How to Keep Your Back Happy

Sitting in front of a computer for hours on end isn’t great for the back. But for many of us this is an inevitable part of business as online entrepreneurs. However, this doesn’t have to spell disaster for our backs. With a few simple techniques you can ensure you keep your back happy and remain productive at work.

#1 – Get up. It’s important to take regular short breaks during your work hours. You can aim for five minutes every hour. During the five minutes, get up and do a few stretches, walk around the room and take a few deep breaths. All of this will help you remain flexible and give your muscles a much needed break.

#2 – Happy core = happy back. Research has shown that our core muscles play a big part in the health of our backs. Our core muscles are the trunk muscles in the center of the body.  A few simple but effective core exercises to strengthen this area, and thus your back, are:

Superman – Lie on your front with your forehead touching the floor and your arms and legs extended (in a “superman”position). Gently lift your right arm (keep it straight) and at the same time lift your left leg (keep it straight). You only need to lift a few inches off the floor for the exercise to take effect. Lift gently, in a controlled manner then lower to the ground and repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Work up to ten repetitions.

Plank – This is a popular yoga pose. Lie on your front and then get into an all fours position so that your body is supported on your knees and elbows (as if you were a dog or cat). Then gently lower your legs so that you are supporting your lower half using your feet. Think of a plank position. Keep your body straight and don’t arch your back. Build up to one minute.

Crunches on exercise ball – An exercise ball is very effective for working the core muscles. Do a simple crunch by supporting your upper half on a ball rather than the floor and gently crunch up for ten. Keep your breath controlled and your chin off your chest. Aim for ten repetitions.

#3 – Consider Pilates – Pilates has been proven to help many back ailments. It’s a very gentle form of exercise which will help strengthen your back and core muscles. However, form is paramount in Pilates. Learn the exercises from a registered Pilates instructor and where possible opt for a few private sessions before joining a class. Pilates can be a great all-round exercise for your health and back. but without proper form you may end up doing more harm than good.

#4 – Lose the weight -Carrying around extra weight can be hard on the back and joints. Losing a little weight can help relieve the pressure off your back and joints. If you’re overweight, start by taking a few regular weekly walks and slowly cutting down on a few extra calories. Small changes can add up to big results.

#5-  Consider Yoga-Yoga is a great way to maintain flexibility and thus stay pain free even if you do spend a lot of time at your desk. Take a class a couple of times a week and try to do a little yoga throughout the day as you take breaks. As your teacher for the best poses to help strengthen your back and core.

Back pain plagues many of us when we have a sedentary computer-based job, but with a few small changes you can improve it and in some cases get rid of it all together. These tips will help you get started.

Honesty in business is important. In the small business world, news quickly gets around about business owners who value their customers and conduct themselves in an ethical way ñ the same holds true for businesses that are not so ethical.

In a competitive world where small businesses need to stand out in order to survive, honesty is even more important. Here are a few tips for running an ethical and honest business:

# Treat people with respect – You’ve probably been taught to treat people how you’d like to be treated. The same holds true in business. Customers will notice when they are being treated fairly and respectfully. If a customer has an issue or is upset, it’s even more important that we listen to them and ensure they are properly taken care of. Your customer’s reaction is simply a sign that they are frustrated and angry because their expectations have not been met in some way.  By all means describe your services and market them, but do not overpromise and underdeliver, and always offer an unconditional 30-day money back guarantee.

Dr Gary Chapman is a great relationship counsellor, who has written a series of books called the 5 Love Languages, and has also produced the 5 Apology Languages. If your apology includes all 5 ‘languages’ you can feel pretty certain that your customer will be placated and even want to do MORE business with you, because you took the trouble to listen and make good on your mistake.  You can learn more here: 5 Languages of Apology

# 2- Honesty is the best policy – Whether it comes down to a testimonial for your website or deciding what fee to charge for your service, it pays to be honest and fair in all you do. Misuse of information or a testimonial can come back and bite you, and it’s just not worth the hassle in the first instance. Be consistent in all your communications.

