How to Select The Best Clients To Work With

All too often, I talk to resume writers who are struggling with getting clients. My top advice for every resume writer is to establish a niche and become known as a specialist -- you're actually more likely to get more business by being a specialist than a generalist. (And yes, your niche doesn't have to be limited to a specific industry -- it can be geographic specialization, or specializing in career changes, or being an expert in return-to-work jobseekers.)

As a resume writer, you'll likely have moments when you wish you had turned down a client. Sometimes it's difficult to know if a client is right for you. Being able to choose the clients best suited to work with you ensures you have a more successful business. It makes sense -- yet resume writers get into trouble when they don't know themselves well enough, or they don't trust their gut.

Here's some strategies to help ensure you're picking the best clients to work with.

Know Your Strengths
Sometimes a client project doesn't go well simply because it's not suited to your strengths. For me, that's working with military transition clients, and IT professionals. Believe me, I can write for both types of clients -- but I don't like to, and that's the big difference. When you're writing for a type of client you don't enjoy, the project will likely be a constant challenge. You'll work harder and longer to complete it and end up essentially lowering your hourly value. Yet when you work on a project that speaks to your strengths, you finish on time, the client is happy, and you earn a loyal customer. (I love writing sales and marketing resumes, for example. They energize me, and I have hit quite a few "home runs" writing these types of documents for clients.)

When you're writing for clients in industries that are difficult for you, your work is a struggle. Clients that suit your strengths don't adversely affect your morale. You're able to maintain a positive mindset. This is key for long-term success.

Know What Your Ideal Client/Project Looks Like
Write down what your ideal clients and projects look like. What makes them good projects or clients?
For example, do you prefer working with specific industries? With individuals at a particular level of the job search -- i.e., entry-level vs. C-level? For those who are staying in the same industry, or career change? For those who are employed and looking for a better job, vs. those who have been unemployed for a while? (I don't know many resume writers who enjoy writing for chronically unemployed folks. It's a tough gig.)

As for projects, do you prefer writing just resumes, or do you like also writing the supporting job search documents -- cover letters, thank-you letters, letters of introduction? Do you enjoy helping clients develop or enhance their LinkedIn profile? What other services do you like to provide -- career assessments (DISC?), interview training, salary negotiation coaching? Do you like writing resumes from scratch vs. doing updates?

Make a list or create a paragraph description of what types of projects you like and perform well on. Then, when you have a choice to take a job or to pass, you can refer to your list to help you decide.

Take a Look at Your Schedule
Sometimes it's easy to say yes to a job even when you don't have the time to get it done properly. The result is that you either get very stressed and feel burnt out, or you complete the project but it's not your best work. Make sure you have the time and energy to complete any project you commit to. It can be difficult to say no to a project, especially when you want to earn clients; however, saying no may be the better decision. (Consider partnering with other resume writers and making referrals for projects that aren't a good fit. A 15% referral fee is standard in these arrangements.)

As a resume writer, it often takes time and some few hard-learned lessons to learn which jobs are the best ones to take and which to pass on. Don's hesitate to say no. All clients are not good clients. You'll find the right ones. You'll find great clients. You'll learn to identify the PIA (pain-in-the-a$$) clients. I've learned a couple of things that are my signals for a bad client -- like a wife calling on behalf of her husband. That may work for you, but I've found those clients are a bad fit for me.

Work hard, know what you want from clients, and select the best clients for you to work with.

What Should Be In Your Media Kit?

Your media kit (sometimes called a “press kit”) may include:

• An advance news release. This is used to announce a time-oriented event or activity, such as announcing a seminar you are sponsoring. 

• A backgrounder. This document provides detailed or in-depth information about an issue, a product or service, or your business. 

– For example: You reach a significant anniversary — this news release provides the history of the business up to this point. 

– Or: You issue a quarterly or annual report about local economic or labor conditions to coincide with national employment projections. 

• Feature news releases. These news releases often result in “profiles” in the local media. Take a key topic and provide your perspective. 

– “Unemployment numbers are misleading,” resume writer says. Then explain why you believe this is so, backing up your opinion with facts. 

• The follow-up. Sent out after an event to report results. 

— If you had a contest for “the worst resume ever,” issue a news release that you’ve selected a “winner” and include a copy of the winning entry and also the made-over resume.

• Your picture. Get a professional head-and-shoulders photo of yourself taken. 

• Information about you. Your brochure or a written description of your current business, the services you offer, and your biography (or your resume or vitae). 

• History of business. How you got to be where you are — when you started, what you’ve accomplished, how it’s changed. 

• Previous media coverage. Reprints of articles about you that have appeared in other publications. Remember, publicity begets publicity.

For more information on publicity, attend my free "Feed the Media" call on Wednesday, Nov. 9. 

Guest Post: Business Success: It's Not All About Finding Your Niche and Growing Your List

Guest blog post by Sandra Martini
This past weekend I was involved in a hit and run car accident. As witnesses pulled around me to continue on their day, I started thinking about personal responsibility.

Obviously the person who hit me wasn’t taking any.

Then a flashback to a call with a potential client a few weeks ago (yep, I’d moved the car out of the road by this point) where she said “none of my previous coaches know how to teach and that’s why [her] business isn’t succeeding.”

And on to several business owners who have said, and continue to say, something to the effect of:
“I don’t have time to connect with my clients each week”
“I don’t have time to read and comment on industry blogs”
“I hear your 30-day training is great, but I’m too busy to sign up, read each daily message and take action on it”
“Sounds like a great book, but I don’t have time to read it”
“I didn’t have time to follow- up with those I met at the event – I’ll do it next week” (note: “next week” never comes)
“I’m too busy trying to get clients to create a plan”

You get the idea. Excuse after excuse after excuse. And usually wondering why things aren’t going the way they hoped.

Reality:
We’re ALL busy. And most of us think we’re busier than we are.
Our clients are busy. Our vendors are busy. Our colleagues are busy. Those who succeed learn to manage their time and focus on those activities which will best serve their goals.
As a business owner, even the owner of a lifestyle business, we occasionally need to make sacrifices –- get up an hour earlier, work on a Saturday morning/evening, whatever to finish something we committed to.

It’s tough to stay on top of all things, all the time -– especially when we combine business with a personal life.

I know this and experience the same and when I’m tempted to make an excuse, I remember something my Dad said long ago: “whatever you accept, you get more of” -– start accepting excuses (even from yourself) and you’ll get more of them.

