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[2003-05-30] Malpractice of the Mouth
Is your mind your greatest asset? Do you suffer from malpractice of the mouth?

[2003-05-30] Are You Prepared for Success?
I'm sure you've heard the one about "Failing to plan is planning to fail" and, equally, "If you don't know where you are going, how are you going to get there?"

[2003-05-30] Are These Common Email Mistakes Costing You Business?
I hope that you have already learned not to type your email in ALL CAPS as that is considered YELLING. Also, if you are doing business, I hope you are not one of those that types in all small case letters - no CAPS!

[2003-05-30] Getting To The Heart Of Insincere Debtors
Q) Jim: How can I be sure that I've gotten to the heart of the problem when I suspect the debtor is being insincere, or even dishonest?

[2003-05-30] Make Your Business Plan A Guide To Success
Congratulations, you've just started your new business! And as daunting of a task it may have seemed to get your business off of the ground, the hard part isn't over yet. In fact, it's never over… at least until you retire.

[2003-05-29] New Tax Law Turns Small Biz Loophole Into A Crater!
In case you were too busy over Memorial Day to notice, our beloved politicians just passed another tax bill designed to put more dollars in your pocket.

[2003-05-29] The Goldmine is in YOUR Brain
Given today's unstable economy, the unveiling of corporate shenanigans, shrinking paychecks, job layoffs, and false prophets who promise get-rich-quick schemes with every click of the computer mouse, it's no small wonder that our heads are spinning like a child's toy. Each of us copes the best we know how. We feel so... vulnerable. Blood pressures rise, tempers flare. Under these conditions, the house cannot be a happy home.

[2003-05-29] How to Develop an Effective Company Profile
A company profile is essentially a resume for your company that you use to establish your credibility with the market you serve. Your company profile helps potential customers to understand your business as well as to understand your company's approach, unique strengths, and relevant experience.

[2003-05-28] Have It YOUR Way
What happens to your life if your worst financial nightmare comes true and you suddenly lose your job? Do you have enough savings to cover the mortgage for six months or more?

[2003-05-28] Take It to the Net
A lot of the innovations that you run into online are just offline businesses, marketing, and products that have been converted to their online form by an entrepreneur that decided to take a little risk and run with a dream. And if you think that everything has been done before, think again.

[2003-05-28] Lack of Time and Opportunity for Success?
The most common excuse among passive people is lack of time and opportunity. Research, however, shows there are more opportunities available every day for people to develop their abilities, succeed and achieve success in than ever before.

[2003-05-28] A Phd in Internet Marketing
Let's take a look at the job requirements of an internet entreprenuer, if you had to go through an interview before you actually started working. Okay, first you would definitely need an MBA.

[2003-05-28] 3 Words That Sell Like Candy!
1) Fast Use the word "fast" in your ad. People want fast results, fast delivery, fast ordering, etc. Nowadays, we usually value our time more than our money. For example, you could say, "Our product works fast!" Another example, "Our product comes with fast shipping options."

[2003-05-28] Titles Sell Books
A clever title is great if it is clear, but a clear title is always preferable. The best? A clear and clever title.

[2003-05-28] Don't Pretend To Be An Expert - Become One!
The problem for the beginner is that he sincerely believes he cannot be a success unless he comes across as an expert. He believes that to be accepted, and to have people buy his products, he has to "talk the talk."

[2003-05-28] Six High Impact Revenue Generating Ideas
As most of you already know the greatest rewards of an online business consists of independence and financial freedom. But to realize the success that we each hope to achieve, there are several things that must be in place prior to reaching your goals. If you're not generating the revenue you are after, the following few strategies and suggestions may help move your business in a new direction.

[2003-05-28] Don't Overlook The Easy Sales
Are you so busy chasing down new customers that you completely overlooked these two prime sources for easy sales?

[2003-05-28] Getting Off the "Foiled-again" Human Nature Playing Field
Human nature is our teacher. It shows us where we are stuck, how we limit ourselves, where we are unhealed and what games we play.

[2003-05-28] The Entrepreneur's Toolbox
Entrepreneurship is largely an inside out proposition. Whether you're trying to create a technology or develop a product, entrepreneurship starts with who you are, and blossoms out from there.

