StumbleUpon | JeanAnnVK's blog posts

http://JeanAnnVK.stumbleupon.com/review/28316184/

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:44:26 -0800

Funny t shirt...Love Christmas Vacation, one of the funniest movies.. http://budurl.com/a7fy

http://JeanAnnVK.stumbleupon.com/review/28222073/

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:08:26 -0800

This is a cool post about making your own snowmen, even when you don't have snow! http://budurl.com/avdx

http://JeanAnnVK.stumbleupon.com/review/28143640/

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:19:21 -0800

Three things that you must know BEFORE you start a podcast.. http://budurl.com/5njx

http://JeanAnnVK.stumbleupon.com/review/27336768/

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:51:24 -0800

For some reason, I am becoming addicted to t shirts with sayings. It may have stemmed from Vaynerchuck's t shirt site Please Dress Me . This is like nirvana for people who love tee's.

A very cool trend that I have noticed is t shirt companies building social media platforms on their sites for their followers...or, creating facebook or myspace pages.

Though there are lots of t shirts sites out there, I think Crazy Dog is my favorite...tee's a great and affordable...love to buy them for my 14 y/o...

http://JeanAnnVK.stumbleupon.com/review/26946882/

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:50:11 -0700

I have almost stopped watching television, or at least the news. Yes, I know times are tough, but the reality is that we have to all go on living...and making money.

Maybe it seems like it is a bad time to be in business for yourself. I started my consulting company in June...and I keep adding clients. The key to surviving as an entrepreneur or small business owner is flexibility, low overhead, and excellent customer service.

Bootstrapping is a phrase that startups have used for years. By keeping your overhead low, you are increasing the amount of money you need to make to stay solvent. One way to reduce cost is to outsource support. Instead of hiring a new employee, consider contracting a virtual assistant. Your virtual assistant will help keep you organized and provide you with the support you need, without the full cost of an employee.

In order to be successful in times like this, you need to be able to do one (or both) of two things) a) repackage your product or service in a way that fits the current culture or b) identify the part of your business that has potential to grow and focus your energy there. Don't pour energy into a product or service that just isn't selling now. It doesn't matter how great it is if people won't buy it.

And finally, beef up your customer service. Make sure that the clients you do have feel how valued they are. Handle concerns personally, make calls, send handwritten notes. When the holidays roll around, send out personalized holiday cards. Let your customers know that they are the reason for your success.

Hang in there...tough economic times are never permanent. Your business can survive, and thrive, if you remain flexible, keep your overhead low and provide excellent customer service.