| For many businesses, the holidays can be
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| | for your techie employees or one for a
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| a dreaded, slow time of year. But it
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| | book store for the readers of the bunch)
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| doesn't have to be that way. You may feel
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| | or let them choose where they'll spend
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| that slow business at the office and high
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| | their holiday cash by giving them a
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| 'busyness' at home are a perfect match,
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| | prepaid Visa or MasterCard gift card.
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| but the holidays offer many great
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| opportunities to boost your business.
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| Here are only eight smart things you can
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| do in the next few weeks to help propel
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| | 6. To move into 2007 with high energy,
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| your business into 2007 with a bang:
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| | help foster comaraderie amongst your
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| | employees by taking them away from the
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| | office for a good, long lunch or dinner
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| | with no 'shop talk' just good, clean fun
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| 1. Sponsor a contest around your
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| | and fellowship.
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| business. Radio stations love to give
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| things away for free. If you produce an
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| item, publish books, or provide services,
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| listen to the radio stations in your city
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| | 7. Take some of this slow holiday time
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| and figure out which one your customers
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| | to try something different. This might be
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| listen to. Then contact them about
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| | a good time to revamp your website,
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| setting up a contest to give something
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| | increasing its informational content
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| away...or maybe several somethings. You
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| | (which makes visitors stay longer),
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| can do this at any time of year, of
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| | finding additional ways to capture email
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| course, but if there's a way to tie your
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| | addresses for your list, or optimizing it
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| product, book, or service to a holiday
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| | for the search engines. Take your
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| theme, you've got your tie-in.
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| | webmaster out to lunch and put your heads
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| | together.
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| 2. Help others and help your business
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| at the same time by sponsoring a food
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| | 8. Your business may not be the
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| drive...or book drive...or blanket drive.
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| | biggest, the most profitable, or the
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| Pick a particular shelter or charity to
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| | widest known, but you have figured out
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| donate the items to, contact that radio
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| | smart ways to deal with a variety of
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| station you identified, and let the local
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| | business problems-from hiring techniques
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| papers know about your drive. Don't
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| | and handling difficult personalities to
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| forget to let the charity you chose know
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| | boosting online sales or protecting your
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| that good things are coming their
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| | intellectual property. Don't keep all
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| way...they may even do some PR on their
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| | your valuable 'nuggets' of business
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| own nickel, spreading your company's name
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| | management gold to yourself-in the spirit
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| even farther.
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| | of giving, share your success with other
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| | businessowners. One way to do that is by
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| | visiting and submitting your success
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| | story or advice to be used in a new book
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| 3. Get your employees involved in a
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| | titled "The Smartest Thing I Ever Did
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| project like serving at a soup kitchen at
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| | (TM) ...for My Business" which will be
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| Thanksgiving, or in the food/book/blanket
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| | published next year. Not only will you
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| drive. The larger the group you have
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| | help other businessowners who have found
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| involved, the more newsworthy it will be
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| | themselves in the same situations, but
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| for your local papers.
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| | you'll receive recognition with a byline
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| | and bio (plus you can pick up some free
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| | national exposure by including your web
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| | address). "Give and you shall receive!"
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| 4. If business is slow during this time
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| | What could be better?Kathryn Marion is
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| of year, take advantage of that fact to
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| | the creator of the new book series due
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| gather your employees for a session to
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| | out in 2007 called The Smartest Thing I
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| review the past year and set new goals
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| | Ever Did... (TM) She is seeking
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| for 2007 (personal, departmental, as well
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| | contributions of success stories and
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| as business-wide).
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| | advice for the first six titles: ...as a
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| | Parent, ...for My Marriage, ...for My
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| | Career, ...with My Money, ...for Myself,
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| | and ...for My Business. Visit for
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| 5. Was this year a profitable one for
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| | complete details and to make
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| you? Don't be stingy. One of the best
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| | contributions online. All contributions
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| things you can do with a portion of your
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| | published will include a byline and
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| profits is not to buy yourself or your
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| | author bio (which may include a website
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| spouse a new car with a big red ribbon on
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| | and/or email address, giving contributors
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| the hood, but to make an investment in
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| | valuable national exposure). She is also
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| your company by boosting morale-surprise
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| | the author of Success in the 'Real
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| your best employees with a bonus. Make it
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| | World', a book dedicated to helping
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| more personal than a check (though checks
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| | graduates succeed in their new life in
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| are great!) by giving them a gift card to
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| | the 'real world' of work and independent
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| a store that matches their interests
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| | living, which was distributed to almost
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| (such as a card for an electronics store
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| | 1.
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