As the market becomes more competitive and clients become more discerning about where they invest their money, you want to ensure that you’re known for the *right* things: providing value and doing what you say you will…in addition to the *what* of what you do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Request to You:

Before we can move forward, let’s clean up anything that needs attention:
Grab your “to do” (or “Action”) list. You know…the *big* one.
Look over it and put stars or highlight anything that “should” have been done by now -– starting with things that are owed to clients, colleagues, vendors, etc.
Make a commitment to yourself right now that you’ll assume personal responsibility in all things going forward, knowing that it means you’ll have to say “no” to things which don’t fit or you don’t have time for.
Set aside a day this week to catch up on those things which need catching up on (delegate what you can, do the rest).
Smile and give yourself a reward for getting caught up.

Moving forward. . .
Take time to identify your personal and business values.
Each morning think about your top five values and act with intent throughout the day.

Taking consistent action and living your life/managing your business according to your values will ensure that you’re on track for a life on your terms. And if those values include integrity, personal responsibility, value, Extreme Client Care™ and constant learning, you’re well on your way to success and the life you envision.

It’s the millions of little things we do and choices we make, every day, which determines our business success or failure.

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If you liked this article, you'll want to hop on over to www.SandraMartini.com for more comprehensive business building and marketing strategies, articles and resources. Sandra Martini, a Small Business Mentor, founder of Escalator Marketing™ and creator of the Escalator Profits Program™, teaches small business owners and entrepreneurs how to build sustainable businesses without losing their integrity or their minds.

Writing Better Content -- from Resumes to Blogs!

As a resume writer and as a publisher, I'm always looking for ideas on how to improve my copywriting skills, because words are at the heart of everything I do. Copywriting (defined) is "the art of writing to sell or achieve a specific goal." Whether we're writing to get our clients the interview (resume/cover letter) or to get prospective clients to call us (article writing/blog), we need to be creating good content.

Headlines!
The headline of your article or blog post is vitally important. It motivates people to read your article. The same is true with the resume. A good headline (outlining our client's value proposition) can entice the reader to continue reading. The longer they read the resume (and/or cover letter), the more likely your client is to get an interview. Most resumes get anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds of attention. A good headline can help get the first 15 seconds ... good content in the resume can get it 60 seconds or more!

These techniques work for articles and blogs (starred ones work for resumes and cover letters):
* Ask a question
* Make a promise*
* Offer a benefit*
* Arouse curiosity
* Appeal to emotions
* Use numbers*
* Make an announcement

Call to Action
Once you've motivated someone to read your content, make sure they take action. This ties back to the purpose or goal for your article or blog post. (The purpose of the resume and cover letter is to get an interview; the action we want the hiring manager to take is to call the client!)

If you're writing a blog post and want people to read more about you on your website, then include a few relevant links at the end of your article. Tell them to click on the links to learn more about your niche. Always include some sort of call to action, even if you just want them to leave comments on your blog.

Use Examples
One great way to really get your reader involved in your content is to use examples. In a blog post you can use personal examples. In your article content you may want your examples to be more general. In a resume, it's about CAR (Challenge-Action-Result) examples.

Examples help paint a picture for the reader. Instead of just telling them something, you're showing them too.

Visual Aids
More and more content online is also using visual cues to make it interesting to the reader. Although you can include graphics on resumes and cover letters, you don't need images to create an impact. Your cover letter can incorporate subheadings, bold lettering on words that need to grab attention, and bullet points to draw the eye down. (Take a look at sales letters for examples of how to incorporate these tactics.) In addition to formatting your content for easy online reading, consider using photos (of a key client project for example -- not of your client), graphics (sales achievement graphs or profitability charts), and other images to help inform your reader.

It's not uncommon for a blog to include a photo in every single blog post. Additionally, if you're writing a how-to article, you might include a few demonstration photos. (Or before-and-after resume examples.)  If you're writing a review (of a career-related book, for example), you might include an image of the product you're reviewing (book cover, or photo of the author). And if you're writing an informative article, you might include graphs, charts, infographics, or screenshots.

Using a few handy copywriting tactics for your content can help improve readability and reader response and it can help you achieve better content marketing results. Try implementing a few of these ideas -- for your own projects, or your clients' -- and watch your results soar.

Secrets to Growing a Strong Personal Brand as a Resume Writer

Hey! This is my 600th blog post! So I want to spend this post talking about one of my favorite topics -- personal branding!

This post on my Facebook page yesterday got six "likes":
Potential customers don't want to work with you if you're only so-so at what you do. Wow prospects with case studies of your current clients, with testimonials, and show them EXACTLY what you can potentially do for them. Never be mediocre when you can be great!

As I write this blog post, I'm listening to a teleseminar from Susan Friedmann, author of "Riches in Niches." She's talking about how people like to work with experts. Part of being recognized as an expert is identifying what you're good at -- and then becoming known for your work in that area!

As clients increasingly look to find a careers industry professional online (versus their local Yellow Pages), your personal brand is becoming increasingly more important. You need to stand out from the crowd. People are sharing things about you, videos of you, articles written by you day in and day out. There's no way to really know who's being exposed to you and your work.

We emphasize the need for clients to think of their personal brand as a job seeker, but it's equally important for careers professionals! Think of your personal brand as the most important investment you'll make in your resume writing business. You need to put time, money, and energy into this investment. You might not see payoff right away, either.

Here's how to build your personal brand.

Clarify Your Brand
Before revealing your brand to the world, you first need to get clear on what exactly your brand is to yourself first.

You can begin by answering these questions:

–      What kinds of clients do you most enjoy working with? (New grads? Finance professionals? Engineers?)

–      What training do you have to qualify you to specialize in a specific area? (Are you certified in a special job search technique? Do you have a proprietary method you use with clients?)

–      What life experiences have you had that would be valuable to others? (Were you a stay-at-home mom who successfully transitioned back to corporate America at one point?)

–      What makes you different from other resume writers? (For example, English isn’t your native language or you’re hearing impaired)

–      What do you see as possible for your clients? (find a job in 28 days or less)

–      What role might you play in helping your clients achieve those results? (a guarantee?)

–      Is there an area where you are better than others? (you're an award-winning resume writer?)

–      Is there an opportunity to serve a specific market that no other resume writer is reaching? (professionals in the equine industry)

–      Where could you be the first in the market? (introducing a new job search technique, for example)

Make a list of words and phrases to help you identify one or more areas of specialty for your careers industry practice. Write down whatever comes to mind — the purpose of this exercise is to help you identify areas that will help you stand out from other resume writers.

