Getting Clients to Pay

Managing cash flow is essential to any small business, but getting customers or clients to pay in a timely fashion can be a tricky business. In "6 Simple Tricks to Avoid Late Paying Customers," Meredith Wood offers some good advice.

1. Check out clients in advance. Know who you're dealing with before you're left with a big invoice that goes unpaid for months. Just as your customers might ask for references before they sign with you, so you can ask clients for references before agreeing to take them on, especially for projects that will involve big payments.

2. Clearly state your invoice terms. Be upfront with how and when you expect to be paid. For example, I always ask for payment within 30 days of sending my invoice. Just having a payment due date can spur follow-through.

3. Mind your manners. Using "please" and "thank you" when sending invoices can go a long way to getting them paid quickly.

4. Make it easy to be paid. Have a PayPal or similar online option for easy of payment. For long-term relationships, you might see if the client will do direct deposit. One association I work with on a regular basis was more than happy to convert paper checks mailed to me to direct deposit into a checking account. I get paid quicker and they save money not on printing and mailing checks.

5. Be understanding. Sometimes, clients get into a tight spot. Be willing to be flexible or accept a payment plan.

6. Be gentle in reminders. Also be polite when following up--those handling your invoices can make honest mistakes, so it pays to be nice. As your grandmother might have said: You catch more bees with honey than vinegar, and the same holds true for getting your money.

By following these simple steps, you can make getting paid more painless.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Image Consultant

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: An image consultant is one who helps clients develop a wardrobe of clothing and accessories that fits their lifestyle and person.

Education: None necessary.

Skills: The ability to help clients select a flattering wardrobe for their lifestyles.

Job outlook: The job outlook will depend on your location, with more urban and metropolitan areas having more of a potential client base than rural settings. As with any service-related business, the successful ones are those that have a clearly defined mission and customer base.

Possible employers: Network at a variety of functions, including charity and business events, to hand out business cards to garner interest.

Preparation: Join the Association of Image Consultants International for training and networking opportunities.

Get your foot in the door: Ask an image consultant if you can tag along during a client visit to see what this job would entail. Talk with personal shoppers at department stores for advice.

Until next time,

Sarah

How to Manage Twitter

I recently started a Twitter account (@novaparentcoach), and was very happy to see this article on how to tweet because already I was feeling overwhelmed with keeping up with Twitter. In "How Do I Tweet? My Small Business Time Saving Twitter System," Jeanne Rossomme gives five tips on how you can use Twitter to promote your business.

1. Schedule weekly tweets via Hootsuite or other social media managing sites.

2. Use Twitter to tease your readers back to your blog or website. In other words, don't give it all away on Twitter.

3. Put your followers into categories, and develop specific tweets for each category.

4. Review Twitter at least daily.

5. Respond to direct messages in as close to real time as possible.

By following these simple steps, you can soon be tweeting with confidence.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Garage Organizer

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: A garage organizer reorders clutter in client garages, often with the assistance of garage-specific storage systems.

Education: None necessary.

Skills: The ability to organize and clean garages, often involving heavy lifting.

Job outlook: A recent newspaper article found that high-end garage organizing companies are growing at a rate of 25% per year, which can translate into work for the little guy as well.

Possible employers: Check out the National Association of Professional Organizers. OnlineOrganizing.com and Organizer U for leads. Consider starting your own consulting business or joining with another garage organizer in your area.

Preparation: Join the National Association of Professional Organizers. Take organizer courses from the above-mentioned organizations.

Get your foot in the door: Ask family or friends with messy garages if you could reorder their space for promotional purposes. Take good before and after photographs and be sure to get testimonial quotes for your marketing pieces.

Until next time,

Sarah

At Home News July: The Power of Print

Printed materials can showcase your business in a fresh way. The July issue of At Home News provides tips on how to develop the right printed materials for your at-home work.

If you're not a subscriber, you can sign up for the free monthly e-newsletter by clicking on the Newsletter tab. I never sell or give out my subscriber list.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Journalist

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: A journalist researches and writes articles for newspapers, websites, magazines and other publications, both print and online.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field is preferred, but not always necessary.

Skills: The ability to write a variety of stories (features, news articles, op-ed pieces, blogs, etc.) using good grammar and punctuation.

Job outlook: U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “employment of reporters and correspondents is expected to decline moderately by 8 percent from 2010 to 2020. Declines are expected because of the consolidation of news organizations, [and] a decrease in readership of newspapers...” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Journalists might have a tough job outlook, but there is still work available for good writers. Join LinkedIn journalism and writers groups, and check out job boards like journalismjobs.com and Craig’sList for leads.

