Who are you calling?

Who will you be calling today?

The National Do Not Call list and your small business.

The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) will launch Today September 30, 2008. Scott Kendall, The Technology Coach sent the following e-mail. I thought it was so helpful that I asked if I could share it with you.

The Do Not Call List is designed to reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls and faxes Canadian consumers receive. Key facts for Small Business Owners!Telemarketers are those who make calls or send faxes to sell or promote a product or service, or to request donations. Exempt telemarketers include registered charities, newspapers, political parties, as well as organizations that conduct market research, polls and surveys.

Are YOU a telemarketer?If you make calls or send faxes to sell or promote a product or service, or to request donations, then you are a telemarketer."But I only make warm calls, Follow up when clients / customers request it or I was calling because I was given your name as a referral!"According to the CRTC "Telemarketing" means the use of telecommunications facilities to make unsolicited telecommunications for the purpose of solicitation.But you might be exempt! Click here to read my Blog this week and find out if the rules apply to you and under what circumstances.

Scott Kendall

The Technology Coach

www.TheTechnologyCoach.ca

scottk@thetechnologycoach.ca

Office 905-366-8234

To discuss how to market your business without phone calls, call Cheryl Rankin, Fit For Business at 647-287-0320.

Cheryl Rankin

Fit For Business

647-287-0320

info@fitforbusiness.ca

http://www.fitforbusiness.ca/

Do it right the first time!

When we try to rush to get things done, many little things go wrong which slow us down. In the majority of situations like this we actually have to redo our work.

My son came home the other day very upset that the teacher did not like his title page that he completed in less than 1 minute. In the evening, when he started the project he said "it will only take a couple of minutes". We suggested he slow down and do it right the first time and not risk having to redo it yet again.

His finished title page looked great and it did not take as much time as he imagined.

Slow down!
Do it right!
Your attention will focus on the project!
Your productivity and accuracy will go up!

Whether it is recording a new business contacts phone number in the correct spot the first time or filing things in the correct place - do it right the first time and watch your business grow.

Check our web-site for upcoming info on "Shape Up Your Sales" workshop and consultation. This sales training workshop will help small businesses grow.

Cheryl
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Routines

Wow! It is September and everyone is getting back into school routines, fitness routines, but have they also figured out their business routines.

Little things that can make a big difference in a business success can easily slip through the cracks whether life is just busy or whether things like summers and vacations get in the way.

This blog has not received any attention from me since the start of the summer. It is part of my marketing and communication plan so in addition to consulting my clients on routines sometimes I have to consult myself.

To get your business in a routine -
1. Determine how each duty impacts the big goal.
2. Clarify how often this duty is necessary.
3. Who is doing each duty?
4. What is the most productive time to do the duty? Phone calls at lunchtime and dinnertime usually produce lower results. E-mail newsletters sent on Mondays get lost in the weekend in-box.
5. Schedule in the duties - be sure to set any electronic schedules to repeat. Write it down for this week and all the weeks until Christmas.
6. Set up a reminder system - do you send yourself an e-mail whose delivery is delayed until the correct time? Do you have it in your daily schedule that you review daily? Do you have a business buddy who will check on you?

Routines can increase the productivity of all apsects of your business - start today! Do not wait for tomorrow.

Call Cheryl at Fit For Business if you need help clarifying your business plan for the next few weeks.

647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Great Promotional Product

I attended 'Powernetworking' lunch meeting yesterday and won a door-prize. I was extremely impressed with my prize from Janet Auty-Carlisle of Living La Vida Fearless. Janet is a life coach who always says that she helps people talk about, deal with and plan for the 'elephant in the room'. In other words she helps you with your big challenges.

Now that prize - it is writing paper made from Elephant Dung. I am not joking - elephant dung. The purchase of this paper actually helps protect elephants in Thailand. There was even a pen that looks like a branch with an elephant on it.

Too many business owners never bother to find a good match for a give-away or a door-prize. Janet has found a product that totally matches her business and her philosphy.

Thank you so much for the gift Janet.

If you need help choosing the right promotional item, please call Cheryl at Fit For Business 647-287-0320.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
info@fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Emergency Preparedness WeekEmergency Preparedness Week is May 4th to 10th. What do you need to do?

Good evening -

How ready are you for an emergency? Michael from Business Continuity & Recovery Services sent me this info that I want to share....

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 4th to 10th. What do you need to do?

Once again Emergency Preparedness Week is coming up. This is a national, annual event that tries to make people aware that there are things that they need to do to prepare for an emergency.

The Canadian government publishes pamphlets and checklists that outline what steps families can take to prepare themselves to respond to an emergency event in their community.

The government suggests that you prepare to survive on your own for 72 hours. This means having enough food, water, supplies and other personal items that you need to continue without assistance for at least the first 72 hours after an emergency declaration.

I would recommend that you actually prepare for a longer time frame as the emergency services will be busy handling the emergency and restrictions of your mobility may be put into place. There will be difficulty in getting groceries and other supplies into the stores and you may not be able to get to the stores at all depending on the nature of the emergency.

Don’t forget your pets during an emergency, they need food and water as well. Also should an evacuation need to take place, you will have to consider where you will go and how your pets will be received and taken care of.

More information can be obtained at the Getprepard.ca website, including downloadable checklists and other information.

Michael Wilkovesky (http://www.continuityrecovery.com/)

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
http://www.fitforbusiness.ca/

Tradeshows

Tradeshow booths can be very expensive for a small business budget. Have you tried just attending the tradeshow? Recently I attended two tradeshows as an attendee and I made some great connections and came back with some hot leads.

Walk the tradeshow floor slowly. Say Hello to every booth worker / owner. I sugges entering every draw. If you think one booth is a possible client for you then ask them for more details about what they do. Hopefully you get a chance to introduce yourself but if you do not then end the conversation with "I would love to talk to you more about your products and maybe at that time I can tell you about mine" and hand them your business card.

Any incoming e-mails or phone calls from the vendors, I always thank them for their information and then send them mine. I have started some great business relationships this way.

Be sure to phone any of those leads within a week.

If you can not fit a tradeshow booth in your budget then squeeze in the admission price and go as an attendee.

Call me if you need some help deciding which tradeshows to attend.

Cheryl Rankin
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Getting In Shape

Fit For Business helps people get their business in shape (grow it to the next level). Cheryl had an article published in Fitness Experts Magazine that gives everyone fitness tips and business tips so that both parts of your life get healthier.

To read this article - http://iclaro.com/users/17237/downloads/fit_for_business%20jan%2008.pdf

If you prefer you can go to our web-site - www.fitforbusiness and look under news for the article.

We would like to remind you that the better your health is the easier it is to grow your business and the better your business is the easier it is to squeeze in your workouts and relaxation time.

Please read this article and give us feedback on how helpful it is for you. In appreciation of your feedback, we would like to offer you a complimentary phone "Brainstorming For Business" session ($100 value). E-mail your feedback to fitforbusiness@rogers.com .

Have a great business day!

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca