Kate Harper's Blog, page 3

Coloring Books: Get Kate's Free Funny Coloring Pages Every Month.

I send out free coloring pages every month, many of them humorous. Here is a recent example of a page from my funny coloring book for women about divorce and breakups!  Sign up Below.
 


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Coloring Books: Do You Like to Color? Free Funny Coloring Pages

I just designed my first humorous coloring book for women about divorce and breakups!
If you like to color and laugh, sign up for monthly free coloring pages below.
 


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Dealing With Rejection: Tips for Card Designers

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Your friends love them. Your mom loves them. Your coworkers love them. You think they'll be hot sellers.<br /><br />In your car, on the way to the printer, you decide to stop by the local card store to show them to Sally, the owner.<br /><br />With a smile, you pull out your cards and wait for Sally's reaction….but slowly, like a candle melting in Death Valley, you can see it in her face... she doesn't like them.<br /><br />Your heart hits the ground as she tells you what all the problems are, but you don’t hear anything because your stomach hurts, even though she continues to give you great advice for the next 10 minutes.<br /><br />Rejection hurts. You slowly wrap up the cards, put them back in your bag, and decide on the spot you want to go back to school and become a radiology technician.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204 , 0 , 0);">WAIT....STOP!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gcJ8CSnE3Oo..." onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436001248689919602" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gcJ8CSnE3Oo..." style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 266px;" /></a>REWIND this story. What happened here?<br />This isn't a story about rejection. This is a story about an artist who <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doesn</span>’t know what to do when their designs are rejected.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Remember, rejection is not a bad thing. It's a great opportunity to learn from an expert!</span></blockquote><br />Most professionals in the card industry are happy to help artists who are willing to adjust and try new things. Ask Sally what your next step should be. Just like envelopes and paper are part of the card business, so is rejection.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Your goal in card design, is to get emotionally close to your customer. Rejection by a store can help you steer your art towards knowing your customer. Just make sure you never leave a meeting without a notebook full of advice. Find out WHY you were rejected. Otherwise, rejection will only be experienced as something negative.</span></blockquote><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gcJ8CSnE3Oo..." onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436002757745140050" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gcJ8CSnE3Oo..." style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>In the story above, imagine what would've happened if the artist just drove to the printer first, and not the card store? Not only would she experience rejection, but she also would have lost money by printing a poor design! This artist was really smart to seek out professional advice, and not just limit it to family and friends.<br /><br />I experienced similar feelings when I started my business. My first two card lines were rejected, but I went on to try a third, a forth and a fifth, a sixth, most of which were successful. Store buyers were even willing to meet with me after hours and help me. The more I tried, the better things got.<br /><br />If you are ready to give up and go to radiology school, first stop and ask yourself these ten questions below, so you can learn how to deal with rejection in a more rational way.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">* You can subscribe (below) and have future articles delivered to your email.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 0); font-weight: bold;">10 Questions to ask when you're Rejected</span><br /><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... 1 </a>| <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... 2</a><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... </a>| <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... 3</a> | <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... 4</a> | <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... 5</a><br /><br /></div><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20..." style="color: #990000;">Part 1</a><br />Introduction<br /><br /><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20..." style="color: #00cccc;"><span style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 0);">Part 2</span></a><br />Tip 1: Are you approaching the right market?<br />Tip 2: Are you trying to sell handmade cards to a drugstore chain, or in a rural area?<br />Tip 3: Did you get feedback on "why not"?<br /><br /><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 0);">Part 3</span></a><br />Tip 4: Is this just one person's opinion?<br />Tip 5: Are you taking rejection personally?<br />Tip 6: Are you willing to make adjustments?<br /><br /><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 0);">Part 4</span></a><br />Tip 7: Have you thought about luck and timing?<br />Tip 8: Are you making weekly goals?<br />Tip 9: Are you in the waiting phase?<br /><br /><a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... style="color: rgb(153 , 0 , 0);">Part 5</span></a><br />Tip 10: Who in your life really wants you to succeed?