WPRC - Blogging about anything under sun.

Accounting is the language of business. As a business owner, you know that one of the most important aspects of running a successful business is managing your accounting records well. However, with the amount of work you have to manage in order to make sure the business thrive, you may not have much time to keep all your financials in order. Not to mention the fact that maybe you haven’t had training in accounting or are just not interested in doing the time-consuming and monotonous work of keeping your books balanced.

Even if you are one of the few entrepreneurs who keep an in-house staff of professional accountants or outsource all your accounting needs to big accounting firms, you should be aware that there may still a better option for you. The expenses you incur in recruiting and training your in-house staff of bookkeepers and accountants and the enormous fees that professional accounting firms charge will surely take its toll on your business’ bottom line. If this is of concern to you, then you need to take advantage of an online accounting service.

One of the main benefits of outsourcing your accounting work (such as budgeting, payroll administration and cash flow management) and choosing an online accounting service is the increased efficiency and savings you and your business can realize. By doing away with the recruitment, training and daily management of your in-house accounting staff, you, as the business owner, can focus all your efforts on taking your business to the next level.

With an online accounting service, all the tedious tasks will be taken care of by expert and highly-specialized bookkeepers and accountants. And because it is online, all your important records are kept in the provider’s secure server. This means that all your data are available to you wherever there is internet access. Imagine being on a business trip to meet with a potential investor in your company. By having an online accounting service provider, you will not need to carry your company’s financial records with you. If the investor asks to see your company’s budget or cash flow statement, for example, you can simply log on to your provider’s private server and access those records from there. That is the beauty of the Internet and an online accounting service. So take your business to the next level and start looking for your own online accounting service provider.

The magic of video has created a plethora of both good and bad means by which it is used for both personal and business reasons. A video in the form of a 30 second commercial aired on regular television, when produced correctly, could result in millions of dollars in sales. When done poorly it could cost the company millions.

But what about video online? Yes we are full steam ahead in the digital age. Everything is digital from pictures to appliances, and of course video. Due to the lowering cost of digital video recorders, anybody can be the next great film maker or commercial producer.

A commercial spot on television could cost a lot of money depending on how many times you run it, the geographic location and more. In steps internet video advertising and how it can help your business.

Unless you live in a closet I am sure you have heard of the web site YouTube. On this site you will find thousands of videos posted by amateurs and professionals alike. You can watch funny clips, people`s home movies, or Clay Aiken`s newest music video.

If you are into keeping up with the times, YouTube has given people the ability to post their frustrations about the press being all over Britney Spears, to Paris Hilton`s Champagne Birthday Party. It has truly become a magnificent web site.

How can YouTube help your business? Simply put you can post multiple video commercials about your business, products or services, how-to videos, and so much more. The best part you can sign up for free. YouTube has become such the video standard for online viewing, that we have implemented on our website the ability for our customers to embed their YouTube video directly into the online advertising promotions with a click of the button.

In order to get started I recommend that you go online to YouTube and search around and see what your competition is doing. Get a feel for what is working and what gets the most “plays”.

Once you have a feel for what will produce the best results for the video of your business, product or service, go ahead and record it. Not sure how? Search online for people in your area that handle this, yes they are out there, and they are good at it.

Once your video is complete, upload it to YouTube; share it with your friends, relatives, business partners and current customers. If they like what they see they can share it with their friends with a simple click of the “share” icon that YouTube provides.

Next visit sites that allow you to embed YouTube video directly into online advertisements and promotions, and away you go. Your video, if done well, should be pulling in customers in no time.

By: Bruce A. Tucker

The term “service professional” is universal. It is just as applicable to the hotel industry as it is to the healthcare industry and to the taxi industry. Businesses are set up to satisfy a want or a need for current and prospective customers, which means that all organizations are in the service business…whether they care to admit it or not. It is quite easy for me to tell if a company is truly service oriented. I simply listen and observe how the employees interact with each other. Companies often pull out their mission statements, vision statements, and policies to prove that they are, in fact, service-centric. Those things are important to integrate service into the daily culture, but the true evidence of a service culture comes from what your employees do everyday. Are they acknowledging all customers all the time? Are they annoyed when customers ask them questions? Do they smile and look for opportunities to anticipate customers’ needs?

