Google: Check your name every now and then...

I just googled mine and found the following:

2010 Afrivan Nominees:
Achievement Award Nominee Category
 Gaynor Paynter - Typewrite Transcription
 VA Regional Award Nominee Category
 Gaynor Paynter- TAVASA

I wasn't notified that I was a nominee so I am rather pleased about this. :-)

URGENT JOB LEAD Contact Thembeni direct

Job Lead 5 diagrams structures that need done in colour and needed Monday Contact: 0769459290 Thembeni Mahlangu thembenima@gmail.com

Accounting solution entrepreneur: We talk to Gail Emmerick: figg Excel Accounting products and entrepreneur

Hi everybody,

You will see on our site that we are a dealer of figg Excel accounting products.  We deal in products that we believe in that will make a difference to entrepreneurs and startups and figg is such a product.  figg is accounting for non accountants. It consists of easy to use Excel spreadsheets to manage your accounting needs.

View this presentation video and read our interview where we talk to Gail Emmerick, partner in the business.



Here we speak to Gail Emmerick, partner in the business and female entrepreneur of 20 years' standing. Gail is also a shareholder at Abafazi Guest House and her specialities include developing Excel Accounting Products, Training, Management and HR Consulting.  We asked Gail to share some information with up and coming entrepreneurs.

1)      Tell us something about yourself - how long have you been in business and what motivates you to keep on going?

Hi Gaynor!  It was always difficult for me to answer questions from friends asking “but what do you do for fun?” because they knew that I was always “working”.  It’s not difficult to answer that question since I figured out a few years ago that my work happens to be my hobby also, although I still get many sighs and raised eyebrows with my answer! 

2) Were there any pitfalls early in business that you would warn new businesses about now - accounting or non accounting related?  Thousands but I will try to relay to you the main one’s.  Don’t give credit to anyone unless you have all the tools available to verify their excellent credit standing.  Be proud and confident enough in your product or service to sell it cash up front or don’t sell at all.  Don’t ever let record keeping be a nuisance and make sure you have business management reports monthly to manage the income and costs of your business.  A healthy cash flow is never enough to sustain a business.  If record keeping is a nuisance to you, don’t run your own business.

3) and what do you consider to be your biggest business achievement?  Maintaining a strong business relationship with all my clients for more than 15 years.

4) Your website describes figg Products as Accounting Products for non Accountants. Tell us a little more about why you decided to produce something that would be user friendly for all business owners?  This was a choice resulting from my own personal experience as a business consultant in that I have only ever consulted to businesses with leaders who are skilled in sales and marketing,  I have a respect for and understanding of sales and marketing entrepreneurs and want to share this respect and understanding with a broad customer base.

5) For the small business owner, what set or suite of figg products to you recommend to them to facilitate their growth in their businesses?  The Business Budget, the Business Admin Documents and the Integrated Accounting System.

6)  Where to from here for figg ... where does the business see itself in five and ten years time?  Due to me and my partner Brendon’s wish to serve a broad customer base, it is our goal to be sponsored by Corporate companies to take our products into under priviledged communities to use both as business educational tools and as small business entrepreneurial tools.

7) Many of the readers of this page are one person business owners. Can you share any good business tips that can help them grow in their own businesses?  Daily prioritising must include sales and admin.  Keep a list to tick off and re-prioritise daily – keep the list on one page or in one file, not “all over the show on bits of paper.  Don’t give up.  Even if the Sherriff comes to take you and your possessions away, regroup and carry on.

Damaria Senne - Generating free publicity for your business

Hi all a guest post from renowned Kensington author Damaria Senne. 

Generating free publicity for your business

By Damaria Senne

I recently launched an ebook entitled “How to get quoted in the media” and I’m sure some small business owners are wondering how that applies to them. Sure they want to advertise their products and services, but what does that have to do with articles where they get interviewed by journalists?  And would journalists even be interested in their stories?

The truth is that making that link between your small business and news items is not easy, but it can be done. How?

1. Identify whether you are in a new or growing industry

Say you’re a transcriptionist or virtual assistant: how many people in your town/even in your country know what a virtual assistant is or what she does? If you live in South Africa, not many people know about virtual assistants, making your industry newsworthy by virtue of its newness.   Is it a growing industry? Definitely! As more people access the Internet, start their own businesses online and offline, there is a growing need for more virtual assistants who can do the work when needed regardless of their location.