<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="color: #674ea7; font-family: times new roman;"></div><div style="font-family: times new roman;"><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mai..." method="post" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mai...', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px; text-align: left;" target="popupwindow"><div style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: small;">*Get future Articles delivered to your email:</span></div><input name="email" style="width: 140px;" type="text" /><br /><input name="uri" type="hidden" value="GreetingCardDesigner" /><input name="loc" type="hidden" value="en_US" /><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></form></div><br /><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face { font-family: "Palatino"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: ";">~</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b><span style="font-family: ";"> </span></b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Ebooks by Kate Harper</b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can support this blog by ordering Kate's e-Booklets </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">starting at only .99 cents!</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> They can be read on your kindle, ipad, ipod, cellphone, or your computer. Free samples and lending options available. You can also view the <a href="http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... of all recommended greeting card books by a variety of authors.</span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;"><img alt=" " border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-USZr7Xx1g6Y..." style="text-align: start;" /> </div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"><br /><br /><a href="http://amzn.to/1P7oFd0">Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores</a> explains how to sell cards nationwide. Included are detailed guidelines on: How to price cards for a profit, get professional feedback, find sales representatives and follow industry standards. Information is also applicable to gift items, magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1SlDYoD" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" " border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FrcPmsBS_jw..." /></a></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1SlDYoD">20 Steps to Art Licensing</a> is a book about how to license your art to companies that publish greeting cards, or manufacture coffee mugs, magnets, wall hangings, kitchen items, and dozens of other gift items. Learn how to prepare your art, what companies to contact, how to find agents, and what trade shows to attend. Includes extensive resources on social media, copyrights, licensing community groups, and lists of interviews with professional designers.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1P7p1QJ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" " border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJsOJSe-7jY..." /></a></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1P7p1QJ"></... href="http://amzn.to/1P7p1QJ">7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers</a> is a booklet that explains what to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers. Learn how to create a trendy card that reflects the contemporary world we live in, and how to use your own personal experience to create card verse. Topics include: how to avoid limiting your market, when to use adjectives, not creating card for enemies, write like people talk and a list of why card sentiment submissions are often rejected. You can increase your odds of success by 60% just by doing a few simple things. Includes a list of card publishers and their guidelines, links to writer interviews, and writing exercises for how to create good verse.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1nykTSM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" " border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1uE4H9SSMfU..." /></a></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1nykTSM">Unusual Ways To Market Greeting Cards, and 22 places to get your designs featured</a> is a booklet on how to get your cards noticed in non-traditional ways. Everything from why you should send cards to your dentist, to how to get a special feature in national publication. Great tips for designers who are starting out and want to get their cards into the hands of people beyond friends and family. <i>Special Section:</i> 22 Gift Industry Trade Publications who seek out new greeting card designs and feature artists for free.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1Q5qAic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJGKiwurJAs..." style="text-align: start;" /></a></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: start;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1Q5qAic">How to Make an EBook Cover for Non-Designers</a> is an illustrated book will show you how to make your own e-book cover, even if you are not a designer. It is intended to help the indie writer who is on a budget and wants to publish and sell their own book in online stores such Amazon.com and the Apple ibookstore. Selling your book in these stores will allow readers to purchase your book and read it on multiple devices such as the Kindle, iPad, iPhone and many other electronic devices.</div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Sign up for monthly free coloring pages: http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/20... class="feedflare">
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Join a Community of Card Designers

I've been very happy with the amount of activity in our our new greeting card community group.  I like the idea that someone can ask "where can I find a good printer?" and 25 people respond.  I also like meeting designers and writers from all over the world, and seeing pictures of their studios.

In case you missed it, here is the information again from the prior post:


"REALLY?!"

Hi Everyone!

I've been writing this blog since May 2007 (wow!)

Since many of you are card designers, I think it would be beneficial to shift our communications from a me-to-you format (blog) to a Community format (allows us all to talk to each other). 

