Small Steps Can Lead to Big Payoffs

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Payoffs

Like many people in their mid-thirties, I have gone through several major life changing events over the past few years. Building a career, having a child, and purchasing a home are just a few of the exciting events that I have experienced first-hand.

But with these events often come significant financial changes and a whole lot of planning for the future – retirement, children’s education, and aging parents, to name a few. With so much going on and so many things to consider, keeping track of finances can be difficult, even overwhelming.

The recent purchase of a new home gave me a chance to reorganize and re-evaluate my finances and prompted me to track my budget more closely. I started to track my expenses daily and found it to be an eye-opening experience!

Once I was able to see where my money was really going, I was able to plug the leaks and redirect my money to be more in line with my financial goals. Here are some things that I have learned in the process:

Establish a system that works for you. There are several record filing systems and budgeting methods to choose from. If you find one doesn’t work for you, don’t give up! Simply try a new system.
If you overspend, get back on track. Don’t let it give you license to blow your whole budget.
Work a slush fund into your budget. Overspending is bound to happen and it will keep you from needing to tap into your savings.
Plan ahead. One of my budget leaks was unplanned expenses while running errands. Now before heading out the door, I always make sure that I have plenty of drinks, snacks, and activities for my son in order to avoid spontaneous purchases.

You don’t need a big life changing event to reap the benefits of tracking your expenses. If you want to get started with your own budget, but feel overwhelmed or not sure where to begin, it may be helpful to speak with a financial counselor. They can take a look at your situation, help you establish a budget and offer expert advice. Here are some things to look for when choosing a financial counseling agency to work with:

Choose a non-profit agency that is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) or the International Standards Organization (ISO), or is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Your local credit union may also be able to direct you to a financial counseling agency.
Find out what services are offered. A good organization will have a range of services, such as budget counseling, debt management services, and credit report counseling.
Ask what, if any, fees are involved. Most non-profit financial counseling organizations offer some of their services and educational information for free. If you are interested in Debt Management services, fees should not exceed $50 per month, or so.
Consider the way you would like to receive the services. Counseling may be done in person, or over the phone or internet. Choose a method that will fit your needs.

Taking a few minutes each day to write down my expenses and review my budget keeps me on track to meet my financial goals, both short- and long- term.

Beth Luke (bluke@greenpath.com) is a financial educator for GreenPath Debt Solutions, a non-profit, national leader in financial education and counseling.

Free e-book “Business Owner’s Road Map to Success.” It has over 50 pages of techniques for everything a small business owner needs to master, from business planning and ethical selling to a success mindset. It’s all there and it’s free for you. To get it, just “Like” our Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/KsIN6P Pass it on!

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9 Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Small Business

9 Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Small Business

Pinterest is the hottest new social network, with articles filling up the web about how fast it’s growing. And it’s little wonder…most people are visual learners, and the ability to capture and organize photos of the things we love online can be very addicting and satisfying.

And because people are sharing photos of products they love or want (along with recipes, dream vacation destinations, and so forth), you have an opportunity to add your product line to the mix and gain additional attention. But that’s not the only use! Here are some of the ways you can use Pinterest to benefit your business:

Share product photos. This, at its core, is the simplest way to use Pinterest. Share photos of your product line that others can share as well, and link to your sales page. Just be careful not to be TOO product-centered or you’ll annoy your friends and be in violation of Pinterest rules.
Create a vision board for your business. Pinterest is a great tool for collecting photos of where you want your business to be in 1, 5, 10 years. Is your eye on a car, a home, or a fabulous vacation? Collect photos and put them on your vision board on Pinterest.
Create a personality for your brand. Pinterest is a great tool to show people the personality of your brand. Do you have a sense of humor? Share funny quotes. Do you have a brand that leads to a luxurious lifestyle or high fashion? Share related photos. By being mindful of the brand image you want to project, you can share photos that help people develop a sense of your overall brand.
Share training resources you find on the web with your team. Come across a great blog article or training piece online that would benefit your team? Pin it! Then let your team know that you’ve got a board with great resources that can help them build their businesses.
Run a contest. Many brands are now experimenting with running contests on Pinterest. It’s a great way to promote viral visibility of your products. This article from PR Daily may give you some ideas to get you started: http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/How_to_launch_irresistible_Pinterest_contests_11079.aspx
Collect inspiration for your own content. For example, you might collect recipes that inspire you to create your own recipes, or makeup or fashion looks that give you ideas about ways you can suggest customers use your products.
Do research about the things that excite your customers by checking out their boards. It can give you ideas for theme parties, specials you might want to offer, or prizes you might want to award in contests.
Give people ideas about additional ways to use your product line. For example, if you sell home decor items, you might show rooms and point out where your product would be perfect in the layout.
Create an opportunity board that highlights the benefits of your business opportunity, and share it with people who are considering joining your team. It could include your recruiting video, a link to your recruiting brochure, a video about your next incentive trip destination, etc.

Many retailers are finding that Pinterest drives a LOT of traffic to their websites. So it’s a great idea to check out this hot new social network, and find ways to put it to work for your business.

Your thoughts? Please share them in the comments! And be sure to follow us on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/thedsef/ We share a lot of great resources for your business!

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Top Ten Small Business Pitfalls

Did you ever hear the phrase, “Hindsight is 20/20.”? It’s easy to look back on our mistakes and identify what went wrong after the fact. It is of utmost importance to avoid common pitfalls made by millions of others before you. By learning from their mistakes, you can make smart decisions for your business and enjoy making your entrepreneurial dreams come true. Here are the top ten pitfalls to avoid in your business and how to avoid them:

Failure to educate yourself before you begin – There is so much that goes into owning a business that goes beyond knowing your industry. Small business ownership is a marathon, not a sprint, so stamina is the key. Since you will most likely be watching your pennies, take advantage of free resources, like those provided by the Small Business Administration .
A non-existent or hastily written business plan – Believe it or not, too many people start up businesses without a plan. Don’t worry; you don’t need an MBA degree to write up a business plan. An effective business plan should include a description of your business; information about your industry, competitors, suppliers, and target demographic; a marketing strategy; and finances.
Spending money unnecessarily – To control startup costs, consider the following: leasing any equipment you may need instead of buying, buying supplies second hand, purchasing a minimal amount of inventory to avoid overstocking, and dealing in cash as often as possible.
Not collecting payments promptly – Remember, you are held to a tight standard in having to pay your own creditors; hold your customers to the same standard. Always provide an invoice no matter how small the amount, follow up when necessary, and don’t be afraid to implement a cash upfront policy for delinquent accounts.
Forgetting to plan for a rainy day – So your efforts are paying off; inventory is flying off the shelves, you’re teeming with new customers, and profits are way up. Enjoy it of course, but don’t forget to save some of that hard earned cash for an unforeseen setback. Just like the overall economy, certain industries experiences cycles of good times and bad. Your business will be able to survive the hard times if you put away some money and have a contingency plan for if things suddenly go south.
Getting set in your ways – Even the most successful business owners can have a difficult time adjusting to new trends in the industry. Keep abreast of any changes, including innovative new products/services, a shift in customer needs/wants, price points, marketing techniques, and technology. Chances are that your customers are aware of what’s new, so don’t get left in the dark.
Doing it all yourself – If you have employees, trust in their abilities and delegate responsibilities. Trying to meet every obligation on your own and micromanaging are both recipes for burnout and disaster. Empower your staff by handing over certain tasks and projects; you’ll also find that they will become more invested in the success of your business when they know they are an important part of it.
Inability to step away – Once you have established your business, you should make decisions that allow it to run smoothly without you once in awhile. There will be times when you need to take a few days off for personal obligations, and let’s face it: who doesn’t need a vacation every now and then?
Poor marketing – From traditional marketing methods to those of the 21^st century, there are more ways to market your business than ever before. As with anything else in your business, do your research to decide what is best. It might be a good idea to only focus on one or two methods at first, such as targeted direct mail campaigns and an effective website. Collect information about what is working and adjust your marketing efforts accordingly.
Lack of discipline – This is especially important if you have a home-based business. Our households are rife with distractions such as laundry, cleaning, a ringing phone, and even our own children. These things take time away from your business, which in turn takes money out of your pocket. Create a strict schedule for yourself and stick to it, make a list of what needs to be done and when, and minimize needless distractions.

