Have you ever accidentally deleted a file?  If you delete a file in your Dropbox, it will get deleted from all the other computers that share your file too.  Sounds like it could be tragic, right?  No need to stress out!  You can undelete the file by going to the website and finding the file in the deleted files link.  It is also super easy to revert your file to an earlier copy.  If your three year old decided to edit your presentation before an auto-save, you can revert back to a previous version by clicking on the little arrow next to the file name in your Dropbox.

If you have a ton of pictures, like I do, you probably need to organize them somehow.  Dropbox can help you with this as well.  In the “Photos” folder you can create multiple folders that will each contain a gallery.  You can create a slideshow by clicking on any of the pictures.  Each gallery also has a unique web address that you can email or post to your website for other people to see the gallery or slideshow.

Let’s look at the ability to share folders a bit more.  The Office Doc uses this feature extensively while collaborating with clients on projects.  Any file in Dropbox can be shared with another user.  Dropbox accounts can be created for free, so feel free to invite whomever you need to collaborate with.  They will have the ability to edit, delete, and add files too.  All changes are saved automatically to the file for all users to see.

The “Public Folder” is a cool feature that allows you to share files with someone who doesn’t want to bother with a Dropbox account.  Save the file to the “Public Folder”, then right click and choose “Copy Public URL”.  You can then email the link or post it on your web page or in a newsletter for people to use without any fuss.

Dropbox is a dream of a service that is super easy to use and FREE!  It makes life easier without complications.

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How can you convert a negative situation into a positive opportunity?

And what could you possibly learn from the experience of dealing with a displeased customer?

When people complain about your product, service or organization, they are telling you that their needs haven’t been met. If you listen carefully to what they say, their complaints may alert you to a real or potential problem, suggest a better way of handling things, or help you improve your business.

When customers are upset, their feelings are real. If you remain calm, polite and positive, you will probably be able to resolve the issue, win back customers’ goodwill and possibly learn about something you could be doing better or should be doing differently.

Following are some tips to help you resolve and benefit from customer complaints:

• Listen carefully, patiently and actively.
• Acknowledge customers’ feelings and allow them to vent their anger.
• Invite the person to offer a solution to the problem.
• Don’t trash another department or blame someone else in the organization.
• Don’t use the P (policy) word because this infuriates many people.
• Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention.
• Let them know what will happen as a result of the information they’ve given you.

Make sure customers have easy access to someone in the organization who can deal with their problems and that the people have the skills, knowledge and authority to handle the complaints.

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3. 5 Reasons to Send Business Christmas Cards

The next rule to remember is that you don’t have to do all the talking. Indeed, listening is a much more valuable skill. People like to be listened to because it makes them feel good. If you ask questions and actually listen to the responses, you’ll find you enter interesting conversations that could lead to interesting outcomes.

Make sure you have a business card with you and don’t feel bad about handing it out if you are asked for it. After all, it’s the quickest way to swap contact details. Then make sure you follow up with your new contact by staying in touch, slowly deepening the relationship.

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The Activity & Time Analysis Tool™ is designed to help The Office Doc more quickly and effectively get to know your business and at the same time give you a more “scientific” visual analysis of your business and activities. With the information we collect and analyze using the Activity & Time Analysis Tool™, we can:

	Give you a visual snapshot of how you are dividing up your time, energy and space in their business with regard to client work, marketing, business development and administration.
	Identify positive and negative patterns in your workflows and habits.
	Better lead and facilitate the delegation process as the administrative expert in the relationship (which relieves you of that huge burden).
	Make more informed, knowledgeable recommendations about where our support can be best leveraged and where key systems and processes can be developed.
	Use results to identify tasks, functions and roles The Office Doc can taken on and develop an initial plan of support.
	Compare before and after results to clearly identify how we’ve helped you improve your business.

