You are probably either an entrepreneur already or are thinking of becoming one. This manual is designed to help you acheive success in reaching your goals.

Please feel free to contact Steve Veltkamp at steve@bizshop.com if you have any questions at all as you work through this material. I'd also very much appreciate hearing of any successes you have.

Steve Veltkamp is a speaker, trainer and entrepreneur with a passion for freedom through self-employment. Trained as an instructor and qualified as a Master Training Specialist in the Navy, he created Biz$hop. Called a "master of multi- tasking" in Success Magazine, his business ventures include import/export, consulting, publishing, webmaster services, and seminars. Steve is the Executive Director of the Olympic Home Based Business Association, the Global Trade Society, and the Olympic Chapter of the International Webmasters Association. A noted expert on home-based business, he has spoken at national and regional conferences.

Since 1992, Steve has been teaching others how to start a business or make an existing business more profitable. He shares a wealth of tips in each three hour seminar, described by attendees as "info-packed" and "fun." His no- nonsense, down to earth teaching style helps students become free and stop being wage slaves!

Biz$hop, Steve's company, currently has a number of "profit centers" including import/export, consulting, publishing, webmaster services and online auction services.

It's hoped that the above will be seen not as unabashed self-promotion, but rather a real world example of what can be done once you understand the power of marketing.

Never Assume

a. Never assume any of the following:

1. The customer can't afford it.

2. The customer won't buy it.

3. The customer doesn't understand the product.

4. The customer won't buy more than one.

5. The customer won't price your competitors.

6. The customer won't like you.

b. On the other hand, don't assume the opposite is true either.

c. Have confidence in your product or service and the need it fills.

How much can you afford to spend for your marketing? How much business do you want? The two are directly related, but there is a surprise.

The surprise is that it is not how much you spend, but how consistently that counts.

Too many people put most of their money into a splashy large ad, and then are disappointed when the orders don't come pouring in. They cancel their ad campaign for lack of results.

When they do that, they are usually throwing away money. Remember, a steady small ad works better than a flash-in-the-pan big ad.

Key is to develop a marketing budget you can live with, and then commit yourself to it. So commit yourself to a set marketing budget every month.

I recommend at least $100 be budgeted for marketing each month. The first $100 will go to business cards and letterhead. After that, you can use the $100 for small ads, mailings, or promotional activities. If you can afford more than $100 per month, commit more. This is your most important budget item! Once you have the money budgeted, don't shift it from one attempt to another without careful study. It takes steady effort and a long-term commitment to make most marketing efforts pay off.

An even better rule of thumb for those that can afford more than $100 per month is this:

The first year - 40% of all your total budget, total working time and total effort must be devoted to marketing.

The second year - 30%

The third year - 20%

and then leveling off at 10% per year for as long as you are in business.

The core of your business is your business idea, the concept on which all else is built. It needn't be revolutionary - your idea could be a variation on a fast-food burger joint. It should be unique however, so that it stands out from every other burger joint.

It could be that you see the potential to take an ordinary business, such as a carpet cleaning business, and improve it through better marketing or customer service. Your idea isn't that you clean carpets for a living, but in the unique way you plan to attract and retain customers.

Ask yourself the following questions, and answer them in writing in one short, simple English sentence.

What makes my business special? Why should my customers buy from me instead of the competition?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Note that this USP could be a simple slogan that you are going to repeat over and over again - it needn't even be a correct sentence. An example would be 'finger-licking good' or 'mmm, mmmm, good' - both of which have been keynotes of entire marketing efforts of two companies I'm sure you can recognize just by hearing those slogans.

Avoid multi-sentence statements, and complicated terms. It must be stated in simple English - no jargon or doubletalk. Say "We sell for less" instead of "We position our products favorably relative to the competitor's prices."

Anybody - including the most rudimentary of English users - must understand your USP. You must have a firm grasp on this, your central idea, before you are ready to start building an empire around it.

Now, take your answer to the above question, and have it printed in big letters on a big sheet of paper, and hang it over your desk.

It will be the focus of your business, your core, and you must keep it before you at all times.

