Get Cash Back This Holiday Season

Now that you've come down off your turkey coma, it's the first day of December which means holiday gifts for your clients should be on your to-do list. As you're perusing the plethora of holiday catalogs that have made their way to your mailbox, make sure you're taking advantage of discounts.

1. Ebates - no matter which store you're going to purchase from, sign up for a free profile on Ebates. Since this summer alone, I have already earned $90 cash back just from online purchases I've made. All you do is go to Ebates, search for the company you're going to make a purchase from and it will say how much cash back you can earn when you use their click-through links. You can even search for a product and Ebates can direct you to retailers that have partnered with Ebates.
2. Retail Me Not - This website is a goldmine for coupon codes. Anytime I make a purchase online, I check here first to see if there are any discounts on the site I'm shopping. Why pay extra money when you don't have to pay extra money? 
3. Groupon Goods - You may be able to find the perfect gift for your client (or family member) on Groupon Goods. They are separated into categories and are even searchable based on your needs. Everything is discounted and even gift baskets are even sold on Groupon Goods.  

No matter what tools you decide to use, choose gifts that are appropriate for your recipient. And don't forget to check out the aforementioned websites to save yourself and your business some cash.

If I were to own _______, I would do this.

After having an experience or after discussing a business with friends and family, I often think about what I would do to make it a better business. Since I do this more frequently than I should admit, I thought it would be great content for this blog. You'll probably notice throughout this and future posts the theme of making the customer experience fantastic.

Today, I went to get my nails done - a basic manicure and pedicure at a place that only does nails. It was my first time using this nail salon, but it was in a newer upscale shopping area and their website looked very professional. I ended up in a chair where the massage function was broken. For me, that is the majority of the reason I get a pedicure, but they didn't offer to change me seats or reduce my price. There was also some communication issue with me and my nail technician (multiple times). I had some questions about the difference in the different types of pedicures and she didn't understand, which could have been a missed upsell opportunity.

As I was sitting there, my mind began to wander as to what I would do if I were to own a nail salon. Well here's what I would do:
1. Make the place warm and inviting (which this nail salon had).
2. Have one of the daily pre-open tasks to make sure all machines are functioning and all equipment is clean. (This nail salon had a technician with some down time using WD-40 on some freshly cleaned nail equipment right next to two customers. Sorry - I don't think something is clean after you spray WD-40 on it.)
3. Have all of my nail technicians speak and understand English very well. You don't have to be American, but if you can't communicate with customers properly, then the customer's experience is diminished.
4. Hire a receptionist so one of the nail technicians isn't taking calls while he's working on someone's manicure. That person could also offer guests beverages, help move people from station to station and take payment while the nail technician's are focused on their art.

I probably won't be going back to this salon, but most of these are easy things to implement and could have really improved my customer experience. As far as nail salons go, I was super impressed by their decor and selection of nail polish colors and types, but that can't overcompensate for language barriers and the cleaning practices of a business like this.

Turn Off Your Electronics

I recently went on a family vacation out of the country and was forced to turn my phone off, travel without a computer and cut off all ties to the electronic world. This meant taking careful preparation to make sure everything was covered. The first day I was thinking about stuff I needed to do when I got back and I had to consciously stop myself. Here are some tips when you decide to take a vacation away from electronics.

1. Realize the work world doesn't stop because you are unavailable. (That was one of the hardest things for me.)
2. But you can prepare to be out by finding backups for all of your necessary responsibilities, especially if you run social media profiles.
3. Make sure your out-of-office (for all email accounts you run) is set-up and says you won't be available by email or cell.
4. Don't tempt yourself by bringing any paper work or business-related items. (I did bring Forbes mixed in with my Glamour magazine.)
5. Relax and enjoy the things outside of work. That may be the beauty of your surroundings, your family, whatever it is - enjoy being away from your office or work.
6. If you can't seem to do number 5, take a couple deep breaths and reread number 1.

Congrats Class of 2013, Now Go Get a Job! - Part II

You've cleaned up your online persona, you've written a clear and succinct resume and customized a cover letter to each position you're applying for. You've been called by a prospective employer and you have an interview coming up. Now the real work begins!

Do some research - Google your prospective company. Make sure you understand their products and services and check out any news or industry rankings. develop some questions to ask about a specific thing you've seen during your research.

Be able to answer "easy" questions - You may think that "Tell me about yourself" is something you can answer very easily, but that really is a tough question. You could end up rambling or you could end up divulging too much of yourself that you didn't intend to. With every question you answer, make sure that you're giving them an insight to the personal and professional you; a balanced individual that is able to perform the tasks required for the job.

Leave your emotion at the door - I've been sitting in an interview when an interviewee is on the verge of tears because they feel they need a job so bad. Even if you've had a string of bad luck, don't let your emotions get in the way of nailing an interview. Interviewers want to see personality not your baggage. (Side note: the interviewee found employment shortly after with another company.)

