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Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

01310676178_logo.jpgA well written cover letter can make a lasting impression on job recruiters and is an additional way to showcase skills and achievements that may not appear on your resume.

Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools: Research the Company
Researching the company and including a statement that references familiarity with the company’s growth and business model shows professionalism and an interest in the industry the company operates in.

Cover letters should never be generic. Cover letters that could be written for any company, in any industry will quickly be discarded and may only lead to your resume being scanned for two seconds or disregarded entirely.
Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools: Include Additional Metrics
Cover letters can be used to include additional metrics (i.e. managed quarterly budget of 2.5 million) that you may not have been able to include in your resume due to space or formatting requirements.

A bulleted list works well when listing additional employment metrics and is easy to scan by prospective employers.
Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools: Include the Benefits You Will Bring to the Company
A cover letter may be the perfect place to showcase additional benefits you will bring to the company if chosen for employment. Benefits should focus on what you can do for the company, such as extensive experience that gives you insight into the company’s industry.

You may also want to include a brief synopsis of one of your biggest accomplishments that benefited your former or present employer.
Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools: Include Additional Training
It is often difficult to list all the continuing educational courses or certifications you have earned on your resume. Including these in your cover letter will ensure all pertinent training is documented.

A paragraph or bulleted list is the easiest way to show additional training that you have completed.
Using Cover Letters as Marketing Tools: Clear up any Discrepancies
If you have a large gap in employment (6 months or more), your cover letter is the perfect place to clear any questions up if you have a valid explanation. Stating that you took time off to take care of a sick relative, go back to school or volunteer overseas shows that you are aware that your resume has a hole in it and understand this might be a concern.

Keep explanations to one or two sentences only, prospective employers do not need to know your life story. If an additional explanation is needed, you’ll be asked during your interview.

Crafting a cover letter can be time consuming, but doing so can help give you an edge in the long run.

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How to Get a Small Business Loan

December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

21310676172_generalinterestletter.jpgGetting a small business loan is one way to start a venture or to expand your own established company, as this can be used in your business’ start-up costs, daily operations and monthly expenses. However, applying for a small business loan with banks, your family and friends, personal investors or other credit and finance institutions is not easy nowadays, since you have to assure your lender that you can pay in full as well as on time.
The best way to increase the chance of your loan to be approved is to prove that you are worth the investment. Proving that you are qualified for the amount that you are about to borrow will need careful preparation, which will definitely include documents such as credit histories, a professional loan proposal and a well-detailed business plan. You must also justify to your lender why you need the money and your confidence that your business will be profitable.
Below are guides that will help you obtain a small business loan.
Step 1:
The most important requirement that you will use in applying for a small business loan is your personal credit history. Having a clean credit history will be a good start for your lender to see once they have reviewed your loan application, for this may imply that you are creditworthy and capable of repaying the loan. But before applying for a loan, be sure that you know what is on your credit report. Credit reports are provided for free by these following companies: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. You must also know your credit score, since some lenders have different minimum credit scores required. This is also important because this will show the type of credit you have and the length of your credit history, as well as your payment history.
Step 2:
Write a solid and detailed business plan. This is required once you apply for a small business loan, so you better prepare it precisely since this is the basis of your business loan. It is also important to specify in full detail how your business will be profitable. Your business plan must also include statements such as your own professional biography, market analysis, and description of your business assets, business worth and business projections.
Step 3:
Make a professional loan proposal that is formal yet written in a persuasive manner. You can also ask your lender for their preferred loan proposal format, which will definitely include a cover letter or an executive summary. Your professional loan proposal may also include a business description, wherein it contains relevant information such as the history of your business, its location, target market, current activities, legalities, and the type of products or services that your business provides. Other important details that are essential to be included in your professional loan proposal include the following statements:

Financial statements
Cash flow statements with realistic estimated profits
A loan request which explains how much money the business needs to start operating
Collateral of assets that will secure the business loan
Repayment plans that emphasize the process of how and when the loan will be paid

It is also best that you know what type of loan will go well with your small business before writing your loan proposal, for there are several types of loan plans such as Micro-loans, SBA loans, Lines of Credit and Development Financing. It will be much easier for you to repay if you research the policies and requirements for each type of loan.
Step 4:
Choosing your lender will be the easiest part. This is the part where you will need to present everything you have prepared. First off, it is best to apply for a business loan with banks and credit institutions that you already have done business with or have an existing account with a good record. Then you can also apply with other banks and credit institutions so that you can choose who has the best offer.
Once your small business loan is approved, you should build a good relationship with your lender through constant communication. You can also show appreciation by providing results and monthly progress reports. And if in case your loan was not approved, you can always find other ways to finance your small business, like government grants or private investors. Your prepared materials will still be of use, and you may also improve them as well.

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Formats And Fonts For Business Letters

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

11310676173_businessletter.jpgWriting for any business purposes? Usually, business letter are more common in negotiating or addressing someone formally and talk about some important business issues or professional concerns.

Even though any offices practice this kind of letter writing, every student must learn how to write one. That is why every school nowadays taught their students on how to write a business letter effectively and correctly.

But it is not too late for those writers who wanted to learn more on business writing even if they are no longer school learners. Besides, not all writers are experienced enough to write a business letter and not all are equipped enough to do so.

Business letter writing, as we all know, is more about formality and is written in a professional tone. However, we should also consider about what are the fonts and correct formats that we should strictly follow in any business writing.

Just come to think of it, you are going to write a business letter and you are using a font size that is extremely small or extremely big. You might even use an inappropriate font for your text. Ever imagine how your recipient will react with your letter? They might even dump your letter at their first glance.

Then how are they going to read your message? That is why choosing the correct and proper fonts and formats in writing a business letter is very important and a writer must always take note of it.

Want your business letters to be taken seriously? Do it on your end first. If you’re serious about it, there’s a good chance those receiving your letters will reciprocate.

Apart from carefully writing your letters and using good grammar software for correctness, it’s a good idea to follow standard business formats and fonts to keep it as professional as possible. If you’re not familiar with standard business layouts, the following should serve as a good guide to follow.

Formats

Different organizations will use their own preferred formats. The following are the most common ones employed.

Block Format. In this format, the whole letter is left-justified, with single space lines. Use a double space only between paragraphs.

Modified Block Format
Like the block format, text is left-justified and single-spaced. Letter date and closing, however, are set in the center.

Semi-Block Format
This one is presented in much the same way as the modified block, except the paragraphs are indented, instead of left-justified.

Fonts

For fonts, the most important thing is readability. Using one of the common types (Times New Roman, Arial, and Tahoma) with a size of 11 or 12 is usually enough. If it’s a conservative company you’re writing to, stick to Times New Roman.

With these guides in selecting the correct and proper way of using fonts and formats, your business letter will look presentable in the eyes of your recipients. Since businessmen and other professionals are very busy with their activities, just be sure that your business letter will catch their attention and they will be able to read it in no time.

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