BE proud of being a HBB

Home Based Business – Your Route to Freedom and Financial Independence
Home based businesses are often considered to be secondary in nature;
But there can be nothing farther from the truth. In fact home based businesses are now currently earning as much or even more than their partners, and with close to 68,000 registered home based businesses many are turning to the work from home concept.
Builders used to focus on the front room of the home being a “loungeroom” now you will find these in the back of the house and the front of the home has on many plans “office”.

In particular this sort of business suits the modern woman does not like being confined a box or ideal.  Nor often she does not want to be the overly ambitious career woman who does not have time for friends and family.
Today, women are looking for jobs that will give them financial independence as well as help them achieve the right work-life balance.  Home based businesses can be perfect for this.

This kind of a career opportunity allows people the freedom to earn a living without compromising on the quality time that can be shared with a family. If diarized and with time management skills a home business can allow you to work at your own pace and schedule, giving a person plenty of time to cook her family’s favorite meals or cuddle up for a movie together, attend a luncheon or function, play golf, join a club or anything that you have a interest in.
Home based businesses also can offer financial freedom.  In many cases this is very important to the modern person who does not like to be dependent financially on another individual.
What was once a niche market today is a normal part of many lives, running a home based business and the trend is only continuing to grow.

This career option also gives women the opportunity to network and make friends. Women love to communicate and share their ideas; hence a home based business gives them plenty of time to connect and bond with similar women.
One drawback is the focus on business during business time, be strict with family and friends they cannot just drop in at the office in town, so make the same rules apply at home, schedule your work time.
If you can make sure you cannot see your home, eg have your garage turned into a office, or place a partition connecting your office to the rooms that you cannot visually see you are home. 

Make sure you stay connected as this aspect to business can be lonely, join business groups and meet up with other like minded home based businesses this gives you the personal connection which is much needed in life to stay motivated and focused and not so lonely, and make a point of dressing for work that also can work physiologically for you to stay in the work zone.
Setting up a home based venture does not require too much investment, and the costs are minimal, hence the returns can be very profitable. There is no longer the stress and tension of having to wake up early, do the household work, take care of the kids and then run out for work.

A home based job allows you to run your life at your own freedom and pace. Above all the personal satisfaction that today’s woman gets in being able to have a career from the comforts of her own home is well awesome.
Mostly though NEVER underestimate the power, the privilege and the for thought you had to start a home based business… it is no longer the way business will do work in the future it is the way business conduct business now.. 
I hate hearing, I am only a home based business, 68,000 people cannot be wrong and you know you ARE a home based business and that kinda rocks…

Profile of Sharyn McCaskey and MDVS Business Services

MDVS Must Demand/Deliver Value and Service.

Sharyn McCaskey‘s passion is in the training sector and loves watching light bulb moments of her clients, then seeing that turn into motivation and passion for their own said business or jobs.

Her mantra is to exceed every client’s expectation and is genuinely available for support and advice 24/7.

What MDVS Business Services can offer you is training and support, both in group seminars and in direct one to one coaching.    

With over 15 years hands on experience in small business herself and over 10,000 clients to date, including the police, sheriffs, bailiffs, individuals, small and micro businesses, the corporate sector, not for profit groups and politicians we know and are so proud to have supported many in the business community.


Subjects include: 

• Marketing 

There are 100s of ways to market your business, many of them AT NO COST.
75% of the marketing dollars you spend is 100% wasted

• Customer Service 

Turning a negative complainant into a positive will also turn that client into the MOST loyal of all customers
Imagine if your clients felt so welcome in your business that they went off and promoted YOU.

• Social Media.. focusing on Email Newsletters and Facebook

Is the way of the future ... "find us on Facebook logos" are everywhere
It is FREE
5 mins can and will increase your client base GUARANTEED
FB is easy to use..  it is networking ON LINE and it GETS YOU BUSINESS.