Preparation: Check out these organizations for more information on the field, and potential job leads: National Press Club, Online Journalism Review, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Get your foot in the door: Make a list of publications you want to write for and query them with story ideas. Follow up with a phone call.

Testimony: For a year, Bethany worked from home as a freelance journalist from her Sheffield, Ala., home. She wrote for magazines and had one client who gave her regular assignments, spending between fifteen and thirty hours per week on the work. While she enjoyed setting her own hours around other activities, family trips, and holiday obligations, she eventually made the decision to go back to an office.

“I went back to an office job because of insufficient income,” she explains. “Freelance journalism was too irregular to depend on. Some months, I would have a paycheck every two weeks; other months, there would be one very small check and a huge check the following month. Of course, the less I was able to work, the less money I could make. Time was always an issue.”

Until next time,

Sarah

Motivating Yourself

If you're like me, there are times when you just don't want to work. You look for any excuse to leave your computer or work station: laundry, dishes, supper preparation, even cleaning behind the refrigerator all start to sound appealing when your motivational level is low.

Now that it's July, and probably hot and sticky (at least in the South where I live), it gets doubly hard to motivate oneself to do work. Here's how I give myself the kick in the pants needed to tackle the work.

1. Schedule breaks. If I know I'll have a break in a short while, I can usually push through and get some work done. Sometimes you might need to set an egg timer in order to ensure you get a break.

2. Work one day, goof off the next. I've scheduled all my work on one day, then taken the next day as a "mental health" day to relax or do something fun with the kids. This kind of schedule can rejuvenate your batteries.

3. Turn evenings into a no-work zone. Make a pact with yourself that you will turn off the computer at a certain time, like before supper or directly after dinner. Spend the evening with your spouse, children or in doing something you enjoy, like reading or working on a hobby.

4. Break work projects into pieces. It helps if you take a project and create a series of small deadlines. That way, you're not trying to get the entire project done in one sitting, but are spreading it out over several days or even weeks, depending on the project.

5. Learn to say no. Sometimes, you should turn down work in order to keep motivated doing the work you already have.

6. Remember why you're at home. If your work is turning into drudgery, take a few minutes to remind yourself why you choose to work at home: to be home with your kids, to avoid the expenses of a commute, to supplement your household income, to set your own hours. Whatever the reason, reviewing why you're at home can be a way to refocus your attention to your job and make you more motivate to do it well.

Self-motivation is one the keys to a successful home-based business. Now that I've finished this blog, I have a glass of unsweetened iced tea calling my name.

Until next time,

Sarah

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Radio Host

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: A radio host announces the news, sports, music, etc., on a radio station, usually for a specific show or time slot.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in communications, radio or television is usually required, but experience in front of a microphone is a plus.

Skills: The ability to fill air time with appropriate information and chatter.

Job outlook: U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “employment of radio and television announcers is projected to grow by 7 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Employment of public address system and other announcers is projected to grow by 5 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Experienced, formally trained announcers should have the best job prospects..” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: With the explosion of the Internet, many radio hosts are finding work with podcasts and Internet radio stations. For a little outlay, you can start your own radio show online.

Preparation: Check out the National Association of Broadcasters or the National Religious Broadcasters for resources and continuing education courses related to radio.

Get your foot in the door: Call local radio stations and see if you could intern for a week or two to get an inside look at the operations.

Testimony: Betsy in Chicago preps for her weekly, live radio show at home. “My biggest challenge is to stop working,” says Betsy. “We live in a twenty-four/seven society that enables me to send e-mails at two in the morning. Sometimes I have to be really disciplined to either say no to my kids or no to my computer. My computer invades the house and I have to be really conscious of that.”

Until next time,

Sarah

Online Advertising

Figuring out what advertisements to run can be challenging, especially for small businesses. "What Kind of Online Ad Should Your Small Business Run?" gives some tips on navigating the tricky waters of online advertising.

Display ads can increase overall brand awareness. Banner ads might not generate a lot of click-through, but they do up recognition of your business.

Facebook ads can be a great way to get involved with social media. Facebook allows you to ultra-target your ads, which can mean getting your business before people who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Keyword ads allow you to reach people who are searching for your products or services.

Check out these online ads and see what might work for your business.

Until next time,

Sarah