Give rice to the starving

This is the sort of thing that makes the internet so wonderful – you can help others quickly and easily, and it doesn’t even have to cost money.

Visit the free rice site, test and improve your vocabulary, and 20 grains of rice goes to the UN to defeat world hunger. Work on more words, donate more rice.

It is very clever, too – with each correct answer, you earn points towards a harder level so you can improve your vocab; if you find the words tough, it moves you to easier words. The aim is everyone can learn without getting discouraged. What a win win!

However, we must warn you – some people find these site addictive! But at least it is in a good cause!

** If you run a business website, you may be interested in joining the free rice campaign as a donator, too. It is like paying per view of your banner on other sites – each time your banner shows under the vocab test, you pay for it. Unlike other advertising options, you know your money is helping the truly needy.

How do you feel about your business finances?

Running a business requires a time in a lot of different areas – not just in your specialty. Finances, including keeping accounts, budgeting and paying taxes, is a major component of a business’ functions, yet it probably the most dreaded area of business for those not trained in accounting or similar.

If you are running a business, do you feel in control of your finances or do they overwhelm you? Are there things you want to learn so you can do better – or do you just long to outsource it all?

The Business Mums Network is conducting a brief survey to find out how business mums feel about their finances. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and the results will be released in the next edition of the Business Mums Magazine.

If particualr areas of business finance are shown to be harder for small business operators, then further information on those topics will become available through the network.

Location, Location, Location

I’m sure many of you have heard this phrase with regard to Real Estate, however it also applies to online businesses, especially online shops. One of the first things many consumers look at is where an online store is located. There are many reasons for this, including the cost of shipping, ease of contacting the store if there are any problems, and delivery times.

Most of the time, there is a full postal address on the contact us page. This shows you where the business is located and may give you an idea of the cost of postage and delivery time. You may find the store is located in the same suburb as you are and there is the option for local pick up.

Another advantage of having a location on the website is currency. There are a number of countries around the world that use dollars, including the USA. When buying from overseas, exchange rates must be factored in to the price, or you may get a nasty surprise on your credit card bill!

Business owners, make sure you let people know where you are located. The minimum you should have listed is your suburb and state.

Customers, please check where an online shop is so you know exactly how much you will pay, as well as estimating the delivery time especially if you need to get your purchase quickly.

Announced your holiday dates?

Your clients won’t be surprised if you take some time off over the festive season or early January – but they won’t be so happy if it appears you are open for business when you aren’t!

So make sure you have announced when your business will not be available – it can be a note stuck to the door, a message on your website, a notice in your last newsletter, a mention in your blog, a note added to a Christmas card, or a combination of these.

And make the message clear – does closed until 31 December mean you will be working on or after the 31st?

How many payment options do you offer?

It is an advantage for online shops to have multiple payment options. While it may be easier to only accept credit card payment or only accept payments through PayPal, many shoppers may not want to pay this way and you could be losing sales.

Speak with your web developer and ask if you can have multiple payment options. The most common options are PayPal, Credit Card and Direct Deposit. Other options include PayMate and Cheque.

Some business owners are wary about Direct Deposit or Cheque as the payments may not come through. Simply add a policy that states no goods will be sent until payment has cleared.

Offering multiple payment options puts more control in the hands of your customers and you may find sales increase!