BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW - Part 2

Guest Author: Beverly Zibrak, President of the Word Doc, Brookline, MA

Continued from 7/13/13 post . . .

You are already an expert.

Draw from your own personal and business experience  You are already an authority on many subjects.  What places have you visited?  What are your hobbies?  How have you built a successful small business?  Answers to these questions will shed light on the broad range of things you already know.  So go ahead and write about them.

Do not put style ahead of honest communication.

Writing about down-to-earth subjects may not seem to have any style.  It is very easy to be grandiose and convince yourself that you are a bold writer.  This is not true.  The key is to write in an informed manner.  Uninformed writing is not as interesting.  The most important thing in any of your writing is that it communicates in a clear, concise and engaging style.  This is critical to creative writing but more critical to business writing.

Put your thoughts and ideas on paper.  Rely on others to edit.

If you are not a professional writer - and most business people are not - then focus on your ideas.  They are unique to you.  Put your ideas on paper, and then turn to a professional writer or editor to turn them into solid writing.  You can develop the concepts, and then let someone else polish them up.

Beverly Zibrak is President of the Word Doc, a writing and editing services firm dedicated to helping small business with all their communication needs, including web content development, press releases and marketing communications, and blog posts.  You can reach Beverly at www.worddocusa.com or 617.584.9847.

SWEATING IT OUT - Part Two

Continued from 7/1/13 post . . .


When the heat is on, staying hydrated decreases stress on your body and is essential to stay healthy.  Be sure to schedule frequent fluid breaks, as sipping fluids over time is more effective than drinking large amounts in one sitting.  If you become dehydrated during an unusually long and strenuous bout of exercise, you will need to drink frequently for the next 24 - 48 hours to replace the sweat losses.

Water and 100% fruit juice are your healthiest beverage choices.  Sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade) are only necessary if you are exercising hard for more than an hour -- be aware that a 20-ounce bottle contains about 130 calories.

Soda, vitamin waters, energy drinks (Red Bull), alcohol, and coffee shop drinks are less healthy options.  They usually contain lots of non-nutritious calories, sugar, and other dubious ingredients.
Source: Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook




CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS!

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW - Part 1

Guest Author: Beverly Zibrak, President of the Word Doc, Brookline, MA

What was the cardinal rule that your high school English teacher gave you?  Write about what you know.  Why is this advantageous over writing about what you do NOT know?

Here are the reasons why:

You need an authentic voice.

It may seem easy to write about what you do not know.  You think you can be more creative, you can express an opinion, or you can stake out new writing territory.  Wrong!  If you write about a topic you are unfamiliar with, you do not sound authentic.  What is authenticity?  Something authentic is not false or copied.  It is genuine and real.  It comes from your own personal experience.  It is reliable and trustworthy.  It is hard to capture this quality if you are writing from an unauthoritative point of view.

Do not believe that what you do not know is more interesting.

Try writing about something you have no familiarity with, such as rural poverty in Peru or how to build a nuclear reactor.  It is impossible.  You will be destined to have writer's block if you try.  Something foreign to your experience may seem more interesting or exotic, but, believe me, it is not.  And your writing will come off as unreliable and not genuine.

Next month: More reasons to write what you know . . .

Beverly Zibrak is President of the Word Doc, a writing and editing services firm dedicated to helping small business with all their communication needs, including web content development, press releases and marketing communications, and blog posts.  You can reach Beverly at www.worddocusa.com or 617.584.9847

SWEATING IT OUT - Part One

When the heat is on, it's essential to stay hydrated.  Dehydration stresses your body: your internal temperature rises, your heart beats faster, your brain has trouble concentrating, and activity feels harder.  Long hot spells in the summer are an especially hazardous time.  If you often feel fatigued, headachy, or lethargic, you may be chronically dehydrated.

Unfortunately, the thirst urge is unreliable -- it can be blunted by exercise or the mind, so plan to drink before you are thirsty.  By the time your brain signals thirst, you may have lost a dangerous amount of your body weight in fluids.

Children and senior citizens are particularly at risk as they have less sensitivity to thirst sensations.  If you notice someone becoming irritable on a hot day, dehydration may be the cause.
Source: Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Next month: How to stay hydrated . . . 


CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS!

CREDIT CONSIDERATIONS - Part 3

Continued from 5/17/13 post . . .

Here are some tips for dealing with credit card woes:

Have all information handy - When you call the credit card issuer, make sure you know how long you've been their customer, your current and past rates, and your credit score.

Be polite - Tell the representative that you would like to continue the relationship and be willing to negotiate.

Go up the ladder - If you don't receive satisfaction from the first person who takes your call, politely ask to speak to a supervisor or customer retention representative.

Keep records - Hold on to copies of all payments and correspondence.  If you think that the card issuer is doing something unjust or illegal, notify the Federal Trade Commission as well as your state attorney general and consumer affairs office.

Search for a better card - Compare cards at sites such as www.CardRatings.com.  But watch out for cards targeted to people with bad or little credit history.  Look in to credit cards from federal credit unions that have capped default rates.

Seek help - If you can't handle your bills or are having no luck getting charges reduced, speak with a nonprofit credit counselor.  Find one at www.NFCC.org.  Avoid offers from debt consolidators or companies claiming to settle your debt for less than you owe; most are scams.
Source: Consumer Reports



CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS!

MODEST EFFORTS CAN REAP SUBSTANTIAL REWARDS

A recent study of 400 participants shows that even minimally active people have more positive health outcomes than completely inactive ones.  Compared with the inactive individuals, those who exercised an average of 15 minutes a day had a 14% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 3 year longer life expectancy.  This effect increased 4% for every 15 minutes of weekly activity.  The benefits applied regardless of gender and included those at risk of cardiovascular disease.  So, when it comes to exercise, every little bit helps!
Source: The Lancet



~ CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS! ~

CREDIT CONSIDERATIONS - Part 2

(Continued from 4/15/13 post)

If you want to buy a car or house or apply for a credit card or loan, your credit score will determine your eligibility and terms.  Here's how to improve that score:

1.   Avoid late payments.  Set up automatic payments to your creditors.  If you must juggle payments due to cash flow, try to limit the number of past-due accounts.  A history of late payments on several accounts hurts your score more than delinquencies on a single account.

2.   Spread your debt over several types of accounts: installment loans, retail merchant accounts, and credit cards.

3.   Curb spending.  Keep your outstanding balances to less than 50% of your available credit.

4.   Pay down debt and don't move balances to new credit lines -- that hurts your score.

5.   If you have a short credit history, don't open new accounts too rapidly as a large number of new accounts can lower your number.  Lenders like to see a long history of responsible payments.

6.   Don't close unused accounts.  The longer you've had a line of credit open, the better it is for your score.

7.   Check your credit report by ordering it yearly for free from www.AnnualCreditReport.com.  Check for errors and follow up to ensure that they are fixed.
Sources: Consumer Reports, Small Business Services Bureau

Next month: How to fight back against credit damages . . .

CELEBRATING MY 25th YEAR AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST . . . THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS!

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