Overcoming Shyness With Creative Writing

The issue of mingling with others is of personal concern and has had an important impact on me. I am very shy and it is difficult for me to make friends as easily as other people. Shyness is a common personality trait, but for me it has been a problem that I have had to struggle with throughout my life. This is because I am not just shy about certain things, with certain people, or for a temporary amount of time. Instead, I will remain shy even after knowing a person for several years.

During the early years most children tend to be shy, or at least reserved, so I felt quite comfortable at the fact that I was not very talkative. In fact, childhood is usually a stage of developing self-concept more than social maturity (Gross 229-235). Even though I would rarely talk, I was very observant, and this helped me with my academic progress. So instead of being a fluent talker, I became a dedicated listener.

My habit of observation aided me in staying connected with the world. It was also the source of my creativity, and creativity has been the process I have used to deal with the specific issue of shyness.

Creativity seemed to be my savior in helping me communicate with others. At first, I used my creativity in my art classes. My teachers were very helpful because they noticed my high level of interest and encouraged me. I realize that drawing as well as painting and writing were the most comfortable forms of creativity for me because they allowed me to work alone. It was obvious that I worked better alone than in groups, and this is still true for me today.

Creativity really helps in overcoming shyness not just because it allows you to communicate with others but also because it gives you the opportunity to communicate with yourself (Warren 35-58). For someone who is shy it can be confusing to socialize because they are more likely to be influenced rather than influence others. This is because the other person tends to be more expressive than you. Doing individual creative activities such as drawing or writing can really help you get to know who you really are, who you want to be, how you want to live, and give you a much stronger personality. Having a stronger personality also builds your confidence, and you are then ready to get to know others once you have gotten to know yourself first.

Writing has been my favorite form of creativity as a process that I have used to deal with the specific issue of shyness. I feel that because I am shy I often do not express myself sufficiently to others verbally. Instead, I collect my thoughts and then present it as a written article. Writing is the quickest, easiest and most manageable form of creativity for me. For anyone who is shy I would recommend that they do something creative because even though you have trouble approaching others, others will approach you and be genuinely interested in knowing who you are. Despite being shy, I have been able to develop myself creatively, and creativity is like my therapy in overcoming not only shyness but also many other problems in life.

Works Cited

Gross, Richard. Psychology: The Science Of Mind And Behavior. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1987.
Warren, Bernie. Using The Creative Arts In Therapy: A Practical Introduction. New York: Routledge, 1993.

Tips for Shipping Products to Customers

People thought that with the use of emails becoming common the need for snail mail will die out, but they were so wrong. Businesses selling over-the-phone or through the Internet need postal services now more than ever in order to get their products to customers. Individuals with eBay stores need to mail out the products that their customers buy while telecommunications companies often have to send replacement phones through snail mail. Here are some tips for shipping your products to customers.

• Get the payment first.

If the customer owes you money then you should receive the payment before proceeding with the shipping procedure. If the buyer backs out after you have shipped the item then it will be harder to uphold any refund policies that you had offered. Getting the payment first is important because it is not just a matter of not making the sale if the buyer changes his or her mind but also about losing money due to the shipping charges that you have already paid. In fact, you may even have to pay for return shipping to get your product shipped back to you.

• Pack well but pack light.

There is a thin line between packing well and packing light. You need to pack your product in a manner that is a balance between the two so that the item does not get damaged but also be careful that the package does not get too heavy because this will increase the cost for shipping. Most shipping methods have a limit for the maximum weight that a package can be. If it exceeds the limit then you have to pay for a more costly shipping method, so know what the limits are according to the postal service that you are using and stay within the limits. You may want to weigh your final package at your store before taking it to the post office.

• Include a receipt.

Just like any business transaction such as the ones taking place at your store, transactions that are done through mail also need to be documented. The customer has a right to receive a receipt and you are obligated to provide one unless requested otherwise. Including a receipt with the package that you ship is also beneficial because it acts as a declaration from your company that the item that you have shipped is not hazardous and can protect your company from liabilities.

• Pay for shipping online.

Most postal services now allow you to pay online. The first reason why you should pay online is simply because it can be more convenient when shipping many products. At the post office you will probably have to wait for each shipping label to be calculated, printed and paid separately, but if you already know what type of shipping labels you need to print then you can print them in bulk at your location. The second reason why you should pay for shipping online is because you have to pay less service charges and printing fees.

