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the 2010 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide
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Now Available!
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Featured Article
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How Do You Put a Price on That?
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Quote of the Month
| "Like farmers we must learn that we can't sow and reap the same day." - Unknown
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Mission Statement
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 Words of Wisdom E-newsletter will attempt to always deliver sage advice and tidbits to assist you in your business and personal growth & development. Our purpose is simple; support, encourage and supply. In an attempt to provide you with quality content and I welcome your feedback.
As always any tips you would like to share would be welcome
additions. Email me at ginger.marks@documeantdesigns.com with any comments, articles, or tips that you would like to see considered for inclusion.
If you would like to have a featured advertisement on this
newsletter contact me as instructed above with
'AD:' in the subject line. You are always welcome to visit
and leave your comments on Words of Wisdom Blog at
http://gmarks.wordpress.com/.
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On A Personal Note
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Welcome back to Words of Wisdom Ezine. This month finds me well entrenched in my WWOOF.org adventure. It is utterly gorgeous with the stark contrast of mountains and valleys. This is now my third trip here and I can tell you, I love it here. If you have ever thought about touring the world, and want to meet the people, rather than getting caught up in the touristy route, perhaps a WWOOF adventure should be in your plans.
How Do You Put a Price on That? is the featured article this month. For those of us who have a difficult time deciding what the answer to that question is, I know you will find a suggestion or two that will help you do just that.
I hope you find the information, as always, informative and useful. It is for you and the benefit of your company that I continue to offer this Words of Wisdom Ezine.
Wishing you a God filled day!
Ginger Marks
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How Do You Put a Price on That?
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Do you have trouble charging what you deserve for your
services? For most business owners setting a price point is not an issue. Since
they sell a physical product, they usually are provided with both the wholesale
and the suggested retail rates, at point of purchase. But, what about those of
us whose only product is ourselves? A novice, service, business owner usually
has no clue how to determine their rates.
 Realize that your first consideration should be for time and
then for training. Usually, there are also items like software or hardware
costs that you should factor into this equation. What is the difference between
a $3,000 and $100 design? It comes down to one thing, what's between their ears.
How much experience do you already have? Your expertise is gained only after
many years on the job. Did you just finish college or are you going out on your
own after many years on the job?
As an example, an auto service professional fresh out of
college has not yet trained their ear. Whereas, one who has been working with
cars for many years will have the ability to listen to a car and immediately
know where to look for the problem.
All that said; a new service business owner must begin their
research by looking at the range for their profession. You don't want to under
value yourself or you will end up feeling overwhelmed and abused. Not only
that, your potential customers may become leery of the quality of service they
can expect to receive.
For every profession there is a range that has been
determined. One good place to find this information is through your
profession's society, e.g., Accountants-The National Society of Accountants,
Fee Study Report. Another resource you many find value in is your local
college. A recruiter/counselor can usually give you a good idea what rates your
field can bear.
Then there is the Internet. Check out Ask.com or eHow.com. Look
at your competition. They usually have a rates sheet either online or available
for the asking. Don't be afraid to let them know you are doing this as
research. They will either clam up, or be grateful that you won't devalue the
profession by setting your self-worth at a ridiculously low rate.
Once you know the range how you determine which side of the
range you are comfortable with is to look at the other items I mentioned
earlier; software, hardware, experience, and expenses. Some will choose hourly
rates, while others may work better with flat rates. This choice is up to you.
As a graphic designer, I find that a combination of the two works best for my
clients and me.
Know that with time and experience you will improve. At that
time, you can and should reevaluate your fee structure. I suggest you do this
at least once each year.
© 2010 Ginger Marks
Ginger Marks is the author of the 2009 & 2010 Weird
& Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide, your business-marketing calendar of ideas
available at http://www.HolidayMarketingGuide.com
in eBook and quarterly re-brandable booklets. To find out more about the
WINning Sisters visit our website at http://www.WINningSisters.org.
Feel free to join us for the weekly chats hosted on Skype on Wednesdays
12:30-1:30 p.m. EST. To learn more about Ginger and her businesses visit http://www.DocUmeant.net or http://www.DocUmeantDesigns.com.
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Tip of the Month
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5 Tips for Renewing Yourself as a Leader
Take a time-out each day. Put a "Gone Thinking" sign on your door and don't let anyone disturb you.
Pursue hobbies and interests outside your business. They'll provide
relaxation and may inspire creative ideas that you can feed back into
the business.
Take a vacation or a sabbatical. (But first, make sure you leave the company in good hands!)
Spend time with your family. Kids provide a refreshing perspective.
Brought to you by SCORE, America's small business mentors, at www.score.org. Ask SCORE
Until next month...
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Subscriber Feedback
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I love to cook so could you give me the Dirt Dessert recipe you mentioned in your article? Love the articles, keep them coming.
Barbara Bodling
Pretty In Pink Womans Ministry
Barbara,
You should have the recipe by now. (If those of you reading this don't know what Barbara is talking about be sure to read last month's ezine in the archive.) I am happy to hear you are enjoying your monthly issue.
Ginger
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When we take the time to do
little things each day to grow our business, it will grow, for sure. So few
people are committed though, and blame everyone and everything else for not
being able to do well, instead of realizing that in fact they are the ones
usually at fault for not committing to doing little things each day
to build their business.
Mirdza
www.AbundantEnergyHealthclub.com
Health. Fitness. Energy.
I hope you are learning much and implementing the lessons learned in the WOW Ezine. If you enjoy it, why not tell your friends how to get their very own copy? I would love to hear from you how WOW Ezine has affected your business and you.
Sending in your comments guarantees you free marketing! Get your business' URL listing absolutely gratis by sending in your comments today. If you have comments or questions that you would like to see included, or even a suggestion for a topic, please contact me at ginger.marks@documeantdesigns.com with the word 'Feedback' in the subject line.
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Classified Ads
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 Now Available in PDF, MobiPocket & Kindle!
The 2010 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide, Your business marketing calendar of ideas.
Available on MobiPocket, Amazon & Lulu for $19.97 http://www.HolidayMarketingGuide.com
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Pre-order your copy of the Third Edition, Presentational Skills for the Next Generation, by Ginger Marks. Available in both print and eBook format. This third edition is filled with even more presentational tips packed between the covers and still available for $19.95.
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Thank you for spending a few minutes with me. I welcome your feedback and support. Until next month.
Sincerely,
Ginger Marks
DocUmeant Designs
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