Friday, October 9, 2009
Copywriting Boot Camp in November
Monday, June 8, 2009
Financial Writing: Scam Proof your Internet Sales/Purchases
Under no circumstances should you accept Cashiers Checks for the purchase of any item on-line. Fraudulent checks may initially be accepted and cleared by your bank. FDIC regulations in fact require it and the criminals know this. You go ahead and complete the transaction thinking all is well. Weeks later you are informed by your bank that the check was a forgery and that you are now liable for the entire amount originally credited to your account. You have then been defrauded of your merchandise and also of cash as you paid for the shipping of the items in question.
I've come up with a good solution for all concerned. Why not get a “Prepaid” credit card from your card company or bank – you pay upfront for the amount you want – say $500.00 – and use this card exclusively for all purchases done on-line. Keeping the pre-paid amount low is additional insurance. You thus compartmentalize the damage that could potentially be done if your card information is compromised. You can “refill” the card as needed. The more I think about it, the more I like this as a secure solution to on-line purchase or sales transactions.
In addition, this solution could also put a cap on how many of those on-line monthly automatic charges we forget that we signed up for. By using a regular open ended credit card, many of which have large credit lines, they have unlimited access for on-going charges each month, usually until your card expires – which in some cases can be as much as 4 years.
The pre-paid card will also work well for those with bad credit or no credit and allow them to rebuild their credit histories over time. The pre-paid credit card also has the added benefit of requiring us to pay, in cash, for things we need. Much better for budgeting and being aware of our spending habits.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Website Front Page Sample for Dog Sitter/Dog Trainer
DOG TRAINING AND PETSITTING BY AMY NOBLE
OFFERING:
DOG TRAINING
PUPPY TRAINING/SOCIALIZATION
PETSITTING SERVICE
Contact Amy at: amy@weyekins.com
Amy Noble, Dog Trainer, uses positive reinforcement/kindness based training. She doesn't believe in punishment or harsh methods to get results with animals. She loves them too much for that.
AMY'S TRAINING IS BASED ON WOLF PACK THEORY
Amy: “ I have spend a lot of time studying wolves and their pack dynamics. My training methods are grounded in understanding wolf pack dominence hierachy and how that relates to behavior issues. Your dog's behavior is closely linked to it's dominance amongst it's pack (aka - your family ). I help owners understand the reasons for their dogs' actions. This is key in learning how to correct undersirable habits.
I have worked with aggressive dogs and severe behavior issues since 1996. I have a high success rate with difficult dogs. Big dogs and Northern breeds such as Huskys, Malamutes and Akita – no problem. From Chihuahua's to Mastiffs, they are all wolves at heart!
One of the things I love to do is to take an “untrainable” dog and work with it for a better outcome for all concerned – This is so satisfying!”
Contact Amy: amy@weyekins.com
DOG TRAINING
“It's a perfect Spring morning, the ideal time for a walk with your beloved dog, Honey. You smile in pleasurable anticipation as you get Honey's leash. She is pleased and excited as well and shows it with eager little yips and front paws moving up and down. By now, you have her so well trained that she sits at your side waiting for you to attach her leash. You give the command to “Heel” as you both head outside into the glorious morning light. Honey walks by your side in such harmony with you that you barely feel her on the leash. No tugging – no barging ahead or pulling. What a joy!
As you proceed on your walk together, you pass other owners and dogs out enjoying the morning. Some of these dogs aren't behaving well at all. No aggression from Honey towards them – No Way! You feel just a little pride in all your hard work together...”
WOULD YOU RELISH THE SAME EXPERIENCE?
YOU CAN - BY WORKING WITH AMY NOBLE
DOG TRAINER
Contact Amy: amy@weyekins.com
Training Classes with Amy offer the following:
Basic Obedience thru advanced Obedience
Clicker training and positive reinforcement training
Wolf Pack Theory
House/Potty training
Off leash training
Therapy Dog Training
Owner training to follow up lessons learned in Class
Amy offers One-on-One Dog and Owner Training
She will take dogs and train them. Regular follow up meetings with owners reinforce learning and keep training fresh.
PUPPY TRAINING AND SOCIALIZATION
A successful partnership with your dog begins with picking the right puppy to match your family's needs and dynamics. After all, your family will become your puppy's “pack”. Amy will visit the breeder/litter with you to figure out your puppy's personality and likely pack hierachy so that a successful match is achieved. No more problems with aggressive Alpha dogs mismatched with humans who cann't cope with them.
Once you picked the right puppy, puppy training and socialization is critical. Dogs are pack animals and being raised without proper socialization can lead to many problems such as aggression towards other dogs and people.
TO SOCIALIZE AND TRAIN YOUR PUPPY
CONTACT AMY: amy@weyekins.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sample of Flyer for Financial Advisor
ANSWER: Taking Consistent, Knowledgeable and Timely Action on your Financial Plan
STARTING TODAY!
ARE YOU ASKING YOURSELF ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS?
I feel I should be doing something rather than just hoping things will work out – but what should I do?
We'd like to buy a home sometime soon – is this the right time?
All the talk of layoffs has me wondering, do I have enough to tide me over if I lose my job?
What about my family if something should happen to me?
I have kids and they will need money for college – what do I do about that?
At some point in the future, I'd like to have enough saved so I don't have to worry about money all the time – how do I get started on this?
THE REALLY WONDERFUL NEWS IS:
With a long time horizon to work with, you are in the best possible position to make wise decisions with the help of a xxxxxxx Financial Advisor as your guide and ally. What today's reality is clearly showing is that investments must be diversified over a wide range of different products – a mix of stocks and bonds, cash and insurance, real estate and maybe gold. Partner with your Financial Advisor in making these critical decisions for your future
.
NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO START!
Start by making an appointment with xxxxxxx, Financial Advisor at xxxxxxx – xxxxx offers a free one hour consultation to review your situation and tell you how she can help you. Also to see if this is the right fit for both of you.
Once you decide to partner with xxxxx, she will educate you about investing each step of the way. Work with you on your long term goals. Get you started on a consistent and automatic investment schedule. Teach you about the level of risk you can accept in your portfolio. You need to be able to sleep at night if the market declines but at the same time you need to reap the rewards when the market is moving higher. xxxx can help you find the right mix.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Your xxxxxxxx Advisor will also help you with the following areas of concern:
Reviewing your employer's 401k and stock option plans
Tax planning and Estate Planning
Risk Management and Insurance needs for disability, life insurance, long term care
Analysis of your current employee benefits and what they mean to you
xxxxxxxx – IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 70 YEARS
The importance of professional financial advice is one of our core values
Monday, April 27, 2009
Article: Avoiding Recession Depression
Words of Encouragement to Women in Business - What Motives and Keeps Me Going During Tough Times
It's all too easy to Join the Recession Depression right now, what with the constant bombardment of bad news from the media, everyone cutting back on their spending and general air of anxiety that pervades our society at all levels. Not to mention news of Swine flu! No wonder we are having a hard time feeling optimistic and motivated in our business and personal lives. If things are going well for you, in this atmosphere of gloom and doom, its can actually make you feel guilty because you aren't suffering enough! We are social creatures and its only natural to feel pulled by the crowd.
So what to do to counteract all of this negativity? I'm no psychologist but am happy to share what is working for me right now.
Look after yourself. This means getting exercise outside in natural light every day – even a 10 minute walk where you are totally present to the wonder of nature can refresh your weary soul and body. Eat properly – you know the routine, get your fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy protein. Take a warm bubble bath and listen to music – treat yourself to playing with your rubber duckies in the foam, just like a kid. Have some fun and laugh regularly.
Limit Exposure to Bad News. Its easy to get so taken over by the Recession Porn (predictions of more disaster and scary scenarios) that is rampant in the media on a daily basis. People even admit to deriving a guilty pleasure from wallowing in all of this. Time to Stop Already! This doesn't mean you have to turn off the internet and TV and live in Wonderland. It just means putting boundaries on how much of this stuff you will allow to pollute your personal space. And certainly eliminate taking on a boatload of more bad news just before bedtime. I used to watch the late news. I now turn off the TV and go to bed an hour earlier and feel a lot better for it.
Get Your Sleep – This one step can make a huge difference in how you feel each day. Anxiety and depression can make getting restful sleep difficult. So get help if you need to with these issues.
Make a plan to do 3 or 4 positive things to attract new business – make a change in what you are currently doing in your business if it isn't working – tweek a few things. Accept what you cann't change – don't beat yourself up, and do your best each day.
If you are thinking of changing careers, now is a great time to do it. You have time to get educated in your new field and be ready to take on new business once things turn around again – and they will!
Be grateful for what you have – we are so privileged compared to so many living in misery on our planet each day. Smile at someone and be kind – This Too Shall Pass!
Written by: Suzanne Elliott – April 25, 2009 Office: (831)429-9126
Freelance Writer/Copywriter and Artist
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tips for Getting Referral Business - Sample of Ghost Writing for a Mortgage Broker Client
Creating Personal Relationships with Your Clients – Consistent, Simple and From the Heart Actions to Grow Your Business
One of the key points is to stay in regular contact with all your clients. I create newsletters, emails or other informational and educational marketing pieces and mail or email my entire client data base with these pieces about 6 to 8 times a year. I keep my data base updated and guard it carefully, as it is a precious resource that keeps generating repeat and referral business for me.
I have always been present at the conclusion of each transaction when my clients are signing their loan documents. This gives me the opportunity to be on the spot should there be any questions or concerns expressed by my clients. It also makes them feel that I care about their business.
A handwritten Thank You note is mailed to each client within a day of the transaction closing. I also send a small gift as part of my Thank You for their business. Clients like to know that their business is appreciated and not taken for granted. After all, they have many others they could have chosen to do business with other than me.
In addition to the points mentioned above, I always operate with the best interest of my clients foremost in my mind. This means full disclosure of all pertinent facts in each transaction. Gentle education of complicated products is very important. No one wants to feel like an idiot because they don’t understand a financial product, so explaining what is involved in ordinary language is huge for building trust and customer relations.
The points outlined above sound really simple, but it is surprising how many people in business don’t do them. Be consistent with these simple things and genuinely care about your clients and you will have a happy business life for many years.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sample: Front Page Content for Professional Organizer
“ORGANIZED AT HEART” - ALYS MILNER, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER
FROM CHAOS TO CALM, ONE ROOM AT A TIME
Specializing in Organizing: Home Offices, Play Rooms, Kitchens and Garages
Picture This:
The chaotic jumble of stuff that was your home office has now disappeared. In it's place you see clear space. The shining surface of your beautiful wood desk greets you and the faint scent of lemon-oil polish wafts through the dust-free air.
Breathing room!
You smile as you contemplate paying your monthly bills. All your bills are in one place. You know exactly where to find them and you know when they're due. No more frantic searching to locate a bill only to find you are late paying it. No more late fees; no marks on your credit report. This will now be a thing of the past. Your shoulders relax, you feel great. All of this is possible because you called
Alys Milner, Professional Organizer, Organized at Heart.
CONTACT ALYS MILNER, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER AT:
(408)921-4816 OR BY EMAIL AT: alysmilner@comcast.net