Dream Catcher

Stop the energy leaks. Each fall and winter homeowners complete a home inspection to see where energy is leaking out of their home. Then they apply weather stripping, caulk and establish new rules and procedures. As a business owner, you will want to winterize your business too. Winterizing a business encompasses many things. My five tips to stopping energy leaks will help you save money so you can give yourself a pay raise.

My Five Tips to Stopping Energy Leaks:

1. Business/Office building. Take time to look for obvious and not so obvious energy robbers. Do you have drafty doors or windows? Contact your electric company to come conduct a free energy assessment. Thermal drapes and window tint are great ways to keep the heat inside the office space during the winter and keep the sunshine or heat out in the summer time.

2. Office appliances. Does the office refrigerator need a new seal? Do people leave their computers or the copy machine on 24/7? Do you have a procedure in place for closing your office each day? Turning off space heaters, computers, and the copy machine needs to be included in the closing procedure. Also do not forget to include turning off the office coffee pot and all the lights.

3. Thermostat. Does your business have a policy on who controls the thermostat? Is there a temperature war going on? As the business owner, I suggest you control the thermostat and do not allow anyone else to touch it. You must clearly state your new policy and let employees know what the temperature will be in the office so that they can dress accordingly. Thermostat wars wreck havoc on the heat pump and your business budget. When your employees complain, ask them directly if they are willing to forego a cost of living or pay raise in order to pay the heating bill. I can guess what their answer will be.

4. Bullying & Gossip. Office gossip and bullying should not be tolerated. Bullying is mentally draining. When employees do not feel valued or enjoy where they work it can make them sick. Unhappy employees will also take longer to complete their work and may make more mistakes because their heart is not into completing the mission. Now is the time to make time to review your business procedure for confronting a bully or office gossip so that your employees do not waste mental energy being scared or unhappy. Remind your employees of the policy on bullying and gossiping in the workplace. Conducting an employee climate survey will show you how your employees feel and think.

5.  Honest & Clear Communication. Miscommunication is very tasking and can zap mental and physical energy. When employees are frustrated because they must redo a task that they thought they performed correctly they become frustrated and disenchanted. They also may fear they will lose their job.  This can result in headaches, stomachaches, and body aches. As a business owner, you do not want to pay an employee twice or three times for performing the same task. It is important that your employees understand the procedure for completing the task. The employee also welcomes honest feedback. Employees want to know where they need to improve work performance so that they do not lose their job. Employees welcome positive feedback too. When was the last time you told an employee they were doing a good job? When was the last time you muttered under your breath something negative about an employee but never said a word to the employee? This left you the business owner mentally and physically drained. Take time to clear the air and see why or where you and your employees are miscommunicating.

As 2010 approaches now is the time to winterize your business so you can save money and give yourself a pay raise with the savings. Employees will welcome knowing the closing procedures for the office and the office temperature. These two winterizing tips will save your business money on the energy bill. You and your employees will also save mental and physical energy when you stop office gossip and bullying and begin communicating honestly and clearly.  

Now go winterize your business so you can give yourself a pay raise in 2010. Stop the energy leaks.

This is Part II in a series of articles Give Yourself a Pay Raise.

Jaynine Howard is the debt free business coach, who teaches business owners how to grow their business and increase their profits while remaining debt free. She provides open and honest feedback to her clients while coaching them on how to turn their dreams into dollar signs.

She is a retired United States Marine and resides in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She is the author of Coach Jaynine’s Business Boot Camp and the upcoming live event Roadmap to Success 2010 on January 9, 2010. There is still time to reserve your seat http://bit.ly/8ajkIG .

To get your free e-course Networking Detox: My 5 Secrets to Networking Success visit http://www.networkingdetox.com , email jaynine@coachjaynine.com or telephone 910-539-2810.

Seven Tips for Trimming the Fat

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There are signs everywhere asking that you turn off your cell phone before approaching the bank teller. Customers respect this sign and they respect the bank teller. So, why do they not show the same respect to other business owners and his or her staff?

Answering a cell phone that is ringing or to view text messages while you are in the middle of conducting business is rude. The business owner who is telling you about a certain product or service doesn’t know if he or she is suppose to stop talking, move away to give you your privacy to talk, or go help someone else. Remember, time is money. Even if the event is an Expo or Tradeshow, the business owner is trying to answer as many questions as possible on that busy day.

Another scenario depicting rudeness is when someone is talking on his or her cell phone at the checkout counter and the clerk is trying to ask a question or return your change. He or she is typically very young and again does not know if he or she should interrupt you while you are on your call or wait patiently while the line behind you gets longer. Please help the store clerk and do not answer your phone while it is your turn to receive service. Also remember to stop talking or texting before it is your turn at the checkout. This will avoid mistakes at the checkout.

