Katelyn Thomas's Blog

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

A reader asks, "Which comes first,promotion,printing of first copy or licensing of your magazine?"

For me, it was promotion. I mocked up a four page zine and a rate card to show around. When I got enough ads to cover printing, I laid out, edited and printed the mag.

Once your magazine is finished, you can register it for an ISSN. This is the last step because you need to send an actual sample of the mag in and I found it easier to send a published copy instead of creating a whole new sample. I had already registered the online version of the magazine before I started the print version.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

I've had quite a few people ask about magazine publishing recently and thought I'd address a few of the questions. One person asked whether a subscription based or free magazine was better. The short answer is that it depends. Now, for the long answer.

When someone is producing a children's magazine, it usually is subscription based, as are many of the special interest publications, such as skateboarding or art mags. This is either because these periodical publishers want to have much more content than advertising or they can't attract a wide pool of advertisers for a magazine with a limited readership.

For someone who is creating a regional magazine, offering the publication to local residents free of charge often means the ability to attract more advertisers, since readership is much higher. I've heard of a few regional mags that do charge a subscription because they feel it makes people take the publication more seriously, but they probably have a tough time getting subscribers for something most people expect to be free.

A third option is to offer a magazine free to local residents and provide subscription service for people who've moved outside of your region and miss reading the mag.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

This week, I wrote an article that discussed where to put a home office. It can be tough to find space when you've already got a lot going on in your home, but I've always managed to carve out a niche, even if I had to go into the yard. My RV office was probably my favorite, although it had an annoying leak that we were never able to patch. Gallons of patching stuff went on that roof, but the leak persisted and I finally moved inside and into a spare room.

When I decided I needed a spare room bed, I moved my office down to the former living room. It is an immense area, but I wanted extra room to put kits for the art classes I teach together. Of course, this isn't an option for most people, but we always use the family room anyway and it was just a matter of getting rid of a few stuffy pieces of furniture.

Where is your home office?

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

If you've been thinking about taking a seminar, now is the time to sign up. You have a short window of opportunity before holiday shopping starts up and you should feel some extra motivation as all the kids head back to school.

Not sure what to take? Check out your local library and SBA. Our library does free classes on all sorts of computer skills and has a small business department that offers programming like how to manage effectively on a regular basis.

Check online, too. I've noticed free classes from HP on all sorts of business related topics.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

Today, I bought a new computer for business use. I hated to do it because it was such a big expenditure. However, my old laptop had issues that were really affecting my productivity and the necessary repairs were going to involve several hundred dollars and several weeks of a life without my laptop. I had just spent almost two hundred dollars on repairs for the same computer less than two months before, too. For me, a new computer was actually cheaper than the repairs and lost time and income..

However, there are times when fixing your computer is a smarter choice. If it is under warranty or if the part is relatively inexpensive, you may want to have the repair done. In fact, I did a repair on our children's game computer myself the other day for the price of $20. It needed a new cpu fan. If only my laptop would have had a problem like this!

To decide whether your computer is ready to go to the great internet cafe in the sky, get a repair estimate, including the time involved. Add up the repair costs and the cost of your lost time and compare it to the cost of a new computer. If the two totals are fairly close, you probably want to opt for the new computer, complete with warranty.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

I hate reality shows, but I watch Flipping Out. I don't know why. Those people put the D in dysfunctional. However, during all of the drama, Jeff Lewis did do one smart thing - he installed a nanny cam when he was uneasy about what an employee was doing when he was in the home unsupervised.

As a small business owner, you probably have mixed feelings about spying on employees. When a business isn't very big, owners often become attached to employees and treat them more like family members than staff. Spying with a nanny cam seems almost dishonest and sneaky. You may see a staff member adjusting clothing or scratching an itch when he or she thought there was privacy. You will most likely see some minor work related issues. After all, noone is perfect. Should you do something this drastic?

If you are having theft problems or work isn't getting done while you are gone, a nanny cam can show you which employees are abusing your trust. It is up to you how you handle all the things you see. If you notice minor infractions, you may just want to ignore them and be thankful your suspicions about bigger problems are wrong. If you see serious problems, you may opt to try to rehabilitate your employee or you may decide to fire him or her.

