Brandon Wright with Personal Business Writing

Here I have found a tip video from Bloomberg on writing a business plan for a personal business. The business plan is one of the most important writings you will do when starting a personal business. This plan is going to state the who, what, why and how of services you will or want to provide. It will help you in identify your audience and explain what you will do for them. Your business plan needs to hook, line and sink. If you can't keep someone reading your business plan, you won't keep your business running. There are many templates and sample business plans out there to help you write the best plan you can.

Daniel R. Creating and Developing Effective Presentations

Creating an effective presentation can be difficult. I am taking Public Speaking this semester and I have learned a lot about creating and presenting speeches. I have found a presentation planning checklist that I think is helpful to do before you finalize your presentation.

-Does your introduction grab participant’s attention and explain your objectives?
-Do you follow this by clearly defining the points of the presentation?
-Are these main points in logical sequence?
-Do these flow well?
-Do the main points need support from visual aids?
-Does your closing summarize the presentation clearly and concisely?
-Is the conclusion strong?
-Have you tied the conclusion to the introduction?

It is also important that you have a general knowledge about the topic you are presenting. I think that it is helpful to have index cards with notes on it to help you present at a good pace. Also, if you have visual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation, then you want to make sure that the slides are easy to read. Try to avoid distracting backgrounds, and do not put so much information, try to just put the main points. Finally, make sure that you are dressed appropriately, be professional and practice your presentation many times before you are put on the spot.

Source: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PresentationPlanningChecklist.htm

Erin Y. - Instant Messaging For Professional Writing

Instant Messaging has become vital part of our lives. It is everywhere. We have IM (shortened name for instant messaging) on practically every electronic device. The next thing IM is going to take over is professional writing. Instant Messaging is a quick and easy way to have a conversation anywhere and at anytime. I use IM all the time but mostly for personal use. I do not even need to be on the computer. I can IM while I am on my phone or even my iPod touch. The best part is that IM services are free.
IM is a great tool for the business world. Business professionals can talk to other business groups through IM. Professional writers can have conversations via IM. Instant Messaging is a quick way to get information to business associates. You could send out an IM to everybody at once and it will pop right up. Its quicker than mail in that it pops up right away , you don’t have to wait for the person you’re sending the IM to read your message. A somewhat new feature with IM is video messaging. Instant Messaging services such as AOL instant messenger have a video chat option. This is a really cool option. You can look at the person you’re having a conversation with. You can also attach files through the message. That is really convenient for business people. You can send letters, resumes, and any other business documents quickly and be able to get a response instantly. Instant Messaging is going to take over the business world before you know it. Luckily for our generation that will not be a problem considering we use it practically every day. In the near future be on the lookout for instant messaging in your job!

source: http://www.theanywhereoffice.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/instant-messaging-icons.jpg

Jackie F.'s Letter of Appeal Tips

Writing an appeal letter is not difficult at all. I had to write a letter of appeal against the Women’s Golf coach and the entire team was actually heard in front of the Athletic Directors. If used correctly, these letters can be very powerful and helpful.


A letter of appeal is a letter that states that unfair treatment has occurred. It allows you to state your side of the story so that they can consider your case. It is a very self explanatory letter and it should not be too difficult to write. The only issue that I see in writing this letter would be trying to stabilize emotions and not get carried away with anger. Here are a few things the letter should include:

1. An introduction that explains why you are writing the letter.

2. Do not get carried away with your emotions. Keep them in check.

3. Narrate what happened and include all necessary facts.

4. Try to provide specific times or dates to help legitimize your case.

5. Use bullets in your letter to make it look organized.

"Writing a Letter of Appeal." Letter Writing Guide. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2009

Brandon W - Leading Effective Teams

Being an effective team leader is an important value in no matter what job or area you may go into. Almost every activity you may participate in is team based. Whether you are the team leader or part of the team, knowing these tips will help you fully understand what it is to be a team leader and part of a team.

• Be a teacher. Nothing will frustrate your team member more than when you just lean over them and show them how to do something they may be having a problem with. "Here, let me show you..." If you're the team leader and you are using this phrase, you are not being an effective team leader. The team isn't learning anything, you're doing it yourself and not actually teaching the team, which will be beneficial now and in the future. The team wants to feel like they've accomplished and possibly learned something, not just showed how to do it.
• Be positive. As a team leader you can not just shoot negative criticism all over the team. You have to share the bad AND the good. Try to be more positive. Something might not be right, but the team will work better together and more effectively. Your team will probably get discouraged and not want to work if all you do as leader is point out all the negatives.
• Be involved, but not too involved. If you are so involved in a project with another team member, it is your job as leader to give that person space and trust in their abilities. You don't want to put so much input into a project that the member starts to feel like you don't trust them or they shouldn't be doing the project.

Of course these are only a few examples of what an effective team leader is made of. The list would go on and on. These are just a few basics tips that are easy to follow, but will go a long way in making you be the most effective team leader you can be.

Daniel R. - Toondoo

source:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66RCz3OePPT0HbGPxoWdHB8jLnVG3N42eJiPhbnsRGWKt2H4X0mw94uYShv7Ua3jNMuyT59mwZ0qeK3GsPm5vXWOCx2t0r-CpKV00JiieV5lfBnPVhxV_hrCvMRF7yFfnWDStDWamPinB/s400/Cartoon-WritingTips3.jpg

Kyle J’s Writing Technical Instructions

One of the most common and one of the most important uses of technical writing is instructions—those step-by-step explanations of how to do things: assemble something, operate something, repair something, or do routine maintenance on something. But for something seemingly so easy and intuitive, instructions are some of the worst-written documents you can find. Like me, you've probably had many infuriating experiences with badly written instructions. Here are some good guidelines when writing technical instructions.

• Clear, simple writing.
  
• Have a thorough understanding of the procedure, before you start.
  
• Be able to put yourself in the place of the reader, the person trying to use your instructions.
  
• Be able to visualize the procedure in great detail and to capture that awareness on paper.
  
• Finally, be willing to go that extra distance and test your instructions on the kind of person you wrote them for.
  

By now, you've probably studied headings, lists, and special notices—writing a set of instructions with these tools probably seems obvious. Just break the discussion out into numbered vertical lists and throw in some special notices at the obvious points and you're done! Well, not quite, but that's a great start.

Always test your instructions before you publish!