Some call it a mission statement. I hate mission statements. Why? Most mission statements tend to be full of double-speak and gobbledy-gook that means nothing. Nearly every one, for instance, includes something about "superior customer service," without any hint as to how their customer service will in fact be superior. Almost always, it is not.

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The key to marketing:

Persistence

You must be committed. Commit the money and leave it alone. Plant the seeds that will grow later.

You must be consistent. Why does McDonalds advertise every day on every channel? Is there anyone in the USA who hasn't heard of McDonalds? The marketing message must be constantly reinforced. Your customers will forget you if they don't hear from you.

You must be confident. Most marketing plans take at least 60 - 90 days to produce even minimum results. Be patient, your efforts will pay off in the long run.

On average, it takes 7 to 9 times of somebody hearing or seeing your message for them to be ready to call you.

One of the first things I do when I am called in to help a client with their marketing is create a highly visible, highly useful marketing calendar. It serves as a constant reminder to them of what marketing needs to be done, and how they stand in terms of budget, time and results.

In order to be effective, the marketing calendar can't be stuck away on a computer file, or in a 3-ring binder. It has to be one of the most visible things in the office.Pick the wall opposite to where you most often sit. If there is a clear wall there, great! Otherwise make as much blank 'wall' space as you can. Sometimes I'll unroll some white butcher paper and MAKE myself as long a blank wall as possible, fastening it at various points.

Now, draw a line on it from one side to the other. Be bold. Use permanent marker! If is on the wall itself, so be it. You'll want to repaint this section anyway next year.

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the 'King' of LCHI marketing - he calls it 'Guerrilla Marketing", Jay Conrad Levinson. He has a number of books out, all highly recommended. Here is a good summary article of his advice on marketing.

The New Secrets Of Guerrilla Marketing

By Jay Conrad Levinson © 2005

The most important things you need to know about marketing are in this column. In the few minutes it takes you to read this, you'll learn more basic truths about marketing than you'd pick up with a score of MBA degrees under one arm and all the marketing books ever written, including mine, under the other.

As marketing continues to change, the secrets of guerrilla marketing continue to change. Originally, there were three secrets, then seven, then twelve. Now, I'm going to clue you in on the 16 secrets that guarantee you will exceed your most optimistic projections, however dreamy they may be.

MEMORIZE THESE 16 WORDS THEN LIVE BY THEM.

I'm giving you a memory crutch so that you'll never forget these words, each one representing a major guerrilla marketing secret. All 16 words end in the letters "ENT." Run your business by the guerrilla concepts they represent and your marketing dreams will come true.

1. COMMITMENT: You should know that a mediocre marketing program with commitment will always prove more profitable than a brilliant marketing program without commitment. Commitment makes it happen.

2. INVESTMENT: Marketing is not an expense, but an investment -- the best investment available in America today -- if you do it right. With the 15 secrets of guerrilla marketing to guide you, you'll be doing it right.

3. CONSISTENT: It takes a while for prospects to trust you and if you change your marketing, media, and identity, you're hard to trust. Restraint is a great ally of the guerrilla. Repetition is another.

4. CONFIDENT: In a nationwide test to determine why people buy, price came in fifth, selection fourth, service third, quality second, and, in first place -- people said they patronize businesses in which they are confident.

5. PATIENT: Unless the person running your marketing is patient, it will be difficult to practice commitment, view marketing as an investment, be consistent, and make prospects confident. Patience is a guerrilla virtue.

6. ASSORTMENT: Guerrillas know that individual marketing weapons rarely work on their own. But marketing combinations do work. A wide assortment of marketing tools is required to woo and win customers.

7. CONVENIENT:People now know that time is not money, but is far more valuable than money. Respect this by being easy to do business with and running your company for the convenience of your customers, not yourself.

8. SUBSEQUENT: The real profits come after you've made the sale, in the form of repeat and referral business. Non-guerrillas think marketing ends when they've made the sale. Guerrillas know that's when marketing begins.

9. AMAZEMENT: There are elements of your business that you take for granted, but prospects would be amazed if they knew the details. Be sure all of your marketing always reflects that amazement. It's always there.

