Business Records Retention

My husband came into my office to find me on the floor among piles and piles of paper. "Whatcha doin'?" he inquired. "Organizing my office," I replied, (although it doesn't look like it.)

Yep, 'tis the season to pore through the mound of papers, receipts, and records accumulated over the past year, and dig through records from years past, to decide what to keep, and what to throw away. (Here's a link to a Business Records Retention Guide to help you decide.)

I'm a packrat by nature, so I still have Resume Work Order forms from when I started my business nearly 12 years ago. Here's an invoice for a "Standard" Resume (includes resume, 10 copies on resume paper, "lifetime storage," a computer disk, and references) ... for $50. Another line outlines the cost for cover letters ("We Write:$10/each; You Write/We Type to Match Resume: $5/each). Yikes! By 2000, however, the average was up to $129. (And I was getting paid an average of $120 for a subcontract resume and cover letter!)

You still have time to get your files in order for 2007 and prepare for 2008! (My goal is to have my office reorganized and ready for the New Year by Dec. 31!)

Partner Up

Want to make some additional money? Partner up with a group and offer a seminar!

The group can be a church, a professional organization, a social group, or a business. Offer to present a seminar to their members on a career topic ("Job Search 101" or "Career Success for Accountants.")

You can charge $100 per person, plus materials, for a series of three weeknight sessions, or three Sunday afternoons. The group pays you, with some passing the cost along to members. Some organizations use the program as a fundraiser.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Resume Writers' Digest.

If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands in the next few days, take a look back at some of our early issues of Resume Writers' Digest (1999 to 2001).

While some of the information is out of date (it was 6-8 years ago!), some of it's still applicable.

Check out these articles:
- Using the Web to Boost Your Resume Writing Business (July/August 1999)
- Profile: Small Town Resume Writers (September/October 1999)
- Preventing Credit Card Chargebacks (September/October 1999)
- Start Planning Your New Year's Promotions (September/October 1999)
- Create a Web Site to Market Your Services (November/December 1999)
- Sensational Seasonal Promotions (November/December 1999)
- Interview: Serving the High-Income Job Searcher (January/February 2000)
- Designing Yellow Pages Advertising That Works (March/April 2000)
- Cash In on Additional Profit Center (March/April 2000)

What's in a Name?

I'm creating an index of all the previous issues of Resume Writers' Digest, and came across an article in the September/October 1999 issue on "What's In a Name? Guidelines for Naming Your Business." (The 1999, 2000, and 2001 issues are all available on the Resume Writers' Digest website for free download.)

The article gives a couple of key tips for naming (or renaming) your resume writing business.

1. Plan to accommodate future services. If you are planning to offer more than just resume services, you will need to make sure your company name can encompass a diverse range of services. Thomas P. Gove, president of The Original Resume, faced this challenge in 1988 when he named his company. "I had a vision of creating much more than just a resume company, something different, something unique, something 'original," he says. His company provides resume writing services, permanent recruiting services, and consulting services for businesses.

2. Pick a name that fits your niche. Choose a name that reflects the audience you want to attract, or the niche you want your business to fill.

"The name to most people does mean that they will be getting a product that reflects the trends in the marketplace," says Jean Cummings, of A Resume for Today. "People will say, "I wanted a resume for today.' No one so far has interpreted it to mean I will turn it around in one day."

3. Consider making a change if your current business name isn't working. Nancy L. Barker, previously of Busume Resumes & DTP decided to change her business name after she noticed new clients were having trouble with the name. "I think the last straw was when a recent client couldn't seem to pronounce it (even though he heard me say it so many times) and insisted upon saying 'bosom-ay.' Ack!"

Here's a link to a previous post on naming your business.