Broke-A$$ Brotha Tip #4: Paycheck to Paycheck

Ever wonder how you can get your finances together in such a manner that you no longer have to live paycheck to paycheck? That is something that many a Broke-A$$ Brotha has asked since the Great Recession.  This blog likes to share tips with y'all about ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses ... we call them Broke-A$$ Brotha Tips.

One of two things need to happen if you hope to break the 'paycheck to paycheck' cycle. You either have to increase the amount of money coming into your pockets or reduce the household expenditures until you have a surplus that can be invested to create more income.

All of us Broke-A$$ Brotha (or Sista) types face the challenge of spending less money than we take in. Overcoming this challenge means that we have to stop our desire to "keep up with the Joneses" by purchasing trendy clothes or other luxuries. When you do make a purchase, try to buy stuff on sale or off-season in order to get the best value.

We also need to be disciplined about our spending habits. We need to monitor our expenses closely in order to see where we are spending the most money and then we can cut back accordingly. For example, I eat out too damn much. I love Panda Express ... but, I need to begin cutting back on my black-peppered and teriyaki chicken. How about you? Do you have a monthly household budget that makes sense? Are you limiting the use of credit cards and finding ways to save on taxes so that you can also save money? These ideas aren't sexy ... but, you'll benefit in the long run.

Village Tip: Improve Your Ad in 30 Seconds

Feel like your ad just isn't quite right? Here are a few quick fixes to heighten the effectiveness of your ad:

1. Set them in your targets - The most important way to improve an ad is to tightly target your audience. You will often have more luck placing your ad in a trade publication than in a general newspaper, even if the readership is not as high.

2. Make you ad stand apart from the rest - Most people are constantly bombarded by advertisements, but what makes yours stand out from the rest? The ads we pay attention to are the ones that pertain directly to our most pressing concerns. The ads we notice are the ones that promote a product, service, or idea that can solve our problem, make us feel better, make us richer, or make us feel sexy and loved.

3. Improve your headline - Get attention by targeting your best audience. Then use a headline to shout out a problem or solution your target audience will immediately identify with.

4. Make your ad skim-friendly - 

• Only a small percentage of us start at the beginning of an ad and read every word to the end. 
• If the ad is more than a couple of sentences, we will skip it. 
• Put your most important phrases in bold. 
• Keep sentences short. 
• Use simple everyday words. 
• Make your paragraphs no longer than three lines. 
• Try to limit yourself to one idea per sentence.

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tip: Make Your ABOUT Page Sell

It's interesting how many web site visitors quickly click to the "about" page. This is the page that tells who runs the business, where it is located, and why they do what they do.

With all the uncertainty some folks still feel about buying online, it is only natural they want to find out more about the business before they seriously consider buying the product or service.

Include your photo, a photo of your staff, or a picture of your building on the "about" page. Be sure to give your address, one or more email addresses visitors can use, and a phone number. Anything less makes some people feel like you've got something to hide.

The "about" page is also a good place to tell your story. People love to hear about how you got started. They want to know what it is you like about your business and how you work to help customers. Give people a good story and they will remember it long after they have forgotten the particulars of the product they came to see.

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tip: How to Develop and Test Your Marketing Plan

Developing a solid marketing plan goes hand-in-hand with testing; you can't do one without the other. If you don't test your plan, you won't know for sure whether it works.

You don't have to be a multimillion-dollar corporation with a team of marketing experts to test your marketing plan. All you have to do is come up with a system for finding out what you want to know.

Break your testing schedule down into weekly intervals focused on determining one or two things. Remember, your goal is not only to find out what works, but what doesn't work.

Say during four weeks of testing, you send out a mailing each week to 1000 different people. On each separate mailing, you have a different price for the advertised product or service. The response to these mailings should tell you which price is most acceptable for your product / service.

The response rate should also tell you which type of customer is buying what you offer and why. By the end of the four week testing period, you will have determined your pricing and target audience.

Once you know whom to target, you should test how to get the best response rate from these potential customers. Initiate a second testing period in which you send out a different mailing each week with fixed pricing, but varied messages. Contact the same recipients with different messages over a period of months after the second test period has ended. You should never stop refining your marketing plan.

