Ten Reasons to Vote

1. Become involved
2. Influence the outcome
3. Without voting you lose your voice
4. Make changes
5. Reshape the face of parliment
6. Support worthy candidates
7. An opportunity to learn about the candidates and their platforms
8. Raise awareness in others
9. Have an opinion
10. This is your government, without voting you have no say in who will form the next government.

Ten Things to Issue A Press Release About

There are a lot of missed opportunities by business owners, many don't issue press releases. One reason is that a business owner doesn't think they are doing anything that is newsworthy.  The following are a few ideas that could be used for press releases:

1. A business milestone, having the 1,000 customer, or celebrating 10 years in business.
2. Hiring additional employees
3. Adding a new product line or service
4. Being a supplier for a celebrated business
5. Supporting a local charity or organization
6. Being interviewed or featured in a magazine article
7. Starting a newsletter or blog
8. Being nominated for an award, and of course winning an award 
9. Being honoured 
10. Being the guest speaker at an event
11. And the list goes on. 

Is there anything in the above list that you could use to prepare and issue a press release?

Press releases should be no more than one page in length and should be to the point. Enclose or attach a photo if that is appropriate. And be sure to give the name and contact information of the media contact.

Ten Tips for Motivating Employees

1. Say thank you
2. Recognize employee excellence
3. Treat every employee fairly, no favourites
4. Clearly communicate your expectations
5. Create win/win situations
6. Don't micro manage
7. Establish reasonable deadlines
8. When hiring new employees, hire skills and build on the existing base 
9. When forced to lay off employees, give fair notice and give references if they are warranted
10. Be truthful and honest with your employees. They are people who deserve your respect.

Ten Reasons To Start A Business

While many people scratch their heads in confusion when someone suggests starting a new business, others see the challenge, the sense of accomplishment and the future. The following list includes a few of the reasons who people choose to start a new business:

1. Can find a job that they like. 
2. Can find a job.
3. Is tired of working for someone else
4. Wants the autonomy of owning a business and doing things their way
5. See a gap in the services and products available
6. Wants to increase earnings
7. Wants to create a legacy for family members
8. Wants to create jobs and give back to the community
9. Wants to reduce work hours (although that one is usually quickly proved incorrect)
10. Wants the opportunity to work with family, friends etc. 

These are just a few and none of the above are right or wrong in every situation.  If you are starting a business research your options carefully and tread lightly. You may get what you wish for:-)

Enhance your e-Business Practices - Internship program for SMEs

Enhance your e-Business Practices with the Small Business Internship Program

A significant number of established small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently only connected to the Internet or are passively on-line, and might not be taking advantage of the possibilities offered by e-business. The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SMEs by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.
Join the Small Business Internship Program Team, as they explain how the Program could work for your business. Victor Paul-Elias will present the English Webinar and Lynne Antoine will present the French Webinar.
The webinar takes place on Friday, April 15, 2011 at 12:00pm EST in English and at 1:30pm EST in French. If you're interested in attending, complete the English Webinar or the French Webinar registration form.
For more information, please send an email to SBTBWebinar-DGPETWebinaire@ic.gc.ca

Ten Tips for Making Sales

There have been many, many books written about making sales, closing sales and the sales dialogue.  The following tips are what I have found to be the most helpful from all the materials I have read.

1. Be prepared.  Find out about the client and what they are currently using.
2. Know your product and the benefits for your client
3. Answer objections
4. Ask probing questions
5. Make sure you understand what the customer is saying, ask for clarification if needed. 
6. Enjoy yourself, smile
7. Establish trust and consequently an excellent reputation for you and the product or service you are selling
8. People love to buy, they do not like to be sold.
9. Realize that not everyone is your customer, respect that.
10. Talk to the decision maker. You are wasting your time if you are talking to someone who doesn't have the authority to make the purchase. 

And 10.5  Follow up after every sale.  Fix what is wrong. 

Ten Tacky Things

We all have heard about the importance of networking. The messages are constant and frequent about what to do to be effective in networking.  Well I recently had the chance to observe someone who was doing a lot of things incorrectly...she was annoying people.

1. Don't monopolize the conversation.  Talking non-stop about your business, how your product will be the answer to all problems and how you will solve the customer's every wish does not work. 
2. I can do that... I know someone who can help you...  I know who you should call...  I know just the organization you should join...  You can't possibly have all the answers, so don't start every sentence with ''I".
3. Going to a business event sponsored and presented by one business organization, and telling someone there that they shouldn't bother with the sponsoring group but they should join another group.  This is rude and tacky to the nth degree. 
4. Interrupt conversations because you want to have a chance to talk to everyone there.  Join a discussion certainly but don't take it over and make it about you and your business. 
5. Work with other businesses, getting them to refer business to you is always more effective than blowing your own horn
6. Criticize the organizers, the food, the location, the attendees and everything else you can think of. 
7. Sexy and revealing clothing has a place, but it usually isn't at a business event.  Dress appropriately, your clothing and accessories shouldn't be the centre of attention.  
8. Too much jewellery that jingles and jangles and is distracting. Less is more and quality beats quantity.
9. Forget your business cards and then make do by borrowing and writing on the back of another business's card.  
10. Talk, talk, talk, especially if you have a high pitched voice that is annoying to listen to. We all have flaws, but minimize them. If your voice has an annoying quality work to change that, speak slowly and distinctly and make every word you say count. Cut the fluff. 

Be courteous, business like, and professional in everything you do.