It is spring, and if you’re like me, you’re eager to get out and clean up the yard and the outside of your home (which reminds me, I need to get my lawn mower tuned up and the blades sharpened)! While sprucing up your home, ask yourself this: When was the last time you spruced up your home’s insurance policy?
 
Why is this important? Suppose a spring storm blows away part of your home. Is your policy adequate to cover rebuilding costs? If you haven’t reviewed your policy recently, you could be in for a shock (two shocks, actually, counting the storm). Keep in mind that the cost to rebuild is NOT the market value of your home, nor is it the purchase price or loan value (and it doesn’t include the value of your land). Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out if you’re fully covered.

Policies have their limits:

The bad news: your homeowners insurance policy also has limits on jewelry coverage. The good news: you can get an affordable separate policy to cover the loss of that diamond ring or those heirloom ruby cufflinks.
 
Other purchases might also require separate policies. For example, if you purchased a fishing boat, you will need liability insurance and protection. Don’t let a spring storm sink your boat only to find out it’s not covered! Same story if you decided to save on gasoline by buying a motorcycle or scooter: your homeowners insurance doesn’t cover these items.

The Bottom Line:

Find out what is and isn’t covered BEFORE a loss occurs! Plus, when you review your policy with your agent you can make sure you are receiving all the discounts you are entitled to, and are placed with the best company for your specific needs.

Update your homeowners insurance policy today and you’ll rest easier before and after spring storms hit. To learn more, discuss your specific needs, or to get a free review of your homeowners insurance policy, contact me!

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NEW NAME, EXPANDED FOCUS, SAME GREAT SERVICE!

Where do you get your next best client? If you are like most businesses, it is from a past or current customer referral. So, what are you doing to stay “top of mind” with them?
 
Relevate is ready to help you connect with past and current clients AND help you begin connecting with potential future clients to build strong customer relationships for enhanced customer loyalty. It’s all designed to improve your bottom line.
 
We are still doing many of the projects we were doing before as Admin Advantage (e-newsletters, social media, correspondence and more), but now — as Relevate — we get to be more strategic about it! How exciting!
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RECOMMENDATIONS:

Do you have young children or aging parents? Check out Home Safe Homes at (317) 773-1996. Kent will help you keep your loved ones safe from harm.

Also, I just finished reading The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz. It’s an easy read and so very powerful! Take some time for yourself and read this book. Very much worth it!

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A PERSONAL MESSAGE:

It’s all about building relationships! Check out this quote I read this week – so very true!
 
“Trying to close a prospect, even a referred prospect, before they really know what value you can bring is like asking someone to marry you without going on a date.”

John Jantsch

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I recently received word from a prospect that she had opted for a “lower cost” online program. That’s fine, of course; I’m glad she found a good fit for her needs and I hope it serves her well. Indeed, lower cost platforms do exist. They’re ripe for the picking.

(For perspective, keep in mind that TipTopics plans start at just $39 a month. Now, back to our program…)

What concerns me about her decision is that by choosing a cheap, limited-reach, you-gotta-do-everything-yourself alternative, she’s probably ignoring the value of her time AND inviting potential risks to her reputation.

Here’s what I mean:

Ordinary programs typically require you to be the writer, editor, designer, contact manager, and even an HTML coder and troubleshooting geek. That takes effort. That takes skill. That takes time. In fact, with most programs, you’ll likely spend from 4 to 12 hours, or even more, every month to manage your email-only program. On the other hand, with TipTopics, you’ll probably spend no more than an hour each month (some report that TipTopics takes just 15 to 30 minutes). So before you go solo with another program, keep that time factor in mind.

And what about those potential risks to your reputation? If you use another program, you’re typically on your own. And without a professional advocate in your corner, you could make a damaging misstep. Do you know how to write a subject line to maximize interest? Do you know how to craft a “hook” to encourage opens and click-throughs? Do you know how to prepare each message or longer-form article to enhance your image? Do you know how to position yourself as a trusted authority and “go-to” expert?

That’s why we created TipTopics: to empower you  to send more professional messages with better reach (but with a lot less effort). We make it easy for you to go beyond the inbox to deliver messages that matter to connections that count. And at the risk of repeating myself, we do this “heavy lifting” for as little as $39 a month.

So what is your time worth? What is your reputation worth? Just asking…

Want more information? Email me or call me at 1.888.Get.Tip.1 (that’s 1.888.438.8471). Of course, you can also visit www.tiptopics.com and check out the PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS page. Do it today. After all, time’s a-wastin’.

FOLLOW TIPTOPICS ON TWITTER:

TipTopics is on Twitter, too. Just look for @TipTopics.

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QUICK TIP:

I’ve recently shared some ways a Virtual Assistant can be an integral part of your business. It’s important to remember that a VA can become a valued partner in your productivity without the added overhead and related expenses that accompany employing an in-house assistant. Even if you already have an assistant, but could still use additional help, here are some more ways a VA can save you time and money:

• Let’s say you want to monitor customer satisfaction. Your VA could prepare a customer feedback questionnaire, and then either personally contact or mail the questionnaire to your customers, or distribute it as an online/email survey. The VA can then summarize the responses and report the findings.
• Or maybe you need to prepare a brochure, flyer, website, or manual, and need assistance with draft copy. Your VA can write, format, and proofread these documents, and even work with graphic designers, printers and other third-parties to take care of basic production issues.

