I loved Jeffrey Gitomer’s newsletter article today; thought I would share.

Quote from Jeffrey’s article:
Yes, I’m serious about the economy, and our present state of affairs, but I am 1000% MORE serious about my business, my finances, and my sales. My focus is on success, not doom and gloom. There’s no bailout for entrepreneurs. And the only stimulus I have is the one I create for myself.

In good times or bad times, here are a few things we are serious about in my business: (How do you and your business compare?)

• We are serious about helping our customers. Many are in need, and looking for answers.
• We are serious about being friendly. It costs no extra money to be friendly, and it sets the tone for positive outcome.
• We are serious about being an online leader. Online is forever, and we are investing in our future.
• We are serious about NOW IS THE TIME. We are not waiting to see what happens, we are taking success actions on the opportunities that exist NOW.
• We are serious about error-free order processing and packing. We focus on delivery, not shipping. And yes, we do make errors. But our recovery is spectacular. The best email I get is one that says, “You walk your talk.”
• We are serious about getting every order shipped the day it’s received. Our customers expect “fast” and “perfect” and we deliver.
• We are serious about doing the right thing and the best thing for our customers. This is a true mission statement.
• We are serious about having fun while doing it. We kibitz, we wisecrack, we engage customers about them, and we do it with the serious intention of having a great time and being memorable.
• We’re a family, not a team. Maybe that’s why we’re serious about working together, staying together, and succeeding together.

I realize that many of my customers need help, and I am serious about giving it to them. Not selling – giving.

I realize that many companies are having tough times, and because our field of expertise includes attitude, sales, and loyalty, we have a genuine opportunity to help.

As a speaker, I’m serious about connecting with my audience. I want them to get my message and improve their sales, their business, and their lives – and to do that, I know everyone must laugh. And laugh hard. And laugh a lot. I’m serious about humor. I practice timing as I’m speaking to maximize audience laughter, pleasure, and learning. Over the years, I have come to the full understanding of the power and appeal of laughter.

These are times that call for different approaches and different actions. They challenge me to have a different mindset and slower expectations of victory. Not LOWER, slower.

We have a surprise for our Studio 3.0 users! Our Studio 3.0 users are thrilled with the break-apart designs however, several of our prior 2.4 users would like to see the components added back into 3.0 to give them even greater flexibility. As always, we listen to our customers and are adding many components back into Studio 3.0 (at no charge) in an update. We are adding Swags, Top Treatments and drapery components. The exact release date of that update hasn’t been determined, but we are working hard to make it happen very soon. We will keep you updated. Be sure to subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss the latest news!

We have also color coded all of Jackie Von Tobel images. This will make it easy to spot her designs. Everyone will be able to hover over them to view them but only those that have purchased JVT modules will be able to drag them to the workspace. Click on the screenshot above to enlarge the image to view a sample of the color coding.

Everyone that has Studio 3.0 installed on their computer will receive a pop-up notification window asking if you would like to install the new update. Be sure to say “YES.”

We have postponed the release of Jackie’s 2nd module since we decided to add components to this update. Would you like to see all the images in Jackie’s 2nd module? Click here to visit “The Lounge”, Anna has done a screenshot of all the images included in this module.

Remember, all Studio 3.0 users have the ability to save items to their Custom Tab. I absolutely love this new feature. Also, don’t forget about our Search feature: right click on a main category e.g., Draperies and type in scallop as your search word. Boy, there is a lot of those. Do the same in Swags & Valances and search for empire. You will notice over to the right a gray index will appear, which indicates Studio is searching. The index will turn white and search results will be displayed.

Please feel free to post any comments or questions you may have regarding our upcoming update.

Enjoy looking at all the new images,

Minutes Matter & Window Fashions had a great turnout for our webinar on Tuesday!! Everyone was so excited about the new Window Fashions Project certification. If you would like to learn more about what it takes to become certified with Window Fashions, check out the FAQ forum on our Lounge. You can choose to take the Fabrication Specialist certification or the Design Consultation certification. Some people even take both!

During the webinar, Deb Barrett explained all the necessary steps required to move through their certification program and then I mentioned a new marketing technique. I won’t spill the beans here, but you can view the recorded webinar to find out how this new marketing technique can help you close sales faster. I also I revealed an EXCLUSIVE NEW Studio Storyboard, which is given to each person who registers for either of the WFCP project certifications. (The storyboard above is an example of the completed storyboard included with the WFCP project certification.) During my Storyboard discussion, I mentioned a special font, “Damned Architect,” that sparked multiple questions. Everyone loved it! To get this popular font, cllick on the font name above and download it to your computer today. Look for another blog post coming soon with more about downloading fonts and installing them on your computer. To ensure that you never miss out on valuable information, be sure to subscribe to our blog. Also, I would love to have you as a fan of the Minutes Matter page on Facebook!

