 The first time I heard about a "Shock and Awe" packet at a conference, I thought it was a French word: "Chaquenau." I started scribbling it down, thinking, "I need to Google this!" Then my husband elbowed me and mouthed dramatically and slowly, "SHOCK and AWE."
"Ohhhhh," I said, and sheepishly crossed out my mistaken French word. A Shock and Awe Packet is basically a print version of your website. It's information in full color on glossy paper and put into a beautiful, glossy folder. It's mailed out to prospective customers to "shock and awe" them. I also like to call it a "Wow" packet beause it's meant to WOW your future client. Guess what's overloaded right now? Your email inbox. Guess what is empty and being ignored? The mailbox at the end of your driveway. You want to get attention? Mail someone a letter or a packet! NO ONE is doing it! Yes, I have my beef with the post office, too. They are slow, incompetent, inconsistent, and downright frustrating. But I will push that aside to get the attention of my prospective client. How are people finding your business? Most likely online. Everyone has a smartphone and they are Googling you or finding you on Facebook. But when they scroll past you, or they shut their browser, they also forget about YOU. Sooooo, when we put a packet of information in the mail in a beautiful glossy folder, it stays in their kitchen! It stays on their desk. It's hard for people to throw away something so nice. They think, "I better hold onto this." Or, "I've been meaning to call these people. I'm going to put this RIGHT HERE so I remember." We build Shock and Awe packets for music schools all over the country. It's easy to order. Just email us and we'll get started right away!
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 Today I am having surgery.
For the last year, about once a month, I've had terrible abdominal pain. Worse than childbirth (and I had 4 kids naturally!). I'm stubborn, so I kept trying different natural remedies and changed my diet, instead of seeing a doctor. On the evening of Memorial Day, the pain came but it was worse than ever before. I spent the entire night writhing in pain, throwing up, and trying every medicine and oil I had in the cupboard to dull the pain. Nothing helped. In the morning, we were the first in line at Urgent Care. They ran blood tests and did a CT scan and concluded that I have gallstones. Because it's been a year of monthly attacks, they deemed surgery as necessary. So today I am having surgery. It's outpatient and laparoscopic, so I am believing that it will all be OK. My biggest concern is the recovery time. I need to be able to work! Not because I'm worried about my company or because I don't trust my staff. I know everything will run smoothly because I have the correct systems in place. I've trained everyone well and there are checks and balances in place to keep everyone accountable. I just like working! I feel so blessed that I don't dread Mondays. I love getting up early and facing the new week. I love the challenges and I love the work I do. The parts of my business that give me a headache are outsourced to other people. I truly don't hate any part of my job or my position. Whenever someone comments, "I hope this week goes fast!" or "Can't wait until Friday!" I really don't understand what they mean. I absolutely love my life and I love what I do. Is everything easy-breezy? No way! There are hard days, stressful days, and huge challenges to overcome. But I have determined to love my life and I have determined to have staff fill in the areas that are NOT my unique ability. The areas that I am not good at are the very areas that someone else is gifted at! So it only makes sense for me to operate in my strengths 90% of the time and hire staff to do the same. I'm not looking forward to surgery, but I am not afraid, either. I know I have a support team around me. I know I can take a week off of working and nothing will fall apart. Systems, automation, and delegation are the keys to loving your life and loving your business! Now, off to surgery!  How do I Know if I Need a Bookkeeper?
It is most common for small business owners to do everything on their own, for as long as they can. Maybe not surprising, but those who are trying to "do it all" aren't doing everything as well as they can. It's simply impossible to stay on top of everything in your organization or business! If you are swimming in bank statements, confusion, and numbers, it's time to get some help! Do I need a Bookkeeper or an Accountant? Surprisingly, the answer is BOTH. An accountant is someone who does your taxes, audits, and prepares financial statements for government grants. A bookkeeper keeps your books: reconciles your monthly bank statements and categorizes your income and expenses, so you can have a proper view of your financial situation--where your money is coming from and where it is going! Everyone says QuickBooks is easy. Shouldn't I just learn to do it myself? You have enough on your plate! We all have strengths and talents. If your strength is not crunching numbers, then you need to be FREE from the numbers to focus on what YOU do best! All businesses hire bookkeepers. Do you want someone on your staff to do your books or someone who specializes in using QuickBooks and deals with it every day, all day long? Simply handing over your bookkeeping to a staff person does NOT mean the job will get done well. Most likely, their plate is also already full. Unless QuickBooks is their primary strength, you may end up in more trouble down the road than you realize. Will my information be kept confidential? Your information will NEVER be shared with anyone outside of our company. Your information is safe, secure, and confidential. We understand that your financial information is highly sensitive and your information will never be discussed to anyone, except that which is already public, or required/permitted by law. How does a bookkeeper help during tax season? We will help you get and keep your books in order, so that at tax time, you don't have to pay a CPA for hours and hours of time at a high hourly rate for the routine tasks of your bookkeeping. Research shows that this will save you a significant amount of money at tax time! Plus, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing and understanding your numbers all year long (so you can make informed decisions!) instead of just at tax time! We're starting a capitol campaign. Can you help keep these funds separate? We will help you tag and categorize donations so that they will go to the right fund-- so you always know how much is available. This can be a daunting, confusing endeavor for your staff. We're happy to help you during this time! I'm so behind that I'm embarrassed to even show you our books! Can you help? Yes! We can either start from the current year, or go back to a determined point in history and get everything straightened out. You're not alone! This is a common occurrence with our clients and that's why we're here to help. How exactly do I get you my information? Depending if you already have QuickBooks or if you are starting fresh, we will help you sign up with QuickBooks Online, set up a user account for you and for us, and then you will fax or email your monthly bank statements to us. We can meet in person, but it's not necessary--everything can be accomplished over the phone or email. Is QuickBooks Online safe? What if I don't trust "the cloud?" Do you bank online? QuickBooks online is even more secure than online banking! We are happy to address your concerns about QuickBooks online and show you why this one upgrade to your company will give you so much more flexibility and control in your business. Since Chris is a licensed ProAdvisor, we can give you amazing rates with upgrading your current QuickBooks or purchasing QuickBooks online. In fact, QuickBooks Online will be included in your monthly Bookkeeping fee! I'm ready! How do I get started? Simply contact us below and we'll get started right away! Contact Us Here  Picking the pictures for your website is one of your most important jobs. Your reader will subconsciously relate to the images they see. I can’t tell you how many times people have called my music school (www.rogersmusiclessons.com) and told me that the students look so happy!
That’s exactly what I wanted to covey. Our school is a fun place to take music lessons and I want every parent to “feel” that when they visit our site. Both your words and your pictures should make your ideal client say, “That’s me! I want that!” Your website should have words that resonate with your future clients and with what they want. This isn’t a time to brag about yourself, but rather to appeal to what they are looking for. Avoid stock photos (they look too perfect) and instead use real photos of real people you’ve worked with! Use words that resonate with what they are hoping to achieve after working with you. Focus on what sets you apart from your competitors and what benefits the client will receive when they work with you! HINT: It is worth the expense to hire a professional photographer to get professional pictures! You can pay them or swap services—just get it done! |
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