What pitfalls have you encountered in your business? Please share your problems and solutions with us in the comments section below!

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DSEF & CBBB: Take This ID Theft Quiz for National Consumer Protection Week

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB):

Take This ID Theft Quiz for National Consumer Protection Week

By Holly Doering

Hi everybody, and happy Monday. Depending on where you live, you might be celebrating Frozen Food Day, Mardi Gras, or If Pets Had Thumbs Day (at least according to an Internet list of “wacky holidays.”) But one thing everybody should be celebrating is our 14^th annual National Consumer Protection Week! Running through March 10, this holiday will shine a national spotlight on consumer safety in the U.S.

I thought it would be fun to take a little quiz on identity theft from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: Answer to see what your risk is. I myself scored 45—not bad, but I could do better.

___ I receive several offers of pre-approved credit every week. (5 points)

___ I do not shred the pre-approved credit offers I receive (cross-cut shredder preferred) before putting them in the trash. (5 points)

___ I carry my Social Security card in my wallet. (10 points)

___ I use a computer and do not have up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection. (10 points)

___ I do not believe someone would break into my house to steal my personal information. (10 points)

___ I have not ordered a copy of my credit reports for at least 2 years. (20 points)

___ I use an unlocked, open box at work or at my home to drop off my outgoing mail. (10 points)

___ I do not have a P.O. Box or a locked, secured mailbox. (5 points)

___ I carry my military ID in my wallet at all times. (It may display my SSN.) (10 points)

___ I do not shred my banking and credit information, using a cross-cut “confetti” shredder, when I throw it in the trash. (10 points)

___ I throw away old credit and debit cards without shredding or cutting them up. (5 points)

___ I use an ATM machine and do not examine it for signs of tampering. (5 points)

___ I provide my Social Security number (SSN) whenever asked, without asking why it is needed and how it will be safeguarded. (10 points)

___ Add 5 points if you provide it orally without checking to see who might be listening nearby.

___ I respond to unsolicited email messages that appear to be from my bank or credit card company. (10 points)

___ I leave my purse or wallet in my car. (10 points)

___ I have my driver’s license number and/or SSN printed on my personal checks. (10 points)

___ I carry my Medicare card in my wallet at all times. (It displays my SSN.) (10 points)

___ I do not believe that people would root around in my trash looking for credit or financial information or for documents containing my SSN. (10 points)

___ I do not verify that all financial (credit card, debit card, checking) statements are accurate monthly. (10 points)

Ok, now tally up your points. Guess what? Each one of these questions represents a possible avenue for an identity thief. How did you do?

100 + points – Recent surveys* indicate that 8-9 million people are victims of ID theft each year. You are at high risk. We recommend you purchase a cross-cut paper shredder, become more security-aware in document handling, and start to question why people need your personal data.
50-99 points – Your odds of being victimized are about average.
0-49 points – Congratulations. You have a high “IQ.” Keep up the good work and don’t let your guard down now.

Remember, you cannot prevent identity theft. Criminals can commit identity theft relatively easily, but you can reduce your risk of fraud. One of the best things you can do is to check your 3 credit reports at least once a year. If you are a victim of identity theft, you will catch it early by checking your credit reports regularly. Your annual free credit reports are available from (877) 322-8228 or at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Over thirty different agencies are participating in providing great information for consumers this week, including the BBB, so check out National Consumer Protection Week information. Also, sign up for a daily tip from the BBB!

