===================================================================== Volume 4 STRICTLY BUSINESS! BBS NEWSLETTER Number 2 ===================================================================== UNICOM Information Services Bringing Businesses Together Online(tm) Copyright (c) 1994 All Rights Reserved In This Issue... - THE ART OF WAR: LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY - NEW SERVICE ON INTERNET! Promote your product or service today! - From the Sysop's Desk - Update on Services; Letters from Readers - HOW TO AVOID CREATIVE BLOCK - EXCLUSIVELY ON STRICTLY BUSINESS!BBS. Part I is a Series... PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING: Turn Suspecting Prospects into Trusting Clients by Packaging Your Knowledge, Experience and Expertise - WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS EMERGE AS STARTLINGLY STRONG ECONOMIC FORCE - TEN KEYS TO EXPORT SUCCESS - Plus Much More - Free Offers, Helpful Advice, and Creative Ideas! -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ART OF WAR Inspired by the 2,000 year-old writings of Sun Tzu LEADERSHIP ---------- The Tao of business operations lies in harmonizing people. When people are in haramony, they will work naturually, without being exhorted to do so. If managers and workesr are suspicious of each other, the best cannot be hired: if loyal advice is not heard, small minds will talk and criticize in secret. When hypocrisy sprouts, even if you have the wisdom of the ancients you can not defeat your weakest competitor, let alone a crowd of them. The administration of business affairs means the management of external affairs in such a way as to relieve workers from major disturbance. This command is done by authority and military-like prowess, firing the incompetent and rebellious to preserve the company, keeping jobs secure. When the worker is strong, the company is secure; when the worker is weak, the company is in peril. A company president is a commander -- a useful tool for a business. First determining strategy, then carrying it out. Like a drawn bow when still. Like a machine starting up in action, he breaks through whenever he turns -- even powerful competitors are vanquished. If the president has not foresight and the workers lack impetus, mere strategy without unification of wills cannot suffice to strike feat into a competitor -- even with a huge amount of resources. The company president must avoid action without strategy as well as action without need. The way to use the company's resources is to carry out operations after having first determined your strategy. Carefully examine the patterns of the industry and your market. Look into the hearts of the workers. Train in the use of marketing, make patterns of rewards and punishment clear, observe the strategy of competitors, watch out for dangerous diversions, distinguished places of safety and danger, be aware of when to advance and when to withdraw, adapt to timing of circumstances, set up defensive measures while strengthening your sales force, promote workers for their ability, draw up plans for success, consider the matter of success and failure -- only when you've done all this can you send forth sales people entrusted to managers that will reach out with the power to capture a market. STRATEGY -------- The ultimate strategy for success in business incorporates aspects of the training that derive from Taoist tradition. * Have no hard feelings toward anyone who hasn't offended you. * Don't fight with anyone who doesn't oppose you. Planning should be secret, attack should be swift. When a business takes its market like a hawk striking its prey, and moves like a river broken through a dam, its competitors will scatter before the sales force tires. This is the use of the momentum of a plan. A business becomes exhausted when it must buy its supplies at high prices, and is impoverished when it ships products long distances. Don't repeat mistakes, nor muliply errors. Use strength according to capacity, aware that excessive use will consume it. Get rid of the useless, and the company can be peaceful; get rid of the incompetent and the company will profit. That's why rules and regulations don't ensure security; even a superior sales force and proven sales tools don't guarantee strength. If competitors want to hold firm, attack where they are unprepared. If rivals want to establish a presense, appear where they don't expect you. This idea of knowing while being unknown -- invisibility -- is precisely the interior detachment cultivated by Taoists for attaining impersonal views of objective reality. This is special report is part of a series designed to give the small business owner practical advice on a variety of basic business problems. Ronald Boyd has over 25 years of business and practical management experience. He provides temporary assistance to small businesses which lack a formal written business plan, or cannot spare the personnel for the period required to develop one. He can be reached for more detailed, personalized assistance at P.O. Box 39216, Denver, Colorado 80239-0216. (303)373-5270. Ron is also the Business Planning Conference Leader on Strictly Business!BBS. ====================================================================== TREND TIP.... A recent study from Marquette University revealed