business info & tools

Refer to older posts…

Doing the same thing for how long?

Published 3 November, 2011 | By TashWord

One definition of insanity is to keep doing what you’ve been doing and expect different results.

Robin Cangie makes a similar point with “it’s not the metrics. Your marketing just sucks“.

So if you’ve been using Facebook for your business for 6 months and got nothing in your business to show for it. Does it make sense to keep posting on Facebook every day – or is it time to look at other options?

Maybe your Facebook campaign isn’t working because

your target audience doesn’t use Facebook
your messages are too social and not enough about your business industry/expertise
your profile is all about you and not helping customers
it leads to a website that isn’t good at converting leads to sales
one of many other possibilities

Measuring marketing (whether social media or otherwise) is important, but not more important than running good marketing efforts in the right place at the right time (yes, the 4 Ps of marketing still apply).

Every time your marketing results are less than expected (or desired), you need to decide whether the poor results are due to a short time frame (looking at results too soon can be misleading), inaccurate measurements, a poor campaign or something else. From that, you can decide to continue the marketing, adjust it or stop it.

Going back to our Facebook example, something has to change. Maybe it is move to another social media channel (where your audience actually spend time) or maybe it just needs a new approach.

“There’s no point flogging a dead horse” applies to marketing, too. However, you must give each campaign a chance – no additional sales after a week on Facebook doesn’t mean Facebook is a poor strategy for your business. Sometimes it is a slow process to see results from our actions.

How do you judge when something has been tried long enough to move onto a new strategy? Or do you just keep trying the same thing even when there is little chance of success?

Posted in business info & tools, marketing | Tagged adjust, marketing, measuring, results | Leave a comment

Carbon pricing your business

Published 21 October, 2011 | By TashWord

The carbon tax should be protecting beautiful places like this (Ricketts Point in bayside Melbourne)

Have you thought about how the Carbon tax will impact your business and pricing structure yet? Will you update your web content to mention carbon pricing?

Now that the lower house has passed the carbon tax legislation, we know it’s likely to be in place next July and have some idea about what is involved. For instance, next financial year carbon will be taxed at $23 per tonne and we’ve been told to expect a 0.7% increase in living costs (although some or all of this may be covered with tax cuts and increased Government payments). The price would change the following year, and beyond.

Carbon tax for small business

Small businesses won’t have to directly pay a carbon price like the big 500 corporates, but that doesn’t mean we are unaffected. At the minimum we will face increased power costs and (as I understand it) small businesses are not getting anything in the compensation packages.

How will this impact on your business? Can you absorb the increases or will you need to update your prices?

Personally it will be increased power costs that will affect my business, along with (potentially) higher supplier costs. Only I have no idea what ‘$23 a tonne of carbon’ means for my electricity bill.

For a business delivering goods, buying materials for manufacture or providing mobile services, the impact could really add up.

Capping price increases

As individuals, it is good to know that the ACCC will be watching for price increases above 0.7% (where labelled due to carbon tax) so we aren’t ripped off. As business owners, it’s tough – will our cost increases be less than 0.7%? can the business afford to pay the owner(s) more to help with higher living costs? can I increase my prices and increase additional costs (e.g. delivery) by 0.7% each and be operating legally?

It sounds simple – use a lot of carbon, produce a lot of greenhouse emissions, and pay for it. Implementing it into real business practices is going to be harder.

So what are your thoughts about small business pricing next year? Any idea how your business will deal with it?

PS You can learn more about carbon pricing, it’s value and climate change through COs Australia’s You Tube channel.

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged carbon tax, increase, pricing, small business | 2 Comments

Getting lots of questions

Published 20 October, 2011 | By TashWord

Have you ever experienced a LOT of questions from your suppliers?

I aways lots of questions about new writing projects – less so for existing and long-term clients – and some people are amazed by that. Usually amazed and appreciative, but amazed none the less.