The point of developing a marketing plan is to have a set system that works. Without proper testing, you will never know what strategies are effective, so before you settle into a plan, put it to the test.

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tip: Get People to Pass You Around

No doubt you have heard of viral marketing. Just like a common cold, it involves having people pass an idea or product from one person to the next.

Unlike a cold, a marketing virus is a wonderful thing to catch!

These Village Tips are a simple kind of viral marketing. I share them here on the Electronic Village, but they almost always get picked up by other bloggers who send them to their readers who send them to their list. You may be reading this tip years after I wrote it. Amazing, isn't it?

I share the article once, then enjoy the benefits as one person passes it to another. Who knows how many people see these tips ... even people who have never heard of the Electronic Village!

Look for ways you can give your product, service, or idea a marketing virus.

• Give people a free service they can use. Your web address and phone number are included in every product they send to others.


• Start a joke that pertains to the news or common experiences in life. If it's in an email, it can include your name. Jokes get passed around at an unbelievable rate. Some humor experts believe there may be as few as 7 people who come up with most of the jokes we hear. They start them on their viral tour, eventually reaching millions.


• Create a series of e-books, pamphlets, or YouTube commercials. A series makes people want to tell others so they can get in on the progression.


• Perhaps the most effective method of viral marketing is simply being kind and helping people. Help folks for free when you can and give paying customers more than they asked for. You may be surprised at how fast customers tell their friends ... and in these days of email, that can be a LOT of people.

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tip: How to Handle Rejection

Part of selling anything is handling rejection. It's always great when a prospect says "I'm so glad to see you. This is just what I need!" But the law of averages says most of the people you come in contact with won't be that enthusiastic.

There are so many ads and people trying to get us to spend money that most of us put on a stern face any time a sales person approaches. This doesn't mean we dislike the sales person, just that we're getting psyched up to hold our ground.

Of course, a good sales person realizes this and works to set our reservations at ease, helping us to relax and understand how the sales person may be able to solve our problems.

Keep this in mind when you are selling something. It doesn't matter if you are selling cars, telling a neighbor about your MLM opportunity, or using email to sell yourself to a prospective employer.

Rejection is part of the game. Realize people aren't rejecting you personally, but the situation. In most cases they simply aren't ready to buy at this time. No doesn't usually mean no, but not right right now. A week, month, or year from the now the prospect who rejected your sales pitch may come looking for you wanting to buy.

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tip: 15 Ideas to Improve Your Networking

I have shared tips on 'The Art of Networking' in the past. I thought that the time was right to be more specific. Here are 15 things you should *DO* if you want to make your networking work!

1. Do ask for what you want.  No one is there to take care of you.  Anticipate that contacts may say 'No' and don't be offended if they do.
2. Do be business-like ... always!
3. Do circulate at meetings.  Learn to introduce yourself to strangers.
4. Do continue to develop your expertise and visibility to enhance your value to the network.
5. Do deliver when you say you will.
6. Do follow good rules of social etiquette.
7. Do follow-up on leads. 
8. Do give sensitive and caring feedback to members of your network.
9. Do maintain confidentiality.  Protect your sources.
10. Do not abandon former networks as you climb higher.
11. Do not be discouraged.  If given the brush off by one contact in your network, move on!
12. Do offer to pick up the tab!
13. Do refine your 'want list' and only ask for one thing at a time.
14. Do test out the reliability of any information you receive.
15. Do try to give as much as you get from network contacts.  Reciprocity is the name of the game.  Do not wait to be asked!

These are some ideas on how you can maximize your positive results from networking. Have any of these ideas worked for you in the past? Do you have other ideas that we may have missed?

Village Tips: Building Your Business with Speaking Engagements

The more people that know about you and your business ... the more business you can get ... the more that you can grow your business. One way to boost your personal and professional image is through public speaking engagements. Be strategic about your process in accepting speaking engagements.

Don't use speaking engagements to make 'hard' commercials about your product or service. Instead, you should focus on providing your audience with value that they can immediately understand and respect. Customize your presentation to fit the specific audience that you are talking to. Be passionate and knowledgeable about your speaking topic. Your audience will see your value and respond accordingly.

Here are some ways that you can prepare and locate speaking engagements to build your business:

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• Alumni - Your involvement in college and university events may open the door to opportunities to speak to small groups. Also consider pointers from other alumni and business professionals who are active public speakers.
• Books - Take a moment to read 'Public Speaking for Dummies' by Malcolm Kushner.
• Friends and Family - Ask them to listen to you practice, but make sure they are brutally honest about your flow, technique and presentation. Have them list three things you did well and three things you can improve upon.
• National Speakers Association - Check out this website to see tips and resources for aspiring speakers. NSA is one of the leading professional associations for speakers with local chapters all over the nation.
• Speakers Bureau or Agent - If you are unable to manage the process yourself, a professional organization or agent can do it for you by booking engagements, negotiating fees and handling travel arrangements for a 'per project' or monthly fee. This may also open up speaking opportunities that you never knew about because you'll be in a database.
• Toastmasters - This nonprofit organization for beginning speakers (with local chapters worldwide) can help familiarize you with public speaking. Many of the speeches are given in front of members, and the organization also provides mentors for those looking to overcome presentation anxieties.

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Our blog will continue to provide information that is useful to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Frankly, we hope that these 'Village Tips' are useful to many of you!

Related articles

• Why Quiet Speakers Should Consider Toastmasters
• Joining Toastmasters to Overcome a Fear of Public Speaking
• How To Deliver A TED Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentations

Broke-A$$ Brotha Tip #6: 'As a Man Thinketh, So Is He'

This blog likes to share tips with y'all about ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses ... we call them Broke-A$$ Brotha Tips. They are good for Sistas too!

Sometimes a Broke-A$$ Brotha needs to watch the conversation taking place alone or in the company of others.

'As a man thinketh, so is he.' ~ Proverbs 23:7

Few of us make the connection between that Bible verse and our financial well-being. What we think about money affects our financial well-being!  And our vocabulary is often filled with stinkin' thinkin' in terms of words, statements and opinions that detract from our financial well-being.

Here are some examples:

1. "I am broke." - Well, not really. Your resources are just not sufficient to meet your current needs or wants. Proper management of money represents opportunities to get your financial house in order.
2. "I can't afford that." - This statement is a mantra of hopelessness. Even if you are in debt or your finances are such that the amount of funds needed are not currently availalbe, choose to speak words of hope about your finances. If you properly plan and establish priorities in your finances, you can afford whatever you need. Gabby Douglas' mother proved this to the world when she financed the training necessary to train her daughter well enough to win double gold at the 2012 London Olympics.

3. "I'm a day late and a dollar short." - This statement implies either that you procrastinated or lacked planning ... and neither is good when talking about money. On the other hand, this statement is on-target if you choose not to plan, save and invest. Isn't it time for you to erase that statement from your vocabulary? If so, then simply make the choice to plan, to save, and to invest.
4. "Saving for a rainy day." - Take the negativity out of saving. Instead of saving for a rainy day, perhaps it is time for us to save for opportunities. Emergencies are merely challenges that test our financial and spiritual growth. Even when emergencies arise, start look forward to how you will grow as a result of the challenge.
5. "Saving for retirement." - Stop saving for retirement and begin saving for a redirection of life activities. People you know are retiring at 40, 45 and 50 years young ... and they usually start new careers or businesses. Start looking at retirement as a change in life activities -- an opportunity to pursue other goals.

'The poor man and the rich man do not play together' ~ African proverb

Village Tips: Affordable Care Act

Just a reminder that the Affordable Care Act requires most 'villagers' to have health coverage. The good news is that most of y'all already have it. If you have health insurance through an employer, Medicare or Medicaid, or a military program, or if you buy policy in the private market, you satisfy the requirement.

For more information or to find the marketplace in your state, call (800) 318-2596 or visit healthcare.gov. To learn more about the health care law, go to HealthLawAnswers.org.

Related articles

• Health Care Reform and Your Taxes
• Affordable Care Act 101: What is a Health Care Reform Tax Penalty
• Impact of the Affordable Care Act
• Study: Obamacare Will Raise The Poorest Americans' Incomes By At Least 5 Percent

Village Tip: 10 Ways to Screw Up Your Networking Efforts

Our blog will continue to provide information that is useful to entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Frankly, we hope that these 'Village Tips' are useful to many of you!  I have shared tips on 'The Art of Networking' in the past. In fact, I recently shared 15 ideas on improving your networking results.

This time I thought that it would be worthwhile to point out ten things that many of us do to the detriment of our networking efforts. Here are 10 things you should *NOT DO* if you want to make your networking work!

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1. Do not abuse your network. Word of mouth will kill you.
2. Do not abuse your contacts. Always honor their right to privacy.
3. Do not burden your network with your problems, but, be willing to listen to advice when you ask for it.
4. Do not develop a reputation for calling *only* when you need a favor.
5. Do not ever thing anything can replace real competence.
6. Do not expect anyone to work harder for you than you are willing to work for yourself.
7. Do not expect your network to find you a job.
8. Do not give a referral without first calling ahead to alert your contact.
9. Do not offer negative feedback callously.
10. Do not talk excessively about yourself. Learn how to get your network to do this for you!

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These are some ideas on how you can maximize your positive results from networking. Have you learned the 'hard way' about any of these ten networking errors in the past? Do you have other suggestions that we may have missed?

I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Related articles

• Village Tip: 15 Ideas to Improve Your Networking
• Village Tip: Expanding Your Black-Owned Business via Government Grants
• 4 Tips for Improving Your Social Media Presence in 2014

Village Tip: Expanding Your Black-Owned Business via Government Grants

Often small business owners seek to grow their business through government grants. Unfortunately, government grants are rarely available to business owners. However, if you are willing to look for them ... then the first place to start is locally. State and local governments are a viable source for providing money to area small businesses. Check out www.business.gov, which lists organizations by state and by industry.

Also, some organizations, like ACCION USA, offer micro-lending and development courses, as well as guidance to small business owners. These organizations provide small loans with considerate repayment terms to those unable to access traditional financing. An additional benefit is that you are linked into the network of other small businesses involved in the program.

Another helpful government agency is the Minority Business Development Agency. There you will find information on both loans and grants.

Village Tip: Improve Your Credit Score

Many villagers have no idea what their credit score is. A credit score is a number that is used to predict how likely you are to pay back a loan. Your credit score starts with the information about you from your credit report. A mathematical formula – called a scoring model – is then used to create your credit score.

You can get a free copy of your credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. The information in your credit report influences your credit score. Unlike your credit report, which you can get at no cost to you, you usually have to pay for your credit score. There are certain instances in which you are entitled to your credit score for free, for example if you are denied a loan on the basis of your credit score.

Studies show that the average person could save about $80 a year on interest by raising their credit score by just 30 points. Here are some ways to improve your credit score:

1. Pay more than the minimum payment so your balance doesn't build up.
2. Pay bills on time. If you have been late, paying on time for six to nine months can raise your score. One way to make sure your payments are on time is to set up automatic payments, or set up electronic reminders.
3. Don't borrow the maximum on any one card, even if there is a low-interest offer. If you ave card with $10,000 in available credit, don't owe more than $6,000. Credit scoring models look at how close you are to being 'maxed out', so try to keep your balances low in proportion to your overall credit limit.
4. Don't open two or three new cards within a couple of months. This will lower your score.
5. A long credit history will help your score. Credit scores are based on experience over time. The more experience you have with getting credit and paying your bills on time, the more information there is to determine whether you are a good credit risk.

A credit score of 730 or more will get you favorable rates on credit cards, auto loans and mortgages.

Broke-A$$ Brotha Tip #5: Retirement Planning and Investing

It is never too late to begin a program of retirement planning and investing. It would be better if you started sooner ... but, today is the first day of the rest of the life for any Broke-A$$ Brotha (or Sista)!   This blog likes to share tips with y'all about ways to increase revenue and decrease expenses ... we call them Broke-A$$ Brotha Tips.

Part of how Broke-A$$ Brothas get broke is procrastination. There is still time for you to make a commitment to a program of retirement planning and investing to plan for your future ... and the future of your progeny.