The Activity & Time Analysis Tool™ helps elevate our practice to a higher caliber of service and value to you as a busy professional. You will be wowed by the invaluable, eye-opening business data and charts The Office Doc will be able to present to you.  Armed with this information, you will be able to make educated decisions on how to run your business more effectively and which tasks need to be delegated.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive this tool for FREE! ———————->

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Enter FreshBooks.com, the online invoicing system for small businesses and contractors. FreshBooks in a few words, is freaking amazing! For just a few dollars a month I can now track all of my invoices online and it’s completely themed to match my business, including our logo. All of my invoices are now sent through the FreshBooks web portal and can be scheduled to send automatically if needed.

FreshBooks couldn’t be easier to create, maintain, and track invoices, clients, estimates, projects, and time. Invoices are emailed directly to my clients, who can then gain access to their own FreshBooks account to track all of their invoices from my company. It provides my clients with an entire new set of tools they didn’t have before. They can view what they have paid to date, view open invoices, and can even pay current invoices online.

At the end of the day being paid if the most important part of any small business. FreshBooks is a no brainer for online invoicing, but if you haven’t checked them out yet do it today! You won’t be disappointed.

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Contrary to popular belief, it is a lot more than posting a sign or handing out flyers. Though many of the philosophies and tactics may be similar, small business marketing is an entirely different discipline than marketing of large companies. Successful marketing is not just a tactic or strategy; it is an entire process and you are sure to fail if you are not enthusiastic about your small business.

Done properly, marketing can and will attract all the clients your small business can handle. But I would suggest you get to a place where you work only with clients who value what you have to offer. If you commit to following simple small business marketing systems, strategies and ideas you can significantly increase what you charge for your services. Unfortunately though, most small business promotions focus only on how great their products and services are. But you need to stay focused on what products and services your ideal clients want and need.

Here’s another big no-no to avoid. Instead of marketing only when you need money or cash flow, commit to marketing your products and services all of the time. It is very important to consistently market your products and services because as I have been saying for years, success is based on persistency and consistency, not magic.

Planning is also a key ingredient to the success of any small business. Developing a small business marketing plan will be one of the most crucial elements to your success. By creating your marketing plan you will eliminate the panic and need for an instant solution to financial problems because you can avoid many of the ups and downs that result from the all to common stop and start marketing. Your plan does not have to be set in stone, it can evolve as you and your business grow. The important thing is your dedication to consistency with your marketing.

The lack of persistency and consistency will lead to an unused marketing plan. This in turn will lead to spits and starts in your cash flow. Successful entrepreneurs who have a small business marketing plan make more money in less time. When you start to think of who your ideal client is and what products and services they want or need and then combine that with your marketing tools and techniques, an effective marketing plan is not far behind.

As you are probably starting to see small business marketing is an entire process, a synergy of the individual tactics and strategies. That’s right, small business marketing is a system where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Another common misconception is that small business marketing is just common sense. Nothing could be further from the truth. An understanding of how small business marketing is conducted is essential for you if success is your goal. You do want results and success don’t you?

It’s all about determining the needs of your target market and then providing solutions to meet those needs. So many people believe that marketing their small business is all about running advertisements, but it isn’t. If you are serious about your success in business, then make understanding marketing an on-going priority.

The ultimate result of small business marketing is to attract more new customers and persuade existing customers to purchase your products or services in higher quantities and more frequently. The successful can attribute their success to having a strategic plan and following it consistently. When you create a marketing plan you will be able to compete at a higher level. Your odds of winning the game significantly improve when you take the time to create a plan.

To your success!

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1. Meet Expectations. Although the adage, “It’s better to give than to receive,” is a sentimental favorite, those with whom you do business expect to be remembered during the holidays. Holiday greeting cards help smooth your business relationships during the rest of the year by meeting expectations during the Christmas season.

2. Improve Customer Relations. Whether you have a business-to-business enterprise, provide a professional service, or own a retail store, chances are that your success is built upon maintaining relationships with your customers and clients. Christmas cards show your customers and clients that you appreciate their business, and that you want to share the spirit of the season.

3. Cost Effective. Perhaps you already buy holiday gifts and remembrances for your best customers or clients, but business holiday cards allow you to reach many more people for relatively little money. You can purchase personalized business holiday cards for as little as $1.75 each, including options to select among many different designs,  styles and messages.  Each envelope is also printed with your business return address and customer address (no labels!).   We use a real postage stamp as well.  Don’t send impersonal metered mail to your customers.