[2003-05-27] Make your Writing or Marketing Projects your Top Priority
When you finish your eBook or print books, you have a product you can sell. After you finish the book be sure to write the all important sales letter. The sales letter is the key to sales flooding in. Each book will market another book. Books help promote your service as well.

[2003-05-27] Divorce Initiates Careers
One of the most life altering hardships a divorce imposes on us are financial. This is especially true if you have been the "stay at home" parent. Of course you will get 50% of the money and assets, and you will also get child support. But the income that was supporting your family in one house and lifestyle now has to be divided into two. That means if you were just making ends meet before the divorce; you most definitely won't make them meet after. You will have to find some way to earn an income.

[2003-05-27] What Do Resilient People Know?
Resilience is one of the most important emotional intelligence competencies you can have in today's fast-changing world. It means being able to bounce back after setbacks, failures, and losses. It means not giving up, and continuing to face the future with optimism and courage. You can bolster your resilience by understanding what makes people resilient and then working with a coach to improve your skills in these areas.

[2003-05-27] No Money Promotion that Quadruples Product and Service Sales in Four Months
Better than such offline promotion as press releases, talks, or book reviews? Better than search engine placement, banner ads, ezines and news groups? Yes! The number one way to promote your self and your products is through informational how-to articles that you send to hundreds of opt-in ezines, announcement groups, and Web sites.

[2003-05-27] Top 10 Reasons Why Some Realtor Websites Fail
Are you frustrated with your website? I've been there before. Everyday you check your visitor statistics and every day you see the same poor results. A slow trickle of visitors, no real leads - it gets pretty painful. The good news is that this problem can be remedied very quickly (and cheaply) with just a few minor tweaks to your website.

[2003-05-27] Take Off The Blindfold!
Would you put on a blindfold and then walk across a busy road? Or jump into a lake without checking how deep it is? No, of course you wouldn't. So why do some people launch an online business without first carrying out some research to see if it is likely to work?

[2003-05-27] The #1 Way to Get Profits Fast and Forever
If you're looking for a quick and easy way to make profits from your business, think joint venture. The beauty of a joint venture is that no matter how much or how little traffic you are currently receiving at your site, this marketing technique can explode your traffic and profits.

[2003-05-23] Breaking The Cycle Of Employee Disrespect
Dear Susan: My dilemma - I work many long hours/long days and am presently driving 130 miles RT to work. My Boss requires that I am at work by 0800MT in order to appease my staff (they do not know/nor care that I work 12-14 hours/day). I am used to flex-time and am trying desperately to adapt. Due to traffic, etc., there have been times I have been late but always call. My Boss is concerned about what my employees think or believe about my occasional tardiness.

[2003-05-23] The Shocking Tax Benefits Of Section 179
Hi Wayne: What can you tell me about Section 179? I own a small business and have heard that I can obtain a substantial tax benefit by purchasing a new vehicle. I was told that to obtain the most benefit I should purchase a vehicle with at least 6000 lb. Gross Vehicle Weight. How much benefit could I expect and do I have to maintain ownership for any specific length of time? If I purchase late in the year can I still utilize the deduction? Is there anything I should be aware of that could bite me if I'm not careful?

[2003-05-23] Stop Stressing Out
It seems that everywhere one looks these days, there is another survey reported that states how stressed out the American people are. There is concrete evidence that proves "being stressed out" is not healthy in any fashion: from heart attacks to weight management to the ability to sleep at night, stress, that is toxic stress, has a negative impact on your life.

[2003-05-23] Just Write an E-mail
How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I am a newbie writing you an e-mail after reading your ebook. How would you answer the question? I bet you could send me a 300 word reply in no time. Words would flow from your keyboard as fast as you can type. You have just written your next article. Don't think so? Too easy? Read the next paragraph.

[2003-05-23] 4 Strategies for Protecting Your Online Business
Information products are selling really hot online for prices ranging from $9-$900 and with this there are attempts to break the system and get these product for FREE!

[2003-05-23] The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth
You have probably read or heard about various myths (these are the truths that are valid only for certain cases, but not in general) surrounding wealth and wealthy people, all of which hinder your quest for financial independence. Here are the most common and most destructive:

[2003-05-23] How an Introvert Can Survive Giving a Presentation
Around 10% of us are introverts (though even Jung proposed it was the rare person who was 100% introverted 100% of the time), but nevertheless the world is more neatly arranged for the extravert. Introverts can be excellent salespeople and also presenters (as can extraverts), but they do it differently.

