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Do you realize that in our country you are penalized for practicing good money management habits? Think about it.

If you paid for your own college education and refused to fall into the credit card trap that uses lenders to purposely suck the financial life out of nave students, you might graduate debt free and have no credit history.

When you want to buy a vehicle on credit or a home with a mortgage, you could not get a loan without a credit repayment history and a decent FICO credit score.

For years young adults with no credit history, limited credit history or blemished credit history have worked around the problem by having someone with good creditusually a parent, spouse or good friendadded as an authorized user to their credit card.

Once the authorized user is added, his or her credit card payment history is added to the account, giving the original card holder a higher credit score and access to loans and better loan terms.

All of this is about to end as Fair Isaac (the developer of the FICO credit score) will create a new scoring formula to eliminate the authorized user tactic. Learn what you can do to protect yourself.

Fair Isaac is taking the action because it estimates that 30% of the 165 million consumers with credit cards have authorized users on their accounts.

Once the new system is implemented in mid-2008, millions of authorized users will see their credit scores decline or go into free fall. Authorized users with no credit history of their own will see their credit scores disappear. Those hurt the most may be young adults and married women.

Here are some tactics these two population groups can use to fight back:

1) If married and listed on your spouse's account apply for a credit card in your own name.

2) Apply for a revolving credit card from a department store or other retailer as they are easier to get because they generally have lower credit limits and higher interest rates.

3) Apply for a secured credit card because you put money into an account in advance to cover your card transactions. If you default on your payment, the lender debits your account to cover the payment.

Sometimes secured credit cards become unsecured credit cards when you pay timely over a period of time. In some cases, you may even get back the initial deposit in the secured account plus interest.

4) Try to keep your balance below 30% of your available credit as this credit utilization will improve your credit score.

You can research fees and other features of credit cards at

http://www.bankrate.com

(Note: This is the last of a 3-Part Series.)

Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog which he Publishes with Original Articles on Current and Past Events with Analysis and Commentary on Movie Reviews, Sports, Lessons in Life, News and Comment, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing that are intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate You the Reader. Visit Ed at . . .
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/MovieReviewArticles.html

posted by qzqcuz  # 9:58 PM 0 comments

Whether you are a solo esthetician, stylist or massage therapist going it on your own has its benefits and challenges. Without a retail location, you may feel that you are at a marketing disadvantage to salons or day spas. Little do you know, most of those day spas and retails paying a pretty penny for retail space are thinking YOU are a smart cookie--- because you have very little overhead and no employees. Just like most things in life, the grass is always greener on the other side. As for building your solo practice, here are must-do marketing actions to take to bring new clients.

1. Get a marketing plan. If you are a rabid Friends fan like me, you might remember the first season episode when Phoebe laments Get a plan?! I dont even have a pluh. And while it may seem overwhelming to create one, it is can actually make your life easier once you have one. The beauty of a marketing plan is that you know what you are going to spend, do (and NOT do) for marketing month by month. If you dont know where to start, drop me a note or call me. With a few phone calls and emails, Ill get to know your goals, budget, background and help you craft a plan that will put you in control.

2. Set up a client contact system. This can be paper-based or using a client database on your computer. The goal here is to remind you to reach out to clients you have seen before. Some occasions to do this are:

*Two days post treatment to see if they have any questions. Inquire about how they feel about their skin (any flare-ups?), their neck/back/etc. that they mentioned prior to their massage or if they have any styling questions about their new cut.

*Birthdays. You may be the only person to send them a card!

*If you have seen them in six weeks or whatever would be your recommended interval for the next service.

*Three weeks after purchasing a product do they need more?

*Client anniversary thank you every year they have been a client, send them a little thank you note. Hand written cards are so very special these days, but email greeting cards are just as effective as getting the point across that you appreciate their loyalty.

You can see that tracking client activities and creating a system to remind you of these things is essential.

3. Reward for referrals. Review my No Cost Referrals tips and create a system that works for you. Building your business by word of mouth is the most inexpensive marketing arounddont be afraid to be generous to clients you refer you. A $25 Starbucks card for one client can save you from a $800 newspaper ad that brings in the same number of new clients (you gotjust one.) No need for a fancy points systemyour business cards (yes you need em) will do the trick. Give your clients extras when they book an appointment and list on your cards: I build my business through referrals and would be delighted to help your friends or relatives.

