| One of the issues that most small business owners | | | | where all your templates are stored. On each of our |
| overlook when starting out in business is the use of | | | | company's computers we have a special folder called |
| technology. Whilst computer technology may require a | | | | one-on-one where we store each of our templates |
| significant investment when starting out; Overtime, if | | | | for use by our staff |
| your systems are built correctly they will in fact save | | | | What Sort Of Templates Might You Need? |
| you very large sums of money, in particular in the area | | | | This is one of the key questions I get asked the most. |
| of staff wages. | | | | The most common templates I see small businesses |
| When I first started my business, One-on-One | | | | require are items like Sick Leave Forms, Leave |
| Personal Computer Training, I started out with a $3,000 | | | | Applications, Order Forms, Sales Letters, Purchase |
| Credit Card, which when you talk to any business | | | | Order Forms and so forth. |
| adviser or business-coach is absolutely the worst thing | | | | One of the reasons why I chose to build Microsoft |
| you could do. One of the issues I have been most | | | | Word Templates in my business was to ensure a level |
| conscious of is the cost of having a large number of | | | | of continuity of contact with our customers. By building |
| staff. The way I achieved a high level of efficiency in | | | | a series of Templates such as: |
| such a competitive market was to automate as many | | | | - A Company Letter Head |
| of the day-to-day tasks as I could. The best tasks for | | | | - A Company Fax Sheet |
| business automation are those that are repetitive. | | | | - A Company Leave Application |
| As soon as I mention the word Business Automation, | | | | - A Company Thank You Letter |
| most technophobes will put up a barrier and go into a | | | | - A Company Weekly Timesheet |
| minor or major fit. Business automation can be as | | | | - A Company Sales Letter |
| simple as creating just a few Microsoft Word | | | | - A Company Visitor Sign-in Sheet |
| templates. Business automation doesn't necessarily | | | | - A Company Purchase Order Form |
| mean hiring a huge plethora of software developers | | | | - A Company Order Form |
| and toiling day and night to build some monsterous and | | | | By having these forms in a central place I have |
| complex system. It can and should be simple so that | | | | ensured that my staff don't need to be recreating |
| you as a business owner can in fact do it yourself. Let | | | | these styles of documents each time they have to |
| me explain! | | | | send a letter or fax. Further to this, I know that certain |
| Microsoft for all its good and bad issues, has provided | | | | sales letters used by my staff will achieve the sales |
| business one of the most awesome tools - Microsoft | | | | outcomes that I am looking for. By using a Microsoft |
| Word allows you to build templates that you can reuse | | | | Word Template, they know that when they get and |
| as many times as you wish. | | | | enquiry that they can simply fill-in the customer details |
| What Is A Microsoft Word Template? | | | | and the letter is done. |
| Essentially, a Microsoft Word Template is like any | | | | In our sales letter templates we use Microsoft Word's |
| traditional word document, the difference is that it is | | | | Fill-in field to prompt our staff for key information like |
| designed to be reused as many times as you require. | | | | the Customers Name, Address and Company Name |
| Why not create a normal word document then. Well, | | | | ensuring that the information does get put into the |
| the difference is that when you use a Microsoft Word | | | | letter. Once they have completed that they simply |
| Template, you can store the template under the New | | | | press the Print button and its ready to go to the |
| dialogue box, so that each time you want to use the | | | | customer. As a business owner, knowing that that's all |
| document you go to that one point and it will be | | | | my staff have to do to achieve the sales makes me |
| available. | | | | feel far more comfortable than them having to write |
| Did you know that you can even create your own | | | | their own customised letters each time a customer |
| folders in the New dialog box? If you didn't know this, | | | | enquires about our training. |
| all you have to do is to simply create a new folder | | | | |