[2003-05-22] Why Are You Doing Everything Yourself?
When I coach my entrepreneur clients, one problem I often see is that they're not taking enough time to market and grow their business. It's not that they don't understand the value of those efforts, or they don't want to make the time. It's that they're simply trying to do too much by themselves. They're so busy running their business that they're not working ON their business.

[2003-05-22] What Kind Of Leads Will Bring You MLM Members?
One of the Internet companies I help to run sells advertising and leads primarily to the MLM industry. Everyday I hear people trying to get a business off the ground. It's tough. They have a product they like. They have a product they trust. They have a web site produced by the organization they have joined, yet they can't seem to make a dime. Sometimes by the time they get to me they have already spent hundreds of dollars on different types of advertising. They are dejected, demoralized and defeated. They are smart yet the dream of a home-based business alludes them.

[2003-05-22] Home-Based Business Start-Up: 7 Tips For Lowering Your Fear Factor
All of us who tell the truth will admit to having fears. Many people live their entire lives with one fear or another, but Anne Block, discovered how to side-step her fear factor into a home-based business reality.

[2003-05-22] 3 Steps To Locate Bonuses To Market Your eBook
Most of us who have shopped online are familiar with the array of free gifts, free bonuses and freebies that are offered to the visitor to encourage them to buy the online software and books.

[2003-05-22] Communicate & Co-operate to Satisfy Your Customer
The ability to speak English well does not automatically make you a good communicator. There are a few natives who can communicate much better thru sign language than we can with our artery of words. Communication is a 2 way process and involves a feedback loop. The speaker sends a message, which is received by the other person. Now how does the person interpret the message? Do both the speaker & the spoken to understand the message in the same spirit? Often no.

[2003-05-22] Success Doesn't Happen Overnight
We've all heard that old saying, right? Of course, we have. And it's so true!

[2003-05-22] The #1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional
Have you ever walked into a store and things looked sloppy? Stores should have nice neat displays, right? Normally, yes, but sometimes they get a bit messy on busy days and we all understand how that can happen.

[2003-05-22] Home Business: A Dream or a Nightmare
Many of us dream of someday having our own business. Whether it is a grocery store, craft supply shop or accounting office we dream of being our own boss.

[2003-05-22] How to Deduct Your Next Vacation
It is perfectly legal to deduct your next vacation. Here's how to do it.

[2003-05-21] Boosting Affiliate Sales On A High Traffic Site
Dan, Please go to www.thecrayonhouse.com - launched in November 1999. The site enjoys over 75000 visitors per month - as high as 95000 some months. We have won some awards and receive constant positive feed back from our visitors. We are unable to make any affiliate or click through program generate income for the site. It is a cash drain from our main business and we may have to consider closing. Obviously, this would be financially and emotionally disappointing. Any ideas?

[2003-05-21] A Perfect World... Imbalance Creates Motivation
I am a big proponent of balance. Everything has to be just so. I believe that we should all strive to obtain balance in our lives. Balance between career and family. Balance between public and private. Balance between spiritualism, finances, and materialism.

[2003-05-21] The Learning Game and How To Win It
To many, learning is a dirty word. A chore to be avoided at all cost. However, it's required to succeed in business. But maybe not the kind of learning you think of when you use this term.

[2003-05-20] Why Is Today Important?
It's just another Monday (or Thursday or whatever). Why is it important what you do - or don't do - on this particular day? What you do today - this ordinary day - IS important because you are exchanging one full day of your life for it.

[2003-05-20] How To Motivate Yourself For Success?
I was having coffee with my friend the other day. He just joined a multi-level marketing company. The company sells aromatherapy products that improve air quality and help people to have a healthier life.

[2003-05-20] Some Tips If You're Planning a Multicultural Coaching Practice
Here are some tips if you're planning a multicultural coaching practice. 1. Many wars have been fought over cultural issues; it's a highly-charged subject. However, culture is learned, which means it can be changed. I could convert to Judaism tomorrow (culture), but there's no way I'll become Asian (genetic).