10. MEASUREMENT: You can actually double your profits by measuring the results of your marketing. Some weapons hit bulls-eyes. Others miss the target. Unless you measure, you won't know which is which.

11. INVOLVEMENT: This describes the relationship between you and your customers -- and it is a relationship. You prove your involvement by following up; they prove theirs by patronizing and recommending you.

12. DEPENDENT: The guerrilla's job is not to compete but to cooperate with other businesses. Market them in return for them marketing you. Set up tie-ins with others. Become dependent to market more and invest less.

13. ARMAMENT: Armament is defined as "the equipment necessary to wage and win battles." The armament of guerrillas is technology: computers, current software, cellphones, pagers, fax machines. If you're technophobic, see a techno- shrink.

14. CONSENT: In an era of non-stop interruption marketing, the key to success is to first gain consent to receive your marketing materials, then market only to those who have given you that consent. Don't waste money on people who don't give it to you.

15. AUGMENT: To succeed online, augment your website with offline promotion, constant maintenance of your site, participation in newsgroups and forums, email, chatroom attendance, posting articles, hosting conferences and rapid follow-up.

16. CONTENT: Don't believe that old adage, "Sell the sizzle not the steak." Sophisticated consumers these days know the sizzle from the steak and prefer the steak every time. Your substance, not your style, will carry the day for you.

These 16 concepts are probably the reason that many start-up guerrillas now run highly successful companies. They are the cornerstone of guerrilla marketing, now the most popular marketing series in history, published in 39 languages, and required reading in many MBA programs worldwide. Just 16 words, but each one nuclear-powered and capable of propelling you into the land of your dreams.

There are many sources of good advice - and I recommend you gather a Board of Advisors around you that can help you out.

What is a Board of Advisors? It's simply a group of people you maintain a special relationship with, who are able to and have agreed to give you advice on business. You alone must make the decisions. A wise leader, however, listens to counsel before making a decision. You don't have to have a formal name for your Board, or written rules, or anything. Unlike a corporate Board of Directors, there is no liability for the members of your Board and no duties to perform. It is just a resource for you to use as you need.

A good king makes a decision only after listening to his ministers. A good CEO of a large corporation has regularly meetings with Department Heads, and gathers their input before making major decisions. You as an entrepreneur have less of a safety cushion than does a king or major CEO, so advice becomes even more important for you!

Entrepreneurs are a fiercely independent bunch, and necessarily so. Starting your own company is a big risk, a breaking of the dependence we had on a steady paycheck. It requires a tremendous amount of 'gumption,' faith in yourself, and an obsession about your idea. You have to be independent, willing to make it on your own, to make the break from being a wage slave.

Too much independence, however, can hurt the new business. One of the greatest hazards is proceeding without adequate knowledge. Too many entrepreneurs get in trouble because they fail to ask for help or get advice, until it's too late.

We all have weaknesses. You may have been the best electronics technician in the area, but running an electronics business requires a world of skills you may not have leaned. All of us have areas we are weak in. An Board of Advisors can help.

At the very least, consider each of your main business functions. You have got to market, so you need a marketing consultant or advisor. You'll be dealing with money, so an accounting and/or banking help is necessary. If you are producing an item, you'll want an advisor in the field of production. and so on. You'll also want to invite anybody you think is smart, especially those who have a head for business, to be on your Board of Advisors.

Arrange for the group to meet once a month. The easiest way I've found to do this is to buy lunch or dinner once a month. It will cost you some money, but it is money very well spent. The advice may keep you from making a costly mistake, or may propel you to more profits. It is probably tax deductible in any case.

Keep things informal. Allow some socializing, let everyone finish dinner - and then get up and make a very short presentation to the group. What you have done during the past month, what you are working on now, and what you want to have happen during the coming month. Ask for ideas, ask for resources, ask if anybody knows how to do something. Most people love giving advice. Realize that some of it will be bad, some will be good, but some will be 'right on,' saving or making you a lot of money. You are the boss, and have to weigh the advice and make the decisions.

