The story hit the news in full force. A Walmart employee was trampled to death as savings-hungry shoppers shoved their way into the store on Black Friday. To make matters worse, the shoppers became quite upset when the police had to close the store as it became a crime scene. Were the deals worth stealing this man’s life? Was it so worth it to get a toy for their children that these shoppers actually traded a man’s life for those worthless items? What is his family going to do for Christmas?

While you may not have been among those shoppers who trampled a man to death, you may still be one of those business owners who is so cutthroat for your company that you have lost sight of the people you are serving. Like these shoppers, you may have lost sight of the people around you in anticipation of earning a big bonus. The holidays are a great time to stop, take a step back, and give to those in need. Rather than seeing dollars and cents, take the time to really notice your clients, your community, and – most importantly – your friends and family.

1. Give to your clients this year. You are in business thanks to your customers. Without them, you wouldn’t have two cents to rub together! Take this opportunity to thank them – with no thought of how it will benefit you and your company. Just give for the sake of giving!

2. Help out in the community. You picked the location of your business carefully because you wanted a good place to earn money. But look around. It’s not just a place to hang your “Open” sign; it’s a community. Join your neighbors by helping in a soup kitchen, collecting presents for Toys for Tots, or raising money for an annual fundraiser.

3. Take time to spend with your family and friends. Remember who has supported you from the time you started your business to where you have your business now. They deserve a lot of attention from you, so close the business doors and open the door to your home. Invite people to your house for a Christmas party; participate in neighborhood caroling; or take your family for a ride to see all of the houses lit up for Christmas.

This holiday season, let’s not lose our focus! Keep the Christmas spirit alive by thinking of what you can do for others rather than for yourself. Gifts are optional, but time and love are required.

I am so sorry I haven’t written in awhile! The holidays were quite busy for me and my family this year, and so my blog fell by the wayside. But enough excuses! It’s a new year and time to get back into the swing of things. I am excited what this year holds – both for my business and for my family. My husband and I are expecting our first child in March, and we are so excited!

In addition, I am considering adding a newsletter to my list of things to do. I can’t promise anything at this point, but I am brainstorming and developing new ideas every day. I am also trying to get back into my creative writing. Sometimes it seems the easiest route is to just accept the writing jobs that I know will bring in money and letting my own stories and poems fall by the wayside. Not this year!

I plan to enter several writing contests this year and (hopefully) to complete at least one of my stories! I’ll keep you abreast of my progress, and I hope you’ll let me know how you are coming on your new year’s resolutions!

It’s already the second week in January, so we better get started!

To your success,
Katie

Just a quick post today, everyone! I just wanted to pay tribute to the men and women who have served our country in the past and who are serving our country today. Without these self-sacrificing heroes, our country would not be the incredible place of freedom it is today!

Thank you, service men and women and your families for dedicating your lives to protecting mine.

Have a great holiday, everybody!

Katie

Due to cutbacks at her company, a friend of mine is being forced to enter back into the very familiar yet very undesirable world of looking for a new job. With the economy as it is, finding the ideal job is becoming harder and harder. With an overwhelming surge of unemployed people looking for the same job you are, plus the best jobs being given to those with the highest education, the job market can seem like a scary and unfriendly place.

While some people simply start their own business and pursue their dreams of being their own boss, not everyone is suited for that path. Some people actually like working with other people and don’t want managerial responsibilities. If you are one of these people, then I am here to tell you that you can get your dream job, even if you only hold a Bachelor’s degree or high school diploma.

The key to finding a great job is hidden in impressions. The first impression you make to a potential employer is in your resume (with cover letter). Then when you are called in for an interview, you may be making another impression by how you handle the phone call. Of course, your most crucial impression is when you are actually sitting in front of your potential employer, dressed appropriately and speaking respectfully to them.

So how do you get from the first impression to the last impression to actually getting a job? Here are some tips on creating a professional resume and cover letter that will wow your employer and help you land the job of your dreams.

1. Keep it simple. I can’t emphasize this point enough. Most employers don’t have time to focus on more than the first page of your resume, so don’t include unnecessary details such as extracurricular activities or hobbies. Many job seekers also make the mistake of including every single job they have held since they were able to get a job. Most employers are only interested in the past five to ten years or last three positions. If you need to delete any jobs, then focus on the ones that actually emphasize your skills in the field in which you want to work.

2. Focus on the positive. Even if you hated your previous job, you can still emphasize some skills that you developed while working at that particular occupation. Did you learn how to train other employees? Did you work on your typing skills? Did you learn any new computer programs? Employers want to hear about your strengths. (This also applies during the interview process. Never, never, never say anything negative about your former employer as it can make your future employer nervous about hiring someone who is so willing to say negative things about their company.)

3. Make it attractive. Your resume and cover letter are the first impressions you are going to make with your potential employer, but they are probably looking at hundreds of resumes very similar to yours. Be creative with the paper on which you print your resume and letter. You can also consider using a different font style, but be sure that it is a font that can be easily read. Before submitting, make sure that everything is spelled correctly and that there are no grammatical errors.

4. Keep some secrets. Many people fall into the trap that they have to include references, computer skills, and other items on the resume. However, that only makes the resume appear cluttered. Instead, reserve revealing your computer skills to your cover letter and add something like “references available upon request.” Unless they ask, don’t divulge that information.