Ask yourself:

* What unique value do you bring to the table as a resume writer? This should be something that you alone can provide. It can be a unique twist on something already existing, or it could be something completely brand new.

* What problems can you solve better than anyone? Specializing often helps. It's better to specialize in "working with IT professionals in career transition" than to specialize in "white-collar workers."

* What are you deeply passionate about? Pick a topic that you could talk about for hours and hours and hours. Clients and prospects can sense passion or lack of passion in your voice in an instant.

Convey Your Personal Brand

Once your personal brand is established for yourself, the next step is to convey it to the world.

Step one is to express your brand in a clear and concise way. What you do and who you are should all fit into one clear sentence.

For example, "I help stay-at-home moms successfully transition back to full-time employment" is a great pitch. Another example is "I help CFOs identify and target six-figure job opportunities." What you do should fit in a short, easy-to-convey sentence.

This makes it easy to remember who you are. If they know someone who can use your service, it'll pop into mind immediately. If you took two minutes to get to what you actually do, they may not actually remember what you talked about next time it comes up.

Once your branding and messaging is clear, put it on everything. Put your branding on your business cards, on your website, on your stationery, on anything that's associated with you. Make YouTube videos, post articles about the subject, and give talks and speeches if you can get in front of your target audience.

The secret to growing a strong personal brand is to first come up with a crystal clear value proposition, then refine it into an easy-to-convey idea, and finally to push that brand into the world in every conceivable channel.

As Susan Friedmann says, "There is big profit in small markets. The key to success is for you to be an expert, and to become known for that."

Article Marketing as a Way to Get New Resume Clients

As resume writers, we spend all day writing. So it makes sense that it can be difficult to get "psyched" to do more writing. But writing articles about job search topics is a quick and easy way to attract new clients. And, other than your investment of your time and energy, it doesn't cost anything. There are plenty of places to "publish" your articles that will pay off.

How can article writing boost traffic to your website -- and your income?
There are dozens of free article websites out there. The article on the free content site contains a link to your own website. Readers, after reading your articles, may choose to click on the link and pay you an unexpected visit.

Having your articles on the free content sites is also making these articles available to other webmasters who may wish to publish that article on their site. One of my articles (not on a job search topic, but careers topics are hugely republished!!) -- published to GoArticles.com -- has already been picked up by five other blogs. Article writing can increase your Google profile.

How will people know to contact you?
If other websites do pick up your articles, your article will include a link back to your site. (You write a "resource box" for your articles -- a simple 3-4 sentence bio for the end of the article that explains who you are and how they can contact you.) And anyone who reads the article on that site can still click on the link to visit your site.

As the list of your published articles grow larger -- and more and more of them appear on different websites -- the total number of links to your site increases also. Major search engines are placing a lot of significance on incoming links to websites so they can determine the importance of a certain site. The more incoming links the website has, the more importance search engines attaches to it. This will then increase your website's placement in the search results.

The links that your articles have achieved will mean more potential resume clients for you. Even if visitors only browse through, you never know if they might be in need of what you are offering in the future. (Be sure to have a way to capture email addresses of website visitors, and consider offering affiliate products -- like resume distribution services -- on your site as well.)

Article writing establishes credibility
There are also those who know they need a resume writer, but can't decide yet among the many resume writing services online. If they stumble upon one of your articles, they may decide you are just the expert to help them. (But remember this mantra when developing your article content: "Teach, don't preach.")

Search engines do not just index the websites, they also index published articles. They also index any article that is written about your own website's topic. So once someone searches for that same topic, the list of results will have your site or may even show the articles that you have written. Don't forget to rewrite the article a bit (change the headline and opening paragraph at a minimum), and post it on your own website or blog too! (Although those who study Google's search algorithms say that Google doesn't like duplicate content, in my experience, there are few resume writers who would be harmed by syndicating their articles on free article directory sites as well as on their own content platforms.)

Article marketing has an enormous return on investment. Your published articles + the search engines = traffic to your website.

It is no wonder why many resume writers are deciding to take the time to write more articles about their site than doing other means of promotion. Syndicating articles is a strategy that propelled Kevin Donlin to his current stature as a nationally recognized job search expert. Article marketing increases your "know, like, and trust" factor among prospective clients.

Article writing helps you reach a national market (outside your geographic area)
Since many people are now taking their buying needs online -- including working with resume writers outside their geographic area -- having your website rank higher on the search engines through article writing is one way of letting them know about you and your resume writing services. It's especially effective if you concentrate your writing on niche areas -- for example, financial jobs, or technology jobs, or federal resumes. All of these have strong keywords and make great content for associated websites and blogs (in those industries).

The good thing about writing careers-targeted articles is that you can write about things that people would want to know about. People want to know how they can be more effective in their job search, networking, and salary negotiation efforts.

Try writing some articles and you may be surprised in the surge in site traffic, link popularity, and interest that results. And don't forget to recycle those articles on your own website and blog.

"Where's the Beef?"

I noticed Wendy's is running a new campaign based on the classic "Where's the Beef?" ads from 1984.

The new campaign (to introduce Dave's Hot & Juicy Cheeseburgers), is "Here's the Beef."

And that reminded me that, as careers industry professionals, we need to give prospective clients "the beef" -- so they will choose us.

How to Answer "What's in It for Me" in 15 Seconds or Less
The most important question to answer in any kind of marketing has always been: "What's in it for me?" In other words, "Where's the beef?"

If your marketing and your content don't answer this question in 15 seconds or less, chances are you're going to lose your prospective client. If you really hammer the answer home in the first 15 seconds, chances are they'll read the entire article.

Before You Write Anything
Before you write any kind of content, take a look at the design of your website. In particular, look at your header.

Does your overall website convey a benefit to the reader? For example, if your header says "Bob's Website," chances are readers aren't going to get a sense of what they could get from your site.

On the other hand, if your header said, "Resume Writing Services from a Former Hiring Manager" -- people are much more likely to perk up. If that's coupled with good design that builds credibility, you have a strong chance of getting the reader to pay attention. (Good design = Good beef!)

Writing Your Headline
In direct response marketing, the headline is often considered the most important component of any marketing piece. (The same is true for great resumes, you know!)

That's because it's the first thing that people read. It's your first and sometimes only chance to capture the reader's attention. People who read your headline should instantly be able to tell exactly what your content is about. It should hammer home the benefit and get them excited to learn more. (Good headlines = Good beef!)