Using a Virtual Assistant can give you peace of mind knowing that projects and tasks are getting done promptly and professionally.
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A RECOMMENDATION:

Are you stuck in “Excel Hell?” Are you ready for a custom software system that can save you time and headaches? Contact Mack at Agile Reasoning: (317) 542-3145
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE:

The holidays are right around the corner! Do you plan on showing your clients and customers how much you appreciate their business with cards and/or gifts? Let us be your seasonal Virtual Assistant. It’s a great time, and a great way, to try out using a VA!
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Carl W. Buechner

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QUICK TIP:

Accomplishing your goals begins with wanting to accomplish them. That may sound simple, and it is, but people are often afraid of being successful.

Imagine yourself having accomplished your goal and pay attention to how you feel, particularly to your body and any self-talk. If you feel stress in your body or there is any negative self-talk, what is it about accomplishing that goal that you are afraid of? Be honest with yourself.

Once you are certain you want to accomplish that goal, commit to being successful. See yourself already having accomplished it. See yourself fully confident, standing tall, smiling, handling even the most difficult situations with ease. Feel the joy and the pride of having accomplished your goal.

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A RECOMMENDATION:

Visit Stone Creek Dining Company at Metropolis Lifestyle Center in Plainfield for great food & drinks and excellent service!

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A PERSONAL MESSAGE:

Joel Weldon says, “Success comes in cans, not in cannots.” A relatively new science is emerging that proves the power of belief. Many have thought that what we believe we can achieve. It is actually even more powerful than that. We can actually change our DNA by holding a belief strongly enough. Is that the power of prayer and faith? Whatever it is, it begs the question, “What is possible?” Remember that you hold the key to your success: “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”
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QUICK TIP:

It’s a balancing act for entrepreneurs and small business owners: finding effective ways to cut costs and save time while also implementing new business growth strategies. Is there a solution that can help accomplish both objectives? You bet there is: hire a virtual assistant.

VAs provide affordable virtual office support services to busy professionals like you, freeing up time and money so you can focus on stregic business growth.

The past few months, I’ve shared some ways a VA can help you in your business. Here are a couple more:

• Want to publish a monthly or quarterly newsletter? You can provide your VA with the content and mailing list, and the VA will take care of it for you. Maybe your VA can even write the content for you – we do!
• Want to know more about your competitors? Have your VA do internet research and report the findings. This essential information can help your business succeed in today’s competitive marketplace.

There are many other ways to use a VA. What tasks would YOU like to outsource? Contact me and we’ll discuss your specific needs.
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WORDS OF WISDOM:

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

- commonly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps an adaptation of a work by Bessie Stanley

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QUICK TIP:

The question comes up again and again: “Just how can I benefit from using a virtual assistant?” The questioner is always surprised at how much a VA can do…virtually.

Here are just a couple ways we can save one of your most prized possessions – time:

1. Let’s say you’re preparing a report and need the draft copy formatted. Simply send the draft as an email attachment to your VA. The VA will edit and format the document, and then return it as an updated attachment.
2. Or maybe you want to promote your website; again, it’s VA to the rescue. The VA can submit the site’s URL, keywords, and description to various search engines on a routine basis.

There are, of course, many more ways to use a VA. What tasks would YOU like to outsource? Contact me and we’ll discuss your specific needs.

If your interactions are ruled by generosity, your rewards will follow suit.

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QUICK TIP:

Feeling overwhelmed?

Thinking it might be time to hire someone part-time, but not sure if you really want to go that route? Why not think “outside the office” and outsource?

Here are a couple more ways you might use a virtual assistant (VA) to help save time and money:

1. If you have routine paperwork that must be completed daily, you could call or email the VA with the information. The VA fills out the form or other paperwork and faxes or emails it to the home office.
2. If you receive employment applications, you could fax or scan-and-email them to the VA. The VA can then verify each applicant’s past employment, call the references, and even perform phone screenings. The VA can then report back with the findings.

There are, of course, many more ways to use a VA. What tasks would YOU like to outsource?

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QUICK TIP:

“How Could I Use a Virtual Assistant?”

I get asked this question on a regular basis, and I thought I would start my TipTopics monthly messages with a couple ways a virtual assistant (VA) could save you time (which, of course, could also save you money). 

1. Let’s say you need to confirm weekly sales appointments. You could fax or email the list to the VA, and the VA calls the appointments, notes who has confirmed and who must be rescheduled. The VA then faxes or emails your list back to you and you can go about your sales calls with confidence.
2. You collect business cards all month, and then mail the cards to the VA. The VA then enters the data into your database and sends it via email attachment to be downloaded into a CRM or similar contact management system. With your contacts updated frequently, you can make the right connections more often.

That’s just a couple of ways a VA could lighten your workload. What tasks could YOU delegate to a virtual assistant?

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A RECOMMENDATION:

I encourage you to check out the Community First Initiative – a wonderful organization providing specialized mentor programs. Learn more at http://www.go-cfi.org.

Whatever is expressed is impressed. Whatever you say to yourself, with emotion, generates thoughts, ideas and behaviors consistent with those words. Make it a great day!

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