• Networking

It is not scary once you know how easy an opening line can be
Is very easy to learn

• Phone Sales

If a person calls your business, you already have 99% of the sale completed.
How you handle that call will determine if you turn it into a sale

• Debt Collection and Legal Action

The ONLY debt collection seminar in Australia
15 years experience as a debt collector I can share with you methods that:-
Gets you Paid FIRST and Works in ONE phone call


Seminars are run regularly for either 3 or 7 hours and can be tailored to your INDIVIDUAL needs.
They are always FUN, INFORMATIVE and above all they have a 100% money back guarantee!

Holding a Work Place Trainer and Assessor Certificate IV, Sharyn is constantly researching and learning about new business practices for her clients and herself. 

She also holds credentials in Debt Collection and Accounting, Customer Service, Marketing, An Advanced Diploma in Counselling and studied Business at St Joseph’s Business College in NSW.
                                              
She is the current South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Women of the Year, and holds a number of awards including a finalist in the South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2011and is the Winner of the 2003 Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award.

 A very active participant in the community and believes that you have to give in order to receive.  She has actively participated in a number of committees including, Tourism Rockingham, Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, Spring Festival, Rockingham Theatre, Safer WA and Musselfest.

Further for her community work she is a finalist in the 2001 for the Rockingham Rodeo and a winner in 2003 Australia Day Awards for the Rockingham Spring Festival of which she was a team member she also holds numerous certificates for volunteer and community work.

 Sharyn is the author of the following useful and easy to read Business Support Manuals:

• How to Network Effectively
• Successful Telephone Etiquette and Telephone Sales, Including dealing with a tele-marketing centre
• Finance In Business – Complete guide to all your accounting needs in Business, from Set to and including Effective Debt Collection and Taking Legal Action.
• Customer Service that will Increase Your Profits
• Effective and FREE Marketing Ideas - that will increase your Profits
• How to make a success from your Home Based Business:- Including Basic Marketing, Customer Service, Telephone Sales, Time Management, Accounts and everything to help you run your business.
• Time Management Skills
• Social Media Marketing:- Facebook and Email Marketing for your business
• 40 Tips for using Facebook as a effective business tool.

    LET Mdvs Business Services SHARE their KNOWLEDGE WITH YOU.

Feedback on my seminars can be found on www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
.... and the best thing is my seminars are covered by the $200.00 government rebate training scheme.

MDVS Business Services is a well respected micro business that specialises in business training programs; their focus is on quality of work and support to their clients.


Contact Sharyn McCaskey Co Director and Trainer,
mdvs@iinet.net.au or www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
Your telephone call is most welcome on 08 95292828 or 0408 863331.


What are others saying about the seminars… there are many more on www.mdvs.com.au or on Facebook.

Pauline Bright
Thanks Sharyn for a brilliant Facebook workshop - NOW I get it!!! Facebook is my newest best friend now that I know how to use it... practising like crazy...watch me go!!!

Carol Frieling Rhoden
Had a great time meeting everyone today at the marketing seminar....some great ideas from all and good interaction..Thank you Sharyn McCaskey


 Sharyn was a great speaker she made everyone in the room feel welcome, she made everyone feel like what they had to say was important, Sharon was really easy to get along with and made the day a fun experience!  Everything Sharon talked about was relevant to everyone in the room, if some thing was not relevant or did not make sense Sharon would advise a 1 on 1 chat after wards which was great! It made me feel as though she actually cared and you weren't just “another business’ to her.
Jade, aged 17 accounts girl at TNT Motors
Via - Zarina Bingham 


Valandon
Feeling a little down with your business and needing a " pick me up "? Then get yourself on one of Sharyn McCaskey's Facebook or Marketing seminars - doesn't matter which - at MDVS Business Services in Rockingham, We did! Guarantee you will find it Hilariously enjoyable and very very informative. Guarantee that you will come out from the seminar re-invigorated, enthused, and with new marketing ideas for your business just poping out of your ears. Wowee!!