If you missed the webinar, don’t worry we recorded it. Click here to view the recording.

If you have ever heard me speak during a webinar or live at a seminar you have probably heard me warn against rash clicking. The reason I warn you guys about rash clicking is that I have succumb to that temptation many times myself.

I feel that I have to share my story and tell on myself. I don’t want you guys to think I am perfect. Yesterday, I was doing payroll and paying bills; I thought that I would go ahead and pay my 941 payroll taxes. I am setup for E-Pay with IRS. So I can pay these taxes within a matter of minutes. Love those words “Minutes Matter.” Here is what happened:

1. I was listening to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz on my iPhone, (mistake #1).
2. After I completed payroll I noticed that I had an upcoming 941 payment due by August 15th. I thought I would go ahead and pay it. (Seemed to be such a smart move on my part and I have paid it ahead so many times in the past.) So I clicked the View/Pay button. (no mistake yet)
3. Here it comes; I was singing with the music (so happy and feeling so lucky; no pun intended) I went ahead and clicked the “E-Pay” button without looking at all the fields. (Big Mistake #2)

Now because I didn’t carefully look at all the fields my payment will be deducted from my checking account tomorrow instead of 8/15/09. I always post date the IRS payment and have funds withdrawn out of my account on the 15th of the month. I never like giving the government money before it is due and I am usually so careful about changing the dates on the payment.

I was so mad at myself, I turned my iPod off; I decided no more happy music for me for at least one hour. Sat there for a few minutes thinking of my options. My first impulse was to go and void the payment. Luckily, I had gotten hold of my rashness. I did a bit of research before I made what would have been the biggest Mistake OF ALL. E-Payments go instantly to Intuit, I checked my email and sure enough I had already received an email saying the payment was accepted. If I had of continued with my RASH CLICKING I would have been in a mess with my payroll taxes and that could have added another hour or more to my workload on Monday. I could have called Intuit and try to void the payment before it goes to IRS but I decided to let it go and not let it take “Rent any more space in my head.”

The moral of this story don’t try to sing like Jason Mraz when you are scheduling an E-Payment and look at all the date files before click the final E-Pay button.

If you have a “Rash Clicker” story you would like to share post a comment below. We would love to hear your story.

Nika Stewart and I enjoyed our time with you guys on the “Facebook, Blogs & Ezines” webinar. We had a tremendous turn out. We received a lot of great feedback and with the feedback we received a lot questions that which we did not have time to cover during the webinar. This blog addresses those questions as well as the resources we referenced on the webinar. This post contains a lot of information and I may have missed a question, if I missed your question or you have another question please make a comment below and we will respond.

Resources and other links mentioned on the webinar tonight:

Dandelion Interiors Blog
Minutes Matter Blog
Customized Blog setup by Minutes Matter
Ezines Done for You by Nika Stewart
Jeffrey Gitomer
Facebook
Constant Contact
Blogger
Twitter
Picaboo Photo Books
Flip Video Camera
Simplified Websites

I would like to add a business page to Facebook, how do I do that?
Facebook allows you to create a free business page. It is under the Advertise section of Facebook. When you click on Advertise there are two segments, select Create Page and not advertise. See the above screenshot the circle highlights where to click.

Have you determined the demographic for Facebook?
It seems the ages that are joining Facebook are varied. I think the 40+ crowd is coming on strong. Since Facebook and Twitter are being used in commercials on TV and radio we will see a marked increase in people joining Facebook.

What is the difference between Friends & Fans in Facebook?
Friends are part of your personal page in Facebook; on my Facebook page for Debbie Green I have over 400 friends. Fans are part of your business page in Facebook; I have over 100 fans on Minutes Matter’s business page. Be sure to become a fan of our Minutes Matter page. Sign up on the right side on our blog. Minutes Matter fans are the first to get notified of any upcoming news and events.

What is the difference between a business page and a group?
As you “Create a Page” in Facebook you have a couple of choices one is Local, the second is Organization, Brand or Product and the third is Artist or Public Figure. You guys would select Local. The reason you want to select a category that best describes your business is when people are searching on FB they can find your page if you are in the category they are searching for.

When you have fans on your business page will you see personal lines from your fans on your business page?
Yes, your fans can post to the wall of your business page. The business page is very much like your personal Facebook page.

