DINA: Welcome to the first ever “interview with an entrepreneur…” from Entrepreneur’s Breakfast and Wordfeeder Copywriting.

This month we’re hearing from Michael Adams of Eddie’s Energy Bars in scenic Richmond, Vermont. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today, Michael!

MICHAEL: Thanks for having me as your guest!

DINA: Okay, let’s begin. You run a successful business, and yet you’re in college. How do you manage to pull this off?

MICHAEL: This even baffles me sometimes! The secret is that my workload is somewhat reversed when I am at school. I (almost) always put school ahead of my company, so I get all of my reading done before I work on the website or call potential retailers. I also have wonderful parents who are my head bakers and distributors. They produce and distribute the energy bars while I am at school. Having that taken care of is great, and I can tend to administrative duties (making all of the business decisions) when I have time.

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Popularity: 53% [?]

by Dina Giolitto

Your brand is an extension of your company’s mission and values. Your company exists for a specific purpose–whether it’s to provide environmentally friendly cleaning products or a healthy meal for families. Your brand is the visual concept and reinforcement of your mission and values. Now is the time to evaluate what your company mission and values are.

Company mission

Disney’s is to “make people happy.” Boeing’s is “to push the leading edge of aviation, taking huge challenges doing what others cannot do.” 3M’s is “to solve unsolved problems innovatively.” What is your company’s mission? First, it’s important to understand what a mission is and what it represents for your company. Then you’ll be able to better determine what your company mission is, or what it should be. Since the mission can act as a strong marketing and branding tool for clients, establishing an effective mission is imperative to your company’s success.

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Popularity: 64% [?]

by Dina Giolitto

It’s tempting, when the news headlines are screaming about government financial bailouts, to just sit there with your mouth hanging open as you ponder what might happen to your 401K.

However, in tough times, the LAST thing you should be doing is waiting for further instructions.

If you were a Boy Scout (and even if you weren’t), then you’re no doubt familiar with their catch phrase: “Be prepared.” That’s about the best advice anyone can give. And it’s especially relevant when managing a business.

When people start to clutch their purse strings more tightly, and supply and demand turns on its head, here’s what you need to do RIGHT NOW to ensure that your company stays afloat in trying times.

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Popularity: 95% [?]

by Dina Giolitto

Suppose you paid thousands to have a professionally branded website designed from scratch. What’s the one element that can make or break your sales? The words! Yes, you’ve heard it before - your message to the customer means everything.

Oh, you already know that? Well, that’s terrific. And now let me tell you something you probably didn’t know. Remember the part where your designer asked you if you wanted “search engine optimization” - and you said no thanks, because your bank account had just been drained?

THAT is where you went astray, and lost out on myriad opportunities to get your brand and message in front of all those clamoring, salivating prospects. And that’s what’s REALLY keeping you and the people who want to buy your stuff from ever crossing paths.

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Popularity: 33% [?]

About a week ago, I got a call from the local animal shelter telling me there was a 2-year-old boxer dog available for adoption. I had put my name on their list hoping to find a dog for my parents, who had just lost their beloved boxer to kidney failure.

I got to the pound, and there was a beautiful boxer dog, perfect in every way. Young, healthy, vibrant, with a pretty face and that famously goofy boxer expression. He was shy and bashful when I opened the door to his cage, but he gave me paw when I asked, and covered my face with kisses when I bent down to introduce myself. I quickly called my parents on the cell and encouraged them to “grab this one while they had the chance.”

My parents, being the old fogeys they are, had reservations. “Is the dog good looking?” “Do you think we’ll be able to handle a young dog?” “What if he runs off?”

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Popularity: 37% [?]

Dogs and bees, and freelancers, can smell fear. As someone who writes copy and produces marketing materials on a freelance basis, I can tell within five minutes of talking to a potential customer whether their fear of being overcharged will set the tone for our work together. I can also assure you that there are ways to retain quality and get good turnaround time on projects without being run through the wringer.