• Ship as quickly as possible.

Your customers will be eager to receive what they have purchased. Don’t let them down or kill their excitement by trying to get your products to them as quickly as possible.

Social Media Marketing Benefits

Ever wonder why more companies are turning towards social media as a serious platform for marketing their products and services? You may have more to gain from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube than you are anticipating, and the sooner you get started the more benefits you can reap from social media marketing. Here are some reasons why you should not underestimate the power of social media and why holding back could prove devastating for your business.

• It’s either cheap or free.

All of the major social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are free to join. You can publish as much information as you like and keep the account for as long as you want without paying any hosting or subscription fee. In fact, you may be able to use websites such as YouTube to reduce operational costs and save money while promoting your brand at the same time. For example, instead of signing up for a data backup account you can just backup your important videos on YouTube. You can select to keep your videos private or display them publicly to the world and hence be able to backup data while selecting exactly what you want to go public. The only fee that you may have to pay for when using social media is for pay-per-click advertising, but you don’t need to pay for any sponsored ads if all you want to do is build your own page and network with other users.

• Almost anybody can do it.

Facebook has very few limitations on who is allowed to create a free account, and the same goes for Twitter and YouTube. The purpose of these websites is to collect and display user content, and for this reason these websites want to have as many users join as possible so they can generate more content being submitted by the users. Social media websites also want to have a diverse group of users as a part of their online community to reflect real-life societies where a mix basket of individuals and companies can be found. It’s a win-win situation – you become a part of the site to have more online presence and the website benefits by expanding and reaching out to more people through the content that you provide. The only situation in which you may run into bans is if you are submitting offensive, blasphemous or adult content, otherwise most companies can safely say that their accounts will not be banned.

• The effects are immense.

Social media is proving to be one of the most effective methods for promoting companies, products and services. The reason behind this phenomenon is the popularity of websites such as Facebook as well as the conversion rate of page views into actual sales. At the moment, Facebook leads the pack as the top social media website followed by Twitter. YouTube is the most popular website for user-generated videos. Each of these three websites is unique in its own way, which is why you should consider joining all three.

Misconceptions About Marketing on Facebook

Every company wants to jump on the Facebook bandwagon these days, but do they truly understand what Facebook marketing is all about? The truth is that there are many misconceptions about marketing on Facebook because the use of social media is uniquely different when compared to conventional print ads or even online advertising concepts such as search engine advertising (SEO) and e-commerce websites. As the term describes, social media is all about social growth and hence has more to do with making connections and developing relationships rather than just try to promote your brand or sell your products. Here is some information that you should keep in mind when trying to market on Facebook.

• You are not just a page.

Unfortunately, too many companies make the mistake of thinking that Facebook marketing is just about building a company profile page on Facebook. These companies hire people to manage their social media campaign and post status updates, images and other company-related content on the company’s Facebook page. What business owners may not realize is that very few people will look at your Facebook page unless you return the favor. Hence, you also need to go on the pages of other companies and individuals, keep up-to-date with their activities and post comments under their status messages and photos.

• You can’t be friends with everyone.

Now that you realize the importance of networking on Facebook, you may be trying to become friends with as many Facebook members as possible. Once again, you are making a common mistake. You need to choose your social structure carefully because it reflects on who you are or what your company represents. Try to only be friends with the members that are related to your industry or offer a serious potential for becoming your customer. Avoid becoming friends with Facebook members that will just become a passive addition to your friends list.

• Be approachable and honest.

Many people use Facebook as a platform for building personal relationships and keeping up with personal interests, so the last thing they want to run into on Facebook is a company that is all about self-promotion rather than building relationships. Instead of trying to hammer your Facebook friends with self-praise, try to engage them with questions and welcome suggestions. For example, you could post a question asking what their favorite ice-cream flavor is if you own an ice-cream shop instead of just telling them about which ice-cream flavors you offer. Facebook users want to be a part of a community rather than just be treated as customers.

• Return loyalty with loyalty.