Nanny cams - they may smack of "Big Brother" but they can protect your business.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

Sometimes, it can be hard for a small business owner to find the information he or she needs. Limited time to do research and make calls can make it really tough to get help. If you have a small business or home business related question, from how to deal with an employee issue to how to start a specific business, ask me. I'll do my best to find you an answer.

If you're a died in the wool DIYer and want to look for answers yourself, check out your local SBA office or your local library. Both of these organizations love helping people find answers.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

Your energy bill is shooting up along with the hot summer temperatures and you need to try some energy saving tips. However, you don't want to make your employees cranky from working in a warm office. How can you save energy without leaving your staff to sweat out the summer?

Turning the thermostat up just a few degrees can save money and help reduce environmental pollution. Most electric companies and government agencies recommend setting the thermostat at seventy eight degrees.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs in all light fixtures. These bulbs don't generate a lot of excess heat, which helps keep the temperatures in the building down. As a bonus, you're saving a lot on energy costs - as much as thirty dollars per bulb per year.

Allow employees to bring in a fan to keep at desks or work stations. Fans circulate the air and make temperatures seem lower. Even though they do use some energy, several fans will still use less than a central air unit that is set several degrees lower than the optimal seventy eight degrees.

Consider letting employees dress down. It is amazing how cool people feel in short sleeves and collarless shirts. Allowing tasteful shorts similar to those that UPS employees wear will also boost morale and help the staff feel cooler.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

As we move into mid-July, keep a close eye on office supply and big box store sales flyers. Traditionally, these stores have some great deals on paper, presentation folders, glue and other school supplies that are commonly used in the office.

So far, I've seen paper for four dollars, glue for eighteen cents and Purell for five cents. Stocking up now on supplies like these means you can save big later in the year, when they will cost much more.

By the way, if you have a family friendly business, don't overlook other cheap school supplies, like crayons and pencils. They serve two purposes - you can set up a kid's area so they can color and draw while their parents shop and you can put together inexpensive back to school goodie bags (with your company information on them, of course) to donate to local schools that have students from low income families.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

You have the chance to move your business to an awesome new space. You'll save on rent and be able to expand. It is outside of town, but that shouldn't be a problem, right? Actually, with the rising cost of fuel and the struggling economy, that move may kill your business.

Choosing the right location for a small business has never been so important. People are not willing to drive as far as they used to drive and they try to combine several errands into one trip. Unless your area has a very efficient and consumer friendly mass transit system available, you should look for a space that is very centrally located.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

This week I talked about dealing with problem employees. However, sometimes you simply can't get an employee to change. Perhaps he or she has addiction problems or perhaps you have employed someone who is determined to win the lotto instead of working. Whatever the reason, he or she is not willing to make the necessary adjustments to become a good employee. So, now you need to fire your employee, but how?

Document Everything

When you realize you are having problems, start making a record of them. Lateness, rudeness, theft, or other bad behaviors should be written down, along with the date and time. This way, you have a record of why you fired the employee to back you up in case he or she decides to file a suit for wrongful termination. You can show that you fired the employee because of behavior, not whatever he or she sues for.

Don't Do It Alone

Firing someone alone just isn't sensible. Another person in the room can testify that things were done properly and can help defuse anger.

Spell Out Severence Agreements

Make sure any severence information is clearly stated and is put in writing, as well. Be clear on Cobra, severence pay and other behefits.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

When I worked for a veterinary office right out of college, my boss used to have the office manager call up on her days off and ask us about different services. He had a good idea, although it probably would have worked better if he had someone call who we didn't talk to every day! Her voice was pretty recognizable.

There is no better way to find out how well trained and customer friendly employees are than to have someone ask the same questions a customer would ask and then give you feedback on the employees' responses. If the employee doesn't do a good job, you can institute some training sessions to help him or her learn the skills that are missing. For employees that answer the phone incorrectly or don't seem to know how to deal with an unhappy caller, perhaps some classes in customer service through an outside organization would be a good idea.

If you'd like to set up a regular schedule of employee check ups, you may want to consider using a secret shopper company.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

For most small business owners, a trip to one of the big box office supply stores is the equivalent of letting a child loose in the toy store. "Oooh, green post it notes. Wow, look at that desk blotter. Check out the new business software." Although it is tempting to buy every new gadget and supply you see, overspending on office supplies can wreck the business budget.

