As powerful and efficient as computers are, however, it’s my opinion that computers can help a lot of people do dumb things very fast and very efficiently. They think “Now that I’m computerized, everything is going to be easy-street”. Yes, for many businesses, productivity has increased. There’s no doubt that countless man-hours are saved every day, every week and every month.

But, do you know what the biggest problem is for many of us? It’s trying to determine which computer software configuration is the best. Which combination will provide the solutions for what we need? Let’s face it – many people don’t know how to do a formal needs and resources assessment. They don’t know how to plan for their needs in the coming months let alone the coming years.

So trying to evaluate what is best and then making a final selection can be paralyzing for many of us.

Here's an interesting article I ran across the other day. Annette Petrick has hit the nail on the head here with her article, “Broker Trade Show Screams Software”. She says, it's all confusion. You may read the article here:

http://transportmarketing.com/businessinsider/guests/May_00/ broker_trade_show_screams_ software.html

I ,myself, have attended a good number of money and financial trade shows where everybody is showcasing their latest software package that will take you to peak success faster than any gold-paved road from anywhere else.

After 20-30 minutes of strolling by a number of booths - it begins to set in – confusion. I would think to myself – “Well I need to attend 2-3 trade shows just to get a good feel for what's being pitched. Then I need to attend another 2-3 shows to dig a little deeper and focus on the few that seemed to offer some tangible benefits. Then I need another 2-3 shows to make my final selection”.

So now you're looking at 7-8 years later and by then everything is obsolete. In fact, it's probably obsolete soon after the first or second trade show. Can you win at the computer/ software game? I don't know. You tell me.

About the Author:

John is sole-owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. and Vice President of Atex Logistics, Inc., the latter being jointly owned with his brother, James. Until recently, all freight broker training had been done over the telephone and internet. Recently, John began offering on-site freight broker training for clients in their office.

They had another employee drive me in a car to Indiana. From there I got on No. 20 where - as my brother warned me - I'd be walking all the way back to central Illinois (he was a brakeman himself at TP&W). And that I did. After arriving in Indiana, I think I had several hours of sleep first and then a steak dinner at the "hangout".

We left Indiana about midnight and stopped to switch cars in and out all along Route 24 - Sheldon, Watseka, Chatsworth, Forrest, Chenoa, Gridley, El Paso and eventually back into the yard in East Peoria. We arrived about 12 noon and I was tired.

To be honest, I don't know what kind of pay I received for being dead-headed to Indiana. But I didn't care. This was back in my younger days - when a guy didn't have to worry about what he ate or drank let alone how much he was getting paid to get dead-headed 120 miles.

So, you'll find dead-heading in trucking as well. Normally, this is when a driver will drive empty, out of his way to pick up a load. Now, some people say it's dead-heading when the driver does not have to drive out of his way to pick up a load - but perhaps at the destination, there is little freight to pick up as a back haul so the driver has to leave elsewhere - empty - to pick up another load.

Either way - the truck is driving empty in order to pick up a load or driving elsewhere empty to find another load after making a drop.

And, of course, the driver is looking for dead-head pay. In my opinion, a shipper should help to some extent by providing deadhead pay. But many don't.

I think it all depends on "urgency". How urgent is the shipper to get his load moved? Or, how urgent is the driver wanting to move truck? The broker, of course, should always try to get the best "package" for his truck. But, ultimately, it's the shipper's decision.

About the Author:

John is sole-owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. and Vice President of Atex Logistics, Inc., the latter being jointly owned with his brother, James. Until recently, all freight broker training had been done over the telephone and internet. Recently, John began offering on-site freight broker training for clients in their office.

One of my marketing students asked if good copy had to be grammatically correct. To me, what makes good copy is much like what makes good art. Basically it comes down to the eye of the beholder. I know my English teacher is rolling over. Bless his heart.

Truthfully, you have to be able to communicate with your audience. And to do that, you must first get their attention. Just how much attention does subtlety get? And for those of us with short attention spans, complexity has no chance.

That said, there are definitely some ways to make your copy more effective. After all your goal is not only to get attention, but to get paying customers.

Is your copywriting bringing the results you expect? No, then give it some punch with these tips.

* Use active verbs in your headline.

* Enclose headlines in quotations.

* State a major benefit in the first sentence. Then restate it twice more in the body of your text.

* Ask a provocative question then provide a provocative answer.

* Talk about what is important to YOUR CUSTOMERS, not what's important to you.

* Use a conversational tone, leave the corporate speak in the boardroom.

* Be specific in your offer (Buy today and get $50 bucks to put in your pocket now!)

* Use bullets to make paragraphs stand out.

* Use call-outs to draw attention to special offers, contact information, etc.

* Use images that strike emotions (cute pets, babies, people running).

* Give a surprising offer or state what makes you different (Hey! We never charge for installation OR We're open every holiday OR We save you $25 off your first order-no strings attached!)

* Enhance text with color and use easy to read fonts.

* Include customer testimonies.