‎Linda Fisher of Telf Promotional Products would like to thank Sharyn McCaskey of Mdvs Business Services for the excellent seminar on Facebook - learnt a LOT of very useful information, if you haven't done the course it's a must!

OH NO MY FACEBOOK PAGE IS GONE……………

Could you imagine anything worse, losing your have photos, articles, recommendations, videos and links. It is a fear carried by all of us.

I just backed up my site by going to https://www.backupify.com
Before signing up I conducted a Google search and typed in .. “is backupify a scam” and could not locate a negative.

The cost to protect my sites was NIL. Plus I also had a physical reaction after that was done and actually let out a big breathe, I can only imagine the impact of losing your page and I now feel I have taken in part a step to at least be as protected as I can be.

The FREE option I understand is VERY limited and once this initial offer expires, anyone signing up after this will be charged a fee, the talk is around $3.00 to $12.00 per month, but as I understand it, if you sign up for free it will remain free.

People have taken the time to like your page… so they want to know what you are doing and what you can offer them, don’t loose those contacts.

If you think it cannot happen to you, and then I can introduce you to at least twenty companies I personally know who can confirm it does.

If you get a virus and you have to reload your entire computer, it could be that you may have affected your facebook page.  Nothing is 100% safe.

Every time a new fan likes my page, I have searched their page and located their email, and created a database of “fans of Mdvs Business Services” that way if it ever goes down I can also email and ask them to relike a new page.  But at least now I feel I can restore my old data.

So what can you do?
OPEN an account with Backupify.  Backupify offer back up services for your social media accounts, including facebook, twitter.  Up to three accounts are free; there are paid and unpaid options on this site, but I strongly suggest you look at the site and judge it for yourself.

The services that Backupify currently support are:
Gmail Twitter Facebook Flickr Photobucket Google Docs Zoho Basecamp WordPress Blogger Hotmail Delicious FriendFeed
Once you’re signed up for Backupify, the service performs scheduled backups at one of the 10 online services it supports, requiring only that you provide the login information for that site you’d like backed up. After you’re set up, Backupify ensures that your information is never deleted.
Please do your own research on this product and if you use the computer as your business lifeline as many of us do, please invest the time of about 15 minutes to research and the 5 minutes to sign up with this or any other back up service that offers support and protection.

For all your facebook marketing needs, set up of accounts, profile tabs and seminars on how to market on facebook, please contact me anytime.

Sharyn McCaskey
Director - Mdvs Business Services and Training
Winner – Women In Business 2008  South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce
Bendigo Bank Regional Small Business Awards
08 95292828     0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE - KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

How to keep your fans ENGAGED on your FB Business Page

Keep Fans ON Your Business’s Facebook Page

I recently removed a number of businesses from my personal page, my wall was getting to busy with content that dictated to me … I hate be told to shop with someone….
We are open from this to this.
Come and like our page
If you want to have this then buy it
 
Social Media is simply that SOCIAL…
We are bombarding FB with adds as a statuses and that was not the interest of the readers.

There are a number of reasons why people leave a page.
They only liked you because of a competition
They feel dictated to
They feel you post to often and everywhere
The information is not interesting to them

Basically we forget that people are on facebook to ENGAGE in relationships

The best way to describe your business on facebook is going to a networking function and meeting and talking to new and existing clients and building a relationship.. with some marketing thrown in. THINK when you are at a chamber function do you walk up and say like my page, or our opening ours are, so when you are posting visualise yourself IN FRONT of a person and write what you would say to a human being.

NO longer is FB business pages about how many likers it is about how many are “talking about you” that number is listed under the number of likers on your page.

When using the facebook page for promotion for www.facebook.com.au/shakespearewa
We had 224 likers and a average of people talking about us was 190,  www.facebook.com.au/MashMentoringallsmallandhomebasedbusinesses  has 249 fans and 85 talking about it .. and they is a great number.