As “they” say, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there! So go re-create your resume and best of luck to you as you search for your dream job!

To your success,

Katie

P.S. If you’re still frustrated with creating your resume, please email me. I specialize in creating professional resumes to fit your needs!

Can you believe it’s already 2007? Where does the time go? Have you submitted your new novel yet? A friend of mine just decided to pursue a career in writing and asked me for some advice on getting published. As you gear up for the new year and finish that novel I know you’ve so diligently been working on, follow these tips before submitting.

1. Write a query letter. Most publishing companies will not accept a manuscript unless it has a query letter attached to it. When writing a query letter, consider who your audience is, the main gist of what you are trying to say in your story, and a sample (usually just one chapter) of your book.

2. Gain a fresh perspective. If you have been looking at your manuscript for a long period of time, you will probably start to lose your focus. Consider allowing someone you trust to honestly critique your work and offer suggestions. Your mom is probably not going to be the best one for this as she probably thinks everything you do is wonderful (like mine does)!

3. Submit, submit, submit. Manuscripts are very rarely accepted on the first submission. Consider purchasing The Writer’s Market or The Children’s Writer’s Market to discover publishing houses of which you have not heard. These resources also give details of what each publishing house accepts in regards to stories, how much they pay, what they expect in your query letter, and other useful information.

Now is the time to get started! If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me or use one of the resources in the lefthand column. Now get writing!

To your success,

Katie

In the spirit of the holidays, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I’ll talk to you again next year!

Katie

Hey! Can you believe it’s already November? Where has 2006 gone? I am already cleaning my house, organizing for the upcoming holiday. My husband and I own several Christmas trees, and we love to decorate our house with as many decorations as possible without looking tacky. We have to start early, or we’d never finish it all before the holiday!

I know that everyone has different holiday traditions, and I would love to hear what your family does for the holiday season. In fact, this is a great time of year to write because all of the senses are in full force.

By the way, if you’re looking for any interesting challenges, Writer’s Digest is encouraging everyone to write 50,000 words of their novel by the end of the month! While this goal seems difficult, it is not impossible. I have already written several thousand words myself. Use this as a great way to get yourself motivated.

To your success,

Katie

Hey everyone! Sorry my blog is late this week, but I spent the day with my mom and nieces yesterday, so I didn’t get a chance to get my thoughts in order. Plus, my husband has been struggling with his new promotion as he strives to bring some sense of order to the chaos that was left for him.

Speaking of order, even if you have a great product or service, how do you expect clients to respect your business if you’re disorganized? Not to mention how difficult it can be to work in an office that’s in disarray! Start cleaning up (literally) your business today to make yourself appear as professional as you are. Here are some simple tips to follow to blow through that clutter and find your work space again!

1. The first thing you need to do is ask yourself is it really necessary to keep this? You probably don’t need to keep notes you made to yourself a year or so ago. You probably don’t need to keep that calendar from 10 years ago (unless you’re like my husband, who has to keep anything related to Star Wars). However, if you find you really do need to keep something, buy yourself some multicolored file folders and label them accordingly. Organize your paperwork into different folders and file away in a cabinet or box.

2. Now that you’ve cleaned off your desk, you need to get yourself organized. Keep the folders that you are currently working on either in the top drawer of your desk or in a file organizer on your desk. Now that you’ve cleaned up that mess, you’ll want to try to stay on top of what stays in those folders and what gets permanently stored away. You may want to get a Rolodex to keep your clients’ information easily on-hand or keep them in a folder on your computer.

3. A great way to stay on top of what projects you are working on and who you need to contact is to get a desk calendar. This is such a simple tool to use for organizing your busy schedule. You could also use a calendar on your computer’s desktop to send you reminders. Use whatever works best for you, so you can stay on top of important appointments.

Now that you’ve cleared away the clutter, you will find that you are more capable at doing your job. You’ll be able to find clients’ files more easily, and you will be able to get your work done faster.

Share some tips with me on ways that you save time while you’re working!

To your success,

Katie

Hey Fellow Writers!

How is your Monday coming along? I don’t know about where you live, but fall is definitely here in the South. We are experiencing cooler temperatures for our area, so I am hoping that means we will actually have snow this year!

This is a great time to start looking back over your business from this past year and looking ahead for next year. What are your goals? What marketing techniques have you used that have been successful for you? What have you added to your business that has worked for you? Have you started working on a novel? Have you entered any contests?

Send me your responses. I would love to hear from you!

To your success,

Katie

Happy Labor Day! I hope you all are taking the day to relax before you get back to your grueling job! Enjoy the cookouts and day at the lake with your family. It is, after all, officially the end of summer.

As fourth quarter begins, start planning for next year. What goals do you have? Do you hope to add more clients? Do you want to add an additional service to your business? Can you offer more products? Now is the time to re-evaluate your niche market and to find out what they want for their future. No one stays the same, and change is inevitable. You need to change your business to match the needs of your clients.

Now is also a good time to review your previous marketing techniques. What worked for you and what didn’t? What new techniques can you use? You can also view other websites to see what marketing techniques work for other people in your field. Re-use the tools that worked for you, but don’t be afraid to try something new.

Get excited about your business by taking it to the next level!

To your success,

Katie