An Editorial

I read this article and was reminded of how much we reveal about ourselves in our writing, if readers are truly paying attention. My OMG moments within this article are indicated in bold.

Author's point #1 was omitted intentionally. It's not nearly as juicy as the following four points.

Author's point #2: "Love your business more than your family. Put business first. Always! If you're not fully focused--if family, friends, community and church fill up your busy weekly schedule--you are probably failing to deliver real profits for your company. Your cell phone is for taking orders from clients, not storing grocery lists. Weekends are for work. Pray at your desk if you must. Your business is not a part-time job. Be there or be broke!"

Author's point #3: "The best family business has one member. Face it, blood and business don't mix. Profits will always be better when you're not keeping an extra sibling, spouse, child or in-law on the payroll. More than 60 percent of the small businesses we work with are family-owned, and that's where most of their problems start. Fire 'em! Cancel your kid's membership to the lucky sperm club. Keep your family squabbles at home, even if you have to pay relatives not to be there. Then change the locks on the office door. You'll save money in the end."

Author's point #4: "Don't treat sales like your mother-in-law. Don't view sales as an unwanted guest. Focusing on sales is the easiest way to grow your business in good times and sustain profits in bad. Get out from behind your desk and shill. Take names. Build a customer database. Breathe down the necks of your sales team. Go out on sales calls. Foster your own relationship with top customers. The era of easy sales may be over, but there's plenty you can and should be doing. Stop being fat, dumb and happy."

And finally, the author's point #5 (and it's a doozy!): "Give up golf, retreats, off-sites and trade shows. Golf is the biggest waste of time. Trade shows and retreats are just an excuse to goof off and schmooze on the boss's dime. Ban any activities that take you away from the office or a sales call. Business owners kid themselves that hitting the fairway is an opportunity to network, but they're wasting thousands in country club dues and missing important phone calls that could lead to more sales. Eliminate these distractions from your life. Let the competition play golf while you steal their customers."

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Can I just say a big, "WOW"?

There are so many layers here, but to make this succinct, here's my commentary:

In direct conflict with the author's sentiments, succeeding in business often involves establishing a vital support system including family, friends, social engagements and FUN!

I do agree with the last sentence of the article: "Commit to doing whatever it takes to make your business a success, and everything else will take care of itself." Our ways of accomplishing this task are obviously vastly different, but as the headline above says, "Empowerment comes In ALL colors."

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Bargain vs. Value: Are You Sabotaging Your Business?

Honestly, who doesn't LOVE a bargain? 50% off tags make our eyes boggle and an arduous quest for the perfect _______ is forgotten when, at some unexpected moment, we find our treasure at a deep discount. Ah, in those moments, all seems right with the world.

The word "bargain" relates to the price of something; specifically a low price.

What about "value"? And what about a distinction between the two? Are these words significant in the application to business services we delegate to freelancers?

Bargain. Value. Hmmmm.

Lord Byron had a few thoughts on the subject of bargains:

"A bargain is in its very essence a hostile transaction. Do not all men try to
abate the price of all they buy? I contend that a bargain even between brethren is a
declaration of war."

It sounds like Lord Byron spoke from experience. Why else would he be so impassioned? "Hostile transaction. Declaration of war." Those are strong words.

When hiring pros to make their valuable contribution to the success of our businesses, rarely do we look for a bargain. We want many things, but a bargain is not one of them. We want quality, we want integrity, we want dependability and we want all that at a price that has value to us: the price is high enough so we know we're engaging the services of a skilled professional, but low enough so we can realistically work it into our business budget.

Getting a bargain may mean we compromise value and quality in the process of building our businesses. And how can that ever serve our vision and goals?

As business owners,

confine bargain hunting
to actual goods and
seek value
when hunting for services

It's a clean distinction and one that fits into big business plans for growth, efficiency, simplicity and continued forward momentum.

So, what's the most effective method to getting value when hiring freelancers?

1. Ask for referrals from your colleagues and friends.
2. Compare services offered AND pricing based on your needs.
3. Contact references.
4. Establish clear contractual parameters.
5. Start with a small project.
6. Remain actively involved with open and ongoing communication.
7. At the conclusion of the first job, conduct a brief assessment to determine if a second assignment is warranted.

For the most part, pros who are compensated fairly do work comparable to their compensation. A bargain price often means bargain deliverables resulting in lost time, effort and the need to start from "square one." After a bargain-based experience, many entrepreneurs start over with an important lesson learned and a keen eye for getting value, instead of a bargain.

Bargains will cost you in the long-run. Learn from others and shorten your learning curve in business. There are plenty of other lessons to learn on your own. This doesn't
have to be one of them.

Bargains are good. Services are valuable.

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Regardless of the Weather, All Is Well

"What if funky, confusing, gray, lonely days were just part of a "system" that, in turn, created bright, rich, happy, friendly days?

What if they were just meant to give deeper elements of your creativity a rest?

What if they were deliberately crafted holidays, of a sort, devised by your inner psyche to relieve you from the pressure of artificial expectations?

Would you still bemoan them, wonder what's wrong with you, or fear that they'll never end? Or, would they kind of tickle you pink?"

~The Universe

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What if we were certain? What would our lives be like if we operated from a place of surety? What if we functioned from a foundation of unshakable knowing? What if, no matter what was happening in our lives, we soared above it all in the absolute confidence that everything was perfectly aligned?

How differently would you be in the world, approaching it with such boldness? You can, you know. Give yourself permission to feel the difference and be it. I'm not saying it's easy... especially at first. I AM saying it's an option. Be certain. Be sure. Know. All IS well.

