Clean Forms

Forms can put a damper on the day – especially when they are poorly organized and confusing. Yet businesses daily, even hourly, have to fill out some sort of a form. It may be a purchase order form, an invoice, or an application for a lease. Although filling out forms can be tedious, your forms don’t have to be.

Make sure that the forms you make for your business are organized and straightforward. This will always help the user to complete the form without headaches. Some ways to keep your form organized are:

1. Have your logo, address, phone number, e-mail, and/or website in a clear and readable place. Usually the top is the best.
2. Make it very clear as to what they are filling out. Make sure all titles are not to lengthy in words. Also make them stand out from the rest of the text by making it larger, bolder, or underlined.
3. Have all your fields line up in one place. If you are making it have more than one column, then make sure that the form field is clear and does not get lost.
4. Give the user a sense of where they are – especially with an online form. If the form is more than one page, you can have “You are here” cues. They usually consist of steps in the form process. This is most used when signing up on a web site or completing a purchase on an e-commerce site.

Doing these few tips can really help your forms, business, and your customers.

Brad Harmon is the President at a leading financing company, First Star Capital (www.firststarcapital.com). Brad is a frequent contributor to online publications and newsletters, and is the author of this blog on commercial financing topics.

Attack the New Year with an Advertising Plan

With each new year comes new opportunities. How your company will grow depends upon how you want your company to grow. Sit down and spend some time brainstorming on new marketing approaches and goals for the year.

Ask yourself some of these questions:

• What are your long-term goals?
• What are your short-term goals?
• What is your elevator pitch? Has it changed from the last year?
• What message do you want to get across to your clients? How can you better portray that message?
• How will you introduce potential clients to your company? Will you increase e-mail newsletters, postcards, trade show exhibits, etc? Set a goal for all of your marketing material.
• What products/services will you offer that are different from the older products/services? How will you promote them better than the year before?

Brad Harmon is the President at a leading financing company, First Star Capital (www.firststarcapital.com). Brad is a frequent contributor to online publications and newsletters, and is the author of this blog on commercial financing topics.

A Healthier New Year

It's a new year and with that usually comes new resolutions. Often the ones we probably make the most and hear the most about have to do with health- losing that ten pounds or just getting in better shape. But how does being healthy affect the workplace? Many experts are saying studies show that health equals wealth. Essentially the healthier you are, the richer you will be. This is because not only can you effectively handle daily stresses and germs, but you're also more productive.

This information should not only encourage business owners to take better care of themselves, but also to help their employees maintain good health. Chronic ailments like neck pain, eye strain, difficulty sleeping due to job worries, and headaches all contribute to less productivity and more sick days called in. In the past, most companies have concentrated on keeping their health care costs down by defining "health" as an expense. Today, however, savvy companies are putting emphasis on doing more to keep employees healthy. These companies are finding that healthy employees cost the company less and boost productivity simultaneously.

This year, make your business more productive and more successful by creating a healthier work environment. Adjust office lighting- putting a small lamp next to your computer monitor is enough to prevent eye strain and headaches. Increase ventilation and make sure filters are clean. Encourage workers to go on walks during their breaks, or if it's feasible, provide gym memberships. Also, increasing health care coverage can reduce stress and make it less likely that employees come to work despite being sick and possibly contagious. Investing in health is investing in the future and success of your company.

Brad Harmon is the President at a leading financing company, First Star Capital (www.firststarcapital.com). Brad is a frequent contributor to online publications and newsletters, and is the author of this blog on commercial financing topics.