Make Money Easy For You

How Do You Know It’s Time to Fire a Client?

As a business owner, you’re no longer sitting in your too-small cubicle waiting to be called to HR for yet another downsizing in yet another company. No more being told when you can take lunch, make a personal call or, heavens forbid, go to the bathroom.

Owning your own business comes with lots of perks. One of them that is frequently overlooked however is that you now have the ability to fire a client.

Stop and think about that for a moment. As a business owner, you don’t need to take on every client that comes along and can *fire a client* if you want or need to. Isn’t that liberating?

“I need all the clients I can get. Why would I ever want to fire one?” you ask.

In order to make your business as profitable as possible, you need to ensure that your client relationships are win-win for both you and the client. There are several reasons why you may want, or need, to fire one of your clients. Here are the top three scenarios in which you may want to consider firing a client:

1. They don’t pay you on time.

If you have a client who consistently can’t, or won’t, pay you on time, you may want to consider firing him.

You are in business to make money, to provide for your family, to fulfill a need and be paid for your time in doing so. You are not in business to spend your time providing services for another company for free.

If they are having a tough time *right now* and you want to hang in there with them, be sure that it is worth your time and effort and that *right now* doesn’t turn into months. Remember that you only have so many hours in the day to work on your business, use them wisely!

2. You cringe when the phone rings.

Some clients can just rub you the wrong way — often. These are the clients that, no matter what, drain you of your positive energy.

If you find you’re cringing when that certain client calls, if he always wants something for nothing, or if his ethics aren’t up to your standards, it may be time to part ways.

3. You are ready to move up.

Have a client who refuses to pay you what you’re worth while others are waiting in the wings?

If so, let him go and hire clients who are ready AND willing to pay you what you’re worth! I had a client back in the day who actually told me I should be happy he was paying me a small amount as he could give me *more* work that way.

Want to guess how long he lasted?

You want to work only with clients who appreciate you and know your worth.

You get the idea. Now that you are a business owner, remember that it goes both ways – not only does the client interview and hire you, but you also interview and hire him!

You can more efficiently manage your profits this year by spending the time to take a good look at your business and your clients and letting go of those who no longer fit.

Read more: How Do You Know It’s Time to Fire a Client?

How to Care for Your Bufo Alvarius Toad

The Bufo Alvarius toad can live for quite a long time in captivity. The Sonoran Desert toad, in general, lives for five to fifteen years, but one toad lived to 36, although it was not a Bufo Alvarius. But if you have gone to all the trouble of searching the Sonoran Desert to find them, or have purchased either a single or a pair of Bufo Alvarius toads from a reputable source, such as Bouncing Bear Botanicals, you will surely want to give it or them proper care so they will live a long time and give you many years of pleasure.

The first care tip is handling. You should handle your toad as little as possible, and, especially if you have other pets in your home, always wash your hands both prior to and subsequent to touching your toad. This is because the skin of an amphibian is permeable, which is to say it is porous, and any toxic substances on your hands may easily be absorbed into their bloodstream. The reason why you should always wash your hands after touching the toad is because of the venom glands located on their head and legs. The toad venom has a milky appearance, and it may be sufficiently toxic to kill a small cat or dog. It can also cause serious irritation to eyes and nose, so make sure never to touch your face until after your hands have been cleaned.

Toads are sensitive to light, sound and vibrations, so their housing should be kept in a quiet place where there is not a lot of noise and goings-on. Never put their aquarium on top of a stereo speaker or TV set, or even near them, because the vibrations are not good for them. Toads are nocturnal animals. They rest in the day time and come out at night, so the place where you house your Bufo Alvarius toad should not be too brightly lit.

Probably the best place to keep your toads would be in an aquarium of a twenty gallon size or larger. These toads are very large and they are excellent at jumping, so make sure their aquarium has a cover that fits snugly. During the day, they like to burrow into the ground to conceal themselves, so the aquarium should have a floor made not with soil but with chunks of bark, smooth stones that are too big for them to swallow, peat moss or sphagnum moss that has been dried. These are cold-blooded animals, which means their body temperature comes from their environment, so keep your Bufo Alvarius in a place where the temperature ranges from 24 to 27 C or 75 to 80 F. Their living space should not be wet, but they do need a bowl of non-chlorinated water. They don’t drink the water, but they immerse themselves in it, absorbing it through their skin.