that, at any given time there are 7.4 million adults in the U.S. who are considering starting their own business. While only about 10% (700,000) actually begin, it is an interesting trend that I feel will continue to grow. With more and more large companies cutting back and people being laid off, this trend toward self employment will increase. There are, at last count, somewhere around 21 million self employed individuals. Projections are that by the year 2000, a full 50% of the businesses in the U.S. will be solo or home based entrepreneurs. This is a group that cannot be overlooked! Plus this trend is creating the need for other small businesses to provide products and services to this rapidly growing segment. One of those is, of course, our own publication -- the Small Business Gazette, a monthly newspaper providing information to assist small business owners. If you want a sample issue, just let me know. Excerpted with permission from JIM'S JEMS, P.O. Box 080157, Staten Island, N.Y. 10308. Fax: (718) 967-3442. CompuServe: 71141,1331. America Online: JimD34. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NEW SERVICE ON INTERNET!!!! >>>> TAP INTO THE NEW FRONTIER OF PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS!(tm) <<<< UNICOM Information Services Announces new PRODUCT CATALOG SYSTEM(tm) ./ Promote Your Product or Service on Internet Today! ./ Provide your clients/customers with instant information! ./ Include your catalog, software demo program, graphics, surveys, more! ./ Most inexpensive service of it's kind ever developed! ./ Include your special Internet E-mail address in all your advertising! ./ Unlimited potential! FREE 3-month listing in our PRODUCT CATALOG DIRECTORY(tm)! For additional information, e-mail to: PRODUCT@UNI.COM. Details will be sent to your E-mail address asap! (No subject or message required.) To receive our directory of current information available, (free articles & information), send your request to: CATALOG@UNI.COM. ===================================================================== From The Sysop's Desk... ------------------------ Again, thanks to all our new members for your support, and to our renewing members for your continuing help. We couldn't continue to offer all the different online services we now provide without your assistance. NEED BUSINESS HELP? Ask one of our Conference Leaders!... If you have questions regarding any of the topics listed below, please feel free to leave your message to any of our Conference Leaders or in the appropriate conference. And thanks to our Conference Leaders for offering their knowledge and expertise to help others. We truly appreciate it!! Address your questions to these leaders in the appropriate conference: Conference Leader Topic/Message Conference ----------------- ------------------------ Ron Boyd Business Planning Ed Carter International Trade Ed Goodman Customer Service Matthew Osborn Marketing & Sales Kate Underwood Business Software WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A CONFERENCE LEADER? If you've got the ambition, drive and willingness to help others (and a little bit of knowledge helps, too), consider joining the ranks of our current conference leaders. All that we ask is that you possess a background of experience and knowledge in the area you would like to provide assistance. Benefits are additional exposure for your business and a "deep, warm fuzzy feeling" knowing you're helping others. Please contact Bruce Kullberg to discuss your qualifications. Also, Conference Leaders must be a current member of SB!BBS. NEW CONFERENCE MENUS... If you've selected [J]oin a Conference from any of the main menus recently, you've noticed a difference in how our conferences are listed. I set it up this way to help separate the different areas available on UNICOM. Since we've been adding new private conferences, users we're beginning to get confused about which areas where available to non-subscribers and subscribers. Also, non-subscribers can now see what they're missing! The new displays also divide the Internet Newsgroups into two categories - Business & Professional, and Computer-Related. We hope you find it easier to navigate. INSTANT UPGRADE!... VISA and MASTERCARD Now Available!...For your convenience you can now join using Visa or MC, and when you do so using our online [Q]uestionnaire option, you will receive instant upgrade. Select 'Q' from the MAIN MENU, then follow the instructions. It's easy and will only takes few minutes. INTERNATIONAL TRADE LEADS DATABASE UPDATED... We recently installed a new reader program that allows full search capabilities to view our trade leads. By selecting [T]rade Leads from the FILE Menu, you will enter a special program. It has its own menus, and offers the ability to completely search each month's Trade Leads or Calendar of Events. You can either capture the leads/events from your screen, or download any month's leads or events. Our Int'l Trade Conference offers access to importing/exporting information, profiles on over 110 countries, government regulations, marketing & sales, ISO 9000 information, plus much more! Access to the Int'l Trade Conference and the trade leads/calendar of events is FREE with your Strictly Business!BBS membership. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS.... "I'd also like to take the time to say thanks for running a board that i business oriented. I tried a few others, and they either were for a specific industry, or weren't administered well. This one wins on both accounts!" - B.D., Ohio "Bruce, just logged on to your system this evening...looks like one of the most professional business/sales & marketing BBS's I've ever seen. Just DLed a couple of your asc files & membership app. Look forward to using your BBS." - J.B., Pennsylvania "SB!BBS continues to increase in value to business owners, managers and prospective businesspeople. Internet mail, newsgroups, the continuing addition of new, useful files, etc, are evidence of your commitment to *kaizen,* constant improvement, in your service to the community you have chosen to serve." M.O., Ohio "You have a great BBS here, and well worth the membership fee." - J.B., "As I told your partner, I've been "digging" around the country for business oriented BBS and this appears to be one of the best I have found so far." - M.S., Pennsylvania "This is a great board with a lot of knowledge and expertise to draw fro I'm really glad there is a service of this type here...thanks for the source of info!!!" - R.W., Ohio "I am relatively new to this BBS, but have spent time reading the thousa of messages here in the conferences and boy is there information and learning to be gleaned from all those messages, for sure. I have learne things herein (and I'm new on this BBS) that I've not seen before...Til the best BBS in the world closes up, make mine Strictly Business." D.R., New York. EDITORS NOTE: And THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for helping to make Strictly Business and UNICOM the service it is today. It goes without saying that there's no way in world I could do it alone...it's a group effort! - Bruce Kullberg (All testimonials are on file at my offices.) ========================================================================== *** HOW TO AVOID CREATIVE BLOCK *** By Dean Rieck It's happened to all of us in the creative business. Some call it writer's block. Others call it a slump. But whatever the term, the result is the same ... frustration, stress, missed deadlines, or poor quality work. The problem here is our concept of creativity. Generally, we think of creativity as that mysterious "AH-HA" experience, where an idea seems to leap into our head from nowhere. But this experience is the result of a synapse firing in our brain. And there's just no controlling that. However, what you can control are the events that lead up to and follow that sudden spark. Creativity isn't just a moment, after all, it's a process. THE CREATIVE PROCESS In general, here are the four steps of the creative process: 1. Search for new information 2. Transform that information into new ideas 3. Evaluate all the new ideas, keeping only the best 4. Act on the best ideas I'm certainly not suggesting that this is a purely linear process from step 1 to step 4. You're likely to skip around a bit. But any time you truly create, you WILL go through these four steps. I have found through experience that creative blocks occur when you try to skip steps and dive right into "AH-HA" without giving the rest of the process a chance to work. It's like painting a room without preparing the walls ... you do poor work and it takes you longer to fix the problems than doing the job right the first time. Step 1: Search When you begin any project where you must be creative, start by collecting all the information you can get. Don't be selective, just scoop up everything in sight. Read, ask questions, explore, and find out all you can. The key here is to look at everything and focus on nothing. Get the big picture and leave the details for later. Don't organize papers, just pile everything into a file folder or a box. Step 2: Transform The next step is to turn this collected information into new ideas. Organize everything you've collected. Boil down what you have into the essential elements. Take notes. Write down your thoughts, no matter how ridiculous they may seem, and throw away nothing. As you continue to sort through this data, keep the objective of your project in mind. It's the cross linking of your objective with your data that creates the "AH-HA" you're waiting for. If it doesn't happen, keep sorting and organizing. Look at your information from different angles and organize in different ways. Eventually, your synapses will fire, but don't force it. If nothing happens, set everything aside and do something else. Sleep on it. This way, your brain can do a little sifting and organizing for you. You may get your best ideas when you stop consciously thinking about the problem. Step 3: Evaluate Only when you have several ideas to choose from should you allow yourself to evaluate the ideas. Now you can be critical, listing pros and cons of each idea and throwing out everything that is not usable. Of the ideas you have, choose the best. If you don't like any of them, go back and organize a little more. Step 4: Act Now it's time to put your idea into action. It may be tempting to keep creating and evaluating, but a deadline will surely force you to move ahead. This can often be the most difficult part, because you're afraid the "big idea" will come with just a little more thought. But