Succeeding in Your Business by Cliff Ennico

Ten New Year's Resolutions for 2010 (Part One)


A happy and prosperous 2010 to all my readers. As always this time of year, here are my 10 New Year's resolutions for business owners and self-employed professionals.



Update your Web presence. Look at your business website and make at least five changes that will make it more attractive, fun and "cool" to prospective customers. Post some content-rich articles answering commonly asked questions about what you do. Put some videos on your website (and post the videos on YouTube) demonstrating in an entertaining way how to do (or not to do) something. Start a "blog" or discussion group where your customers can talk to one another about the stuff you do, with you as the all-knowing "moderator." Most importantly, hire a search engine optimization consultant and learn what you can do to get your website higher in the Google search rankings.



At the same time, delete things from your website that are boring, difficult to access or not driven by your customers. If you are a lawyer or accountant, nobody cares what you look like or where you went to school, so get rid of the website photo and biography. Put up your fee schedule instead because clients do care about how much you are going to charge them for your services! Also, a little free advice on commonly asked questions wouldn't hurt.



Don't have a business website? Create one! People expect you to have one, and it dings your credibility if you don't. Make sure your Web address appears on all of your business cards, stationery, telephone answering message, the signature line on your e-mail messages, and all offline marketing materials (such as the stenciling on your car or van).



Find three new places to sell stuff online. E-commerce is evolving rapidly right now, and the goal is "ubiquity" — promoting your goods and services in as many places as possible. Are you selling on eBay but are not happy with recent changes benefiting buyers and bigger sellers? Learn how to sell on Amazon, Yahoo and other online retail sites that still treat the "Mom and Pop" retailer with respect. Start listing your stuff on some of the "eBay clone" sites that many smaller eBay sellers are migrating to, such as www.bonanzle.com, www.ebid.com and www.ubid.com. If you sell antiques and collectibles, look for collectors associations online — they usually have a website and will post your ads for free if you agree to become a member or write a couple of articles for them.

If your market is primarily local, list your goods and services on the Craigslist site for the region or subregion nearest you (just stay away from the "personals" section).



Learn the meaning of "marketainment." As people are increasingly bombarded with media 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, and as their attention spans grower shorter and shorter, they expect more from you than advertising. They want a show! And you have to provide it for them. Whenever you're selling anything, online or otherwise, you are in "show business." Your message must be memorable, entertaining and "fun" in order to stick in people's heads.



Create a "blog" and post it on your website. Create a crazy, offbeat instructional video and post it on YouTube. Get involved in discussion forums on eBay, Craigslist — heck, anywhere there are people who share your interests, passions or personality. If people like you, they will want to know more about you and what you do. Show people you share, or at least empathize, with their fears and passions (what turns them on, and what keeps them awake at nights), and they will like you. Oh, and don't forget to talk about the stuff you're selling online that will either turn them on or help them sleep better at night.


The rest of the article here

More threats of postal strikes to come over Xmas

Are we on the verge of a Christmas postal strike?

Saturday 21st November 2009

Despite hopes that the Royal Mail and unions had buried the hatchet and were looking to the future with regards to a long-term agreement, sources close to the Communication Workers Union have let it be known that talks are stalling and concern is growing. It seems as though, in private, the Communication Workers Union is looking to threaten further industrial action in the run-up to Christmas, something which all parties had been looking to avoid. So what has gone wrong?

Sources close to the union claim that the Royal Mail is continuing to stall over peace talks and if no progress is made over the next few days then we could see further problems in the short term. Quite why the Royal Mail is allegedly stalling over peace talks remains to be seen because ultimately the company and the union need to resolve various issues as soon as possible. Royal mail can ill afford to give away business and the unions can ill afford to put the long-term job security of their members at risk.

The rest here

All we need after such a crap year.

The lunatics have taking over the asylum or ebay

Ebay seems to have taking over the clawback procedure, and as always they have their own idea of how you should read the distance selling regulations, or will just blatantly ignore them,

Ebays links you to this:

Your legal rights and obligations

The Distance Selling Regulations 2000 generally apply to sales to consumers made by sellers acting in the course of a business, which have been made at a distance. In other words, where there's no face-to-face contact between the seller and the consumer before the contract is made.

The Distance Selling Regulations apply to items purchased via Buy It Now listings and Second Chance Offers on eBay.co.uk. However, they don't apply to auction format listings on eBay.co.uk.

These regulations provide a period of 7 working days after the date of receipt within which the consumer can cancel the contract (often referred to as the "cooling off" period) and get their money back, including the original postage and packing charges.

The consumer can be asked to return the goods at their own expense, but only if the seller informed them of this requirement before the contract was made (otherwise, the seller is responsible for collecting the goods).

This right of cancellation does not apply to:

• Custom-made goods - Goods which are tailored to your own specifications (such as custom-made wedding gown).

• Goods that by reason of their nature cannot be returned – This covers medication for example.

• Perishable goods - like fresh foods or flowers.

• Sealed items, which have been unsealed - audio or video recordings or computer software that you have unsealed.

• newspapers, periodicals or magazines

• Accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services - where the seller has agreed to supply the service on a set date or within a set time period (for example hotel accommodation; plane, train, or concert tickets; car hire; tickets to sporting events).

The regulations above only apply to a business seller – consumer buyer transactions. However, even a consumer seller is required to ensure that correctly describe the item. Learn more about returns and your legal rights and obligations

As you can see Auctions are excluded, and are supposed to be excluded on ebay UK but, you think sellers are going to be allowed to use that. Not in this lifetime.

So if you need an auction, where you are assured that the idiot is not going to come back 35 days later after they have tried to sell the item, and failed, and then asked ebay for their money back then go to http://www.ebid.net/, where auctions still work.