Bring a copy of your resume and portfolio, if appropriate - They may have a print out, or they may not. Better play it safe and have multiple copies of whatever you have to highlight yourself. It's very easy to ask how many people will be in the interview so you can have an appropriate number of copies. If you have a portfolio, bring a copy of it on a flash drive that you can leave behind.

SEND A THANK YOU NOTE - Even though the parting handshake may be the last impression you leave with a future employer, you must send a thank you note. Typically an email thank you will suffice, especially if they say they'll be making a decision quickly. If you don't send one, it will be noticed; and not in a good way.

Last, but not least, take a deep breath and practice in front of a mirror, a spouse, a trusted friend, or even fido. Make sure you, and whomever you're practicing with, likes what you see.

Good luck!

Leaving That J-O-B

Since I'm now fully focused on my marketing communications business, I have had many people tell me that they are thinking about working for themselves as well. They ask me for any tips or things to think about before they take the plunge and leave their full-time J-O-B.

1. Calculate what you need to make as a contractor to cover things like insurance, retirement, vacation and sick days. One of the things I forgot to calculate was vacation and sick days. Yes, I can take a day off whenever I want, but I forgot to add that into my hourly contracting rate.

2. Talk to your financial advisor. Make sure they give you an opinion on your proposed hourly contracting rate and that you're set-up for things like insurance, retirement, etc.

3. Hire a tax professional. Yes, it's an extra expense, but you need to do it. They will be able to help you answer questions you have about running your own business including the best form of business (S-Corp, C-Corp), what you can deduct, what percentage of your home is included as part of your office space, and paying quarterly taxes. Plus they stay up-to-date on current tax laws which may help you even further with your taxes.

4. Pay quarterly taxes! Normally with a full-time J-O-B, you are withholding money throughout the year that will count towards your end of the year tax payment. It will be easier once you know what you should be withholding the first quarter so you know what to expect for the rest of the year.

5. Remember that working from home still requires you to work. I work out of my home office and the first month that I was working for myself, I couldn't make the hours that I needed. Because I was home during the day, it became my responsibility to run errands that were normally taken care of outside of business hours. Just because you work from your home doesn't mean you can't work. Make sure to prioritize what needs to be done so you can still get your work done.

6. Your paycheck won't come twice a month. Working for yourself typically means billing on a monthly basis. Now you can write a contract with whatever terms you want, but typically companies bill once a month, which means you get paid once a month. Work you are completing on June 1 won't get paid until at least the second week of July. It's nice to have a little extra money to cover those time gaps when you first start out.

These are just a few tips for things that I experienced. If you are thinking about taking the jump, talk to people you know that work for themselves and see what their experience was. I will tell you that it gives you greater flexibility to do the things you want to do and greater freedom as well.

Get The Discounts You Deserve

If you are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, I'm sure you're taking full advantage of any charity discounts you can get your hands on. However, if you're a for-profit organization that hosts events to benefit charities, you could also be receiving the discount as well, depending on the type of event and the level of benefit for the charity.

I'm currently planning a corporate golf tournament where all the money raised will go directly to our not-for-profit charity. As I'm researching and connecting with golf courses, I've been able to get their charity rates since all money raised goes directly to the charity. The discounts can range anywhere from 5-15%, in addition to donations to the silent auction. You may not think that's much, but for a $25,000 tournament, that could be a savings of $1,250-$3750.

Be sure to explain whatever your situation is and ask if your event would qualify for a not-for-profit discount. The worst thing they will say is no!

Congrats Class of 2013, Now Go Get a Job! - Part I

If you're one of the lucky soon-to-be graduates this year that already has a job, double kudos to you! If you're like the majority of soon-to-be graduates, however, you're still on the hunt for that perfect "First Real Job." The statistics are against you too; 20- to 24-year-olds are experiencing 13.1 percent unemployment.

I've reviewed hundreds of resumes, applications, cover letters and reference letters for people looking to be hired or to win a scholarship. Here are my tips that will help you stand out for the chance to be interviewed.

Customize your cover letter - Nothing's worse than sending an obviously generic letter. The people reviewing your cover letter can tell it's generic. This is the time where you can do research on the company or organization to tailor your interests, hobbies, achievements and connect it to something you've found on their website or through interactions with them.

Google yourself - Before you Google yourself, log off of all your social media profiles. Once you've done that, type your name into the ol' search engine and see what pops up. Make sure to click on each link to see what you're able to see as a member of the general public (or a reviewer of your resume or application). Also, make sure that you go at least four pages into Google on your search. Don't like what you see? Make sure that you're locking down (securing) all of your social media profiles, with the exception of LinkedIn. If you have a different name now, make sure that you Google that name (your maiden name, for example) as well.

