Printwand, Inc. reports:
"A slogan or tagline is a unifying message that boils your company’s identity down to a digestible, tasty nugget. Its quick and catchy nature makes it easy for customers to remember and associate it with your business. It’s crucial to make your slogan interesting and meaningful...Your slogan shouldn’t be more than a single sentence long, and in many cases, a sentence fragment works best. The shorter the slogan, the easier it is to remember. Highlight the most appealing part of your business in as few words as possible (preferably between five and ten)...It’s okay to find inspiration in existing ads, but don’t try to mimic or adapt a well-known slogan or tagline that’s already successful...Why would anyone want to settle for an imitation of something they’ve already heard of? You also run the risk of infringing on copyrights. Being unique and standing out from the crowd is both safer and smarter...Don’t make promises that you can’t keep...Be honest in your claims and don’t exaggerate...Think of your slogan as a line of poetry. A good rhythm and flow makes it more pleasing to listen to and think about. Rhyming or repetition of similar-sounding words...are also handy for turning your slogan into a memorable 'earworm.'...Avoid any unclear or confusing language in your slogan; be sure to use active voice and correct grammar. Active voice is a sentence structure where the subject is performing the action instead of having an action be performed upon it...Say your slogan out loud. How does it sound? Does it flow easily or leave you tongue-tied?...Your slogan shouldn’t just be easy to read and remember; it should be easy to say...Nearly every successful slogan provides some reason why the customer would want to frequent your business in the first place...Even with a simple phrase, you can really encapsulate what makes your company attractive...Humor can be an effective way to make your slogan memorable, but be careful. It’s easy for brands such as 7 Up to get away with 'joke' campaigns such as 'Make 7 Up Yours' because they’re already well-known and have a solid customer base. But if you didn’t know what 7 Up actually was, or hadn’t seen their commercial on national TV, you wouldn’t get very much out of that slogan. Newer and smaller companies are better off using a slogan that’s descriptive and substantial...A good slogan can give your campaign a boost of charm and presence, but a bad one can just leave potential customers confused. By sticking to these guidelines, your promotion or campaign will remain vivid in people’s minds." Cheryl Cirelli reports:
"The sooner you write an apology business letter after an infraction the better. If you've committed a business offense of some kind, extend an apology shortly thereafter. Acting quickly can make the difference between saving or ending a business relationship...Usually, if you acknowledge you've made an error in judgment or were wrong in some fashion and express your regret sincerely, the person receiving the letter will forgive the infraction and continue to do business with you. However, sometimes it takes more than words, and an apology letter must be accompanied by appropriate restitution to repair your business relationship. Start by saying you are sorry. You want the intent of the letter to be clear. Next, offer an explanation regarding the reason for the letter. Acknowledge what went wrong and how you plan to rectify the situation. Along with extending the apology in a timely manner, be sure to promise you won't repeat the offense. At the end of the letter, apologize one more time and mention you value the business relationship...Writing a business apology letter will show the offended party you not only realize you were wrong, but...also value the relationship. It's important you accept responsibility for what happened. In return, you may be surprised to find the injured party might also accept partial responsibility and apologize in return...Type the apology using a common, easy-to-read font...Print your letter on good quality, white paper...Use a formal business letter format such as semi-block or full-block...Incorporate your apology within the beginning of your letter...Clarify the problem when you apologize to a customer...Offer a specific explanation...Outline what action you plan to take to rectify the problem...Sign the letter by hand...While it is prudent in most cases to write and send your apology letter with a quick response, there are times when it is best to wait. For example, if the incident in question may result in legal action or liability issues, it is best to talk with legal counsel before you put anything in writing...Maintaining healthy business relationships sometimes requires an apology. Saying you're sorry can save business relationships and disperse the problem before it gets out of hand." Jessica Kent reports:
"Financial statements are relied on by management, investors and lenders to ascertain a [business'] financial position. Financial statements presented for these purposes are a balance sheet and an income statement. While the balance sheet is presented as of a specific date...the income statement presents activity for a period of time...Be sure to clearly indicate the financial statement period so readers are not confused...Verify the general ledger has been updated through the date financial statements will be prepared for. If necessary, make adjusting journal entries for items, such as depreciation and amortization or account mispostings...Prepare the balance sheet by listing asset categories on the left, and liabilities and equity categories on the right...Record the dollar value of each asset, liability and equity account balance on the balance sheet template, according to the balance listed per the trial balance. After all amounts are listed, verify that