Secretarial Services - Ink Cartridge

The Great Ink Cartridge Conspiracy!

Buying an inkjet printer these days is no big deal. A reliable printer can be acquired very easily through a store or online for as little as $50. Some suppliers are even giving away inkjet printers on promotions or as free incentives when buying other products. On the face of it, it seems like too good an opportunity to pass by - a worthwhile investment you might say.

But, much like a traditional camera that uses film, an inkjet printer is only 'cheap' before you start using it. The cost of keeping it in ink soon mounts up, especially when you're buying OEM (original equipment manufactured) inkjet cartridges as recommended by the printer manufacturer. Before you know it you'll find that you've actually spent more on the ink cartridges than you did on the purchase of the inkjet printer itself!

If you're in this position - and let's face it, most of us are - what follows could be quite a revelation!

Five things inkjet printer manufacturers DON'T want you to know…

Inkjet printer manufacturers make their money selling ink cartridges NOT inkjet printers Selling recommended OEM ink cartridges is a very lucrative business for inkjet printer manufacturers. They know that once you've purchased the printer you'll be coming back to them time and time again to buy the ink that they recommend in the user guide and any other literature that accompanies the printer.

Fair enough you might say, but given that the price of manufacturing an OEM ink cartridge is only a few cents why are the cartridges so expensive?

The answer is that ink cartridges are in fact stuffed full of manufacturer profit. It is where they make their money, and is precisely why they are happy to give away an inkjet printer for nothing.

Inkjet cartridges supplied for 'free' with inkjet printers are rarely full OEM ink cartridges supplied with the printer are designed only to provide enough ink for a few pages to get you 'started'. From the manufacturer's perspective this is a great selling technique, as free cartridges can often make the difference between a retailer closing a sale or losing it…and once you've got the printer the manufacturer is going to make money out of you every time you order more OEM ink! Supplying ink cartridges that are not full shortens the timeframe over which consumers start ordering OEM ink cartridges too. This brings the manufacturer into profit on each customer much more quickly than had they supplied full cartridges for free with the printer.

Consumers have a choice about which inkjet cartridges to buy It's true! Contrary to popular belief consumers are not obliged to purchase expensive OEM ink cartridges from the manufacturer. They can in fact opt to buy cheaper 'compatible' ink cartridges or remanufactured cartridges, often realizing savings on their ink purchase of between 50% and 75%!! All major inkjet cartridge brands are covered, including Apple, Canon, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Brother, Epson, IBM and Xerox. What's more they do the job just as well as OEM cartridges but at a much lower cost!

Compatible inkjet cartridges DO NOT automatically void a printer's warranty Regardless of what you might have heard compatible inkjet cartridges WILL NOT automatically void your printer warranty. In fact, it is ILLEGAL for manufacturers in the United States & Canada to claim that using compatible cartridges will automatically void your printer warranty. For more details on this go to http://www.prontoink.com/?T=Info&ID=printer_warranties

You can make money by reselling compatible ink cartridges

The market for compatible ink cartridges is continually expanding. More and more consumers are choosing to switch to compatible inks that offer the same print quality at half the cost of OEM cartridges. This creates the opportunity for business-minded individuals to make money through affiliate reselling programs as well as save money on their ink cartridge purchases.

Having read this do you feel like you've been hoodwinked by the big boys? Well, it's now time to stand up for your rights! You no longer have to line the pockets of multi-nationals when buying ink cartridges. Think 'compatible ink' and save yourself hundreds of dollars each year on the cost of running your printer.

http://www.prontoink.comis/ an international supplier of inkjet & laser cartridges based in Midland, Texas. Resellers should visit http://www.prontoink.com/incomeop/

Secretarial Services - Starting a Home Business

Starting a Home Business
by Mary Evans

In these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet with just one source of income. Thus, more and more people are investigating the possibilities of starting their own extra-income business. Most of these part-time endeavors are started and operated from the comfort and privacy of the home.

Most of these people are making the extra money they need. Some have wisely and carefully built these extra income efforts into full-time, very profitable businesses. Others are just keeping busy, having fun, and enjoying life as never before. The important thing is that they are doing something other than waiting for the government to give them a handout; they are improving their lot in life, and you can do it, too!