[2003-05-20] Establishing Your Web Presence
Part of the success of most home-based businesses is their web presence. After all, you want to benefit from the global exposure, reduced marketing expenses, and low entry costs. But to receive those benefits, you must first get your web site off the ground which means you need to select an effective domain name and find reliable web hosting.

[2003-05-20] The Law of Financial Compensation
For over 20 years I have been fascinated with what it really takes to make a lot of money. I realized a long time ago that if someone else could do something or achieve something... then I could at least copy what they did, and get a similar...or better result.

[2003-05-19] How to Organize Your Email Without Losing It
Do you often get bogged down with too much email to handle, chewing up your valuable time online? With email being one of the most popular forms of online marketing you can be sure you are going to receive much more email in the future, wanted and unwanted.

[2003-05-19] Extra Traffic Right Under Your Nose!
Do you know what's the 2ND MOST VISITED page on your web site? This may surprise you. But in my consulting work the error page is the second most visited web page on many of the web sites that I've seen!

[2003-05-19] How to Double Your Debt Collections
Believe it or not, the success of your attempt to collect a debt is usually decided right at the beginning of your phone call - with the very first thing you say after the other party says hello. Knowing exactly what you are going to say - and handling the call in an organized, professional manner is the foundation upon which collections are made or lost. A professionally executed collections call has four parts:

[2003-05-19] Slow Down Marketing
Competition in the retail marketplace has forced many stores to cut costs to the bone so that they can cut prices, which, of course means that they must cut back on labor costs. And this leads to treating customers like cattle, whether you want to or not. Get them in, shake them down for as much money as you can and get them out. And how does the corporate office try to get employees to fake customer service? By using canned phone answering techniques, greeting the customers at the door, and basically creating a frontline of expendable, robotic employees. Why do I bring this up?

[2003-05-19] Four Traps that Catch Entrepreneurs
"A problem cannot be solved on the same level that it was created." - Albert Einstein

[2003-05-19] "Energy Marketing" - An Unusual New Way to Attract New Clients
"It doesn't matter what you say in an advertisement," Esther Hicks told me over dinner with her husband, Jerry, one day many years ago. "People will pick up on the energy in the ads, not the words in the ads," she continued. "They'll respond, or not, based on what they feel from the ad."

[2003-05-19] The Ugly Side Of Internet Marketing
Did that headline grab your attention? I have experimented with many different headlines on my sites and found that you can take the same sales letter yet your sales will increase or decrease depending on the headline you are using.

[2003-05-19] Realtors – How to Make Sure Your Prospects Don't "Trash" Your Email
Every morning, I drop into my office, chair fire up my email program and wait, and wait, and wait.

[2003-05-19] The Language of Freelance Marketing
Newbies usually enter the world of publishing with the notions of submitting articles, receiving prompt replies and getting published. After all, the next-door-neighbor did just that, and now she has a byline and everything. Maybe your neighbor's lucky. Maybe she's lying. In all probability, she's established.

[2003-05-19] 5 Steps To Choosing A Great Host
Being online used to be quite expensive. You had to have the hardware to run a site, or pay a small fortune for hosting. These days, there are so many hosting companies it can be confusing. Different companies offer different plans, features, transfer rates and support levels, so how can you choose what's right for you?

[2003-05-19] The Importance of "Thank You" In Business
Most people were taught as children to say "thank you". This treasured measure of etiquette couldn't be more important than in your business.

[2003-05-16] Inside the Mind of the News Reporter
The first rule of PR Rainmaking is to approach reporters as customers. Find out what they want, then give it to them in a way that benefits you and your company. This requires us to learn how to think like a news reporter. For this journey, there may be no better guidebook than James B. Stewart's "Follow the Story."

[2003-05-16] Attract Potential Buyers to Your Web Site With Valuable Content
Content is the most important component of your web site. Useful content gets visitors to your site, engages them, builds credibility, and converts them into buyers. Surveys indicate that 80 percent of visitors go to web sites to get information. Only 5 percent are interested in graphics.

[2003-05-16] Five Easy, Pain-free Ways To Boost Your Productivity FAST
Commit to following these five strategies for a month, and you'll be more productive --- that's a promise.

[2003-05-16] How To Build a ClickThru Marketing Web-Page Guaranteed To Pull In Tons Of Traffic
The biggest mistake and the reason most people fail at clickthru marketing is that they just pop in their affiliate link and start sending folks to their affiliate website.