Your lawyer, your accountant, your marketing person, your Internet guru, and your banker are of course likely candidates for your Board. Their advice, because they are familiar with your business situation, can be invaluable. You'll also want to invite others that you think are particularly good at business. If you know any retired entrepreneurs, putting them on your Board gives you a tremendous amount of experience. Employees and owners of other (non-competing) firms are fine. Include as many as you like - you won't get everyone to show up at any one meeting anyway.

How do you get people to be on your Board? Just ask! Most people are flattered when somebody seeks their advice. Explain in a friendly manner what you are looking for. You might even show them this article! A document signed by you that clearly releases them from any risk or liability may make some more willing to participate.

Any compensation for the Board should be informal. Of course, some will be happy just for the free meal, and you'll find the group quickly becomes valuable as a networking club for all the members. There is nothing saying you can't send a check from time to time with a note, saying something like "This is just to return a portion of what your good advice has brought my company. Thanks!" At the very least, send thank you letters. You want these "gurus" to stay!

It can also help if you are trying to go after a bigger project. List your Board of Advisors on your letterhead (with their permission, of course). Now it looks like you are a bigger, well connected, more capable bidder than just you as a one-person shop. It clearly demonstrates you are approaching your business in a very intelligent manner!

Advantages To You

The real value of this Board though is NOT the advice you'll get at the meeting. The real value is in the stream of leads and referrals you'll get after each meeting. The next day, these people go back to work in THEIR worlds, but as a member of your Board of Advisors, they feel responsible for you!! If you have a monthly meeting, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a shot in the arm monthly.

Additonal advantages:
• More information for decision making - you make the decisions, now you can do so wisely.

• Experienced advice - These folks have already graduated from the school of hard knocks.

• New points of view - Fresh perspectives may point to unseen opportunities and clear up misconceptions.

• Access to a wider realm of power contacts - Often it is not what you know, or who you know, but who those people know, that can help you when you need it most.

• Networking - Your Board WANTS you to succeed, and will help you out in a hundred different ways.

The Board of Advisors should be a win-win situation for both you and the members. Starting and growing a successful business can be like crossing a minefield. There are many potential mistakes and disasters lurking unseen. To avoid the mines, nothing can beat the advice of those who have already made it through alive!!

Advantages To Board Members
• Prestige - Everybody enjoys having their opinions valued, and you can acknowledge the help in your literature, on your letterhead, and in your talks.

• Satisfaction - Many successful business people enjoy helping start-ups, and this allows them to do so more than just doling out money.

• Social - The old saying is that it is lonely at the top. Entrepreneurship can be lonely at times, and Board meetings can be welcome.

• Networking - There are professional networking clubs in many cities - what you have done is created your own! The accountant may start using the attorney who may use the Internet guru, etc.

• Money - These are not paid positions, but referral fees and "Thank You Bonus" checks are common.

• Opportunity - You may present a great opportunity to the Board members for investment, or the discussions might uncover opportunities that Board members can capitalize on.

One of the surprising things I've found as I have done consulting to entrepreneurs, is how reluctant many are to ask for advice and help. After all, we can not know everything ourselves, and there are those who do.

I'm not advocating employees, but rather that you enlist people to help you and help your business. At the very least, a consultant with expertise in areas you aren't expert in can help you build and grow your business.

Consultants aren't cheap - on average you can plan on spending about $100 per hour - but you will find it money well spent. In as little as one hour with a good marketing consultant, you can learn more than you could in hours of research, and years of foundering around. You can receive "marching orders" that will set the tone and direction of your entire successful marketing campaign.

Good consultants can be described completely in one very short phrase - "problem solver."

By the way, feel free to contact Biz$hop about our consulting services! Simply the best advice available anywhere at any cost - available to you at very affordable cost.

Every field has their experts, and it just makes sense to use them. They may not even be recognized as such - almost every company has one or two under-recognized experts in their field.

If you are going to be sending out direct mail, ask at the lettershop or use the many resources (including sharp people) the US Postal Service has.

If you are going to develop print materials, ask the owner of a print shop for advice. They may be able to point out ways you can get far better printed material for the same or even less money.

The media has people who can work with you in developing effective advertising, and if you can strike up a conversation with someone in the editorial department, ask them which press releases get used, and how to attract publicity for your event.