you have to trust yourself. If you've given the creative process a chance, it's time to act. Excerpt from Direct Response Communcations, a publication of Dean Rieck Copywriting, 4827-C Kingshill Drive, Columbus, OH., 43229-7208; 614-885-0397. Harnessing the power of words to motivate, persuade and sell. You can find Dean's current newsletters in our NEWSLETTER File Section (DRC*.ASC). Copyright 1993 Dean Rieck Copywriting. ===================================================================== ORGANIZING YOUR HOME OFFICE... In _Organizing Your Home Office for Success_, Lisa Kanarek provides an authoritative, step-by-step guide to the special needs of home-office professionals, no matter how small or large their work space. Kanarek has helped thousands of clients organize thier home-run businesses. Her proven methods can transform any home work space into a professional office that functions at peak efficiency with less stress and greater profits. _Organize Your Home Office For Success - Expert Strategies That Can Work for You_ by Lisa Kanarek. A Plume Book, Penguin Books USA, Inc., 275 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. 243pp, $10. ======================================================================== EXCLUSIVELY FROM STRICTLY BUSINESS!BBS... PART I in a Series from Keith F. Luscher's book - ------------------------------------------------- PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING: Turn Suspecting Prospects into Trusting Clients by Packaging Your Knowledge, Experience and Expertise by Keith F. Luscher INTRODUCTION "...as our economy has developed in focus from local to national, we've lost touch with what used to be an important factor in selecting the companies with which we do business: personal trust." Remember the last time you turned on the radio or television, and heard someone speaking on a talk show on a subject they were recognized as an expert in? Chances are it wasn't too long ago. The subjects vary widely. Psychology, law, finance, home improvement, gardening, health, cars...you name it. They run all over the board. And these people aren't always highly educated either. They just know their subject matter very well. What are media guests often bringing with them to these public appearances? They're bringing a book, of course. Now what would you say they are selling through the media, besides their book? They are using the credibility and trust instilled through their books to sell themselves and/or their businesses. Books come in many different shapes and sizes, and serve various functions. For our purpose, we refer to a book as just one form of problem solving, packaged information targeted to a specific audience. This information is gathered by an individual who has knowledge and/or experience in a particular subject. WHAT IS PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING? Promotional Publishing, as we will refer to it, is simply the process of packaging the knowledge, experience, and expertise you have in a particular field to educate and build trust with your customers and prospects about what you can do for them. By default, this promotes yourself and the product or service your business offers. By "packaging," we mean producing solid, beneficial information into tangible products. Such products include but are certainly not limited to books, booklets, reports, newsletters, and audio- and video- cassettes. WHAT PURPOSE DOES PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING SERVE? The answer is very simple: to turn suspecting prospects into trusting clients. [Note: some businesses use the term "customer" over "client." While you may encounter both terms here and in other parts of this book, for our purpose, they are essentially the same.] How it does this is equally clear. You get your name and message in front of your prospect without having to get past their guard, because their guard is not in place. When most of us encounter a message that is purely self-promotional, we have a tendency to "raise our shields." Our attitude is, "All right, what are they trying to sell me this time?" But when we are presented with a book or audio-cassette, well packaged and professionally produced, with a title that conveys a benefit to us, with no strings attached, we tend to lower our shields. What would you think if you were handed a booklet entitled, Ten Ways to Tell if Your Being Sold Too Much Insurance? Chances are your perception would shift from "What are they trying to get from me?" to "What can I get from them?". Promotional Publishing is not viewed as self-serving. Rather, it serves the reader or listener. It gives them the first taste of what you offer: information, help, and most of all, benefits! If you think about it, Promotional Publishing really is a very logical form of marketing. Much of what we will talk about in Promotional Publishing revolves around two functions: turning prospects into clients, and keeping current clients educated about what they can get from you, thus increasing their business. With the exception of newsletters (which we will discuss more of later on), most of the other forms are best at doing the former: turning prospects into repeat customers. Promotional Publishing may be tied to what is occasionally referred to as "relationship marketing."2 In the