Thank You for Complaining

I am not a complainer by nature. Sure, I will send back a cold entree but I will do it nicely. If I am particularly upset, I will send a strongly worded letter (after all I’m a writer.) But in general, I don’t complain.

This week, however, I had three complaints to make–with three decidedly different outcomes.

1. I hired a business to fix my paver patio. Instead, they did over $2,000 worth of damage to my whole patio and then refused to answer their phone or messages.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and…

Expert Upon Arrival

I have an article in this month’s WedLock magazine on time management tips for social media. I am often asked to speak on the subject as well. One introduction suggested I was a“social media time management specialist” to which I promptly snorted the water I was sipping up my nose!

There are no experts or gurus in social media concerning time management (or social media, for that matter.) We are ALL learning as we go. It would be like claiming to be the nation’s utmost tour guide for the North America continent upon disembarking the Mayflower. We…

Monitoring the Buzz

Are your ears burning? It is always good to know when someone is talking about you, especially if it is favorably. But it is also good to know when your name is mentioned in any light.

The first step towards monitoring your name, business name and even industry, is signing up for Google Alerts. This simple, free application alerts you by email every time your name is mentioned online. I counsel clients to sign up for several keywords:

1. Your name in quotations, such as “Nicole Amsler”

2. Your company name in quotations, ie. “Keylocke Services” or…

The One Thing You Need

Just one? When you start researching how to start a business or even what business to start, the laundry list of everything you need seems to be a mile long.

Are you selling a product? Well then, you need a brochure, maybe a catalog, a price sheet, packaging, shipping boxes, a return policy and a maybe an online store.

Selling a service like life coaching or pet sitting? You’ll need business cards, an hourly fee, networking connections, maybe a website or a magnetic sticker for your car.

And don’t even consider starting a web based company without all the accoutrements.…