Boy, have I missed you guys!

We have been swamped over the last few weeks rolling out our new service packages to small businesses.  The response has been overwhelming, and we have sacrificed sleep, good food and Active Rain blogging to get the work done.  

Even though we have expanded our service to include all small businesses, that doesn't mean we can't work with you! By definition, you are all small businesses as well.  Check out our Small Business Blog for tips and tools on improving your customer service, lead generation, and time management.  It will be the same focus as before, just on a broader market.

So, even if you don't see me around here quite as often as before you can still stop by the Small Business Blog to say hello or even subscribe to keep up with our small business news.  Hope to see you there!

Do you change bags a lot?  Or do you use the same bag to carry your personal and business material and find it impossible to stay organized?  Worse, do you always have to hunt for that essential thing that you need *right now* - like a ringing cell phone or keys to your car?  I struggle with combining my personal items and business together in one bag, so when I met Debbie Rosemont of Simply Placed I was intrigued by one of the products she sells.  It is called Purseket and allows you to easily organize your bag and even transfer your essentials from bag to bag in seconds. 

The Purseket comes in 3 sizes, and it basically is a long strand of pockets that wraps around the inside of your bag.  It holds your business cards, sunglasses, cell phone, etc., while leaving the middle open for your files or laptop.  You can even purchase a drop-in version that has 4 pockets to fit in the middle of your purse.  The color selection is good, and prices are very reasonable, from $16-$22.  I'm thinking of getting some for gifts this year.  But the first purchase will be for me, so I'm no longer scrambling for business cards when meeting a prospective client or hunting for my ringing cell phone.

Whether you use it as a way to organize yourself personally or for business, this is a neat little product that is sure to bring a big return on a very small investment.

Let's face it, we all want to look good.  But unless you are 25 years old, you probably don't look 25 years old, and using a picture that is 5, 10, or 15 years old is not doing you a service.  Your clients want to know that the way you present yourself is the way you really are.  If they see your photo on your website or business card and schedule an appointment, will they recognize you in person? 

Last month I met Tara Gimmer of Tara Gimmer Photography in Seattle.  We were at an eWomen Network event, and I was fortunate to actually meet some of her clients and see how her photography style added personality to business cards and brochures.  Tara was kind enough to follow up with me after the meeting to answer some questions on why business photography is so important.

Tara notes that you should update your business headshots when there has been a significant change in your looks, whether that is a hairstyle change, a weight gain or loss, or just the passage of time. 

"As much as you want to retain that fantastic shot of your 20 pounds lighter, 10 years younger self, you aren't doing yourself a service.  Your clients want to connect with the real you.  A good headshot that captures your confidence and wisdom, professionalism yet approachability, will attract and gain the trust of clients more readily than one that is dated, even if it is really cute."

 Below are some of Tara's pointers about business photography.  

• Tara says one of the biggest mistakes she sees is using photos that were not taken professionally, specifically the shadow on the wall behind you!  It sends a statement about one's overall professionalism.
• How do you know whether to use a head shot or full-length photo?  "If it's to be reproduced on a business card then a head and shoulders shot works best. A brochure promoting your lifestyle? Then let's shoot lifestyle shots doing things that you love. Putting together a direct mail postcard? A full length could work really well for the front with new listing information on the back.  I've done full length shots for the bottom corner of letterhead, seasonal shots of a realtor with appropriate clothes and props for quarterly mailers, and shot lifestyle elements like a salsa dancing Realtor's red shoes for his logo."
• Tara also recommends using your photo with your signature line on every email.

Tara's final point is a great one:

"New agents should start with a nice professional headshot. As an agent's business develops and their niche becomes apparent they can do shots that would appeal to a particular market. The most important thing, though, is to let yourself shine and be your own best marketing tool. Feeling comfortable and relaxed at your shoot and projecting your ease and confidence will do more for attracting clients than any gimmick. Interview prospective photographers on the phone or in person if it's more involved then a headshot. Find someone you are comfortable with and like. Most of all don't dread the process. It can be fun and an opportunity to learn to see yourself in a new light!"