You can always start out with testimonials from family members or friends which are still honest. When it comes to fees for services, it’s not to say you should undercharge for your services or necessarily use other businesses as a guide, but do think about your customers and whether or not you feel your fees are truly fair all around. You also need to know your market to ensure that you are competitive within it.

# 3- Don’t cut corners ñ If a customer is paying good money for a set service, then they will expect to receive that service to a high level. It’s important to maintain a high standard and not cut corners, whether it is in regard to products or services. Taking shortcuts can lead to business disasters, and a not so positive reputation.

# 4- Give back – Not everyone will agree that all businesses inherently have a responsibility to their communities and those less fortunate, but wouldn’t the world be a better place if perhaps they felt that they did? Not every person can manage to start a profitable business or work at a high-paying job. Giving back to the community, even in the smallest of ways, can make a difference to all involved. Even if you do not have a lot of ready cash, you can pass on your skills and knowledge and advice, take on interns, for example, who are eager to start in your chosen career, donate time at the local pet shelter, and so on.  It not only helps everyone, it is a way to network and show people you are a person of integrity. People do business with people they like.

And you donít have to be a large business to give back; a little goes a long way. Donating to a book fund at your local school or helping to build a community garden, giving back can take ways in many forms and is beneficial to everyone.

If financially it’s not viable for you to give back, how about offering an entrepreneurship opportunity to a local teen who would like to start a business? With a little thought, it’s easy to find a way to make a difference in your community and not just focus on business and money all the time.

# 5-Stick to your word -This is a fundamental part of good business ethics. Whether it’s meeting your deadlines or following through with a venture you agreed to, sticking to your word is always the best policy. People will come to respect you for your dependability and honesty. Customers are more likely to want to do business with someone they know they can rely on and you’ll feel better for accomplishing something that is often not easy for many.

Sometimes things happen and it’s difficult for us to follow through but wherever possible, try your best, and make sure that you communicate with your clients to let them know what is happening and when they can reasonably expect the work to be done. Everyone gets ill, has accidents and so on. It does not have to be a disaster if you keep people up to date on your progress.

Being honest in all aspects of your business communications will pay dividends in the long run, as well as simply being the right thing to do.

Working from home and being self-employed is one of the best ways to life the life you want.  If you have a knack for research, being an internet researcher may be the ideal entrepreneurial opportunity.  Itís also one of the easiest businesses to start.  Hereís how:

What You Need to Know

To be successful as an internet researcher youíll need to know how to maneuver online quickly and effectively. You’ll want to know how to get online and have a solid understanding of search engines and online research tools.  You’ll also want to know a good deal about a particular industry or type of research.

Many marketers, for example, have a need to understand their target audience and need market research.  If you understand market research, demographics, psychographics and keyword research then youíll be a valuable asset to this industry.

Create Your Office

To get started as an internet researcher, you’ll need a well-equipped home office.  Essentially, you’ll need a computer with a good internet connection.  Youíll also need some way to document the hours you work, bill your customers, pay your taxes and store your information.

Because research generates quite a volume of content and memory, it is advisable to have some sort of backup.  You can purchase an external hard drive or use online storage solutions.  Create a system to regularly back up your computer, and organize your information in a manner that makes it quick and easy to access.

For example, ask yourself “How would I find a client project I did 5 years ago?”

This is helpful if a client comes back to you later wanting more information or if your research projects overlap.

Get a Website

Because you are going to be researching online, it’s important to establish yourself online as well to demonstrate your ease working online.  Additionally, many of your clients will find you online.  Websites can be created quite easily and for very little expense.  You’ll need a domain name that represents your business, not your name, and will help people find you online.  You’ll also need a website host.

If you are lacking expertise when it comes to website creation and design, then you should consider setting up a blog, which requires no special software and can be organized as you go. WordPress is one of the most popular blogging programs.  It comes free if you get your domain hosted at Hostgator, and can be set up in minutes with just a few clicks once your url is set up by the hosting company.

