Join us for a special presentation - The Design Directory of Window Treatments & Studio

If you have read Jackie Von Tobel’s blog, Jackie Blue Home http://www.jackiebluehome.blogspot.com or heard her recent interview on The Skirted Roundtable http://skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com/2010/02/interior-designer-author-fabric.html you may be interested in learning more about how her designs are used in STUDIO graphic design software.

You are cordially invited to attend a FREE, 30 minute webinar sponsored by Minutes Matter Solutions on Thursday, March 4 at 1 PM Eastern. Studio translates the gorgeous draperies, cornices and valances from Jackie’s book, The Design Directory of Window Treatments, into elevation renderings filled with fabrics, colors, and textures. These complete designs can also be broken apart quickly and mixed and matched for an infinite variety of styles. Inspire your imagination with new ideas for treating your clients' windows - watch how easy it is to drag and drop these beautifully illustrated images and create drawings that your clients will want to show their friends.

To register for this free event, please click here:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/240892040

Jeffrey Gitomer Presents FREE Live Webinar

As I was doing my morning reading, I was shocked to see that Jeffrey was inviting everyone to attend his first LIVE webinar for FREE Thursday, February 25th from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. PST (12 Noon Eastern) . He loves the interaction he receives from a live face-to-face audience, but he jumped on this unheard of, unprecedented opportunity. The reason for that statement is that Nevada State Bank has hired him to speak to their current business customers as well as potential customers on How to Strengthen Your Business in These Economics Times. Nevada State Bank offers full online banking capabilities so they are not limited to local customers. They have banking customers all over the United States. Jeffrey was super impressed that they are spending this much time and money on their customers. As you know, Jeffrey believes in giving exemplary customer service, which in return creates loyal customers.

Note: Jeffrey mentioned he has spent double his normal time preparing for this event. However, he did not mention an attendee limit. If you would like to attend, I recommend that you sign up now. I have already reserved my seat! For those of you that decide to join me for this event, come back here and share your thoughts.

Gmail and Google's Buzz

Click on image to enlarge

Google just introduced Buzz, its newest development in the world of social media. Last year, I registered for a Google account and signed up for a Gmail email account. I never realized that having a Google account would include so many fabulous features! For instance, connected to my Gmail account is my Google calendar, Google Documents, Reader, and more. Gmail even allows me to send from my other email addresses, notice in the screen shot that I am sending the email from my debbie@minutesmatter.com address. I also installed WiseStamp, which is an add-on in Firefox that allows me to add a personalized signature stamp and include all my social media icons. Google Docs includes online documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. You can even upload an Excel spreadsheet or a PDF document. We are still exploring the endless possibilities that these online tools can provide for our company. Currently, my design firm is using an online spreadsheet to enter data for a large design project. Because one of our designers is not always in the office, we realized that it would be beneficial if she could do research from her computer and still have access to current data regarding the project. When files and documents are online, you can access them from any computer. Of course, I installed the Gmail App on my iPhone so that I can access the information from my phone as well. We can also designate specific folders that we would like to share with clients. I will be sharing a lot more information regarding sharing documents online in the upcoming months. Look for my posts about the benefits of Working in the Clouds or Cloud Computing.

But now, let's get back to Buzz. Buzz operates similarly to Facebook and Twitter. The best part is that it's embedded right into Gmail; you don't have to launch another application. Imagine how easy it would be to click on Buzz to post an idea or ask a question, while you're reading email. Buzz was launched last week and the response has been tremendous.

If you already have a Gmail account you're ready to start Buzzing.

Studio Coaching Programs!

I am so excited to be the instructor for the brand new Minutes Matter Studio Coaching programs. In early 2004 (six years ago!!) I downloaded the first trial version of Studio 1.0 and immediately fell in love. I didn't even wait the thirty days to purchase it, and just went to work learning all I could about how to use it. Since August of that year I have been hosting the Studio webinars to teach others about how to make this software work for their businesses, and each month I am delighted and gratified by how many new "converts" we have, especially those who are new to computers and had to learn the basics about using a mouse, file saving and copying and pasting before they could delve into designing. Studio truly is fun to use, and easy to learn, once you commit to spending some time practicing.

Now we have the opportunity to share in depth all the tools and features which make the renderings come alive. For new users, we have the Novice Level, so that we can go slowly and make sure that each designer "gets it" before going on to build on what they've learned. For more experienced users, who've mastered the basics, we can explore all the tips and techniques that will help them create renderings which their clients will love so much they'll show their friends. And nothing is better than word of mouth!

During and after every Getting Started with Studio webinar we get questions about how to add an outdoor scene, draw shadows and highlights, make the fabric look realistic, import accessories and furnishings, work in perspective, and add those special touches which amaze clients. With the Coaching Program we'll be able to share all these secrets to making your presentation the most professional it can be.

Those who know me from the Drapery & Design Professional Network forums know how much I enjoy sharing and teaching. I am really looking forward to working with Studio designers who are ready to take their businesses to the next level by offering a specialized service which will set them apart from their competitors.

Not sure which level you should take? If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at
MMStudioCoach@aol.com

Click here to register now for the Novice Level!
Click here to register now for the Advanced Level!

How Well Does Your Company Serve?