And if you don’t work in a new industry (e.g. you offer HR services to small business), no worries, it doesn’t mean that you can’t generate free publicity through news items for your business.

2. Generate story ideas out of the nature of your business

Offhand, I can think of the following:

Small business news – as a business owner in a certain niche, you know best the research that is being done in your industry. For example, how has the growth of Internet access worldwide affected the growth of number of virtual workers ( including virtual assistants). How does that affect people in South Africa? That kind of story would probably interest a small business publication. Or if unemployment is a big issue in your town, you could pitch a story on virtual work as an option. The focus of the story would be unemployment, and you’d make it clear to the reporter that you expect them to focus on interviews with the local experts on the matter. However, your part is to offer a possible alternative. Shows you understand that community news is not about you but introduces you as a thought leader.

 Lifestyle news- Lots of articles have already been written about the work –at-home brigade: how we have flexible hours, can work in our pyjamas, take care of our children while we work etc. Is there anything fresh that we can still say? I think so.  So far, it’s the advantages that are being punted strongly. But what are the disadvantages for the workers: the loneliness, the long hours?  Are we telling people who want to consider working from home/who already work from home how to cope with these issues? Are we painting a realistic picture and giving people the tools to cope?

Your product stories – As my co-author Christelle du Toit and I say in our latest ebook, How to get quoted in the media, please don’t try to tell a journalist how wonderful and innovative your product is. That is the fastest way to kill a story, because everyone selling a product or service tells a journalist theirs is the innovative product. But, you can sell yourself as a thought leader in your community for the industry your product belongs to. Say you sell cosmetic products: why not pitch some skin care/hair care story ideas to your local health and beauty editor? For example, suggest that she do a story on how local men like well-made up women versus natural looking women. That kind of piece should get a laugh out of your community’s readers, mostly because the people involved know each other. And such an article is better than one more trite piece culled selling not so new trends from international magazines.

3. You are a story

Does your local newspaper/magazine publish profiles of local people? If so, find out what their criteria are and whether they would be willing to do a profile of you. This is especially relevant if you recently did something different (I’m selling the fact that I wrote and published a book) / won a prize.

In your pitch, show why locals would want to know about you. And don’t try to sell your products, just focus on the profile itself.

In conclusion, making the link between your business and publicity will require you to do some deep thinking, and to tailor each story idea for the person you are approaching. And yes, I had to do some deep thinking about what would be relevant for people reading Gaynor’s blog before I wrote this piece. You deserve more than just a cooker-cutter story.

Some story ideas will work; others not so much. You will just have to be persistent because the publicity will get more interested in your business, which will eventually lead to more sales, making you money.

Author Biography

Damaria Senne is a writer based in Johannesburg. She recently co-wrote an ebook with Christelle du Toit entitled:” How to get quoted in the media.” The ebook is available for download at her online store (link to online store http://www.facebook.com/damaria.senne#!/pages/Damaria-Senne-Media/123235287780213?sk=app_109411145786630.) You can also download a free sample at her online store. Learn more about Damaria at her blog called Storypot (link to Storypot http://damariasenne.blogspot.com)

New Business: Don't forget your existing clients

Don't be so focussed on looking for new business that you forget your existing clients

A sign that you are providing a quality service is when customers come back to you for repeat business. Don't be so focussed on getting new business that you neglect your existing customer base. Keep existing customers informed of new business services, new develoopments... just keep in touch with them from time to time and keep meeting service delivery agreements.

It's a good idea to every now and again go and reread and brush up on service delivery agreements signed between you and existing clients. Just to make sure that you are adhering to the letter of the law with your agreement between you and them, to ensure that you are keeping to confidentiality clauses and respecting what they are asking you to do.  This will also help you ensure that THEY are doing what they are supposed to do in terms of their contractual agreement with you. If you find that they are not, a little gentle reminder can be beneficial. Remember, your old clients are the loyal tried and trusted ones, where the new ones, you don't know so well yet.

Giveaway of the Day.

Hello guys,

Thank goodness here in the Southern hemisphere winter is over and in Johannesburg, South Africa, we have glorious spring days. Hope you are all comfortable wherever you are! 