The fields of mail order selling, multi-level marketing, and in-home party sales have never been more popular. If any of these kinds of extra income producing ideas appeal to you, then you owe it to yourself to check them out. But these aren't the only fields of endeavor you can start and operate from home, with little or no investment, and learn as you go.

If you type, you can start a home-based typing service; if you have a truck or have access to a trailer, you can start a clean-up/hauling service. Simply collecting old newspapers from your neighbors can get you started in the paper recycling business. More than a few enterprising housewifes have found success and fortune by starting home and/or apartment cleaning services. If you have a yard full of flowers, you can make good extra money by supplying fresh cut flowers to restaurants and offices in your area on a regular basis. You might turn a ceramics hobby into a lucrative personalized coffee mug business. What I'm saying is that in reality, there's literally no end to the ways you can start and operate a profitable extra income business from your home.

The first thing you must do, however, is some basic market research. Find out for yourself, first-hand, just how many people there are in your area who are interested in your proposed product or service, and would be "willing to stand in line and pay money for it". This is known as defining your market and pinpointing your customers. If after checking around, talking about your idea with a whole lot of people over a period of one to three months, you get the idea that these people would be paying customers, your next effort should be directed toward the "detailing" of your business plan. The more precise and detailed your plan - covering all the bases relating to how you'll do everything that needs to be done - the easier it's going to be for you to attain success. Such a plan should show you start-up investment needs, your advertising plan, your production costs and procedure, your sales program, and how your time will be allocated. Too often, enthusiastic and ambitious entrepreneur jump in on an extra income project and suddenly find that the costs are beyond their abilities, and the time requirements more than they can meet. It pays to lay it all out on paper before you get involved, and the clearer you can "see" everything before you start, the better your chances for success.

Now, assuming you've got your market targeted, you know who your customers are going to be and how you're going to reach them with your product or service. And you have all your costs as well as time requirements itemized. The next step is to set your plan in motion and start making money.

Here is the most important "secret" of all, relating to starting and building a profitable home-based business, so read very carefully. Regardless of what kind of business you start, you must have the capital and the available time to sustain your business through the first six months of operation. Specifically, you must not count on receiving or spending any money coming in from your business on yourself or for your bills during those first six months. All the income from your business during those first six months should be reinvested in your business in order for it to grow and reach your planned first year potential.

Once you've passed that first six months milestone, you can set up a small monthly salary for yourself, and begin enjoying the fruits of your labor. But the first six months of operation for any business are critical, so do not plan to use any of the money you business generates for yourself during that period.

If you've got your business plan properly organized, and have implemented the plan, you should at the end of your first year be able to begin thinking about hiring other people to alleviate some of your workload. Remember this: Starting a successful business is not a means towards either a job for yourself or a way to keep busy. It should be regarded as the beginning of an enterprise that will grow and prosper, with you as the top dog. Eventually, you'll have other people doing all the work for you, even running the entire operation, while you vacation in the Bahamas or Hawaii and collect or receive regular income from your initial efforts.

For more details on market research, business planning, advertising, selling, order fulfillment, and other aspects of home-based businesses, check with your library or book store.

MARY S. EVANS
mary-evan7@excite.com
COPYWRITER/EDITOR/CREATIVE MEDIA CONSULTANT

Secretarial Services - Marketing

Marketing is a big subject. It's complex and often misunderstood.We often try to avoid those marketing people because they annoy like anything to promote their products.After all they are fighting for their livelihood. I feel pity for them.

If we accept that every organization has customers or clients -- a public to serve -- then there has to be marketing. Without marketing your public won't be aware of your service or products and you won't have a market. Without a market you won't have a business.

Read the rest of the article here.

Word Processing

Word Processing: "6 Ways to Keep Your Word Documents Organized
If you spend a lot of time searching for your Word documents, then this guide is a must read. Find out what you can do to take the stress out of finding your documents and take control of your hard drive."

Sticky transcription labels

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.:
"Where can I find sticky transcription labels?

