DOWNTOWN AS A SOLO

BY Bankruptcy Lawyer

Downtown for many Attorney's (particularly solos) can be a stressful time. Particularly if you are worried about overhead, salaries, and your own personal expenses.

Here are some things I focus on when I have some downtown and things have slowed a bit:

1. I take a look at my cases and clients and see which files need to be closed out 
2. Research and Reevaluate my current marketing strategy and revamp it 
3. Set some new goals for the remainder of the year as well as next
4. Meet with other colleagues and catch up, discuss their different marketing strategies 
5. Evaluate my staff and provide some kind of review 
6. Readjust office hours 
7. Send former clients media about my current promotions and services 
8. Contact other businesses to see if relationships can be formed 
9. Take care of any personal issues i may have: doctor appointments, calls, ect
10. Take a look at my budget and adjust as necessary 

As always good Luck in Solo World~!

Seven Ways to Market to the Wealthy

by Suzane Muusers

posted by Charlotte Attorney

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to make over your business so that you are attracting wealthy clients who willingly pay your fees, refer you to other wealthy clients, and sing your praises to friends and associates? 

This article focuses on the top five industries that benefit from targeting the wealthy, seven ways to market to the wealthy, and how you can change your thinking to attract wealthy clients.

You may want to review the companion article Attracting Wealthy Clients where we covered who are the wealthy, the difference between wealthy and affluent, the main concerns of the wealthy, and what the wealthy want. 

Top five industries that benefit from targeting the wealthy and affluent

• Financial services, estate planning – the wealthy have complicated lives that need managing and planning
• Luxury travel – the wealthy want options that take care of all the details and they are willing to pay for it
• Luxury gifts – despite having the internet to peruse, finding good quality goods is not so simple
• Real estate – 40% of the wealthy plan to purchase a second or third home in the next five years
• Home design, remodeling, and furnishings – since they need two or more of everything, they spend to acquire more things

Seven Ways to Market to the Wealthy

• Use the correct language in your marketing.  Don’t refer to the wealthy as retirees.  They have redefined how they spend their time and many don’t plan to retire at age 60.  Their idea of retirement is to do something meaningful with their lives well into their 70’s and above.
• Use images of vital, healthy, adult people in your marketing.  The wealthy don’t want to be catered to by twenty-something’s in skimpy outfits. Your front office employees should mirror the active demographics of your target client.
• Be an absolute expert at what you do.  The wealthy don’t want to waste money on inexperience.  Certifications and credentials are a plus.  Be an expert at travel.  An expert at financial planning. An expert in wine knowledge.  An expert in the latest dental procedures. An expert at saving clients’ money on taxes.  Own your expertise and don’t be afraid to say it!
• Offer a money back guarantee.  The wealthy want assurances that you offer the best product or service for the money.  They don’t want to be taken advantage of.  Most will not take advantage of the money back guarantee, but will feel assurance from the offer.
• Present yourself and your business appropriately.  Have a top notch brand that’s well designed and positioned. Come on, admit it – you know when you see a quality brand.  It makes an impression on you, whether consciously or subconsciously.  Quality pays.  Period. So be ready to invest in your brand. I highly recommend the services of Art Guy Creative | Web Design | Branding.
• Make sure your brand communicates a major benefit.  If it’s not obvious, you are not doing your job.  Set your business apart by using your brand to give wealthy clients a vision of the future if they chose you.
• Offer concierge style options for the affluent.  Many wealthy clients want privilege or options that others don’t have. Private membership with a limited number of members and luxury benefits and special programs designed for them will position you as the right choice. 

How can you change your thinking to attract wealthy clients?

Use your website effectively and reach out to clients via your company’s website.  Make sure you are crystal clear about what you want clients to do when they get to your website.  Build your list and optimize your site for the search engines. Keep in touch with your clients regularly via an ezine delivered electronically. It doesn’t matter what business you are in, you can use a website effectively.

Think globally.  We are an international culture that is on the move.  Americans move every five years. There may not be hoards of wealthy folk where you live, but with the internet you can reach prospects all over the nation.