Why You Should Care:
Facebook has over 200 million active users and it is growing every day

It is one of the most trafficked websites in the world along with Google and Ytube

If you think your customers are NOT on FB then think again..  the fastest growing demographic is women 35 and older, in my district of Rockingham Western Australia, 73% of my community have a FB page.  If I told you .. you could market your business at NO COST to this amount of clientele would you not jump on it…

With over 75% of posts in business on FB wasted… DO not become one of those… THINK prior to posting
Am I engaging?
Am I seeking a response?
Have I simply posted to post and not thought about what I want to offer or say
Is my post boring?
What is this that is truly interesting to my clients?
I have posted this once on my site, do people hate double posts?  Yes they do.

Business Facebook Pages also have a DIRECT link back your Search Engine Optimisation ranking.
In order to get a response you also have to be active on their pages and respond accordingly to their posts.. business ALL business is not a one way street.

How do you get your fans to engage with your Page?
That all depends on your audience and the subject matter of your Page but the basis of why and how is the same…
When you engage a fan, you solicit a response or action from him.
Here are some helpful hints to encourage fan engagement through your content:

• Show your human side.
All work and no play makes for a very dull Page.
Share what you did on the weekend, share your opinions on subjects.. keep away from religion, politics and sex.  People like to share the more human side of life.   Include photos, videos and people love kids and animals.

• Ask your fans what they think.
Be direct and ask fans what they think of your organization, new product, or position on a topic. For example, Perth Auctions asked their fans to comment on ways to improve their website.

• Tell your fans how much you appreciate them.
Thanking your fans for their questions or complimenting them on their comments can go a long way. 

• Highlight a success story.
Talk about a fan’s success, shout out well done’s and congrats to other businesses.
Many companies on Facebook run a Fan of the Month promotion

• Share your tips and insights.
People are always looking for information that helps them. Sharing helpful tips is some of the best engagement around and offer this as a gift.. with NO agenda. As a person involved for years in debt collection I will often share tips on this subject… my book How to Network is freely available on my notes section of which I cut and paste into the wall every few months.

 •  Provide links to relevant articles and research.
You don’t have to be a prolific writer to be valuable to your fans. By posting links to relevant articles, videos, resources, and research you become someone they source information from

*  If it has worked before do it again
Carol from Urban Retreat Day Spa often posts up videos of herself offering brilliant promotions that are often sold in the hundreds… she simply films herself on a small hand held camera, or phone and uploads it straight to facebook.

Your Facebook database is an incredibly powerful marketing asset. You should be aiming to grow the number of fans of your business page, at the very least, you should be looking to retain the fans you already have.

But they already “Liked” your page, so you shouldn’t have to do much to keep them, right? Well, as it turns out, this is a very dangerous mistake to make.   VALUE your fans… and your customers and they will stay and continue to participate in your business.

Another study late last year, revealed in that survey that the top 4 reasons for fans hitting the “Unlike” button were
companies posting too frequently (44%),
fans' desire to get rid of the clutter of marketing posts on their wall (43%),
content becoming repetitive or boring over time (38%),
and that fans only “Liked” the page to take advantage of a one-time offer (26%).

With these daunting percentages, it may seem like the odds are stacked against you when it comes to retaining your Facebook fans. However, there are many things that you can do to avoid high “Unlike” rates.

Look at other sites you are active on… why are you staying on that site…
Many pages WORK … many people have very unrealistic ideas that if they have 200 fans then why don’t they have 200 responses, that is simply never going to happen, the average you expect to react would be 5-10%, just because someone does not respond does not mean they don’t react, studies show that the majority of people are lookers… so you can expect a further 60% to know about your status.