Some facts and suggestions on how to get the most bang for your outsourced buck:

Know that the freelancer is just as interested in being quick and efficient as you are.

People who are new to outsourcing might view me (the copywriting consultant) as someone who would try to milk them out of their last dime while dragging the project on forever. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Established freelancers typically juggle multiple projects at once. It makes much better business sense for us to complete two projects for two happy clients in two days, then deliver one project for one client in two days and have that client feel uneasy about the amount of time we spent on their work.

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Popularity: 88% [?]

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Fortune 500 exec or a one-man freelancing show. There will be times when you look at companies whose services compete with yours, and your stomach will sink into your shoes.

How can you possibly live up to that, you wonder, gawking at what is clearly The Cleverest Ad Ever Written, or enviously scanning hundreds upon hundreds of comments on a blog that isn’t yours.

I’m here to tell you that just because your nemesis appears to be the best thing since sliced bread right now, it does NOT mean that you should throw up your hands and throw in the towel.

What it means is you’ve got to USE those jealous pangs to your creative advantage. Some tips and reminders from a copywriter who refuses to see success as a popularity contest.

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Popularity: 29% [?]

A good copywriter should be well practiced in the art of perspective jumping - not just in your marketing communication, but with your client relationships as well. While I was always pretty good at hopping into the minds of my own clients… I was never so tuned in to them as when I began outsourcing aspects of my own marketing.

Here is my take on what small business clients not only want, but desperately need from the people who we outsource our jobs to.

“The Small Business Client Wishlist” from Dina at Wordfeeder.com.

Small business clients wish that service providers would take the initiative.

I know that many freelance professionals wait there passively, thinking “Well, if my clients needed my services, they’d call or send an email.” The truth is that sometimes business owners can’t catch their breath long enough to say what it is that they want, let alone map it out in steps.

I guarantee that the next freelancer of mine who appears in my email inbox and asks for work WILL get it, even though right now I have no idea of what that assignment will be. Believe it; small business owners are THAT busy. If you’re looking for work, just say so. Clients do not spend time wondering how much work you do for other clients. We just like to know that you’re available for US.

Small business clients wish for marketing without ego.

Being on the flip side has allowed me to experience the unspoken friction that happens when clients make copy changes that copywriters don’t appreciate or agree with. There are two occasions where the copywriter has the right of way in this situation. One, is if the copy changes that the client implements might affect sales. (Let’s say the client deletes the call to action or deletes their own URL - yes it happens.) And two, if the client accidentally says something in the copy that blatantly makes them look unintelligent.

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Popularity: 40% [?]

Two months ago, I worked for two copywriting clients who for some reason decided not to pay me. This is such a rarity in my life that I keep thinking there has to be a valid excuse. Maybe he died! Maybe she had a family emergency!

Truth be told, neither is probably the case. What shocks me even more is that the one client was a referral from a web design partner whom I trust.

I guess when other people lower their standards, you get pulled down as well. I came to learn (after the fact) that the designer who worked with my non-paying client was doing a project for him “last March” but then he suddenly disappeared for six months before returning to “finish” his website.

I assumed she meant that he paid before he skipped town; after all, I’m thinking who in their right mind would agree to do work for someone who doesn’t pay you?

Maybe I’m wrong though; the story was “fuzzy.”

(Maybe this is what happened to my client!)

Regardless, I’ve decided I’m going to put this guy, and the other woman who owes me money, into collections. I’ve contacted an agency called Your Collection Solution. Their policy is, if they are unable to collect the money from the client, then you don’t owe them a dime. If they do get the money, you pay something like 20 or 25%. For the real details, go to www.yourcollectionsolution.com.

I’ve had the good fortune to meet smart, honest people online who take our professional relationship seriously. They treat me with respect for my expertise, pay on time, and are always open to new ideas on how we can work better together.

I really, really appreciate that.

As for these two deadbeats… well, I’ll keep you posted on what happens with the collections agency.

Freelancers, have your own issues with delinquent payers? How did you handle it?

Dina at Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing

Popularity: 26% [?]