This is a short post to tell you about a neat tool my friend Ken showed me this week.  Walk Score is a website that shows you the "walkability" of a particular neighborhood.  It runs off Google Maps and shows you visually where certain types of business are located, which would be a great asset for a relocating client or to help you write ad copy for your listings ("within walking distance to 18 restaurants and 4 parks!")

Regular readers know I love my neighborhood of Fremont in Seattle, Washington.  My neighborhood has a score of 91 on the walkability meter, which is a big reason why I have only filled my gas tank 6 times this year.  I can walk everywhere! 

According to the site, this is how to interpret your score:

• 90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
• 70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
• 50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
• 25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
• 0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

Check out this fun tool to see the Walk Score of your home or listed properties.

Have you ever thought of hiring a personal chef?  Most of us think of Oprah or other ridiculously wealthy people when we think of personal chefs, but I've just had the most interesting meeting that has convinced me otherwise.  Not only will you want to use this service personally, but you can actually use it to build your business.

"So, how is someone who cooks for a living going to help me sell real estate?"

Karen Rosenzweig of Incredible Chef has the one-two punch - she is a personal chef who cooks up to a month's worth of meals in a client's home AND she has a public relations background.  We just had an amazing coffee date where we discussed more ideas than I can even fit into this article (if I'm working on brevity, that is).  I love talking to business owners who are truly passionate about what they are doing and how their business not only fills a void (say, a closing gift), but also creates additional income sources for clients.  Karen is one of those people.

Karen's rate is $275-300 a day plus the expense of the groceries, so how you use her services is up to you.  A few suggestions from Karen:

• Throw a housewarming party for your clients and invite all the local neighbors plus their friends.  It is a great way for you to introduce your clients to their new neighbors as well as pick up additional business.
• If you've sold a couple of homes in an area recently, you can book Karen to cook for your party and have neighbors and friends caravan to both homes, having appetizers at one home and coffee and dessert at another.  (Karen will cook everything at one place.)  This gives you even more exposure for the same price.
• Give your new homeowners a closing gift of personal chef service.  Some of Karen's biggest clients are single men with demanding jobs, and these are the same clients who may be looking for a high-end condo from you.
• Have you thrown a client appreciation party lately?  My Realtor(R) team does this every year and they always have over 100 people attend.  As long as you have the party in a place with a kitchen, even a small one, Karen can cook for you.  
• How about your annual office party?  For holidays or even after a community service day, having someone do the cooking can let everyone enjoy the party, even the host and hostess.
• Do you work with a builder?  Hosting an open house for a high-end property is the perfect setting for a personal chef.  If you are a builder, this is a great gift for your clients who have just built or renovated their home.

Karen's services start with a home consultation and questionnaire.  She goes over the likes/dislikes/allergies the client may have as well as views the kitchen to make note of how best to utilize the space for preparation as well as freezer storage space.  Remember, she brings all the groceries PLUS the pots/pans and utensils she will need to cook.  She finds out jow many servings the client wants per meal, and then she begins developing recipes.  The neat thing about this is that her training prepared her to cook for storage, so that when you defrost and heat your food it tastes like it should.  This means things like oversaucing in preparation so it comes out okay when reheated. 

On cooking day, Karen purchases the groceries needed for the meals, comes to your home with her handy tool cart, and begins preparing and storing food for you.  When you come home from work, you will have food in your freezer and a clean kitchen.  Set it up just like you do your housekeeper or lawn service and you never really have to think about it again (see, you can be just like Oprah!).  If your market has a lot of busy professionals, especially 2-income couples with no children, this is a fantastic gift.  Karen even has a worksheet that shows many people actually save money by hiring a personal chef, and you may be surprised to see this.  I joked with her that it is much like virtual assistants - people can't imagine how they can afford one, but properly used, you can't imagine how to live without one!

As I've said before, make sure your closing gift has the staying power to make your clients remember you.  Whether it is a small piece of art  or the memory of a great party, always keep in mind that your closing gift is part of your marketing budget and treat it as such.  