Upgrade your business and you will upgrade your clients. Template business cards and websites will only get you so far.  Upgrade your image and you will automatically upgrade the quality of clients you attract.

Upgrade your thinking.  The wealthy are just like you and me.  They are humans with busy lives and they need your products and services.  Just because you have never targeted them before doesn’t mean that they don’t need you.  Work on yourself and your self esteem.  Work on your expertise so that you can move easily in their circles.

Be willing to spend more to attract quality clients.  Wealthy clients didn’t become wealthy by taking short cuts in business. Know the value of being open to market and advertise where you will reach quality clients.  You may need to invest time and money in marketing, materials, events, reports, technology, and image.

Be willing to do the work.  There is no easy answer.  There is no magic bullet.  If you want to play with the big boys, you must be willing to do the work.  In the early days of my coaching business I took on clients without realizing that they were hiring me to give them the one magic marketing technique that would solve all their problems.  There is work to do folks.  If a successful business was easy to achieve everyone would be in business for themselves.

Create a special referral program just for the affluent.  At this level of clientele, you must coddle your clients.  Make a BIG fuss when you receive a referral from an affluent client.  You must create and manage a SYSTEM that measures referrals.   Do you know how many referrals you have received year to date?  If you don’t, you are not measuring adequately.  Your system should tell you how many referrals per month and year and who they were from.  You should have frank discussions with your clients about the type of person you would like to be referred to and you must figure out how you can get more referrals from those not giving them to you already.

Conclusion: It’s far easier to grow a successful business by targeting the higher end of the market rather than dealing with difficult consumers who care mostly about price. While your competitors are rolling around on the floor picking up pennies, make sure you are positioned for fabulous success in business by creating a new strategy that will target the upper end of the market.  It’s worth it! 

Tips for Volunteers Representing Low-Income Clients

posted by charlotte bankruptcy attorney
By Theodore O. Fillette, III
Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc.
July 6, 2007
This essay is primarily for new pro bono attorneys. It is based upon my experience
representing very low-income people and working with volunteer attorneys for many years.
Some advocates for low-income people wish, consciously or not, their clients to be
virtual “Cinderellas”: hard-working, humble, candid, conscientious, and victimized by a wicked
stepmother or other evildoer. I believe that all the Cinderellas have already retained Perry
Mason or other T.V. attorneys.

The rest of us should heed the words of a veteran pro bono lawyer and former president
of the Mecklenburg County Bar who has introduced pro bono service to new volunteers with this
admonition:
“When clients retain us with a check, we are willing to accept their ‘warts’
and help find ways to compensate for those flaws. We owe pro bono
clients the same consideration.”
There are no clients with perfect memory, judgment, record-keeping, morals or manners. If there
were, they would not need us.

The general reality is that indigent clients often suffer from multiple challenges. Their
lack of expendable funds affects their health care, transportation, maintaining employment,
keeping records, and other basic functions we take for granted. Many low-income folks have
little or poor education. Many suffer from addictions and/or mental illnesses. Many experienced
or continue to suffer from domestic violence or neglect that leaves them with various physical
and emotional scars. In other words, their lives will be dysfunctional in varying degrees, and
many aspects of those problems will make it more difficult to assist them.

Here are some tips for helping the advocate identify some of these challenges and
overcome them. You have to build trust early. Start by telling the client that you want to help.