Never leave out your loyal customers or affiliates from your Facebook activities. Your loyal customers are your best marketers because they can share first-hand information about your services or products. Allow them to post on your Facebook wall openly and mention positive as well as negative attributes about your company. Show appreciation when they praise your company and take negative comments as positive criticism. Respond to other Facebook users promptly and never let them feel neglected or left out.

What Wise Business Owners Do After Holidays

It is true that most shop owners get over 75% of their income during the holiday season at the end of the year by promoting special offers related to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Most business owners are tired of their busy routine after the months of November and December and start slacking off once they hit January of next year. However, what wise business owners do after holidays is make every moment count and use the earlier months of the year to continue selling, prepare for the next holiday season, manage their human resources and promote their brand. Here are some things that you should consider doing after all the hype of the holidays is over.

• Reflect on Last Year.

How well did you do last year? What were the main points holding you back? Were you attracting enough customers, and were you able to convert plenty of leads into sales? Think of the problems that you ran into last year and what you need to do in order to ensure that you won’t make the same mistakes twice.

• Clear Out Seasonal Products.

The last thing you want is for your store to look like it is still stuck in the Christmas theme. Try to get rid of seasonal products as quickly as possible unless you have enough room to store them until the end of the year when you can try to sell them again. Perhaps you could have a clearance sale or even offer the leftover products as a gift for purchasing other items at your store.

• Restock Your Shelves.

What was in demand most at your store last year? Were customers asking for certain types of products that you didn’t have available? When restocking your itinerary, think about the needs and budget of the customers that you attract. Making sales is all about supply and demand, so if consumers are demanding for something you should feel obligated to supply it not only to boost your sales but also to show that you care for your customers and what they want to buy.

• Lower Costs.

There may be unwanted expenses lingering from the holidays that you want to get rid of as soon as possible. Such expenses may include overstaffing since you may have hired more people when sales were at a peak but you don’t need to keep paying salaries to people who no longer have enough work to do. You may want to cut back on advertising costs as well now that the holiday shoppers are no longer looking at ads and the target audience for advertisements has diminished.

• After-holiday Perks

Remember that smart shoppers are always looking for deals no matter what time of the year it may be. You should keep customers interested in your store by occasionally offering discounts and other perks. Some businesses offer discount coupons for the next purchase when someone buys a gift at their store during the holidays. This is an excellent way of getting continuing business from holiday shoppers because they will come back to shop at your store and use their discount coupon after the holidays are over.

How Entrepreneurs Deal With Stress at Work

Being an entrepreneur is certainly not a shortcut or loophole into doing less work. In fact, most start-up entrepreneurs have to work much harder than they would at a day job in order to make the same amount of money. Another major stress factor is that their own money is at stake – many small businesses have difficulty in finding investors due to their lack of presence in the market and hence have to start off by taking out loans or being self-funded. So what is it that keeps these ambitious people pushing onwards and pursuing their dreams instead of giving in to all of the stress of financial debts and heavy workloads?

• Finding Inspiration

It is important for you to find things that inspire you in life but also to have a business that inspires you on a personal level. For example, if you enjoy listening to music then you may consider opening a music store or creating a magazine that covers music news, events and personalities. If you feel that a music business would not be lucrative then you can still try to play music at your store or discuss music with your customers once in a while. Bring whatever inspires you on a personal level into your work life and make it a part of your business. Customers enjoy meeting business owners that can somehow personalize what they do and enjoy it more.

• Humor

Having a laugh can get more difficult when you are stressed out. Try to look at things with a lighter perspective instead of being a worrywart. This does not mean that you should be a non-serious worker, but not all business matters are under your control and there is no point in worrying about the things that you can do nothing about. Do the best you can and leave the rest to fate. Befriend your employees and crack jokes with them once in a while, but never make mean jokes or pranks at work. You do need to keep the atmosphere professional and make sure everyone realizes who’s boss, but we are all human at the same time and should learn how to interact at a humane level as well.

• Gratitude

You business may not be doing as well as you had wanted, but be thankful for whatever you have. Remind yourself of all the pros of being an entrepreneur such as being able to set your own work hours and being your own boss. Being an entrepreneur is not just about money but also about a lifestyle that should be appreciated.

