SpellCheck Editorial Services

To stay positive, get networking!

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:14:20 +0000

ISE Network

In February, I joined BNI Falcon
Chapter in Gorey, Co Wexford.

Why?

Because now is a good time to start
linking in with people who are
passionate about staying in business
and being positive about staying in business.

A weekly meeting gives me and other members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and, most importantly, business referrals.

I’m also a member of ISE Network (Interact South East), a group I set up about 18 months ago with Barbara O’Connor of KlassyDressHire.ie. An inter-county group, it attracts positive business people from Wexford, Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare and meets on the last Thursday of every month. Check us out at http://www.facebook.com/isenetwork.

If you want to be depressed, watch RTE’s Frontline! If you want to stay positve, go to the business front line and network with other people who refuse to participate in the recession.

Don’t be a Prisoner of Words

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:59:58 +0000

It’s easy to be negative in today’s environment, when your job may be on the line and it’s difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel. However, there can be a health cost to that negativity, which is what Michael Morrison discovered in 2006.

“For about ten months in 2006, I had a very heavy workload and I also took on the job of chairman of my local tennis club,” said Michael (31), who also lives with cystic fibrosis. “It took a lot out of me. I was due to go on holidays for two weeks and in the run-up to the holiday any time someone asked me if I was looking forward to it, I said I was going to crash and burn. I said those words repeatedly and I did crash and burn, spending about 15 hours a day in bed during that holiday. And, when I came back, I spent about two months in bed exhausted.”

That brought home to Michael just how powerful words are and he’s put his (positive) thoughts and insights on the transformational power of language into print. His second book, Prisoner of Words (Athena Press), he draws on concepts such as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Lamarckian evolution theory, the Biology of Belief, Cell-Level Healing, the power of prayer (in health as well as sickness), the Gaia Hypothesis and Earth Hour to encourage people to create their own reality.

“Everyone has negative thoughts, the thing is not to let them linger,” said Michael. “For me, the big thing is to employ a watchman for my thoughts, and to get into the habit of putting a positive thought back into my mind,” said Michael, who works in the Tuan Health Sanctuary in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

“It’s a commitment to consistency and after 21 days, it becomes a habit. We need to look at how we talk to ourselves, becoming aware that our inner chat also has inner demons. We can lower or heighten the intensity of our emotions by the language we use. I’ve also learned to appreciate silence and to take a few minutes every day just to appreciate silence.”

Prisoner of Words is available online through Athena Press, Amazon or Barnes & Noble booksellers.

Get your business online!

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:26:16 +0000

Well, after a sluggish start to the New Year with so much snow, it’s wonderful to be back in business.

Being snowed in did serve to highlight the advantages of being a computer/telephone based business - I was still able to conduct my business, source new clients, complete projects and, most importantly, get those invoices out, even though I couldn’t reach the next town without risking life and limb!

If you found yourself in the same boat, it might be worth considering which elements of your business you can computerise and/or put online.

If you have any other tips, let me know and I’ll pass them on next month.

Season’s Greetings from all at SpellCheck

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:14:55 +0000

Congratulations on making it to the end of 2009!

It’s been a tough year but with an emphasis on building meaningful relationships with clients and value for money, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t all be still standing - and profitably so - at the end of 2010.

In the meantime, enjoy the festive season. I’m going to take the time to work ‘on’ my business, hitting the ground refreshed in the New Year. And I’m going to avoid all reviews of 2009 - looking forward, thinking positively and being innovative is the only way to go.

So, wishing you and yours the best of health and real wealth this festive season.

Kind regards
Deirdre
SpellCheckEditorial.com

Now publishing newsletters

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:12:55 +0000

Tired of the recession just yet? I interviewed a man yesterday who was made redundant in 1994 and says it was the best thing that happened to him. Why?

Because he made appointments to speak to every business person he could think of to get advice. And they all gave him advice, which helped him to set up his own niche pharmaceutical products company, which is thriving.

