The Christmas holiday is upon us and New Year’s is just around the corner.
With everything that’s going on in the next few weeks, don’t neglect to prepare to catapult your business in 2010.

I’ve put together a very limited offer to help you get started in the New Year! Everyone who joins the Smart Tactics Inner Circle, between December 11 & December 31st will also get a complimentary 90 minute Business Jumpstart Session via phone (valued at $195.00), plus your very own copy of the Smart Business Company Manual (valued at $46.97).

Your Business Jumpstart Session will be scheduled for the first week of January and your Smart Business Company Manual will be emailed to you the day before your Business Jumpstart Session, just in kick start the New Year.

Just click here to join the Smart Tactics Inner Circle and to get your business goodies.

It’s a 4 week business building web-based training program that will do just what the title suggests; give you Foolproof Strategies to Build a Thriving Business in 2010.

You’ll learn…

• the latest and best tactics, techniques, and strategies to generate leads and find clients
• how to structure your business to leverage what you know to create passive streams of income
• sales ideas and suggestions to handle your consultations and get more signed contracts
• a few tweaks you can do to your website to attract your target market and entice them to do business with you
• the best technology and resources that will help leverage your time and income

So check out the Virtual Assistant Cafe ’s Foolproof Strategies to Build a Thriving Business in 2010. Both your business and income will thank you.

Answer: Banners are a quick and easy way to promote or endorse a company, product or website you believe it.

How you add a banner to your sidebar depends in large part on the type of site you have. For example if you have a WordPress blog then it’s going to be a different process than if you have a HTML site.

Here it is in a nutshell –
First you’ll want to click on the button image and save it on your desktop. If you’re using Blogger then you’ll have to upload the image into an image host like Photobucket or Flickr.

WordPress Blog
1. From the admin panel choose “write new post.”
2. Upload the picture/button image you’re using
3. Go to “Manage” and then “Uploads” and click on the picture you want.
4. Copy the URL by highlighting the URL and hitting the control button on your keyboard and the letter C.
5. In the same ‘manage’ screen now go to ‘Presentation,’ and then ‘Sidebar Widgets.’
6. Add a text widget and enter your code. It will look something like this.
7. <a href=”www.insertbuttonlinkURLhere.com”>
<img src=”past your URL here”></a>
8. Close the text widget and save it. You’re good to go.

Typepad Blog
1. Login and access your files through your control panel.
2. Choose to upload a new file, find your saved image, and copy the URL.
3. Click the “Typelists” tab. Note if you do not already have a typelist follow the instructions on Typepad to create one.
4. Click “Add a new item” to your typlist and past the URL you copied in step two. It should look something like this.
5. <img src=”http://example.typepad.com/image.jpg”>
6. Enter the URL to the website you’d like the image linked to in the “link URL” box
7. Save and you’re good to go.

Blogger Blog
1. Login and click on “Layout”
2. Choose “Template” tab, then “Page Elements”
3. Click on “Add a Page Element”
4. Choose the “HTML/JavaScript” option and click the “Add to Blog” option.
5. Type the link code (found where your image is being hosted) into the “Content” field. Your code will look like this:
<a href=”http://websiteyourimageislinkingto.com”><img src=”http://www.yourimage.jpg”></a>
6. Save and your banner should be in the sidebar and linkable to the relevant website.

HTML website code
1. If you’re adding a sidebar banner to the HTML code on your website the code will look something like this:
2. <div align=”center”>
<a href=”http://yoursiteURL.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://yoursitename/images/banner125×125.jpg” alt=”Imagelocation?”></a>
</div>

Adding a banner to your sidebar is typically a pretty straightforward process. If you have any questions or difficulties, check with your website hosting documentation or blog developer documentation for clarification and FAQs.

Kick-Start your business by getting access to smart tactics like this one each month. When you join the Smart Tactics Inner Circle

You need to know what to look for, not only in looking at the prospective person's temperament but also looking at their experience, how they handle certain situations, what their referees say about them, and how easy it is to confirm their references. We'll talk in more detail about what to look for when seeking a project manager.

The very first thing you want to notice is how they apply. Did they apply in the way how you asked them to apply, assuming you gave specific instructions? Was it timely?

Another thing to look for is their personality, as they will be dealing with a lot of the public, other business owners and employees.

More things to look for in a project manager is whether or not they have practical experience as well as education. Verify their references. How well can they manage stress and scheduling? Can they multi-task well?

In an interview I also pay attention to how they talk about previous employers or other people. I always ask the question “Why should I hire you?” A good answer to this question can set a person apart and can show you whether they think outside the box or not.

You should be able to get a feel for how well they look in advance, to offset unforeseen issues. Find out what their potential plans would be for meetings, what kind, with whom and how often. Are they familiar with management software and if so what kind and how familiar are they? Do they have examples of solutions that they have used in the past that have helped with certain circumstances? Throw out a couple of scenarios and ask them how they would respond.