• Using an inventory sheet to buy supplies from is a great way to avoid impulse buys.
• Set a spending limit for extras and stick to it. The reality is that we don't end up using most of those must have new office supplies or only pull them out a few times.
• Take advantage of reward programs and coupons. These discounts can really add up.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

You just got a new batch of 250 business cards before you decided to leave the rat race for your own business. Now, you have a little problem. Actually, you have 248 problems, because you gave two entire people your card before you resigned your job. What can you do with 248 useless business cards?

• The most obvious solution is to build a card tower. Just think, without the 52 card limit of a standard playing card deck, you aren't limited by anything but your ability to balance bits of cardboard.
• If you flip cards over, you can use them for quite a few collage related crafts. Cut one end to form a peaked roof and decorate a whole neighborhood of houses. You could also glue them onto dark colored cardstock and stamp sentiments on them or use them to mask off areas on a piece of art while you are working on it.
• Staple a group of cards together to make a little book and illustrate the blank backs to turn it into a flipbook.
• Glue them to a wall and paint over them to create an unusual textured effect.
• Use them as easy to carry kindling pieces for starting campfires.
• Count out 52 cards and use the backs to make a beautiful set of custom miniature playing cards.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

Are you overwhelmed by so much clutter in your home office that you think professionals would throw up their hands and run screaming out the door? Would The Leaning Tower of Pisa be put to shame by your piles? As astonishing as it seems, you can organize your office space all by yourself and it will only take you 15 minutes a day.

FlyLady is known by busy moms everywhere as the woman who gave them back their homes. She has created some great methods for taming clutter and mess in increments of 15 minutes a day and many of those tips work well for the home office, too. You can handle 15 minutes, right?

So, set your egg timer or your watch alarm and grab one of those paper towers, a recycling bin, your shredder and that fantastic empty file drawer you set up when you designed your home office. Sort and shred until the timer goes off. Repeat the whole process tomorrow and then continue repeating it until that clutter has disappeared.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

On holidays, people everywhere put work aside and take time to enjoy the festivities. Even presidents will spend a day relaxing and just hanging out with family members. Yes, everyone relaxes and leaves work behind for a few hours...unless they happen to be home business owners.

For some reason, quite a few home busingess owners have difficulty taking time away from the business. Perhaps this is because they have so much to do and rarely have staff to delegate to. This means that if they take a day off, they miss opportunities to network, catch up on accounting, or pack up merchandise for shipping.

However, there are some very good reasons to take the day off for occassional holidays.

• Taking a break helps reduce stress, which can alleviate future health problems.
• Earning more money for the sake of the kids isn't very useful if you miss their growing up years.
• Time away from the desk recharges our mental batteries. When you get back to work the next day, you may just find the solution to a problem that has been bothering you for weeks.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

This week, I talked about small business scammers. It is a sad fact that some people will put so much effort and time into scams that they could have earned money honestly. As a hard working new business owner, you will need to be smarter than all of these dishonest people so that you can successfully start and run your business.

The biggest danger is usually before you actually start a business. Scammers know people are desperate to leave that unfulfilling nine to five job behind and do something that allows them to get their lives back. So, they place ads that use trigger words that touch your emotions to try to convince you to part with your hard earned money.

If an ad for a business opportunity offers easy money or using more exclamation points than a professional cheerleader, use extreme caution. Those get rich quick commercials and ads have a lot in common with diet pills. Yes, you can be successful as a house flipper or one of the other business opportunities they advertise, but there aren't any shortcuts if you want to do it in a safe and permanent manner. Do your homework and be prepared to put a lot of time and energy into your new business. Most importantly, don't expect a course or kit, no matter how costly it is, to do the work for you.

Posted by Katelyn Thomas

Being green is so important in today's culture. From make up companies to car manufacturers, big corporations are taking notice of the green trend and so should you. After all, you certainly don't want to be the only uneco-friendly business on your block!

I mentioned a few ideas for being green in my recent article, but there are so many other options to try. Many companies are turning completely to green ways to heat and cool their buildings and run their equipment, such as wind power, solar energy and geothermal heating.

When you make good choices, be sure you trumpet the news to your customers. They care that you are making decisions that help make the world a greener place. This is one case where doing good can make you feel good about your decisions and help your bottom line.