last several years, this concept has been revitalized through the "custom" publishing of magazines not by traditional publishers, but by companies as an offspring to their overall advertising and marketing campaigns. Just a few examples are Aldus Magazine, published by Aldus Corporation sent free to registered users of its software products. Jenny Craig's Body Health is published by Jenny Craig. CompuServe Magazine is published, of course, by CompuServe. In fact, custom publishing is growing so rapidly that mainline publishers have gotten into the act themselves, launching publications for client companies. Meredith Corporation, Hearst Publications, Time Inc. Magazine Company and New York Times Co. Magazine Group are just a few companies now involved in custom publishing. Most of these magazines accept advertising, and maintain editorial standards as high as other top commercial publications. But their main differences lie within two factors. First, they have a highly-targeted and well-managed database of readers. In other words, they literally know personally who they're talking to. Secondly, they provide methods of feedback, such as a response card or 800 number. This encourages an on-going dialog between reader and publisher or, a "relationship" is formed. This happens because the business took a first step in communicating with the customer. The purpose was not to manipulate the customer into doing something, but by simply offering free information that would benefit them in some way, regardless of whom they do business with. ADVANTAGES OF PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING By creating a tangible product that makes your customers more knowledgeable about what it is they can get from you, you gain two major advantages: credibility and trust. Credibility This occurs in three ways: you're showing that you know your business, rather than just telling them; you can become recognized as an author; and your product can be useful in generating publicity and speaking opportunities. You can use a publishing strategy to educate your prospects and customers in many ways. Whether you are creating an informational piece that gives advice on solving a particular problem, or documenting how other people (with similar concerns) have benefited from your service, you are in fact demonstrating your expertise rather than just merely claiming to be an expert. This is achieved most effectively when you open the reader's eyes to something that they were unaware of before. You then allow the reader to digest the information and decide for themselves that you are the person they need. By being recognized as an "author" (and this is irrelevant as to whether you actually created the material yourself or consulted with someone else to do it for you), you attain a level of credibility not necessarily shared by your competitors. It also delivers valuable and useful information to the reader, which only adds to your credibility as an expert, and thus someone to be sought after. The other way of building credibility is through increased media attention, or publicity, and actually reinforces your recognition as an author. Remember the point I made at the beginning, discussing how so many talk-show guests are simply authors (presenting themselves as "experts") going on-air to plug their latest books? When you have a product to offer to the public with solid, beneficial information, then that can be your stepping stone to media coverage. It makes no difference whether your product is being offered for free or a price (you'll learn how to decide this later on), it can be a vital component to your media kit, and the subject of a media release article. Allow me to illustrate my point. The following are samples of headlines from fictional news releases. Let's say I am an attorney that specializes in landlord-tenant relationships. Here is a headline from a media release that I may distribute, but with no mention of any information product: BOTH LANDLORDS AND TENANTS SHOULD KNOW THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS, LOCAL ATTORNEY SAYS Now let's change the focus: FREE, EASY-TO-READ BOOKLET DESCRIBES THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF LANDLORDS AND TENANTS, AVOIDING COSTLY MISTAKESAND PROBLEMS Now, which headline do you think is a better grabber? The first headline, as you may see, focuses on the opinion of an individual. The second one is more reader-oriented. It first tells about the free product, and then the benefit that product delivers to the reader. If your publication is more than just a mere pamphlet or brochure, you may also stand to get it reviewed as a stand-alone item in the media. Media attention not only builds your credibility, but will also aid you in getting your publications or tapes out into the hands of qualified prospects. After all, how can they get them if they don't know about them? TRUST As stated in the beginning of this booklet, the element of trust (or knowing who it is you are dealing with) is often lost in our vast economy. By packaging together solid, beneficial information for your prospect (and yes, this must be pointed out consistently, as you will soon find out why), you are also building a level of trust between the two of you. Whether you are selling a product or service, what you are