[2003-05-15] Affiliate Marketing Means Using Email Marketing
As an affiliate in an affiliate program you need to be good at affiliate marketing. One of the most important aspects of affiliate marketing is email marketing.

[2003-05-15] Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?
Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it pure luck? It's a question that I am asked often while meeting with small-business owners who are seeking press attention for their companies or products. While luck certainly plays a part, the short answer to this question is "maybe." However with a little practice and skill, a small-business owner can significantly increase the chances of garnering coverage by following some basic journalistic rules.

[2003-05-15] How To Reverse A 'Slump' In Business - Fast
Every business experiences cycles of heavy sales volume and light sales volume. Periods of light sales volume are called business "Slumps".

[2003-05-15] Defining The Critical Factors of Your Sales Success
When know what your customers think about you, what they want and need and what you have to do to improve their perceptions, you need to find out how your business functions in its present foundation. You need to break the entire process into smaller, easier to control elements that have a decisive impact on your lack of success.

[2003-05-15] Instant Customers! Things To Do To Get A Customer Now
In tough times, in bountiful times, in what ever kind of times you find yourself in remember the power of marketing. In fact, as has been pointed out in this column before, marketing is not an expense that should be cut during tough times. It is an area that deserves more spending and certainly more attention. The reason for this obviously is to grow the revenue side of the income statement as we all strive for a new break even point and beyond.

[2003-05-15] Turning Emails Into Dollars .. Using Just One Word
Knock the socks of your visitors with this simple technique and increase your response rate by 400%.Science tells us that there's no sweeter sound to our ears than the sound of our own name. And you already know that personalizing your marketing email is critical to getting results.

[2003-05-15] Four Steps To Success
What is success? For the business owner, success is defined as "the achievement of wealth and fame". For many, wealth and fame remain only dreams, but there is a four step formula that will allow anyone who truly desires success to reach their dreams.

[2003-05-15] Getting Funded: Know What Lenders Are Looking For
Hi Scott, Just a couple of questions about business financing. I have set up a new business,understandably things are a little quiet at the moment but the jobs we are doing even though they are few and far between are high profit. We have very little working capital at the moment and are wondering if we can drum up some business funding even though we are in that position.

[2003-05-15] Should You Buy Advertising With VC Or Internal Funding?
Hi Scott: I read your article in EntreprenuerNewz and was wondering about a few things... We have a small company that started about a year ago. We released our service about a month ago and have had great response and signups for the amount of advertising that we have done (very very little). Question has come up for us wether it would be wise to get some venture capital to help increase the growth rate of our business.

[2003-05-15] Marketing Tips For A New Consulting Practice
Hi Scott: I'm working on a business plan for a consulting business. Could you please provide tips on how to market such a business?

[2003-05-15] Ordinary People, Extraordinary Business
One of the marks of an extraordinary human being is someone who knows what he or she wants and goes after it. They have the courage of their convictions, surround themselves with good people and are not afraid to risk. Recently while listening to an interview on 60 minutes, I had the good pleasure of being inspired and encouraged by an extraordinary gentleman by the name of Mr. James Goodnight, CEO of SAS. I have since discovered that SAS is the largest privately held software company in the world and I now know why.

[2003-05-14] Market By Email Without Getting Persecuted
You provide a Web service such as Web site design, Web site evaluation, search engine optimization, graphics design, or copy writing. You find a Web site that could sorely use your services. You send a friendly email message to the Web site's owner.

[2003-05-14] 3 Sizzling Copywriting Secrets!
Bond With Your Readers 1) Create a bond with your visitors by bringing up likes or dislikes you have in common with them in your ad copy. Just make sure you do your research. For example, you could say, "I hate it when you have to wait in line for a long time at the drive-through." Another example, "I really like it when I have extra money to spend."

[2003-05-14] How to Make Your Website Visitor Trust and Like You.
At first, all prospects are distrustful when they first come into contact with your website. All they want to know is what's in it for me? You are asking them to trust you, trust in the benefits of what you are selling, and, ultimately, to part with their money.

[2003-05-14] This One-Word Ad Change Doubled Results
Is this mistake killing your profits? You think your ad or your product is important. Well maybe it is, but not to your customers. It's important to you, your family, your friends, and your employees. But that's as far as it goes.

