Should I run an ad in the newspaper for a new employee?

That depends, what type of position you are trying to fill? If the position is for an employee that will not have to be internet savvy, then the answer is yes. If you’re looking for a person that will be using the internet for communication in their position you should advertise the position online.

Looking for new employees is just like looking for new customers. Get into the mindset of prospect employees and post positions where they are most likely to look. For an online service like Careerbuilder.com or Monster.com you should plan on spending between $300 & $500. These two employment websites give you a better opportunity to provide a detailed description and overview for your positions. If you decide to post in a newspaper ad, you’ll be looking at less dollars but less space to talk about your position. If you place your ad online plan on putting an email address so people can email you. If you go with an ad in the newspaper be ready to answer the phone, because the people will be calling you.

Whichever way you go, be as descriptive as possible with your position and be ready to communicate with people about your available position right away. Don’t delay in getting back to people, the best ones go fast! Make it happen!

© 2011 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

Do you need to train people on how to answer the phone?

Yes and put it in writing. You want to create a phone presentation on exactly how you want your phones answered, your customers spoken to and how to end a phone call. Sounds simple right? Then do it. It shouldn’t matter if it’s your spouse or an employee at your company answering the phone; write down exactly how you would like it done.

Here’s an example for you: (phone rings and person answers) “eMarketing 4 Business….” Was this sufficient? No it wasn’t because it doesn’t give a name or ask how you can help someone. People are calling you because they want information about buying your products or services, customer assistance, or they want to speak to another employee. Knowing this, the best way to answer the phone would be to let the caller know who they are speaking to and recognizing they may need assistance. How about: “eMarketing 4 Business, this is Randy, How can I help you today?”

Answering this way takes little effort and makes people feel at ease when they call in. To get consistent behavior and results you must have a consistent service plan in your company, so write down how you want it done. That takes all the guesswork out of it and now you have a standard in which you can hold people accountable for. Try putting things in writing more and you will surprise yourself with the results you’ll get. Make it happen!

© 2011 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

How are you personally performing in your company, really?

Judging and reflecting on your own personal performance is the hardest job of being an entrepreneur. It’s easy to criticize others’ performance but what your own? Are you really doing everything you can to grow your company or do you find yourself “thinking” about doing more?

Try this exercise, point your finger straight out like you are pointing at someone, now count how many fingers are pointing forward? Your index finger and your thumb, right? Now stop and look where your other three fingers are pointing? Yes, at you. So, one or two are pointing towards others, but the majority of them are pointing right back at you! I know, I know, you’re starting to get cranky because there are more fingers pointing back at you than at others.

In a normal eight hour day there are about 480 minutes (8 hours x 60 minutes) of working time. Most entrepreneurs that are starting to build their company work closer to 10 or 12 hours or 600 to 720 minutes per day. How much work are you really getting done in that time? Could you be doing more? Will you do more?

If you were work at an 80% efficiency rate, you can still accomplish a great deal each day. If you were making calls and each call took 5 minutes, you could make 12 calls an hour or approximately 100 calls in an 8 hour work period. Breaking it down to a simpler level lets you see just how much you can get done each day.

Now, think about getting paid by the minute instead of the hour. Do you think someone would take 35 cents a minute over $15 an hour? If they did they would end up making $43,680 a year instead of $31,200. If you had a goal of making a $1.00 per minute you would make $124,800 a year for a normal 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and 52 weeks a year.

Value your time and your results by the minute instead of the hour and start adding real value to your business and your income! Make it happen!

Click here to read a great article about efficiency ratings for employees and yourself.

© 2011 eMarketing 4 Business LLC

Getting business cards and developing relationships

You already know how important it is to have your own business cards handy at all times. Now that you have your own small business, you want to network with as many people as possible, so get as many peoples' business cards as you can. When you get these business cards, you'll want to utilize them in a way that is more than just filling your pocket. Don’t let them go into a desk drawer and sit for a month.

After you meet the person and get their card, give them a call to spark both your interests and prove your ability to communicate. If you get a hold of them great; if not, send them an email to make sure they see your interest. Then, the most effective way to spark a relationship is to do another follow-up call. Tip: be sure to keep track of these business cards in another place. Create a working document that stores all of these contacts. Business cards are easy to lose, and you want to be able to look at all of your contacts at once. Keep your contacts organized!

You want to network with potential clients and partners on a regular basis, so they see that you will be available when they want your services. Put yourself in the shoes of the person you are calling. Wouldn’t you like to see that they are attentive to your needs and interests? Of course you would, and subsequently you are interested in doing business with them. Make other businesses want to do business with you. Get their business card, give them a call. It is that easy. If the relationship doesn’t work out, you've only spent a few hours of your day trying to make it work. Even if it doesn’t work, you have made an impression and they will remember your name and company for a possible referral. You never want to miss out on a partner or client that will help to drive more business.

© 2011 eMarketing 4 Business LLC