Using Graphics
Most people's eyes will gravitate to any graphics on the page before they even read any text.

Have you tried Wendy's new burgers yet?

Hungry yet?

Using graphics to convey a benefit can be an incredibly powerful tactic. For example, our goal is to get clients interviews! If you have a picture of a client, dressed in interview attire, with the caption, "Thanks, (your name)! I got the interview...and the job!" -- that can convey the "what's in it for me" answer much more powerfully than a written testimonial in just words ever could.

Make sure you also take advantage of the space right beneath an image. Research has shown that captions underneath images are some of the most read parts of any website. (Good graphics = Good beef!)

Using the Opening Paragraph Wisely
Finally, spend a lot of time on your opening paragraph. If your opening paragraph doesn't quickly convey the benefits of reading your content, you're probably going to lose your reader. Even if you're writing a five-page, 5,000 word article, your time would be well spent if you focused 20 percent of your time on developing your first paragraph.

The first paragraph should start out with a strong "hook" sentence. Then the next 3-4 sentences should explain exactly what they'll get from reading the rest of your article.

If you combine all these techniques, you'll be able to convey to your readers exactly what they'll get from reading your content in 15 seconds or less. This will increase your readership, bring back more returning visitors, and ultimately bring you more sales. (Good structure = Good beef!)

Combine all these elements -- good design, good headlines, good graphics, and good structure, and your prospective clients will easily be able to see "Here's the beef!"

(Can you tell I had a hamburger for lunch today -- and dinner last night? Five Guys little bacon burger last night and a Culver's Butterburger today. Yum!)

What is Google+?

Google+ is the new social network launched by Google. It's the fastest social network to take off in history, with over ten million members just a couple months after launching. It already has over a billion pageviews per month. However, it's not getting as much traction (growth) as Facebook and Twitter, because many people (including me, at first!) find it confusing.

What sets Google+ apart from other social networks? And how can it be used to build your resume writing business?

There are two main features that set Google+ apart from Facebook: Circles and Hangouts.

Circles: What They Are and How to Use Them

Circles are like friends groups. You choose what groups to put people in without them knowing what group you've placed them in.

You can then choose to share things with people in certain circles, without other people in other circles seeing it.

Let's say you write resumes and coach clients on job interview tactics. You'll be able to put all your students and contacts of each group into their respective groups. You'll then be able to share course updates to one group without the other seeing...unless you want to share content between the two groups.

Circles also solves another problem many professionals have had with Facebook. You want to be able to share photos and status updates with your friends, but not necessarily with your professional contacts.

Circles makes this very easy. You can share just about anything with whoever you want and hide it from whoever you want.

Hangouts for Video Conferencing
There are many video conferencing programs online. However, by and large every single one of them is a paid option -- and often these are quite expensive.

Google+ changes all that. Google+ makes video conferences completely free, backed by Google engineered technology.

You can have any number of people join a Google+ hangout. You can invite people one by one, or you can open a hangout to an entire group of people who can join at will.

You can share YouTube videos. You can type text into a chat box. The speed of the service doesn't slow down no matter how many people you have on it.

In short, the Google+ Hangouts makes it easy to hold video webinars as well as video conferences with clients or other resume writers.

Is Google+ Here to Stay?
Of course, if you're going to adopt a new social network, you want to use one that other people are actually on and one that's going to be around for a while.

Will Google+ still be here a year or two down the line? There's no way to know for sure. The uptake was much faster than any other social network in history, but users' number one complaint today is still that there's "nobody else on it."

If your resume writing clients are already on Google+, then you probably should get yourself on Google+. However, if nobody you know is on the network yet, you might want to wait for a short time first to see how it plays out.

If you're interested in a full, 28-page special report on "Getting Started with Google+," sign up for a Bronze membership to BeAResumeWriter.com and you can find that special report in the "Paid Member Resources" section, along with other special reports, a full archive of back issues of Resume Writers' Digest, and Pass-Along Materials (PAM) content that you can repurpose and use with your clients.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Resume Website

Although I believe it is possible for a resume business to succeed without a website, an effective website that draws "significant" traffic (and significant can mean different things to different people), can help propel your business.

Generally, the more traffic you have, the more prospective clients you will have.

Here are five ways to drive traffic to your resume writing business website:

#1 Social media. Social media works quickly and if you have a large following on any of the social media sites (Twitter, Facebook), you can generate a ton of traffic to your website quickly. The key is to create attention-grabbing posts that arouse curiosity, make people laugh, or stir up a controversy. You want to generate click-throughs to your website.

Make the most of your social networking tactics and use technology to get the job done. For example, one StumbleUpon post can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter profiles so you're making waves on all three social sites at once.

#2 Article marketing. Article marketing works well when you concentrate your efforts on quality article marketing sites with large audiences. One well written, informative article, rewritten a few times, and submitted to a handful of directories can generate the traffic you're looking for. Be sure to include a bio box that includes a call to action and a link to your website to motivate click-throughs.

#3 Blogging. Post on your own blog or be a guest blogger on a blog with a large number of subscribers. Like social networking, if you offer an informative, controversial or entertaining post, youíll have people clicking through to your website like mad. Of course, if you also promote this wonderful blog post(s) via social media, you can double your traffic results.

If you don't have your own blog, you can pay to be a featured career expert on Careerealism. It's not inexpensive ($149 for 3 months), but you can get significant traffic for your website from their links. (Here is resume expert's Dawn Rasmussen's blog post on Careerealism.)

#4 Video content. It's amazing how quickly a video can go viral. Like print content, videos that entertain, stir up a bit of controversy, or offer tremendous value cause a buzz. They're forwarded to friends and downloaded on laptops and mobile devices around the globe. A good video can generate all the traffic you need. Again, integrate a bit of social media to promote your video, blog about it too, and you can multiply your traffic results.

#5 Partnerships. Partnering with another business can work quite well to generate traffic fast. The key is to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement. Find people in the careers industry that are willing to work with you and help each other drive traffic. A partnership may include guest blogging on each others' websites, swapping advertisements, or even promoting one another in your e-newsletter.

Itís possible to drive a ton of traffic to your website fast. The trick is to have a plan in place, know your audience and your goals, and take action.

Building a Responsive List of Prospective Resume Clients

If you're doing Facebook ads or Google Adsense, you might be driving prospective resume clients to your website who aren't necessarily ready to buy yet. But you've already spent money to get them to your site ... it would be a shame to let them leave your site without capturing some information that will allow you to keep in touch with them in the future -- and provide value to them at the same time.