Continued in part 2.

Creating and identifying your personal goals is key to your personal and professional life. Goals will help you stay motivated and help you break down what can be a momentous task into small manageable steps.

Here are some tips to help you create your own successful personal goal plan:

#1 -Chart your goals. Keeping track of your goals is important. You may want to start by charting down all of your goals in one place where you can easily keep track of them. Give your goals estimated dates of accomplishment and reward yourself as you tick off your successes.

Keeping track of your goals in this manner will help you stay motivated and keep you moving in the right direction. Experts have agreed that we are more likely to stick to our plans if we have well-thought out and specific goals weíre aiming for. Charting your goals helps you do that.

#2 – Overcome your obstacles. We all have obstacles we need to find a way around. In business, it may be balancing your family life with work, or perhaps squeezing in time to build your business around your full-time job. Whatever your current situation, it may help to write down your obstacles together with a resolution plan to help you get over them.

For example, if you have very little time to build your business, write a realistic plan to keep you on track. Even if you only have an hour a day, it is much more realistic to write that down than to aim for five hours and end up disappointed.

#3 – Celebrate your successes. Many of us have goals which we strive for, but often times we only celebrate our big accomplishments. However, it’s important to celebrate the small successes just as much as the big ones.

A good way to do this is to have smaller goals as well as large ones. Then chart your progress and identify all of your achievements, big or small.

Taking time to celebrate your small achievements will give you a sense of accomplishment which may help you tackle your larger goals.

You can celebrate with small treats such as purchasing that special item you’ve wanted for months, treating yourself to a special day, or going out for a celebration dinner. It really doesn’t matter how you celebrate as long as you acknowledge your job well done, and start focusing on your next goals.

When it comes to making your business known, there are a lot of ways to establish yourself online and off.  Businesses are becoming successful using social networking and blogging, but Yelp is a somewhat less known, but powerful way to make yourself known online and expand your business.

Yelp is a newer website, but the concept behind it has been around as long as businesses have.

Yelp has several different webpages, all for different cities.  It’s a listing of businesses, but it also includes the ability to rate and review the businesses.

When it comes down to it, word-of-mouth advertising is generally better than an everyday, average advertising campaign.  The reason?  Anyone can make a claim about their business.  But no matter how good that claim is, there’s no real guarantee that itís true because the business owner is making it themselves.  With word-of-mouth advertising, someone else is telling the consumer that the claim is true.

Whether it’s someone they trust, or simply someone who doesnít profit from what they’re saying (or even if they do), this is taken as a much more trustworthy source.  This way, you’re not only getting your name out there, you’re also getting your reputation out there.

So how can you use Yelp to your advantage?  First, make sure your business is in there.  That way, even if there are no reviews, at least youíve got your name out.  You can then use your Yelp page to add details, pictures, and even updates, and special offers about your business.

That way, new customers know what to expect, and have some extra incentive to come in along with previous customers’ experiences that assure them theyíre getting what you advertise.

Once you’re listed, make sure you’ve got quality reviews.  While some people may get family and friends to plant positive reviews, these are often easy to spot to the trained eye.  Why not just encourage customers to go online and write a review?

Yelp is not only good for finding new customers, you can also use it to communicate with current customers to keep them coming back.  You can talk to them privately, or communicate with them publicly so other customers can not only get answers, but also see that you take care of your customers even after you’re done providing services.

Another advantage of Yelp is that it allows you to recommend other businesses and more importantly, allows them to recommend you.  You can offer reciprocal links to local businesses, or provide them some other incentive for promoting you.  The more successful the other businesses, the better the links you’ll get from them.

The best part about Yelp is that once you set up your listing, it’s fairly easy to maintain.  Youíll need to update when you make business changes and keep up communication, but it only takes a few minutes and is well worth the benefit.