Secrets to getting paid on time

This week’s Management Tip

There will always be those clients that will try and pull a fast one on you. They’ll try to get out of paying you what they owe you. Or haggle over the price once the job is done.

You need to make sure that your client knows exactly what they can expect from you in the end and how much it will cost &8212; right from the beginning.

The price must be discussed and agreed upon from the get-go.

Tricks to making sure you do get paid

   1. Set up a payment schedule

   2. Don’t begin to work without a deposit

   3. Hand over final artwork only when the final payment has been made

C O N C L U S I O N :

You must stick to your guns. Figure out a price at the beginning and create a list of deliverables and a payment schedule. Make sure you both stick to it.

And don’t turn over any of the final files unless the account has been settled.

Shortcuts that provide a competitive edge

This week’s Production Tip

I’m always looking for ways of working faster not harder, so do most people I think.

One of the quickest ways is to make use of keyboard shortcuts for program commands you use most often.

Most commonly used keyboard shortcuts that are good for all programs:

1. Cut: Apple-X (Mac) / CTRL-X (PC)
2. Copy: Apple-C (Mac) / CTRL-C (PC)
3. Paste: Apple-V (Mac) / CTRL-V (PC)

C O N C L U S I O N :

The trick here is to automate tasks as much as you can. Start learning those shortcuts you need to work faster.

Who doesn’t want to work faster? You’d be amazed at how much time you waste using the mouse and menu items.

I also find that it interrupts my flow having to stop and search for the correct command. Especially if it’s something I do repeatedly.

Focus on headlines

This week’s Design Tip

Choosing the right typeface is one of the most important design choices you will make in your document.

After all, your headline is the first things your reader sees when they look at your design.

Its goal is to entice your readers into reading your copy. You may have only seconds before you reader moves on to something else.

How to choose a font speaks to your audience

1.   Choosing the right font is really about what is appropriate for your piece and the overall look of your layout.
2.   Ask yourself: “What is the overall tone of the piece?”
3.   Then choose the font that best represents this.

C O N C L U S I O N :

The trick to making sure your headline pops out and grabs hold of your reader is to create contrast.

Your headline must be vastly different from the other typefaces in your document.

It must stand out.

Essentials of newsletter success

This week’s Promotion Tip

A newsletter is a great way of keeping in touch with your prospects and clients.

It’s essential that you keep your name in front of them at all times. You never know when they’ll need your services!

You can also use your newsletter to keep up-to-date with clients, build a following, and generate buzz about you and your business.

Keys to newsletter success:

1.   It should be created and sent on a consistent, regular schedule
2.   Deals with one topic only per newsletter
3.   Topics should be informative and position you as an “obvious expert”

C O N C L U S I O N :

Just as quickly as you can say, “I’m going to start my own newsletter” another thought probably immediately comes into their head, “Now what am I going to write about?”

The first thing to do is to brainstorm. Start a list of all the ideas that emerge. Keep it and add to it as new ideas come to you.

REMEMBER: one topic per newsletter.

Don’t try and do it all yourself!

This week’s Management Tip

When in business, it’s so tempting to try and do everything yourself.

You don’t want to pay someone else to do something you can do yourself. And, besides, nobody does it better, right?

Well, rather than thinking of outsourcing as an expense, think of it as an investment in your business.

Top reasons you should outsource:

1. Do more of the things you enjoy doing.
2. Concentrate on those tasks that bring the most profit to your business.
3. Let go of those boring, repetitive tasks that are a waste of your time and can be done by “virtually” anyone.

C O N C L U S I O N :

It’s all a question of balance. You want to outsource those tasks which are time consuming, don’t bring you much profit, and you hate doing.

You want to keep what you love doing, what you do best, and what will expand your business.

You will often find that it’s actually cheaper to have a VA that you don’t pay very much to, than trying to do menial tasks yourself (and your time is probably worth a lot more than the VA’s).

Your time and energy is best served elsewhere (like growing your business).

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