* Tell readers how to contact you and WHEN (don't make them search for your address on your website).

* Always include a P.S. that gives bonus information.

* <> Put brackets around your email subject headers. The visual draws attention.

Nowadays more and more people are thinking about taking a step towards additional income and financial freedom. Business opportunities are countless for those who would like to start their own home-based business. That is why it makes it so difficult to decide what exactly you would like to do and how and where you would start.

Let’s talk about internet marketing as one of the great opportunities to work from home and make a part time or even a full time income for yourself and your family. As any other business, internet marketing has its advantages and possible problems you might face as a beginner.

If you don’t have your own product or service, you can sell other people’s products or services. There is plenty of companies on the internet that you can become an affiliate for. In affiliate marketing, you simply send traffic to an end merchant, and that merchant handles all the details of the sale and pays you a commission. The benefit of this is that it is comparatively easy for you. Affiliate marketers do not have to take credit cards, select product lines or handle customer service, they receive their commission just for building a site that generates traffic to the merchant. However, you should not think that none of your efforts will be involved in this process. You will need to create and be responsible for your own “advertising campaign” for each and every affiliate program you are a part of. This of course includes driving lots of traffic to your web site and using various media, not only internet alone, to advertise your product or service.

If you have your own product or service, it is even better -- when you sell your own things you get 100% profits. The disadvantage is that you will have to handle the entire process of selling on your own, including inventory, payment, shipment, return policy etc. If your profit margin is high enough than it will be well worth all the hassle.

If you are not sure that you know enough about internet marketing you can educate yourself for free -- read articles from free articles web sites, there is always plenty of advice there. Another good source of free advice is forums. Participate in popular marketing forums, and you can get lots of tips, ideas, advice -- all for free. The disadvantage of self-education in marketing is that you have to spend a lot of time for that and always test, test and test new ideas and techniques. It may become a very time-consuming process.

If you do not want to spend so much time for self-education you can always find a marketing course, buy it and study. It is also possible to have a personal mentor or coach who would help you through the process. It will depend on your budget though, most of the personal coaches charge a very high fee for their consultations.

If you don’t like to work for someone else, you can be self-employed when you do internet marketing. You can set your own hours, be your own boss, make your own decisions. With all of that comes lots of responsibility as in any privately owned business. Decisions are yours and responsibility is all yours also. You should not be afraid of that and treat internet marketing just like any private business.

First of all, you need to decide for yourself if internet marketing is right for you. Think about it and make a list of benefits and problems you might face when you start doing it. If you like it, have passion for it and can be persistent enough you will have all chances for success.

When was the last time you called a local business and got a voicemail or automated attendant? I'm not talking about a mega corporation like the phone company or an airline. I'm talking about a local business of small to medium size providing a service for which you had a legitimate need and sincere interest. Was it easy to get the information you desired? Did you even leave a message at all or did you move on to the next service provider in the phone book? Maybe the phone was answered live, but in a way that lacked professionalism. How did that impact your confidence in that business?

Approach your business from the perspective of your customer. Invariably, the telephone is the lifeline for your business. And the experience your customers have when they call you will instantly and permanently shape their view of your company and its ability to perform. A single misstep here can translate into lost revenue.

But don't fret. As a small business owner, there are a number of things you can do to project a more professional image for your company, improve your customer service, and manage your own workload more effectively. First off, treat the manner in which you answer your phone seriously. Live is always better than automated. For a while it was impressive to call a company and be greeted with a plethora of automated options. Those days are gone. Menu trees and voicemail systems are ubiquitous and the customer backlash has begun. How many times have you just hit the "0" key looking for a live person the minute the auto-attendant picks up?

When you do answer live, do so with professionalism and consistency. Sometimes in today's casual world, we feel silly using formalities in the language we choose. However, professionalism in a telephone greeting is as timeless as addressing your letters with Dear or signing them with Sincerely. Try something like, "Thank you for calling ABC Company, this is (your Name), how can I help you?" Make sure everyone who answers the phone does it the same way. It may feel silly at first, but you will soon see that whether it's a prospective client calling or a long-time customer, they will get the impression that you run a tight ship. Don't underestimate how that reflects on their perception of the quality of work your company does.

The greeting is just the start. To function as an effective telephone receptionist, one must be able to quickly assess to whom the caller needs to be directed and efficiently connect that call in a timely fashion. Furthermore, to help your people manage their own workload most effectively, callers should be announced. Think about it. When was the last time you were involved in a project only to have the phone ring and pull you off in an entirely different direction. By the time you got back to the project at hand, hours may have passed. With a receptionist to announce a call, you can choose to have them connect a call, relay a message back to your caller, or redirect the call to a colleague better suited to helping them all without disrupting your workflow.

So maybe you're thinking, "We can't even figure out how to transfer a call on our phone system without disconnecting it half the time, but we're a small business and can't afford to hire a receptionist." Relax, there are some other good options available. Outsourcing your telephone reception may be the best solution for your company. No, I'm not talking about having your bread and butter phone calls answered in India or by some anonymous, third-party answering service. I'm talking about a Remote Receptionist. These are companies that can offer you a live, professional receptionist with the technology to answer your business calls at their location, but still privately announce and seamlessly connect your calls back with you at your office or wherever you go throughout the day.