As we approach the final days of Christmas shopping and the stores become more crowded take a few minutes to review my cell phone etiquette tips below.

1. Turn your cell phone on vibrate when out shopping. The crowded shopping malls with music playing, each shoppers cell phone ringing, and people talking can create unneeded stress and anxiety in many people.

2. Talk in a low voice. Do not get into a screaming match with someone on your cell phone in a public place or talk about private intimate subjects. You never know when small children are in close proximity.

3. Respect the business owner or store staff. Do not answer your cell phone or text while conducting business. If you are texting while the business owner or store employee is trying to explain how to use a product you may not hear what you need to hear. Remember, store employees earn their income based on commission. If you are wasting his or her time by talking on your phone, you are reducing their earning power. They want to enjoy the holiday season too. Let them have the ability to earn as much commission as possible.

4. Respect others. Do not hold up the airplane, the checkout line, or monopolize the business owner by talking on your cell phone and making others wait. We all are busy and we all think our calls are important. However, if the call is not a true 911 call then it can probably wait until you are done conducting business. If you are attending a home party sales event (i.e. Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Party Lite etc., show respect and do not interrupt the presenter by answering your cell phone or start texting. We all are busy but trying to show off how busy or important you are by answering your cell phone or texting during a conversation is just plain rude.

5. Safety. Cell phones can be a great way to monitor your children or spouse while out holiday shopping. Using the text feature is a great way to find each other in the mall. If you receive a text message or phone call from a lost spouse or child just let the business owner or store clerk know you must excuse yourself and answer the call because it is a child. They will understand. However, keep the call very brief.

I do not know why people began leaving their manners at home. But, lack of cell phone etiquette has become a hot topic at networking events. Business owners swap stories on who was treated the rudest by a potential customer or client. They often do not know what the right or wrong way is to respond to the rudeness. You can make it easy for the business owner or store clerk by practicing cell phone etiquette.

Business owners and store clerks are very busy trying to offer great customer service. So please, while you are out shopping this holiday season, please remember to use cell phone etiquette. But also remember to use cell phone etiquette all year.

It appears that business owners who send email and receive email have forgotten to use their manners. When you receive an email what do you do with it? Do you have a system in place for replying? Do you ignore it and forget about it?  Do you mark it with a flag? What happens to it? Are you losing money because you forgot to reply to a potential client? Did you miss meeting new people because you forgot to reply or even reread an email about a networking event, ribbon cutting or social event?

Now, let’s flip the scenario. You send an email. How do you know the person received it? Remember, not all email programs will send you a message back when it is read. In addition, many business owners find that system very intimidating or just rude so they don’t open the email until they have time to read it. Do you get frustrated when you do not get a reply to your email? Is it wasting your money and time when people do not reply? Do you end up purchasing more food than is necessary for a meeting or event because people failed to reply to an email invitation?

I know this has happened to all business owners at one time or another. A conversation with a fellow business owner a few weeks ago has prompted me to write on this topic. He was very frustrated with associates who did not reply to his emails. He was wasting his time wondering if the emails were delivered or if his email was broken. Then he spent time and energy being annoyed that no one replied.

I want you to take a few minutes and self reflect on your procedures and systems on sending and replying to emails.

Now let’s implement three key systems for sending and receiving email so you don’t frustrate or offend others and drive business away.

1. Reply to all emails. If you do not reply to an email, you are offending and frustrating the sender. Even if the email you receive is just announcing a date and time for a meeting it is important that you take a few minutes to reply to the sender conveying that you received the email and will or will not attend. This will let the business owner know that you received the email and it will let the business owner know how many people plan on attending the event. If no one replies to an email this will signal to the sender that he or she may have sent an email that was undeliverable and he or she will know to resend it. If the email begs for a detailed response, I highly recommend that you still notify the sender that you received his or her email and that you are working on the formal reply but you wanted him or her to know that you did receive it.  You will want to flag all emails that require a more thorough response or that you want to reread when you have more time.

2. Sort your emails. Business owners often receive emails from vendors, clients, prospective clients and business associates. It is a good idea to sort your emails when they arrive at your inbox. You can do this manually by sending them to the appropriate folder or depending upon your email service you can set up systems that do this automatically. Your email service may also have a feature that allows you to attach a flag or star to key players in your business or life. This will allow you to easily identify when you receive an email from this star player.

3. Auto response. If you are going on vacation or will be away from your desk or business, you will want to use the auto response or auto reply feature. This will automatically send a message back to the sender for each email you receive notifying the sender of when you anticipate answering the email. As a busy business owner, you can also use the auto response or auto reply feature to let people know what time of day you read your emails and anticipate replying. This will alert the sender so he or she can telephone you if the email they sent you requires your immediate attention.