Creating a list of interested people gives you a base with which to begin building -- or to expand -- a successful resume writing business. These are people you can consistently contact and get a favorable response to your product offerings.

Steps to Building a Responsive List
So how do you get your website visitors to bite? You want to provide content about more than just writing a resume -- because your prospects might be at various stages of the job search process -- and you want to provide information that will be valuable to them no matter where they are in the job search cycle.

That is where you start. Give people what they want so that they will come back. Try the following steps:

* Create an easy to use opt-in page -- This is the page on your website where customers enter their email address and name. It could be for a free resume critique or an ebook. Be sure to have it stated clearly that by filling out the form they are allowing you to contact them with future offers and information. The worst thing you can do is to deceive customers and send them things without their permission.

A good example of this type of offer/opt-in is Marty Weitzman's Advanced Resumes of NY website.

You'll notice the opt-in box on the left side of the page, including privacy policy. (Very important!)

* Offer something that they want -- With the opt-in information, offer a special report, discount on first order, video link or something else that they might otherwise have to pay for on another site.

A great example of this is Louise Fletcher's 12-day resume ecourse, offered on the Blue Sky Resumes website. This is tremendous value to the client (but the content convinces many job seekers they don't have the skillset to do it themselves!)

* Keep your promises --  If you are offering a monthly newsletter with engaging content and discount offers, make sure that that newsletter comes each month to their inbox. Also, create compelling offers that they will want to use and tell others about.

Another example is Mary Jeanne Vincent's website. Not only does she have the opt-in list for her newsletter, but she also offers a free special report, "Recession-Proof Your Career."

She also sends out emails to folks who have opted into her list (like this one sent in August):

* Give links that work -- Test your links to pages before placing them in email text. Especially for links to your website. Customers may try once or twice to reach your page, but you won't get a third try if it doesnít work.

Do you want to build a responsive email list? Inspire trust, confidence and loyalty in your customers with the tips above.

How to Back Up Your Computer Files Automatically

The theme of the most recent issue of Resume Writers' Digest is disaster recovery. Probably the one disaster ALL of us have experienced as a resume writer is the loss of data. Whether it's losing the file you were working on when the power blinked or, as has happened to me on at least three occasions, the loss of data when your computer dies. I know I'm not the only one, because I see your anguish on Facebook when it happens to you!

Even if your primary computer cost several thousand dollars, you probably place a much higher value on the data that's actually stored on computer. Since we conduct the transactions of our resume business on our computers (not to mention financial records, family photographs and other items that are now stored solely on our desktop and laptop computers), a single catastrophic failure of your computer's disk drive could result in an incredible loss.

You can protect against this type of scenario by periodically backing up your data to an external hard drive. Some people prefer this over backing up their data and documents online and sending their data into "the cloud." There's something reassuring about knowing that your data is backed up to an external drive that only you have access to.

But while backing up our data is something that we know we should be doing regularly, chances are we're not actually doing a good enough job at it. Fortunately, there are some ways to automatically back up your computer files to an external hard drive, reducing the chance that you will suffer any significant data loss.

Before you can set up your backup process, you'll need an external hard drive. In recent years, the price of hard drives has dropped significantly, so you should be able to purchase a high capacity drive on practically any budget.

Because the backup process is not something you will be performing every day, don't be overly concerned with data transfer speeds. For most people it's simply not necessary to have the absolute fastest hard drive for backup purposes. You should, however, try to get the largest hard drive you can afford. The more space you have for backup storage, the better.

In order to have your backups occur automatically, you will want to have software that manages the process for you. Having to do manual backups of all your files on a weekly basis is a sure way to get frustrated and stop doing backups altogether.

If your computer runs Windows 7, then you already have a software solution available to you -- the "backup and restore" feature. You can begin the process on Windows 7 by entering yourControl Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, then selecting Backup and Restore. The Backup and Restore function lets you choose the folders of your computer that will be backed up, and schedule the process to occur automatically. Some earlier versions of the Windows operating system also have similar functions.

Some Windows users might not be satisfied with this solution, however, and want something with more options and features. There are other options available, including software packages that actually synchronize -- in real time -- all of the files and folders that you want to back up. This means that you always have backup copies of all of your important data in files. (If you use a backup solution that backs up only on a twice monthly basis, for example, you risk losing any new data since the date of the last backup.)

If you have a Mac like I do, you can use Time Machine to set and schedule your backups. Find information how to do that here.

You can always refine your backup process later, but the important thing is to get a schedule in place and get into the habit of protecting your important data.

Free Teleseminar: The Employment Game

As resume writers, we are often the first stop for someone in the job search. But today's employment market is so very different -- how relevant is the value we provide? Are we arming our clients for battle in the short-term... or for the permanently changed employment market?

Join Janine Moon, author of "Career Ownership: Creating 'Job Security' in Any Economy" for a free one-hour teleseminar on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Eastern time to learn strategies you can share with your clients to help them win "The Employment Game."

With both unemployment and underemployment in double digits, and with millions of jobs in the U.S. alone going begging because workers don't have the right skills, you have the opportunity to help educate your clients to the underlying structural changes that they will meet in their work lifetimes.

Consider this: One piece of the mortgage crisis is that many home buyers were not prepared to be home owners ... in a sense, the market experienced a mismatch between what's required and how an individual prepares to move from "renting" to "owning." We could say that there's an underlying structural problem in the home ownership process -- i.e., the lenders and buyers don't have the same expectations.

The same is true in today's employment market: While everyone wants that "permanent, secure" position (and they want it to be theirs), few are prepared for what that means in today's global marketplace. "Structural unemployment" may define that best: What employers need and what workers have don't match.

"Career Ownership" is the preparation necessary for that elusive "security" that so many want. Just like home ownership, however, the skills and mindset needed for career ownership are different from those needed for having a job -- or, put another way, for "renting work."

On Oct. 12, Janine will present "The Employment Game: How Are You Preparing Your Clients." In this teleseminar, she will review the employee skills and mindsets needed for any security in today's workplace. You'll receive a Career Ownership quiz that you can use with your clients to provide clear direction on what today's organizations must have from workers for both parties (employer and employee) to succeed. You'll also understand how the Career Ownership model differs from traditional job search and career-pathing models, and the value of a holistic approach to your clients' career assets. While it's a model that places the responsibility for security squarely on the shoulders of workers, Career Ownership maximizes worker value to employers and creates a core of security in the midst of workplace upheaval.

Janine is a Master Certified Career Coach and author of "Career Ownership: Creating Job Security in Any Economy." The teleseminar is sponsored by BeAResumeWriter.com and Resume Writers' Digest. 

To register, visit: bitly.com/JanineMoonRWD.

(When you register, you'll receive a confirmation email with the call-in details.)

The program will be presented live on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 7-8 p.m. Eastern time via teleseminar. The teleseminar will be recorded; if you are unable to attend live, you will be able to access the recording in the "Free Level Resources" section of the BeAResumeWriter.com website.

Career Professionals of Canada Announces 2011 Award of Excellence Recipients

Career Professionals of Canada has announced the winners of their 2011 Award of Excellence.


The CPC Awards of Excellence benefit the general membership, individual members, their organizations, clients, and the industry as a whole. It is a great privilege to be nominated and an even greater honour to be distinguished as the recipient of a CPC Award of Excellence.


Recipients of the Award of Excellence include:

2011 0utstanding Canadian Career Leader

• Maureen McCann

2011 Executive Director’s Award
(Outstanding Volunteer Contributor to the Organization)

• Cathy Milton
• Lita Pitruzzello
• Michael Thompson

2011 Outstanding Canadian Online Profile Developer

• Maureen McCann

2011 Outstanding Canadian Resume Contributor
Best New Graduate Resume Category

• Lisa Cartaginese

2011 Outstanding Canadian Resume Contributor
Best Career Change Resume Category

• Maureen McCann

2011 Outstanding Canadian Resume Contributor
Best Technical Resume Category

• Lisa Cartaginese

2011 Outstanding Canadian Resume Contributor
Best Executive Resume Category

• Adrienne Tom

2011 Outstanding Canadian Resume Contributor
Best Creative Resume Category

• Maureen McCann

Career Professionals of Canada is committed to setting the standard for excellence in the Canadian employment and career industry. Recognizing outstanding individuals in our profession is one of our most important activities.

Review: "How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner...And Still Have a Life"

"How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner...and Still Have a Life" is a very honest book on how to get the most out of your business. It is a small business owner's manual written by Bill Collier, whose company went through lots of trials and tribulations. With lots of hard, dedicated work, he finally reached business success.

In his book, the author covers topics such as: putting your business on "auto-pilot," setting ambitious goals and achieve them, developing business plans, delegating effectively, attracting the right employees, and much more.

In my opinion, this book is for anybody who already owns their own business, but feels that they are getting nowhere. Everyday business life seems to be all about long, long hours, cutting into their private life with no visible results. The only way out, according to Bill Collier, is by changing certain principles, which he describes in his book. Principles that have helped him to move on and create the successful business he has.

Overall, if you are feel like your resume writing business has become "stuck," then "How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner...and Still Have a Life" is a very valuable resource to own and read.

Summer Issue of Resume Writers' Digest

The Summer 2011 issue of Resume Writers' Digest is now online -- and the theme is "Disaster Planning." After witnessing the destruction of tornadoes (Tuscaloosa, Joplin), hurricanes (Irene, anyone?), earthquakes (East Coast, really?) and flooding (right here in my hometown, Omaha) ... I was inspired to devote the theme of this issue to disaster preparedness.

Realistically, however, the biggest "disaster" that we will likely face as resume writers is health-related. Self-employed resume writers are more likely to face a loss of income -- and maybe our business -- from a health crisis than from a natural disaster. If you're paying for your own health insurance, you'll want to read our story on "Choosing an Insurance Plan."

You'll also want to read "Do You Have Enough Insurance Coverage?" and assess whether your business needs additional insurance protection.

Probably all of us have lost data -- whether from a hard drive failure, electrical power surge, corrupted CD, or other technological failure. Another article in the issue focuses on "Backup Systems and Disaster Recovery" -- providing tools to prevent your data from being lost forever.

Interested in getting the issue? Subscribe or sign up for a free membership at BeAResumeWriter.com and get access.

Getting Paid for Your Resume Services Online: Secure Online Payment Systems

Earlier this year, I closed the credit card merchant account I'd had for the first 14 years of my resume writing business. It was a tough decision, because I liked having the ability to process credit card payments offline. (I had clients fill out a Work Authorization form and fax, mail, or email me their credit card information and I'd charge the initial deposit to their card. When the project was finished, I'd bill the card for the balance.) The system worked pretty well, but the fees and compliance requirements were ultimately what led me to close the account.

It wasn't the transaction fees that were driving me crazy -- it was the monthly minimums and fees associated with processing the transactions. $.15 here, $1 there ... and if I didn't process a certain amount of transactions each month, I'd be billed for a $25 minimum anyway. Ugh. The last straw was when I spent an hour working my way through a labyrinth of questions with PCI compliance. I agree that card data security is important, but it shouldn't take an hour of my time and two calls to the support hotline to meet the compliance requirement.

The majority of all resume writers accept credit card payment for their services. If you haven't needed it yet, there is a very good chance that at some point in time you will need a mechanism to accept online payment from your customers. But for many resume writing businesses, the costs of setting up their own merchant credit card accounts, and satisfying all of the security and recordkeeping requirements that apply to such accounts, are too high.

Ultimately, after conducting research into the issue, I decided to process all client payments using PayPal's standard service online. It's not perfect (they're notoriously bad about advocating for the merchant in cardholder disputes, but I only had two disputes in 14 years in business, so I didn't worry too much about that), and I've had a few clients who didn't want to use PayPal to process their credit card. (I gave them the option to send a check, but told them it would delay their project starting and completion, as it takes time for the check to clear.) Also, if you don't link a social security number to the account, they will often impose monthly limits on how much money you can transfer out of the account into your bank account. (But a good way to avoid this is to link a PayPal debit card to the account and use that to make purchases.)

PayPal is the well-known heavyweight in online payment systems, and their credit card processing services are likely to be of most interest to businesses. PayPal's two primary business products are "Website Payments Standard" and "Website Payments Pro." Website Payments Standard is a great low-cost solution for businesses that want to accept credit card payments. There are no monthly fees associated with this service, so a business only pays a small flat fee plus a small percentage of the transaction value when someone buys something from them.