• Forms and Filing Systems, Dennis Corbin, ffs@formsandfilingsystems.com, 800, 472-0171, fax 706, 802-1880, http://www.mdfile.net
  
• Handeze Gloves, http://www.handeze.com, 800-686-1722, Fax 203-269-5307.
  
• March and Green, P. O. Box 155, Wayne, IL 60184, marchgren@aol.com, 800, 447-6004.
  
• Medical Arts Press, Office Management Supplies, 8500 Wyoming Avenue N., Minneapolis, MN 55445, 800-826-6706, Fax 800-328-0023.
  
• Pat Systems, http://www.transpaper.com/, 3929 Parkside Place, Flower Mound, TX75022-4792, 800, 543-1911, info@transpaper.com. Sticky Paper and Softflex Computer Gloves.
  
• Quill Corp., http://www.quillcorp.com/CATALOG/ICS/CATgetPGroup.cfm/11/243/A, info@quillcorp.com."

Web sites with business information

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "Where can I find websites with business information?
Business Resource Center, http://www.morebusiness.com/running_your_business
Small Business Resource Links, http://smallbizhelp.net/links.htm
ICD-9 Codes, http://www.aafp.org/fpm/971100fm/icd9_fp.html."

Digital transcription equipment

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.:
Below you'll find companies selling dictation and transcription equipment, including digital equipment.

• Used equipment ads and auction on MT Dailyhttp://www.mtdaily.com/ads.html
  All-Makes Office Machines, http://www.all-makes.com, 17581 Irvine Bl. #101, Tustin, CA 92780, 714, 730-4857, Fax 714, 730-5103, angie Shepard, angie@all-makes.com
  
• Arrendale Associates, http://www.aaita.com/, 800, 344-1323, 20484G Chartwell Center Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031.
  
• Atlas Ergonomic Book and Copy Holders, http://www.copyholders.com, 800-get-atlas, Cincinnati, OH, dainoffm@copyholders.com
  
• Auction Supersite, http://www.onsale.com, Auction Supersite
  
• Barclay Enterprises, http://www.barclayent.com
  
• Bob's PC Werks, http://www.bobspcwerks.com, 504 Bishop Avenue, Richardson, TX 75081, 214-763-3768, 877-320-1241
  
• BVP Computers, (Bargain C-phone) http://www.dvips.com, 113 Grant Street, Plainfield, Ma. 01070, 413, 634-2187, Bruce Stockwell, bvpcomp@dvips.com
  
• Bytescribe Development Company, digital equipment, http://www.bytescribe.com, P. O. Box 36183, Birmingham, AL 35236, 205, 425-1981 Ext. 4412, postmaster@bytescribe.com
  
• Careflow Net, http://www.careflow.com, 15215 Edwards Ferry Road, Poolesville, Maryland 20837, 301-349-0700.
  
• Catalyst Systems, http://www.catalystsys.com, 405, 943-1655, fax 405, 943-1655, P. O. Box 57210, Oklahoma City, OK 73157-7210, sales@catalystsys.com,p> Cooperative Systems, http://www.coopsys.com, 998 Farmington Ave., #101, West Hartford, CT 06107-2162, 860-523-1000, fax 860-523-1032, info@coopsys.com
  
• Costal Audio, http://www.coastalaudio.com, 609-660-9211, Fax: 609-660-2131, 888-660-9211, info@costa"

Job listing for medical transcriptionists

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "Job Listings
Job Listings and Resumes at MT Daily's MT Jobs, http://www.mtjobs.com
List of Companies by State and City, http://www.mtdaily.com/mtcos.html
Company Profiles for MTs, http://mtjobs.com/
CQI Placement Service, Carolyn Lee, http://www.angelfire.com/biz/medrec/index.html, Dallas, 888-735-8999.
Health Information Jobs, http://www.gvpub.com/empidx/adindex.htm
Home Jobs, http://www.homejobs.addr.com
Monster Board Jobs, http://www.monster.com
MT Connection Placement, Susan Foreman, MTConnection@yahoo.com
NationJob, http://www.nationjob.com/admin
Newspaper Job Ads, http://www.careerpath.com"