If you don't live in the Seattle area, you can find your local personal chef through http://www.hireachef.com/, a service of the United States Personal Chef Association.  Although many people probably do operate chef services from their homes, you should really count on someone who is part of a governed body to make sure they operate within sanitary guidelines, which in Washington means cooking in a client's kitchen or a commercial kitchen.

Even though this article has already broken my brevity rule, I've left out a lot of detail in what we discussed.  Feel free to contact Karen directly if you want to discuss her services, and please check back to let us know how your first housewarming party goes!

A closing gift is typically given to show appreciation for your client's business.  By combining this with a little bit of marketing savvy, you can give your clients something that will help them remember you long after the sale.  My own Realtor(R) did this with a small piece of framed art from a local artist and I think of her every time I look at it.  For this and many other reasons, she is the one I refer my friends to and the one I will call when I'm ready to move. 

As the owner of a virtual assistant company, we help clients buy closing gifts often, and we are always on the lookout for quality products that save time for our clients.  

Recently I came across two companies that are now on my roster of gift services and wanted to share with you.

Magic Envelopes is a company that provides gift catalogs.  Each catalog is in a specific price range and theme, and the gifts themselves are not priced in the catalogs.  Your client will not know how much you spent.  For instance, you could send a catalog of home gifts and let your client pick what they most want for their home after they have settled in from the move.  Another catalog has spa products, for example (pampering after the move!).  There is even a newlywed catalog.  There are over a dozen of these catalogs to choose from with dozens of items within each one.  Best of all, you don't have to shop, wrap, or deliver the gift, and it comes in a beautiful envelope from you.  Shipping is included in the pricing as well, and there is a 180-day satisfaction guarantee. 

The gift catalogs range from $25 to $500, the products can be as simple as a nice picture frame or as elaborate as a vacation package (airfare not included).  If you purchase a lot of gifts you can buy a membership for $48/year that will give you wholesale pricing on all the catalogs, so your gifts will cost even less (or you can upgrade and purchase nicer gifts).  Jen Sagel is the owner of Magic Envelopes and works with Realtors all the time.  She will help you design a closing gift system that both pleases your clients and simiplifies your life. 

(Virtual Assistants, this is also a great tool for you to use when coordinating closing gifts for your clients.)

Blessing Project is another great discovery.  This company buys handmade paper, stones, and other media from women's villages and cooperatives around the world and crafts them into beautiful three-dimensional cards suitable for framing.  You can see a gallery of the cards at The Blessing Project website, and cards range from $19 to $195 (large card in shadowbox frame).  The small shadow box is 6-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches and is $49, which seems like the perfect price and size.  The only drawback to Blessing Cards is that they do not have online ordering yet, though you can download the form and fax in your order.

Remember, if you choose to give a closing gift, think long-term.  What can you give that will keep your client thinking of you as they enjoy their new home? 

As most of you know, my business philosophy is all about using services or products for repeatable tasks and allow you to focus on the creative parts of your business, parts that only you can do.  So when I find something that follows that mantra I want everyone to know about it, and this is one of the biggest timesavers I have seen in quite a while.  

Get ready to throw away your measuring tape.   

How much of your time is spent measuring spaces for your clients?  Do you ever drive to a client's home, take the necessary measurements for a quote or project, and then get back to your office and find that you have mislabeled or forgotten to measure something? 

On a personal note, wouldn't it be great to have a photo of your room along with dimensions when shopping for furniture, rugs and window treatments?  Or of the exterior of your home when shopping for outdoor lighting fixtures, shutters, or even shrubs and flowers?  Raise your hand if you have ever miscalculated when buying paint and either had a full can of custom, non-returnable paint left over or had to run out to the store at the last minute on a Saturday evening (saying "please, please, please still be open!") to get enough to finish the project.