total assets are equivalent to total liabilities and equity...Record total sales and subtract returns, and allowances to begin the preparation of the income statement. From this, subtract the dollar value of cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold represents materials, subcontractor costs, direct labor and other costs associated with specific projects. The resulting number is known as gross profit...Prepare a detailed listing of all general and administrative expenses, including officer compensation, office salaries, rent, dues and subscriptions, utilities, auto expense, bad debt expense, depreciation and amortization expense, telephone and office expense. Subtract all general and administrative expenses from gross profit to arrive at net profit...Be sure to label each item in the balance sheet and income statement properly so that readers of the financial statements are not [misled] or confused." Robbi Hess reports:
"Blogging is a great way to get your words out into the world, but what happens...if your brilliant words are 'out there' and no one is reading?...The first thing that people see when they come to your blog is the title. Make it stand out from the crowd and make i[t] search engine friendly. How do you do that? Use titles that offer: 5 Tips, How To Make Money, Ways to Increase Your Social Media Reach...Keep it brief. Readers have so many blogs and books, and social media status updates vying for their precious time[,] so make certain your blog can be read in a short amount of time. Five hundred words should be the maximum word count, but shorter is better. You can write a quality article in as few as 300 words. Make sure your article is organized properly...[Y]our article/blog should have an introduction, a middle and a conclusion. If you’re not sure you’re covering the pertinent points, make an outline. Also, to make certain your blog post stays on track, make sure you are only covering one subject per blog post...Make certain your title isn’t misleading...If I think I am going to read a blog post on 'Keeping Fluffy Calm During A Thunderstorm' and you spend the time touting a new device you’ve developed to do that, I will feel mislead. If, however[,] your title says, 'Great New Invention To Keep Fluffy Calm During A Thunderstorm' and then you write about the device or review a product, I’m okay with it. Know your subject matter. While you may not be an expert on all things dog-related, don’t put forth incorrect facts. If you’re unclear about a fact, call a professional and ask for a quote. By the way, quoting pet experts and professionals also helps to amp up your credibility! Bottom line with your blogging: [I]f you write what people want to read, whether it’s pet humor, pet product reviews, or pet how-tos[,] you will likely gain a loyal following...[D]on’t forget to use keywords to help make your article more searchable." Alana Saltz reports:
"Once you get your new writers’ workshop off the ground, there are many factors that will go into making it successful, productive, and enjoyable for you and your members. You want to create a fun, safe space for writers to share their work that will also accommodate critique and constructive feedback...Establish workshop guidelines: This is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure that your writers’ workshop runs smoothly. It’s your responsibility as the workshop leader to set the tone for your group and to decide how it will run...The guidelines don’t have to be very long or involved. If you’re running a smaller weekly group, be sure to establish any rules you want to have about attendance. Do you want people to contact you when they won’t make it, or is it a more casual, drop-in kind of workshop where no notice is necessary? If you’re using meetup.com, mention any rules you have about RSVPing on the site. You’ll also want to discuss how you want work to be distributed. Will members bring work in and have it read at the meeting, or will work be brought in or emailed out in advance? Practical stuff like that...Decide how critique will be conducted: There are many ways you can conduct the critique portion of your workshop. I highly recommend having an initial discussion about the piece you are critiquing without the author’s input. You ask the author not to talk, comment, or even answer questions during this initial discussion...When a writer’s work is being read outside of the workshop, they won’t be there to give explanations or excuses to their readers. The workshop is a way for them to be a fly on the wall, to see how their work is being read organically. Once the members all make their comments and observations, the author is allowed to join the conversation to ask and answer any questions that came up during the critique. I also recommend structuring the critique sessions in the following way: First, ask the group what they thought worked in the poem/story. Starting with the positive aspects of the work makes the less positive critique easier to handle. After all of the members have had a chance to talk about the strengths of the piece, ask what they thought needed work or attention. Both you and your members should try to avoid using the words 'like' and 'dislike.' Opinions are valid, but should be given carefully, as they are opinions and not objective feedback on the piece. If a member says they 'like' or 'dislike' something in a piece, ask for them to be more specific. Why specifically did they like it or not like it? What about it worked for them or wasn’t working for them? That kind of feedback is much more helpful than someone just saying that they liked or didn’t like something in the piece...To read out loud or not to read out loud? My recommendation – read poetry out loud, but not prose...I think reading prose out loud takes a great deal of time and most likely isn’t the format that readers will be approaching the piece. If you choose to have prose read out loud, be sure to also have the member provide paper copies for the other members to follow along with. That way they can spot any grammatical or structural errors...[H]ave some time before the meeting starts to chat, catch up, and wait for people to arrive (about 20-30 minutes). Then, conduct your focused critique session...If you find your group getting off track, gently steer them back to the piece. Once the critique session is finished, people have the choice to stay and socialize more, or leave if they have other obligations." Daphne Gray-Grant reports:
"Be brutally realistic about how much time your project will require. For the editing stage, edit a sample page or chapter and then multiply that by the total number of pages/chapters in your project. This will reveal how many hours of work you have left...Set a reasonable goal. It's a good idea to start by working backwards from your ideal completion date...Play around with the numbers until you come up with a completion date and a daily requirement that makes you happy...Plan to work on your project every day. Most of us are more likely to accomplish tasks we do daily. They become part of the woodwork and background noise of our lives -- and therefore don't appear to require so much effort. As well, working daily will give you momentum. (Note: It's okay to take weekends off or scale back your weekend goals.)...Don't do too much on any given day...Know when to stop. If you burn yourself out, you'll regret it (and probably fail to meet subsequent deadlines.) It's all about pacing...Keep a record. Just as dieters write down how many pounds they lose and runners chart how many miles they cover, you should keep a record of how your writing project is progressing. Create a simple chart in Word or Excel and then fill it in each day as you do your work." Marie Murdock reports:
"Wills, trusts, estates and the complexity of the probate process are often topics of discussion between clients and their attorneys, or even among family members. When it comes to probating an estate, however, one size may not necessarily fit all...Small estate laws vary from state to state; they are designed to simplify the probate process and involve the filing of an affidavit...Contact the probate court in the county where the decedent resided, or go to its website to determine the criteria necessary to file a small estates affidavit. Most states have small estate affidavit forms available. You can also find sample state forms online, or use an online document preparation website to prepare a form that complies with your state’s requirements...Fill out the state's affidavit form. If you decide to draft your own affidavit, you should download the state statutes concerning small estates to ensure your affidavit meets state requirements. Enter the name of the decedent and the date of his death on the affidavit...[along with] the names of the heirs with claims to the estate -- and in some cases, the proportionate value of their claims. The affidavit should state that the heirs have assigned their rights to you. If there is a will, some states require the original be filed with the court and a copy attached to the affidavit along with a certified copy of the death certificate. Some states have testate, or will-attached, affidavits and intestate, or no-will, affidavits...Describe the types of assets of the estate, as well as the estate's overall value...You may have to have a professional appraisal done to provide this information. The maximum asset value determining whether you can file a small estate affidavit varies from state to state. Include a statement that no party has filed a petition to be appointed personal representative of the estate and no estate proceedings have begun. Some states require that copies of the affidavit be served upon all interested parties including creditors, while attorneys in other states discourage the use of a small estate proceeding if there are funeral expenses or creditors...Sign the affidavit, following the instructions on your form, or your state's instructions. Typically, you must sign the affidavit in the presence of a notary public and witnesses. File the completed affidavit with the local probate court where the decedent resided. Pay any filing fees due upon filing. Some states may require a hearing...Small estate requirements and procedures vary greatly from state to state. Some states will not allow a small estate proceeding when there is real property, as opposed to personal property, to be transferred, while other[s]...do not allow small estate affidavits if the decedent left a will...If the liabilities of the estate exceed its assets, a full probate will likely be required...The affiant, or person making the affidavit, under a small estate proceeding may be held liable for any misrepresentations in the affidavit. Contact an attorney if unsure whether a small estate proceeding is appropriate for your circumstances." Richard Kalinowski reports:
"If you need to terminate your apartment lease agreement, you should always formalize the termination request with a well-written letter. If disputes between you and the landlord arise later on, you can refer to the written documentation for proof of lease termination. However, if the lease agreement is poorly worded, the landlord may be able to argue that your notification was insufficient and not legally binding. Writing a high-quality letter to terminate your lease is important for protecting yourself and securing absolution from the lease agreement...Indicate the exact date that you plan to break the lease. Your letter should start out with a direct statement that you plan on moving out and terminating the lease on a specific day and time...Be as specific as possible. Give the time, day, month and year...Note in the letter if you plan on terminating the utilities on or earlier than your move-out date. Give him the exact date of termination. The landlord will need to know whether the utilities are working for apartment showings...Provide your reasons for breaking the lease in a second paragraph. If you are taking advantage of an early termination clause in your lease, your reasons do not need to be exhaustive, but you should indicate how and when you will pay any early termination fees included in the clause. Make sure that your reasons for lease termination fall within the legal requirements for acceptable termination...Unforeseen disability or job loss are typically acceptable reasons for termination under many lease agreements, but you will need to provide proof...Make an offer to provide an extra [month's] rent in exchange for termination if you do not have legal justifications for terminating the lease. If you do not have any acceptable reasons for termination, writing out a bargaining paragraph may help your case...[C]onceding an additional [month's] rent will usually convince a landlord to allow lease termination. Some states offer additional recourse for you as a tenant [i]f the landlord still refuses to let you break the lease. In California, you can actively promote the apartment and break the lease if a suitable tenant is found to take over your agreement. Other states have similar sublease policies that landlords must legally follow...Close your letter with a request for a formal walk-through of the apartment. Provide your phone number and email address, asking the landlord to contact you within one business week to arrange for a walk-through. Performing a walk-through with the landlord will give you a chance to explain any damage to the property and refute any potential withholding of the security deposit...Sign, date and notarize the letter and a copy, and keep the copy for yourself." Harsh Vardhan Dutta reports:
"Hiring expertise of a content writing company for your website can help you strike a perfect balance between the above mentioned styles of writing...In a promotional article, it is advisable to keep sales or the pre-sales talk to a minimum. Content writing services have stressed on the fact that the purpose of such an article is certainly not to sell the product or service to the consumers right away. However, you can incorporate [a] few aspects of pre-sales into the promotional article to lure users to click on your website but ensure that it is not the highlight of the article. The sales copy should be saved for the landing page of the website. The main point of a promotional article is to convince the reader to click and visit your website with a peaked interest in possible purchase or subscription. Instead of working on a sales copy, your article should have flow and readability, and should be able to generate interest among potential consumers...Any article has a basic structure – introduction, then discussion on the topic or problem presented in the introduction and the concluding argument. In the case of a promotional article, the first section should introduce a problem or a situation or an opportunity. The second part of the article should explore the mentioned situation and talk [about] how it affects the reader. What is the status of this situation? This part will be the stepping stone to your final section – potential solution for the reader...[T]he article should push the reader to explore your website and feel motivated to buy. This pre-selling technique has prove[n] effective in the past...While it is said that the content itself should not sell...it should work in tandem with the sales copy to achieve a sale. Leading content writing services have stressed that the content writers should familiarize themselves with the sales and landing pages. This exercise would help incorporate important elements into the writing. So whether you are writing an article or working on a marketing campaign, follow this useful tip. The above mentioned pointers would come in handy to attract interested readers and prospective buyers to your website. If you are a content writing company, knowledge and implementation of these tips would benefit your client to increase their sales and website traffic, and help you land potential clients as well. If you are hiring a content writing company to help you with sales writing and content writing, it is always recommended that you check their quality of work from their former and current clients." Jen Matera reports:
"Treat your writing like a full-time job in order to be as successful as you can be...[I]f you’re treating your writing as a full-time job...what steps should you take in your daily life to facilitate this?...Set aside a series of hours each day you’ll work...Ensure you have a work area strictly for your writing...Plan for breaks. Employees are usually allowed miscellaneous breaks and an hour for lunch...Establish a pattern and stick to it...Unless you’re doing your own marketing, stay off social media! Your boss wouldn’t allow you to aimlessly surf Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter at work...Set manageable goals, assess them, and reevaluate them as needed...Write. Write something. If your characters aren’t speaking to you, work on outlines or synopses or write something else...When your day is done, stop. Save your work. Make some notes for tomorrow...This won’t work for everyone. It probably won’t work for most, to be honest. But if you [manage] better when there is structure, give it a try." |
Writing and editing can be pretty rigorous processes if you want to do them well, but that's what this page is here for. Check out the latest tips here. Archives
March 2024
CategoriesJ.D. Parsons
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