[2003-05-14] eMail Tips For Coaches Who Want To Succeed
Coaching is a relationship field. Many of us offer unlimited email along with our coaching. Here are some ways you can make your emails professional yet engaging.

[2003-05-13] Six Steps to Selling By E-mail
Free. . . Sale. . . New . . . Hot. . . Act now! These words announce yet another e-mail sales message. We're inundated with e-mail pitches and wary of anything that sounds too good to be true. So, how do you write your e-mail sales messages so customers will open, and most importantly, act on them?

[2003-05-12] How to Spoonfeed Your News to a Reporter
Always remember: A journalist is nothing more than a professional undergraduate.

[2003-05-12] Could This Be The End of Spam?
The war on spam has so far been waged on two fronts: legislation to make spam illegal and filters that prevent spam reaching its destination.

[2003-05-12] Carpe Diem -- Seize The Per Diem Method (and Throw Away Your Receipts)
The mantra of tax record-keeping has remained relentlessly burdensome for decades: "No Receipt, No Deduction". But fear not, you who loathe the never-ending climb up the mountain of paperwork required by the U.S. tax code. Many of our most beloved tax rules have exceptions, and such is the case with this one.

[2003-05-12] Sole Properietorship And Tax Liablility
Hi Wayne: I am a Personal and Business Coach and that income requires quarterly self-employment tax payments as estimates of that year's taxes. I also earn some occasional income through a couple of other businesses who hire me as contract labor. The income I earn through those businesses gets reported on 1099-Misc under section 7. Nonemployee compensation. Does that income also need to be included in the quarterly self- employment tax payments? At what point of income MUST you file the quarterly payments?

[2003-05-12] The Deductibility Of Charitable Contributions
I was told that you have to reach a certain percent of donation from your annual income before you can claim it as tax deduction. Others tells me that they claim all their deduction no matter how much. I'm confused, please help! Thanks, Bernadette

[2003-05-12] Vehicle Deductions And Section 179
What can you tell me about Section 179. I own a small business and have heard that I can obtain a substantial tax benefit by purchasing a new vehicle. I was told that to obtain the most benefit I should purchase a vehicle with at least 6000 lb. Gross Vehicle Weight. How much benefit could I expect and do I have to maintain ownership for any specific length of time? If I purchase late in the year can I still utilize the deduction? Is there anything I should be aware of that could bite me if I'm not careful?

[2003-05-12] Are Mini-Sites The Answer?
Mini-sites come in different flavors but all have one significant element in common. Each site is very tightly focused upon selling a single product or service. No Flash. No graphics. No links out. No banners or advertising of any kind. Nothing that detracts from the site purpose, which is to make the sale.

[2003-05-08] Singing Your Way to Success
Entrepreneurs can take a lesson from Sheryl Crow hit, "Soak up the Sun." During the chorus she sings, "For every time I feel lame; I'm looking up." For those who start and build a new enterprise, the need to keep "looking up" is critical for success. An entrepreneur is like a salmon trying to swim upstream through rapids. It takes an unnatural degree of effort, and the dearest struggle usually comes while all outward signs present a negative face.

[2003-05-07] How to Write an Attention-Grabbing Op-Ed in Five Steps
There are few better ways to attract new clients and customers than by becoming known as an expert in your field. And the fastest way to establish your expertise is by writing op-eds for newspapers, magazines, trades and the Web.

[2003-05-06] Taxes And The Personally-Funded Business
Hi Wayne: I currently work for an aerospace company and run my own business. Can I use my aerospace money to pay for some of my business expenses? I really don't want the money to be taxed twice, but do I have no other choice?

[2003-05-05] Create a Powerful PR ‘Fact Sheet’ in Just Four Steps
The right time to create a fact sheet is any time you need to spoon-feed a reporter on a complex subject.

[2003-05-05] Step, Jump, and Slap - or how not to advertise an e-book
Do you ever read an ad - one of the hundreds, if not thousands, that land unsolicited in your inbox each week - and think ‘This sounds like a translation from a foreign language' or even ‘I'm not sure if the person who sent me this ad actually understands a word of it'?

[2003-05-05] Argument Weak - Talk **LOUDER**!!!
Have you heard of the preacher (there are probably quite a few of them fitting this description) who wrote in the margin of his sermon ‘Argument weak - talk louder!'? Well, as with sermons and speeches, so with ads for your online business - talking louder won't convince anyone if your fundamental argument is weak.