Could you imagine going to a doctor or lawyer and not have them ask questions to clarify the issue and find the best solution? Would you trust a doctor who said hello and handed you a script?

As far as I am concerned, I like my suppliers to ask questions to show interest in the project (rather than the dollars) and to be sure they understand what I actually need.

As a writer, I don’t feel I can’t write good content if I don’t know much about the topic of the piece. I know I can’t write effective content if I don’t know who the target audience is or the purpose of the piece. So I ask lots of questions before I write or edit any content.

Although it make take you more time than you expected to hand over a project if the supplier asks many questions, it is usually worth it for the quality of the final result.

Some reasons to appreciate these questions are that the supplier:

is interested in doing the project as well as they possibly can
will clarify any parts of your instructions they don’t understand
learns the purpose of the work and can tailor it to suit
is able to make appropriate suggestions and recommendations
has the knowledge to give a different perspective
gets an understanding of you and your business as well as the specific project
knows who to target the result at (if relevant)
may notice other things you can benefit from (for example, when I read a client’s website to learn about them, I sometimes find a typing or logic error that I will point out so they can correct it)
is being professional and showing attention to details which presumably will carry through into the project itself
is gathering information from the best source rather than making assumptions or using less reliable sources

So be warned – if you ask me to write for you or help with a communications project, you will be asked a number of questions!

How about you – how have you reacted to suppliers asking questions in the past?

Do you respond differently to ‘dumb’ questions compared to a supplier gathering useful information?

Posted in About Word Constructions, business info & tools | Tagged content, information, questions, targeted | Leave a comment

Blogging about FOOD…

Published 18 October, 2011 | By TashWord

I like to make a difference, to contribute to my community and the world. So I like to DO things when I can, and joining Blog Action Day each year is a small action that I aim for.

Blog action day is about many people discussing a topic at the same time to get greater awareness – for example, posting about ‘green’ business practices in 2009 was part of making people think about climate change.

This year’s theme is food which doesn’t seem quite as relevant to a business and communications blog – but I see that as challenge rather than a reason to not blog! Yes, I am doing this two days late but I adding my voice to food blogging day.

What about you – could you find some relevant content to blog about food?

Home-grown food

The flavour and pleasure of fresh fruit and vegetables is always superior to store-bought equivalents – the apples off the tree in my yard last summer were delicious and I even enjoyed then stewed (I normally avoid cooked apples).

But there are more benefits than just yummier food when you grow fruit and vegetables at home:

I know the food is free of additional chemicals
the food is high in nutrients because it is fresh and grown with natural fertilisers
it is lovely to look out my window and see the crops
fruit trees shade my office windows in summer but let the winter sun through – making my office a comfortable temperature naturally
the occasional care for the garden gets me outside in the fresh air, moving and getting in touch with nature – all of which is good for my mental and physical health
home-grown is cheaper, and with prices sky rocketing this year, that is a growing benefit
it reduces my family’s food miles which is excellent for the planet

Paul Hassing recently posted how changing food habits can also be good for business (namely it reduces his stress so he can work more effectively) and I would agree with that.

I also see another business lesson from home-grown food.

Home-grown food tastes great, is more interesting and has a number of advantages. So is original business material.

Do you prefer to read an article or web page that is the same (or practically the same) as 100 others or an original piece that gives you new information or a new perception?

Are you more attracted to a tailored website or one that is based on a template you’ve seen 20 times already today?

Letters and emails addressed to you by name and include something personal are much more effective than a standard letter addressed to “Dear sirs”.

A landscape designer who uses the same layout regardless of block shape and aspect won’t be as successful as one who designs a unique garden every time.

The chef staying to the same old recipes and copying other’s presentation will never be a master chef.

And so on. The point is to use home-grown ideas and skills rather than going for the mass-produced, lack-of-variety style – the results are more interesting, flavoursome and fulfilling.

What do you think – are home-grown food and home-grown business behaviours more appealing and rewarding?