This article is about service professionals. If you already consider yourself a service professional, then the rest of this article will reinforce what you already do. If you’re not sure if you are a service professional, then use this as a self-assessment. Lastly, if you would like to become a service-professional, then read on. Being a service-professional is not about what you do, it is about who you are. The specific job is almost irrelevant because true service professionals will find ways to serve their customers under any circumstance.

Service professionals…

Are proud of what they have to offer and it shows

Make each of their customers feel valued and appreciated

Ensure that every customer they serve will remember them because of exceptional service

Personalize their service by giving eye contact (when appropriate) and using the customer’s preferred name

Take personal ownership of customer complaints and follow through with the resolution until the customer is completely satisfied

Take time to research who they will be serving and learn about their preferences

Always are thinking of ways to not only meet, but exceed their customer’s expectations

Always offer additional assistance

Being a service professional is more about a mindset than it is about the specific job. Years ago, I used to shop for music in one particular store. One of the attendants would always let me know about new music being released in the upcoming weeks. Specifically, one store attendant was a true service professional. He embodied the steps I laid out above. In addition to providing excellent service while I was in the store, he would send an email to me with upcoming releases. This went above and beyond his job requirements and certainly was more than I expected. Did I ask for the emails? No. Did he allow the parameters of his job to prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

I was on the phone with an insurance agent not too long ago. In addition to being thorough and very pleasant, she told me that her goal was too earn my loyalty by providing exemplary service. In case you are wondering, this apparently is not a company standard, because no one else says it when I call. At one point, the phone attendant needed to transfer me to another department to better take care of my specific request. She not only told me she would need to transfer me, but she asked for my permission to be placed on hold, and then waited for an answer. After I replied “yes”, she put me on hold, and when she returned less than a minute later, she had the other department on the line, and had already explained to them what I needed. Then, she cordially introduced me to the person whom I would be dealing with. The whole transfer transaction took less than two minutes, and it won my loyalty. Did she allow the parameters of her job prevent her from engaging the customer? No.

A colleague recently told me about a phenomenal service professional she met on a business trip last month. This service professional happened to be a taxi driver, and clearly made a memorable impression. My colleague just finished a meeting and caught a taxi to take her back to the airport. On the way to the airport, she realized that her cell phone needed to charge, and she had forgotten her battery charger at home. For any business traveler, this is a major issue, and when the driver noticed her frustration, he inquired if he may be of assistance. When she asked him to stop at the nearest electronics store so she can purchase a charger, he happily pulled out a neat box that contained a universal battery charger that could be plugged into the car’s cigarette adapter. The driver said that his personal mission was to ensure that every customer received a stress-free drive so he proactively thinks of what his customers may want…even if they don’t know it yet. That was a perfect example of the Double-Platinum Rule. Did the driver let the typical expectations of a taxi ride prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

The common theme amongst all three examples is they all contained service professionals. They all understood that their ultimate role was to provide memorable service, and the greatest tool was their passion for serving others.

As a manager, the best thing you can do to develop a team full of service professionals is to be very clear on exactly what you expect. Everyone has a different understanding of what it means to provide engaging service…just like everyone has a different understanding of what “clean” is. Be clear. Observe the current service professionals on your team and take note of how they engage their customers. Share those examples with the rest of the team. Be sure that the standard is set very high, reward excellence when you see it, and address mediocrity promptly. Service professionals cringe when they see their manager tolerate mediocrity from co-workers.

True service professionals are a company’s biggest asset, and many customers will become loyal because of them. They will spend more money because of them, and they will refer their family and friends because of them. Commit to becoming a company that a service professional would want to work for in the first place. Let 2008 be the year that you focus on attracting, hiring, orienting, training, appraising, and recognizing a legion of service professionals to deliver engaging service.

The term “service professional” is universal. It is just as applicable to the hotel industry as it is to the healthcare industry and to the taxi industry. Businesses are set up to satisfy a want or a need for current and prospective customers, which means that all organizations are in the service business…whether they care to admit it or not. It is quite easy for me to tell if a company is truly service oriented. I simply listen and observe how the employees interact with each other. Companies often pull out their mission statements, vision statements, and policies to prove that they are, in fact, service-centric. Those things are important to integrate service into the daily culture, but the true evidence of a service culture comes from what your employees do everyday. Are they acknowledging all customers all the time? Are they annoyed when customers ask them questions? Do they smile and look for opportunities to anticipate customers’ needs?