[2003-05-05] WHICH OR WHAT?
It seems that the word ‘which' has rather fallen out of favour these days, to be replaced by ‘what'. A question like this one, which I came across in an ezine's trivia section recently, leaps out at me as just not sounding right:

[2003-05-05] Less, Fewer, I and Me
Just a couple of quick tips today:- First, when to use ‘less' and when to use ‘fewer'. Though the opposite of both words is ‘more', they are used differently. Some examples of correct usage are as follows:

[2003-05-05] Weave Well - Providing and Provided
Another little gem of English usage this week: a frequent mistake concerns the use of 'providing' and 'provided'.

[2003-05-05] An Invaluable Reference Tool for Busy Entrepreneurs
Time goes by so fast these days. You've got masses of work to do, e-mails to respond to, ads to write, your website needs tweaking - and there are just a couple of facts you want to check before sending off your new article to the various ezine databases. You haven't got the right books at home, and you definitely haven't got time to go to the library. You can probably find the information you need on the net, but it may take a while to track it down, and the search engines throw up a load of dross before taking you to anything really useful. It would be brilliant if you could just click a button on your computer for the information you need to appear on your screen.

[2003-05-05] Making Sense of your Sentences
One of the aspects of good writing is getting the various parts of a sentence to agree with one another, and a common mistake is starting off with an introductory clause that doesn't agree.

[2003-05-05] Your And You're
The mistake I see more often than any other online is confusion between "your" & "you're". How many times have you seen an e-mail appear in your inbox which begins: "If your serious about your online opportunity..."? Don't know about you, but that makes me hit the delete button at once.

[2003-05-05] More On Apostrophes
Following on from last week's article about "your and "you're", I now want to look some more at the apostrophe, and in particular at whether an apostrophe should come before or after the "s" (or whether it shouldn't be there at all).

[2003-05-05] Finding Your Ideal Member: A Process for Non-Profit Organizations
The right time to create a fact sheet is any time you need to spoon-feed a reporter on a complex subject. Reporters don't mind thinking, they just don't want to think too hard. They simply don't have the time. They are writing history in a hurry. The accent is on "hurry."

[2003-05-05] Networking For Success
We've all heard that networking should be an integral part of our total marketing plan but what is networking? And is it the same for off-line marketing as it is for on-line marketing?

[2003-05-05] Multicultural Differences in Greetings You Need to Be Aware Of
Multiculturalism is a reality in the US and for those of us who do business globally. The US has more legal immigrants yearly than all the other countries in the world combined. Also there are vast cultural differences among "native" Americans living in the US for several generations, as you know if you've done business with a New Yorker (better be quick!) or bi'ness with a Texan (better stand at a 90% angle to your male companion).

[2003-05-05] QuickBooks Q&A: Mulitiple Customers, One Invoice
Hi Scott, I run a sales & service business (I sell & service Fire Fighting Equipment) and I have clients that have multiple outlets. These clients require me to call on their outlets but want only one Invoice to their head office. How do I set up my Customers so that I have a main customer name and address and then all their other outlets?

[2003-05-05] QuickBooks Q&A: Tax Tables
Q: I have a question about payroll items and tax-tracking categories in QuickBooks. I have just me and I'm an 1120-S, so I don't feel it is worth the $169 subscription price when I used to be able to download the tax tables for free. I waited until February 2003 to activate my free download, but now the payroll area keeps running me through the setup wizard telling me that my tax-tracking categories are all wrong. Even when I check "this payroll item is inactive" for things I don't use, it still gives me the error. Maybe this is just a quirky coincidence of me not paying the subscription fee?

[2003-05-05] QuickBooks Q&A: Data Optimization
Q: My QuickBooks backup requires lots of floppy disks to complete. What can I do?

[2003-05-05] QuickBooks Q&A: Graphing Units Sold
Q: Can QuickBooks be configured to show graphs based on units sold (not sales $) and can Sales by Item reports be configured to show the total units sold in addition to total sales $?

[2003-05-01] How to Get Famous Fast
Walter Winchell was the most influential newspaper columnist of the 1930s and 1940s, a time when newspapers were the most powerful media in the world.