Can I keep my Business Page Fans separate from my family and Friends on FB?
Yes, your personal page in FB is totally separate from your Business Page. Fans of your Business Page cannot see your personal profile page at all. Here is the difference, you can set preferences on your personal page not to allow anyone to see your profile until you have accepted them to be your Friend. On the Business Page anyone can just click “Become a Fan” and voila they are a Fan without your approval. I personally allow all my clients/customers to become my Friend in FB. Remember, Jeffrey Gitomer and now my motto “Clients/customers have to Know, Like & Trust you and THEN they MAY do business with you. FB lets your clients get to know you a little better.

Can you invite someone to be a fan . . . . the same way you invite someone to become a friend in Facebook?
Yes, once you set up your business page you can send an invitation”Suggest to Friends” to get people to become a fan. This option is on the left side under Edit Page, you can also click on filter and just send to your business friends. Before you rule out asking your friends and family to become fans you might want to reconsider, they could be great advertisement for you. In fact, I need send that out again. Good question!

Which would be better a blog or Facebook to get started in Social Networking.
If you are new to all of this, I think Facebook might be a little easier to get started. Then you can get a feel for being online. Remember, you have to start promoting yourself to your clients, telling them to join you on Facebook. Then don’t forget to post on a regular basis.

Can you have two business pages on Facebook?
Yes, I have two, one for Dandelion and one for Minutes Matter, both were free.

Blogger Questions

Where can I sign up for a Blogger account?
Click here to get started with Blogger and click Create a Blog.

How many photographs can I post to my blog account?
When you sign up for a Blogger account it comes with Picasa Web Albums which includes 1GB of free space. That is a lot of space. It will take some time before you go over that limit. You can always purchase more space (10 GB) for $20 per year.

What is the difference between a blog and a website?
A website contains a little more formal information and is not as easy to update. Blogs should be more conversational. You can post blogs in a matter of minutes. You can easy add a photograph and one paragraph to a blog within a matter of minutes.

Can I use photographs from a magazine on my blogs and ezines?
No, those are copyrighted photographs, you must ask for permission to use other people’s photographs.

How do I come up with different topics to post on my blog?
As I mentioned in the webinar, keep your eyes and ears open, there are so many topics that will be interesting to your clients. Remember, my post on my Dandelion blog about Yellow Finches?

Do I need a website to have a blog?
No, however, I recommend that every business should create a website. I think it adds another stamp of professionalism to your business.

Do you re-post your newsletter articles on your blog?
Yes, I think that is leveraging your time wisely as Nika so eloquently stated. Of course, the blog contains more posts than just our newsletter articles.

How often should you post a blog to keep readers interested?
We recommend once a week. You can write a several articles at one time and save them as a draft.

Is the blog done in Facebook?
No, they are two separate resources.

Does blogger have a “Preview” feature when you are creating a new blog?
Yes, as you are creating your blog you can click Preview at anytime.

I read you cannot sell or promote a product on a blog on Blogger or WordPress is that true?
I have not had any trouble, I add so many other topics of interest to my blog that it is not a problem. I think if your blog only contained posts about your products that could be a problem.

Quote from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Ezine:

“Get Google-able. WAKE UP, Sparky! Your customer is Google-ing you, just like you are Google-ing them. Your one-page website, your e-zine, your article, your speech, and your community involvement will bring your name and your company’s name to the top of the Google pile. Post on YouTube, blog or ezine and your customers and prospects will find them, and find you more attractive than your (lazy) competitors.” – Jeffrey

Join Grace McNamara and Debbie Green from Minutes Matter as they host the launch of the NEW WFCP Certification projects online. We’ll give you a virtual tour of the WCFP Lounge, the projects, tutorials and show you how quick and easy it’ll be to complete your Designer or Fabrication Specialist and Master Projects. Plus, we’ll have some surprises especially for you. You’ll be a WFCP Specialist or Master before you know it! Sign up now for this FREE webinar and you’ll receive special Digital Certification Project release pricing.

Times are changing and changing fast! The Digital Age has arrived and we’re ready for it. Who better to team up with than Minutes Matter, The WOW Winner for “The Most Innovative Firm of the Year.” Grace McNamara, Inc. and Minutes Matter will provide WFCP members the opportunity to do their Design and Fabrication Specialist and Master Projects online. You asked for quicker and easier ways to move through certification and we’re bringing it to you. Complete project files including fabric swatches, digital mood boards and project renderings will be housed in a private hosted WFCP Forum where members can work on their projects and submit them for grading. 24/7 support will be offered through tutorials, webinars and forums. Pictured below is a sample submission. Want to learn more? Sign up for our launch and FREE webinar/demo on August 12th.

Can’t attend? Don’t worry, we are recording this webinar and it will automatically be sent to anyone that has registered.