Get your LinkedIn profile in shape - This is the one social media site you want to have lower security settings so people can see your extended resume and achievements. Make sure that your profile is filled out as completely as possible; that you've joined appropriate groups for your professional interests; and that you have multiple recommendations listed.

Don't lie - Even if you get away with it in the beginning, somebody will find out about your fib or lie. Just don't do it!

Click here if you want me to review your resume or LinkedIn profile before you send it out to the world: http://bit.ly/168ILl5

Abide By Trade Shows Hours

It's been a tough Winter this year for many people throughout the US with massive amounts of snow and rain, and Mother Nature doesn't seem to be done just yet. In February, I exhibited at a show after about 10 inches of snow came through our area. The organizers didn't want to cancel the business to consumer (B2C) show, but they did push the hours back on the first day.

Attendance was lower than I expected and traffic was definitely slower than expected on the last day. Yes, traffic is typically slower on the last day of a show, but we were going at least 20 minutes between seeing a new person walk down the aisle. Most exhibitor contracts state that you are not allowed to tear down your booth before the absolute end of the show. I train people on many facets of exhibiting at a trade show and I would tell any client to stay the duration because you never know what happens.

At this particular show, many of my exhibitor neighbors began closing up shop early. I wasn't about to bow to peer pressure, so I stayed through the bitter end. During the last 30 minutes of the last day of the show, another exhibitor stopped when he saw me and said, "I've walked by here many times, tell me what you do." That discussion was the best discussion I had at that show. He ended up connecting me with a vendor to begin a project that was at the top of my priority list. Not only that, but the new connection ended up saving me at least three months time on the project and at least $50,000.

Not too bad for spending an extra hour standing around at a show you're paying for. Squeeze all you can out of potential connections whether someone is walking the show or a fellow exhibitor.

Breaking up is hard to do - but it shouldn't be creepy

During my monthly clean-up of email lists that are no longer relevant to me, I unsubscribed from a company using a very simple process. Click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email, another window pops up, and you click Unsubscribe again to verify.

After that step, many companies have a page that say, "sorry to see you go" or "come back anytime" to keep a good repoire with that customer and that customer's network of friends. Website AppSumo had another approach.

This is what I saw when I unsubscribed:

Now although this is definitely memorable, it startled me and creeped me out at the same time. Unless you're in the porn business, I can't think of a time where it's appropriate to have a picture of yourself shirtless, most likely in bed, waving goodbye with a sour puss look on your face. Creeptastic!!

If you're going to go cute to be memorable, keep your clothes on and integrate the logo and branding of your company, not a picture of "Chief Sumo."

LinkedIn - Please don't turn into Facebook

Dear LinkedIn,

You're breaking my heart. I loved you just the way you were - I miss your Applications. I miss your Events. And on January 31, I'm going to miss your Answers section. Why do you have to change? You were perfect just the way you were.

Your friend Facebook continues to change and update, but it's not what it used to be. Now, Facebook is focused on its investors instead of its users and it's not fun anymore.

Please bring back the Applications that allowed additional interactivity between LinkedIn users. Please bring back Events so people can connect with others in their industry. And please don't delete Answers - some questions should be asked to the masses, especially since it's inefficient to ask the same questions in multiple groups.

Please don't change. Myself and all of your users think you're pretty just the way you are.

Getting Donations for a Silent Auction is Easier Than You Think

I know it can be hard to ask people for anything. Help, donations, money, you name it. But it doesn't have to be difficult. When you're starting to recruit donations for a silent auction, it's all about making connections. First, connect with the other organizers - do they have any suggestions?

Second, connect with the vendors - they may be able to offer something that would be good for the bidding. I was planning a golf tournament associated with some client events we were hosting and our group used a hotel room block in the area. I called the sales manager at the hotel and asked if they would be able to donate anything that could be used for our silent auction in association with the golf tournament. She provided me with a gift certificate good for two nights at the hotel. See what you can get just by asking!

Third, make sure that you're connecting with people that understand and sympathize with your cause. I hosted a silent auction event where I knew that a manager with a large, well-known sunglasses company was going to be in attendance. I asked one of the other volunteers (who invited him) if they could reach out to him and see if his company would donate. Since that company gets requests all the time, they have an online process that we went through for the donation. We just had to make sure that we sent in the request 6-8 weeks before our event.

Lastly, taking to social media is a great way to get the word to the world about your event. Make sure that you post multiple times about needed silent auction items and ask influential Tweeters for a retweet.

No matter how you go about gathering items for your silent auction, make sure you have a process in place for where donations are to be sent, tracking the value of the item and distributing a tax receipt to whomever donates. If you're working with a 501(c)(3) organization, make sure you have access to the Federal Tax ID number.