This article is about service professionals. If you already consider yourself a service professional, then the rest of this article will reinforce what you already do. If you’re not sure if you are a service professional, then use this as a self-assessment. Lastly, if you would like to become a service-professional, then read on. Being a service-professional is not about what you do, it is about who you are. The specific job is almost irrelevant because true service professionals will find ways to serve their customers under any circumstance.

Service professionals…

Are proud of what they have to offer and it shows

Make each of their customers feel valued and appreciated

Ensure that every customer they serve will remember them because of exceptional service

Personalize their service by giving eye contact (when appropriate) and using the customer’s preferred name

Take personal ownership of customer complaints and follow through with the resolution until the customer is completely satisfied

Take time to research who they will be serving and learn about their preferences

Always are thinking of ways to not only meet, but exceed their customer’s expectations

Always offer additional assistance

Being a service professional is more about a mindset than it is about the specific job. Years ago, I used to shop for music in one particular store. One of the attendants would always let me know about new music being released in the upcoming weeks. Specifically, one store attendant was a true service professional. He embodied the steps I laid out above. In addition to providing excellent service while I was in the store, he would send an email to me with upcoming releases. This went above and beyond his job requirements and certainly was more than I expected. Did I ask for the emails? No. Did he allow the parameters of his job to prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

I was on the phone with an insurance agent not too long ago. In addition to being thorough and very pleasant, she told me that her goal was too earn my loyalty by providing exemplary service. In case you are wondering, this apparently is not a company standard, because no one else says it when I call. At one point, the phone attendant needed to transfer me to another department to better take care of my specific request. She not only told me she would need to transfer me, but she asked for my permission to be placed on hold, and then waited for an answer. After I replied “yes”, she put me on hold, and when she returned less than a minute later, she had the other department on the line, and had already explained to them what I needed. Then, she cordially introduced me to the person whom I would be dealing with. The whole transfer transaction took less than two minutes, and it won my loyalty. Did she allow the parameters of her job prevent her from engaging the customer? No.

A colleague recently told me about a phenomenal service professional she met on a business trip last month. This service professional happened to be a taxi driver, and clearly made a memorable impression. My colleague just finished a meeting and caught a taxi to take her back to the airport. On the way to the airport, she realized that her cell phone needed to charge, and she had forgotten her battery charger at home. For any business traveler, this is a major issue, and when the driver noticed her frustration, he inquired if he may be of assistance. When she asked him to stop at the nearest electronics store so she can purchase a charger, he happily pulled out a neat box that contained a universal battery charger that could be plugged into the car’s cigarette adapter. The driver said that his personal mission was to ensure that every customer received a stress-free drive so he proactively thinks of what his customers may want…even if they don’t know it yet. That was a perfect example of the Double-Platinum Rule. Did the driver let the typical expectations of a taxi ride prevent him from engaging the customer? No.

The common theme amongst all three examples is they all contained service professionals. They all understood that their ultimate role was to provide memorable service, and the greatest tool was their passion for serving others.

As a manager, the best thing you can do to develop a team full of service professionals is to be very clear on exactly what you expect. Everyone has a different understanding of what it means to provide engaging service…just like everyone has a different understanding of what “clean” is. Be clear. Observe the current service professionals on your team and take note of how they engage their customers. Share those examples with the rest of the team. Be sure that the standard is set very high, reward excellence when you see it, and address mediocrity promptly. Service professionals cringe when they see their manager tolerate mediocrity from co-workers.

True service professionals are a company’s biggest asset, and many customers will become loyal because of them. They will spend more money because of them, and they will refer their family and friends because of them. Commit to becoming a company that a service professional would want to work for in the first place. Let 2008 be the year that you focus on attracting, hiring, orienting, training, appraising, and recognizing a legion of service professionals to deliver engaging service.

