Tuesday, May 27, 2008

What do you think?

I try to write a blog that is fun, witty, and informative. All I hear over here are crickets chirping. Either I am boring you or you just don't have an opinion. I would love to hear your comments to any of my blog posts. Just click on the "comment" link at the end of any post that you want to and start to get off your chest whatever you have to say. I know it will make you feel much better when you are done.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Better Business Blogging Report

Ever wonder if you're getting the best results you can from your business blog? Wonder if your design is optimized? ...if you could do better?

My friends, The Blog Squad (Patsi Krakoff, Psy.D. and Denise Wakeman), say most business blogging professionals don't know what they really need to know to get better results from their blogging efforts.

They say, "Most bloggers leave their blog parked in the garage and only take it out for a drive on Sundays!"

They've been studying what works for business blogging since 2004. Now, The Blog Squad is giving away their free report, "Better Business Blogging: 4 New Concepts for Getting Spectacular Results!"

What can you learn from this report? Click here.

* How to get faster at blog posting so it doesn't eat up all your time

* How to come up with great blog content that "wows" your readers

* How the design of your blog creates trust with readers...or not!

* How to vastly improve the number of subscribers and readers through a blog outreach program

* How to get readers to take action that turns them into fans and customers

Download the Blog Squad's free report and learn what you need to do to take your blog to the next level.

Click here to get your copy of the free Better Business Blogging Report.

Don't miss this opportunity to improve your business blogging efforts and start getting even more spectacular results from your blog.

To your success!
Angel Wilder

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Delegating is not so easy!

I had almost given up on chores being done in my house. I was watching Supernanny the other night (OK, you caught me in a weak moment) and she put together a rotating chore list for the family's four kids to do. I thought that it might work with my family because I had been assigning specific chores to each of the kids. After a while, they gave up and always had an excuse why things could not get done. "He didn't do his chores so I am not doing mine." "I hate doing the kitchen because everyone just dumps their stuff everywhere." The pain and misery could go on and on.

I decided to create a chore list but switch off the chores so that each of the kids are doing a couple of different chores every day. For example, with vacuuming the living room, it rotates every other third day for the three kids and then I get Sundays to vacuum. I put together the chore list in Word and color coded everything and then printed out a copy for everyone that was to be taped to their bedroom doors. As I handed out the chore lists and explained the new system, I heard some grumblings at first. I was thinking to myself, "This is never going to work."

Guess what? It did. The kids were even helping each other out a bit. I almost fell over from a heart attack, but kept my composure. I will definitely have to keep you updated next week to let you know how the first full week went, but I have to say that I am hopeful that the new system will work out.

When I worked in Corporate America I was easily bored with my job because of the same menial tasks day in and day out. I always wanted to trade my job with someone else's just for a taste of something different. When it comes to your business, sometimes you just have to delegate the stuff you don't like to do or know how to do or just don't have time to do. If you have a group of tasks that can be delegated between a group of staff members, then set up your own rotating task list. Not only will it help keep your staff from that dreaded "I want to do something new" attitude, but it will help you to stay in balance should someone leave your business or get sick or go on vacation.

When there are no checks and balance, things can go wrong. In my college accounting class, my professor would relate stories all of the time about how someone embezzled money from the company because they were the only one doing the books. What if you were in a car accident and were taken to the hospital. Would you staff know how to complete a pet sit or put together invoices? If you are not training your staff how to run your business, you are setting yourself up for a disaster down the road.

Delegate for your own good!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Don't miss our show this Friday!!!!!!

Join us Friday, May 23, 2008, at 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET, with our special guest Julie Watson Smith as we discuss Aligning Family and Business for Effortless Success on our Errand Guru Talk Radio Show.

You can listen live over the Internet or call in over the phone to listen at (646) 478-4999. We also have a live chat during the segment, so if you want to ask a question off the air, we would be happy to answer it for you.

You can visit www.blogtalkradio.com/errandgurutalk to listen to any of our previous shows we have done.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Are you sitting on your laurels?

There is a lot that can be learned about people by observing their habits. For those people who complain about how they just can't seem to get ahead, most of the time they are not taking any action to get ahead. You will find them in front of a TV or in front of their computer, doing nothing but passing the time. For those that are ahead of the game, you will find them reading books, attending seminars, networking with others, and looking for opportunities to grow.

For myself, you will probably catch me watching the evening news about once or twice a month and even then it is for only about 10 or 15 minutes. Why? Because if I really want to know what is going on the world I can call my mom to find out or check it out on the web. I can scan the local newspaper online for what I want to read and then I move on with my day.

I want to spend my time with my family, learn new things, and grow my business. I can't do that glued to the television. Knowledge is power and you can't have the power if you give it away to the networks. Now I am not saying that TV is bad for you, but as with all things in life, moderation is key. I watch Jeopardy every day of the week, because it stimulates my mind. I also watch Women's Murder Club because that is how I like to unwind on a Friday night.