Worth a mention today is Giveaway of the Day. They always give away great stuff if you are fast enough to download it within 24 hours, but today's is a tool that is valuable to the transcription industry and to people in writing, proofreading and editing circles. Check it out: http://giveawayoftheday.com/whitesmoke-2011/. Here's the write up about it. The program is available for $ 249.95, but it will be free as a time-limited offer. Throughout the world the need for communication between countries and international business is growing and as a result, so is the need for a common language: English. WhiteSmoke 2011 involves Natural Language Processing (or NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) which allows the software to “learn” the way the human mind works in the process of writing, thus going beyond providing grammatical and typographical corrections, but also improving the style, tone and clarity of your writing. The 2011 version is an all-in-one, hybrid solution for English writing, providing a convenient and easy to use writing tool that works directly from any text-based application. WhiteSmoke 2011 includes the a comprehensive English writing tool, full-text translator, multilingual dictionary and a multitude of ready-to-use templates. Be quick and get it!

Useful transcription tools

Hi everybody. I thought that I would list here some tools that I use from day to day that make my life as a transcriptionist much easier. Please feel free to add to this list, and ask me about the usage of these tools. Any tool I list here, I have personally used and recommend

Express Scribe It's a free transcription tool which allows you to slow down and speed up audio and is downloadable from www.nch.com.au

Any Audio Converter. It literally converts audio to any format, particularly to formats that are workable by the above Express Scribe.

Sendspace. It's a secure FTP server, free, which allows you to send files to others which are too big to be emailed.

Skype is an internet based telephony programme which allows you to chat via the internet to your customers free of charge.

Wavepad is a very useful sound editing programme which allows you to clip audio to particular lengths, enhance the quality of it and edit it - free.

Bullzip allows you to print to PDF format. There are many more, but these are the ones that I use from day to day.

Job - AMF TYPING

Hi everyone Alison Fourie needs some assistance with a monthly job she will have - Please contact her directly: - I am in Roodepoort, Roodekrans. We will be going through a document and checking references, and making sure they match up. I know its dull and boring work but it will go quickly. I will pay on an hourly rate. So email me on amftyping@mweb.co.za and let me know your rate. Regards Ali

Social Media and Why You Need an Expert to Do It.

Flickr, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Myspace, Friendster, Linked In ...... what are they all? You can go crazy hearing about them all!!!!! Even more daunting - 'Blogging!' What are they all? Even if you do know them, for years, you've been told they're for personal use, not for business use. Now, suddenly, you're hearing that you have to use them for business. So, you know you need them for your business, but you're not sure what to do with them! You've started with Facebook, you've got a profile, and you've got some friends on there, so what do you do now?

In a nutshell, these are online social and business networks. Even this sort of terminology can leave you confused. But it needn't. Let's break it down. Online is simple, it's on the internet. Social. Well you know what that means - friends. In this case, let's take it a little further. Most social networks use the term 'friend' a little loosely. I have 397 Facebook friends. To be honest, I think 'acquaintance', or 'associate' would be more accurate, but 'Facebook Associate' doesn't sound quite the same as 'Facebook friend'. Business is business ... and a network is a large interconnected group of people who move in your business or social circle.

So there you have it, broken down in a nutshell. And why would YOU want to be a part of this? Statistics show that as of early 2011, there are more than 5 millon active Facebook users. That's Facebook alone, just one of the social networks available. Given the concept of the six degrees of separation (wherein it is thought that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from everyone in the world), how can you NOT be involved in something where, by the simple act of posting or commenting to inform your group of friends about an idea, there is the chance that within six steps or less, all 5 million Facebook users, and wider, the world, will be aware of what you're doing?

So now you're thinking right, so I can do this, and I can get great access to a huge market, simply by being online. Here's where the crux of the matter comes in. Social networking is time consuming, as it needs to be kept up with on a day to day basis to be effective. It also requires a certain skill. You need to be able to write literately, and have a bit of imagination, and be able to impart knowledge about your business. And the problem with all of this of course is the fact that whilst you're doing this, you're not doing your core business.

And that, everybody, is why you need Typewrite Transcription and Typing Services CC to handle your social media function for you.