Do not begin with 10 questions about their background. As soon as possible, you should
distinguish yourself from other authority figures such as teachers and social workers that clients
may have experienced as judgmental and critical of their behavior.
There are many issues regarding communication. Give the clients a card and find out
immediately how they best communicate. They may not read well. They may not initiate
communication at all. Some folks who have not had lawyers think that lawyers will just
magically show up in court and fix the problem. Explain how you will need to learn the facts
and prepare for trial. Encourage them to report changed circumstances. Return their calls
quickly or have others do so. This will create confidence that you really do care about their
problem.
Listen carefully to the client’s stated goals. If they sound unrealistic or abstract (“I just
want justice”), help them identify concrete goals. Don’t be afraid to educate the client on other
objectives and legal rights that might help them, especially if their stated goals are not very
feasible. Help the client get a broad understanding of their legal context.
As soon as it is feasible, try to understand the larger reality of the client’s family. This
includes their financial circumstances. It includes any particular problems of health or
environmental hazards. It includes knowing who is in the household. If you will probably
litigate over the conditions in the client’s home, visit the dwelling as soon as possible.
It may also help to identify other helpers in the lives of the clients. Sometimes these are
relatives. Sometimes they are social workers or neighbors. Find out who might provide
transportation to hearings and child care on the day of trial.
After you have covered these bases and you are getting focused on preparation for a
hearing, do not be afraid to explore key issues of credibility. Anticipate what your opponent will
discover. Check the criminal records of the members of the household. Review the civil index
for previous lawsuits. When you have learned of potential problems regarding credibility, raise
them by saying to the client: “The other side’s lawyer may ask you about this.”
When it comes to potential settlement negotiations, many low-income clients appear to
fall at the extremes of a wide spectrum. Unfortunately, some of the most sympathetic and
deserving clients will be tempted to take an offer of a nominal amount. At the other end, those
clients with the biggest faults and least merit seem to think that their claims have to be worth a
million dollars. In order to orient your client to a realistic settlement range, focus the client’s
attention on the decision maker and the elements of proof required. Do not let the client think
that he or she is arguing with you about the value of their case. Continue to focus on who you
must persuade on the value of the claims. Help the client focus on his or her real goals. Help the
client understand the competing interests of the opponent. Give the client a realistic sense of
what the decision maker is willing to deliver.
When it is time to prepare for a hearing, pay attention to the logistical details that will
enable your client able to participate in the hearing effectively. Talk about what is appropriate
dress. Make sure the client has adequate day care and will not bring small children to a hearing.
Make sure that they have transportation to your office or to the hearing. Explain the importance
of arriving on time.
Finally, never miss the opportunity to recognize your clients’ contributions to the effort.
Praise them for locating the witnesses and exhibits. Appreciate their securing day care for the
trial date. Compliment their Sunday dress. Recognize their courage. Their ordeal may be a
turning point in their lives. And yours.

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Rules of Business Referrals /Etiquette