As the debt free business coach email is just one of the many business systems I work with business owners on designing for their business so that they use their time wisely and do not lose money by forgetting to complete a task.

Please save yourself and the email sender time by replying to all emails (of course I do not mean reply to SPAM or newsletters) upon receipt. This will show the sender that you value him or her and that you were taught to use your manners.

Yours truly…turning dreams into $$$

Coach Jaynine

Jaynine Howard is the debt free business coach, who teaches business owners how to grow their business and increase their profits while remaining debt free.

She is a retired United States Marine and currently resides in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She is a member of the Onslow-Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Carteret Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington Networking Group Circle of Excellence. She is also a member of Coachville and 24/7 Coaching as well as the Amercian Psychological Association.

To get your free e-course Networking Detox: My 5 Secrets to Networking Success visit http://www.networkingdetox.com , email jaynine@coachjaynine.com or telephone 910-539-2810.

When was the last time you cleaned your office or home in record time because you had received a phone call that an unexpected guest was dropping by? Do you put that much energy in everything you do? Do you catch yourself dilly-dallying throughout the day?

If you were given one hour to do whatever you wanted what would you do? Would you race around like a crazy person and complete a pile of filing? Would you tackle paying bills or would relax with your favorite beverage and pastry?

For a business owner, time is a very hot commodity. You can accomplish a great deal when you sit and focus on a task. Have you ever watched a child dilly dally with their homework? Yet, they can rush through it in record time when there is something fun they want to do?

How many hours do you work each week on your business? Would you like to slash that amount of time in half? You can spend less time working on your business if you work smarter and with more focus using my three tips.

1. Identify distractions. I challenge you to recognize what distracts you. If it is the telephone, do not answer it. You can return calls later. If it is the television or radio, turn them off. Is it family pets or children? Send them out to daycare, out to play or put them down for a nap. Is it a task you do not know how to complete? Identify your distractions so they can be tamed or eliminated.

2. Identify the purpose. When you sit down at your desk, you need to have a purpose. What is the purpose for why you are at your desk? Do not mindlessly play games or shuffle papers on your desk. If you pick up a piece of paper do what needs to be done with it- read it, answer it, or file it. If you have phone calls to return, sit down and return the calls. Stop staring at the phone messages. Use your time efficiently – don’t waste it. If you need to pretend that you must get those phone calls returned or the filing completed before you can go out to play.

3. Design a Plan. As a profitable busy business owner, you must have a plan. When you schedule time in your day planner and make an appointment with yourself to pay bills, write your newsletter, return phone calls, or meet with new clients you will be focused and accomplish your tasks. You know the hourly rate you charge clients. Pretend you have to pay yourself for working. If you had an employee that was dilly-dallying would you keep him or her on the payroll or would you fire him or her. Is it time to fire you?

When you use my productivity tracker and my three tips to identify your distractions, define your purpose, and design a plan you will accomplish more in less time and have more free time. What would you do with your extra time? Would this free up time to design new profit centers? Would you be able to spend more time on revenue producing activities? I challenge you to track your time and how you are using it. You may be surprised at whom or what is sabotaging your time.

Jaynine Howard is the debt free business coach, who teaches business owners how to grow their business and increase their profits while remaining debt free.

She is a retired United States Marine and resides in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She is the author of Coach Jaynine’s Business Boot Camp and the upcoming Coach Jaynine’s Profit Center Blue Print.

To get your free e-course Networking Detox: My 5 Secrets to Networking Success visit http://www.networkingdetox.com , email jaynine@coachjaynine.com or telephone 910-539-2810.

Are you a small business owner? Do you run a household? Do you manage your life? Well, it is time to take inventory of your supplies and your life. Now is the time to take advantage of end of year sales and restock your shelves with office supplies and other must have items.

Today, I want you to take a few minutes and check your office supply cabinet. What supplies are sitting unused? What supplies are you running low on? Do you have certain supplies that are better savings when bought in bulk? If you are like me when you go to your local office supply store for one item, you end up leaving with a cart full. It will save you money to make one big purchase for 2010. You will save money from not going to the store for one item and bringing home ten.  Think about what items you kept going to the store to purchase. Was it ink for your printer? Paper? Staples? Envelopes? Last year I was shocked when I bought a huge box of envelopes. I saved so much money by buying in bulk vice going to the grocery store or dollar store to purchase a small box of ten envelopes for a dollar. The envelopes are kept clean and dry. It was a great savings. Binder clips was another item I was routinely going to the store to buy one box at a time. Now that I have the bundled pack of them, I seem not to use them as often. Take a few minutes and plan a shopping list. Do not forget to look at your supply of business cards, brochures, and note cards.