We’ve all got an obligation to help each other out - and to stay positive. As a journalist and business owner, I’m finding the media coverage heavy going, so I’m ignoring the nation’s bigger picture and focusing on our own bigger picture!

This month, we’re launching a new joint venture with Tobin Printers (http://www.tobinprinters.ie) to write content for and publish newsletters for relationship-centred businesses. That relationship can be with your staff, subscribers or customers. A 4-page A4 newsletter is a great tool to keep your staff/clients up-to-date with developments and latest offers from your business. We will liaise with you on content and design so that you will have a polished publication to include with payslips, invoices, letters, or quotations. Tell the world you’re still open for business.

In the meantime, stay away from the naysayers!!

Wishing you the best in business

Deirdre

______________________________

Landing in Ballynelligan is the first book in The Cirrus Chronicles and has written and illustrated by Corina Duyn published by Little Wings, ISBN 978-0-9563589-1-2

Available from www.littlewings.org €10 plus p&p

5% of proceeds go to the Home Care for Children Campaign of the Irish Hospice Foundation

Synopsis

Ten-year old Cloud Fairy Cirrus Kanali, lands accidentally on a field in Ballynelligan (near Lismore). Here he befriends Sarah Robin, Stephen Wren, Philomela Song Thrush, Wally Wood Mouse, and Robert Cat.

During his four-day stay in the area, he learns about their lives. All, (except the wren) are helping Cirrus to find a way to go back home to Cloud Nine. The robin (who knows e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g about Christmas) tells Cirrus that she saw Fairies in the Christmas tree, in first house on the way to Lismore. These Fairies work on a plan so Cirrus can fly back and forth between Cloud Nine and Lismore. As it is Christmas Eve, Cirrus asks Santa Claus if he could drop him off at Cloud Nine. Will his wish be granted so that he can come back for more adventures with his new friends?

Illustrations

The book is illustrated throughout with magical images of the area, nature, and of Cloud Fairy Cirrus.

Author/illustrator Corina Duyn:

Since her move from Holland to Ireland in 1990, Corina Duyn has been involved in the arts. Her Fantasy Folk figures are in private and corporate collections, throughout Ireland, Europe and the USA.

In 2006, Corina wrote, illustrated, and designed her first book: Hatched, a Creative Journey Through M.E. (ISBN 978-0-9563589-0-5, Little Wings). Prior to publication, the artwork in Hatched, was subject of five solo exhibitions; her writing has since been published in: The Lismoreian an Anthology; Face on Disability Arts in Ireland; Decanto Poetry Magazine.

Corina was the recipient of 2009 Artlinks Bursary; 2003 & 2005 Arts & Disability Award; and 2005 Co. Waterford Arts Bursary.

Using LinkedIn for Job Searches and Networking

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:15:45 +0000

Hello there.

I guarantee you no mention of expenses or politicians in this ezine!

What I will mention is networking given that it is Spirit of Enterprise Week. I’m interested to hear where you network and what works for you. I’ve tried Twitter. I’ve tried Facebook. And, so far, what I find best is face-to-face networking and LinkedIn.

I estimate that at least one-third of my income is generated through direct contact at networks. That’s a sizeable amount of work, so it’s easy for me to invest time in face-to-face networks because it’s financially productive. I invest time in LinkedIn because it’s a network geared at professionals and I use it as a back-up to my one-to-one business-to-business networking.

Twitter and Facebook work fantastically well for other businesses and what I’ve learned in the past year is not to follow the pack. Try a networking channel and if it works for you, go with it. Just make sure you have a way of measuring what works for you, so that you work smart rather than being a busy fool. I’d rather be busy than idle but being productively busy with a measurable outcome is a lesson I’ve made myself learn - and apply!

Wishing you the best in business.

Deirdre

__________________________________________________________________

If you are a business person and you are online, you have surely heard of LinkedIn. In fact, with 19 million users around the globe, the odds are good that you have already created your own LinkedIn account.