The information you gather should be able to clearly show if your potential project manager can strategize – whether or not they have the ability to keep to schedules yet know when to cross the line of having to redo the schedule to accommodate everyday changes, both within the company and the market changes and technology. Communication and collaboration will be a major key player.

Be creative and tough in interviewing prospective managers as this is your company and it is your right to be able to make sure you have the best you can find. You must be able to trust the person you hire as they will be your right hand, if not also part of the left.

Kick-Start your business by getting access to smart tactics like this one each month. When you join the Smart Tactics Inner Circle.

Newsletters -As a business owner, you have to communicate with your client, prospects and affiliates. A newsletter is a great way to do this. However, if you’re not comfortable writing a newsletter each month, you can outsource this task to someone who is more suited to it.

Autoresponders – Autoresponders, an automatic system of sending pre-written emails to your contact list, are great for saving time and money. You may not understand the concept, but there are people that would be willing to set up your autoresponder system for you. They will be able to create emails for nearly any reason you would send an email, all without having to personally attend to an email system.

Direct mailing – Keeping in contact with your client on a regular basis is a must. Having someone create your mailing material and do the actual mailing for you will make keeping in touch a breeze.

Outsourcing is an excellent way to get more done in your  business. There’s no reason that you, as the business owner, must attend to each and every task. Your time and effort would best be spent completing tasks that will help generate a higher income. Even though you may be putting out money by outsourcing these tasks, it might be some of the best money you’ll ever spend.

Kick-Start your business by getting access to smart tactics like this one each month. When you join the Smart Tactics Inner Circle.

Remind yourself that the whole reason of working from home was to spend more time with your kids. With that in mind, plan on working productively for an hour or two and then do something fun with the kids. Let them know that Mommy needs to work for a little while (and set a timer for younger kids or let older kids know how long you will work) and promise them something fun afterwards. Take them to the park, do a craft together or bake a batch of cookies. Then be sure to follow through on your promise.

Sometimes a child that keeps running to you just needs a quick hug or snuggle and some reassurance that he’s still the most important thing in the world to you. Spend those 5 or 10 minutes with him and he may be satisfied and play by himself the rest of the afternoon.

Working at home with kids in the house is all about finding a balance between your job as MOM and the work you are doing from your home office.

Arrange for play dates for your kids on a regular basis. Not only do you get to enjoy a few precious hours of peace and quiet when your child is at someone else’s house, but you can also get more done when your child is busy playing with the friend that’s over for a play date. Often your only interruptions are snack time, because the two children focus on each other and not on you. Find some moms in the neighborhood or in your child’s class to trade play dates with.

Of course you can also hire a sitter on occasion or ask grandma to keep your child entertained for a few hours. If you know you are going to work in your office the entire time and don’t mind the occasional interruption, consider getting a mother’s helper. This is usually an older child that you hire for a few dollars an hour to play with your kids, fix them little snacks etc.

Last, but not least create a treasure box for those times when you can’t find a sitter or play date and no other distraction or reasoning with your kids will work. Fill it with fun activities that your children can do by themselves. Simple crafts, coloring books, special toys they don’t get to play with any other time and even a few DVDs are all good choices for the treasure box. Take the box out as a last resort and let the kids pick what they would like to do. Make it clear that they are only allowed to play with things in the treasure box under the condition that they will let you work. A word of caution – The treasure box only works if it seen as very special, so don’t overuse it or it will stop working.

So, now that you have a few tricks up your sleeve, I hope you’re able to meet that deadline.

• that marketing your business is the easiest thing you have do today
• totally comfortable quoting your prices even though you know they are the highest in your industry
• that talking about what you comes as natural to you as breathing
• that money is no option because your business is producing all the revenue you need

Well, these are just a few of the feelings you’ll develop during the Smart eBusiness Moneymaking & Mindset Mastermind that’s starting this October!

The Smart eBusiness Moneymaking & Mindset Mastermind is an exclusive six-month program for a very small group of online entrepreneurs. If offers…

• A proven how-to system for jumpstarting your business enabling you to earn a great living doing what you enjoy and still have time for your life
• A proven system to develop the mindset & habits of a successful and profitable entrepreneur
• A new system to get things done and out of your head and off your desk

Whether you are just starting your business or have been business for a while you’ll be able to identify strategies that you can use immediately. The Smart eBusiness Moneymaking & Mindset Mastermind combines understandable and actionable advice, masterminding and a proven business-building curriculum that focuses on the smart tactics that will make your business profitable!