They key to a successful family and business life is to take advantage of all that is around you. Set aside time to attend the concert series at your local park this summer or join a book club at your local library. By opening up your mind to new things you are also opening up new doors of opportunities for you.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

How are you handling your receipts?

Paper, paper everywhere. Everyone has a pile of papers in their home somewhere. I know mine keeps growing and growing, even though my intentions to rid myself of it are good. What about all of the receipts that people hoard. You know you don't want to lose your receipt so that you can easily return an item that is broken, doesn't fit, or that you just didn't like, but what if you can never find the receipt because it is lost in a pile of paper somewhere?

For those of us in the errand and concierge service industry, we handle receipts on a daily basis. Whether it is picking up groceries for a client or taking a car in for service or paying for dry cleaning, the receipts stack up. Instead of the clutter growing in your office or your client's home, why not use a service that will help you with the receipts. Someone sent me an email about a great service that I think many people are going to jump on the bandwagon for. It is called Shoeboxed and you can visit their website at www.shoeboxed.com. Many people are calling it the "Netflix for Receipts."

Think about it. If you charge, for example, $30 per hour and you waste 1/2 an hour of your time trying to dig up a receipt to send a copy to your client or because your accountant asked for it for a tax return, that's like flushing $15 down the toilet. Why? I would rather pay someone to take care of my receipts for me especially if the cost to pay them is cheaper than what I charge per hour and I can use that time to bill a client for running errands and still make money.

We are telling others to delegate their errands to us to make their lives easier and we should be doing the same. Outsourcing and delegate are two words that should definitely be in your vocabulary and used regularly. Instead of continually working in our business, we should be spending more time working on our business to help it grow.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Better Business Blog Writing Class

Ever struggle with what to write on your blog? How do you to find the time?

My friends, The Blog Squad (Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman), say writing consistently good blog posts is the #1 challenge of most business people.

They say, "It's also the #1 way to use a blog to successfully grow your business, build your online reputation and brand, get new leads, new clients and make money: you must write consistently good blog posts."

They've been studying what works for business blogging since 2004. Now, The Blog Squad is offering a comprehensive teleseminar, Better Business Blog Writing next week on May 19 and 21.

Without being Hemingway or Huffington, you can vastly improve the quality of your blog writing for better business results.

In this class, you will learn:

=> How to find time for writing, and how to get faster at blog posting so it doesn’t eat up all your time

=> How to come up with blog posts that "wow"your readers

=> How blog writing differs from other forms of writing, and how to leverage this skill into other products and services

=> How to improve the quality of your blog posts so that they have a profound effect on readers

=> How your blog content works to actually make money for your business

Better Business Blog Writing is presented in two 70-minute teleclasses by The Blog Squad to help professionals get more bang out of business blogging.

Won’t you join them?

What: Better Business Blog Writing

When: Monday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 21,2008 at 5 p.m. ET

Where: In your office

How: On your phone! (it doesn’t get more convenient than this)

Click here to register.

Handouts including a blog writing checklist, class notes, lists of resources and blog writing articles that include the psychology of learning styles and influence.

Network with other members in a private group on Facebook where you can get feedback on your blog posts, find your next joint venture and share resources.

Plus to augment your learning, they're including four FREE audio programs with expert bloggers($40 value): Click here for complete details.

Don't miss this opportunity to improve your business blogging efforts and start getting even more spectacular results from your blog.

Wishing you success!

P.S. The program starts on Monday, May 19 so grab your spot now!

Marketing To Women

I am thrilled to tell you about an amazing teleclass Karyn Greenstreet is offering that begins May 15.

In order to grow your business, you must understand women's lifestyles and what are their specific wants, needs and desires.

Women have power in the marketplace like never before. Nearly 80% of the consumer purchases are made or influenced by women. 89% of bank accounts are owned by women.

Join Karyn for this two-hour teleclass where you will learn to re-define your marketing strategy and re-design your marketing copy to speak directly to women.

By modifying your marketing to encompass women you make your marketing better for all your customers. I am certainly not the only one who can attest to the powerful workshops Karyn presents. Here is what other students are saying:

"Since we began this process in early February I've jumped from 8 clients to 23 paying clients -- with 8 prospective client inquiries this past week! I believe the combination of the new web sites we designed together and the marketing planning work you had me do is what made the difference. Thanks!" --J. Val Hastings

"I wanted to thank you for an awesome class! Your passion for your business is apparent in the energy you exude in your presentation. Who would have thought that a day spent learning about marketing could be fun? I enjoyed the day and came away feeling motivated to implement the ideas you taught us. Your thorough step-by-step explanation of the marketing planning process is so helpful. Thank you again for a fun, educational day." --Patricia Carr

If you would like to learn the most important things you can do to improve your search rankings. I invite you to take a look here.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Only one week left!

