Welcome to Insight, the newsletter that delivers small business advice and technology information to help you succeed. Insight provides you with valuable business strategies and software tips, as well as advice from small business experts and free software downloads. This quarter you’ll find great information on women-owned businesses. Get even more from your Insight subscription with Small Business+. Register to access our premium small business information, Small Business+ templates, and exclusive special offers. You’ll continue to receive the same great newsletter but with articles and information tailored to your needs. Look for the plus sign  to identify Small Business+ exclusives. 
Many entrepreneurs get by just fine without a business plan. But consider: Would a pilot ever fly from New York to Albuquerque without a flight plan? Of course not. His flight plan tells him which direction to head, how much fuel he needs, important landmarks to look for on the way. Well, that is what your business plan amounts to. It's a flight plan for success. It helps you understand whether you are headed in the right direction, what to look out for on the way, and whether you have the resources to make it.
As a small business professional, you wear a lot of hats. We want to help you feel more comfortable wearing them all. View the great lineup live and online, 12–4 P.M. EDT (9 A.M.–1 P.M. PDT), March 24–27. Get tips, tools, and advice, including ways Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system can help your small business be more productive. Register today at www.sbsummit.com. It’s free!
Most industries and marketers have finally figured out something: Women have wallets, and women do make independent, big-ticket purchasing decisions. Even traditional male sectors such as automotive, financial services, and technology have made efforts to attract women consumers. But there's definitely a tricky line to walk. On the one hand, you don't want to fall into the cliché of coloring everything pink or dumbing down a message. On the other, it's clear that women do respond when messages are created to be specific to them.
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Create a unique brand identity before mapping an advertising plan
Before you advertise, it is important to work out exactly what you want to convey to the market about your business. This course will help you create your unique brand identity and choose the right communication approach. Then you'll be ready to create an advertising plan that matches your company persona.
7 ways to use customer data
Many small businesses suffer a disconnect between the data they collect and the business intelligence they derive from it. There's a wealth of insight and strategy just below the surface—if you know what to look for. If you're not using your small business data to the utmost, here are seven steps to get you on track.
7 tips for turning cold calls into hot leads
Cold calling is hard. But turning cold calls into actual sales calls takes confidence as well as skill. As an infant enterprise with scant resources, a low profile, and few (if any) client testimonials, you must practice "interruptive marketing" to get your message out. Here are seven expert tips to help you succeed.
5 ways to win over a dream client
Every business has a dream client—one prospect they'd give just about anything to land. The gap between that wish and reality can often be substantial. But it's not hopeless. Here are five issues that may separate you and the customer of a lifetime, along with strategies that may turn your wish list into a working relationship.
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Slide masters offer shortcut to modifying presentations
If you've wondered how to make a design change in Microsoft Office PowerPoint that would apply to several slides at once, this course is for you. See how the slide master helps you efficiently alter such elements as font, text position, and layout. Also, work with several masters in a show that has more than one design template.
Windows XP System Restore helps undo big mistakes
It used to be, back in that last century, that people wished for a reverse time machine. This would allow them to go back in time after they messed up their computer. Well, Windows XP has that time machine. It's an all-too-often unused feature called System Restore that may save your bacon someday. Here are four things to know about it.
Set up a meeting using Windows Meeting Space
With Windows Meeting Space, you can collaborate and share documents, programs, or your desktop with other people on the Internet, a local network, or a wireless ad hoc network. If no network exists, Windows Meeting Space will set one up automatically. Follow these steps to set up your own Windows Meeting Space.
Servers offer enhanced security, greater remote access
Worried about hackers, viruses, and malware? Are you concerned that your employees can't access their data when they're on the road? It's possible to address both of these issues with a single solution: upgrading your company's computers from a peer-to-peer network to one that's managed by a server. Here's how a server can answer the safety and mobility concerns of your small business.
Demo spotlights simplicity of selling with Microsoft Office Accounting
Microsoft Office Accounting makes it easy for you to create sales orders and invoice your customers. Open a new sales order and let Office Accounting automatically fill in customer contact and pricing information, and create an invoice with a single click. Watch the demo to see how easy it is to use Office Accounting to sell your products and services.
Creating a new database using Microsoft Office Access 2003
Office Access 2003 includes wizards to help you quickly and easily create databases and objects. By using a wizard, you can create the structure for a sophisticated contact management database, complete with tables, queries, forms, and reports. This lesson shows how.
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Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 60-day trial
Microsoft Office Accounting Professional is an easy-to-use, comprehensive accounting package that works with other Microsoft Office applications you already know. Discover it for yourself through a 60-day trial download.
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Need a business plan?
Get started with this free eBook—Your Road Map to Success: How to Write a Winning Business Plan—from the Microsoft Startup Center. |
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Connect with your customers with free e-mail marketing
Try the E-Mail Marketing beta from Microsoft Office Live Small Business to keep existing and potential customers informed about your products, services, special promotions, and latest developments. Sign up by April 1, 2008, and get started with the service for FREE! |
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Start selling your products online and join the world of e-commerce
With Store Manager from Microsoft Office Live Small Business, you can easily create your own fully customized online store and post your items on eBay. Better yet, you can manage everything in one place. All transaction fees for Store Manager sales are waived until April 1, 2008. |
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Enter today to win what you love
Certified for Windows Vista products are designed and tested for ease of use, better performance, and enhanced security. Combined with your Windows Vista–based PC, it’s an experience you’re bound to love. Enter the "Look for the Logo" sweepstakes today. |
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Microsoft Small Business Show
On-demand webcast
Catch the replay of the January 24 episode of the Microsoft Small Business Show. Chris Cashman hosts an hour of inspiring and entertaining interviews with entrepreneurs who share the secrets of their success. Watch it now! |
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