing process that can increase resilience considerably. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Small business owners can focus so heavily on changes in the market that they forget that they also are evolving as entrepreneurs with each challenge they meet. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggles. Nurture a positive view of yourself and your company. You may think that small business has been hit hard in this economy, but take a look at how well-positioned your company is to survive. Small business owners may have been hit hard by the economy, but they also have the ability to be nimble and flexible, something the larger companies often have trouble with.
Keep things in perspective. Assuming your basic business plan is sound, realize that the economy eventually will rebound and that other companies are facing a difficult time as well.
Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Take care of yourself. Small business owners spend so much time nurturing the company and their employees that they sometimes forget their own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.
Each entrepreneur may find as many ways to build resilience as he does to build his or her business. The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience.
I just finished putting together the NRI Newsletter which members will receive shortly. Since then I have received yet another wonderful e-newsletter from SCORE and I absolutely must share one of the articles - it follows below. I would love to encourage each of you to take advantage of all the information for small businesses that SCORE so generously shares - simply go to www.score.org and sign up! They have just incorporated a blog especially for women entrepreneuers and they have a staff of experts available for all kinds of topics.
Here is the article -I hope you take the time to read it and enjoy!
Victoria
Resilience for the Small Business Owner
Contributed by Russ Newman, PhD, JD Executive Director for Professional Practice, American Psychological Association
The threats of terrorism and a soft economy have combined to make times uncertain for the small business owner. You may be spending all of your energy in getting your company to bounce back, but it’s essential that you focus on your own resilience as well. The good news is that the skills of resilience can be learned. Here are 10 ways to build resilience. Make connections. Networking doesn’t just make good business sense, it makes good psychological sense. Form a network of professional and personal resources who can step in with advice or even just a sympathetic ear when times get tough. The support goes both ways—helping others in their time of need can benefit the helper as well.
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. Whether your business has had to downsize or just changed markets to accommodate the economy, you should focus on the big picture and realize that these setbacks do not necessarily threaten the life of your business. Accept that change is a part of living. People evolve, and businesses do too. While change can be painful, accept that your business will change to meet new circumstances—whether it is an updated business plan or a new niche of customers served. In today’s business and economic climate, the ability to be flexible is key. Move toward your goals. Small business owners tend to be very goal-oriented, but sometimes the inactivity forced by a stagnant market can stall an entrepreneur. Develop some realistic goals and do something regularly - even if it seems like a small accomplishment - that enables you to move toward those goals. Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away. Problem-solving is an active and ongoing process that can increase resilience considerably. Look for opportunities for self-discovery. Small business owners can focus so heavily on changes in the market that they forget that they also are evolving as entrepreneurs with each challenge they meet. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggles. Nurture a positive view of yourself and your company. You may think that small business has been hit hard in this economy, but take a look at how well-positioned your company is to survive. Small business owners may have been hit hard by the economy, but they also have the ability to be nimble and flexible, something the larger companies often have trouble with.
Keep things in perspective. Assuming your basic business plan is sound, realize that the economy eventually will rebound and that other companies are facing a difficult time as well.
Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Take care of yourself. Small business owners spend so much time nurturing the company and their employees that they sometimes forget their own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.
Each entrepreneur may find as many ways to build resilience as he does to build his or her business. The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience.
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