Your household, what items do you need to stock up on? Is it the toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, laundry detergent or thank you notes? These again are all items that if you run to the store to buy when you run out you end up throwing more items in the cart. I have made it a practice to only step into Wal-Mart once a month. I make my list of all the items I will need for the month and purchase then. This once a month shopping is typically around $100-125. When I do break my rule and go more than once I still seem to spend at least $70.00- the stuff just jumps in my cart. Do you have this happen to you too? If you shop once a month and stock up you will save money by not impulse shopping. Take time to shop for your home office too. Don’t forget the Dollar Store is a great place to buy birthday cards (2 for a $1), thank you notes, and other household staples. What about the family medicine cabinet? Is there stuff in there that needs to be tossed? The Dollar Store is also a great place to visit to replenish aspirin, Tylenol, Band-Aids, peroxide, etc.

Now let’s focus on the most important topic; YOU!  Let’s take time to conduct a personal inventory. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating the right foods to fuel your body? Do you need to replace worn out clothing and shoes? What about your hair? Is your haircut in style or outdated? You are your biggest asset. You must take care of you. I want you to get out a 2010 calendar or print one from online and start making dates to take care of you.  Do you exercise? Make a date with yourself to go to the gym or go for a walk. Do not feel guilty scheduling dates to get your nails or hair done. It is amazing what just a new dress or blouse can do for your mood. I’m not saying go break the family budget but I am telling you it is ok to spend time and money on YOU. Lastly, take a few minutes to inventory your financial, insurance, and other important documents. Do you have enough insurance for your home? Do you have enough insurance on your vehicles? When was your Will last updated? Do you know where your important documents are located in your home? When your life is in order you will have less stress.

Remember, many of the items you purchase for your business and home office may be tax deductible. Now, go conduct your inventory and get ready for a great 2010!

It is that time of year again for business owners. You want to thank your loyal clients with a gift. You also want to send something to prospective clients. But what?

As the Debt Free Business Coach, I must ask you “What does your budget allow this year?” You do have a budget for holiday gift giving, right. Are you shaking your head no? Are you showing me empty pockets? Well, that is ok too. Honesty is the best policy. Let’s take a few minutes and brainstorm how to show appreciation to your loyal clients and stay in the forefront of the minds of prospective clients without breaking the bank.

First, thing of all the “crap”, yes, I just called it “crap” that you receive from businesses each year. Do you really use those plastic cups, calendars, fly swatters, lip chap, Frisbees, plastic bags, pens, magnets etc  or do you throw them away? When you throw them away, you are really wasting the business owners’ money.  Do you want your money wasted? Heck NO!  

So, what can you do or give away that won’t waste your money by ending up in the trashcan? Think! If you were doing business with you what would you want? What would make you feel appreciated? Would you like a discount or gift card to use on a future purchase?  Did you know that most gift certificates are never redeemed? Yep, that is true. So how about you give out gift certificates for your services or design a discount card to enclose in a Christmas card.  I have seen business owners design a business card that is their gift certificate or discount card. It can before for a percentage off a purchase or for a specific dollar amount. If you sell a product to your clients would they like travel sizes of that product i.e. shampoo, moisturizer, shower gel? If this would be too expensive then I suggest going with sending a gift certificate. Think of what inventory you may have that you need to move quickly before it expires. Bakery owners could offer a free cookie, cupcake or small cake in the favorite flavor of their loyal customers. This is something you know they would enjoy and not throw away. Gunilla, if you are reading this you know I love your oatmeal cookies.

My point here is – do not feel that you must break your bank account and give your clients something during the holiday season. Prior to becoming a business owner, I use to attend Expos and festivals and collect all the “crap” that went into the trashcan a few days after the event was over. I don’t know why I was one of those hungry vultures taking things I would never use but I did. Yes, I admit it I took the “crap”. However, once I became a business owner and realized how much each of those items cost I stopped taking anything I knew I would never use.

So, this Holiday Season, I challenge you as a business owner to stop spending until you examine your budget. Think about what your clients truly would want from you and keep or use. Do not waste your money on “crap” trying to impress prospective clients.

Jaynine Howard is the debt free business coach, who teaches business owners how to grow their business and increase their profits while remaining debt free.

 She is a retired United States Marine and resides in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She is the author of Coach Jaynine’s Business Boot Camp and the upcoming Coach Jaynine’s Profit Center Blue Print.

To get your free e-course Networking Detox: My 5 Secrets to Networking Success visit http://www.networkingdetox.com , email jaynine@coachjaynine.com or telephone 910-539-2810.