Corporate Social Responsibility

I recently came across this interesting piece on Corporate Social Responsibility. It explains it in an easy to understand way for the South African market.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1075408480&type=RESOURCES


When you choose your employers, suppliers, or your clients, or anybody else you deal directly with in your business, how closely do you think about the level of social responsibility that particular company has? I recently worked for a company which purported to be socially conscious and advocated this, but didn't recycle its paper. This bemused me. In Johannesburg, it's easy to take your paper out on a Tuesday or whatever day and have it recycled, no matter how small or large your business is. Do you insist on receiving a company's NPO number before you offer to do good for that company, or do you just do good and not care about getting a tax break? Every business be it big or small can give something back to its community. What do you give back to yours? Do you donate your time, or your services, or your skills, or money? Or do you not donate at all?

Typewrite Transcription and Typing Services CC is a proud supporter of the I Love Kensington Association which needs funds for animal and people welfare.

CV Writing: The Art of Preparing A CV

The art of preparing a CV need not be as tedious or as overwhelming as you may feel that it is. It is understandable that to the person faced with finding a job or with getting him or herself promoted, the very act of putting together the document which is supposed to sell you to your potential employer can feel overwhelming, or even impossible.

This need not be the case. A good rule of thumb when writing a CV is to break it down into 'bitesized parts'. Think of the various aspects that you need to put a good CV together. You need a cover letter, you need a short CV for faxing, and you need a longer, more detailed CV. The longer, detailed CV can be broken down even further. You might want to include a photograph in that CV. You are going to want to include your personal information, your education and your working history. You can look at things like community involvement and other notale things that you have done to make your CV noteworthy.

Perhaps one of the most important things to consider when preparing your CV is something which actually doesn't pertain directly to you. It's the job specification. You might have come across a job specification which you know you comply 100% with, and you send your CV off in great hope, only to get a rejection, or worse, nothing, back. And you ask yourself what has gone wrong. Have you considered that even though you know you comply, your CV may not address the points that will show that you comply with that specific job specification? In other words, you may have done both adminstration and graphic design in your previous careers, but if you are applying now for a graphic design job, sending in a CV which talks mainly about administration probably will not get you the job. If you try, and simply keep on failing, it is wise to consult with a professional CV writing service.

To summarise: Break your CV and cover letter down into bite sized chunks, and ensure that it is relevant to the position that you are applying for. If you do not achieve success, it is wise to consult with a professional CV writing service.

CV Writing and Job Preparedness Training

I will be presenting CV Writing and Job Preparedness Training on 21 May at 10:00 at St Giles Home for the Physically Disabled in 11th Avenue in Dewetshof, Johanesburg on 21 May at 10:00. Some of the proceeds will go to the home. Seats are going fast, so you need to book TODAY on 083 442 4689 or gaynorpay@gmail.com

I will be conducting training on the above topics with fully indepth courses on both subjects covering subjects such as

- how to prepare your CV
- what information to include
- how to write your cover letter
- body language
- references
- researching the company
- preparing for the job interview

Catering by the fantastic The Local Chef - not to be missed!!! Cost - R150.

We will have skype and online conference room functionality availabiity for those who cannot be there in person, and this will be charged at R75 per person.

16 Days of Activism - Fight the Abuses in Your Life

My friend Damaria Senne asked me to participate in her blog party for the 16 Days of Activism against women and child abuse, and place particular emphasis on the fact that I have my own transcription business. Damaria is suggesting that if a woman who is in a position of being abused is able to work for herself and therefore create employment for herself, she may be able to change the situation of her abuse and perhaps get out of it.

Now, I’m not going to say that I’m writing from a position of experience. I usually do like to write from my own experience. But in this case, thankfully, I’m not. However, as a child, I was twice in a position where men tried to abuse me. Nothing came of it, but I was in a threatening situation and I didn’t like it. The other day somebody told me that he was in a similar position, and it profoundly impacted his life even though he didn't actually get abused - that feeling of fear and complete vulnerability was enough to strip him of all his dignity, and all his trust, and although I haven't explored it fully, I think that is possibly true of me too. I think it is potentially this that has made me sensitive to the needs of abused women and children in today’s society.