truly selling are benefits. Your customers would not buy anything from you if they did not want some kind of benefit from what you offer. On the other hand, as a vendor, you should make it your priority to insure that your customers not only receive the products or services in question, but have at least, access to information on how to get the benefits they are hoping for. Let me give a simplistic example from my own experience. Early one December, not too long ago, my wife and I were looking for a Christmas tree. We were interested in the potted trees available that can be set up in your living room, then after the holidays, planted in your yard, where they would grow and live for many years to come. After looking around at different plant nurseries, we purchased what we thought was the right tree, at the right size and the right price. No professional advice was given from the nursery staff. Now neither myself or my wife knew much about plants, so we were unaware then that the chances of survival for indoor potted Christmas trees, once taken back outside into the cold, are very small if kept inside for much more than two weeks. We learned this ourselves only the next day when a friend casually mentioned it when I told him that we had a potted tree decorated in our living room. Essentially, I paid for a live tree that would most likely die once outside. I was angry at the fact that I had gone into a nursery, found this pine that was being marketed as a Christmas tree, bought it, and was offered no information on how to take care of it. I called the manager of the store and told him that I had no idea that the tree purchased first for Christmas and later planting would most likely die when taken outside. If I had, I told him, I would never have bought it in the first place. "Well," he responded, "we assume that all our customers know about what it is they are buying." Do you make this assumption? Again, I knew nothing about landscaping, nor did I apologize for it. If he and his staff had been thinking for my benefit, the customer, then they would have asked me what my exact plans were for the tree, and tell me what to do to best take care of it. The least they could have done was post a sign with a few tips (or if anything, a disclaimer) or pass out pamphlets to anyone buying a potted Christmas tree. What was their big mistake? It was failing to think for the benefit of the customer. What does he mean when he says, "We assume that all of our customers know about what it is they are buying"? Does he really think that everyone who walks into a plant store is an expert? Sure, I'll bet many are knowledgeable, some may even be experts, but what about the average couple that just bought a house and want to get a few plants or shrubs to make the yard more attractive? What do they want? They want help. They want guidance. They want service. They want information. And they want it from someone they can trust. Now I will add that the manager made a gesture of goodwill by allowing me to return the tree for a full refund. But I doubt that he got the gist of what it was that had really upset me. He probably just thought I was mad that potted Christmas trees have a high mortality rate. Some of you may ask, "All right, so I'll just provide better service and information to my customers, I don't really need to 'package' information products, do I?" The answer to this is, of course not. But if you have a sincere interest in attracting new customers, and would like to better educate your current ones, then this is a place to start. Just think about what solid, beneficial information you have, what message you could get out to your prospects. What tidbit of knowledge do you wish they had that you firmly believe could persuade them to do business with you? Now, some may suggest that an informed customer may eliminate their need for you, the expert. In most cases, I don't agree with this. It simply enables the customer to know more about what they are buying, and how to benefit from it. So the more they know, the less they will demand from you in terms of overspecialized treatment or service. Which, by the way, leads me to my next point... ANOTHER ADVANTAGE YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF: It Saves TIME! Do you find yourself answering the same questions over and over again? A lot of us do. Don't you wish that your customers would take just a little time to become educated about what they get from you? Then you can spend your time satisfying their needs, and they can learn and communicate with you more precisely on how you can help them further. NOTE TOTO SB!BBS READERS: If you have any additional questions about Promotional Publishing, then the author invites you to contact him at 614/898-2724. A successful book publisher as well as a marketing communications consultant, he would be happy to answer any questions you may have, and discuss your situation. NEXT ISSUE: THE PROMOTIONAL PUBLISHING PROCESS. How will I print it? Who will design it? What should it look like? Plus more much! ====================================================================== ??????????? WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN STRICTLY BUSINESS!BBS ?????????????? Here's just a few reasons.... -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- | Most