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The Business Elite Services is THE essential toolkit for small businesses.  This complete package includes virtually everything a small business needs to decrease costs and increase profits, including:

TEXT MARKETING

Text marketing allows your to communicate with your customers, but with the enhanced power and reach of text messaging.  Instead of one out of twelve people reading your message, as is the case with e-mail, you can have eleven people out of twelve read your message when set as a text?  With Business Elite Services you have access to your very own text marketing service at no extra cost.  You simply select a "keyword" that you can promote to your customers (and the general public), and then evey time someone texts that keyword to our special Short Code (55469), they will be added to your own database.  Once they are in your database, you can then send a message by text to your ENTIRE list whenever your want with a click of a button.

WEB CONNECT

Business Elite Web Connect allows you and your business to instantly share your desktop and ideas online with everyone, anywhere.  This invaluable tool can be used to collaborate ove the Internet with customers, business partners and coworkers.  Hold meetings, give presentations and conduct trainings without even leaving your office.  With zero restrictions on usage and its ability to host up to 100 participants per conference, Business Elite Web Connect lets you do more and travel less.

TECH SUPPORT

Business Elite Tech Support services provide consumers and businesses with peace of mind when it comes to their computer and technology support needs through a comprehensive suite of technology support services that include: onsite technical support, remore technical support, self-help support, and state of the art best practices assessments.

EXCLUSIVE VIP DISCOUNTS

With a network over 150,000 merchants nationwide, you would enjoy up to 50% off on dining, shopping, travel, car and RV rental, hotel stays, condo stays, recreation, golf, ski and snowboard, and more.  From local favorites to the world's best brands, you can save BIG with your Business Elite VIP Discounts membership!

You may be a small business, but you don't have to appear that way.  Sign up for our Business Elite Services and take your business to the next level.

Take a look at the Business Elite Services:  http://youtu.be/7A4UQGxnWX0

Sheila Caldwelll

Network Marketer

Build your business with a great Credit Card Merchant Account.  Participating in the Every Swipe Counts program not only helps important causes, but it's also good for your business.  Signing up is quick and easy, and includes these great benefits:

• Best Rate in the industry - Starting at .95%
• $100 Switching/Sign-up Bonus
• Free Every Swipe Counts Signage
• Increased Customer Loyalty
• Every Swipe Counts Program Partners: Susan G. Komen for the Cure and ASPCA

Get Started and Sign Up Today!

http://youtu.be/XQc-loIxITg

Sheila Caldwell

Network Marketer

http://sheilaccaldwell.getwwn.com/

Learn how to generate more leads, and more cash for your business, WITHOUT having to spend all of your valuable time reading expensive marketing courses, then you’re in luck...

http://sheilaccaldwell.getwwn.com/

Learn how many top earners literally have endless distributors hunting them down with credit card in hand.

http://www.sevenfiguremastermindteam.com/caldwellbusiness

Sheila Caldwell

Network Marketer

It’s time to spring clean. 

Hurry pick up day is April 14, 2011

I’m cleaning out my blog closet.  You know how hard it is to let go. Has this ever happened to you?  You give something away, and just when you give it away you have a need for it!  That is what makes it so hard to part with our possessions.
However, I do believe you cannot will not have an increase unless you make room for it.  So I’m making room.

Twitter Fast Start
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Twitter-Fast-Start.pdf
Twitter Guide
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/twitter-guide.pdf
Facebook for Business
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Facebook_for_Business_HubSpot_Nov2008.pd
12 Essential Tips for Social Media
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/12-essential-tips-for-socail-media.pdf
50 Things Your Customer Wish You Knew
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/50-things-your-customers-wish-you-knew.pdf
Bob the Teacher Build A Six Figure Income
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Bob-the-Teacher-build-a-six-figure-income.pdf
Geting Everything You Want
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Getting_Everything_chapter1Jay-abraham.pdf
How to Promote Your Business
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/how-to-promote-your-business.pdf
50 Power Marketing Ideas
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/50PowerMarketingIdeas.pdf
10 Free or Low Cost Coachng Resources
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/10_Coach_Resources-free-or-low-cost.pdf
25 Confidence Boosters
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/25-confidence-boosters.pdf
Wine List
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/WineLists-FREE-092209.pdf
Tasting Notes
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/TastingNotes-Grapevine.pdf
Place Setting Image
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Placesetting-Map-001-218×300.jpg
Science of Getting Rich
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/thescienceofgettingrich.pdf
PLR Secrets
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/PLR-Secrets.pdf
Quirky Calendar
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/QuirkyMarketingCalendar2010.pdf
Selling Simple Info Online
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SellingSimpleInfoOnline.pdf
The Jack Rabbit Factor
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/the-jack-rabbit-factor.pdf
Clickbank How to Nicole Dean
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/clickbank-how-to-nicoledean.pdf
Uncover You
http://graceandcharmblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Uncover-you-Free-report.pdf