Feeding your pet toad should not be too problematic if you live in an area where there are lots of insects such as crickets, or at least a pet shop that sells them. In the wild, they eat anything from small rodents and fish to bees, wasps and scorpions. These Colorado River toads even eat smaller frogs and toads.

If you keep your toad’s accommodations clean and comfortable, and take proper steps to look after them, you should be able to enjoy the company of your Bufo Alvarius for many years.

Read more: How to Care for Your Bufo Alvarius Toad

Lemon Law Lawyer Could Be Useful

Since the first lemon law was passed in 1982, all fifty states have enacted some form of consumer protection for owners of defective automobiles. The laws vary greatly from state to state, but the premise is the same – people who buy new, defective vehicles are entitled to receive a replacement or a refund. This works well on paper, but in practice, the process can be rather time consuming and complicated. Some states have rather straightforward requirements for which vehicles qualify; others are far more complicated. Some states allow the owner to sue the manufacturer directly; others require that the owner submit to manufacturer or state sponsored arbitration procedures first.

Since lemon law claims are complicated and are not the sort of thing that most consumers handle more than once, there is some advantage to hiring an attorney to help. In many cases, hiring a lawyer isn’t necessary, as the system was designed to let the consumer handle the case without legal assistance. But there are many unexpected circumstances that can turn up in these cases, and most people could benefit from the help of an experienced attorney.

Here are some examples of how an attorney can help:

Speed up the process – Manufacturers are notorious for finding excuses not to pay on a claim. They may be more likely to be cooperative if the consumer has hired legal representation, especially if you have hired one with a proven record of success in lemon law cases.

Arbitration help – Arbitration programs tend to favor the manufacturer. They fund the programs, and many arbitrators are on their payroll, given them ample reason to rule against the consumer. While most states do not regard arbitration decisions as binding, many consumers who handle the cases themselves give up after losing an arbitration decision. The presence of an attorney can help.

Advice in a poor case – Some states require the consumer to pay the manufacturer’s legal costs in the event that the consumer should lose his or her case. These costs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. If your case is a weak one, an experienced lawyer could save you this money by letting you know ahead of time that you shouldn’t pursue it in court.

In most states, consumers who win their cases are entitled to compensation for attorney’s fees. That being the case, there is a strong argument for at least discussing your defective automobile with a lawyer before you seek a refund or replacement for your defective vehicle.

Read more: Lemon Law Lawyer Could Be Useful

Birthday Poems to Irritate Men!

Over the years I seem to have amused and delighted many friends and colleagues by composing funny poems and writing them in their birthday cards. I have now decided to publish my anthology of wit, humour and downright rudeness for the world to enjoy!

These rhymes have proven to be particularly popular with women – demonstrating how cruel and heartless the ‘gentler’ sex can be to the men in their lives. They can be copied into birthday cards, Father’s Day cards, Christmas cards, or simply cut and pasted onto an email … in fact they can be used anytime someone you know needs cheering up – or bringing down a peg or two!

Many of the poems rely heavily on the shortcomings of we poor men; ie, drunkenness, uncontrolled flatulence, lecherousness, good old fashioned plain laziness, inability to master DIY, thinning hair, suspiciously thickening midriff etc, etc. Characteristics which I’m sure apply to some extent to all husbands, boyfriends and sons.

You will see that each poem contains a man’s first name, but not as part of the rhyme. In other words, you can easily ‘personalise’ the rhyme by replacing the name with the name of the person you would like to send it to. (This works best if the names have the same number of syllables. For example, ‘Bob’ can be changed to John, Dave, Mick, Paul etc; ‘Andy’ can be changed to Simon, Roger, Alan etc).

For whatever reason you decide to send one, the poor unsuspecting fellow will receive a very amusing rhyme poking fun at some of his – shall we say – less romantic characteristics. A possible side effect is that he may also be impressed at your wit, humour and resourcefulness – but please don’t expect him to admit to that. Here they are;

*

Ian doesn’t much like it, When you tell him he’s losing his hair; And he gets just a little bit grumpy, When you point out his tyre is spare.