Remember people like humour, people like to feel appreciated and people want to achieve something out of every relationship

Be interesting
Be engaging
Be FUNNY
Ask questions
Be relevant
Be personal
Be honest
THANK people for comments, photos
Use photos, videos
Use the note section on FB
Are you operating on the 2 posts personal about you or your business and the 1 post business theme.. studies show this works best.
Take a real look at your post.. a honest look … and ask yourself.. if this post was on another business wall would I CARE.
 
Sharyn McCaskey
Is a FACEBOOK MARKETING EXPERT
She is an award winning and well respected business women
Email her on mdvs@iinet.net.au
www.facebook.com.au/mdvsbusinessservices
She is a certified trainer and is a author ….

Her passion is helping business NOT WASTE TIME or MONEY.
0408 863331 or 08 95292828

Making the Most out of your Stall at a Trade show or Expo

Making the Most out of a Trade show or Expo

Showcasing your business at an Expo can be a brilliant way to promote your products and service and to attract new clients.

The direct contact you have with potential clients of whom you can read instantly if those clients are:-
3.         Simply lookers and takers of everything and everyone      (could buy from you)
2.         Interested parties who could be potential clients        (may buy from you)         
1.         Keen to be involved in your business..                             (Will buy from you if treated right)

Having this direct and instant result means that an investment in both time and money in an expo can be beneficial to your business.


ONLY go if  

• You send your best and happiest staff to the expo or go yourself if you can…
• You set up your stand with a trestle table between you and the attendees, always have the table to the wall so that your stand is inviting people in with NO barriers, if you have to have the trestle table in front, then YOU stand in front of your display not IN it.
• You do not sit behind the table reading a book or paper
• You don’t have the same stand, competition and guide as everyone else does.
• You always have a happy and genuine smile and interest in each person.

And that you MUST … MUST follow-up with those you meet at the expo..
I am shocked at how many times I have asked people what happened to all the data of information of potential clients that you attracted during the expo… “I put in my filing cabinet” or “I put it in my computer”   have you contacted them… “Oh no I have been to busy” 
Seriously don’t go if you are not going to follow up on a least your HOT leads.

• Make sure the expo suits your business
• Request as much information as possible about visitors and where they are marketing to and in what media, radio, newspaper, social media etc… (who they are, what their roles are, whether they are decision makers, what vertical markets they represent etc.);
• Set a budget and DON’T over stock and over do your stand, less is more
• Come up with something that will make you stand out from the crowd, I own a complete set of exact replicas of the Four Ned Kelly Armours and on display they stand out dramatically, we do lease them out to clients if you are interested, call me to ask for details.
• Launch a new product
• Remember to make your exhibit inviting;
• Put your best people on the stand and have a meeting PRIOR to the event so that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them.
• Don’t do the hard sell, you are there to make contacts, and later you can contact your number 1 keen interested parties to follow up on selling your product/service.
• Be energetic, engaging and smile; and be genuine.

Remember that people who go to the expo have an interest in what you are promoting and in many cases they have paid an entrance fee to enter the expo, these are by their very nature interested parties.    This then makes expos and business fairs a great investment for your business.

Unlike other marketing campaigns and newspapers adds expos offer a face-to-face opportunity with a very high attendance of potential customers.  It can be a long weekend and it is tiring but the benefits of walking away with a business deal and new potential contacts in just a few minutes is brilliant.

How can I get my business to stand out?

• Make your exhibit welcoming, less is more and keep it simple, bright colours always are attractive and do not place barriers between you and your clients.
• Dress up your stall in a U shape if you can.
• Be well presented and dressed properly yourself, including grooming, not to much perfume/after shave.
• Wear a uniform if you can, something that identifies you as the stall holder.
• Have your most engaging staff or yourself as the hosts of the stall.  Be prepared with why would someone want to do business with YOU
• Always be attentive, genuine and smiling.
• If there is more than one person waiting to speak to you, excuse yourself from the client you are talking to and take a phone number of that interested party.  Then call them on their mobile when you are free, or ask them would they mind waiting, ACKNOWLEDGMENT is the KEY
• Remember your goal is to make a connection not a friend who you will chat with all day, so once you have the genuine connection offer to call that person during the week and use that time to invite them to your business or answer any more questions they may have had and PHONE them within a few days at the most of the expo.
• Avoid the words competition or promotion, people are savvy to now know this is purely to capture data… be honest and ask do you want to be contacted after the expo, people prefer to deal with honest and upfront businesses.
• Use facebook to ask your fans…. “what would make me stand out at a expo, can you offer ideas that are different to the norm in order for my stand to STAND OUT”
• Photos and roll on videos are brilliant especially if they are bright and engaging.