My friend Ken alerted me to a great new software called iPhotoMEASURE (he always knows about the cool stuff - sorta like the Seattle version of Jeff Turner).  The concept is just amazing.  By placing an small square object called a DigiTarget within the frame of a photo, you can measure virtually anything...virtually!  The DigiTarget is the "known" measurement that enables iPhotoMEASURE to perform measurements of everything else in the photo.  You simply place the DigiTarget somewhere in the room, take the picture, upload it to your iPhotoMEASURE software, and you instantly have measurements of everything in the room.

There are several articles online, mostly in contractor magazines, discussing the benefit of this tool for quoting projects.  But on a smaller scale, it can be just as useful for

• Designers
• Stagers
• Remodelers
• Realtors
• Homeowners
• Landscapers
• Painters

And at a price just under $100, it will pay for itself with just one job for most of you.  I am in the process of designing and installing a closet organization system as well as moving my home office to a new room, and I can already "picture" how this is going to work for me.  There is a great tour on the website and several articles and links to give you more information on how this can work for you.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Raise your hand if you have a list of reliable contractors who know you and will go the extra mile to make sure your clients are happy with their services.  Keep your hand in the air if this list is more than 10 people and includes everything from air duct cleaning to window washing.  Still a few hands?  Okay, have you checked the licensing, insurance, and both personal and professional references for these contractors along with the Better Business Bureau?  Do you act as a liasion between your client and the contractor throughout each home improvement project to make sure your client is happy?  And do you survey your clients after each project to make sure the contractors are still as good as the day you put them on your list?

I don't see any more hands.

Well, don't let that worry you.  You are Realtors, not contractors, and there is a better way for you to offer top-notch contractors to your clients without a big time investment on your part.

Recently I spoke to Jill Hanken of Homeworks Northwest, LLC in Seattle.  I heard about the company from someone at a networking event, and they just raved about the service they received.  Since our company works with contractors on behalf of Realtors, I had to check it out.  Jill and her partner Ricki have developed a referral network of contractors that have gone through a rigorous screening process, face-to-face interview, and continued reference checks after each and every customer.  They have the same dedication to your client that you do along with the time and resources to manage the process.

Do you have a lot of relocation business?  This service is perfect for those clients.  Whether they need a move-in cleaning, new paint in the dining room, or even a remodel, this service offers them the security that the contractors have all been screened and a third party will be overseeing the project.  It takes some of the stress away from moving, and Jill has even managed a project with an international client so their home was ready when they arrived.  It is really one-stop shopping from cleaning to remodeling.

This is the way the system works:

• The client fills out a form detailing the work request on the Homeworks Northwest website
• Homeworks Northwest evaluates the request and makes a recommendation for a contractor
• Homeworks Northwest sets up the initial appointment with the contractor and the client
• Once the bid is submitted, Homeworks will follow up with the client to discuss the final decision, and if the contractor is hired Homeworks Northwest will keep in touch with the client throughout the project to insure satisfaction
• Clients are surveyed after the project is completed 

Jill says 90% of the time women make calls to set up contractors for services around the home, and they find great comfort in knowing that the they have been thoroughly screened.  In addition, the client saves time calling around for estimates and using price as the only criteria for getting a job done.  In fact, Jill says her contractors are not always the cheapest, though they are all within industry standards.  As with most things, you get what you pay for, and using a professional to make repairs on your largest investment is a wise idea.

Homeworks Northwest is a family business, and Jill said this is what makes them stand out from national referral networks.  They know each and every contractor on their list and have met with them face-to-face.  They live in the area they service and use many of the contractors themselves.  Jill recommends using a local service when you can because of this.

Jill's company services the greater Seattle area and has a goal to expand further in Washington State.  If you do not live here you can find a similar company in your town by googling "contractor referral network in (your city)."  Once you find the network you want to use, add their business cards to your new homeowner packets or attach them to your checklist of things to do before you listing a home.  You'll be confident knowing you are providing excellent resources, and you will save a huge amount of time in making sure projects are completed and your clients are happy.

If someone took away all the administrative tasks from your day, what would you do with your time?

