Below is an excellent written article over at LittleThingsMatter by Todd Smith. It is definitely worth the read, and please share any thoughts by posting a comment. I would love to hear what you think about the article.
Have you ever stopped to think that every email you send makes an impression on someone? Each of these impressions plays an important role in defining your personal brand.
As I pointed out in the post What’s Your Brand? just as products carry a brand, people also carry a brand.
We are all branding ourselves every day in every way—by how we sound on the phone; by our appearance; by our physical shape; by how we acknowledge people and even by the way we communicate through email.
Take a few seconds to think of someone who is very friendly in his or her communications with you. Have you thought of someone? What’s your impression of this person?
Now think of someone who sends one-line emails, who gets to the bottom line quickly and seldom sounds friendly? How do you view this person?
If I were to ask you to give me the name of someone who seldom returns your emails, whose name would you give me? How do you feel about this person?
Are you beginning to see how email communications affects how you view people?
If the people you have communicated with over the last 30 days were to take an online survey to describe your personal email brand, what would the survey results show? Think about it. It’s important.
Now take a second and think about your goals, and consider the person you need to become to achieve your goals. Would these survey results be consistent with this person?
My mentor Jim Rohn said, “For your life to get better, you have got to get better” and email communication is part of getting better. Don’t ever allow yourself to think that something doesn’t matter- everything matters.
Here are my top 6 email branding tips:
1. Take the time- If you have read my time management posts, you know I think about time management every day. While I place a priority on effective time management, how I’m viewed is more important.
Even though it may take an extra few minutes to make sure my emails are properly composed and reflect a sincere and friendly personality, it’s worth it! Since email communication is my #1 method of communicating with others, I am intentional about how I present myself.
2. Return emails-If you fail to return emails or you don’t return them in a timely manner, you will negatively impact your brand. People who do not return their emails are considered by most people to be inconsiderate and irresponsible.
Let me encourage you to return 100% of the emails where a response would be considered appropriate. Let me also recommend responding to all emails where someone has done something for you, even if a response is not required. Saying something as simple as, “Thanks Josh” will be appreciated.
In today’s world I believe most people expect a response to their emails within 24 hours. While it may not be possible to return all your emails within 24 hours, make it the exception rather than the rule.
3. Use their name- Everyone likes to see and hear their name. In Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People, he talks about how people love to hear their name. Let me encourage you to take the extra 2-3 seconds to address people by their names.
4. Be Friendly- One of the most important keys to your personal and professional success is to be viewed as someone who is likable. The more likable you are, the more people will be attracted to you. I believe the number one way to be considered likable is to be friendly.
Take an extra 2 seconds to put “Hi” or “Hey” in front of a person’s name.
Let me also suggest that you take an extra 5-10 seconds to open and/or close your email with something friendly. A few examples:
“It’s great hearing from you.”
“Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.”
“I hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend.”
“I appreciate all you do.”
This extra effort will be recognized, because so few people do it.
5. Be Clear and Concise- After a friendly opening, my goal is to communicate my message with clarity, using the fewest number of words possible.
I want to be clear so people immediately understand my email without having to think about it or study it for the real meaning.
Being concise is valuable because it keeps me from typing unnecessary words and increases the odds of my email being returned in a timely manner.
Starting today, really work on saying what you want to say as clearly as you can, using the fewest number of words. This exercise will improve all of your written and verbal communications.
6. Proof it- Don’t allow your self to get sloppy. Proof every email you send. Under no circumstances do I send any email without proofing it at least once. If it is an important email, I will read it two to three times to make sure I am proud of it.
If you will be intentional about the way you present yourself through email as described in this lesson, your efforts will make you stand out from the crowd.
Since email communication is one of the primary ways people communicate, don’t underestimate its role in defining your personal brand.
It’s come to my attention that many of my friends do not know about some web-sites that I use on a daily basis to save me some money.
Groupon is the first of three sites I check daily to see if there is a deal worth purchasing. You can sign up for daily e-mail alerts or simply check the website for deals. Using your city, groupon will display a deal that is good to purchase for 24 hours only. I love the fact that it is only businesses in your community. They are able to offer some unbeatable prices because of the “group” effect. The deals typically are in the form of pay $10 and get $25 or pay $15 and get $35, etc. Even though the deal itself expires after 24 hours, once you buy a coupon its expiration is a significant time later.
Why should you try?
• Unbeatable price savings at establishments that are worth going to
• Try establishments you would not have heard of otherwise
• Supporting local community businesses
For example, I purchased a $10 for $25 groupon at American Roadhouse. I had never heard of the establishment, but after a quick google search and a peak at their menu, I decided it was worth trying. It is now my fiancée’s favorite restaurant for breakfast. I do have to admit they have a wicked good french toast but I digress.