Website Payments Pro requires the business to pay a monthly fee, but in return the business gets to handle the entire payment transaction on their own site. With Website Payments Standard, the customer is sent to the PayPal.com website to actually enter credit card information and complete the transaction, before being sent back to the merchant's website. The fee for Website Payments Pro is currently $30 per month, and some businesses find that being able to keep their customers on their website for the entire transaction is worth the extra fee. (You also have to "apply" to be accepted into the Website Payments Pro system, but the majority of applicants are accepted.)

Other online payment systems have met with differing degrees of success. WebMoney is a secure service for online transfers, though it is less popular in the United States than it is in Russia and some Far East countries. Similarly, CashU is popular in the Middle East and North Africa, but has limited value in the United States.

The issue for these other services is something of a "chicken and egg" problem -- without many domestic merchants accepting the payment system, fewer people in the U.S. sign up for it. But with fewer U.S. residents having accounts on those systems, there is little reason for businesses to start accepting payment through that system.

In addition, some early adopters may have had bad experiences with other systems. E-gold was a popular a digital currency system in the early 2000s, but the legal problems of the company and its management led to accounts being blocked for a period of time. It therefore remains to be seen whether nascent online payment systems such as Bitcoin will continue gaining strength. I also considered Square, but didn't yet have my iPhone.

Because an increasing amount of online commerce is occurring on mobile devices such as smart phones, it is also worth highlighting a few secure mobile payment systems. Mobile payments are not quite as mature as the online payment space, but there are a few different services that are likely to become bigger players in the future. Google Wallet is currently a leader in the secure mobile payment space for android device users. Visa is also pushing its own product (called Visa Wallet) in the mobile space.

Regardless of what happens with services mentioned above, it's likely that the secure online payment mechanism will become increasingly popular in the future.

Opportunity to Earn MRW/CCM Is Back!

Following the demise of the Career Management Alliance, the future of the Master Resume Writer (MRW) and Credentialed Career Manager (CCM) credentials was briefly in question. However, Career Management Alliance arranged with Wendy S. Enelow (original founder of the Career Masters Institute, which became the Career Management Alliance) to take over the certifications.

You can now find a listing of all current MRWs and CCMs on the Career Thought Leaders website, including instructions on how to apply to become a Master Resume Writer and the application process for the Credentialed Career Manager designation.

The MRW and CCM are back with Wendy. All is right with the world.

Pros and Cons of Using a Template-Based Website

When you set up a website for your business, or decide that it's time to do a complete overhaul of your existing site, you'll be faced with a number of design decisions. Much of the focus will be on how your new site should look and how people will interact with it, and rightly so. As the internet "face" of your resume writing business, these are very significant issues.

But you also need to decide how your website is going to function behind the scenes, and choose the structure and framework on which your website will be built. If you are using a popular framework such as WordPress, Joomla, or perhaps using one of the pre-built websites that your hosting provider offers, you'll be using what is known as a "template." Using website templates provides a number of pros and cons that you should carefully consider before going forward.

Most resume writers equate the word "template" with "bad" -- i.e., a Microsoft Word resume template. Templates are really much more than that, however. They're simply structure. If you customize the template, it can simply be a good foundation upon which to build. In my book, "Write Great Resumes Faster," I talk about using a template that simply has placeholders for the information you want to include in the resume (often, advanced formatting tricks -- like section dividers.) In the same way, a website template can offer advanced customization features as well.

By the way, "Write Great Resumes Faster" is the October special report offered in the BeAResumeWriter.com website. Join the Bronze level for just $10 a month, and you'll get access to the $14 "Write Great Resumes Faster" book as just one of your membership benefits for the month.

"Pros" of Using a Web Template
One advantage of using a web template is that you can get your website up and running much more quickly than if you were starting from scratch. A web template is usually ready to go right out of the box, or very close to it -- you still need to customize the template for your business name, contact information, and the like, but you're starting from framework.

Because they save you time, templates are also likely to save you money. There's a good chance you can find a free or open source template to fit your needs, or that is already included in the cost of your web hosting package. But even if you decide to purchase a template, it is likely to be significantly less expensive than either hiring a website programmer to build your site from scratch, or trying to learn to do so yourself.

Templates that are in wide usage by other websites are also likely to be stable and less likely to break down. Any bugs or defects in the code are likely to be discovered and possibly remedied by other users. Some popular templates even have discussion board communities on which you can find tips on maximizing the effectiveness of the template.

I've managed (but not built from scratch) Joomla and Wordpress-based sites, and although there is a learning curve, I found it fairly easy to edit existing content (especially changing out existing text) and even adding new pages.

Cons of Using a Website Template
On the other hand, popular templates suffer from a significant disadvantage because when a template is popular, it means that there are likely a number of other websites that look quite similar to how yours would look. Many businesses know that their success is going to depend, at least in part, on their ability to stand out from their competitors. Sometimes trying to start with a template and then undertake significant modifications winds up breaking a template, so you're back to square one.

In addition, although there are many reputable and trustworthy sources for website templates, there are also some sources that could wind up significantly damaging your business. Hackers and computer criminals have been known to take templates and add short snippets of malicious computer code, then offer the template for free. The code is often very hard to see, and wouldn't be found by anyone unless they were digging deep trying to find it, and could compromise your website or let the hacker potentially take full control of it. WordPress and its templates (known as "themes") are common targets, due to the popularity of the WordPress framework. Avoid downloading any WordPress themes or other templates that you see offered for free but which are offered for a fee from the official source.

I had a resume writer contact me just yesterday and mention his site had been targeted by a hacker. (Just like Windows folks are more susceptible to viruses than Mac users, just by virtue of the large user base, the same is true for Wordpress sites. I'd especially recommend changing the default passwords, as this is the easiest way to prevent being hacked!)

Consider all the factors outlined above before deciding whether to use a template for your website.

Using Your Blog to Get Better Search Engine Ranking

Many resume writers have a blog (Julie Walraven, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Barbara Safani, to name a few) -- but not all resume writers understand how to optimize their blogs to get better rankings in search engines like Google and Bing.

Blogging is a free marketing tool that many don't take advantage of. Using it can help you to achieve higher search engine rankings for your website.

Think of it as the difference between formal and informal meetings with clients. On your website, you are providing essential information about your resume writing services -- what you can do for those who need your services. You give them what they need in a well-written format. They can find your "store" with links to purchase a resume package, for example, and opt-in pages for newsletters and mailing lists.

