Newsletter overload!

I have enjoyed receiving different newsletters over the years from various business people regarding different topics. During the last six months, the number of newsletters has steadily increased, as in I receive over 10 a day, as people have sent me referral after referral for a new and exciting newsletter they think I should read.

While I have enjoyed some tremendously (I sit next to my computer waiting for them to come in. OK, not really sitting there waiting, but will open them immediately when they do come in), there are others that I have read through and tried to enjoy, but they just were doing nothing for me. Some cover topics I really want to know about and some of the others cover topics that just don't interest me now or anymore. Most of the time I have just been forwarding the newsletters I like and hoping that I can read them at some point in the future.

Today was my breaking point! Instead of just deleting the newsletters I don't want to read anymore as usual, I decided to take a stand. I started to unsubscribe myself from the newsletters. As of last count, I unsubscribed from six of them. The list will continue to dwindle as I continue to decide which ones are helpful and which ones are a waste of my time.

For the ones that I like, I have been taking the main points and compiling them into a document for future reading. For those newsletter where the article is a long one, but one that I enjoy, I am holding on to those. I have a Yahoo account and folders set up within the account where the newsletters go. This has helped me to cut down on the ones I save and the ones I hit the delete button on.

While it is always good to educate yourself and learn from others, there comes a time when too much information will put your brain into overload and then nothing makes sense. You need to figure out which newsletters work for you and focus on the material contained inside each one specifically when it comes in. If it is something you enjoyed and may come in handy at a future date, then you can save it.

From this point forward, I am going to be spending the next few weeks weeding through hundreds of newsletters that I have not had the chance to read yet. I will be opening all of the newsletters I want to read each time they come in and read them on the spot. I will either put the information in my document or forward it for future reference. I refuse to be a victim of newsletters anymore!

Grocery Shopping 101

Danette Moss, owner of LAD Concierge Group and Live Life Outsource The Rest, has a new e-book out for $19.95! It is called Grocery Shopping 101. Visit http://www.ladconciergegroup.com/ for more information.

Here is what her introduction has to say:

Everyone needs groceries in their house. Last year U.S. households spent $3,240, on average, for groceries according to the American Express Everyday Spending index. The study also found consumers' consumption of fast food increased by 43% over the past year, bringing the average amount spent up to $720 per household. Food expenses represent a substantial percentage of household budgets.

This book was created to show you a way to provide a solution to consumers by providing this wonderful niche service to them. Since everyone has to eat, grocery shopping has become one of the top 5 niche markets in the Errand and Concierge Industry.

Not only will you “give your customers back time” or “make their life easier”, but you will show them that the benefits go deeper than time and an easier life. You can help them keep food expenses from going through the roof, save them from impulse shopping, dragging children in the grocery store (which can sometimes be a nightmare), and shopping after a long day at work by incorporating new ways of smart shopping into their regular routine by putting them on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule that will change their life forever.

In this book Stocking Break Rooms and Kitchens, I will discuss everything you’ve always wanted to know about from how to set up your services to pricing. So take a leap into this wonderful Niche Mark et where you will not only provide wonderful services to your clients, but you will benefit monetarily (Chi-Ch’ing).

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.

Contact me at angel@angelatyourservice.com for more information.

Insider Secrets of Using Web 2.0 and Social Networking

If you're not using social networking sites for your business, you could be missing out on a lot of valuable traffic. You can learn how to use Web 2.0 tools and social networking sites to do just that. And you know you need traffic in order to have the opportunity to ask visitors to subscribe to your newsletter, get your white paper or buy your products and services.

Hot on the heels of their successful teleseminar on how to use Facebook for Business, my colleagues, The Blog Squad, are hosting a brand new class on how to use Web 2.0 and social networking sites to drive more traffic to your business. It is the "Insider Secrets of Using Web 2.0 and Social Networking to Get Thousands of Warm, Hungry Visitors to Your Web Site".

The Blog Squad grills Michele PW, Your $Ka-Ching! Marketing Strategist, and Mary Pat Kavanagh, Queen of Connections, on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Registration: $20 includes live event and mp3 audio file
Register here >>> http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2372929

During this teleseminar you'll learn:
* The psychological reasons why people are using Web 2.0 and social networking in the first place (understand this and you are LIGHT YEARS ahead of what most marketers are doing with it so you'll be FAR more successful)
* How you can use those psychological triggers to position yourself above your competition (and reap more traffic and sales in the process)
* What are the different social media and Web 2.0 sites and which ones are right for YOUR business
* The best way to position yourself so you will continue to get high quality traffic REGARDLESS of what's happening in the social media landscape
* Time-saving tips so you CAN get the most of your social networking without it sucking all your time.
* And much more!

Register today.

