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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:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.


Blog / Contest

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #5

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #5

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

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:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.


Blog / Contest

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #4

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #4

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

 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:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.


Blog / Contest

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #3

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #3

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

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:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.


Blog / Contest

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #2

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #2

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

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:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.


Blog / Contest

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #1

National Consumer Protection Week Treasure Hunt – Treasure #1

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

Today you can win a 12-month subscription to SUCCESS magazine! The new SUCCESS magazine is your most trusted source for helping you get the competitive advantage in life. In each issue, you’ll get an inside look at the success habits of leading CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and other Achievers — how they manage their time, set goals, stay motivated, inspire their colleagues, stay healthy, balance work and family and more.

It’s What Achievers Read!

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.)

UPDATE: Congratulations to our day 1 winner Bob Mazak! Check our Facebook Page for a link to today’s Treasure Hunt question.

Bonus Entries:

  1. Like the DSEF on Facebook. Leave a comment telling us you’ve Liked our Page.
  2. Follow the DSEF on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  3. Follow the DSEF on Pinterest. Leave a separate comment telling us you follow us.
  4. Share this contest with your friends on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  5. Share this with your friends on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling us you’ve shared.
  6. 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.

Blog

Niche Markets: The Key to Success

Niche Markets: The Key to Success

Small business owners and direct sellers are lucky in that they have a major advantage over large corporate businesses: small businesses don’t have to be all things to all people.  In a big business’s effort to reach a very large audience, there are several groups of people whose needs are being left unmet.  This is where you come in; by defining and marketing to your niche, you will be able to focus on those needs and build a successful business.

  • Evaluate your products/services for unique qualities.  Consider something you already offer to market in an original way, or create a new product or service completely based on something you already have.  For example, if your business sells cookware, consider marketing a few pieces together with some recipes aimed at busy adults who need a “one-pot meal” for quick prep and easy clean-up.  Something like this might appeal to both working and stay-at-home moms because both would benefit from such a convenience.
  • Do some target marketing.  Marketing to your niche may require some education, especially with unique products and services.  Some may not even know that such a niche exists or that they might have a need for it.  Focus your marketing efforts on educating potential consumers about the product or service in general, and then demonstrate how you can meet that need.  Some examples to get you started can be found here.
  • Set clear objectives.  What do you hope to achieve in your business by creating a niche market?  You may want to expand your customer base, increase your network, cut your marketing costs, or raise your profits.  Make sure your goal is concrete and your efforts directing toward achieving it.
  • Test-market and size up the competition.  You will need to know how you stack up against any potential competitors.  In order to assess your competition, collect and analyze some of their products/services, brochures, print ads, websites, social media pages, etc.  You should be comparing elements such as pricing, marketing strategy, and customer service.
  • Speak the right language.  As with any type of marketing, niche marketing requires you to speak a common language with potential customers. Going back to the cookware example, when targeting that working mom, you are going to appeal to her needs by using words and ideas she can relate to.  These words and ideas will be somewhat different from those used to appeal to the stay-at-home mom.  For example, you might paint a picture for the working mom of what her typical day is like and how your product will make it easier; the full-time mom will have a very different mental picture, even though the product and need are the same.

Being able to focus your business efforts on niche markets, you will be able to reduce your overhead costs and acquire a new customer and networking base.  How have you used niche markets to build your business?  Please share your strategies and ideas below!

Blog

Habits to Build Your Business

Habits to Build Your Business

Think about something positive you do during the course of any given day that would be considered habitual. Jogging every morning before work?  Checking in on a loved one with a phone call?  Reading at least a few pages a day of a new novel?  Chances are you have established some good habits throughout your life that enrich you in some way.  Building a successful business also requires good habits.  How many on the following list are part of your business protocol?

  • Set goals.  This tip includes both short term and long term goals for your business.  Maybe a short-term goal would be to update and enhance your website.  What can you do each day to achieve it?  A long-term goal might be to expand your overall online presence by year’s end.  What can be done each month to reach it?
  • Define success. Success is measured differently by everyone, so take some time to reflect upon what is important enough that represents success to you.  For some, it might be a dollar amount; for others, the flexibility to make one’s own hours.  Your definition of success may change throughout your time as an entrepreneur, but having a concrete idea of what it actually is will keep you motivated and on task.
  • Prioritize. It can be tempting to try completing everything that needs to be done all at once.  However, this is unrealistic.  Owning a business requires stamina, and without pacing yourself, burnout is bound to happen.  Prioritize your tasks and reassess your list regularly. 
  • Organize.  Disorganization can literally cost your money.  If you need to bring order into your office, do so immediately.  If you are already sufficiently organized, establish habits that will encourage you to stay that way.  Small business ownership is a sort of juggling act, one in which chaos and clutter have no place.
  • Personalize.  The one huge advantage small businesses have over corporate giants is customer relationships.  Assess the relationships you have with your customers and the service you provide them.  How can they be improved?  What can you offer that goes above and beyond?  Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and being a poster-child for exceptional customer service will benefit your business in a multitude of ways.
  • Identify the bad habits.  The creation of good habits must come from the replacement of bad ones.  Figure out what you are perpetually doing that is ineffective for your business, and come up with a way to replace those things with good habits.  For example, do you procrastinate when following up with customers?  Replace this bad habit by dedicating a set window of time every day or week to exclusively contact your customers that need a follow-up.  Stick with this plan consistently, and before you know it, it will be second nature for you to stay on top of customer service.
  • Change one thing at a time.  As with anything new, it takes time to make the behavior habitual.  Do not try to change your whole work life in one fell swoop.  Choose one element on which to focus, and perfect that first before moving on to the next.  This will facilitate consistency and long-term maintenance of those good habits. 