members have said that SB!BBS is worth MORE than what | | we ask in yearly dues. There's a wealth of information, | | ideas, resources, and much more that's yours when youjoin. | | And we guarantee it! Strictly Business!BBS is here for one | | reason...to help YOU build a more positive and profitable | | business. If you like what's being presented in our news- | | letter, you've only begun to experience what we're really | | all about. | | | | Benefits include: | | - Exposure for your business in our Resource Directory | | file section! | | - Increased access per day! | | - Increased file access privileges and now includes | | our CD-ROM! Now over 4+ Gigabytes of files. | | - And another 4,800+ files in our SB!BBS file sections! | | - Access to special Message & File Sections with inform- | | ation to help your business succeed! | | - 10% Discount from our SB! Success Catalog! | | - INTERNET E-MAIL & NEWSGROUPS! | | - StatMaster File Section - Census Bureau statistics for | | market. Census Bureau statistics for your state. | | General overview on economic conditions, types of | | businesses, minorities, bankruptcies, plus more! | | All 50 states are included! | | - International Trade - Profiles of countries around the | | world, import/export information, trading contacts& | | resources, general information. And now TRADELEADS! | | - Members Only Bulletins - Keeps you up-to-day on | | the latest developments for members, plus access to | | special articles. Only accessible when you join! | | - TravelSearch Database - Access to information to | | over 13,000 hotels & motels from the 48 states! | | - Online Legal Advisor - View articles on different | | legal issues. Answers to commonly asked questions | | are presented. | - USA Today Decision Line - National and int'l news, | | weather and sports, available at 6:00am weekdays! | | - Access to our exclusive Reports & Directories: | | * Business Opportunity Directory | | * Free (and low cost) Offers For Your Business | | * Business-related Articles | | * Membership Directory (printed) - Network with | | other members! | | - And ALWAYS Much, Much More! See Bulletin #1 for | | a complete outline of membership benefits. | | | | * Strictly Business!BBS - More Than Just A BBS * | | (See Bulletin #1 for Membership Information) | -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -------------------------------------------------------------- | Strictly Business!BBS membership dues are tax deductible as | | a normal business expense on Schedule C under Other Expenses.| -------------------------------------------------------------- FREE OFFERS... -------------- FREE SAMPLE NEWSLETTER! The Competitive Advantage is a monthly, eight-page, easy-to-read newsletter boiling down thousands of pages of information from the best business minds in America. The Competitive Edge, the newsletter for sales and marketing professionals, is packed with articles, checklists, tips, and strategies that will give you the edge in this increasingly competitive marketplace. To receive your free sample issue call 1-800-722-9221 today. FREE DEMO DISK! Track things you USE, BUY, OWN or FIX with SUPPLY MANAGER. Great for Stockroom Inventory, Purchase Order Tracker, Bid Manager, Asset Tracker, Calibration Manager, Maintenance Manager, Document Tracker. Find out how you can save money & time! This low-cost, pc-based software is easy to use, used worldwide, offers bar code support, and comes with a money back guarantee. Call Mark at 801-534-1231 or write: Certified Management Software, Inc., 142 East Second South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. FREE ISSUE! Take a free look at an issue of DATABASE PROGRAMMING & DESIGN, and you also get the legendary "Rules of Data Normalization" poster absolutely FREE with your paid subscription. If you like your free issue, cost is just $37 for 11 more issues. If you don't choose to subscribe, return your invoice marked "cancel". The free issue is yours to keep. (Allow up to 6 weeks for deliver of first issue. Basic rate is $47. Canadian/ Mexican orders must include payment in U.S. funds with $6 additional postage per year. All other foreign orders must include payment in U.S. funds with $15 additional surface mail postage or $40 additional per year air mail.) Write to: Database Programming & Design, P.O. Box 51247, Boulder, CO. 80321-1247. When you become a member, access our free offers directory, listing over 200 business and computer related offers available for the asking. Some require postage or a long distance phone call, but you can find some very valuable information and resources simply for the asking. And these aren't a bunch of government giveaways either. Many have said it's worth the price of membership! ==================================================================== WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS EMERGE AS STARTLINGLY STRONG ECONOMIC FORCE By Sarah & Paul Edwards While women-owned businesses are generally ignored or thought of as operating on the fringe, here are some facts about their increasingly central role in the U.S. economy we should all track: - According to a report released by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, the country's 5.4 million women-owned businesses are the ones creating the most jobs. If the