It is for this reason – that I want to make a difference to people’s lives – that I serve on the committee of my local residents association, the I Love Kensington Association (ILKA). In September of this year the ILKA committee was approached by Ivan Jardine of the AIDS Army for assistance in a project that he was organising - The Flame of Hope and Healing - whereby blankets were to be crocheted and presented to children affected by HIV and Aids together with a special message of hope. Ivan’s words to me were that he wants to teach abused children that there are ways in which they can fight the abuses in their lives. So, of course, I was sold on helping in this project.

The project culminated in a showdown event on 4th of December 2010. Over 800 blankets in total were collected - 67 were made and donated by Diepkloof Prison. 250 children affected by Aids or HIV were present on the day and each received a blanket with a special message of love and hope. The overwhelming message given to them on the day was that they could fight the abuses in their lives – with love given to them by others, but also by the strength and abilities that they have themselves.

So I came away from this day thinking about this message, and thinking about the blog post Damaria had asked me to write and it occurred to me that an abused woman could begin to fight the abuses in her life by taking the first steps against it. It is possible that that step could be starting to work from home. Abused women come from all walks of life; all societies and all levels of affluence, and abusers in some situations like to keep control by not letting the woman go out to work or to visit friends, etc, etc. If that woman has access to the internet or to a computer, she could start up as a transcriptionist and it is here where a mentor or a forum such as the Transcriptionists and VAs of South Africa (TAVASA) which has been set up to assist newbies coming into our industries could come in useful – someone to answer questions and assist. Working for yourself could mean the first step towards financial independence, and the first step out of your situation of abuse. Anybody who wants to contact me privately in this regard is more than welcome to do so and I will do whatever I can to assist – gaynorpay@gmail.com.

William and Kate

Typewrite Transcription wishes Prince William and Kate Middleton all the very best in their marriage! Congratulations!!!! And while the world waits in anticipation for this young couple to marry, I want to remind you that, like marriage, a relationship with a client, like any other, needs to be worked on.

Without communication, no relationship can work to its best. Communicate with your clients, keep them in the know about what you are doing, build up a relationship of trust by sticking to doing what you say you are going to do, by meeting your commitments, by honouring and respecting each other.

And if William and Kate uphold these values in their relationship, chances are not much will go wrong!! Good luck, guys!

Training: Be properly trained on the systems you use

An issue I have been giving much consideration to in recent weeks is the time that a person can save in their business if they have official training on the systems and platforms they are using to run their businesses.

There's no doubt about the fact that the face of marketing a business has changed in recent times. If a business is not on the Big Three - Twitter, Linked In and Facebook - it just isn't keeping up with the times and with the needs of its clients and potential clients, as well as with the activities of its competitors. But let's face it, without proper training from experienced users of these platforms, they can be daunting to the startup business owner or person trying to break into the business world.

You probably know how to use email but you might not know how to write an email in a professional, business like manner - or how to post relevant and business related topics across the many social networks that form a part of today's business world. The way you present yourself in business is directly indicative of the success you are likely to have in your business, and so a professional and courteous manner is essential in all aspects.

In Training SA is a community minded company with an eye to developing individuals and corporates, that provides up to date, relevant training on these as well as other topics in order to help you:

- Improve your skills

- Enter the business world

- Maintain a professional presence in social media

- Upskill your employees in both the domestic and professional arena

You can click here for the current training schedule and contact intrainingsa@gmail.com for further information.

Minute Taker

We are looking for a minute taker for a 2 day conference in Kempton Park on 16 / 17 August. If you can help, please contact me on gaynorpay@gmail.com - urgent.

Thank you!!

Marketing Via Social Networking - Twitter and Facebook

To me it's become very clear that using social networks to market your services is a vital part of marketing in today's world. Two of the most effective social networks to use for this purpose are of course Twitter and Facebook.

This article aims to discuss how to get started on these two networks and how best to use them to market the services you offer.

Let's look at Twitter first.

1. If you do not have a Twitter account, go to http://www.twitter.com/ and create one. I'm TypewriteSA on there, and you can follow me to see how I use my Twitter account to market my business.

2. Choose a username that describes what your business is about. TypewriteSA is my username and it describes the service I provide and where I am located.

3. Twitter allows you to write a short bio on your profile to describe what you are doing. Choose words carefully to tell people what you are about. These words are very important as they can guide potential followers who will look for people providing services similar to what they provide or services that they need.