Don’t forget to also say hello and introduce yourself to those around you and engage them, they are your potential clients and can also refer business your way, especially if they are in the same industry but are not competitors to your business. 

Go around the expo if you can and obtain the cards of other stall holders and contact them during the following week and introduce yourself, say something about the expo and how perhaps you would like to connect with them at the next one or even now if advantageous to your business.  ALWAYS REMAIN POSITIVE and if you can recall anything about their stand, make a comment about it. People love to be acknowledged and appreciated.


Tips for the EXPO
         Can you get a list of all the stall-holders prior to the event, this way you can perhaps market to them first, especially if you are a sign writer.
         FOLLOW UP any potential clients the following week after the expo.
         Don’t forget everyone else at the show, the workers the other stall holders etc,  Promote your business to everyone –
         Keep your costs DOWN – use a x promoter for prizes and fliers.
         When you book your stall ask for a corner spot.
         Make sure you have enough pens, brochures, fliers, business cards and display items for the weekend, including blue tac and pins – held at your stall, not in your car, try never to run out of anything.  BOOK your brochures etc at least one month prior to the event so that the printer also has time to finish the order.
         Make sure you see a layout of the event prior to booking your stall so that you are not tucked into a dark corner.
         Think of the layout and how the people will enter and leave the expo, make sure your stall is on a busy “road”.
         Does the event cover insurance for stall holders or do we need our own, if they do cover it, MAKE sure you see this clause in the contract.
         Find out the rules about signage outside your stall and can you use A Frame advertising boards OUTSIDE your stall.
         Can you walk around the expo handing out your fliers – some expos say NO, and watch over the weekend that people just don’t turn up and hand out their fliers to anyone and everyone.  I have seen this often, people who have not booked a site attend a expo and just walk around and drop fliers and handouts either on tables or to patrons, this is not fair to the ones who have paid for and booked a stall. That is why a lot of expo and fair co-ordinators do not allow this any more.
         what is the number of patrons that you are expecting, how many years have you run this event, how many people attended last year
         Is there a brochure or advertising book going out with this event and is my site included in this manual and/or advertising book at NO COST to me.
         What advertising are you doing for the event itself, to bring patrons into the event.
         Is there an entrance fee, if so how much, how many free tickets will you be supplying, how many tickets will my stall be able to take.  This is because you can use it on your newsletter to send out to your clients INVITING them to the event to see your site at no cost to them.
         Is there a discount for me attending this show – as a first time attendee as a stall holder. 
         If there are a number of shows that this business does, eg some shows travel around the country.  These shows offer two paid stalls and one free.  Such as paid stall in Sydney and Melbourne and your site in Perth is FREE.
         If you cannot offer me a discount what can you offer me to make me want to come on board with your show, what extras or incentives can I get. If you don’t ask you won’t get, these extras are always made available in the expo organizers budget for the savvy people who ask.
         Does the site come with signage, tables, cloths, chairs etc.  IF not ask for it to be included in the price.
         Is there a seminar room that you could have one hour of the time to showcase your product – at no charge to you. Including the advertising and announcing of this seminar in the event program.
         Does the site come with side walls, if not then do you supply partitions – are these free standing, can we have pins with them, what colour are they, this is important especially if you have a colour scheme with your branding.
         What size stall do you need pace it out in your office or lounge room, think what do I want in the stand, often the best size is a 3mtr x 3mtr, but they do come as small as 1mtr squared, up to a big marquee.  If you only need a 3 x 3 when purchasing the stand of the expo, ask for a 6 x 3 upgrade at no cost to you, the worst they can say is NO. 
         IMPORTANT – a static display, this is a display of your brochures, fliers and information, it is displayed on stands but NOONE is in the stall,  THIS IS VERY INEFFECTIVE  as people do not take these items unless they are very very interested, people usually just walk past these stands.
         Do you need electricity if so will it be a generator or in house, do you get this included in the price, and do you need to bring an extension lead.