This is a great way to learn skills, network with colleagues, access resources, and get news from a variety of talented people in the industry.

Therefore, I have set up a private community group on Facebook, called Greeting Card Designer.

Want to find a printer? Get feedback on your art? Meet other designers? Have a laugh? Join here, introduce yourself, and post a picture of your studio!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/greetingcarddesigner/








→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

New! A Communty of Card Designers (and Writers)!

"REALLY?!"

Hi Everyone!

I bet you did not know that I've been writing this blog since May 2007.  Wow!  That is almost 7 years! I didn't realize that that until I looked it up recently.


One thing I've learned about blogs, is while they offer a lot of great information, it is one sided: from me to you.  What my blog cannot offer is a community. And community is the best place to learn from all kinds of talented people.  I feel like the future of this blog really belongs in a community setting.

Since I have several thousand people visit my blog monthly, having a place "to meet" each other would be great for sharing ideas, information, and even getting feedback on your designs.

Therefore I have set up a community group for card designers on Facebook, called Greeting Card Designer. Join here and introduce yourself.  Post a picture of where you are from!




To start off with a bang, I have included a free booklet called: "Unusual Ways to Market Your Greeting Cards and 22 Places to Get Your Designs Featured" Click on the FILES tab in the upper right to access the download link.




→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

Free Alternatives to Photoshop

It appears that Adobe is going down the path of charging a subscription for their software (instead of an artist being able to buy it outright). So you never really "own" the software.  You are merely renting it. 
If you are like me, you are not a fan of subscriptions.  I believe you should be able to resell it or give it away when you are finished with it, as long as you follow the licensing guidelines. 
Here are 10 free alternatives on the Gizmodo website.  Read about them here: http://gizmodo.com/5974500/10-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free


1. GIMP (cross-platform) 2. Paint.NET (Windows-only) 3. Pixlr (web-based) 4. Splashup (web-based) 5. Inkscape (cross-platform) 6. Seashore (Mac-only) 7. Pixia (Windows-only) 8. Photo Pos Pro (Windows only) 9. Picasa (cross-platform) 10. Photoplus (Windows only)





→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

Overheard on the Bus

Have you ever made a card or piece of art from things you've overheard?  It's really fun to do because it makes you really listen to what is going on around you.

What things have you overheard people say?



→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

How to remove unwanted paper from your life.

I've decided to go paperless.

That might sound odd coming from a greeting card designer, but one thing I learned after my mother passed away, is that sorting through someone's papers can be time consuming and difficult. One small file can take more time to make decisions about, than a large closet of clothes.  Now I realize how important it is to eliminate paper from our office (and life), and it is easy to do by scanning, filing and storing it digitally.

After listening to a podcast on the "paperless office," I realized I could get rid of all the paper in my house, including filing cabinets, news clippings, recipes and photos.  Best of all, they are now safely stored in the cloud, and on an external drive. And photo albums can be accessed by all family members.

ScanSnap accepts any shape, size or color -- all at once.
One podcast suggested using "ScanSnap" to go paperless, so I bought one. I found this mobile device has several advantages over a regular scanner. Here's why:
ScanSnap is small and portable.It's portable.You don't need a power outlet. You can just plug it into your computer.It is idiot-proof and only has one button (my style!)You can load and scan 10 sheets in a minute.It scans all sizes, and auto-adjusts borders accordingly.It scans both sides at once.It auto corrects if you put something in crooked.You can pre-set it to feed scans directly into the cloud (such as dropbox, etc) and/or share them.You can scan something in a word document and then edit it afterwards (or pdf, excel, etc)!   See demo in video below.After scanning, Scansnap can transform the words in the document so they are as searchable (OCR). For example, if you bought a lamp at Office Depot and then scanned in the receipt and did not name your file, you can find it by searching for the words "Office Depot" or "lamp" on your computer.Business cards can be scanned into a database form. It offers high res options for images. You can do scanning in a car (or on a bicycle!)
If you only have one project and don't need to keep the scanner you can resell it on Amazon, and recover most of your costs. That is what one woman on a podcast said she did.
If you decide to have a paperless office, be prepared to:
Set aside a large space where you can scan for a week or several days.Take breaks every 3 hours.Don't rush yourself. Keep a shredder nearby for sensitive documents. Don't allow more paper to come in.  Urge people to send you digital copies of documents instead.  So how does this affect greeting cards I receive? I scan them and now I can find them. They are all organized in a digital folder, instead of mixed among receipts and articles.