Are you fed up with the day-to-day grind of your dead-end job and wish you could find a better way to make a living? It may be much easier than you think when you consider the wide range of home based business franchises with very reasonable investment costs and excellent earning potential. Realizing the dream of having your own business and working for yourself each day can be the way to a much brighter (and profitable) future! Check out the top 10 home based business franchises for 2007. One of them may be just right for you!

What’s Hot Right Now?

The top franchises are those that provide the kinds of products and services that appeal to consumer needs and current social trends. For example, the growing number of elderly persons means that there is a serious need for franchises that can provide necessary products and services for seniors.

Other lucrative home based franchise opportunities are steadily increasing in cleaning, home maintenance and repair as well as exercise and fitness. As the number of new and exciting franchise opportunities continues to grow, so too does the potential for great profit and business success for any franchisee.

Here are the top 10 home based business franchises for 2007. Perhaps one of them is the franchise that can pave the way to a brand new and prosperous venture in which you can operate your own business and reap the benefits!

Molly Maid

This well-known franchise continues to remain strong and ever present among the top home based business franchises available. In today’s fast-paced and busy world, having the time to complete many household chores and daily maintenance is simply not possible. Many consumers rely on this kind of service to keep their home organized and clean. As this need increases, so does the potential for growth and income as a franchisee. With start-up costs as low as $30,000, it is quite affordable and feasible to own a Molly Maid franchise.

ServiceMaster Clean

When the unexpected happens, many property owners seek out professionals to take over and correct the problem. As a ServiceMaster Clean franchisee, you can expect to build a long-lasting and highly respected business when you have this brand name behind you. Specializing in carpet, drapery and upholstery cleaning, this franchise is available with a very minimal initial investment and even offers financial assistance for franchisees who want to get started immediately.

Home Blinds

Many people value the experience and expertise of professionals when it comes to window treatments in their home or office. When you own a Home Blinds franchise, you get all the necessary training and support to become an expert in selling and installing window blinds, shutters, shades and drapery. And with a mobile unit, you can travel to meet your customer’s specific needs and requirements quickly and easily.

1-800-GOT-JUNK

Who knew that a franchise catering to junk removal would become such a large and expansive business opportunity? But many consumers do accumulate large amounts of assorted items that they no longer want or need but don’t have the necessary equipment or time to get rid of the junk. Due to the essential equipment required to start this franchise, the initial cost is slightly higher than some other home based franchises at $90,000, it is well worth it considering the detailed training and ongoing support from the franchisor.

i9 Sports

If you are interested in sports and working with children, an i9 Sports franchise business might be the one for you! Specializing in the organization of youth sports leagues, camps and after-school programs, this franchise offers flexible work hours and is home based. Plus, initial investment is reasonably low at only $60,000.

Matco Tools

This home based franchise is one of the best offering quality tools and diagnostic equipment for automotive technicians. With your own “tool truck” and stock, you can cover a fairly large territory and build a strong customer base. The superior quality, design and durability of the product is sure to help you build a solid franchise that will provide a generous profit.

Companion Connection Senior Care

Just imagine being able to help seniors in your community with your own business! And with a limited membership opportunity with no membership fees. You provide live-in or live-out non-medical care to seniors or disabled adults including such responsibilities as light housekeeping, meal preparation or just friendship and support. As our population ages, the need for this kind of business continues to grow.

ACFN ATM Franchise

As North America’s only ATM franchise, you need no prior experience to operate this business. The franchisor locates and provides the ATM locations as well as complete and extensive training. ACFN ATM machines are located in hundreds of locations including hotels, hospitals, movie theaters and more. With a $36,000, you can get started right away!

Mr. Handyman

Whether it is a small or large job, a Mr. Handyman franchise can handle it. This business can be a dream come true for anyone who enjoys home repair and would like to make money doing it. A very modest initial investment will get you started and the highly reputed brand name and a strong work ethic will keep your franchise busy and profitable.

1800905GEEK

The new age of computers and IT technology dominates our society in both home and business. Why not capitalize on the latest advances with your own on-site computer service and repair franchise? Get comprehensive, ongoing training and support that ensures you are always an expert. And you can base your business from your home with only $60,000 for initial investment.

A franchise opportunity can open plenty of new avenues for your future. When you consider the ever increasing and expansive number of incredible home based franchise opportunities, there has never been a better time to own your own business!

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