1. Commit to saving for retirement. - Just hoping that you'll have enough money for retirement is not a smart strategy. Social Security alone won't cut it It's wiser to take control of retirement planning yourself by investing in company 401(k) plans and IRA accounts. Also, make a plan to save on a regular basis, whether you start with $50 a month or $5,000 a year.
2. Create and adhere to a financial plan. - Having a plan enables you to how you can help your family in the fugure. For example, opening and contributing to a college saving fund gives you a sense of relief. There are many people who earn good income but don't think ahead for college education until the children are ready for college. President Obama wants to reduce the cost of college education ... but, we need to do our part.
3. Don't waste your money. - You want to grow your money not throw your money away. Don't depend on winning the lottery as an investment or retirement fund. Look to investment vehicles such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Real estate is also a definite idea for you to consider.

How are you doing with your retirement planning? Investments? How about your savings plan ... do you save a regular amount each month? Being Broke-A$$ ain't something any of us want. Use these tips to jump start your commitment to financial empowerment.

Village Tip: 8 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

The 5th principle of our Declaration of Financial Empowerment pledges us to to engage in sound budget, credit and tax management practices. Dr. Boyce Watkins shared some sound tips with his blog readers about improving our credit scores. I thought that villagers would find these tips of interest as well.

People always want to improve their credit score, not only because a good credit score will help them have a cheaper interest rate when they borrowing money, but also because a good credit score will help their lives much easier. But if you forget to pay several bills on time or did something hurt your credit, what you can do to repair the damage? The following is some tips for improve your credit score.

1. Always pay your bills on time, but if you missed the deadline, get current and stay current.
2. If you have problem making the ends meet, you should get in touch with your creditors to help you with managing your credit and pay bills on time.
3. Pay off debt rather than moving it around.
4. Don’t close unused credit cards as short-term strategy to raise your score.
5. Don’t open numbers of new credit cards that you don’t need just for increase your available credit, apply for and open new credit card only as needs.
6. Don’t close paid-off, old accounts.
7. Keep balances low on credit cards.
8. Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems.

Source #1; Source#2; Source #3;

My credit score has taken a beating over the past few years. I plan to use these commonsense tips to improve it. It is never too late to do the right thing!  What say u about credit cards, credit practices or credit scores?

Village Tip: Simple Math Formula for Getting a Sale

We will share occasional Village Tips in support of the Declaration of Financial Empowerment. Today's tip is for those of you who need improved sales to grow your business.

In science and math, once you figure out the formula needed to achieve your desired result, you have a can't-miss method to getting what you want every time you use it. Wouldn't it be great if everything you wanted in life could be achieved through a simple formula?

Well, there isn't a formula for everything you want, but there is a formula for getting a sale. Once you understand this formula and learn how to initiate it, you can get all the sales you want.

Are you ready? Okay, here it is: Trust + Respect + Need = Sales.

Now that's not so hard. At least there's no long division or algebra.

The trust and respect part of the formula mean that you need to develop solid relationships with your potential customers. You can instill a sense of trust by showing the buyer that you care more about their end of the deal than your own. People are hesitant to trust those who are solely concerned about themselves. To let the customer know that you care about their success, let them do the talking while you do the listening.  Speak when they need you to speak, but listen to them so they know that you are concerned about their needs.

To build a relationship of respect, follow through on the things you promise. Don't miss appointments, respond in a timely manner, and let them know that you value their business.

During your time spent building trust and respect, you will discover what their particular need is. Once you know that, do everything in your power to meet that need and you will have the sale.

Village Tip: Business Cards

We will share occasional Village Tips in support of the Declaration of Financial Empowerment. Today's tip is for those of you thinking about starting your own business.

Business cards are not just little cardstock rectangles with your name and contact information. They are a representation of you and your business, and a reminder of who you are and what you do.

But when you settle for a second rate (or third, or fourth, or fifth) business card, you might as well kiss a lot of potential customers and clients goodbye. What happens when you give someone your business card, they slip it into their wallet, forget all about it, and then come across is three weeks later? Well, if you have a flimsy, poorly designed business card, they probably throw it in the trash. But if you have a classy, high quality card, they will save it and remember you every time they see it.

