6 Polite Tips To Respond e-mails

1. Be concise 

Less definitely means more. When you are answering an email you don’t have to include the original message as well. 

The person that sent it to definitely has a copy of the message, and if you are planning to say just “so do I”, it really wouldn’t make sense.

Experts say any message of more than 100 lines is considered long and it will probably end up not read. 

Some companies are taxed for every second of internet connection, so they will not gladly accept messages that are too long.

2. Be careful with attachments 

They are a great invention, but they should be used carefully. If you send a short message as attachment, you will certainly annoy the reader. 

He will open your email, wait for another program to open the attached document, and find out that you only wrote in the attachment is that you will meet at 2pm at some restaurant. 

If an attachment is required, let the recipient know what it contains. Attachment with strange extensions can contain viruses.

3. Be careful when you send mail to multiple recipients
  
Before doing this, ask yourself if every person in your list really wants to find out details about how you spent your weekend. 

Recipients will get annoyed if the information is of no interest to them. It can even be considered spam if repeated many times.

And also, remember all the addresses you have in you address book before sending the email. Some years ago, an employee forgot the addresses in his address book and sent a message in which he critiqued the boss. 

The message got to the boss as well and, of course, the employee got fired.

4. Be careful how you write 

Emails that are too familiar are not appreciated by everyone, and "john doe" emails are not appreciated at all. 

If you are not addressing a person you know, don’t use short phrases. you shouldn’t use the quite emoticons either, that might seem too forward.

Then check your text to correct the misspellings. 

Emails with lots of mistakes don’t look to good and make a bad impression.
 

5. Formatting problems 

Not all email programs are simple, so keep the simplest format possible. Maybe the recipient cannot see the green font and the flower send by you.

 Email is for communication, not a design exercise, so keep it simple.

6. Starting and finishing 

Don’t start a message with at least a simple “Hello”. Lots of people jump right to the subject. It doesn’t have to be formal, just something polite. “Dear” or “hi” are very appropriate. 

At the end “Sincerely” might seem too formal so use “All the best” or “Yours truly”. 

How To Plan Starting Your Own Business

There are many reasons for wanting to start your own business, and most of us get to this point. Which one of the following applies to you?

• Freedom from daily routine.
• Doing what I want when I want.
• Improve my living standard.
• I want creative freedom.
• I want to fully use my skills, knowledge and education.
• I have a product/idea/service that people need.
• I’ll have more time with the family.
• I won’t have a dress code.
• There are good tax breaks for business owners.
• I’m a Type B person and work best alone.
• I want to be my own boss.
• I want to make the decisions.

Now granted, every one of the above is a good reason for wanting your own business. 

The rub is that not many people think the process through – step by step. 

There are 7 phases to business planning.  They are:

1. Investigation Phase
2. Planning Phase
3. Start-up Phase
4. Operating/Monitoring Phase
5. Problem/Challenge resolution Phases
6. Renewal/Expansion Phase
7. Selling, Transferring, Retirement Phase
   
   

In the Investigation Phase you take a look at yourself and also your business options.  

There are careers that are suited to personality types, so the first thing you must discern is “Which personality type am I?”

Duty Fulfillers

            This is an introverted personality who is serious, quiet, thorough, orderly, matter-of-fact, logical, realistic, and dependable. 

They take responsibility, are well organized, know what should be accomplished and work steadily toward it disregarding distractions. 

They are careful calculators, and 20% of this group become accountants.

The Mechanics

            These are also introverts and are cool onlookers.  They are quiet, reserved, observing, and analyzing life with a detached curiosity and have unexpected flashes of original humor. 

They’re usually interested in cause and effect, how and why mechanical things work, and in organizing facts using logical principles. They usually are craftsmen, mechanics, or handymen with about 10% becoming farmers.

The Doers

            These people are extroverts who are good at on-the-spot problem solving, don’t worry, enjoy whatever comes along, are adaptable, tolerant, and generally conservative in values. They tend to like mechanical things and sports, and dislike long explanations. 

They are best with “real” things that can be worked, handled, taken apart, or put together. About 10% of this type go into marketing or become Impresarios.

The Executives

            These are another extrovert group and are hearty, frank, decisive, leaders in activities and usually good in anything that requires reasoning and intelligent talk, such as public speaking. 

They’re usually well informed and enjoy adding to their fund of knowledge. They may sometimes appear more positive and confident than their experience in an area warrants. 

They’re sometimes called “judgers” and “thinkers” and 21% of this group become legal administrators. To go into each personality type would be far too complicated, but to give you an idea of the roles that personality types could fall into look at the following list. 

Beside the categories we covered in depth here are some simply broken down into Introvert or Extrovert Personality.

Introverts choose careers that satisfy being:

• Nurturers
• Guardians
• Artists
• Scientists
• Protectors
• Idealists

Extroverts  are usually:

• Performers
• Visionaries
• The Inspirers
• Givers
• Caregivers

The second part of the Investigating Phase is looking at your business options.  When choosing the business you want to start consider the following:

• Do you like to work with your hands or brain, or both?
• Does working indoors or outdoors matter?
• Are you good at math, writing, puzzles, blueprints, installing things or fixing things?
• What interests you? What are your hobbies?
• Do you like to work alone or as part of a team?
• Do you like to plan things, or go to events?
• Do you like machines, computers?
• Do you like to drive or operate equipment?
• Do you like to travel, collect/display things, give/attend shows, or take pictures?
• Are you small, large, strong?

Make a list of your likes and dislikes. Keep a diary of things you do that relate to business and rate each entry from 1 to 5 based on your interest. Then prepare a list of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and concerns.  

After doing all that, you should have a list of candidate businesses that are right for you. Then you can make a list of the “candidate businesses” and rate them from 1 to 5 based on your own chosen criteria. 

Some criteria could be is it feasible, low in cost to establish, meets my objectives, will make money, there is a “niche” market of existing customers, or it will produce residual income to name just a few. 

By the time you’ve accomplished all that, you should seriously consider visiting the local chapter of S.C.O.R.E. or your own mentor to use as a sounding board for your plan. All the very Best.