Re-recording over the phone - C-phone

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "What is a C-phone? How is rerecording over the telephone done?
A C-phone is a digital receiver transcriber/phone that accesses digital dictation from another location over the phone.
Rerecording involves using a tape recorder or transcriber with recording capabilities, a speaker telephone, and an inexpensive phone coupler (such as those made by Radio Shack, http://www.radioshack.comOne method of re-recording involves using the telephone to dial into a hospital's digital dictation system and playing the doctors' dictations while recording them for transcription at a later time. Also see http://www.mtdaily.com/mt1/recording.html page.
Return to top"

transcription equipment and tools

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "What companies offer medical spellcheckers, electronic dictionaries, line counters, ergonomics, and other transcription equipment?
For WP5.1, books, and used equipment, see used sales at http://www.mtdaily.com/ads.html. Also see http://www.recycledsoftware.com, and http://www.ebay.com.
The Abacus line counter: http://www.theabacus.biz/index.html
MedPen and MedPad, automated formats, line counter, and more http://www.medpen.net, 800-579-4300, Fax 727-579-4300, Joe Vann, medpen@ibm.net, 3131 Emmaus Way, Cosby, TN 37722.
Stedman's of Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, http://www.stedmans.com, 800-638-3030, 301-714-2300, Fax: 301-824-7390, P.O. Box 1600, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
W. B. Saunders now Elsevier, http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/specialty.jsp?lid=3&sid=442.
Spellex, spellchecker and online spellchecker, http://www.spellex.com 800, 442-9673, 813, 885-1968, Fax 813, 855-2581, custsvce@spellex.com, 8313 W. Hillsborough Ave Suite 430, Tampa, FL 33615
Sylcount and spellchecker, Sylvan Software, http://www.sylvansoft.com, 5144 N. Academy Blvd., #531, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, 800, 235-9455, fax 719, 495-8119, sales@sylvansoft.com
PractiCount line counter, http://www.practiline.com, Practiline Software, P.O. Box 34069 #381, Seattle, WA 98124-1069, USA, FAX: 206-984-3919, info@practiline.com
WP Count for WordPerfect, Productive Performance, http://www.foxcomm.net/productive/WPCOUNT.htm, 425, 788-8300, 31820 NE 103rd Street, Carnation, WA 98014-9710, 206-788-8300, productive@foxcomm.net
PC Anywhere, http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/ 9 Golden Hill St. Bethel, CT 06801
DataHand Ergonomic Keyb"

Medical dictionaries and word books for medical transcriptionists

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "What companies publish or sell medical dictionaries and word books and CDs?

• See the Books Direct for all your reference book needs at the lowest prices.
• Both the MTDaily.com Classifieds and the MTDaily.com Bargain page have used books at reasonable prices.
• Paul Norton sells and buys used MT books, pnorton1@twcny.rr.com, 800, 628-8477.
• American Association for Medical Transcription, http://www.aamt.org 800, 982-2182, Book of Style and word books.
• Facts and Comparisons, American Drug Index, and Quarterly Drug Index http://www.factsandcomparisons.com/shop.asp, (800)223-0554 or (314)216-2100.
• Health Professions Institute, http://www.hpisum.com, Box 801, Modesto, CA 95353, 209, 551-2112, hpi@ainet.com, word books and more.
• Prentice Hall, http://www.prenhall.com, Saddle River, NJ 07458, 800-811-0912, Fax 515-284-2607
• W. B. Saunders now Elsevier, http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/specialty.jsp?lid=3&sid=442, word books and Dorland's.
• Stedman's of Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, http://www.stedmans.com'>, dictionary and word books.
• Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia, Tarascon Publishing, http://www.tarascon.com/, 800-929-9926, PO Box 1159, Loma Linda, CA 92354"

