David Weedmark reports:

"A business revenue model answers the most important question about a new business: How will you make money? When you are first starting out, this may feel like a guessing game. However, the experience you have accumulated and the study of more established businesses can give you a wealth of information to begin your own revenue model. Once you begin bringing in money, use the revenue model as a living document to change your strategies, focusing on sources of income that work best, while revising your approach to those that aren't working well...Gather your sales data if your business has already produced some income. Make a note of each type of income source and an estimate of the total revenue. If you have not yet launched your business, but worked in the same market for someone else in the past, make notes of the revenue sources your company had. The more sales history you have, the more accurate your revenue model will be...Determine how many customers exist for your products or services by doing some market research. You can research this yourself using resources such as the most current Economic Census or by hiring a market research consultant...Make a list of primary revenue models you can use. For example, you can sell products and services on a project-by-project basis. You can also charge a retainer to organizations that may need your services, such as lawyers and public relations firms do. You may also be able to offer services on a subscription basis...Make a list of secondary revenue models you can use. For example, if you promote your business on your website, you may be able to add to your revenue by selling affiliate products related to your core business. You may also be able to make additional money by putting advertisements on your website. In addition, you may be able to charge a monthly fee for premium content on your website or license your content to other websites...Make a list of other marketing methods used by other businesses...Launch word processing software and create a new document for your revenue model or add it as a new section in your business plan...Write down a second list of long-term revenue sources. These may eventually bring in a lot of income but are not enough themselves to sustain your business today. These may be secondary income sources such as website advertising or subscription-based services...Create a new page for each revenue source and use the revenue source as the title for that page. Detail the steps you need to take to achieve the revenue goal you specified in the summary page. Specify how much time each will require to implement, as well as how much time will be required to keep it active...Review your revenue model on a regular basis and adjust it as needed. If your business is just starting, you will have a much stronger understanding of your revenue after a month than you will before you began. Increase the amount of time you spend on the revenue sources that work well. Decrease the time you spend on revenue sources that are not working as well as you projected until you can revise your strategies for them."

Jacky Gamble reports:

"A sealed bid is often submitted when a company or individual puts out an invitation to bid. An invitation to bid usually asks companies to submit a proposal of services and fees for a contracted project specified in the invitation. An invitation to bid may also request sealed bids for the purchase of a product or equipment...Review the terms and specifications within the invitation to bid. Pay attention to the deadline date, as your sealed bid will not be accepted after the deadline has passed. Create a cover letter and company biography. The cover letter should include a title describing what the bid is for, and the company biography should provide information about the company and specialty services. Create the bid itself on the next page. This page should explain the services you will provide, based on the specifications of the invitation to bid. It will also list your prices and [the] time it will take you to complete the project. Include a contract with your bid packet. The contract should restate the services provided, prices, and dates you will start and end the project. Keep the contract concise, limiting it to one or two pages. Provide a list of references with your bid packet. Include the reference's company name, contact person, address and phone number. Insert the bid into a large addressed envelope, and seal. Mail the sealed bid or...deliver by hand...Insert your bid packet in a clear presentation binder."

Michelle Fabio, Esq. reports:

"No matter the value of your estate, it is essential that you plan for what will happen to your assets after your death...When done correctly, a living trust can also assure a fast distribution of your assets, avoid unnecessary taxes and keep your wishes private as well. As your living trust will be one of the most important documents drafted in your lifetime, you should be prepared before getting down to the business of writing one...Be sure to include...a list of your assets that includes everything you own. Assets are everything from tangible items like your house, car and jewelry to intangible ones like stocks, bonds and life insurance policies. Having this list in front of you will give you a clearer picture of your estate and help you decide how you would like it distributed once you are gone...Just as it is important to list all of your assets and their values before writing the living trust, be sure that you have all of the paperwork—titles, deeds, stock certificates, life insurance policies, etc.—in order and ready to hand over to the attorney that will be preparing your living trust. Having all of this ready will enable your attorney to get a running start as your assets will need to be transferred to the trust in order to 'fund' it...You will have to name beneficiaries, those who will receive assets upon your death, so plan on who should get what before you sit down to write the living trust. Beneficiaries can include family, friends or organizations (including charities). You may also want to consider who you don't want to get anything at all and discuss this with the attorney as well. Keep in mind that if you have named beneficiaries on insurance policies or retirement or savings accounts, these may conflict with your plans regarding the living trust. Be sure to let the attorney know of these potential trouble spots so as to avoid legal fights among beneficiaries after your death...With a living trust, you will name yourself as the trustee so you continue to have control over your assets during the course of your lifetime. Your successor trustee, though, will pay your debts and distribute your assets according to your instructions upon your death, so be sure to choose someone you trust. Moreover, in the case of your incapacitation, your successor trustee would also be the one to handle your affairs...Although you cannot designate a guardian for your minor children [if any] through a living trust, you should still consider who you would want to take care of them in case of your death. You can include this information in a 'pour-over will,' which also provides for the distribution of any assets acquired after the creation of the living trust but before your death or any assets inadvertently excluded."

Lanee' Blunt reports:

"Writing claims and adjustment messages requires preparation and planning before you begin to write. Write from a simple outline to keep you organized. Decide what you want the reader to do...A claim letter is a way to resolve problems on errors that were made and may need an adjustment. An adjustment message is a response to a claim letter that was made against your business...Write about the relevant facts in the first paragraph. Begin with the problem. Explain exactly what happened and the reason that you are writing the claim letter. Spell out why you believe your claim should be granted in the second paragraph. Tell the reader about the specifics of the claim and the legal responsibilities and fairness...Start the third paragraph by requesting action. Request what you expect the reader to do. Include a date by which you expect action. Don’t threaten, but explain what additional steps you may take if your request is not fulfilled. Close with a 'Sincerely' and your signature above your printed name...Start your first paragraph with an approval sentence. Give the customer the good news first and comply with the customer’s claim. Start the second paragraph by explaining the mistake. Explain the cause of the problem. Don’t assign blame. Focus on your ongoing efforts to avoid mistakes and difficulties. Express your appreciation for the customer's business in the third paragraph. Apologize if you feel that you must do so. If unable to comply with all elements of the requested adjustment, explain why and add any necessary details on how you will be responding to the request. Close the letter with 'Sincerely,' and print and sign your name. Check your letter to ensure the tone is friendly. Try not to sound condescending or mean...Keep a copy of your letter for your records. Provide as attachments documents such as bills, advertising materials, or receipts that can back up what you are writing."

LandlordStation reports:

"It's a landlord's worst nightmare: [T]he family you thought would be a great tenant turns out to be disruptive, loud, and noisy. Getting a complaint occasionally is one thing, but you've got to take care of a problem quickly if it is ongoing[,] because otherwise you'll set a standard that allows all of your tenants to be equally loud without violating the lease. Because the best communication between a landlord and tenant occur in writing, you'll want to write them a notification letter about the noise complaints you've received. You'll also want to include where in the lease the stipulation against excessive noise happens to be and what resolution a tenant can take so they aren't contacted by you again about the complaints...Most complaint letters are resolved the first time around and you don't have to worry about it again! On the other hand, your letter, which should be sent certified to verify its delivery, shows proof to a mediator or judge that you've attempted to fix the issue and offered a resolution. For extreme problems, you may also wish to consider having your signature on this letter notarized as an extra measure of assistance – especially if you're proceeding toward a likely eviction. Most of the time a tenant doesn't even realize they are causing complaints and this letter will fix the problem. If it doesn't, however, you've got a tool to help you get rid of a difficult tenant."