Always be in the business of asking customers the following three questions:

1. What did you like best?

2. How can we improve?

3. Do you have a suggestion on how we can reach people better?

Much of your marketing effort doesn't cost money - it simply involves you mixing with other people. It can be quite fun, and your most effective marketing tool. You need to decide on where your networking efforts will be put, and develop the skills to make them work.

If you want to market to business owners, where do you find business owners all gathered together in one place? Chamber of Commerce meetings! Other places might be Rotary Club, the golf course, coffee shops in a business park, etc.

The key is that wherever your target market is, you need to be there also.

The point is that people buy from people they know, and they like to buy from people who share their affiliation. Some churches have business directories on their church bulletins - and people choose those businesses first.

I am much more likely to do business with you if you go to the same church as I do, belong to the same club as I do, or support the things I believe in.

For more on networking, see our Special Report R13724 Using Nets to Capture Customers

The oldest form of marketing in the world, viral marketing is just the new buzz term for what has always been 'word of mouth.' One person telling another they found something good is a far more powerful driver of business than any ad or slogan an advertiser could buy.

Why the new term? No good reason, except that marketers love jargon (just like other professions). It also does convey quite well the way the word about your product or service can spread from one person to another, just like a virus.

Done right, viral marketing is one of the most effective ways of getting the word out - and certainly one of the least expensive.

This may seem like a paradox, but the smaller your target market share, the easier it is to succeed. Don't ever try to be the do-all end-all. Don't try to sell your product or : service to 'everybody', or even to a large group like all women over 30.

There are two problems with trying to appeal to the masses:

* it will cost you too much to reach that audience, and

* the appeal you can make will be too general.

Instead, target your message at a clearly defined group. I would have better success selling to women entrepreneurs of Asian descent over 30, rather than all women over 30 for instance. There are publications that this group reads, Internet newsgroups that they monitor, and associations that they belong to. I can therefore make pretty sure that they will notice my offer when I make it in those settings.

My target group also has some very specific concerns, in addition to those they share with "outsiders" to the group. If I am going to present a proposal to dentists, I can tailor my message to talk directly to the needs of dentists. I would have much less success if my proposal was aimed at the general population. My acceptance rate would go up if I appealed to the health community. But it is only when I speak the lingo, and craft the appeal aimed directly at what concerns dentists, that I acheive the best rate of success.

Define your niche! Capture one group first - you can always expand to others once you get the one.

For more information on niche marketing, read R13800 Niche Marketing

Resources:

American Demographics http://www.demographics.com

Target Marketing http://www.targetonline.com

Mailing list brokers

Publicity is mention of your company not in an ad you purchase, but in the regular non-advertising portions of the publication or broadcast. Publicity is advertising that is free! Actually, it is even better than free, because:

• People tend to believe what they read or see that is NOT clearly advertising.

• You gain a bit of reputability and maybe even prestige because of the media you are mentioned in.

• It multiplies with your other marketing efforts without becoming obnoxious or 'pushy'

• Since it is free, it conserves your capital, meaning you can do more marketing!

Get FREE Media Publicity With Your Short Announcement.

by Dr. Kevin Nunley

"I had never written a press release before and just wanted to let you know that your info on the site was invaluable! I wrote a press release following your suggestions and was published in the major newspaper on a Sunday with a big picture and story. Thanks SO MUCH!!!!!" Stephanie McHugh - The Running Woman Errand Service

Every day radio, TV, newspapers, and ezines give away millions of dollars in FREE publicity. There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the sound of your favorite radio announcer enthusiastically recommending your product, service, or idea. Your good reputation can spread far and fast, virtually over night.

Usually businesses send out press releases to get their news to editors. But there is something many editors like even more: a media announcement. Media announcements are short. They usually have a headline, a paragraph or two with more details, and contact information. That's it.

Here is an example:

***** STARS OF "KIDS ALONE" CHOOSE ROTWORTH COOKIES AT LOCAL EVENT.

Marty and Melda, the stars of the hit movie "Kids Alone" will appear at Rotworth Cookies, 1010 State in Centerville, to explain why they insisted on Rotworth Cookies for the movie. The treats are prominently featured in a key scene and are essential to the film's plot.