Journals for medical transcriptionists

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "What journals are available?
Monthly Prescribing Reference, http://www.prescribingreference.com, 800-436-9262, Prescribing Reference, Inc., 53 Park Place, Suite 1010, New York, NY 10007 USA, Attn: Circulation Dept.--Code HS.
Advance for Health Information Professionals, a free biweekly to health information professionals: http://www.advanceforhim.com/, Advance@Merion.com, Merion Publications, Inc. 800, 355-5627
For The Record, a weekly for health information professionals: http://www.fortherecordmag.com/ Great Valley Publishing Company, 1288 Valley Forge Rd., P.O. Box 2224, Valley Forge, PA 19482.
Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, Journal of AHIMA, http://www.ahima.org/products/subscription.html.
Journal of Healthcare Information Management, http://www.himss.org/ASP/publications_jhim.asp .
MT Daily Rounds, http://www.mtdaily.com/rounds, a Friday E-mail newsletter with highlights from MT Daily and links of interest. "

Organizations for Medical transcriptionists

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "Are there any organizations for MTs?
On-line MTs are researching and networking through email, newsletters, state boards, forums and web sites.
AAMT, The American Association for Medical Transcription, http://www.aamt.org was founded in 1978. aamt@sna.com, P.O. Box 576187, Modesto, CA 95357-6187; 800, 982-2182. Fax: 209, 551-9317. Members receive the bimonthly Journal of the Association for American Medical Transcription; access to AAMT's professional staff; discounts on products and services; educational conferences; the names of local AAMT Chapter Presidents; an examination to become a Certified Medical Transcriptionist; and opportunities to serve in local and national leadership.
MTIA, Medical Transcription Industry Alliance, for MT Services: http://www.mtia.com
HPI, Health Professions Institute, http://www.hpisum.com offers publications and seminars. Box 801, Modesto, CA 95353, 209, 551-2112, hpi@ainet.com.
AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association, http://www.ahima.org/index.cfm, 919 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611, 312, 787-3672, info@ahima.org.
HIMSS, The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, http://www.himss.org, 230 East Ohio, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611-3269, 312/664-HIMS, Fax 312/664-6143, himss@himss.org.
Health Information Management Supersite, http://www.himinfo.com, OPUSCOMM Online, 200 Hoods Lane, Marblehead, MA 01945 USA, Phone: 800/650-6787, Fax: 800/639-8511.
Medical Records Institute, http://www.medrecinst.com, Medical Records Institute, 567 Walnut Street, P.O. Box 600770, Newton, MA 02460, 617, 964-3923, Fax 617, 964-3926, jasong@medrecinst.com."

MT Daily - correspondence courses for medical transcriptionists

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.:
On-Line and Correspondence Courses for medical transcription:

• Andrews School, http://www.andrewsschool.com/, Linda Andrews, 5601 NW 72nd #167, Oklahoma City, OK 73132, 405-721-3555. Dial 999 when the recorded message starts. You will hear a series of beeps. The system should allow you to leave a message if no one answers. linda@andrewsschool.com
  
• At-Home Professions, home-study course, 2001 Lowe Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525. 1-800-333-2846, Fax 1-970-223-1678. http://www.at-homeprofessions.com/. Includes audio cassettes, lessons, text materials and flashcards. Susan Henry, SusanH824@aol.com.
  Blackboard.Com, http://www.blackboard.com, free online medical terminology courses.
  Brighton College, 3855 Fishcreek Road, Stow, OH 44224, http://www.brightoncollege.edu phone: 800-231-3803 fax: 330-673-4833
  
• CAI Transcription, Cheryl Izzo, http://www.caitranscription.com, 609-698-6544, 116 Stillwater Road, Barnegat, NJ 08005.
  
• CanScribe.com: http://canscribe.com/, CanScribe Career Centre Inc., British Columbia, Canada phone. 250.860.1535 fax. 250.860.4712, toll free. 1.800.466.1535 info@canscribe.com
  
• Career Step, http://careerstep.com, 1220 North Main Street, Suite 6, Springville, Utah 84663, 801-489-9393, Fax 801-491-6645info@careerstep.com
  
• Central Business School, http://www.upfirst.com/cbstrain/medtrans.htm, Central Business School, 906, 226-5270, michaeleen@upfirst.com.
  
• Education Direct, http://www.educationdirect.com/index.html, 800 889-9593, FAX 570-343-8462, P.O. Box 1900, Scranton, PA 18501
  Garb Transcription, http://www.garbtranscription.com, JGarb87517@aol.com, (415) 927-8132.
  