Posted/Additions by Charlotte North Carolina Attorney
By David A. Goldsmith
One of the key roles of management is to build business through relationships. A common way to build relationships is through referrals: with, for and through banks, attorneys, employees, peers, and anyone else who has something that someone else wants or needs. The better you are at managing the referral, the better off you and those in your organization will be. Unfortunately, even though most referrals start with good intentions, they're conducted haphazardly and don't yield the results people expect. It's often the reason that referrals are not offered. Who wants to be burned? The tips in this article should help you control the outcomes and get what you want.
Everyone has been embarrassed by their association with another person at one time or another. How about that cousin you wouldn't want anyone to know about? But what happens when the embarrassment happens in a business situation: more specifically, when you refer one person to another and one of those parties is unprofessional or just plain screws up? Making a bad connection could cost you money or something more valuable and much harder to recoup--your reputation.
We once stepped into an awkward situation when we referred a business peer, seeking a specific product, to one of our clients, who just so happened to offer that very product. We thought we were doing a good thing, a win-win-win thing...until we received a phone call from our client explaining that the referred person made a vulgar offer to a woman on the client's staff when she said she couldn't go any lower on her price. We were shocked. Our client ended the conversation with, "I'm not sure what to do, but what he [the business peer] did was disrespectful to my staff and to you. I'm going to let you handle this." The outcome was hardly the one we were shooting for. All we could do was apologize and hope our reputation didn't take too big a hit.
The referral is part of Business 101, and it's a valuable way to extend your business connections. Typical referrals involve three parties: the person who wants something, the person who has something to give, and the person who connects the two. Sounds simple and clean...but as our bad experience shows, sometimes things get messy. So what can you do to facilitate successful referrals? That depends on which of the three roles you're playing. Here they are.
The person who wants something. If someone connects you to another party, remember to:
1. ...respect relationships that others have developed. Consider it your way of saying "thanks" to the person who made the connection.
2. ...stay professional and avoid being too casual or friendly. A referral ONLY opens a door of opportunity. You're still responsible for building your own relationship.
3. ...conduct yourself in a way that honors the "referrer." Your actions represent yourself AND the person who gave you the referral.
4. ...leave foul language at the door. Everyone has a different tolerance point.
5. ...keep ethics above board. To do so will net you a double win. To fail will curse you with a double loss at the very least. Good news travels; bad news travels faster.
6. ...check the ego. Don't believe that your credentials, awards, accomplishments and the referral impress everyone so much that you can leave your manners at the door.
The person who has something to give. If someone sends business your way, make sure you:
1. ...deliver what you promise, and promise only what you KNOW you can deliver. If you find that you can't help out, be honest about it and say thank you.
2. ...make good on any mistakes that occur. People understand that errors happen. Keep both of the other two parties' interests in mind when taking responsibility for those errors.
3. ...if you want to keep the referral business pouring in, make sure you meet or exceed the expectations of the person doing the referring. Hint: they're expecting you to make them look good.
4. ...never "bad mouth" the person who referred the business or the one providing the service. What you say will almost surely get back to them.
The person who connects the two. Before you connect one person to another, make sure you:
1. ...know whom you're dealing with. Only connect people who will show you in a good light...that goes for the person who wants something as well as the one who has something to give.
2. ...aren't connecting people for the soul purpose of getting reciprocal referrals. A client in Boston complained about giving out referrals but rarely getting them in return. Instead of expecting referrals, he learned that the real value came back to him in the form of strengthened business relationships with others.
3. ...kick off the transaction in a professional fashion. Whether by telephone, email, or in person, set a tone of respect by introducing each person as a respected professional.
4. ...butt out when you see the relationship blossom. Chalk up the connection as another success and move on.
Referral etiquette is basically pretty simple. Behave yourself, respect others, and do the right thing. Then make sure you deal only with those who do the same. The combination is a winning formula for building new business relationships and strengthening old ones.

I would like to add:
5. As the referrer Do not discuss pricing (of someone else's services) with a potential referral
6. If you refer friends and family do not infer that the services (provided) by someone else will be free. In fact you should do the exact opposite.
7. Do not provide the referral with the person's cell phone unless they give you explicit consent to do so. It is best to use their office number and or email (as preferred to the referee)
8. Do not refer someone you know will not be able to pay or retain the service of the referee.
9. Do not refer someone who you yourself would not provide services (someone you know is either crazy, has issues paying, will cause the referee a lot of problems in the end).
10. Treat the referee with respect and do not suggest that they modify their prices or services. If you are not trusting of the referee or don't believe in their services, simply do not refer clients to them!

26 Things to Do When Business is Slow and in Downtime Mode

Posted by North Carolina Bankruptcy Attorney
by Allfreelancers
Freelancers are in a great position in that they have the freedom to work when they want to and they have the choice to take a vacation whenever they are in the mood. With that said, some freelancers are anxious to work day in and day out which may present a problem for them when business is slow. However, there are many things which freelancers can do to bide their time while waiting for new work to come in.
Brainstorm and Doodle
Perhaps one of the most constructive things which freelancers can do while business is slow is to brainstorm. How often do we have a free block of time to just sit there and think? Think about what your goals are for the following year. What will you need to do to meet or beat those goals?
Search for New Jobs
Perhaps one of the most constructive things which freelancers can do while business is slow is to search for new jobs. Depending on the type of freelance work one pursues, this can involve cold calls, searching the Internet for job opportunities, handing out flyers, putting advertisements in the paper or using one’s contacts to expand their client base. No matter what the desired route in the pursuit of jobs may be, searching for new jobs is a great way to spend your down time when business is slow.
Organize Your Home Office
Another way to keep yourself busy when business is slow is to organize your home office. Since there is often little time to do so when the days are busy and work is flowing in, tidying up the home office is always a wonderful way to spend your off days. This may involve anything from organizing files and contact lists to purchasing new home office equipment. Whatever it may be, use the time when business is slow to get things in order within your home office setting. Go through all the useless piles of papers, magazines, and other junk that have been getting in your way for as long as you can remember, and get rid of them once and for all. Remember the this organizational mantra: Do it, Ditch it or Delegate it. Your goal is to reorganize your office in a manner that will allow you to find what you need in 60 seconds or less. This will optimize your time when work starts pouring back in.
Get a Head Start on Your Taxes
Quarterly taxes are never too far away. There is no time like the present to get ready for tax season. Use this free time to prepare your tax files so that you can get taxes down it a snap when tax time pops up out of nowhere (as it always does). Some things that you can do are:

• Make sure your books are up to date.
• Go through your expense receipts and categorize them.
• Estimate your last tax payment for the current year.
• Put all digital receipts in a digital folder.
• Make sure all of your payers have your correct information for when they send out 1099s.

Good Will Towards All Clients
Use this extra time on your hands as an excuse to be nice to your past clients and potential clients (companies who almost used your services). If you are out of work around the holidays, send out a holiday card to them (nondenominational card as to not offend them). Even if it isn’t around the holidays, you can still take the time to write a personal note to your client (preferably snail mail) in which you thank them for using your services. You can also include a coupon, certificate, or freebie in the envelope. This is a good way to just place yourself in their mind. This way if they do need some work done, they will hopefully hire you to complete it.
Add Services Depending on Your Clients’ Needs
During slow business times, you should focus your attention to new ways to make money for your business. This might mean that you learn a new skill or that you start doing work that you don’t necessarily enjoy. Once you get your feet back on the ground, you can change your direction and outsource this extra work. But for right now, you need some work and beggers can’t be choosers.
Just think about all the business that you are throwing away. Lets say that you are a web designer. Someone who needs a web site might need a web designer, logo designer, writer, web developer, a hosting company, etc. Maybe you are an excellent writer and fantastic at logo design. Why are you throwing away this business? Most server companies offer reseller hosting accounts. This means that you can sell hosting accounts. Look into this and see if you can get some extra work out of it.
Lets say that you don’t have the skills or talent to offer those extra services. Well, then I suggest that you join up with some other freelancers who do have these talents. You offer to share your extra work with them that is in their career field if in return they throw business over your way. Networking is the key to the game.
Start Selling Products
I know. I know. You might think that I am pushing it past your boundaries with this idea. But, really, I am not. You are an expert in your career field, aren’t you? Some ideas for products are to create an online course or to write an e-book for Your career field.
If You Don’t Have a Website, Create One
Your best self promotional tool is the Internet. If you don’t have a web site, then you need to find out how to create one or who to hire to create one for you. If you can’t afford a website designer, then I suggest using a web template. Templates range from free to very expensive, so shop wisely. If you don’t feel that you can handle a web site, then you might be able to get away with just having a blog. You would do much better with your own domain (for SEO purposes), but if you can’t handle this than you should pick up a Blogger or WordPress account.
Create a Blog
A blog is just as important as a web site and can be used as your web site if you want. My personal opinion is that a blog is the best marketing item that you can use. Why?

• Blogs get picked up by search engines almost immediately.
• RSS readers also pick up blogs.
• You can ping sites to tell them to pick up your blog.
• Content can be syndicated and shown all over the web.
• People can subscribe to your blog.
• People can comment on each article.
• You don’t need to know HTML or how to code.
• Metatags are updated automatically.
• Trackbacks (When you link to another blog, they automatically link back to you).