• Breaks and Getaways

Take breaks during your routine to relax. It is better to take many shorter breaks instead of just one long break, so plan your breaks in advance intermittently throughout the day. Force yourself to go on a break when it is scheduled even if you are too caught up in work to want to get out of the store or office. You can take the time away from work to go on a short walk, nibble on a snack or take a short nap. During off-seasons, consider taking longer vacations where you can get away from any stresses that may have been bothering you at work. Afterwards, you will come back to attend to business with a refreshed feeling and a more positive attitude.

How Small Businesses Are Surviving the Recession

Most businesses have taken a hit for the worst during the recession, but the key is get back up after you get knocked down. By no means can we say that we should look at the recession with optimism because people have lost their jobs and even some major banks have declared bankruptcy, yet some businesses have found ways to deal with the problems related to the bad economy. What has enabled these small businesses to survive the recession?

• Adaptability

The economy and consumer behavior get extremely unpredictable during a recession. Companies need to adapt to the changing markets by first analyzing the consumer. The products that people could afford to buy a year or two ago may be out of their budget now and no longer in demand. You need to change your inventory with lower-priced products, and although they may not be of high quality most customers will probably be willing to compromise on quality for price.

• Experimentation

It is important for you to test the new market. Don’t get stuck with business mottos or company rules and become open to new ideas. You should welcome whatever suggestions you can get that will encourage more cash flow. Perhaps you could start a side business or work more through referrals. Some changes may only be temporary while others will prove profitable enough to become a part of your permanent business setup. Don’t be afraid of change, in fact being able of changing is perhaps the best attribute that your business can have for surviving the recession.

• Budgeting

Remember that there are two ways that you can increase your net income. The first is to increase you gross income, but this becomes difficult to do when the economy is bad because people don’t have the money to pay for the products that you are selling. The second method that you can use to increase your net income is to cut back on expenses, and this is in fact easier to do during a recession. The employer has the upper hand in the job market when the unemployment rate is high so you can hire employees that are willing to work at lower rates. Advertising agencies are also desperately seeking clients so the cost for marketing your products also goes down. Compare rates when hiring new employees or signing up for an advertising campaign and you are very likely to make a considerable saving.

• Payment Options

Listening to your customers is vital at all times. Many customers may not be able to make a full upfront payment for your products, but if you offer them a financing plan that is practical for them to pay off then they may still end up purchasing your product and eventually paying the full price. In fact, some businesses may even be able to charge interest for offering financing plans, but keep in mind that the purpose of offering financing is to strengthen the customer’s purchasing power rather than scare customers off with high interest rates.

2012 is Good for Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses

Are you having a tough time during the bad economy? It isn’t surprising to find people getting frustrated when unemployment rates are high and it is hard to hold on to the job you have due to lay-offs. However, you may also be surprised to realize that a recession can be the best time to pursue your dreams and perhaps start a business of your own. 2012 is proving to be good for entrepreneurs because of the following reasons.

• Lower Living Costs

You get more bangs for your buck during a recession because other businesses are more desperate to earn the dollar in your pocket. The cost of food tends to go down because people are looking for deals at restaurants and the same goes for groceries shopping. All this means that your savings will last longer, giving you more time to explore options for starting up your own business.

• The “Big Fish” is Dying

You may be wondering why you should even consider opening up a business of your own when so many preexisting shops are shutting down. Well, the truth is that it is the larger companies that are hit worst by the bad economy because they have higher overhead costs. Many franchises and big fish names such as Sears and Taco Bell are expected to disappear in 2012, making more room for the smaller fish to take their place. There will be less monopoly in the market because the big companies will no longer dominate and you will have a better chance of filling the void in the market and making a name for yourself as a startup company.

• Lower Shop Rent

Usually it would cost an arm and a leg to open up a shop in a mainstream mall, but large businesses and franchises are cutting down on their store locations so there are many vacant spots available right now. Hence, the rental rates are much cheaper and commercial real estate owners are willing to show more flexibility and negotiate according to your terms. The store location that was way beyond your budget a couple years ago may well be within your reach this year.

•  Affordable Supplies

Brand owners are desperate to get their products on as many store shelves as possible and willing to offer very appealing incentives to shop owners. You can get the products that you want to sell at much cheaper prices and sell them with a higher profit margin. You can get great deals on whatever you need to fill up and operate your store, including everything from cash machines and computers to furniture and vending machines.