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visitwww.bbb.org/us for more information.

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Side Jobs: Your Way to a Successful Business

Although building a successful business involves knowing a great deal about a particular industry, the good news is that there are many ways in which to learn that don’t require expensive or time-consuming resources, such as a business degree. The following is a list of suggestions to help you learn about your industry and expand your network quickly with the goal of growing your business.

Volunteer your time. There are always people in need of extra help, especially the kind that comes free. Find outlets within your community to volunteer in some capacity that is related to your business. For example, if you want to start a home-based daycare business, consider volunteering your services to relatives, neighbors, and places of worship. This allows you to gain more experience in the industry, demonstrate your exceptional service, get your name locally recognized, seek referrals, and make contacts for potential customers. Think of this donation of time as a worthy investment in your business.
Become a temp. Many employment agencies specialize in placing workers in temporary positions and can even meet requests. Temp work not only allows flexibility to work with a variety of businesses, but it is also a very effective way to improve areas of weakness. For instance, if your business is lacking in customer service, consider taking a temporary customer service position. Most retail businesses have a corporate headquarters where customer service reps are trained and take calls from clients. Such a position would allow you to work on your interactions with customers and apply what you’ve learned to your own business.
Work as a consultant. If you have a specialized talent (web design, marketing, computer troubleshooting, financial projections, etc.), taking on a consulting position will help you make new contacts to bring to your business. You can start by contacting local business owners to offer your services for a reasonable hourly rate. Once they see what a great job you’ve done, they will be able to refer you to other business owners. Furthermore, you will have formed a professional relationship and expanded your business network.
Give back to your community. Local business schools and community colleges are chock full of motivated young people about to enter the workforce. Think about contributing your expertise and experience to their cause. For example, an owner of a business that provides classes in mixed martial arts can approach future graduates of local theatre and film programs. Lots of these students are about to move to a big city for the first time, so the owner decided to offer them a free self-defense class. Most of these students wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition for a normal class, but would eagerly take advantage of such an offer. Additionally, they would recommend the business to friends and family.

Taking on side jobs to build your business is a great way to stay motivated, improve areas of weakness, and build a network of potential customers and colleagues. How have you used side jobs to build your business? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

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National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #6

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #6

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)!

At DSEF, we’re ready to help you discover all the treasures available to help you make better choices as a consumer and business owner. Answer a Treasure Hunt question each day and you could win a fabulous daily prize!

At the end of the week, we’ll award a Kindle Fire to the Grand Prize winner chosen from all the entries. But everyone’s a winner who takes advantage of these free resources designed to help consumers make better choices.

Click here to see our official rules and list of prizes.

About Today’s Prize

A ProPay® Merchant Account is the simplest, most secure way to grow your business. ProPay offers 7 easy ways to accept card payments–online or offline. Rates are very competitive for swipe and keyed transactions. ProPay offers live, toll-free customer support. This prize gives you a 12-month ProPay Merchant Account.

You’ll also receive a ProPay JAK™. A ProPay JAK™ is a mobile phone credit card reader that lets you securely process credit and debit cards in real-time on your iOS or Android phones and devices. With a ProPay Account, all you have to do is download the ProPay Application, attach the card reader, and go! Process credit and debit cards anytime, anywhere you have data coverage. And the ProPay JAK Mobile Card Reader is secure. Your customers’ payment card data is encrypted on its reader head (at swipe) ensuring your customers’ data is protected.

(Winner is responsible for credit card processing fees associated with account.)

Enter to WIN this fabulous prize by answering the questions below. All answers can be found by starting at our NCPW web page. (Click the link to open it in a separate window.)

So answer today’s Treasure Hunt question, and then tell a friend!

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 6 winner Jim O’Sullivan!

Bonus Entries:

Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Pin this on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.