What habits do you practice that contribute to building a successful business?  Please share with us in the comments below!

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!

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: Don’t Forget the Credit Card Convenience Fee When Charging Taxes

DSEF & CBBB: Don’t Forget the Credit Card Convenience Fee When Charging Taxes

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

Don’t Forget the Credit Card Convenience Fee When Charging Taxes

BY VERONICA BROWN

If you plan to charge your income taxes to your credit card, remember to factor in the convenience fee, says lifehacker.

Many people often find that they actually owe the government money and will choose to charge it to their credit card. A convenience fee will be added, and it can add up. For instance, a fee of $9.40 will be added to a $400 tax bill, while $117.50 will be charged to a $5,000 tax bill. In addition, if the fee is not paid within the credit card issuer’s grace period, interest will be charged as well.

On the bright side, the IRS does have an installment-payment plan (which requires qualification).

To read the full article, visit http://lifehacker.com/5887248/what-to-know-if-youre-planning-on-charging-your-taxes-on-your-credit-card

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. 

Blog

Tips to Stay Up on Your Accounting

Tips to Stay Up on Your Accounting

With that nasty tax deadline creeping up on us all, it’s time to assess the way you handle accounting for your business.  Whether you’re a master of bookkeeping or a filler of hastily labeled shoeboxes, there are several resources available to you and lots of different ways to make accounting a manageable task that will keep your money in your pocket where it belongs.

  1. Create a system to make your own.  Categorizing and organizing receipts, bills, and other accounting documents can be overwhelming to say the least.  Some keep alphabetical files, some keep files by month and year, and others keep files by kind (mileage, supplies, travel, etc.).  There is no one right answer except that you need to choose or create one that will be most efficient for your business.  For example, a direct seller of jewelry whose business consists mostly of home parties would be best suited by organizing her files by kind as the bills get paid and receipts come in.  This way, all she has to do come tax season is to add up what is in the files to complete the IRS tax form.  Bottom line: design a system of organization tailored to your business’s needs.
  2. Track EVERYTHING.  Every expense and every penny of income must be logged in some way.  Even though chances are slim that you would be audited, make sure that everything is documented in case you are.  Tip: Back up your data.  Many banks keep online statements for 18 months, but the IRS can audit you going back three years (up to six if a major error is found).  Consider scanning any documents of which you don’t have electronic copies.
  3.  Go digital.  For those who want to de-clutter and are looking to deal with less paper, there are many websites that can help you do just that.  Shoeboxed, for example, allows you to scan, upload, or mail in documents.  Scanning can be done from a printer or from a mobile phone.  From here, they will extract the data and categorize it into your own online account.  Similarly, The Neat Company allows you to transform documents into a sort of digital filing cabinet.  Services like these can be especially valuable for those who do business on the go.
  4. Be a regular.  You should have a regular frequency with which you handle your accounting.  Twice a month works for most small businesses, but this would be another thing to assess based on your own needs. Choose and stick to a time when you are going to sit down and pay your bills; integrate that time into your regular schedule.  The more regularly you address this area of your business, the more manageable and less time-consuming it will become.  As an added bonus, you can catch any errors before they accumulate and cause major damage.

Keeping track of your accounting as you go is the most efficient way to stay on top of all the paperwork. Not having any system in place will result in inaccuracies that will cost you hard earned cash.  How do you stay on top of your accounting?  Please share with us in the comments section!

DSEF Academic Engagement

Complete a brief survey to help us identify academic or university connections companywide.

This survey will help us learn more about:

  • The various partnerships each department has with a professor, college or university.
  • The existing connections that our employees may have with a university.
  • How our team can better support or align with these relationships.

Please provide us with the following contact information:

Do you or your department have an ongoing professional partnership or personal relationship with a university, college professor, program or department?