Posted in blogging, business info & tools, marketing | Tagged blog action day, food, home-grown, interesting | 3 Comments

Answer the question when replying

Published 13 October, 2011 | By TashWord

One simple way to improve your business communications is to ensure that every email you send in reply to anyone (staff, suppliers, customers and even friends and family) actually serves you both well.

So if someone has taken the time to ask you a question, make sure you answer it, and answer it clearly, when you reply. Sounds obvious but as it often doesn’t happen, it is worth checking before you hit send…

read their email again – did you miss a second question? Are you sure you understood the real question being asked?
does your answer stand alone? That is, did you give a full answer that anyone could understand – there is nothing worse than an email “Dear Fred, the answer is yes. Regards, Barney”. “Dear Fred, Yes we do deliver to Devonport. Regards, Barney” is much more effective as Fred doesn’t have to remember or think about what his question was.
is your answer as simple and clear as possible? “Yes we do deliver to Devonport” is much better than “Yes, we deliver to all major cities in Australia” (is Devonport considered a major city?) or “Our delivery areas are all listed on our website and we cover most parts of Tasmania and Queensland” (how is Queensland relevant? Why couldn’t you give a direct answer?)
if you can’t answer the question, say so rather than be obscure or ignore the question. I know I would prefer to hear “I’m not sure but will find out for you” or “we haven’t done that before so I’ll have to ask my manager to call you back” rather than having to ask again or risk making a guess.

Not only are clear replies to questions a good communication strategy, they can save you (and those you email) time and frustration.

Posted in business info & tools, writing | Tagged answer, clear, question, reply | Leave a comment

Building your integrity

Published 3 October, 2011 | By TashWord

Would you buy anything from a business you didn’t trust? Or a business that you’ve heard bad things about?

Most people wouldn’t so it is crucial to ensure your business is trustworthy and maintains that image. Honesty, integrity, straightforward, transparent and respect are all parts of that trustworthy image.

Here are some key activities to show your integrity and trustworthiness, gained from watching people do the opposite as well as showing integrity even when it’s hard.

pay your suppliers on time – or discuss it openly if you can’t do it as timely as expected. What’s more, do not hire new suppliers if you are in debt and know you can’t afford to pay them – doing so is one of the fastest ways of destroying your credibility and risking legal actions
take responsibility for yourself, your business and even your team. Blaming others and looking for excuses doesn’t put you in a good light and can worry protective clients and suppliers hat they will be blamed for future issues – not good for building trust!
be honest – don’t make grand claims on your website, own up to errors and tell clients what they need to hear (rather than what brings you a quick return)
be open – share bits of information about the people behind the business. That doesn’t mean tell us all your son’s achievements or what you had for breakfast, nor give out private details, but let people know the human voice of a business as well. For example what impression do I give when I occasionally mention I am a cub leader?
be transparent – put your pricing and/or policies in easy-to-understand terms in an accessible form (I hate websites that don’t show delivery prices until you finish the shopping, for instance) and let appropriate negative comments remain (although I suggest answering them as well!)
be professional and pay attention to small details so people can trust you will do a good job for them
be consistent so people learn that you always do things the same way and that they can rely on that
take care with where and how you promote your business – and ask for help. Being open about needing help is one thing but publicly asking for help on many aspects of your business gives little reason to think you can provide the promised services. As my role is to prepare content, I can post online that I need help with preparing some graphics but a coach publicly asking for funding to set up anything is dubious

What other ways have businesses earned your trust?

Posted in bit off track, business info & tools | Tagged business, image, integrity, trust | 1 Comment

who owns the copyright?

Published 29 September, 2011 | By TashWord

Although I am not a lawyer and copyright is a complex area of law, I get a number of questions about copyright. Recently, I was asked about the ownership of content when a contractor writes something for a business and which entity would be listed in a copyright notice.