Date: Saturday March 3.

Time: 10 AM

Contact: Roger Smith, Rotworth Cookies

555-1213

email@rotworth.com

http://rotworthcookies.com ****

Try your hand writing your own media announcement. You can use my media announcement creator at http://InternetWriters.com/release.htm Simply enter your contact info and a few sentences about your business and--presto--your announcement is created and emailed to you.

Editors like the short, simple, easy-to-grasp format. When you've got 100 press releases crossing your desk, a QUICK message is always welcome.

Use your headline and paragraph to focus on the "juicy" part, as I like to call it. In the example, stars from a hit movie appearing locally was the juicy part. It's the hook that an editor knows will interest many people in their audience.

That last point is the key to getting press. It's not what YOU feel is important, it's what the EDITOR thinks her audience is interested in that counts.

I've learned what editors like over the years. You can be talking with a reporter on the phone and all of sudden you hear a lot of typing on the other end. Bingo! You just said something the reporter likes. They are typing up the story as they interview you. I give the reporter time to finish typing, then proceed with more ideas I hope she'll like.

Most media people instinctively believe they can interest the audience in only a few stories at a time. They know their best bet is to connect new stories to topics that already have the public's attention.

Look for ways to connect your story with topics the media covers frequently. Media love celebrities, scandals, community improvement, and politics. They love science and technology stories when they pertain to our health or scare people (I know, it's a cynical point, but a key factor, especially in TV news programming).

Media especially like local angles on a national or international story. If Congress is about to pass a controversial law affecting cookie production, Rotworth Cookies can get local coverage by explaining how the law will impact its many employees, all who are local citizens known by many in the audience.

All media like controversy, but talk radio likes it most. One smart radio programmer once told me "if talk radio doesn't have controversy, it's dead." TV likes events that are visual. That's why you see the mayor opening a new store with a GIANT key or the CEO of a business giving a GIANT check to a charity. Newspapers deal more with ideas and what people said. Make sure you have some interesting, colorful, or pithy comments ready for the reporter that calls.

How do you distribute your media announcement? Call and tell your news to the person in the newsroom who answers the phone. Then email, fax, or regular mail your announcement. It doesn't hurt to do all three (some editors might get annoyed, but most aren't that organized and appreciate you making sure they get multiple opportunities to use the material).

Above all, make sure you are ready and available to provide more details. The entire point of a media announcement is to get the editor interested and on the phone with you. Many like to email. Provide several phone numbers where you can be reached and an email address you check often. Many times a reporter will call you hours or minutes before deadline. Fail to get back with them quickly, and your story will be skipped.

Some editors may say "send me more information..fast!" Have a press packet ready. This could include an expanded version of your media release. Add more information to it to get a full page press release. Photos also work well if you regular mail them or put them on a web page.

A link to the page can go in your press release. A cover letter isn't necessary, but it's a good idea to include a bio sheet. Tell what your business or organization does, how you got started, your history, and your plans for the future. Be sure to include quotes that could be used in an article or on the air.

Broadcast media--radio and TV--like a list of questions they can ask you. You can also provide the answers to the questions. This can work well for print media as well.

What editors really want is for you to help them do their job. When I was in media, I gave away thousands in free publicity. I never looked at it as giving away publicity, just as looking for interesting stories my audience would appreciate. If a business helped me do that, then I was more than happy to give them a "plug," mentioning their name and product.

Be persistent. Send just one media announcement out and you probably won't get much response. Success comes when you consistently look for ideas or events to tell the media about.

The biggest PR successes haven't come from great stories as much as from small business folks who just won't give up. Take out a calendar and jot down events you could stage over the next few months. It might be an event at your store, one you put on with a local charity, a new section of your web site, or you as activist in a local controversy or cause.

When you first meet a reporter, find out as much as you can about what his/her needs are. Some like news releases, some don't. Many reporters don't mind your buying them coffee, others do.

[___] One of the first questions you should ask a reporter is, "What is your deadline?" Always be sensitive to reporters' deadlines.