What exactly is LinkedIn? It is an online network of people all over the world. While technically, it is one of many social networking sites on the web, LinkedIn is probably the best know and most widely used business networking site. Additionally, while it has similarities to well-known social networking sites such as MySpace, there are also fundamental differences that make it much more useful for business purposes.

So, the next question, of course, might reasonably be, “What exactly is a business networking site?” And more precisely, “Why should I even care and how can it benefit me?” If you are asking these questions, you are definitely not alone! While there are huge numbers of people creating LinkedIn accounts and building their networks, there are relatively few who are getting the optimal benefit out of their effort.

According to LinkedIn’s own explanation, the mission of LinkedIn is “to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.”

Even if you are not conducting a current job search, for ongoing career management and personal branding efforts, any tool that can help you network more effectively and efficiently should be of great interest. Again, in LinkedIn’s own words: ”When you join, you create a profile that summarises your professional accomplishments. Your profile helps you find and be found by former colleagues, clients, and partners. You can add more connections by inviting trusted contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of qualified professionals.”

Through LinkedIn, then, you can search for jobs, you can easily make personal “inside” connections in relation to job opportunities, you can promote your personal brand and qualifications and be found and pursued for job opportunities, and you can form relationships that are critical to your career success and progression.

But remember, effective networking requires reciprocity through developing and nurturing win-win relationships. Through LinkedIn, you will also have the opportunity to help out those in your own network, answering questions, providing relevant leads, and helping them make connections to further whatever their goals are.

In the definitive guide to using LinkedIn for business and career management purposes, “I’m On LinkedIn: Now What?” Jason Alba explains that there are six major benefits to using LinkedIn:

1) The ability to be known and enhance your personal brand

2) The ability to be found by recruiters or other hiring authorities

3) The ability to find others and make important connections

4) The opportunity to learn and share

5) The ability to connect with group members

6) The opportunity to show you are plugged in to current technology

If you already have a LinkedIn account and have an established network in place. Let me urge you to take a closer look at how you are using it. Have you fully explored the features and benefits? Have you enhanced your profile? Have you joined any Groups? Participated by answering the questions of those in your network? LinkedIn is an excellent and very effective networking tool, but only if you use it!

If you have an established a LinkedIn account, but have just let it sit, unused, now is the time to log on and learn how to get the maximum benefit from it. Now-before you are actively job searching-is the best time to work on building up and cultivating your network. And, if you are new to LinkedIn and haven’t yet created an account, there is no better time than the present! The more professionals that use LinkedIn, the more effective it will be.

Happy networking!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nationally certified resume writer, career marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumashttp://www.linkedin.com/in/michelledumas is the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search.

To learn more about her job search products, resume writing services, and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free resources, visit her websites.

Boost your productivity

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:28:08 +0000

It’s September and as good a time as any to re-commit to your business. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the year ahead. It’s a great opportunity to pit yourself against the doom and gloom and instead to link up with people who do want to do business, who do want to get things done and who do appreciate the need to pay each other on time!

I’ve booked in networking activities this term and urge you to do the same. Cut out the middle man and present yourself to potential clients and to people who can directly refer you business. You are your own best advertisement! Remember that if you refer on business yourself, that will enhance your profile and boost your chances of securing new clients.

Wishing you the best in business,

Deirdre O’Flynn
SpellCheck Editorial Services

Barbara O’Connor from Klassy Dress Hire (http://www.klassydresshire.ie) put me in touch with daily tips from Harvard Business Publishing. Here’s a digest of some tips that I have found particularly useful. You can sign up if you wish athttp://harvardbusiness.org/ . Thanks, Barbara!

Before You Call It “New and Improved,” Be Sure It Really Is
Companies love to introduce “new and improved” products. Yet, all too often these new innovations are useful to the company but not the customers they aim to serve. For example, a self check-out lane may help a company reduce the number of cashiers it needs, but may be a hassle for customers who are baffled by the new machines. Before you roll out a new service, feature, or product under the “new and improved” moniker, be sure to understand whether it is something customers want. Evaluate new innovations through the lens of the market - not just the lens of your organisation.