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THE Secret to Hiring a Professional Editor at a Fraction of Industry Rates

Delegating tasks to others is a key to your success in business. You cannot do everything, nor would you want to do everything. By hiring professionals to do what they do best, you focus on what you do best and grow your business at the same time.

As an established business owner, you probably already have existing marketing content: descriptive web copy, effective sales letters or 4-color brochures with matching pens to mail with your thank you notes and promotional campaigns. But there may be a few more pieces to add to your marketing puzzle including an article campaign, a press release to distribute news of your latest product launch, or an auto-responder series for your newsletter sign-ups.

Sticker-shock is common among the clients of copywriters and copyeditors. As word artisans there is a great deal of skill and time involved in creating captivating copy that both meets your expectations and delivers results. You want true professionals on your team and yet although the expense is an investment in your business, sheer economics may mean the difference between being able to hire them or not.

If you know you need the services of a competent editor, but struggle with the hows of paying for it, you are not alone. At the risk of singing the very tired "in these economic times..." song, it is important to find innovative ways to stretch every resource to its max.

This is one insight is the key to maximizing your editing dollars:

Hiring an editor
for the finishing touches
of any marketing piece
is the most cost-effective method
of securing their services

Essentially: give your editor a near-finished document.

So, what does this mean?

1. You (or someone competent and knowledgeable of your company and products or services) write the content.


2. At least two people with an intimate understanding of your business review the materials to ensure the message: 1) speaks directly to the target market, 2) is easy for anyone within that target market to understand, 3) communicates succinctly and effectively, and 4) flows naturally.


3. The document has been reviewed by at least two sets of eyeballs for grammatical, spelling and punctuation accuracy.


4. One final review by someone competent who hasn't seen the document before.

By the time you complete these four simple steps, your document is near-finished. Now it's time for an expert editor to step in and work their magic... at a fraction of the cost of a comprehensive editing job, which may even involve aspects of copywriting depending on the strength of the copy.

As you know, time is money. When you save your editor time (by doing the labor-intensive action steps of getting content into polished form), you save money. And yet you are still able to hire them for the best part of what they do so skillfully: to ensure your message is clear, direct and effective before it is mass-distributed.

Here are a few additional tips for maximizing the expertise of a seasoned editor:

1. Establish a budget based on a real-world assessment of your circumstances and give this figure to your editor. Ask what s/he can do for that amount. You'd be surprised at how much can be accomplished in a mere hour. Let your editor tell you what's possible based on their knowledge, not your assumption.


2. Ask about terms. You never know how flexible your editor might be unless you ask! As a consumer, there has never been a better time to negotiate all aspects of delegating work to other entrepreneurs. However, let fairness for all parties be your approach. What diminishes one, diminishes all, no matter how screaming the deal for the one.


3. Be creative! Black-and-white approaches to life are not only limiting, they're a pure bore! Make the art of delegating and negotiation fun. You'd be amazed to discover the multitude of ways to collaborate with other fabulous entrepreneurs by stepping out of the proverbial box to dance on the top of that box. It starts with the willingness to be creative and explore ALL the possibilities. If you want to work with someone, find a way to make it happen with ongoing, open dialogue until you reach an agreement that leaves everyone smiling.

As the old adage goes, where there's a will, there's a way. Will yourself to enjoy the services of true pros. Not only can it work into your budget, but it makes a colossal difference in the quality of your marketing copy, which is your representation in the world. And you want it to be the most effectual imprint possible.

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News @ EditCopyProof

I spent the month of December breathing new life into EditCopyProof and finding more ways to empower you.

As you notice with this first edition of 2010, all categories specifically focus on empowerment; professional, personal, health, spiritual and global.

The Professional segment will continue to focus on copywriting, copyediting, proofreading and book writing services with an array of original articles to increase your knowledge in these areas.

All other segments will comprise the latest news, editorial pieces, inspirations from around the globe, trends and resources.

Claiming and attaining your personal power applies to every area of life. Here, you are sure to find numerous ideas and ways to live in full-bloom!

Speaking of full-bloom, 2010 is already bursting with inspiration and innovation. See what's happening in the world of business in the Top 10 Business Ideas for 2010.

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A Pause Worth $99.97 Per Ounce

Recently I received an email ad containing the following marketing copy for a new beauty product (bold emphasis is mine, FYI):

"Most of the women I know get a big thrill when somebody pegs their age as much younger than it truly is. A single 5-year deduction in age can put a smile on their face for days. After all, who doesn't like to find themselves on the receiving end of a compliment like that?

Even I get a kick out of the times I'm told I look younger than my years. It's simple human nature. We feel young, we think young, we act young... and we want to LOOK young, for as long as possible."


As an copywriting insider, I understand the tactics of writing compelling copy to effectively influence consumers to hit the 'buy' button. That's the whole point of copy that sells. But there's more between the lines of this copy... much more. The ad prompted me to wonder:

1. Are women really this fragile?
2. Are we so dependent on compliments that others have the power to "make us or break us" with their words?
3. Is it really human nature to be so unhappy with the natural progression of life?
4. Do we only feel young when we look the part according to a limited, societal interpretation of beauty? Don't we feel young when we eat well, exercise and nurture our souls?
5. As women, is looking young the extent of our contribute to life?

I understand that the sheer quantity of societal messages to look younger is a weight beyond the ability of many women to bear without caving, but stop for just one moment. Breathe. Close your eyes. Ask yourself if the statements/assumptions in the ad are true for you.

The journey to your own truth begins with posing one question to yourself that gets you thinking, and talking, and liking yourself as-is. Purchasing decisions based on disliking any aspect of yourself will never make you feel young.

If this message resonates for you, you just saved yourself $99.97 per ounce. Now THAT'S empowering.

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