Ashley Adams-Mott reports:

"When you own or manage a fashion line, a target customer profile, also referred to as a target audience profile, helps your marketing firm or division zero in on specific sections of the consumer market. This allows your fashion line's marketing dollars to stretch further and yield a greater return for each advertising dollar you spend. A target customer profile is also a helpful tool to utilize when choosing boutiques or retail partners for your fashion line. When you align your fashion with a clothing store that tailors to the same customer base you do, you increase the likelihood that your clothing will regularly sell. Compile market research data previously collected by your company. Your target audience profile requires demographic facts and figures accumulated through sales information, and any input you have received from surveys targeted toward consumers of your line. Pick a format for your profile. You can organize profiles into a paragraph format that relates your target customer in prose form...Alternatively, your profile format can list predominant customer attributes in a [bullet list] and provide a larger spread of data in coordinating tables. Present the age and gender of your target audience. In fashion, zeroing in on the age and gender that your line serves rapidly eliminates a number of consumers and potential retail outlets. Present your demographics in prose form or plug the data into your [bullet list] or charts. List the education level, income and relationship status of your target audience. This data is particularly helpful in establishing the type of stores that would carry your fashion line and the types of publications to advertise in...Relate the geographical location of your largest audience in a manner that most serves your fashion line...Present data about the thoughts of your customers as reported through customer surveys or focus groups. Focus on data relating to your customer's shopping habits and thought processes through the use of terms like 'impulse buyers,' 'thrifty consumers,' or 'trend-followers.' This data helps you match your line with potential retailers whose shoppers possess the same buying tendencies and tailor your advertising to market-appropriate publications...Depending on its range, your fashion line may benefit from compiling multiple target customer profiles. For example, a line that markets clothing, shoes and handbags could have a different target audience for each product line within the larger fashion brand. If your data suggests this is true, separate your target audience profiles for each product category...Do not write your target customer profile based on old data or incomplete data. If necessary, invest more time and money on research and customer data gathering through surveys and focus groups before compiling your report. A report based on new data provides a more accurate picture of your current customer base, especially if your line is still emerging and establishing its identity in the fashion world."

Liza Hollis reports:

"Identify the character traits that you want to describe. This will allow you to get to the 'heart' of the matter. For example, a weakness might not be that you are 'lazy'; it might instead be that you are 'unfocused' and 'easily distracted.' Similarly, it is unlikely that a strength would be that you are 'successful'; it might instead be that you are 'driven' or 'tenacious.' Show how these strengths and weaknesses have come into play. The most impactful descriptions are ones that rely on anecdotal evidence that demonstrates these traits, not just lists them for an audience...Describe these traits from both positive and negative perspectives. This is especially important for a job interview...Remain humble when describing strengths, but be detailed with your claims. Always list weaknesses with the acknowledgment that these weaknesses can be channeled into more successful practices."

Charmayne Smith reports:

"Summarize your boutique’s business plan in less than two pages. Use this formal summary as the plan’s executive summary and place it at the front of the plan. Write the executive summary to entice the reader to read the business plan for more details. If you are seeking financing with the business plan, include the amount that you are seeking within this summary. Explain briefly how the funds will be utilized and how soon the funds will be repaid...Introduce your clothing boutique with a general business description. List your boutique’s legal business description...along with the boutique’s list of owners, their contact information and the boutique’s contact information...Provide a list of your clothing boutique’s products. Detail your products’ unique qualities and explain why the products benefit your customers. Explain where you will obtain your boutique’s clothing and include the costs of your vendors and suppliers...Explain your boutique’s target market, or the customers that you intend to capture. Describe the customer demographic and their location to the boutique. Describe how you will advertise your business, list your payment options and credit policies, and explain how you will maintain those customers on a long-term basis. Introduce your clothing boutique’s competitors. Categorize the competitors into direct and indirect competitors, with direct competitors being other local boutiques in your area and indirect being department stores and big box locations. Explain your boutique’s strengths and weaknesses as compared to the competition and illustrate the strategies your boutique will use to achieve and maintain a competitive edge. Identify your clothing boutique’s location. If you do not have an identified location, describe the amount of space your business will require. Ensure that your selected location has plenty of room for parking and is inviting...Describe the details of your clothing boutique’s operations. Identify your boutique’s required equipment, such as shelving, open closets and changing room equipment. List the boutique’s hours of operations and include information on holiday hours. Expound on the location’s expenses, including licensing requirements, taxes, zoning requirements, utilities, leasing expenses and required location renovations. Explain your boutique’s staffing needs. Provide clear details on each position’s functions and responsibilities. Include costs for each position, including salary, benefits and any necessary training expenses for those employees. Create an organizational chart to include in the business plan if your boutique employs many people...Create your clothing boutique’s financial statements. Include a personal financial statement, balance sheet, cash flow analysis and income statement. Provide reasonable assumptions and projections about future sales, if your business has yet to open its doors...Create an appendix at the end of your boutique’s business plan. Include any documentation that supports the information within the business plan, such as clothing contracts, leasing agreements, tax returns and any other documentation that relates directly to the boutique’s operations or financing."