3 Questions to Assess Your Change Readiness
Leaders need to be on the lookout for what today’s quickly changing business landscape means to them and their organisations. Here are three questions to help you face the challenge of change:

1. Do you see opportunities others don’t? Change breeds opportunity. Don’t out-compete your rivals; reinvent the rules of the game by finding new opportunities first.

2. Can your customers live without you? Customers’ options constantly evolve. If your products and services aren’t indispensable, customers are likely to move on.

3. Are you learning as fast as the world is changing? As a leader, you can’t afford to stop learning. Seek out ways to evolve and be humble enough to know you don’t always have the answer.

How to Innovate With Less
Even large corporations need to innovate like start-ups when resources and time become scarce. Here are four tips for innovating in a tough economy:

1. Forget the big budget. Innovation doesn’t have to cost a lot. Rely on open-source software, online market research tools, and virtual prototypes to test ideas cheaply.

2. Test in the real market. Don’t waste time endlessly perfecting ideas before you launch. Get a “good enough” design out there, then test and refine in the market.

3. Skip the business plan. Focus on making the idea happen, not planning every detail.

4. Make decisions and move on. Tough times require quick decision making. Don’t be afraid to wind down ideas when they start to fail. You’ll free up scarce resources for the next good idea.

Jun 09: Blaise Brosnan

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:33 +0000

You are the limiting factor:
Unlocking your True Business Potential
by Blaise Brosnan.

I’ve heard of Blaise Brosnan over the year, a management
consultant based in Wexford whose reputation precedes
him. This book is the result of his Management Development
Programme and is an opportunity to stand outside your own
business and have a good look at it and your own role in
driving it forward and slowing it down.

As with everything else, it’s no good unless you’re prepared
to absorb rather than just read the message. And then apply
the lessons that are unique to you and how you do business.
So, here goes …!

Available from http://www.otb.ie

Jan 09 … Barack Obama

admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:22 +0000

January 2009
What else could I read this month except
Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father.

I’ve just started it, but so far, it’s interesting
to see how his awareness of race emerged,
and his internal struggle to sort out his
identity whilst being uncomfortable with
the stereotypes available to him.

6 Common Mistakes of Social Media Marketing

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:21:27 +0000

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is more than going on social networking sites. It also covers the tools - audio, video, written material and design. Yet to many people, professional marketers included, this is all new.

Here are six common mistakes as outlined by Karen Purves:

1. Large Following
Focusing upon a large number of followers, connections or friends to gain leverage and presence. Building your network with influential people can achieve much more than having a large network of people “grabbed off the page”.

2. Content
Using content that is widely available shows people that you don’t really have anything to say. People are eager to consume information that will help them; offer a new perspective and provide an opportunity to use that in their business or personal lives.

3. Endless Promotional Messages
Sending out endless messages promoting a product, event or service is no different to spam. There has to be a balance between sharing information and informing people of the services you offer.

4. Joining on a whim
We’ve all joined stuff to be part of the crowd. You sign up, arrive and realise you have no idea what you are doing there. It’s better to do some research into a platform first to ascertain whether its appropriate. It will save you lots of time.

5. Social Media Marketing separate
Social media is another string to the marketing bow. To switch your marketing to just social media is risky and will continue to be so for some time yet. The real bonus of social media marketing comes when you integrate it with your existing marketing. You extend your reach. You increase your appeal. You offer more without taking more time to deliver.

6. Social Media is free!
There’s no such thing as a free lunch! Sure, the membership to the sites is free. However, preparing your content will have some production costs. You may need to buy new software. You may need to subscribe to different services. You may need to outsource some of the technical elements. Yes, you can do lots yourself to minimise the costs - but it isn’t free.

The takeaway is for you to be clear about what you want from this opportunity and how it can grow your business. Sure, you can have some success without the planning but you’ll never know what you could have achieved. Take some time. See how you can build the business you want incorporating social media.

About the Author: Karen Purves runs Have More Clients. Want to know more ways to have more clients? Discover how to use Twitter for marketing with a *free* report at http://havemoreclients.com