4. Now you're ready to start tweeting! Twitter is a microblogging system that allows you to write short updates to distribute to your followers. So if your Twitter account is to be mainly about business, ensure that all of your tweets relate directly to what you are doing or pass on some useful information like a useful blog post you have written or new service you are providing. Potential followers will look for this. Tweet on a regular but not too regular basis and ensure that your tweets remain informative to your followers.

5. Look for some followers - in business it's best to follow people who provide a similar service or who you feel could be informative to you or may need your services. I follow transcriptionists, VAs, proofreaders, publishers, and industry leaders in other fields.

6. Promote your account. You can put a Twitter followers button on your blog, on your website, and insert something into your email signature to tell people to follow you on Twitter.

Let's now take a glance at Facebook.

1. Most people already have a personal Facebook account. If you don't, go to http://www.facebook.com/ and create one for yourself.

2. Then, go to my fan page, Typewrite Transcription. Like this page by clicking the Like button on the top of the page.

3. Then scroll down and look at the bottom left of the page. You will find a link that says "create a page like this". Click this link.

4. This takes you to a walk through section whereby you will find instructions to create your own page. Be careful to choose the right category and pick a descriptive name for your fan page. Typewrite Transcription is an abbreviation of my business' name and describes exactly what I do.

5. Fill out the information section carefully. You want to be able to give as much information about your business as possible, but not bore people. It's as well to have at least two administrators of your page, for the simple reason that if something happens to your account, the page will still exist because it's tied to another moderator. But choose carefully who you want to make a moderator of your page as they will have the same rights as you on the page.

6. Publish your page, and you're ready to start finding Facebook likers!! One of the fastest ways of doing this is to suggest to your friends that they become Likers of your page, and ask them to suggest it to their friends. But an often overlooked method of finding Likers is to publish a "Facebook Like Box" on your website or blog.

Once you have accounts set up at both, look in your Facebook account to see how to link the two so that when you update your Facebook fan page status, your Twitter account automatically generates a tweet.

These are just the basics, but I hope they go some way towards clearing up the minefield that can be social networking.

Times to work / blogging

Hi guys,

I met with a very interesting lady today, who also works for herself although not in the field that we work in, and among the many interesting things we discussed was when is the best time to work.

Like me, she likes working at night ... I thought, sometimes, that I'm the only one driven nuts by the entire 8 - 5 thing ... sometimes, I just find those hours so hard to work in because the phone is ringing, (usually clients), email is going mad, skype going mad, or the school decides to shut at an odd hour, ...

ONe of the toughest things is working until 3am when you KNOW the phone is going to go mental from 08:00 onwards or you need to be up to let the maid or gardener in at 07:30 ... but often I still find I get a lot more done at night than I do during the day.

Your thoughts?

We also discussed the importance of the discipline of marketing and having a marketing plan. This doesn't just mean okay Friday I'll write a blog post. It means that for a month before hand, know the different subject blog posts you're going to write about and sit down and prepare them. Know where your target market is going to be, know what type of marketing approaches you want to take.

Times to work / blogging

Hi guys,

I met with a very interesting lady today, who also works for herself although not in the field that we work in, and among the many interesting things we discussed was when is the best time to work.

Like me, she likes working at night ... I thought, sometimes, that I'm the only one driven nuts by the entire 8 - 5 thing ... sometimes, I just find those hours so hard to work in because the phone is ringing, (usually clients), email is going mad, skype going mad, or the school decides to shut at an odd hour, ...

ONe of the toughest things is working until 3am when you KNOW the phone is going to go mental from 08:00 onwards or you need to be up to let the maid or gardener in at 07:30 ... but often I still find I get a lot more done at night than I do during the day.

Your thoughts?

We also discussed the importance of the discipline of marketing and having a marketing plan. This doesn't just mean okay Friday I'll write a blog post. It means that for a month before hand, know the different subject blog posts you're going to write about and sit down and prepare them. Know where your target market is going to be, know what type of marketing approaches you want to take.

Minute Taker

TAVASA is looking for a minute taker to work in Pretoria on Monday 31 May. Apply to me gaynorpay@gmail.com. You MUST have minute taking experience and preferably shorthand.