John S reports:

"Transport services play a critical role in the economy as most goods and services frequently need to be transported from one location to another. More and more clients are looking to outsource transportation in a bid to lower costs and liabilities and focus on their core line of business. Your success in winning a contract depends on writing an effective business proposal based on your charges and service delivery. The proposal writing process differs depending on what type of proposal you need to draft: solicited or unsolicited. Solicited proposals are much easier to write because they respond to a particular Request for Proposal [RFP] from a customer. Ask for the customer's requirements...when responding to an RFP. When submitting an unsolicited proposal, convince your target client that he needs your transport services, and be sure to follow up. Save the executive summary for last even though it appears in the first paragraph of the proposal. Give the summary a lot of attention since it will heavily influence your potential customer's first impression of you. In the executive summary, describe your company, what your transport services will do for the customer, and how she will benefit from using your services. Outline the technical approach to providing the transport services: how you will accomplish what is required, the schedule for offering your services, and the vehicles and other equipment you possess to do the job. Describe the efficiency of your equipment to meet the customer's needs. Do not use exaggerated language to praise your services and your company -- this is unprofessional. Outline the managerial aspects of your services. Transport services involve a lot of logistics and high-quality management to serve customers effectively. Show how the provision of services will be supervised and explain the responsibilities of the managers. These details will demonstrate your commitment to efficiency and safety. Describe the qualifications of your company, its business experience and achievements. Indicate that you are a licensed and insured transport service provider. If you are just starting out and have no substantial experience, do not be discouraged. Go ahead and state convincingly your ability to offer the best transport services. Offer a pricing schedule for your services. Ensure that the prices you list in the proposal are well[-]thought[-]out and comply with your company's overall budget. Because this is a proposal, make it clear that the prices are subject to negotiation. Be sure to provide complete and accurate contact information and references in your proposal...Consider sending your proposal together with a cover letter that further describes how your transport services match the customer's needs. Read the requirements and regulations for writing government proposals. The Federal Acquisition Regulations apply."

Veronica James reports:

"Shippers who follow basic address guidelines can help prevent irritating delivery delays and avoid disappointing friends or customers. In other words, scrawling a partial address in tiny letters with a fine-point pencil won't endear you to the delivery person and could result in the package being lost. Do yourself -- and the carrier -- a favor and present the shipping information clearly and accurately. Choose the side of the package with the largest surface area for the address. Do not place the address label over a seam in the box. Cross out or remove any old shipping labels to avoid confusion. Use a marker to write the address in capital letters large enough that it can be read at arm's length. Black ink is best to make it stand out. Alternatively, print the address in a large font on a self-adhesive label or a half[-]sheet of paper and attach it securely to the box. Avoid using calligraphy or cursive writing. Write each part of the address on a separate line and ensure that the ZIP code is included. If you use the figures 1 or 7, make sure they are easily identifiable. Do not use a comma at the end of a line or a period at the end of the address. Print your own name and full return address in smaller letters or on a small label clearly marked 'Sender.' Put this in the top left[-]hand corner of the package, above the address. If the package cannot be delivered, this will help ensure that it comes back to you. Print the name of the country in full on the last line of the address if the package is going overseas. Complete and attach a customs declaration form. Customs laws differ from country to country, so check the guidelines for the recipient's country as well as for your own country...Make sure the contents are adequately protected within the package, and that the package is securely wrapped and sealed to avoid damage or breakage. Include the recipient's address and your return address information on a slip of paper inside the package in case the box is damaged...If the package is going overseas, make absolutely sure of the customs regulations for the contents. Exceptions can include meat products, chemicals, plants and food. Import duty can be payable on goods entering another country, and a charge may be imposed on the recipient if customs opens the package to examine the contents."