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As women we are nurturers and love to serve others.  We carry these same traits over into our businesses and sometimes we find it hard to create a happy medium with doing what we love and earning a great income that meets our needs and is aligned with our purpose.  If you're like me, in the past I've struggled with setting prices that allow me to be all I desire to be for the people I serve, earn a living that creates the lifestyle I desire, as well as help me to live out my purpose.  I've seen this same struggle in my clients and other women entrepreneurs  I've put together 6 tips that I've learned and also share with my clients that will help you in setting prices that reflect value!

1.) You most definitely can earn money doing what you love!  The key is to overcome the barriers that you may have surrounding money, finances, and you're worth! 

2.) It's important to understand and be in the mindset that you are offering a service that creates value for your clients/customers for many years to come. In addition, you've invested many years and a lot of time in studying and learning your trade and that knowledge is invaluable!  That's something you can't place a dollar sign on!  

Think about it, if you provide marketing services for your clients and it helps them to attract an extra 50 customers to their business, you've created tremendous value for them.  That value can be more exposure, an increase in revenue, more traffic to their websites, etc.  The marketing tips they've learned from you can be used many times over and in turn produce more money for their businesses in the future as well.

3.) When you begin setting prices first determine how much you want to make.

4.)  Assess the amount of income that you would like to make: Is it enough to pay your bills? Will it help you carry out your life's purpose? That purpose can be to help others, give to the needy, open a basketball camp, or start a non-profit organization.  Whatever your life's purpose, does the prices you set help you to live out that purpose?

5.) Think about what you may need within a 1 year period:

  a. How much money is needed to pay your bills?

b. How  money will it take for you to live comfortably or live the life you desire to have? 

c.Do you want to contribute to a charity or any other cause in a year? If so how much?

d.Do you need to set aside money for retirement?  If so you need to be able to contribute to a retirement plan… how much do you need to contribute per year to be able to have live comfortably after retiring (you can talk with a financial advisor to help walk you through this)

e. Do you need to contribute to a college fund for your kids?

Now calculate these numbers and what you will have is something similar to your salary plus the perks you would probably have working for someone else.  So why not experience that and more working for yourself?

6.) You provide a service, so your time is just as important when determining how to price your service. Here are some things that you might be spending time on: time taken to sell a service, other tasks within your business operations such as paperwork, running to the office supply store, talking to potential clients,etc.

Basically in addition to selling a service or product, you are also selling your time, and your invaluable skills.  Your price should reflect that!  The above are just a few things to think about when you are considering what to charge.  You want to make sure that what you charge covers your expenses and then some.

  Well it's a new year and you still have not started your new business. Don't worry you are not alone, there are many people considering the idea but don't feel as though they are up for the challenge. However, I want to reassure you that there is no better time than the present, ask yourself an honest question, how do you know what will or will not be successful if you never try? Now, having said that, all you need to do is really think about what type of business you would like to own and operate. One of the best ways of doing this is finding out what types of services you can offer or think about the skills that you may posess, seriously what do you have a passion for? Are you great with people? If so perhaps you need to offer some type of service to people. Are you great at applying make-up, or are you always in the know when it comes to the latest fashion? If your answer is yes then you may want to consider some type of consulting business.

 All of these are just small suggestions,however the most important thing is that you decide to do something that you love and it produces the results that you desire. So,no more excuses, you are worth it and you can accomplish anything that you set your sights on.

Women of Persistance Purse Group

Featured in Essence

These money savvy sisters joined the A Purse of Your Own Campaign and are paving their path to financial security.

• They paid off thousands of dollars of debt
• Invested more in retirement
• Refinanced their home
• Are learning how to invest

How?  They started a Purse Group and committed to meeting monthly,offered each other support and held one another accountable.  Ladies you can do this too!.... Sign up for a free Purse Group Quick Start Guide.