When choosing a Remote Receptionist service, it helps to consider one based local to your business. Unlike a call center, a receptionist service usually maintains just a small team of receptionists. The best ones will invite you to visit their office, meet the reception team, and train them just as you'd train your own employee. This is not a third party relationship like a traditional answering service. Your callers will feel as though they've reached your office, and calls are connected so seamlessly that callers don't even realize your calls are being answered at a different physical location. Furthermore, many Remote Receptionist companies will offer business services such as appointment scheduling, order taking, seminar registrations and a variety of other services customized to meet your needs.

Be careful when choosing. There a lots of companies out there eager to answer your phones. Not all will be equipped with the small team and personalized service necessary to deliver on the Remote Receptionist promise. Ask how many different people will be answering your calls, and if there are additional charges for connecting calls to you in real-time. If there are more than 4-5 different receptionists or extra charges for connecting calls, keep looking. A remote receptionist will cost you more than a traditional telephone answering service, but the level of personalization goes well beyond simply answering the phone in your company name, and the cost should still be a fraction of hiring even a part-time employee.

You can project a more professional image for your business, improve your customer service and enjoy the increased sales and stronger customers relationships that come with delivering an improved experience for your callers.

In business, entrepreneurs have to understand that to make it to the "next level" it can never be a solo journey. All too often we attempt to do everything on our own and fail to do what we're supposed to do, and that is stick to our strengths. Playing to your strengths and surrounding yourself with those who are stronger and smarter then you in other areas doesn't make you obsolete, it makes you incredible.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were visionaries. They had a vision of blazing a trail to the western coast of what we now call the United States of America. These two men didn’t decide one day to do something new all by themselves, but they surrounded themselves with experts, and lay persons. They also enlisted the assistance of the local Native Americans because of their expert knowledge of the land. This led to a successful expedition, and the immortalization of these two men. The same goes on in business, one visionary (or two) arise with a magnificent idea, but they must surround themselves with the expertise of others to accomplish the task at hand, Lewis and Clark called them guides, we call them a Board.

There are generally two different kinds of Boards. You have your Board of Directors, those placed in charge of the financial responsibilities who oversee the executive management team, and you have Advisory Boards, simply of sounding board for ideas with no responsibilities. Some Boards are ‘hands-on” taking an active approach to the management of a company, while others are strictly oversees, meeting quarterly to be sure everything is in order.

No matter which it is, when selecting Board members, you have to be sure you are equipping yourself with those who can help catapult your company instead of those just looking for something else to place on their resume. This Board and the direction they chose for your company can determine the difference between success and failure. Discovering the Pacific Ocean or perishing in the Rocky Mountains. What are the criteria? What makes separate a great Board member, from an average member? Let’s explore those together.

When selecting member take heed to more then their resumes and experiences. You want to explore their passion, drive, knowledge of your company, and their vision or lack there of. Can they see where your company is headed next year? Five years? Or can they not see past their own nose? Even though you are the visionary of the company, you need people who can see long-term, who can think strategically, and who help navigate you through the wildernesses you may encounter. What are their strengths? You need a diverse Board of individuals, both in skill as well as gender, ethnicity, race, background, experience, and knowledge. It’s more then just industry experience; it’s also a willingness to be vested in the future of the company. Some potential members could be the smartest people you will ever meet, but if they’re somewhere else when you need them to be where you are you have a problem; knowledge never makes up for absence.

So to all the entrepreneurs, Executive Directors, CEO’s and anyone looking to reach that “next level” in their business, be thorough in deciding who will help direct your company, take inventory of who you have, and never be timid about surrounding yourself with genius, it’ll just make you look even better.

Writing a business plan can be an overwhelming task. Here's how to make writing a business plan a little easier.

Don’t try to write the business plan in one day or even in one week. Break the task into smaller chunks and set a realistic timetable to establish those tasks. 30 days is a reasonable amount of time to write a business plan. It helps to have a written task list with projected start and finish dates for each task. As you complete the task, note the date.

Start with the section you feel most comfortable with, this is one instance you don't have to begin at the beginning. Most entrepreneurs don't have any hesitancy writing about the historical background of their company. Or perhaps writing about the needs your products fill for customers would be a task that would get your business plan off to a good start.

Base your marketing on research. It might seem easier to say that the market of your company is $5 billion a year and you expect to obtain a 1.56% market share, but that's meaningless. Define your market and how you will reach your market. The market might be huge but you can only reach a small portion at a time. Attack that market segment where you have the best chance of success.

Spend quality time writing your business plan. Don't put it off until you're exhausted from all the other tasks in your day. If the morning is when you're raring to go then designate one hour every morning to write your business plan.

Give your business plan a rest. After you've completed a section let it rest for a day or two, then go back and review what you've written.