[___] Look at each contact with the media as an opportunity, whether it is a positive or negative story.

[___] Release information to the media quickly and accurately. If you don't know the answer to a question, say so and try to find it.

[___] Be as open as possible. This will help develop a long-term relationship.

[___] Return reporters’ calls as soon as possible, preferably within 30 minutes.

[___] Show concern for the reporter's questions.

[___] Make efforts to refer the reporter to the source who can get the information needed.

[___] If you can't release information, explain and document why.

[___] Don't pit one local station or newspaper against another.

[___] Let your media contact know about positive stories, but don't call unless it is an urgent, breaking event type story.

[___] A reporter needs certain ingredients for a news story. If you know what those ingredients are, you will know more about how you can help yourself and the reporter at the same time. You will also be able to sell your stories to the news media better! A good news story may contain one or several of the following elements:

[___] 1. It affects people's everyday lives.

[___] 2. It affects a lot of people.

[___] 3. It pulls on the emotions of the reader..

[___] 4. It involves government waste or savings.

[___] 5. It is controversial.

[___] 6. It involves human suffering or dignity.

[___] 7. It helps those in need.

[___] 8. It is different or unusual.

[___] 9. It has immediacy.

[___] 10. It's subject matter is of national or media-specific interest.

Prepare Your Interview Responses

[___] No matter how much you prepare, you will always get a question you don't expect.

[___] If you don't know the answer to a reporter's question, no matter how tempting it is to give an answer on the spot, simply say you don't know but will find out. When the interview is over, follow through on that promise.

[___] Remember: who, what, when, where, why and how are the essential elements of a good news story.

[___] Ask yourself what the average person will want to know about this story.

[___] Ask yourself what your industry associates will want to know.

[___] Determine three points you want to make during an interview. Stick with those points.

[___] Review, but don't memorize your responses.

[___] Show concern for the reporter's questions. When you do that, you are showing the public you care.

[___] Be sincere.

[___] Correct the reporter if the question is based on incorrect information.

"Off the Record"

[___] The safest bet is to never go "off the record." However, in my seminars and my experience as a news reporter, I have met several people who have used it to their advantage. As a news reporter, I wanted people to give me information "off the record" to guide me in the right direction during my news gathering process. However, many people have been burned by "off the record" remarks. If the answer is "no" to any of the following questions, it's not a good idea to go "off the record".

[___] Do you trust the reporter?

[___] Do you want the information to be made public?

[___] Do you have a clear understanding of what the reporter means and does the reporter have a clear understanding of what you mean by "off the record"?

For example:

[___] a. Giving the reporter background that's not to be used in the story.

[___] b. Giving the reporter background to be used in the story, but not attributed to you.

[___] Can you be sure that your colleagues, competitors, or the target of the story won't guess that you are the confidential source?

[___] Will going "off the record" serve a productive purpose for you?

When the Interview Is Over

[___] The post-interview period is a crucial time. A lot of people make mistakes because they think the reporter has quit taking notes, or the camera is off. Don't bet on it! However, it can also be an opportunity to build credibility with the reporter.

[___] Offer to get the reporter information you may not have known about or had access to during the interview.

[___] Don't make any off-the-cuff remarks.

[___] Don't laugh. The photographer may still have the camera on.

[___] Later in the day, call the reporter and ask if he/she has all the information needed.

[___] Show your appreciation to the reporter when appropriate.

[___] If you liked the story, write a note to the reporter. It's not a good idea to say, "Thanks for the publicity." It’s better to say, "Thank you for your fairness."

The reporter isn't doing the story to give you PR, but because the information will be useful or interesting to the public.

[___] Let the reporter know about other sources of information that can add to the story. Be ready with names and numbers. This will help the reporter get more in-depth, get the jump on the competition, and it will help you build credibility!

What reasons do you have to send out a press release and get publicity? Put your creative mind to work on the problem. Anytime you have something that might be interesting to others, send out a press release. Remember though, nobody wants to read your advertisement posing as editorial - make sure it has interest for reasons other than building your business.