Some of the other sites that perform in a similar capacity to Groupon are Living Social Deals and for you Atlantan’s Atlanta Half Off. The great thing about living social deals is that they do many other deals other than restaurants. One example is I purchased 4 tickets to mini-golf for very cheap.
If you have not heard of Groupon, get on the site today. Start checking daily and let me know how it goes. If you use Groupon or some other site, post a comment on what kind of deals you have received and let other readers know some of the secrets of the web.
Update: I forgot about this great contest Groupon setup. Watch the video to see what it was all about and who won the shot to win $100,000 by living off Groupons.
The article below is from a business brand perspective. Personal branding is a key driver to our professional success. Read this post from the “you” brand perspective. I have highlighted the brand promise points that I think would be beneficial as you continue in your career pursuits.
Clarify your strategic vision as a brand promise
Brand and business strategy are like the left and right hand. They are the yin and yang of well-planned businesses.
Your brand promise must be evident through:
·Internal service quality; which drives employee satisfaction and commitment.
·External service quality; which influences customer satisfaction and retention.
If the service qualities of both are aligned with a compelling brand promise then your strategic vision will be clearer to your target audiences, making the business more attractive and ownable. Perceived business relevance, profit growth and increased value will naturally follow.
Some people say that a brand is an ‘idea’ and that, while the product /service can be easily categorized, it is actually the promise of this idea that people buy into. This is what we call the brand promise and to define it will help your business address three key challenges.
1. Be different – motivate with a distinctive and clear proposition
2. Be valued – attract the right relationships with the right audiences
3. Be smart – encourage your audiences to support you in your marketing efforts
Being different in a world that is constantly evolving is the first. Just think of some of the changes you have seen in your lifetime. It is the same in the business world – nothing stands still anymore. Anything that does stand still gets left behind. Ensuring your business doesn’t get left behind is essential. Presenting a unique and memorable offering is often a basic requirement for motivating business success. Wrapping this offering in a memorable story is the best way to own a unique and motivating brand promise.
Secondly, your brand is a design, marketing, communication and human resource tool, which will enable your business to build trusted relationships with audiences. Being valued by each at any time is the key to strong performance. Making a promise and then keeping to it will help substantiate your story. This tangible evidence delivered across every point of interaction with your brand will help to build loyalty. The more the whole story lives the idea, the greater chance your business will have in attracting the right relationships with the right audiences.
Thirdly everything you do, everything you own and everything you produce, helps to communicate the brand promise – so be smart. Successful businesses are built on collaborative working and your audience will play a big role in helping you to develop the wider story. This is something your marketing team should actively seek; after all “word of mouth advocacy is worth millions spent on advertising”. It is therefore important that your audience understands your vision as a brand promise and can see how it belongs in their world. Your audience must be allowed to see the promise as something they can own. Make the story personal and your audiences will write themselves into it and in so doing will support you in your marketing efforts.
When is the 2009 Tax Filing Deadline?
This year it is Thursday, April 15th, 2010 because it did not fall on a weekend. If April 15th falls on a weekend, the deadline is pushed to the Monday after.
Does the return need to be in the IRS hands on the deadline?
No, the deadline does not mean that the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) has to have your return by that day. It simply means your return must be postmarked or e-filed on that day.
How long is an extension good for?
If you file an extension, it is for a 6 month extension. Essentially, your return must be postmarked by October 15th.
How do I file a tax extension?
For individuals, you need to file a Form 4868 by April 15th. It is a one page form and is very simple to fill out because it only needs your name, address, social, and how much you think your tax liability will be.
One thing to keep in mind is if you think you will be due a refund then just send the form in and this buys you some time to fill out your taxes if you were too busy to get to it.
However, if you think you are going to owe taxes then you should submit a check with your extension for the amount you anticipate owing. As an accountant, the last two weeks of busy season we are estimating what we think our clients will owe so they can submit a check with their extension. We do this because technically, April 15th is when payments are due. Filing an extension does not mean you bought yourself 6 months to do your taxes and make your payment. It only saves you from late filing penalties. You still will be liable for any payments that were due as of April 15th and you will owe some interest on top of what you owe.
For businesses, it is a very similar process only you need to file a Form 7004.
My fiancé referred me to something called Four Years. Go. At first glance, you would think it is a charitable organization, but really it is more a call to action grassroots type campaign.
I like the message it is sending to everyone because I think many of us are in denial about certain environmental things going on. For example, several weeks ago when the US had deep freezes here in the South and blizzards affecting the northeast I heard both on the major news networks and from facebook statuses commenting about global warming. They were saying things about how the current weather somehow discounts global warming. It is obvious to me that people still do not understand the difference between climate (long-term) and weather (short-term).
I encourage you to check out the video below or go to the 4YG – Four Years Go web site.
After reading another blog’s post on how to turn your clutter into cash at Get Rich Slowly, I went out and put it to action. As soon as I finished cooking dinner, I began to list over a dozen textbooks on amazon. Granted the majority are old editions and are likely to never get purchased, there were a few that seemed promising. I listed 16 different textbooks tonight! I’m anticipating that three of the 16 will sell rather quickly and will bring in a quick $200.
Too many times I feel bloggers have posted great content, but I think few actually put what is said into action. I encourage you to check out the blog post over at GRS and try to put it into action yourself. I did it myself and I am positive this is going to bring in some quick cash and get rid of some books that were just taking up space.
As you can see from the picture, I was definitely a goober for holding onto so many textbooks with the way publishers flood the market with new additions. I did manage to sell roughly 5-6 books for ~$300. Not a ton of cash but it helped out a lot. The remaining books I donated at a book drop that uses the proceeds to support causes in Africa. I’m hoping with the extra space in my bookshelf that I can merge our two 2-shelf bookcases into one and donate to goodwill one of the bookcases.
Well it is official. I am officially done taking all parts of the Uniform CPA exams. I passed BEC (81), Audit (75), Reg (82), and Financial (84) in that order and all on my first attemp. Only something like 10-15% of candidates do that. Unfortunately, I have to wait to tack that “, CPA” after my name until after this spring semester ends due to the 150 hour requirement. I will apply for my licensure in May once I get my grades. I am most looking forward to having my weekends back to do things like training for more marathons and dedicating more time to this blog. No longer will I have to sit in front of my computer watching Becker lectures from Peter Olinto and Tim Gearty. Thanks for all those who supported me during this long 2 year process. Now on to tackling my MBA.
On a side note, I am joining Best Blogs and hope I can increase some traffic through it.
Just wanted to update everyone that I have some good posts coming up on education credits / form 1098T, the making work pay credit, and how to handle taxes if you bought a house mid year. In addition, I am coming up with a survey soon that I will post on here that I would really appreciate some feedback on. Be on the lookout for these in the next few weeks.
On a personal level, I am running my first half-marathon (13.1 miles) this Sunday at the ING. For some reason a couple months ago, I decided it would be a good idea to run a marathon. I like to think it came from watching the biggest loser with my fiancé and reasoning that if these people who are twice my weight can run one then I should be able to run one. Rather than go all out and do the full 26.2 mile marathon, I decided to sign up for the half and ease into the full. My current plan is to run the half-marathon this Sunday, a 10k on July 4th, and then train all summer for the full-marathon on Turkey Day. I trained a good 6 weeks for it but the last 2-3 I have done very little running due to studying for CPA and just being lazy.
I will be finding out my results within a week for my CPA Financial exam that I took on February 20th. I guess it is good that I won’t know before my race on Sunday just in case I failed. If you don’t know much about what it takes to become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) here is the gist. There is a work, education, and exam requirement.
Work requirement: must work a minimum of 1 year in public accounting. (I can check this off thanks to working for a local public accounting firm when I got out of my undergrad.)
Exam requirement: is that you must pass 4 exams (Audit, Business Environment, Financial, and Regulation) withing a 18 month window of passing your first exam. If you do not pass all 4 within the 18 months you begin losing your earliest passed exams. To date I have passed Audit, BEC, and Regulation. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for Financial.
Education Requirement: This largely depends on what state you are seeking licensure in but for me in Georgia there are two. First, you must obtain 150 hours of schooling regardless of subject. Lastly, 30 of the 150 hours must be accounting related courses in excess of elementary accounting. In reality, this means you need 36 total hours of accounting (6 hour consist of financial and managerial accounting courses at 3 hours each).
And they wonder why there is a shortage of accountants? Thankfully, once this semester ends in May, I will have met the 150 hour requirement AND the 30 hour accounting course requirement. As long as I passed Financial, I will be a C-P-A!
Financially speaking, it costs approximately $1,000 to take the four exams thanks to fees that they tack on. Another $50 to apply for licensure, $25 to secretary of state for licensure, and $50 for a wall certificate. Like I’m not going to order a wall certificate after I spent 2 years of my life on these exam! The hidden cost that no one tells you about is for the study prep materials. This test is virtually impossible to do without taking some sort of study program like a becker, yeager, etc. Becker I know cost over $3,000, but I know that certain companies get special deals and cheaper rates with Becker such as Big 4 accounting firms. Thankfully, my previous employer paid for this when I started with them.
For more information on what it takes to become a CPA in your state Becker has a great chart that details all of the requirements here.
After reading another blog’s post on 
