What should you be doing when business is slow?

What should you be doing when business is slow? 

So sometimes during the holiday season business can really slow down for people. Instead of sitting around and worrying about where the next dollar is coming from, why not spend your time investing yourself in your business? There are plenty of thing that you can do that will help improve your business in the long run! If you aren't able to do some of these things, that's okay, because Agent Seven CAN! Some great ideas include:

*Spruce up your website. No one wants to see the same old thing. Or maybe there is that one mis-spelling that is just grinding your gears. Fix it!

*Write a real business plan and capabilities statement. You actually need this to further your business. Perhaps it's time to get on it!

*Find free business classes or networking meetings in your area. Check out meetup.com and eventbrite.com for some great free or low cost events.

*Contact past clients to see if they will offer up reviews or testimonials about your work. These can be added to your website and are quite valuable to help get new clients.

*Redesign your logo or business card. Change can be good when it is an update to an outdated design. Or maybe there are products and services you can add.

*Organize those computer files! Things can get lost or saved in the wrong place. Just take an afternoon to straighten things up. Move as many photo files as you can as well as old work files to your external hard drive. Don't back up your files? Well now is a great time to start. Photo files can bog down a system pretty quickly, so it's best to keep those someplace other than your computer.

*Generate some "standard" emails that you can use to quickly answer or contact clients. This is a great time saver, as long as you remember to either make it generalized or replace all personalized information - as in name of client etc- BEFORE you send out.

*Volunteer!!! There are so many people out there in need, you should help some of them. You may just meet that new client or even be hired by the charity itself.

*Jazz up your LinkedIn page. Don't have that headshot that is just cropped out of a group picture, get a real headshot done. You can have a photographer drop in a background or have it done in a natural setting. Studio shots are stiff, and kind of  80's.

How to Self-Certify as a Woman Owned Small Business in Montgomery County MD

How to Self-Certify as a Woman Owned Small Business in Montgomery County MD

This procedure was so surprisingly easy I almost didn't believe it was possible to do. If you have your ducks in a row and about an hour to enter documentation, then you can also self-certify! 

If you can say yes to the following, then you should proceed:

*United States Citizen

*Company held directly by a woman/women, and that woman is involved in business FULL TIME during open hours

*NOT an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

*Meet Small Business size standard as determined by NAICS codes

Go to Montgomery County Local Small Business and you will need the following information:

*SSN or EIN for tax purposes

*Duns & Bradstreet Number

*Business website & Email

Once you enter this information on the site, Montgomery County will accept your self certification. This will be reviewed! Please do not embellish. The worst thing you can do when dealing with government or big business is to lie or embellish your talents. This can only have one result, you looking really bad. Never wing it, never bid on any contracts you are unprepared for. Besides that GO FORTH AND MAKE THAT MONEY!!

How will you give back this upcoming Holiday Season?

How will you give back this upcoming Holiday Season?

Does your company provide Volunteer Services? 

Its easy to forget about the people who are not working for us. Its just as easy to forget that there are people sometimes in our own work force that are struggling for food or to cover other basic needs. So what can be done? 

Well, one idea in Montgomery County is the Manna Food Bank. They offer to partner with businesses to provide weekend meals for school aged children in need. It's called the Smart Sacks program. Interested? Find more information here:

Goldberg Smart Sacks

Don't have a lot of money to contribute? No problem! Many worthy organizations also welcome volunteers also! Some worthy causes to think about this season: 

Rainbow Place Shelter

Animal Welfare Society of Howard County

Howard County Conservancy

Montgomery County Volunteer Center

Photo Restoration Services

Amazing. Is there anything we DON'T do at Agent Seven? Doesn't look like it!

Agent Seven would LOVE the opportunity to restore one or some of your old photographs. This is truly a labor of love around here. I have worked with photography literally all of my life. My Mother (Saint Gertrude) was an amateur photographer which led to me attaining my Bachelors of Science in Photography and Visual Communications from Towson University. (Go Tigers!)

Back in the 1970s, Gert had a black and white lab setup in the basement, and was always taking pictures of us and our beautiful surroundings in the Pine Barrens of NJ. Many weekends were spent being dragged off to some old, abandoned graveyard from the Revolutionary War era with her to take pictures. She was forever teaching me techniques and angles for the best shot.

Years later when Photoshop was invented, it was my turn to teach Gert how to restore so many of those old photographs that were fading and becoming lost to time. I must say that before her passing she had really gotten quite good, and was restoring many old photos that would have otherwise been lost to time and disrepair.

I am thankful for that time with my Ma, and the ability to help her learn a new facet of an art medium she loved so much. I have since begun restoring photographs from my father's side of the family, and would like to share one with you. Each photo I restore requires a different amount of work, and therefore pricing varies. Please feel free to scan and email me whatever you have, and I would gladly supply a price.

Enjoy this photo of my father, Dr. John E. Rickert, sometime around 1925 or 1926. (Before & After)

Highland Day 2014

This year's Highland Day Festival was held on October 4. There were a TON of people in attendance, and I even got to find a little gem of a restaurant called the Highland Inn. As a side note, this place was giving out petite duck sausages with braised cabbage and other toppings that were all home made, and AMAZING!! It is definitely someplace I will have to go again!