Create a Form Letter for Potential Customers
Now is a good time to work on a letter that you can send out to potential customers. This letter isn’t to be sent out to random people, rather people that you almost made a sale with. This letter will remind them that you are available for work and is simply being sent to see I they are ready to make their decision. A sample letter would be:
Dear Sam (if you are on a first name basis),
It was so nice speaking with you in December. I hope that you had a nice holiday season and that life is treating you well. I am just writing to see if you had started the big project that we spoke of. As you already know, I have 20 years experience working with publication companies, and I know that I could help you achieve your goal within your budget. If you are ready to start your project, I am available for a free hour consultation. Call me any time, day or night.
Ps. I have included our e-zine. I hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely,
Rachel Goldstein
AllFreelance.com
999-999-9999
Review Your Marketing Materials.
You should stop to analyze why you aren’t busy with projects. Now is a good time as any to set some time aside to review your marketing materials. Is the design too flashy or outdated? Was your design created with MS Word and printed out on your home printer? If so, I suggest that you have your marketing materials printed out professionally. You will find an increase in business if you step up and have your brochures, business cards, etc. printed out by a commercial printer. You should also look at the copy on your marketing materials. Show your brochure and other marketing materials to family and friends to see what they think. If you have enough money, have a professional copywriter rewrite your copy.
Rethink Your Business and Marketing Plan
Revisiting your business and marketing plan is always tedious and something that you probably aren’t going to be too excited about doing. However, if business is slow, you might be going through a slump because the market has changed. Another possibility is that your business focus has changed without you even realizing it. Take the time to analyze your marketing and business plan and hopefully something good will come out of it.
Review and Update Your Website or Blog
If you already have a website or blog, then take some time to update the design and copy on the web site. Make sure there aren’t any typos and that your marketing copy is working for you and your business. If you need to, consider hiring a professional copywriter and / or web designer.
Take the Time to Learn Something.
As a freelancer, you are supposed to be an expert in your field. With an overbooked schedule, you probably haven’t had the time to keep up with new standards in your industry (especially if you are in a technical field). Now is the best time to jump back into school. There are plenty of online courses that you can take or you can take a course at your local community college. Just remember that you will most likely get a client (or two or three) before you are finished taking your course, so I don’t recommend taking more than one course at a time. However, if you can find short classes or classes that you can finish at your own pace, then you can take as many as you please.
Work on Your Financial Records
If you are anything like me, then you put off your bookkeeping tasks until the last minute. Now is the time to work on this tedious task. Find all of your receipts, credit card statements, and bank account statements. Get to work placing all of your revenue and expenses into your bookkeeping system.
Write Articles
As a freelancer, I am sure that you are always looking for ways to promote yourself and your business for free. Well, the best way to do this is to get your name out on the web by writing articles and submitting them to article banks and sites that accept submissions. You can increase your visibility drastically by just submitting one article. However, I recommend writing many quality articles to show your expertise in your field. Make sure that you are referenced in these articles. Something like this works best:
John Smith
Fake Company
Expert Web Designer
http://www.fake-company.com/
fake-company@server.com
Some web sites won’t let you have all of this information written as a signature on the article, but they will let you have a summarized version. If not, at least insist on your name and website address being added to the article. In order to utilize this idea to promote yourself with this viral marketing technique, bookmark this page full of article banks and article submission sites so that you will know who accepts articles.
Copy Paper Items into Digitized Format
Do you have a rolodex that is busting at its’ seams? Do you have phone numbers all over pieces of paper and sticky notes covering your desk? Are you a chronic note taker (but on paper)? Now is a great time to put your paper items into digital format. You might want to consider getting a PDA or an iPhone to reduce your paper clutter.
Look for Ways to Cut Costs
Now that you have some free time on your hands, you can take the extra time to research more economical options to your business practices. Some things that you can take a look at are:

• Look at other Internet Service Providers in your area to make sure that there isn’t a plan available from another company that better suits your needs and your pockets.
• Look at your telephone plan. I pay a ton less, now that I use my cable company as my phone plan. They gave me a low price for TV cable, phone service, and cable modem service.
• Don’t forget about your cell phone plan. Are there lower plans out there?
• Office supplies costs much less online because you can sort by lowest price. And I love that Staples ships for free.
• You can buy toner and ink to refill your printer cartridges. This is much cheaper than buying new cartridges and much better for the environment.