• Cheap Advertising

Advertising agencies are looking for new clients and are offering some very cheap advertising options. You could have your company website built for less than $100 as a one-time payment and hire sales companies to promote your business and sell more products for you on a purely commission basis. Advertising companies are realizing that the consumer trend is switching towards small businesses so they are customizing more packages that suit the entrepreneur’s needs and budget.

SEO Content Development Deal

Here is what we will do for the company:

- We will edit existing content and create more content for the website, especially for the landing pages being used for AdWords.

- We will analyze the content on individual pages in terms of word count and keyword density to make sure they meet expected SEO standards.

- We will enhance internal links and build more to create a more integrated and browser-friendly website in order to retain traffic (keep visitors on the website for longer durations and earn their trust).

- We will find and implement more ways to generate more leads and have more website visitors follow call-to-actions (purchase products/services, fill forms, sign up to receive more information, etc.).

- We will contribute towards building a company blog, subscription newsletter or new website pages if requested.

The intended results of this will be a website that provides more practical information to the viewer, which is a major appeal for attracting more website visitors and also increasing conversion rates. It will increase the page rank of the website on search engines such as Google/Yahoo/Bing and also make the AdWords campaign and all offpage SEO/advertising more efficient because the website's Quality Score will go up.

Suggested invoicing method: $/article.

Email me at nadeemalim@gmail.com for your content writing needs. Thank you.

AdWords Management Deal with Enhancements

Here is a list of what we will do for the company:

- We will enhance their list of desired keywords (what they want to sell) using industry-related keywords research, Google tools and information provided by the company.

- We will further focus their campaigns according to their target locations (where they want to sell) using location-specific keywords and ad types (geo-targeted advertising).

- We will revise, improve and manage their AdWords Campaign Management, Ad Groups/Types/Text, bidding strategy (Max CPC's and CPM's), Conversions (CTR/URL tracking reports), Analytics (click-rate, traffic sources), etc.

- AdWords account will be handled by people who have passed the Google Advertising Professionals exam/program and have been certified by Google as an "AdWords Qualified Individual."

- We will present reports to show the results of our efforts as requested.

The intended results of this will be an AdWords campaign that is more organized and unified in its theme and also has more optimized advertisements. This will enable us to utilize the budget better by eliminating clicks from customers that we don't want and reaching out to more of the type of customers that we do want (ie. attract more relevant traffic).

Suggested invoicing method: $/month.

Contact us at nadeemalim@gmail.com if you'd like us to manage/enhance your AdWords campaign.

SEO Services Deals

Initial Setup Deal (one-time cost):

The following brand enhancements will be made:

• Create profile page on Aboutus.org (a professional Wiki page)

• Add to online business directories (Google Maps, Yelp, Yahoo Maps, Superpages, etc.)

The following onsite enhancements will be made to the blog:

• Indexing/Organizing Content:

- Add index page (a live feed of all content).
- Add labeling system (label feeds, label links and label tags to categorize blog posts).
- Add site search (allows users to search within the site).

• Retaining Visitors/Integrating Pages:

- Create internal links within blog posts.
- Add menu links (“Featured Articles,” “Topics,” “Popular Posts,” “Archive,” “What is Citycast?”).

• Onsite Social Networking:

- Add Facebook “Like” button.
- Add Google Plus button.
- Add “Share” buttons (so visitors can share links to blog posts via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

The following offsite enhancements will be made for the website:

• Submit blog URL to search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing).

• Setup live ping feeds so search engines are notified whenever new content is added or old content is updated.

Social Networking & Maintenance Deal (monthly subscription):

• Add fresh content regularly (write and publish at least 2 blog posts/week with enhanced keywords optimization).

• Edit any additional blog content submitted by other writers to enhance SEO.

• Comments exchange (exchange comments with other bloggers).

• Blogroll exchange (exchange template links with other blogs).

• Feed exchange (exchange blog feeds with other blogs).

• In-page links exchange (get mentioned with links to website/blog on posts of blogs by other individuals and companies).

• Twitter correspondences (create Twitter account, post blog feeds, share company/product updates, gain followers, etc.).

• Press releases (write and publish press releases on prominent PR websites such as www.pr.com).