Life is too short! I wanted to share this article from Jane Pollak’s blog yesterday. It is a great reminder to us all about what is really important and remembering to be more tolerant of others. Today, we live in such a fast paced world and we all want everything now. Our tolerance for each other has hit an all time low. All we need to do is change our perspective on life! A smile, kind words or a compliment to someone can change their whole day.

How are you impacting the people you deal with everyday?

Click on the image above to read her article; it will change your day.

The past several months have been really exciting at Minutes Matter, but that was just the beginning. We are committed to look for new and better ways to improve our products, Studio is no exception. We have had our programmers make several enhancements that will make using Studio even easier!

If you already have Studio 3.0 installed, you will receive a pop-up window letting you know there is an update to Studio. All you need to do is click “OK” and the Studio installer will do the rest.

• The “Searchable Manual” has been updated
• The Index Search function has been optimized, making it much faster
• Users who have not purchased the furniture module will be able see the images, but not drag them over
• Users have the ability to save Studio to a custom location during initial Studio installation
• Multiple categories were added to the Custom tab
• The Quick Access Toolbar has been rearranged: click on the down arrow > More Commands > Reset
• Custom image graphic previews created on the Custom Tab have been enhanced
• Print Preview has been removed; use Zoom To Fit Page to produce the same results
• The Dimension Line is defaulted to a straight line; hold the shift key down to create a diagonal dimension line
• Updated Text in Image Index
• The Pushpin on the index has been removed to prevent closing Image Index accidentally
• The New Document workspace is defaulted to “Zoom To Fit Page” view

Over 3,000 hours have been invested into designing, developing, and illustrating Studio 3.0. Here are a few of the exciting features and functions that are included in this new release.

(Note: Depending on the speed of your Internet, it may take a few moments to buffer
the video before playing. If the video does start, click here to install the video player.)

~ Studio 3.0 ~

• FREE!! All M’Fay & Pate Meadows Images Included: The latest illustrations from M’Fay Patterns & Pate Meadows collections are INCLUDED in Studio 3.0. Other software companies charge hundreds of dollars for a single M’Fay module; the result is a cost of nearly $5.00 per design!

• Exclusive Photo Scale Tool: This unique tool automatically adjusts the Drawing Scale just by knowing a dimension in a photograph.

• Exclusive “Step System:” A systematic process to quickly create renderings.

• Custom Index: Add your own custom design(s) or image(s) to the Main Index.

• Applied Trim: Trim has been applied to many of the Quick Designs to make illustrating even faster.

• One-Click Trim: Add trim to the drapery panel lead edges in only one click.
• Sleek New Look: Studio 3.0 has a new customized look. This sleek new design includes ribbon toolbars similar to the 2007 version of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

• Quick Access Toolbar: Customize this toolbar to include your favorite features and functions.

• Icon Preview: Thumbnails images magnify when you hover over the image with your mouse without decreasing your workspace.

• Automatic Backup: Studio 3.0 includes an Automatic Backup feature to prevent accidentally losing your project.

• Ruler Bar Settings: Ruler bars can now be set in either feet, inches or centimeters.
• Professionally Illustrated Images: All Studio images have been completely re-illustrated to bring you fabulous, totally new, designer images.
  
• Pre-filled Images: All images are pre-filled with a neutral color palette to create a bigger impact when using the innovative “Design-in-5” technique.

• Drop Shadow Tool: Easily add a drop shadow to Studio images.

… we’ve saved the best for last… the release of a Jackie Von Tobel Window Treatment Module!

~ Jackie Von Tobel Window Treatments (Module 1) ~
In addition to launching a new version of Studio, we will also be releasing the first of four modules from the must have resource, The Design Directory of Window Treatments by Jackie Von Tobel. Studio will be the ONLY graphic software program to offer these illustrations! Now you will have the ability to customize Jackie’s renderings to meet your client’s needs! All four Jackie Von Tobel Window Treatment Modules will be released throughout 2009. Module 1 includes . . .

• An assortment of designs taken from The Design Directory of Window Treatments.

• Over 250 full designs are included in the first module and over 375 total images; making it less than .47 cents per image!

• Important: Studio 3.0 upgrade is required to install the Jackie Von Tobel Modules. Studio 2.0 and Studio Lite 2.0 users are not eligible to add the Jackie Modules to their existing program.

Studio 3.0 (Upgrade): $247
JVT (Module 1): $197

Don’t own Studio yet? Now is a great time to get on board! Not only will you receive our latest version Studio 3.0, you’ll also have the chance to pre-order the first Jackie Von Tobel Window Treatment Module at the introductory offer!