• GMT Distance Learning Center, http://medicaltrans.net, PO Box 1421 Kaunakakai

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "3. What home training programs are available?
Questions to ask schools: http://www.mtdaily.com/mtbyschool/qlist.html
Local: Junior college and trade school classes are available locally.
California: South Coast College, http://www.southcoastcollege.com, 1380 S. Sanderson Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, 714-635-6464, admissions@southcoastcollege.com
California: Santa Barbara, Gail N. Shannon, gshannon@sbch.org, fax: 805-569-7867
Georgia: Georgia Center Gatlin Course: http://www.gactr.uga.edu/is/gatlin/
Illinois: Career Colleges of Chicago, 11 E. Adams, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-6301,(312) 895-6310, (312) 895-6301 (fax)
Texas: Shirley Baker Career Institute, 11500 Northwest Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77092 713-680-2900
Texas: Medical Transcription Training and Service, 2626 S. Loop West, Ste. #117, Houston, TX 77054, Wendolyn Ann Smith, 713, 660-0355, wasm2@prodigy.net', http://www.thetranscriptionconnection.com
Texas: Med-Line, http://www.medlineschool.com/, 14011 Park Drive, Suite 224, Tomball, Texas 77375, 281-351-5786 Office, 888-220-6550, admissions@medlineschool.com.
New York: Queens College, http://www.qc.edu/CEP/mt.htm, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, 718, 997-5000.
New York: Stenotopia, http://www.stenotopia.com/, 45 South Service Road, Plainview, N.Y. 11803, 800-349-1117, Fax: 777-1145.
Pennsylvania: Bidwell Training Center, 1815 Metropolitan, Pittsburgh, PA 15233, 412 323-4000, is an accredited, nonprofit, state and corporate-funded program.
Virginia: MT Support Services, http://www.mtsupport.com/, 15401 Warwick Boulevard, Newport News"

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.

MT Daily - medical transcription, work at home.: "How does one become a medical transcriptionist?

For an experienced word processor, it is possible to learn medical transcription while working in an entry-level position, but it is rare because of the need to learn medical vocabulary and formats. Some colleges and hospitals offer classes, and there are several home-study courses available.

MTs work in doctors' offices, clinics, hospitals and transcription services. They also work from home, usually after 2-3 years of experience in an office or hospital. With more experience, MTs go on to teach, supervise, consult, edit and write in the field.

Step-by-Step Guide to Medical Transcription at Home, book by Michele Miller, http://www.startasecretarialbusiness.com/medical-transcription.html

College in Malta,Secretarial Business Diploma Courses

College in Malta,Secretarial Business Diploma Courses: "College in Malta - Secretarial Business Diploma Courses
Learnkey Secretarial School has been operating in Malta since 1995 and the Learnkey staff is proud to belong to one of Malta's first ever schools for Secretarial, Administration and Business Diploma Courses. We also offer high standard IT Tuition and are accredited by the ECDL Foundation. Learnkey Training Institute is also accredited by Messrs Pitman City & Guilds of the UK and takes pride in its reputation for the Full Time and Part Time Courses that it offers to its ever growing group of students."

Small Business Resources

Small Business Resources: ":: Government Resources
Small Business Administration - business administration with a mission to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families and businesses recover from national disasters.
SCORE - SCORE 'Counselors to America's Small Business' is a nonprofit association dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with free, confidential face-to-face and email business counseling. Business counseling and workshops are offered at 389 chapter offices across the country.
Women's Business Center - resources specically for women's owned business centers."

Secretarial Services:Something money can't buy: good customer service

I'm sure we've all been in situations where a vendor of some sort has let us down because of their ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Acusis Recognized for Excellence in Billing and Pricing Methodologies (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

Pittsburgh based Acusis, a leading provider of medical transcription services to hospitals, clinics and physician practices was recognized for outstanding excellence after placing as a runner-up for the 2005 MTIA Billing Method Principles Beacon Award. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:How to recapture"lost"customers and clients

One of my favorite lunch spots is a Mexican chain called Qdoba. Like many restaurants, they have a customer loyalty program. In a nutshell, the more you eat there, the more incentives they give you to keep coming back. It’s a good deal all around.