Foundation's projections are right, the number of jobs created by women-owned businesses surpassed the number of jobs at Fortune 500 companies in 1992. - By 1992, Fortune 500 companies employed 11.7 million people and so did women-owned businesses. - Twenty-eight-percent of U.S. businesses are now owned by women, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners. - Nine-percent of women-owned firms have annual sales of more than $1 million, compared with 14-percent of all businesses. - More than 40-percent of women-owned firms have been in business longer than 12 years "This article appeared in the December 1993 edition of MAKING IT ON YOUR OWN, the monthly online newsletter of the Working from Home Forum on CompuServe Information Service, written by Sarah and Paul Edwards authors of the bestselling books MAKING IT ON YOUR OWN, BEST HOME BUSINESSES FOR THE 90'S, GETTING BUSINESS TO COME TO YOU (with Laura Clampitt Douglas) and WORKING FROM HOME (Tarcher/Perigree). You can talk personally with the Edwards on the Working from Home Forum by entering 'Go Work" once you're on CompuServe." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEN KEYS TO EXPORT SUCCESS Ten recommendations for successful exporting should be kept in mind: 1 - Obtain qualified export counseling and develop a master international marketing plan before starting an export business. The plan should clearly define goals, objectives, and problems encountered. 2 - Secure a commitment from top management to overcome the initial difficulties and financial requirements of exporting. Although the early delays and costs involved in exporting may seem difficult to justify in comparison with established domestic sales, the exporter should take a long-range view of this process and carefully monitor international marketing efforts. 3 - Take sufficient care in selecting overseas distributors. The complications involved in overseas communications and transportation require international distributors to act more independently than their domestic counterparts. 4 - Establish a basis for profitable operations and orderly growth. Although no overseas inquiry should be ignored, the firm that acts mainly in response to unsolicited trade leads is trusting success to chance. 5 - Devote continuing attention to export business when the U.S. market booms. Too many companies turn to exporting when business falls off in the United States. When domestic business starts to boom again, they neglect their export trade or relegate it to a secondary position. 6 - Treat international distributors on an equal basis with domestic counterparts. Companies often carry out institutional advertising campaigns, special discount offers, sales incentive programs, special credit term programs, warranty offers, and so on in the U.S. market but fail to make similar offers to their international distributors. 7 - Do not assume that a given market technique and product will automatically be successful in all countries. What works in Japan may fall flat in Saudi Arabia. Each market has to be treated separately. 8 - Be willing to modify products to meet regulations or cultural preferences of other countries. Local safety and security codes as well as import restrictions cannot be ignored by foreign distributors. 9 - Print service, sale, and warranty messages in locally understood languages. Although a distributor's top management may speak English, it is unlikely tha all sales and service personnel have this capability. 10 - Provide readily available servicing for the product. A product without the necessary service support can acquire a bad reputation quickly. Excerpt from Business America, The Magazine of International Trade. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This special INTERNET Edition has been edited. To review the complete newsletter, call our bulletin board today at 614/538-9250 (8/N/1; ANSI GRAPHICS). The currentissue is always free! Strictly Business! Online Newsletter is published regularly as a service to readers of the Strictly Business!BBS (Bulletin Board System). If you would like to submit an article for possible inclusion in our next issue, please contact Bruce Kullberg, Sysop. We also accept News Releases. Strictly Business!BBS is not affiliated with the organizations mentioned in this newsletter unless stated otherwise. Each new issue is available for free to all UNICOM readers. Strictly Business!BBS is not responsible for any outcome as a result of contacting any person(s) or organization mentioned in this newsletter. PREVIOUS ISSUES... Previous issues of the Strictly Business! Online Newsletter are available to members of Strictly Business!BBS in the NEWSLETTER File Section (NEWS*.ASC) on SB!BBS. This newsletter may be distributed to other bulletin boards as long as no part of this newsletter is removed or altered in any manner. Copyright (c) 1994. UNICOM Information Services. All Rights Reserved. For further information about UNICOM Information Services and our services, please contact us at: Business Office: UNICOM Information Services 1880 MacKenzie Dr., Suite 203 Columbus, OH 43220 VOICE: 614/457-8909 MODEM: 614/538-9250 (8/N/1) FAX: 614/457-8950 COMPUSERVE: 70421,1373 INTERNET: sysop@uni.com AOL: bkullberg H a v e A G r e a t D a y ! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++