Resources:
ScanSnap  on Amazon offers 15% discount and comes with a business card reader.
Paperless Office a Podcast Recording.
Paperless Field Guide, an Ipad interactive book with over an hour of video instruction.


ScanSnap Demo
→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

How to remove paper from your life.

I've decided to go paperless.

That might sound odd coming from a greeting card designer, but one thing I learned after my mother passed away, is that sorting through someone's papers can be time consuming and difficult. One small file can take more time to make decisions about, than a large closet of clothes.  Now I realize how important it is to eliminate paper from our office (and life), and it is easy to do by scanning, filing and storing it digitally.

After listening to a podcast on the "paperless office," I realized I could get rid of all the paper in my house, including filing cabinets, news clippings, recipes and photos.  Best of all, they are now safely stored in the cloud, and on an external drive. And photo albums can be accessed by all family members.

ScanSnap accepts any shape, size or color -- all at once.
One podcast suggested using "ScanSnap" to go paperless, so I bought one. I found this mobile device has several advantages over a regular scanner. Here's why:
ScanSnap is small and portable.It's portable.You don't need a power outlet. You can just plug it into your computer.It is idiot-proof and only has one button (my style!)You can load and scan 10 sheets in a minute.It scans all sizes, and auto-adjusts borders accordingly.It scans both sides at once.It auto corrects if you put something in crooked.You can pre-set it to feed scans directly into the cloud (such as dropbox, etc) and/or share them.You can scan something in a word document and then edit it afterwards (or pdf, excel, etc)!   See demo in video below.After scanning, you can search all your documents by words. For example, if you bought a lamp at Office Depot and then scanned in the receipt, you can find the receipt by searching for the words "Office Depot" or "lamp" on your computer.Business cards can be scanned into a database form. It offers high res options for images. You can do scanning in a car (or on a bicycle!)
If you only have one project and don't need to keep the scanner you can resell it on Amazon, and recover most of your costs. That is what one woman on a podcast said she did.
If you decide to have a paperless office, be prepared to:
Set aside a large space where you can scan for a week or several days.Take breaks every 3 hours.Don't rush yourself. Keep a shredder nearby for sensitive documents. Don't allow more paper to come in.  Urge people to send you digital copies of documents instead.  So how does this affect greeting cards I receive? I scan them and now I can find them. They are all organized in a digital folder, instead of mixed among receipts and articles.

Resources:
ScanSnap  on Amazon offers 15% discount and comes with a business card reader.
Paperless Office a Podcast Recording.
Paperless Field Guide, an Ipad interactive book with over an hour of video instruction.


ScanSnap Demo
→ New! Online Class: Getting into the Greeting Card Business
• Sign up for Greeting Card Design newsletter.

10 Outrageous Ways to Simplify Your Business

By Kate Harper

Life is short, so why not invest our time in things we truly value?

The following 10 practices might sound outrageous, but I did all of these for 15 years while running a manufacturing business that serviced 2,000 stores and had 40 sales reps and 4 contract workers.  As a result, I gained more personal time, reduced my stress, and my sales continued to increase.

Keeping things simple in your business might mean dropping key accounts or turning off your email for the day. Rather than negotiating with difficult people, I stopped working with difficult people. Instead of waiting on people who are always late, I replaced them with people who were always on time.

I invite you to try one or more of these practices. Let me know your results or tell me how you keep your business simple. Post them below on the comments or start a conversation on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kateharperdesigns. 