This week, something happened with that program that impressed me, and packs a heck of a marketing lesson for local small business owners. Let me explain…I’ve been traveling lately, and had not been to Qdoba in nearly a month. When I returned home from my last trip, I checked my E-mail and found a message from them inside.

Here’s an excerpt: We’re About To Put Your Face On A Milk Carton. Michael, We haven’t seen you around lately. And we miss you. So here’s a quick reminder about why you came here in the first place. We’ve got hundreds of menu options, from burritos to grilled quesadillas, taco salads and Warm 3-Cheese Queso that has been known to bring taste buds to their knees. And, it’s all made fast, fresh and right in front of you from real, fresh ingredients. One taste will remind you. You’ll never go missing again. –> GET FRESH FOR FREE. Buy any entree, get any entree of equal or lesser value FREE.

The “marketing geek” term for this is a lost customer promotion. The idea is bring people who had been good customers in the past, but have not been in recently, back in the restaurant to buy again. These campaigns are astoundingly effective, but most businesses just do not execute the strategy well. This is why I was so impressed by Qdoba.

Most retail, service and business-to-business companies assume that if a customer or client bought once they will be back when they are ready to buy again. This is foolish and flat-out wrong.

The most successful small businesses know that customers and clients stop buying not because they are unhappy, but simply because they feel unappreciated and ignored. A lost client campaign is a cheap and effective way to make those clients feel appreciated and let them know you want them back. It only takes one return sale you wouldn't have otherwise had to pay for an entire campaign every single month.

Here is a simple, 3-step strategy you can use to put one of these systems to work in your own small business.

Make sure you capture all client information, everytime, no exceptions - You need a system that will capture the contact and transaction information of your customers, the initial sale and all subsequent sales.

Run a report every month of clients who have not bought from you recently - If your business is retail, a period of 60-90 days after their last purchase is optimal. For business consulting, the period depends upon the solutions you offer.

Send a personal letter designed to bring them back to your small business - Let them know they are missed and that you want to make sure they have been happy with their solutions. Make a special offer to bring them back in the fold. For retail, a certificate for something free with any purchase works well. Businesses respond well to "technology check-ups" and information about new solutions you have available. more...


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Secretarial Services:A Simple Way to Happier Customers

A few nights back I drove (way too fast, ahem) towards Hollywood Video to pick up a few DVDs. The time was 11:57 when I pulled up to the curb and hopped out of my car.

As I approached the door, the clerk on the other side noticed me, raced towards the door and quickly slammed the lock shut while doing his best not to make eye contact.It got me thinking about another experience at Borders.

I’m a night person. I love books. I love going to Borders at 10PM, and staying until the 11PM closing bell. But it’s not unheard of for me to get in the door at 10:50 with a big list of books to grab and buy.

Usually, I’m greeted with cold stares from the folks whose wages I pay. Just once, I’d love to hear across the loudspeaker:

“It’s 11PM and we’re closed, but if you love books as much as we do, you might need just a couple more minutes to decide on your purchases. Go ahead. The doors are locked but we’ll keep the registers open for just another 5 minutes. Make your selections and come on up.”

The truth is they are already keeping the registers open at both Hollywood AND Borders the extra five minutes, because there are customers who stay until the last minute and need the time to checkout.

Local retailers: Why not teach your people to turn it into … yet another reason … to love your store; instead of making your customers feel like they are ruining your employees’ nights? Little things count! more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Entrepreneur quiz and top 10 list

Fun post at Fractals of Change on the top 10 ways to tell if you are an entrepreneur.
My personal favorites:

10. You can’t bring yourself to call anyone “boss”.

8. Instead of saying “there oughtta be a law”, you say “there could be a business…”

2. You have to take two zeros OFF the numbers in your business plan or no one will believe it.

1. You didn’t read this list because you already know what you are (and you don’t have time to read lists).

Read the rest at: Are You an Entrepreneur?. more...


Start a Secretarial Service