You have just one week left to register for my Errand Guru One Day Retreat that takes place at the end of the month. If you haven't had a chance to register yet, then contact me at angel@angelatyourservice.com or call me at 1-866-413-7886. Where else can you get five full meals, two nights accommodations, and a full day of intensive training for $375?

Register now!

We have a special guest today!

Today, May 9, on Blog Talk Radio I am having a guest speaker, Syndee Brill discuss "Are your protecting your business?" at 10 am PT/1 pm ET.

In the errand and concierge service industry we provide many services to our clients that require us to enter their homes, handle their animals, handle their money or personal paperwork, and so on. Contracts are definitely needed to cover you and your business. There are also other areas of your business that need to be protected as well. We will be covering a range of areas during this segment.

You can listen online at Errand Guru Talk Radio or call in at (646) 478-4999 to listen in on the phone.Don't worry if you can't be there live, you can listen in later to the archived segment on the website. We will have an online chat available during the segment so you can ask your questions off air or you can ask your questions live on the air if you call in!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Visit Marty Marsh's Blog!

I have had the pleasure of having Marty on several of my industry chats as well as being a part of his class on designing brochures. I could go on and on about how wonderful he is and how much information he has to share, but there are only so many days in a year. If you would like to hear some of his musings and learn some great new things, then visit his blog at http://soulproprietorblog.com/.

Angel

Has the R word gotten you down?

If you were to pick up a newspaper or watch the news or listen to the radio, it seems that most people have this tone of "I'm just throwing in the towel" about the situation around them. Yes houses are going into foreclosure and grocery prices are rising and more autos are being repossessed and the world as we know it just seems to be crumbling at our feet, but if we take that attitude, we go down with the sinking ship. I don't know about you, but when I watched Titanic, I wanted to be like Rose and Jack and do what I had to do to survive.

You can survive too. Sure those in the service sector are feeling the pinch, but when I am at a mall, grocery store, or just driving around the streets, there are still cars filling up the parking stalls. That means people are still spending money. You just have to convince them to spend their money on you. Create a compelling message of why they need you just as much as you need them. (Just don't sound desperate on your part!) Talk with your current customers. If they are talking with friends, employees, co-workers, and clients, they have an idea of who has money to spend and who doesn't. Referrals will be the key during this time.

You will still need to attract new clients as well. If I was standing at a kiosk in a mall and I was down to my last $20, but you were able to explain to me what this product will do for me and how I could save money or time or save something else or be able to do more of something else all because I purchased your product, I can bet you with 98% probability that I would part with my $20. Your message has to compelling and you have to demonstrate why your product or service should be regarded like it is the Hope Diamond and you just have to get your hands on it.

So grab a lifesaver and swim to shore.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Errand Guru One Day Intensive Retreat

If you want to get started in the right direction or you have started your business and need some additional support, then join me for this one day intensive retreat. You will have my undivided attention from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. You can ask any and all questions you have during this time. For someone who has been in the industry for 10 years, I will be providing a wealth of information for you during this time.

DATE: May 30-June 1, 2008
TIME: 9 AM - 5 PM Saturday, May 31, 2008 for seminar
LOCATION:
Pali Mountain
30778 Highway 18 Running Springs, CA 92382

The facilities feature a refreshing swimming pool, challenging hiking and jogging trails, numerous sporting fields and basketball courts, and a plethora of exciting adventures.

PRICE: $375.00

WHAT IS INCLUDED:
Five meals (Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast)
Accommodations for two nights (Check in is Friday at 4 PM)
One day of intensive training
Errand Guru Workbook

AGENDA:
The Basics
Day to Day Operations
Pricing
Customer Service
Marketing and Advertising
Proposals and Contracts
Websites and Software
Staffing Your Company
Niche Services

Minimum of 25 people and maximum of 40 people

Angel Wilder reserves the right to cancel the Errand Guru One Day Intensive Retreat if there are fewer than 25 participants registered as of May 16, 2008. Angel Wilder will accept responsibility only for the reimbursement of the Retreat registration fee and does not reimburse for purchased travel tickets or other expenses in the event of cancellation. If you will need to purchase travel tickets to attend the Retreat, it is recommended that you purchase travel insurance in case of cancellation. Your early registration is appreciated and helps to avoid cancellations. Refunds will not be made for cancellations received after May 16, 2008.

Click here to pay: http://tinyurl.com/47d63f.

Special Teleseminar Wednesday!

Join Danette and I for a special teleseminar on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. We will be discussing ways to help you grow your business.

-Pricing have you stumped?
-Unsure how to get attention for your business?
-Undecided what to put in a proposal?
-Wonder whether it is better to have IC's or employees?

We will be covering all of these questions and more!

You can listen online at Errand Guru Talk Radio or call in at (646) 478-4999 to listen in on the phone.

Don't worry if you can't be there live, you can listen in later to the archived segment on the website. If you have a question that you want answered, just email me at info@ecsuniversitytraining.com.

We will have an online chat available during the segment so you can ask your questions off air or you can ask your questions live on the air if you call in!