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The Problem with Deadbeats

TopIZ — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:25:45 +0000

I am an avid reader of Angela Hoy’s WritersWeekly.com, a weekly newsletter for (you guessed it) writers. Last week she wrote about the problem with deadbeats – publishers and clients who stiff writers (often deliberately) by taking their work and not paying them for it.

This problem seems to be quite common in the writing industry. I myself am still owed more than $300 from a client who published my articles last year. As is the case with many of these deadbeat publishers, his excuse was that he was going to have to declare bankruptcy, because he didn’t even have the money to pay his own bills, let alone his business’s.

The thing is, your financial situation can’t possibly get to this point overnight. There are a lot of things that lead up to this kind of thing. And that’s why, as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to look into debt consulting services when you first begin to notice the signs, BEFORE you start owing writers money. Not to mention, you need to stop hiring more people when you can’t afford to pay the ones you’ve already got! Just because you are having financial problems doesn’t give you the right to ruin someone else’s finances by not being able to pay them when they are expecting a paycheck.

So, business owners, be kind to your employees, and seek help when you need it. If you are proactive about it, you might be able to salvage your business using business debt reduction tactics — but even if you can’t, it is still your responsibility to do the moral thing and make sure you only work your employees for as long as you can afford to pay them!

Technorati Tags: business debt reduction, deadbeats, debt consulting services, WritersWeekly.com

3 Services Offered by SMS Providers

MsTiz — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:41:16 +0000

I’ve recently been doing some research into SMS providers. These are companies that work with small businesses to assist them in developing and distributing mobile phone content. I’m trying to see what these providers could offer my small business. What I’ve learned so far is that there are three core services offered by these companies:

Direct SMS messaging to your customers. This allows you to send messages to your customers to keep your brand name in front of their eyes. This helps them to remember to shop with you. You can also send coupons and news about your business through these messages.
Ability to sell mobile content. You can develop content for people to purchase from you. This might include social networking applications, mobile phone tips or games for the cell phone. This is a good way to get a bit of extra money.
Bill people through their phones. Many people are starting to use mobile billing. This helps you to be able to charge your customers in that way.

It seems like these three things could be really beneficial to a small business. I’m not done doing my research yet but I think that working with an SMS provider might be a smart move.

Technorati Tags: mobile billing, sms providers

Small Business Doesn’t Mean Do-It-Yourself

TopIZ — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:35:01 +0000

I saw a news article just the other day about how doing it yourself doesn’t necessarily mean saving money. Isn’t that the truth — there comes a time when every do-it-yourselfer needs to recognize that they don’t have the know-how, and relinquish the task to someone who does.

There are many small business owners who try to do everything themselves, whether or not they are qualified to do the job. Small business owners, particularly sole proprietors, often feel they need to do everything themselves, because they feel they are too small an operation to afford to contract someone to do it for them.

Unfortunately, this can be an even bigger waste of your resources than the money it would cost to pay someone. The contractor most likely works faster than you would, so the work gets done sooner. Also, you will be free to spend that time directly earning money for your business. And furthermore, the work is more likely to be done right the first time – whereas, as this article indicates, you could end up spending more to fix the mistakes you’ve made!

So if it takes a contractor, say, three hours to install an ADT security system, but it takes you five, you have not only lost the money you could have made over three hours — you have lost what you could have made over five. Even more important, you have saved the money that might otherwise have been spent hiring someone to fix your mistakes!

Technorati Tags: ADT security system, saving money

Internet on the Autobahn

Tiz — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 06:14:24 +0000

There is nothing like high speed internet if you have ever had to deal with dialup, you would know exactly what I am talking about. You don’t have to wait a minute for each page to load, and you don’t have to grab a cup of coffee to download your favorite band’s latest mp3 from iTunes. What’s next though? What else can push us beyond the limits of the internet? How about unrestricted access to the internet from any part of the world? If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you probably haven’t heard of satellite internet providers.

These providers allow you to get internet from some of the most remote parts of the world. I mean, think of it, you can get your email at the top of your favorite ski lodge, or from a sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic. You could get directions to Florence from the autobahn in Germany. You could travel the world, and let loved ones know your every move. The uses are endless, and the advantages are extraordinary. It is simply the best, most advanced way to connect to the internet. I can’t wait to sign up for this service.

Technorati Tags: autobahn, high speed internet, satellite internet providers

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