Word Constructions Newsletter

Word Constructions ~ For all your business writing needs

Welcome!

I am back from my honeymoon and back into writing and running Word Constructions - thank you to those of you who sent congratulations and wishes, I appreciated your messages.

Not surprisingly, I wrote my own wedding service for our celebrant to use. The result was a highly personal service that truly meant something to us. I mention it not because it was my wedding but to point out how having personalised content can make a difference to the results.

Whether it is product descriptions, email disclaimers, website content or client letters, tailoring it for your business and your clients will be more interesting and more effective. You can personalise it by avoiding clichés and obvious phrases, adding specifics and using words like 'I' and 'you'.

Each time you write something, go back through it before you proofread it and see how you can make it more personal.

Tash

PS Over the next two months, the Word Constructions website will be updated with more articles, changed services, new packages and new rates, so keep an eye on the site and book in the current packages if they appeal to you.

Tash Hughes
0428 376 110
fax 03 9445 9154
www.wordconstructions.com
For all your business writing needs

Bullet Points
By Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

Bulleted lists are a great way of simplifying information. A list of items in sentence form is harder to read and use than a long list; if the items are steps in a procedure then a list is even more useful.

However, when using a bulleted list it is worth remembering these guidelines:

if the bulleted list is part of a sentence, make sure each point makes sense. So if the first point starts with a singular verb, all the points should start with a singular verb
fancy bullets may be cute and show that you can use clipart, but if they distract from your content they aren't a good idea. A simple dot or dash is most effective
be consistent with punctuation. It is common that only the last bullet point ends with a full stop or comma, although question marks may be used for every point if relevant
indenting and leaving space around the list makes the list bulleted lists easier to look at and read, especially if the list is being used to break up any long sections of text.

If anyone needs some help with creating bulleted lists, please let me know as I have a procedure written for MS Word.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great

Mark Twain

Licensing rules
By Tash Hughes

So it is licence or license? Both words are referring to being granted permission to do something, whether it be driving a car, fishing, playing with words or sell restricted goods.

In Australia and Britain, licence is the noun (e.g. this is my driver's licence) and license is the verb (e.g. I license you to fish in this area.)

In the US, 'license' covers both the permit itself and the granting of the permit.

In Canada, the two words have distinct meanings - licence is a legal permission (eg your driver's licence) and license refers to a freedom (eg 'taking license' and over reaching law.)

Saving time in your business
By Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

No matter how many great ideas you have, how well you understand things that need to be done, how much you want to spend time doing other things, there is always only twenty-four hours on a day.

There are some ways to save time when working your business so as to make the most out of your working hours.

Set up filters in your email system. Then process emails in related groups, starting with high priority ones.
Block your time. Focus on one activity at a time to be more productive. Leave emails untouched and the phone on message bank until their allotted block.
Recognise your own work patterns and needs. Do important tasks when you work best.
Have a notebook handy and use it! By noting your ideas, they won’t clutter your mind so that you can focus on the task to hand.
Reading is an important but easily forgotten tool in business – so timetable it. Reading can teach you many things, inspire you and provide variety to your working week.

Read some more time saving ideas here.

What is best practice?
From Business Victoria (and by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions)

Best practice is an ongoing commitment to change and improve in order to deliver the best possible performance. It identifies activities, procedures and innovations that can create a positive impact on your business. Best practice is based on the concept of learning from others' experience and keeping up to date with your industry.

Best practice methods need to be applied to all aspects of your business. Strategies can apply to customer and supplier relationships, financial matters, employee and industrial relations, production processes and waste management.

Introducing best practice strategies into your business can have many benefits, such as:

becoming more competitive
increasing sales and developing new markets
reducing costs and becoming more efficient
improving the skills of your workforce
using technology more effectively
reducing waste and improving quality
responding more quickly to innovations in your sector

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