4. Excellent Return on Investment. Chances are, you and your company receive business Christmas cards from your vendors and suppliers. So, you understand the warm feelings that arise when you read their holiday cards, and you probably experience a “carryover” positive impression when you do your purchasing in the New Year. If you doubt that business holiday cards generate an excellent return on investment, ask yourself this: All other things being equal, which company would you choose to do business with – the company that sent you a holiday card every year or the company that only contacted you when it was time to reorder or collect payment?

5. Limitless Choices. With over 15,000 high quality card designs to choose from, the perfect card for your message is right at your finger tips.  In addition, we offer a free choice of verse,  free samples of Christmas cards, and a multitude of choices for personalization.  You can even add a photo of your staff or family for a small fee.

In today’s business world, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to differentiate your company from your competition. Sending business Christmas cards is a small gesture than can mean improved customer relationships and an excellent return on investment. You really can’t afford not to send holiday cards to your customers, clients, and associates.

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Below, each of these types are looked at a little closer so you can get a better understanding of how important each one is and can be.

Relationships With Regular Customers- It doesn’t matter if your regular customers are individual people or a business; developing a relationship  with them could be the difference between keeping that customer and losing that customer to a competitor offering the same type of products or services that you do. Let them know that you really do appreciate them as a customer on a regular basis.  You don’t always have to try to sell them something either, every once in a while send them a postcard or email thanking them for choosing you to do business with on a consistent basis. It might not seem like much,but your customers will appreciate the effort, increasing the chances of them staying one of your loyal customers.  Let these individuals be the first ones to hear of your upcoming sale or new product or service that you will be offering soon.  Reward them with special discount prices and deals just for them being one of your regulars, it’ll be a well spent investment.

Relationships With Potential Customers- Sometimes it’s hard to pay any attention to someone or something that isn’t really doing anything for you at the moment.  The truth is, this is where many businesses make a huge mistake.  Remember this, potential customers represent the future  of your business.  Never be content with your current amount of customers, always look to gain more!  Keeping that in mind,  you should make it a routine to keep in touch with prospects that may have signed up for one of your newsletters; or maybe they responded to an ad that you ran in the paper before, but haven’t purchased anything from you yet.   Without being a pest remind them that your services are still available.  Offer them some type of sample or free trial to demonstrate the quality of your products and or services.  If done correctly, you can easily convert a lot of  ”maybe buyers” into “yes buyers “.  Now these customers will soon find themselves in your “regulars” category .

Relationships With Others In Your Field- This is with out a doubt one of the best relationships to have. Simply put, these types of business relationships have so many advantages both short term and long term.  By interacting with others in your field, it gives you an opportunity to learn new things, teach new things and even open up new doors for your business.  Having these relationships with others in your field can possibly lead to collaborations in the future, greatly benefiting all involved.
Building business relationships, especially good ones, takes time to do.  Once developing a relationship with a customer or colleague, put the same amount of time and effort into maintaining the relationship as you did to obtain it.

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1. In spite of your best intentions you will make mistakes. To the best of your ability, which may sometimes be slim, welcome these occasions as an opportunity to let go of perfectionism. Pause to review your offer to your clients. Are you positioning yourself as a know-it-all or as a responsive partner and learner? Are you putting yourself on a pedestal? Reflect on the distinctions among honesty, reliability, and perfection. Meditate on the difference between apology and accountability. Muse on the difference between significance and integrity.

2. Things go “wrong.” I put “wrong” in quotes because stumbling blocks teach me things I need to know in order to serve and thrive. Hey, I’d rather learn without failing too, but however the lesson happens, there you are. Every time you look with humility and trust for your personal lesson, you are helping to create the possible dream. (Note: Sometimes the lesson is simply to let go of your idea of what should have happened. Lessons are not code for “There’s something wrong with you.”)