ADDITIONAL SERVICES/DEALS:

• AdWords – account management fee depends on PPC budget.

• Website monitoring (measuring and assessing page views, Google ranking, traffic sources, trends in traffic, etc.) – fee depends on website traffic and amount of detail required in reports.

Email us at nadeemalim@gmail.com if you wish to hire for any of these services. Thank you.

Annoying Manager at Ralphs Store

Today I took my mum grocery shopping at a Ralphs store in Irvine, California (this one is on Culver Drive near the 5 freeway). We bought a bunch of stuff from their discounts aisle including chocolate and sprinkle mini donuts, bread, garlic bread, and a cake. The cake looked very nice; it was a fudge brownie cake with smooth chocolate icing that was on the manager’s special price. Greatly pleased at our baskets full of goodies found during our shopping spree we proudly walked to the cashier line.

The store was not crowded at all and we went to a counter that just had one customer who was about to leave. There was no line so we did not go to the self-checkout since the Ralphs cashier could just scan in the barcodes for us. However, a manager walked by us and asked whether we are ready to check out the products that we had collected. We told him that we were, which turned out to be a regrettable mistake.

The manager walked us to the self-checkout counter and started scanning in our products. “Oh well,” I thought. At this point I did not have any problem with this Ralphs manager. However, after scanning in the items that we had bought and putting them in plastic bags he started talking to us about upgrading our Ralphs rewards cards. He gave us a marketing spiel saying that the old rewards card used to give customers a 5% discount but now it doesn’t. Although the old card can still be used to get the discount prices, there is no additional reduction on the final purchase. The new card on the other hand has some points system where you get $5 back after you have made purchases totaling to $500. This did not sound so good to me since in essence he was saying that now Ralphs is only giving 1% instead of 5% discounts. Anyway, my mum agreed to sign up for the new card.

So this is where this manager at the Irvine Ralphs store becomes rude. Of course his language is still all sugarcoated but his actions are disrespectful and selfish. He stops scanning the products from our shopping basket and goes off looking for a sign-up form that my mum has to fill out to get the new Ralphs rewards card. As he trots off my mum asks him what we need to do about our groceries and he says we need to select the “Pay” option and make the payment. So my mum completes the process on the self-checkout machine by herself. After that we just look at the manager wandering about in the store and then from a distance he says that he can’t find the sign-up form so we will have to come and fill it out some other time.

The story gets worse. I pick up the 2 shopping bags hanging on the self-checkout bar and put them in the trunk of the car. When we get home my mum checks the receipt and we realize that there are some items missing, including the chocolate fudge brownie cake that we were looking forward to eating! Although I do share the blame in this mishap occurring, here is what I think happened: the manager either did not take out the cake and other remaining items in our basket to scan on the self-checkout machine (although the items are on the receipt so this probably was not the case) or after scanning them in he put them in a shopping bag and placed the bag somewhere where I did not notice it when it was time to leave the store. You see there are many empty bags at the self-checkout counter and when a customer scans the items he or she knows which bags the items have been put in, but when a manager does it without handing over the bags to you or at least indicating which bags the customer needs to pick up they can easily get mixed with the cluster of empty bags and left behind. On a regular cashier counter I always check that I have not left any shopping bags behind, but this is harder to do at the self-checkout machine especially when someone else is processing your items. I wish this manager at the Irvine Ralphs store had just minded his own business rather than pretend that he wanted to help us just to act busy or look for an opportunity for a sales pitch. Now we have a bag missing from the groceries that we brought home and there is a delicious cake either sitting somewhere in the store in Irvine or has already landed in the stomach of some other customer who came by it while using the self-checkout machine. Just to clearly indicate the level of agony involved in this incident I’d like to remind you that this was a fudge brownie cake with creamy chocolate icing!

After-note: I called the phone number for the Ralphs store in Irvine the next day and they said they would replace the missing items. We managed to get all of the items that were missing, including the cake that was no longer on manager’s special price, although I did have to drive out there again. I told the manager upfront how I felt about the whole experience and he apologized, and I know people are just trying to do their job so I don’t hold any of this as a personal grudge. It was partially my fault too for leaving the bag behind but still I feel I shouldn’t have received such poor customer service. It got to me at first but now I’m okay!