So before you go home and print your business cards on your home printer, think about how those business cards will represent you. You don't want to spoil the good impression you make with a bad business card.

Village Tip: Getting an Appointment

I was talking with a colleague recently who was at the crossroads with his business. He told me that his wife was giving him pressure to give up his business and head back into the traditional job market for a W-2 position.

I suggested that he make one last all-out push for new business. Sometimes selling your product or service can be easier than getting the actual appointment. No matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get the prospect to agree to meeting you face to face. Here is a Village Tip that may help.

At first, it is important to sell the appointment, not your service. Trying to get a contract over the phone is difficult. The appointment is when you will do the actual selling.

Ask questions where the answer must be "yes." "Would it be better for us to meet on Tuesday or Thursday?" The prospect probably will pick one or the other and--bingo--you have the appointment. You might make your dates even more specific, "I have Tuesday at 930am and Thursday at 2:30pm open. Which would work best for you?"

Asking for the prospect's help can be very effective. If the prospect says that she doesn't want to meet with you, ask him what you would have to say in order to convince her that your service can work. This way, the prospect will be telling you exactly how to overcome her objection.

Above all, don't push! After a few failed attempts to get an appointment, it is better to take a fall-back position. Tell him you understand he is not ready to make any decision. Ask for a follow-up appointment for a later time.

Declaration of Financial Empowerment encourages us 'to teach business and financial principles'. My hope is that these simple Village Tips will prove helpful to you over the coming days and weeks! What say u?

Village Tips: Marketing Your Small Business

I have owned my own consulting service since July 2002. The economic tsunami that hit America over the past couple of years provided me with many anxious moments as I tried to match my cash inflow with my expenses. I don't have much margin for extravagant marketing items to promote my business. Here are some tips that I've used that you may find helpful as you market your small business.

1. Deliver presentations or speeches - There are many organizations that need educational, entertaining, interesting or motivational speakers to talk with their members at monthly program meetings, annual conferences or special events. Are you making yourself available to be a presenter for these groups?
2. Network - Make yourself available in the real world (not just social media outlets) to meet with your accountant, banker, colleagues, other professionals and even your competition. Attend professional meetings whenever possible. Get engaged in social events with your current or potential clients to have fun together.
3. Join Organizations - It is important to get the word out about your business. Joining organizations allows you to become knowledgeable about other professions that may lead to new clients ... and it also helps you stay well-rounded and informed.
4. Teach a Class - Many community colleges or vocational-technical schools in your area seek working professionals that can provide real-world experience to their students. These are opportunities to educate potential clients, build skills, offer hands-on experience or provide information. Use the soft sell during these classes or workshops to promote your business with brochures or business cards.
5. Accept Pro-Bono Work - Providing work for clients who cannot afford your services is a way to give back to society and also to market yourself.

I hope that these small business tips are helpful to you. Feel free to contact me by email or phone (513.284-4968) if you would like to discuss additional ways to market your small business.

In the meantime, I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!

Village Tips: Promote Your Business to Local Media

I have been self-employed since 2002. My focus is on providing online marketing support to small businesses. Many of us are amazed at the rapid growth of social networks and the ability to market one's business on the cheap. However, it is worth remembering that there are still ol' school marketing opportunities with your local media.

Media are constantly looking for new stories and information that will interest their audiences. Chances are, your town has at least one major newspaper, several smaller papers, a few TV stations, a bunch of radio stations, and at least one cable company. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Local media like to cover local stories. You have a much better chance of getting free publicity from a reporter in your area than from national media.
2. Local talk radio stations and programs are constantly in need of interesting guests. Watch for times when your area of expertise fits with a breaking story, holiday, or issue the media is covering.
3. Send your local media a press release when you have something new to announce: a new product, service, public service program, or alliance with another business.
4. Small businesses often make good feature stories. Work up a sheet of helpful tips related to your business. Make sure they are things the media audience will be interested in.
5. Work with local charities and blow your own horn.

I hope that these small business tips are helpful to you. Feel free to contact me by email or phone (513.284-4968) if you would like to discuss additional ways to market your small business.

In the meantime, I will continue to share these Village Tips on a semi-regular basis!