3. Not everyone wants or needs what you have. That’s good news because odds are that you can’t respond to every one anyway. Cultivate the courage, integrity, and clarity to listen deeply to prospective clients and decline to work with those whom you are not ideally suited to serve. Ask questions, especially scary ones (Can you afford this? Do you have any reservations? What will it take for this to be a good investment for you?). Ask first; sell later. Actually, when you do this, the selling takes care of itself. That’s the premise behind coach Kendall SummerHawk’s tape series, What to Say When You Hate to Sell.

4. Humbly welcome opportunities to profit. I did not have Kendall’s tapes in mind when I wrote the item above, but they are a perfect fit, so I was happy to include the link to her work (in the article version placed on my site.). Will I profit if you buy them? Yes, I’ll earn a 20% commission on every sale from that link.

5. Customers have bad days, too. Some times they’re going to take it out on you. That doesn’t mean you have to slink home licking your wounds, nor does it you get to strike back. It certainly doesn’t mean you have to accept abuse. When you feel unfairly used, take a few deep breaths, notice what you wish were different, and remember that we’re all human. Maybe it’s time to do some boundary maintenance. Are you pretending that you need to please everyone or that everyone needs to like you in order for you to thrive? Look to yourself, not because you are to blame, but because you are the only one whose behavior you can manage. (Customers are always right where they are.)

6. Sometimes whole systems go wrong or you find out too late that a new project was not quite ready for prime time. (Just ask me.) At times like this you get to practice being available and responsive to customer needs while also taking care of yourself. Sometimes you won’t (yet) know how to solve or resolve the problem and you may resent the time you’re using to reassure clients instead of getting things on track. BREATHE. Learn to say, “I don’t know and I do care and I will get back to you as soon as I can.” Practice saying it with dignity, conviction, and patience. Take some time to wonder what you would need to believe in order for all of this to feel right and true.

7. Owning a business can be isolating. Many entrepreneurs are natural soloists. That doesn’t mean we don’t need or want support, though we may be the last to realize it. Spend some time wondering why other people might want you to thrive. Let your imagination run free as you speculate on what kinds of collaboration could work for you. Turn your complaints about networking into dreams of your ideal support system. What would your business look and feel like if you knew you did not have to have it all together because there was lots of help at hand?

The secrets to creating the possible dream are all related to accepting what is, which includes accepting the support that is everywhere around you and accepting your own desire to build a businessthat adds real value in the world and allows you to thrive. Some days it will be easier than others to believe that reality and your dream can co-exist. But if you persist with humility, passion, and trust, your dream will teach you how it wants to be made real. I know because my own dream teaches me every day.

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Here are four tips on building an online presence for your business:

1. Hire a professional web designer and ask to see samples of their work. You want to see currently working sites that have been put together by the outfit to ensure that you like what the finished product would look like. It is too easy to be wowed by a web designer’s low price tag only to later end up with a site that is either run of the mill – as it the case with many software programs that only offer one or two variations on a theme – or so packed full of slow loading graphics and flash footage that some consumers who are still not up to date with computing items will be left out.

2. If you decide to go it alone, pay to have your site hosted. While a free host sounds good, your website will also become an advertising solution for the free host. Thus, you will have to display banners, ads, pop ups, and other undesirable bits and pieces in order to have that free site set up. Instead, purchase your domain name and pay for the hosting.

3. Do not overproduce your site. This applies especially to first time webmasters. It is so tempting to add as many “drag and drop” elements on a site as possible. Resist the urge to have email buttons, counters, guest books, weather forecasts, map functions and other items on your site all jostled together. Instead, each page of your web site should be clear, concise, and quick loading. Furthermore, the less links you offer, the less chance there is for a broken link. Consistently stay on top of your links to make sure that customers do not get error notifications.

4. Last but not least, perhaps the most important tip on building an online presence for your company is to have content that is sticky and that will be so useful to your customers that they will either bookmark your site or come back time and again from memory. The goal is to offer unique content, articles, news, and other web content that your clients or customers will appreciate, use, and perhaps also pass on to others.

As usual it boils down to: ‘Look at your site through your customers’ eyes.’

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