4. Leverage the Internet. Having a website is, in my humble opinion, absolutely critical for any business. Use lower cost hosted solutions like Inspirational Web Hosting or SpaBoom businesses that understand yours and provide low cost and easy to use solutions. On your site, be sure to collect emails and allow instant gift certificate purchase. Online sales is a nice perk, but not for everyone because you have to then ship out products very quickly after receiving the online order. If you are in a treatment room all day, this might be cause a delayjust be careful to correctly set customer expectations.

While there are several more marketing activities Id recommend like a professional logo, or printing a brochure, there are also things you should not waste money on. Avoid advertisements and direct mail. The cost will most certainly outweigh the benefit youd receive as a single practitioner.

Be sure to track your marketing pennies well. It is important to be conscious about how much (and where) you are spending your marketing dollars so you can decide whether to continue or not.

Heather Gallegos spent 12 years in marketing, communications and operation roles in the high-tech industry before becoming a consultant to the wellness industry. President of Spa Clientle Solutions (http://www.spaclientele.com), her unique perspective as a salon and day spa client, strong marketing and business background, and affiliation with Preston Spa Business Solutions (http://www.prestoninc.net) complement one another to provide a powerhouse of practical and straightforward solutions. She has helped day spas, medical spas and salons create their brand and marketing plans, monthly e-newsletters, private label skincare lines, customer appreciation events and local PR buzz. Published in Dermascope magazine, Heather is also an active blogger about practical and helpful marketing ideas for salons, day spas and medical spas at http://blog.spaclientele.com

posted by qzqcuz  # 7:32 PM 0 comments

To get the best results you have to be very good at managing your people. These are skills that are mostly ones that you can learn and develop, and, of course, it really helps if you have a natural capacity to get on well with people too.

Practicing and building your abilities is not as hard as you might think. Here are the simple secrets that you can focus on to make the difference.

1. Do What It Says On The Tin - Manage!

Your people see the name on your badge, or your door (or your parking space) and they expect you to do what's expected of you. They want you to lead from the front and show you're in charge. This is about leadership; being the last on the ship and heading the charge into battle. When things get tough you dig in and show up.

Managing is about making sure you recognize what your responsibilities are and deliver them, and only them. People management skills deliver by giving others some responsibility and letting them get on with it. And that you are accountable for it all. No-one else; no shirking and blaming others. It's you.

2. Build A Great Team

If you really want to make the best of your people asset, you get great at leveraging the amazing talents of all your people. Squeezing their potential to the full by supporting, guiding and coaching (maybe even 'coaxing' them!), to realize what is possible.

You see, a manager's role is to deliver success. And not just in the results in their business - psst, it's more. People management skills are totally about a legacy of developing and utilizing capability fully. Gluing individual talents together. Making the whole bigger than the sum of the parts.

3. Ooops - And Let's Not Forget Those Results

Bottom line, is that you have to deliver the day to day, year by year business and profits or other success measures expected of you. It's what pays you and your people.

So, you have an obligation to keep your eye on the ball and deliver. Your people will depend on you to lead them to success, with their help, of course (and believe it, they will be your rocks, if you do this right). They trust you to work hard enough to make the numbers stack. In the tough business world we inhabit, their jobs depend on it.

4. Build Relationships

OK - let's rewind a little. It helps you as a people manager if you get on well with people. If you are a people person. It's pretty much a pre-requisite. When you are wringing out performance from your people, it really helps if you have a rapport together.

And it's easy to do.

You show an interest in them. You ask them questions that show an interest in them as people and not just colleagues - what's important in life to them. You listen effectively and hear what they say. More, you start to anticipate what they are on about when they talk to you. Or before even. And, of course, you treat them as equal human beings and show trust and respect to them.

Then it works.

5. Accept Feedback

The final key people management skill is an ability to show a little humility. You aren't perfect - not at all. The very best managers listen hard and learn much from their people too. It's a fine-edged balance that they get just right. Managing how they absorb and react to feedback is a testament to who they are. And they get back the reward for the way they handle what their people share with them about them.

Listen, your best advocates are the people you listen to and help you develop yourself. Then they listen to the constructive way you help them. It's two-way traffic and mutual support. It's invaluable. It's terrific.

Five little steps that will help your people management skills succeed. You may need to flex and change a bit. You may need to gulp down a bit of your pride too and change your behaviors.

And wow - is that OK!

(c) 2007 Coaching Businesses To Success. Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.Coaching-Businesses-To-Success.com.

posted by qzqcuz  # 2:00 PM 0 comments