Survey Your Clients and Potential Clients
How else are you to know what your clients want unless you ask them? Write up a survey. Start by asking them how they would want to keep in touch and work your way up to what additional services can they could use? Also ask about how satisfied they have been with your services and how you could have improved. Keep it brief and make it easy to respond. You should offer those who fill out the survey in full a discount on one future order, a free gift, or a gift certificate to a business like Amazon.com or other store. You’ll learn some very valuable information on how to adjust your business offerings or operations to keep — and maybe even gain — customers. Then you can compile all of the questions and answers. You can use these questions and answers on your web site.
You can also ask your clients what questions they would want answered. These would be questions that probably most potential clients would want to know to. You could answer your clients’ questions and then also use your answer as an article for your newsletter, blog, or web site.
Brainstorm Ways to Obtain New Clients
In addition to searching for new jobs, freelancers should also take this slow business period to brainstorm about ways to gain the most amount of new clients in a short period of time. This may involve reconsidering one’s advertising methods, checking the available finances to see what resources they can use to gain more clients through advertising and looking over the current offerings to see if the business can offer more valuable services.
Network and Make Business Connections
This is the best time to make more connections for your business. This can take the form of exchanging links, posting on forums, joining community sites, posting your articles to article banks, using social networking sites, etc. Here is an article I wrote on Successful Viral Marketing. It is a must-read article if you are interested in viral marketing and networking successfully.
Make Money on the Side
There are plenty of ways to make money both online and offline. A few ways to do this are:

• Write articles for sites that pay for them.
• Sell used things on eBay for a profit.
• Fill out surveys for money.
• Place Google Ads on your website or blog.
• Place affiliate marketing ads on your website or blog.
• Sell products on CafePress by coming up with unique items.
• Take pictures and sell them to Stock Photography sites.
• Here are ideas for web designers and graphic designers.
• Blog daily and put Google Ads on your blog”¦believe me the money will come in.

Take a Vacation with the Family
Since many freelancers work seven days a week, vacations are usually few and far between. When business is slow, this is the optimal time to get away for a little while and reconnect with the family. Since freelancers are never too far from their “office” as they usually work out of their home, getting away from it all in the way of a vacation is the perfect thing to do. Due to the fact that business is slow, there are no excuses with regard to being unable to get away from the office for a vacation.
Take the Time to Have Some Fun
If you don’t have the time or cash for a vacation, then at least allow yourself to have a little break from work. Use this free time to take a walk, go to the park, walk around in the mall, go out with some friends, go to the spa, or whatever floats your boat. Soon you will have more work than you can handle, so why not take advantage of this free time.
Take Care of Household Duties
For those who do freelance work out of their homes, it is often easy to overlook household duties and tasks, especially in the height of the work season. During the time when business is slow, use this time to take care of household duties whether it be something as simple as cleaning the bathrooms to something more extreme such as cleaning out the garage.

It's Not Easy Being Green

By Charlotte North Carolina Attorney

There many ways in which I feel you as a business and or law firm can go green

1. For instance The Federal Courts in North Carolina are paperless and require electronic filing. It is my hope that the state courts in North Carolina will follow suit.
2. We send clients information and documentation via email. This serves a dual purpose: A. It ensures prompt receipt of the information. B. The information is easily stored by our firm and the client. C. Email is more secure D. It cuts down on the costs that we have to pass down to clients for mail, paper, copying. E. Its eco-friendly because we are not using paper, postage, and other items that is harmful to the earth.
3. If you have old paper files, scan them into electronic files and put them on your system.
4. Record notes and information on the computer and back them up on a hard drive and other medium.
5. Create a recycling bin for your office use to place all recyclable items, separate and apart from the trash.

Attorney Maxwell Practices law in Charlotte and Concord North Carolina. She practices Bankruptcy, Family Law, Business, and Traffic Law.

Special thanks to Chirnese L Liverpool, who practices Bankruptcy in S. California.