The twelve (12) spots will be filled by application only, so if you are ready to jumpstart your business and end this year with a bang and start next year on the right foot here’s what you do:

• STEP 1. Email me at SmartTactics @BerylPowell.com and request an application packet, put “Mastermind” in the subject line
• STEP 2. Thoroughly read the invitation letter, fill out the application and send it to me
• STEP 3. We’ll set up a time to talk one-on-one to answer any questions and be certain this is the best fit for both of us.

Please – only apply if you’re serious about jumpstarting your business and taking productive action to build your business grow faster and easily than you thought possible.

(Requesting and/or sending in your application does not commit you to the program. You and I will have an exploratory conversation first.)

The first step is to register with the social bookmarking website of your choice. This permits you to store your bookmarks, create tags and decide what is made public or private. Some sites will even conduct periodic tests to make sure the links bookmarked are still active.

Once you’ve started using social bookmarking it’s important to alert everyone, or “ping” your site or blog. This permits search engines to be notified of updates, which is an important step in the success of any website or weblog. Traffic is the key.

Sending a “ping” or notification to any of the major directories finds its major use in the area of blogs. When it comes to web sites or social bookmarking pages, pinging means “getting attention”, or “bringing attention to” something. This gives the search engines a break, as they don’t have to search so hard for updates. The ping programs will make sure everything is in check, each and every time there is an update.

There are many programs you can use for social bookmarking. Listed below are a few of those more frequently used, though you will find many more out there by doing a simple web search.

• Digg.com is presently the most popular social news site. Getting something on the front page of Digg.com can potentially drive 20,000 to 100,000 visitors over a few of days, plus 100’s of unique links to your post.
• Del.icio.us.com is not only a social bookmarking website, but gives you access to links other people have tagged as favorites, providing insight to the content people are searching for, and how your site is positioned for this. Tagging allows greater flexibility – giving a post multiple tags increases your chances of being viewed.
• StumbleUpon.com is a unique social community using a toolbar to view pages that are voted into categories you subscribe to. Unlike the other sites, there is no need for popularity here. StumbleUpon.com uses a recommendation system based on your category preferences. Traffic from StumbleUpon.com depends on the category, and can range from 3,000 to 20,000 visitors a week.

With many other options available, a simple search should enable you to find the perfect match of social bookmarking site for your own experience, as well as categorical emphasis you require.

Jumpstart your business by getting access to smart tactics like this one each month. When you join the Smart Tactics Inner Circle

This article addresses five pieces of information that, when documented, will allow the company to succeed without you.

Operations Manual: A solid operations manual can function as your company’s emergency plan. An operations manual will be the guide that allows the company heads to gain focus in a time that will require them to think quickly and remain effective. An operations manual can directly address each department’s logistics while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

Contact Information: “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.” This stresses the importance of documenting the current and historical contact information necessary for the business to continue to operate with minimal downtime. Although it’s imperative to include all client contact information, the master list should be broad enough to contain the full scope of people the business is dependent on. This includes a section dedicated to lawyers, accountants, website host, and any other outside resources your company utilizes on a regular basis.

Financial Records: It is crucial that a financial surrogate is created and given permission to act as the financial officer as needed. This surrogate can focus on any financial issues that may arise, including paying the business loan, using the business’ line of credit, and dealing with any potential crisis that may arise. The IRS doesn’t care about who is at the helm of the ship when they want to come aboard.

Business Plan: The owner may have a very good grasp on where the company is supposed to be headed over the course of the next year. Documenting the vision will provide a road map for the rest of the company. This direction will allow departments the guidance necessary to stay on task and on budget.

Technology Records: Technology is a key component of business. Keeping accurate records of domain name, logins, hardware/software inventory and backup file host and locations will ensure that if the infrastructure fails, the company will have the appropriate information to get back up and running as quickly as possible.

Documenting these key components using the Smart Business Company Manual will ensure you’ve covered all bases and that nothing is left out. You’ll be confident knowing your can maintain a “business as usual” approach even when you are not able to manage as usual.

By documenting the processes and systems of your business you are ensuring that your business will run the way you want it to whether you are running things or someone else. It also ensures that you will plan to withstand anything including natural disasters.

The Smart Business Company Manual is a comprehensive easy to follow workbook that makes documenting your operations, marketing and entire business a breeze. It also serves as your disaster plan, succession plan and dissolution manual all rolled into one. The Smart Business Company Manual gives you peace of mind and ensures your business is operated right no matter who was running things.

It lays everything out…

• So that you’ll have all your business information in one place at your fingertips
• Ensuring that all your procedures are handled the same way every time
• Allowing you to focus on your business because you can see what can be delegated and what should be improved
• So that employees and contractors will know their role and responsibilities
• So you can quickly update and revise it as your business grows and changes
• Increases the value of your company if you decide to sell
• The Smart Business Company Manual covers every aspect of your business including your identity, target market, marketing practices, steps to take in a disaster, what your survivors should do in the case of your death and the steps you should take to dissolve your company.

So, get your copy now.