And MOSTLY
Contact your leads within five days of the event’s end date


Writen By  
Sharyn McCaskey
Company Director - Mdvs Business Service and Training
Off Line Marketing and Facebook Marketing Expert
Winner – Women in Business 2008 South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce Small Business Awards
Finalist – Micro Business Operator 2011 Rockingham Kwinana Chambers of Commerce
08 95292828                          0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au                  www.mdvs.com.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE –
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Friendships and Business DO THEY MIX

Business and Friendships DON’T always mix
Personally being a process server destroyed a business association I had.
Sharyn McCaskey
24th February 2012
 
I am a firm believer that business and friendships usually go hand in hand, that if you know and trust a person in business, and then as much as you can you use that person.

I also believe that if there is a chance that you can cross promote a person or business you should take that opportunity.

There is also the question of when a client turns into a friendship and does that change the dynamics of the business relationship.

Mostly friends as clients and visa versa works, though in rare cases I’ve seen it backfire and hurt a persons brand or reputation, in my case I was so vocal at promoting a particular business that when it stopped so abruptly people were left to their own perception.

Few associates know that I have a second business that serves court papers for unpaid debts, and/or other family court matters. As the subject matter can be delicate, I keep this business discreet.

The person I was promoting did brilliant work and to my knowledge always paid their bills. The issue was not with my associate it was with their new partner.

I made a promise to my associate that my business would not serve papers on their partner; I also made a decision to halt my relationship both professionally and personally, as I felt it was in an ethical dilemma.

“But I don’t understand why we can’t still work together” I was asked, because in the end the loyalty and relationship you have with your partner trumps any business association.

I do have many friends who I do business with. If I need their service or product then I am pedantic at making sure I follow the protocol as if I was a client.  I ring for an appointment or booking and I don’t ask for discounts. I value and respect they are in business to make money.

It is the same when I am conducting business training, if I am dealing with friends then during my interaction I treat them as if they are clients, I act professionally, including how I talk, the discretion I keep in what they share about their business and even to dress professionally if in work mode.

At a recent business forum someone asked, “I have a friend who is a hairdresser but I don’t really want her cutting my hair, but if I go somewhere else she gets upset and it causes a rift in our friendship, what can I do?”   Another stated “I have the same issue; I don’t want to use my friend who is a printer when I can get it cheaper elsewhere”
That discussion created such interesting debate.

So how do you know when to cross promote, when to work with someone or when to walk away. If you say no to cross promotion does that friend become an enemy.   What happens if you have two friends in the same field how do you handle that when each party expects you to work with them?

Debt Collectors, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, Accountants and Book keepers are in a separate situation, each one deals with money and many people do not want others to know about their financial situation.

There are exceptions to this rule but it would be correct to state that 70% of people will not use someone they know in the above fields.   The same could be said for marriage counsellors or counsellors in general.

My understanding is Chiropractors, Doctors, Dentists and others in this field are not ethically allowed to treat their friends.

So when do friendships cross over, I have been going to the same butcher for years now and he knows my name, he is always polite and we have had some great conversations, the question is, is this friendship or excellent customer service.

I started to really look into this, and thought I would offer these suggestions

1.         Always be professional when dealing with a client, no matter if they are friends or not and be genuinely pleased to see them.
2.         Always get a written contract or at the least write down your expectations. A contract protects both you and your client and your friendship.
3.         Don’t play favourites, or if you don’t do it in front of other clients. That can be from the way you treat a person in front of other clients, to the way you may “push” a friend’s job to the front of the line.
4.         Be consistent with all your clients,
5.         Make sure your invoicing is sent out as per normal.
6.         When working avoid the friendship talk, and make it know you are now talking business, say something like, “ok now time to put on our business hats, and lets get to the point of that ……….” Sit up and change your posture, it will be noticed.
7.         Clients don’t work with people they don’t like know and trust, unless they have no choice. So remember to never take it for granted and say thank you for being a client
8.         Connect with them on social media and interact
9.         Be on time and diligent no matter the task. If you run into problems, the client is the first you notify.
10        Simply respect them and don’t disrespect them.
11.       Don’t ask for freebies, because you know someone in business, value that they are worth what you would pay if you needed their service but did not know them personally.


Friendships can work in business, and business can work in friendship, one just has to set boundaries. Be very clear about expectations and outcomes.  That is why written confirmation of what is the job, service, product, client contract or role is always more beneficial than the verbal.

There are going to be times when things don’t work out, it is how we handle those situations that will affect our outcomes for our business.  Always try and remember to breathe and take a few days break from an issue before reacting, that way you avoid overreacting.

DEBT COLLECTION LETTER THAT WORKS.... use it to collect money that RIGHTFULLY belongs to you... from MDVS Business Services

DEBT COLLECTION LETTER THAT WILL WORK
Please Feel Free to USE it and copy it and share it.
This letter should be your FINAL contact prior to legal action
If you have any questions PLEASE contact

Sharyn McCaskey – your debt collection specialist
MDVS Business Services
95292828 or 0408 863331


PLACE YOUR LETTERHEAD HERE…


Customer
Address 1
Address 2


Dear

INTENTION TO SUE and PROCEED AGAINST YOU

We refer to previous invoices/communication where we have endeavored to recover our outstanding funds and advise we still have not received any payment or reason for the delay.

This is your last chance. Please understand this is not the action we wish to take but you have ignored all avenues of arranging payment to this date.  We would like to give you a final opportunity to make payment.  We hope you settle this matter forthwith.

Failure to do so will leave us no alternative but to pursue this matter through the Magistrates Court of Western Australia..  To avoid this we demand a payment within 48 hours delivered to our address, failure to make a payment for the full amount will result in the following:

A Magistrates Summons will be issued against you.

• Upon Judgment this can default your National Credit File for 5 years and will have you listed as a credit risk, which can severely hinder your future chances of obtaining finance.
• All court fees will be added to the account already owing
• The charges are
• Filing Fee                                $76.00
• Bailiff/Claimant Service Fee   $45.50 (plus traveling fee  $1.15 per km
• We are also able to claim interest under Section 42 of the Supreme Court Act
• After Judgment we can claim further recovery action and your costs will continue to escalate till the debt and all the costs are PAID IN FULL.

Upon Judgment we the plaintiff, have the following options available to us to recover the Judgment Debt:-
A:   Ask the Court for a Property (Seizure and Sale) Order – This is an order you obtain to seize and sell as much of the judgments debtors real or personal property as necessary to satisfy the judgment t debt.  This can also include real estate in the judgment debtor’s name.
B: Or we can request a MEANS INQUIRY – an arrangement to pay off the debt in installments.
C:  If we proceed to a Means Inquiry and the Judgment Debtor still does not pay, then we can apply for an Earnings Appropriation Form.  This is an order requiring an employer who pays a salary to the Judgment Debtor to then pay a portion of those earning to the Plaintiff, which in this case will be us.

We look forward to your response and hope to resolve this issue prior to us taking this action, the next step we take is up to you, we hope to hear from you today.


Yours faithfully