With a blog, you can let your hair down, so to speak. A blog allows you to post information for your readers and customers. Then, they can provide feedback to you in the form of comments on your posts. You can discover vital suggestions from customers that can enhance your business. (I get comments from resume writers seeking specific resources to support their business development on this blog, and on my job seeker's blog, I get questions from prospective clients.) Blogs have appeal to many and they are also followed by people who like what you have to say but who have not even visited your website -- yet.

So, use your blog to its fullest potential. Here are some ways to achieve better rankings for your resume business website.

* Write optimized posts -- More than likely, you are changing your content on your blog more often than you are on your website. While you are refreshing the website content, you don't need to do so as often to keep interest. However, readers of blogs are more voracious and need fresh news more regularly. By sprinkling the keywords you are trying to promote throughout your entries, spiders can crawl and rank your entries high on search result pages.

* Include links to your website -- Each post is ranked and given its own URL. This is a new opportunity to mention a link (outright or with anchor text) that leads back to your website. For those who only follow your blog, they can now find you in another capacity on your website. This increases your traffic. (Plus, it provides a link to your website, which gives it "authority" in the eyes of the search engines. Bonus!!)

* Use an RSS feed -- People can follow your blog easier and still use links in posts to find your website. Increasing the number of blog subscribers also increases website traffic.

* Submit your RSS feed to a directory -- This can also help to increase your search engine rankings of your blog, which is good news for your website. One example is FeedBurner, but there are many others you can also use. (I use Feedburner for this blog.)

Blogs are free and quick to set up. You can start with a site that has its own templates (I use Blogger!) and then further customize them for your needs. Without spending a cent, you have created another channel to divert traffic to your website though one-way links. Increase your search engine rankings faster with a blog.

Are You Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

As a resume writer -- especially a self-employed resume writer -- it's easy to spread yourself too thin by wearing all of the hats in the business. (Chief Phone Answerer, Resume Writer, Bookkeeper, Researcher, Marketer, Blogger ...)

My husband and I were talking about this over the weekend. I told him my fuse is a bit shorter than it normally is (okay, it's a LOT shorter than it normally is), and I thought I was getting burned out. I did some research on the subject, and yep -- the self-diagnosis is that I'm a bit crispy around the edges... Read on and see if you're getting brown around the edges too!

How Do You Know If You're Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

Sometimes the signs that you're doing too much are subtle. Other times there's absolutely no doubt in your mind that you have too much on your plate. Here are a few signs that you're spreading yourself too thin:

* Insomnia -- you go to bed and cannot get tomorrow's agenda off of your mind. (This is one of my biggest challenges. I've learned to keep a post-it note pad and pen by the bed. If I can write it down at least, I don't worry that I'll forget to do it in the morning.)

* Fear and doubt -- fears and doubts start sneaking in. You doubt your skills, direction, and purpose. Francesca Battistelli's song, "Free To Be Me" speaks to me: "Sometimes I believe that I can do anything; yet other times I think I've got nothing good to bring..."

* Moody -- you feel tired, irritable, and frustrated. You may find yourself snapping at your spouse, children, or family members and then -- of course -- feeling guilty about it. Sometimes a nap helps, but other times it doesn't.

* Exhausted -- everyone gets exhausted from time to time. However, the exhaustion that comes from overwhelm doesn't go away. I know I've gotten to this point when I *know* I need to start a project and I just can't even think about it. And then the guilt sets in ... because there's always a deadline ... and it just spirals around and around.

* Family members -- when your family members start acting out or complaining that they don't see enough of you, then you know you've tipped the scales of balance in the wrong direction. (I don't have this issue as much...as a resume writer, there are peaks and valleys, even in a single day. I might have a ton to do one day, and then a pretty quiet day the next day.)

* Negative thoughts -- when you start thinking, "I'm doing too much," "I'll never get this done", or "I'm not going to make it" then you're likely spreading yourself too thin.

What Can You Do about It?
Spreading yourself too thin isn't all doom and gloom. It is a very useful sign that things need to change for you. And sitting down and assessing what isn't working is a great way to improve and grow both professionally and personally. Truth be told, spreading yourself a bit thin can also be invigorating and fun -- it's certainly better than being bored. I find I like being busy a lot of the time. If I don't have a lot on my calendar on a particular day, that I waste a lot of time and don't get much accomplished. (What's the saying? "Want something done? Give it to a busy person." That's me, for sure.)

However, to be productive and to get where you want your business to be, it's important to regularly assess if your energy is being put into the most productive tasks. For example, if you spend two hours answering email every day, those aren't productive hours. You ideally want to spend your time on high priority tasks -- tasks that make you money. For most resume writers, that's talking to prospective clients and actually writing documents.

Tools to Overcome Being Overwhelmed
When you feel overwhelmed or that you're spreading yourself too thin, there are some very effective solutions.

#1 Create a schedule -- Schedule your day. Put your high priority tasks first. Schedule time with your family and friends. And schedule downtime for yourself. If you cannot take care of yourself, then you can't take care of everyone else.

(This brings me to another good point -- you're probably the caretaker of someone else in your life ... a spouse, child(ren), maybe a parent or other family member. I don't have any kids, but I do have two family members that I help take care of, and I find my "work" fuse is especially short when I'm stressed out about issues related to their care. You have to learn to separate the parts of your life from each other, and not let work-related stress spill over into your family life, and not let family stress spill into your work life.)

#2 Create a business plan -- If you don't have a business plan, create one. If you do have one, then use it. Set aside time each week, or month, and review where you are and where you want to be. Use your plan to help you stay on track. One of my big goals this year is to use a membership site to create passive income, so I'm not trapped in a "dollars for hours" system. My membership site (BeAResumeWriter.com) is to help careers industry professionals be more effective in their work -- but I am working on a training program for resume writers to create a membership site for their clients.

#3 Outsource -- You don't have to do it all yourself, and to be honest you probably shouldn't. Outsource those tasks that you dislike, that take you tons of valuable time or that don't make it to your top priority list. These tasks can include house cleaning, writing, social networking -- you decide what gets taken off of your "to do" list. It doesn't have to involve hiring a virtual assistant. My 12-year-old niece/goddaughter is earning money for a school trip to New York in the spring, and I hire her for a few hours each month to handle shredding and data entry. (And I'm thinking of hiring her to help with taking out the trash each week -- especially after last night's spider-on-my-back episode!!)

Finally, be confident in your decisions and feel free to use the word "No" whenever you need to. Don't be afraid to turn down opportunities, requests, and other things that take up time (time that you don't want to spend). This is your life. You're the boss of it and your business -- take back your time and regain control!