If you have studied business or worked in the corporate world, you probably know the difference between cost centers and profit centers.  If not, it may sound like a bunch of accounting mumbo-jumbo that has nothing to do with you.  You couldn't be more wrong.  Everyone who has a business, whether it is just you as an individual Realtor or an entire brokerage, should know the difference between cost centers and profit centers and how they interact with each other.

A profit center is intended to do just that: generate a profit.  In terms of a large business, a profit center may be a product or a service, and typically there are several.  A cost center, on the other hand, is an area of the business used to support the profit centers in reaching their goals.  An example of a cost center is an advertising department or an IT department.

You probably spend a lot of time thinking about profit and how to make more of it.  We all do.  But do you think about how cost centers can be used to drive up your profits?  Many of us run our businesses on a tight budget because we have been taught that is the wise thing to do.  I agree with this completely, but my definition of a shoestring budget may be different than yours. 

Let me paint a picture:  John has been a real estate agent for a few years and is doing pretty well.  He has a few listings each month and his referral business is growing.  John mails out a newsletter each month to his sphere of 200 people, and he prides himself on extraordinary customer service with each transaction.  John is doing well, but he is completely wiped out at the end of each day and cannot imagine how he will keep up if his business continues to grow.  Nice problem to have, huh?

John's profit center is doing well.  He is selling houses, but he is limited in the number he can sell because of the expense of his cost centers.  When John prints his newsletters on his personal color printer, it takes him several hours.  He then has to fold, address, and mail them.  This activity is now taking about a day and a half to complete, not to mention the cost of the printer cartridge and heavier stock paper.  In addition, he spends quite a bit of time each week calling or emailing his clients regarding their ongoing transactions after he has checked in with the buyer's agent, the lender, the inspector, the appraiser, the handyman, etc.  John can't work on growing his profit center because he can't get away from his cost centers.

John doesn't want to sacrifice customer service, and he shouldn't.  What he should do is make a list of his activities each and every day for at least a week.  Then divide those activities into cost centers and profit centers.  This is a great exercise in determining where all the time goes. 

For example:  John spent 12 hours last week putting together his newsletter.  Sure, he could do other things while the newsletter was printing, but because he was using a personal printer and not a heavy-duty one, he had to stick around his office to make sure the printer didn't jam with the heavier paper and to make sure the color cartridge didn't start drying up before the printing was done.  John also spent quite a bit of time on the phone for two of his transactions, and because he was in his car during some of these calls his notes were scattered and he had to follow up on them via email when he got back to his office.  It didn't help that a couple of these critical calls came in while he was showing a home and interrupted his time with a buyer.

If John outsourced his newsletter to a service like The Agent Guide he would gain back 12 hours of time per month.  The price of the newsletter is $42 per month for 200 subscribers.  That price is about what John's hourly rate figures to be, so by outsourcing this task he just decreased his cost from $484 (plus $82 in postage and a few dollars in paper and printing cartridges) to $42.  Even if he still wants to write his own newsletter, by outsourcing the design and printing to a virtual assistant or moving from paper to email, he will save considerable time and money.  Either way, John just gained hours of valuable selling time. 

By using a virtual assistant to coordinate his transaction, John is free from the hassle of scheduling appointments and monitoring deadlines and can concentrate on selling to new clients.  This doesn't mean that John is not involved with his current clients; on the contrary, what this does is make sure that the time he spends updating his clients is productive because he has all the information he needs from his virtual assistant and can work on the finer points of client service, like building a long-term relationship.  He spends his time working only on issues that his virtual assistant alerts him to, not the basic administrative functions that keep him from valuable selling and customer service time.

There are many more examples of using your cost centers effectively, such as partnering with a home stager or adding a buyer's agent to your team.  The thing to ask yourself is not how to save dollars, but how to make dollars.  Strategically managing your cost centers by thinking in terms of growing your profits instead of keeping costs low will transform your business and your life.

Doubtful?  Try listing your activities every day for a week and categorizing them as cost or profit activities.  Then think about what you could do with your time and energy if you delegated some of your cost centers to another person or service. 

*Thanks to David Podgursky, who inspired this post with a call out of the blue Wednesday.  Nice chatting business with you, David.