In This Edition 

The Debbie Allen Dance Academy  Debbie Allen/Norm Nixon

Parenting Corner  Gaetane Borders/President Peas In Their Pods

THE CARSON SCHOLARS FUND  Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Carson

5 W's...who? What? Where? When? And Why?

The Kid-too-Kid Foundation Inc.   William Taylor

Big Kidz Foundation    Antwan "Big Boi" Patton

Men Aiming Higher, Inc.  Darryl Barnes

YBH (Youth Becoming Healthy) Project  Pamela Green-Jackson    

FOCUS  (family,outreach,community,unity & schools)

Hospitality Corner   Sharon Fox

“Mop Top” the “Hip Hop” Scientist. ?  Jackie Johnson

The Educational Pledge Partnership Alberto O. Cappas/Miguel A. Montes

 My Whole life with Autism  Lucas Torres-Lee

Monthly Treat  Pat Holmes

Celebrate Diversity in April!   Eddie Simpson  Fabulous Black Woman/Sweet Nature 

I Desire More  Paula Whitebear-Burton  

“Poem Dedicated to our Young Generation”   Alberto O. Cappas

 Thank You For Your Amazing Missions For Communities Near & Beyond

As an entrepreneur, I'm sure you have a website. And if you have a website, I'm almost certain that that's where a lot of your clients/customers find you, especially if your business is solely online. Because of this, it is vital that the copy on your website is fabulous.

Here are seven tips to help:

1. Don't use too much copy. When someone visits your website, they don't want to have to scroll on and on and on to get your message. People are impatient and want to know what your business can do for them, and they want to know quickly. So, make sure you're not putting too many words on one page, and be as concise as possible. In other words, get your point across quickly!

2. Keep it simple. When you're writing content for your site, keep your audience in mind. You want them to understand what your business is about; so, if you must use industry terms, make sure you explain them. Also, keep your sentences short, and use paragraphs (i.e., blocks of text). Do not make one really long paragraph; no one is going to read all that.

Click here to read the other five tips...

Life can be full of many surprises. We struggle with issues such as finances, children, spouses and work.  How do we balance it all? Have you felt overwhelmed and wanted to just give up?

I know I have many times in my life. I felt like I had hit a wall and there seemed to be no solution. I was actually breathing, but not living. But my defining moment was when I realized that it didn't have to be this way. I met a woman who literally changed my life. She told me that success can only be achieved two ways. 1. You had to have the right vehicle and 2. You needed a mentor/coach to show you how to get it done.  She continued to tell me that if I already knew how to create the life I wanted...I would have already done it. I needed someone who could see over the fence further than I could. I needed a partner, a support...I needed a coach. If Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time and Tiger Woods the greatest golfer of all time, needed a coach...then why not you, she said.

Even Oprah and Donald Trump both have coaches.

Afraid and a little nervous and skeptical, I took the plunge. What could happen? I could lose some money...but I was already not earning enough money. I could waste my time...I already didn't have enough time in the day. So I took the risk, invested in myself and the rest in history.  Now I want to offer  you an opportunity to do the same. If you knew your life would change in the next 90 days, how much would you be willing to invest.

So, here is my invitation to you:  Give me a call, text, or e-mail and let's find time to connect in person, by phone, for my "RePower Your Life Coaching Session".  In this session, I will help you identify areas in your life that you want to RePower for change.  And I am doing it for a one time introductory price of Only $125. This 2 part session (45 minutes each) will help you layout a plan on how to move your life closer to your desired results.

I only have 3 slots available for this incredible offering and they will go quickly.  I am looking forward to hearing from you now. Email me at coachlakeisha@gmail.com or text message 678-799-0580.

LaKeisha Hankins
Life Reposition Coach
Exuding Radiance Life Coaching
www.ExudingRadianceLifeCoaching.com

Stay connected

http://www.facebook.com/lakeishahankins

http://www.twitter.com/lakeishah

http://www.linkedin.com/in/LaKeishaHankins

http://www.LaKeishaHankins.com

http://eepurl.com/dh4H6

Almost nine years ago when I moved to the Raleigh/Durham area, I have made it a habit of reading Triangle Business Journal (TBJ). Little did I know that keeping up with the articles in the journal would assist me as a network marketer.

Attending this year's Garner Business & Consumer Expo allowed me the opportunity to network with Circulation Sales Executive Elizabeth Horning. Why was our meeting each other important? Because I now have a local business connection and I was given insight on how much value TBJ brings to the community.

We all know how important it is to help others and sincerely receive help from others. I've noticed that a lot of people claim they want to help you but it seems the more help they give you, the more business opportunities you have to sign up with. Triangle Business Journal knows that there are people in our area who need assistance and they are truly here to help.

For starters, there are seminars provided FREE of charge, on a continuous basis. One upcoming seminar titled "Smart Jobseeker Seminar: Learn how to use Triangle Business Journal as a tool to jump start your career!" or how about "Smart Networking Seminar: Connect with power and make the most of your time with leaders." To top it off they have an upcoming seminar called "Smart Reader Seminar: Learn how to use Triangle Business Journal as a tool to find leads." TBJ provides something to peak everyone's interest!