Obviously, you are going to need a computer to be successful in business. There are simply too many details to manage and you will need to stay on top of all of them. You don't necessarily NEED the latest and greatest technology, but you will need a powerful enough system so that you are not limited from using up to date software. I recommend if you are going to buy one, that you get the most powerful one you can afford.

If you already have an older machine, fine, but plan on upgrading before the end of your first year. A laptop, notebook, or subnotebook computer would be even better, considering how mobile you are going to be.

You will need to have a good printer for preparing materials that will impress your prospects and clients. I recommend that you get a color inkjet or bubblejet printer which is capable of 720 DPI or better. Even better would be a printer which allows you to create tabloid sized output in color. Tabloid size is 11 inch by 17 inch . Folded in half, you have the standard newsletter.

Business today operates by fax so you will need either a standalone fax machine or a fex /modem in your computer. You'll want to be able to fax proposals to prospects and clients, receive RFPs by fax and use it to stay in touch. You can also use one of the many Internet based fax services. I use http://www.K7.net. They give you a free fax phone number - anybody can fax you at that number and the fax is attached to email and mailed to you. That allows you to get your faxes even when you are away from the office - anywhere you can get your email now you can also get your faxes. It also saves you the expense of a fax machine, eliminates the need for a phone line for the fax, and it is always on. And it's free.

You'll be doing an awful lot of online work, so I think you need to spring for high-speed Internet access. In most areas, DSL is faster than cable (despite the potential for cable to be faster, the more users the slower it gets). If you are in area where DSL is unavailable, Dish Network now offers high speed two-way satellite systems that work anywhere in the US and much of Mexico and Canada.

First, it is becoming as common for people to ask for your e-mail address as it used to be to ask for a phone number. Many people prefer to correspond by e-mail. You'll also need a modem because of this box:

That box represents how much advertising space you can buy for $30 a month in most newspapers. Not much room to tell your story. Enough to say "Hi" maybe. Certainly not enough to educate the public on why they need you.

On the other hand, $25-40 a month is the average charge to have your own Internet website, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anybody interested in knowing what you can do for them. It's a "no-brainer" - you need to be on the Internet.

You should also have a cell phone, or at least a pager, so that clients can get in touch with you. This is important mainly if many of your jobs will be last minute things, or if clients won't be content to just leave a message on your machine.

You'll want to have your telephone calls answered in a professional manner, so invest in a good voicemail system, or hire an answering service to answer in your name. You will probably want to have a separate line for your business calls, and perhaps a third line for your fax/modem.

If you are going to attract any customers who are outside your local calling area, then I recommend you have a toll-free number. It will definitely increase your sales from those people, and nowadays it is a minor cost if you get it from a discount long distance company.

Need help with your choices? Read our Special Reports on technology:

R30100 Hi-Tech Review

R30200 Computer Buying Guide

R36005 Steve's Software Picks

Even more important than your computer is the software that you will run. A business needs several types, but by far the most important is a program to maintain your customer, prospect and network contact files. You'll also want software for writing, for drawing (for laying out flyers and such), for communications, and for money management.

One of the marvelous things that modern technology has done for the small business is to level the playing field. With the right equipment, the one person business can project just as professional an image as the large corporation.

The arena where the playing field is most even is in cyberspace. By marketing online, you can reach people all around the world for an amazingly low cost. A home page on the World Wide Web can cost as little as $30 a month (in some cases even less!), yet has the potential to reach 30,000,000+ people all around the globe. It allows you room to tell your whole story, as compared to buying ad space in a magazine.

Large companies are spending small fortunes on their Web sites. Yet small entrepreneurs are putting up sites for a few hundred dollars that are better laid out, and more importantly generate more profits than the large company sites.

You need a web site. Given the small cost, it doesn't make sense not to give it a try.

While the Web is similar to a huge catalog or magazine, E-mail marketing is like direct mail. While a Web site is mostly passive, waiting for somebody to look at it and pay attention to what it says, E-mail marketing can reach out and actively put the message in your prospect's hands (or at least in their in-box).

How to do this without making a lot of people mad, without getting "flamed" for "spamming" is the secret.