10 Outrageous Ways to Simplify Your Business


1. DON'T TALK ON THE PHONE

You might not believe it's possible to run a business without talking on the telephone, but it's true.  In fact, I kept my ringer off so I would not be disrupted or get pulled into a long conversation that had nothing to do with business.


You can save time by responding with email, texts, a fax, or even mailing a note in a greeting card! When you record your outgoing message, specify that your number is only for leaving voice mail messages.


Also see: 10 Reasons to avoid talking on the phone (humorous) http://theoatmeal.com/comics/phone and Do Not Call Registry This gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. https://www.donotcall.gov/





2. STAY OUT OF THE CAR 

Try to only deal with vendors that ship or deliver. Office Depot, Staples, manufacturing suppliers, furniture stores, and most printers offer free delivery. If you calculate your hourly wage, and ask yourself the question: "Is it really worth an hour of my time to run to the post office in the middle of the day and wait in line?” Instead, arrange for the post office to do a free pick up. You can do this online at http://www.usps.com/pickup/welcome.htm?from=home_header&page=schdulepickup
You can also order all your supplies online.  On Amazon.com, the product range is extensive: from groceries, to car tires to cat litter.


Also see: I Want to Drive Less http://www.bemorewithless.com/2010/i-want-to-drive-less/ and How to Live Without a Car http://www.ehow.com/how_2037517_live-car.html




3. DROP YOUR OFFICE HOURS

If you are waiting for deliveries, put a plastic bin outside your office labeled “Deliveries. ”  Then you don't have to be there or answer the door. Don't wait around the office for two hours just because you told a client you would be available in case they decide to drop by. Often they don't show up or may cancel.



4. MY PLACE OR NO PLACE

If you must meet someone face to face, arrange for meetings only in your office so you save a trip across town.  For clients who are resistant to meeting at your location, ask them if they really need to see you face to face. Maybe you can Skype instead. If they need a document approved, ask them to fax it or email it.

Remember, your time  (and your client’s time) is better utilized if you are not running around being a “delivery service.”  If they agree to meet at your office, and they are running late, you can still get work done while you wait on them.  Whereas, if you go to their office, not only have you lost time traveling, you may find yourself waiting in their lobby because they are late for your appointment.



 

5. DON’T HIRE EMPLOYEES

Most small business owners I have met tell me they spend a majority of their time:

- Finding and training new employees.
- Preparing work for them.
- Finding out why they didn’t do the work.
- Finding new employees who will do the work.
- Making new policies because someone didn’t do the work.
- Getting involved in employee’s personal problems.

Does having employees give you more free time or less free time?

Instead, consider hiring independent contractors, temps or virtual assistants, and export your work outside of the office.  Most contract employees prefer to be their own boss anyway, so tell them the result you want, and let them decide how to do it. The less you supervise them, the more time you will have to do your own job.

When you don’t have employees, you don’t have to cover for them if they quit or call in sick, and you can eliminate expenses such as worker’s comp, social security taxes and insurance.
If you like having employees because you want someone to talk to, it's better to spend time with friends.  Using employees for socializing is not always fair to you or to them.

If you must hire employees, avoid hiring people "who need a job."  Often they need a job for a complicated reason. Instead, decide what personality traits you need and seek out that person.  Often, people who work in bookstores are great employees for all kinds of businesses.


Also see: The Real Cost of Hiring an Employee http://www.npost.com/blog/2009/03/30/fully-baked-the-real-cost-of-adding-a-new-employee/ and Alternative to Hiring Employees http://www.gaebler.com/Alternatives-to-Hiring-Employees.htm



6. STAY SINGLE

Avoid setting up your business as a partnership. For every business that is a successful partnership, there are one hundred whose partnerships turn out bad.  Instead, make one person the owner and the other person a commissioned agent who gets a cut of the profits based on the revenue they generate.