It is amazing that I have been reading TBJ for nine years and with one conversation I had a whole new prospective of the journal. I see how TBJ really wants to see the citizens of the Raleigh/Durham area succeed. Much success to you Elizabeth Horning and the staff, you really are an asset to the community.

This is my insight for you and if you are in the Raleigh/Durham area make sure you continue to read or begin reading and supporting Triangle Business Journal.

 Who needs a contract?:

First, let's discuss what type of small businesses would need a contract.  Any business that is providing services as an independent contractor like an event or wedding planner, buying or selling goods without an established distributor, distributing equipment, or selling or leasing  real estate. You also need a contract if you have partners, employees or even selling your business. Having a contract would first guarantee your services to your customer and THEN ensure that they pay you! Also, with business partners, things can somtimes get sticky so you want to make sure everything is divided properly, to avoid nasty break ups :).

What exacly is a contract?:

Now, what IS a contract, you ask? Well, The World English Dictionary defines a contract as the following: "to enter into an agreement with (a person, company, etc) to deliver (goods or services) or to do (something) on mutually agreed and binding terms, often in writing." In order for a contract to be valid, both parties need to sign and agree on terms listed in the contract.

What type of contracts are there?

There are two different types of contracts. First, there is an Oral Contract which is when people speak on the terms and conditions of the business transaction. Contrary to popular belief, these are legally binding contracts. The only thing is it is harder to prove who said what in a court of law.

The second type of contract is the Written Contract. This is the most common type of contract and obviously easier to prove in the court of law. Usually a contract is written to determine the job that needs to be done and what is going to happen after that job is done. If the people who are involved with the contract, do not keep up their part of the bargain, they can be sued. 

What should it say?

Well, there are several contract-writing softwares out there that can help you with the actual wording of the contract but I will give you a general idea. Remember, you want to be very specific about what is said in the contract.  Unless you are a lawyer, you don't have to use legal terminology you just have to be clear on the expectations of both parties.

You want to make sure you have the following features in your contract:

~Date of contractual agreement and expiration of contract

~Name of everyone involved- i.e. customer, owner

~The services taking place for the contract- i.e. Company agrees to decorate Customer's house by 5/6/12.

~The payment amounts and DUE DATES- i.e. Initial Deposit, Amount Due after decorating is done

~Any interest that would take place if the payment is not made on due date

~Expiration dates for the contract

~Terms and conditions if contract is broken- i.e. If either party does not adhere to terms on contract legal action will take place

~Terms and conditions for someone to cancel or break contract before due date- i.e. If Customer breaks contract before job is done, the deposit is non-refundable. If Buyer breaks contract before job is done, the Customer will receive their deposit via mail.

~Signature of both parties

If you include all this in your contract, you should be fine! All grounds should be covered. Make sure you go through every aspect of the contract with your customer, answer and ASK all questions. Do not assume that they understand all the terms of the contract. Make sure you also review your state's laws on contractual agreements. They might have certain things that must be stated in the contract.

Lastly, at the end of the day, if you're still unsure about the validity of your contract or NEED that legal terminology included, then consult a lawyer. They will be able to help you ...for a small fee.

For online resources or sample contracts you can visit these sites:

morebusiness.com

allbusiness.com- sample contracts

businessnation.com - sample contracts 

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com 

www.businessadvice2011.blogspot.com

Do you desire to be a better mom, wife and/or friend?

Longing to step up to your purpose and manifest your Authentically Brilliant Diamond Life and/or Biz?

Feel like you’re doing everything possible to uplevel your life but are not getting anywhere?

Are you being held back by dis-empowering habits?

Wish you could experience a transformational coaching program to take you
to a new Dimension in your life?

I have great news for you.

I’m giving away a few partial scholarships to my Total Transformation – “A Journey to Wholeness” VIP coaching program.

You see many times we spend so much time on the external and neglect to manage the internal. Without mastering your mindset, overcoming disempowering habits etc. you may sabotage any endeavor towards empowering success.

Here’s the gist…..

I have a heart for single moms and often cry for how many may be experiencing challenging times right now. I really felt it when I watched the gas prices increase to the place that they have.

While preparing for this phenomenal program I thought what can I do to encourage more to connect with me for support?

Here’s your opportunity to take advantage of partial scholarship to the Silver Level
of my Total Transformation Coaching program.

Opportunities for partial scholarships in the uncategorized area whether you're a single mompreneur or not.

Read more here

Vendor tables still available..Contact Tara Colquitt via Facebook