This year I teamed with A Mothers Hand LLC for the Highland Festival activities. Geraldine owns A Mothers Hand and they offer Home Concierge Services such as: Organization, Pet Care, Errands, and especially Child Care. I can tell you from personal experience that Geraldine is the absolute BEST at any task you set her to. She is the only person I am not related to that is allowed to babysit my son. Now that is an endorsement!!

Agent Seven LLC and A Mothers Hand LLC often team up for community events! WHY?? I mean, why would a business development company and a home concierge service work so closely together? Besides the fact that A Mothers Hand is precisely what a mother with a home business needs, or that Geraldine and I have been close friends for over 25 years; Agent Seven can help her cover her events and have constant updates and media at her fingertips for distribution.

Agent Seven is always interested in covering events, and is always open to being hired to cover a birthday party, reunion or other special event. We do NOT work in studio photography, nor do we do weddings BUT we do have connections to those who do. What Agent Seven DOES do is record your family, business or lifetime events in natural and open settings. It is preferred to be done this way because we feel that natural lighting and settings provided by mother nature are more beautiful than a fake backdrop and Photoshop touch-ups.

So if you need reasonably priced shots of your family or next event CALL AGENT SEVEN LLC!!

DID YOU KNOW??

Did you know that Agent Seven LLC provides so many photographic services? Whether it be photo restoration, product shots, head shots or almost any other project, Agent Seven LLC can help you. Please check out some examples below of recent activities:

Linked In and Agent Seven, LLC

I have received an invitation to write posts for Linked In! So I will publish dually, and keep everyone updated. I just posted my first entry on Linked In, and it is a discussion on how I began Agent Seven. How this business is the reinvention of my life, and an invitation for others to share their stories with the reading public. Please feel free to check it out here:

LINKED IN BLOG

Olney Farmers & Artists Market opportunities knock!!

Because I feel that volunteering is very important, especially locally, I have been volunteering with the Olney Farmers And Artists Market for the last few years. It has also opened me up to new connections, allowed me to rekindle old ones, and best of all opened my three year old's eyes to the beauty and wonder of farm freshness.

The other volunteers as well as the vendors at the market are able to bring in local celebrities and political figures who are always good to know. Additionally, many key decision makers who live in the Olney area are in attendance. By offering my services to a good cause with great people for free, I am also able to market myself and my company without being a bother.

There is real value in volunteer work, for the soul and for the business. Perhaps whole food and farm fresh produce aren't for you? Well then you can volunteer your services someplace where you are comfortable. All the while you will not only make friends, you will meet key influencers at local, and in this area, national and international businesses.

Please also feel free to let me know if you are interested in this particular market, and I will be more than happy to put you in touch with the people who run it. There is also a wonderful blog on all of the activities located on Tumbler which shows off weekly shenanigans, as well as awesome pictures of ME!

Want to Improve your Google+ Profile?

I stumbled upon this great website/blog for assistance with improving your online presence. Many of us seem to neglect Google+ even though it seems that Google knows ALL. I snaked the infographic but really its worth the read to actually read the website and also to peruse other topics.

TWELVESKIP.COM

Women Business Owners of Montgomery County Networking Group

Yesterday for the first time I met with the WBO or Women  Business Owners of Montgomery County Networking Group at their free monthly breakfast (you pay your own tab, but the meeting is free) which was held at Silver Diner in Rockville. Can I just say that this particular network group has had the BEST energy out of any group I have met with so far.

While there were men in attendance, it was mostly women who were actually interested in helping each other succeed. I happened upon someone I had known only as an email contact from  WhatAParty who has helped another business owner I know from A Mothers Hand, LLC. Small world. If you are looking for a group to join, might I suggest this one! I have posted their site before, but I will again. Women Business Owners of Montgomery County.

My last plug for the WBO is their expo this August in Rockville. I will be in attendance as will many other Women Owners. It looks awesome. CHECK IT OUT!

 WBO Power Conference Website

How to turn LIKES into LEADS on Social Media

While perusing the internet for important information and new ways to increase business, I often stumble upon web pages of great resource. This is a blog called Jumplead, and it has a lot of really good information for Small Business. Check them out and see what you think!

The Jumplead Blog

Have you even started investigating what the SBA can do?

I have been surprised at how many people are currently running businesses that don't refer to the wealth of resources out there on the internet. Our government, no matter how you feel about them, can build a website. There is an amazing amount of information out there ,but people seem to be unable to take it in. That's how people like me become consultants.

If you are the industrious type and need some information please check out their website. It really is amazingly full of information .

US Small Business Association

To all the LADIES in the house!

Hey Ladies! Get funky y'all. Sorry I can't even hear the word without going directly to the Beastie Boys.

Okay, back to business. This is a great organization for women entrepreneurs in Montgomery County, MD. They also host a HUGE meeting in August. I know I will be there.

Women Business Owners of Montgomery County

Having a lot of phone interviews?

This page has some great ways to brush up on your phone interview game

The right way to do phone interviews

Introduction to Agent Seven

What is Agent Seven? It is a company dedicated to helping small businesses succeed. Whether you need help with 8(a) applications, writing a business plan or just need a new resume, Agent Seven is the place to get your business handled.

So this blog is dedicated to gathering and posting pertinent business information on marketing, SBA updates, policy and other small business topics. Agent Seven is located in Montgomery County, MD, and also serves Howard, Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties as well as Baltimore City.