Also see: The Dirt on Partnerships http://www.daveramsey.com/article/the-dirt-on-partnerships/lifeandmoney_business/ and Starting a Small Business: Partnerships http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/retirement/2006/06/29/starting-a-small-business-partnerships.aspx




7. ONLY WORK WITH LOW HASSLE BUSINESSES 

Sometimes you can tell a lot about a vendor by the way their employees act.  Do they refer to the business they work at as "they" or "we"? If there is a problem with your order, does the employee blame “higher ups,” or do they try to solve the problem themselves?

Also, try to work with vendors who accept orders by fax or email day and night. Then you can order supplies when you want to, and you will also have a written record (versus verbal) of the order.




8. SELECT AND EDIT YOUR CUSTOMERS

Avoid difficult customers.  If they are overly demanding the first time you meet them, this could be a preview of things to come.  If they appear to have emotional swings that consume a lot of your time, it is OK to say “no” to a customer who wants to work with you.

If this feels awkward, then ask for a significant upfront deposit for the job.  This will politely turn away customers who are not serious.  I often found that the ones who were the most demanding were the last ones to pay on time.


Also see:When to Fire Your Customers http://www.recmanagement.com/200307gc01.php



9. TURN BUSINESS TRIPS INTO CAMPING TRIPS

On a business trip, pack all your clothes in a carry-on bag and ship heavy items ahead of time. Avoid taking more than two pairs of shoes, one for comfort and one for dress.  A blazer looks dressy with anything, including a t-shirt and jeans. Instead of bringing necklaces, put a lapel pin on your blazer and attractive scarf.

Instead of packing a lot of clothes, have the hotel laundry or wash-and-fold service deliver your clothes, so you can wear them twice on the same trip. It's not as expensive as you imagine.


Also see: Project 333 and learn how to reduce your wardrobe at home to 33 items. http://theproject333.com/ and How to Pack One Bag http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90297199 and How to Travel With One Bag http://www.wikihow.com/Travel-With-One-Bag


  
10. USE YOUR EXTRA TIME TO THANK PEOPLE

Once on a whim, I decided to do an outrageous thing and write a letter to a CEO of a nationally known corporation to tell him about the excellent customer service I received from one of his 12,000 employees. Imagine my surprise to receive a hand written letter back from him, expressing his appreciation for my letter. He promised to put a copy of the letter in the employee's file (and the supervisor's file).  It showed me how much he valued taking time out of his day to acknowledge a job well done.

After that, I decided to always write to CEO’s because this might have a significant influence over  the employee's possible promotion and salary increase in the future.

Remember to also thank people who make your daily life comfortable. If you appreciate someone's work, don’t keep it a secret. Ask for the store manager and tell them when you get good service.


Research has shown that one of the main reasons people are unhappy is because they feel unappreciated at work.



CONCLUSION 

Next time you are standing in the checkout line at the discount store to save $1.29 on a ream of paper, remind yourself that for every minute you stand there, you are also racing towards death. Our life is comparable to someone who just fell out of an airplane. The only thing we don’t know is how close we are to the ground. So, look at the bigger picture, utilize your time wisely and spend time doing the things that really matter to you.



ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR SIMPLIFYING YOUR LIFE

The New American Dream http://www.newdream.org/index.php They work with individuals, institutions, communities, and businesses to change the way goods are produced and consumed.

Your Money or Your Life http://ymoyl.wordpress.com/ The purpose of Your Money or Your Life is to transform our relationship with money. That relationship encompasses the time these functions take out of our lives and how it is reflected in connection to your family and community.

Dave Ramsey Radio Show http://www.daveramsey.com/radio/home/ Show and podcast of how to beat debt, build wealth and find the best ways to give.

Backblaze http://www.backblaze.com/ Low cost, remote Backup Storage for Computer data.

Freecycle Network: Free Stuff to Give or Get http://www.freecycle.org/ A grassroots and nonprofit network of people who give and take stuff for free. It's about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by local volunteers. Membership is free.

Simple Life Together is a great podcast and website about simplifying your business and personal life. You can even learn how to have a paper-free office.  http://simplelifetogether.com/


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