In Jeffrey Gitomer's email today, he reminds all business owners how important it is to put customer service at the top of our priority list. Exemplary customer service is the best way to ensure that your clients are happy and your business continues to flourish. The fact is customer service requires effort on a consistent basis and it cannot be left to chance. Many businesses tend to forget how even mediocre customer service can produce devastating results. Take some time to reflect and determine what areas in your business you can improve to achieve a better relationship with your clients.


Below is a partial excerpt from Jeffrey's email:

HERE’S HOW TO SERVE:

• Start friendly NO MATTER how they act or talk.
• Get off your high (pc) horse.
• Don’t worry about how you feel – worry about how they feel.
• Ask them how you can help them the most.
• Help them with whatever they need.
• Don't tell them what you can't do, tell them what you can do.
• Get them to agree that the solution you offer, or answer they need, is the one they are expecting, and the one they are pleased with (not “satisfied” with).
• Engage them personally during the conversation.
• Make CERTAIN customers are happy as a result of the call.
• Follow through on your promises with action and communication.

Read the entire article and subscribe to Jeffrey's weekly ezine Sales Caffeine.

Year-End Checklist for QuickBooks

The checklist certainly does not cover everything required to put 2010 to rest, but it's a good general start.

Reconcile

Reconcile all of your bank and credit card accounts with your December statements to ensure all of the balances in your QuickBooks accounts are correct and ready for tax preparation. If you reconcile every month, this task is 99% done by the end of the year. When making loan payments, be sure to check that the amounts going to principal and interest are accurate when you enter the payment every month. The result is that at the end of the year it takes only a minor adjustment, if any, to get the principal balance to match your bank's loan statement balance.

Report

Print and proof reports for your files: Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reports are essential. In addition to your digital records, have file copies of your year-end business reports printed. These printed records are a good quick reference if you want to compare one year to another. Natural disasters, fires, and thefts of computer equipment, all of these things make our computer records vulnerable and having that printed information could be very important to you in the future. Giving your accountant copies is also a good backup plan.

Backup

Make two backups of your QuickBooks company file. Store one copy off-site in a secure location. You should definitely have a backup procedure in place for all of your computer records. To determine how far you will want to go with your backup procedures, think about how painful it would be to lose all of your data and then backup accordingly. One method I recommend is to purchase multiple thumb drives and label them for different days of the week, to give you a series of "rolling backups" in the event one of your storage devices fail. Another method to use is an online backup service. I use Mozy.com to backup my computer files online. Each morning Mozy leaves me a screen open to confirm that my files were backed up to a website while I slept. Mozy also leaves a reassuring green checkmark next to every backed up file and folder. Using multiple storage devices and having some type of off-site storage are the main components of a good backup program.

Taxes

Print and mail your W-2/W-3, 1099, 940/941 and 1096 tax forms. Go through your Vendor list and double-check that all of your vendors who require 1099s are set up with 1099 vendor status and that you have their social security numbers. QuickBooks will print all of your 1099s and the 1096 reporting form for you. You can purchase the government required forms for a nominal price from any office supply store. QuickBooks does an excellent job with all of your payroll reporting forms also.

Data Integrity

Ensure your data integrity. As your data file gets large (in excess of 50 MB), you might encounter corruption. Problems are much easier to fix when they're caught early and still small, so follow these easy steps to check the integrity of your data. It's a great idea to do this when backing up your files. Close all windows, then use File > Utilities > Verify Data to verify your data integrity. If verification fails, it will give you instructions on the screen for how to proceed.

If you are instructed to run the Rebuild, go to File > Utilities > Rebuild (this will require you to make a back-up). After the rebuild finishes, run Verify again. Recently, we have had several customers have issues with some of their lists looking incomplete even after verifying their data. Running the Rebuild corrected the lists even though QuickBooks did not indicate their data was corrupted. I suggest running the Rebuild tool monthly after a backup just to keep your data in good shape.

File

A complete printed set of file folder labels is available from your QuickBooks Company File. Simply click File > Print Forms > Mailing Labels to set up the specifications. I set up my file folders right away with these labels for the companies I know I will need and then store the rest in a folder at the front of my files for companies I am not sure I will be using that year. I keep two years of folders in my office for easy access. I have seven large plastic tubs in my attic for previous year's records. At the end of each year, I empty the oldest tub, retaining tax and payroll records, and put the most recently retired records in it and send it back to the attic.

Apple's Big Announcement ~ Come See our Latest Creation!

For those of you that love technology, like me, you will want to know what exciting announcement will be divulged during the press conference Apple has scheduled. The press conference will take place in San Francisco on Wednesday, January 27th at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Rumors are running wild about the "new creation." I have read several forums and most seem to agree it will be some type of tablet pc, with the majority of news and forum speculators guessing it will be 10-inch tablet. Apple has been working on a tablet for years. In fact, the iPhone was created during the development of the tablet. For now, Apple is keeping the announcement very hush hush. Some of the techies on the forums think that whenever Apple launches a new product it should be considered a holiday. I had to chuckle at that one.

Check these websites out for more information:

• Ubergizmo (Join them for live, up-to-the-minute blog postings with photos)
• Techradar (the rumor round-up)
• CNet (lots of comments)

Another rumor floating around is that Apple will announce that they will no longer be exclusive with AT&T and that Verizon could soon be selling the iPhone. Others disagree, saying that Apple will not want to dilute their exciting news about the tablet.

We can also look forward to a new release for the iPhone in the next couple of months. Who knows where Apple will take us in the future? One thing you can be sure of is that it will be exciting!