Generally, if you create something you own the copyright unless you assign it (in writing with a signature) to someone else. So if your agreement with a client doesn’t specify otherwise, you own the copyright in general terms.

You can assign a client the copyrights to use the material in certain ways – but perhaps limit them from owning other rights (e.g. international or movie rights) There does not have to be an exchange of money to exchange copyright – but it is something worth setting a price for commercially. Once you assign copyright to them, they own the copyright on the material under those stated conditions and thus only they would be on any copyright notice.

If you are an employee or a contractor under certain circumstances, the company owns copyright even if you are the creator. For contractors, this usually includes an agreement or expectation between you and the company, and may apply if they have initiated the work and paid you for all your time working on the project.

If a client owns the copyright, they don’t have to include your name in a copyright notice; if you own it, it is more likely that your notice would state ‘copyright owned by Justine and assigned to XYZ’ or equivalent.

Note that you will ALWAYS own the moral rights to the materials as these can not be bought or given away. This means that they can not represent the work in way that is negative towards you, deny it is written by you or adjust it and still call it yours.

When preparing a quote and agreement for companies, take copyright into consideration. Some of the things I write are useless to me anyway (e.g. a resume for someone else) so copyright isn’t worth fussing about, but if I write an article then copyright becomes a bigger issue and I charge more to give the other party full copyright over it.

Who owns copyright and how it is publicly presented depends upon the arrangement between you and a specific client. And not being a lawyer, I can’t give you a definitive answer but hopefully the above helps. Try www.copyright.org.au and get a copyright lawyer’s details from them if copyright becomes an issue for you.

Posted in business info & tools, writing | Tagged contractor, copyright, notice, ownership | 2 Comments

Writing contracts

Published 26 September, 2011 | By TashWord

I’ve been asked recently about grammar and proper English for ‘important documents’ such as a contract.

Writing a contract has so much mystique and importance associated with it that many people find the thought of a contract to be intimidating. And to be honest, contracts written in legalese help that perception.

However, a contract is simply an agreement between two (or more) parties.

And a well written contract is simply communicating the details of an agreement.

A contract will outline the details of the arrangement so some contracts are much longer than others and some need much more attention to finer details such as provided by a lawyer. But the bottom line is that it is a business document and needs to communicate a clear message.

Writing contracts

Writing a contract is like any other business writing in that

spelling is important
grammar is important
punctuation is important to ensure the correct meaning is understood
good writing basics are important – for example, a contract needs no more capital letters than any other document
clarity and simplicity make it easier to understand and read
knowing the purpose beforehand makes it easier to write
proof reading – and a second opinion – is critical

Posted in business info & tools, writing | Tagged clarity, communicate, contract, contract writing | 1 Comment

7 reasons to write efficiently

Published 16 September, 2011 | By TashWord

So Ron Denholm showed us the costs of writing inefficiently, hopefully inspiring people to write succinct documents with simpler words.

However, reading costs aren’t the only reason to write efficiently…

a shorter document is visually more appealing so is more likely to have people start reading it
It saves people reading time and therefore money – great if the people are in your pay and good service for your customers
if it is easier and quicker to read, more people will actually read it so your message will reach a greater audience
quicker and easier to read also increases the likelihood that your readers will absorb the information and/or be persuaded by your argument
the proportion of relevant keywords will be higher in a reduced word count so it’s probably going to do better for your search engine results
it is much easier to proof read fewer words and shorter words so it will also save you time, especially for documents that end up with multiple rounds of feedback and editing
shorter documents require less paper which can save money and the planet! It also means that designers have more space to add images or adjust the layout to best suit the document

Posted in business info & tools, writing | Tagged efficiently, read, reasons, write | Leave a comment

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Doing the same thing for how long?

Carbon pricing your business

Carbon tax for small business

Capping price increases

Getting lots of questions

Blogging about FOOD…

Answer the question when replying

Building your integrity

who owns the copyright?

Writing contracts

Writing contracts

7 reasons to write efficiently