Find out what you'll learn about using social networking sites for your business and secure your spot now: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2372929

To your continuing success online,
Angel Wilder

David Neagle's Just Believe event

I had so much fun at David's event yesterday. I met lots of new people and came away with some valuable information and a new prospective on things I have been doing in my life and business. It was an all day event and I was tired at the end, but it was well worth the push I gave myself to go. I wanted to share a few photos of myself and some people that I was excited to finally meet. If you recognize some of them, it is because I am either affiliated with them, mention them in my seminars and radio show, or use some of their guest articles in my newsletters.

Alexandria "The Ezine Queen" Brown

Lorrie "Red Hot Copy" Morgan-Ferrero

David Neagle

Have you taken advantage of my sale yet?

There are only 13 days left until my sale ends!

I currently have my best selling book, Starting Your Own Errand or Concierge Service, on sale for $25.95. That is a savings of $14! I probably won't have book on sale again for a long time. Purchase it now!

Spring 2008 Book Sale

I also am giving those that are interested in my Ultimate Package a chance to pay for it in 4 payments. The cost of the package is $1100, with four payments of $275 each. I am also offering FREE SHIPPING to those that take advantage of this special!

Ultimate Package Payment Plan

Visit http://www.angelatyourservice.com/ for more information.

The gas pumps are guzzling my money!

OK, I was born and raised in Southern California. Why I choose to stay here is a mystery. I was at the gas station today and saw that the most expensive gas is now at $4 a gallon. It is now $4.25 per gallon for diesel. Pretty soon I am going to have to buy a bus pass or get a scooter to take care of errands for my clients. I think I might just stand at the side of the road with a sign that says "Will work for gas money!" As an industry that requires us to drive, drive, drive, there has got to be a way to not gouge our clients, but still make a profit. Here are a few tips to help you out:

1. I work in a square. I use my office as my starting point and work my way in a square. Because my service area is split into four quadrants, I can have four people take care of my entire service area at once. This way no one is going back and forth and wasting gas or time. You can also split your service area into several zones. Each zone would have a specific radius.

2. Schedule as many clients as possible in the same area for the same day. For example, I have one staff member who completes five dog walks in the same neighborhood on the same day. She drives out to the first house, parks, takes care of all of the dogs, walks back to her car, and then drives home. One drive to and from. This same method can include taking care of several employees at once at a particular office to provide a similar type of service. For example, I took three cars to a local car wash in one afternoon.

3. Charge a temporary fuel surcharge. I received a newsletter from my travel agency I am associated with and several cruise lines are increasing their fuel supplements. All of the courier companies, including FedEx and UPS have a fuel surcharge in effect. FedEx is charging a 20% increase for the month of April for their Express service and UPS is charging a 20% increase for their international services.

Whatever you choose to do to help you out in your business, make sure that it is right for your customers and your business. After all, we all go in to business to make a profit.

Concierge Service guides editorial

As the owner of an errand and concierge service, and as an expert in the industry, from time to time I will purchase other guides out there to see how well written or poorly written they are. I recently purchased four e-guides and would like to provide my opinions on them.

1. The FabJob Guide to Become a Personal Concierge Business Owner

I was truly impressed with this guide. To begin with, the layout of the guide was user friendly and helpful. There were instructions to direct you to each part of the guide. After giving it a read over I found that it was full of helpful information and I felt someone could learn useful things about the industry reading this guide. Well worth the money.

2. Style Career.com’s Breaking Into and Succeeding in Concierge Service

I was not impressed with this guide at all and requested a refund, which I promptly received. The information, in my opinion, seemed like it was gathered from various places on the web along with a few interviews and then put together. The information contained in it was very basic and did not have as much meat as I thought it would have for the price.

3. 125aday.com Publishing’s Start Your Own Concierge Service!

This guide is a total scam. It did not mention once how to start your own concierge service. It was basically a how to start a (you insert whatever industry you want) business guide because the information contained in it was about starting a business in general and not the how to’s in regards to any particular industry. I was appalled that they would try to sell this information as a step by step guide. Because they have strict return policies, I could not get my money back, as I downloaded it as an e-book, but I did write two scathing emails that were never answered. Stay far, far away from this guide. It is so not worth the money.

4. Concierge and Errand Service Business Startup Guide from www.doit-4-u.com

RIP OFF!!!!!!!!! I had to contact Paypal after my claim was denied and found a nice gentleman who heard my story and gave me a refund on this guide. I sent numerous emails to the owner of the website over a several day period and did not receive one response. He states that he has been in business for 15 years, but I don’t see any of it in this guide. His “forms” are taken from Microsoft Office. While he has gone in and cleaned up the look of the website, my dog could have written a better guide. Do not waste a penny on this guide.

These are just my opinions, but for someone who has been in business for a decade and continues to run a successful business, I think I have an idea of what makes for helpful information and what doesn’t. The final decision is up to you, but I wanted to give you a heads up on what is available for those in the industry.