Each bonus entry will count as an entry into today’s drawing. Many thanks to the DSA Supplier Members that have donated prizes to make this a fabulous contest, including GoldMail, VZN, SUCCESS magazine, Tony Jeary, ProPay and The Tammy Stanley Sales Refinery.

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National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #5

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #5

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)!

Click here to see our official rules and list of prizes.

About Today’s Prize

SMS Marketing (aka Texting) is often the best way to reach the next generation of prospects for your business. Text messages are read by 94% of recipients within the first 4 minutes! VZN is offering a 12-month VZN SMS Texting Account. This prize includes 1,000 messages/month and 2 keywords.

Let VZN show you how easy it is to start, manage and track your SMS mobile marketing campaigns.

Enter to WIN this fabulous prize by answering the questions below. All answers can be found by starting at our NCPW web page. (Click the link to open it in a separate window.)

So answer today’s Treasure Hunt question, and then tell a friend!

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 5 winner Terry! Check our Facebook Page for a link to today’s Treasure Hunt question.

Bonus Entries:

Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Pin this on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.

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National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #4

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #4

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)!

Click here to see our official rules and list of prizes.

About Today’s Prize

If you could change a few things in your business, change a few things about the way you do your business, and suddenly experience a relief of stress and frustration accompanied by an influx of prospects, bookings, sales, and recruits, wouldn’t you want to?

You can with Tammy Stanley’s Step-By-Step Prospecting and Booking System PLUS How to Leave Messages that Create Value and Get Customers to Call Back.

A complete guide to prospecting and booking for the direct sales industry. Learn the secrets of master direct sellers, marketing experts, and psychologists and transform the way you operate your business. What you learn in this program can quickly impact your bottom line and save you hours of frustration.

Enter to WIN this fabulous prize by answering the questions below. All answers can be found by starting at our NCPW web page. (Click the link to open it in a separate window.)

So answer today’s Treasure Hunt question, and then tell a friend!

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 4 winner Rhoda Kindred! Check our Facebook Page for a link to today’s Treasure Hunt question.

Bonus Entries:

Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Pin this on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.

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National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #3

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)!

Click here to see our official rules and list of prizes.

About Today’s Prize

Today you can win a 12-month GoldMail Business Account.

GoldMail is the easiest way to make powerful multi-media messages. By combining your voice with your content, GoldMail messages stand out and drive higher response rates. GoldMail is remarkably easy to use, so non-technical individuals can quickly and easily transform pictures, powerpoints, PDFs and other content into powerful, personal media.

Enter to WIN this fabulous prize by answering the questions below. All answers can be found by starting at our NCPW web page. (Click the link to open it in a separate window.)

So answer today’s Treasure Hunt question, and then tell a friend!

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 3 winner Michelle Cisewski! Check our Facebook Page for a link to today’s Treasure Hunt question.

Bonus Entries:

Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Pin this on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.

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National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #2

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #2

It’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)!

Click here to see our official rules and list of prizes.

About Today’s Prize

Today you can win a collection of books by Tony Jeary, signed by the author.

One of the most prolific business writers in America, Tony Jeary is recognized as one of the world’s great authorities on communication and Presentation Mastery™. He is endorsed by many of the authorities in the marketplace including Ken Blanchard, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohm, Stephen Covey, Tom Hopkins and Mark Victor Hansen. Since 1995 he has authored over 30 titles that cover the entire communication and presentation universe.

His signature book, “Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life” (published by Vanguard Press 2009), describes his proprietary Strategic Acceleration methodology and shares his theories behind clarity, focus, and execution. Using real world examples and eye-opening exercises, Tony gives his readers exciting insight into getting superior results, faster.

Enter to WIN this fabulous prize by answering the questions below. All answers can be found by starting at our NCPW web page. (Click the link to open it in a separate window.)

So answer today’s Treasure Hunt question, and then tell a friend!

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 2 winner Anne Turner! Check our Facebook Page for a link to today’s Treasure Hunt question.

Bonus Entries:

Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
Pin this on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.