So be sensitive now it’s his birthday, And remember, the man’s not bionic; Sit him down in his chair, don’t mention the hair And pour him a large Gin and Tonic.

*

John likes booze and John likes women, He doesn’t like running and he doesn’t like swimming; He likes sitting down and he likes eating grub, He doesn’t like work but he does like the pub.

Being John’s Missus is a pain in the neck, When he dresses up smart, he still looks a wreck! He thinks posh restaurants and theatres are above him, But I suppose all these things are just reasons I love him!

*

There once was a young man called Laurence, Who when urinating did so in torrents, When asked, “Was it Venice That inspired this menace?”

He replied, “No, I learnt it in Florence”.

*

Matthew wants presents for his birthday, Matthew wants jewellery and cars, Matthew wants to go out to restaurants, And meet gorgeous women in bars.

Well I’ve got a present for Matthew, For this playboy who thinks he’s so cool, It’s what he got me for my birthday, Coincidentally that’s B*GGER ALL!

Read more: Birthday Poems to Irritate Men!

Sales Techniques: Just who do you think you are?

For as long as there have been salespeople, there have been sales techniques, both good and bad. Almost as long, there have been gurus touting the latest and greatest sales technique at the highest prices.

Companies seek the salesperson who has trained him/herself in the latest sales techniques and hope they can become highly productive in sales at their own cost. Most major companies have some type of tuition reimbursement but few offer salespeople opportunities to enhance their sales techniques. Before you go out and plunk down you hard earned cash, learn what type of salesperson you are, what are the ideal characteristics of each, and how can you go about becoming a superstar by improving your sales techniques.

This article, and my site http://www.salestechniquesonline.com will shed light on how to become a highly productive salesperson and increase your sales techniques and selling skills simply by remembering what makes you you!

Many surveys have been taken to determine just what it is that makes a good salesperson. There are four different sales “types:”

CLOSER – Unafraid of rejection, they quickly push for the order, collect a check, and move on. Sales Technique: They’re enthusiastic, dynamic. fast-paced, and rarely stay around prospects long enough to develop lasting relationships. Books titled “1001 Ways to Close The Sale” appeal to this killer sales personality.

CONSULTANT – Able to develop long-term relationships, they focus on serving client needs. Sales Technique: Emphasis is on creative problem solving. They are good at blending patience and aggressiveness, as well as asking questions and listening. Clients are loyal to this salesperson because of their human relations skills and problem-solving abilities.

RELATIONSHIP – Friendly and supportive, these salespeople develop long-term relationships with customers. Sales Technique: They are good customer service people. High creativity and professional problem-solving are not as pronounced as with the Consultant type. Route sales, general advertising, and established account selling are typical areas for the Relationship-type salesperson.

DISPLAY SALES – The Retail-type person responds to customer needs In a friendly, low key manner. Brief personal involvement and little personal rejection is encountered. Sales Technique: This type of salesperson most often performs retail sales and catalog order sales. They don’t have to use as much creativity or extensive problem-solving skills. They’re rarely paid on a commission basis. Accommodating customers is their main theme.

As you can see, there are big differences among the four types of salespeople and a number of different sales techniques and selling skills. It is usually difficult to cross channels and move to another type of selling as it is usually the style that fits the individual, not vice versa. The best advice is to figure out what your selling type is and master it!

The best Closers sales technique is: generating and qualifying leads, making presentations, dealing with objections, closing, and collecting initial deposits.

The best Consultants sales technique is: qualifying, determining client needs, making great sales presentations, and responding to objections; while maintaining solid customer relations and providing outstanding service.

The best Relationship salespeople are tops at: answering questions and objections, as well as closing; while maintaining relationships which lead to repeat business. They put the emphasis on customer service and follow-through.

The best Display salespeople are tops at: customer service and repeat business. As order takers, they are not expected to generate and qualify leads, do in-depth needs analysis, handle objections, or make professional sales presentations. Focus on the Consultative Type For most types of business, the consultative salesperson is the best bet. Why? It takes a true consultative salesperson to build long-term, mutually- profitable client relationships.

Read more: Sales Techniques: Just who do you think you are?