Recent Blog Posts

Noun-verb agreement debate

Posted By Amanda Collins on June 23, 2009

Yesterday I started a fan page on Facebook. My overview on there is similar to the overview on this Web site: “The Grammar Doctors provides strategic marketing copywriting and copyediting to differentiate clients through well-chosen words.” After posting it up, both @failtracker and @mousetrap pointed out the noun and verb don’t agree (okay, they said number agreement, so maybe that’s saying something in itself). I heartily disagree.

Think about grocery stores, which are typically named after the founder’s last name and are almost always plural: Wegmans, Tops, Albertsons, and Walgreens come to mind. When I say there’s a special to be had at Wegmans, I say, “Wegmans has a great deal on bananas!” I would never say, “Wegmans have a great deal on bananas.” That’s just silly. Well, The Grammar Doctors is the name of this company, and while it is comprised of multiple people, the company is just one entity, meaning the title is singular.

So, to those who choose to disagree, please remember that I started the company because of my close attention to detail. I’m not saying I don’t make mistakes (I’ve made some doozies!), but on this one, I beg to differ with the “number agreement” comment.

Time management skills

Posted By Amanda Collins on June 11, 2009

This past weekend I attended a seminar about keeping a business venture on track during this new economy (http://thenextgeneration.us/). As a business owner, I attend many such seminars and presentations, but for whatever reason, this one really resonated with me. The first speaker suggested doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis on the business and then crafting 30-, 60-, and 90-day action plans. Well, I did it right there. And one of the biggest things on my agenda was time management.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a horrible procrastinator. I have a to-do list daily, but I end up on Facebook. Twitter, checking e-mail, or basically doing just about anything else to avoid said list. This puts me behind, which makes my deliverables fall short of the promised date. Of course, that means I am leaving a bad taste in the mouths of my clients. Who’s going to refer someone when I can’t follow through on deadlines? I know I wouldn’t.

So, since I knew this was my downfall, I tackled it first. I decided to block out time on my PDA: one hour for work following by 30 minutes of play. Each section had tasks assigned. Since I’m a writer, the work block could be a résumé, revisions, editing, or copywriting. The play time consisted of e-mail, phone calls, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I even blocked out gym time and when I would pick up my son from daycare. Then I got out my timer.

I don’t multitask nearly as much anymore, but that’s okay. In fact, I close the e-mail browser, Facebook, and Tweetdeck during my working hour. I find I’m more on task and, most importantly, I’m finishing everything! I’m able to juggle working ON the business with working IN the business, which is a weight off my mind. So far, on day four, I’m right on task and have gotten a ton done.

So buy yourself a timer (or look one up online) and get working. It’ll do wonders.

What’s Your Blogging Strategy?

Posted By Amanda Collins on June 2, 2009

I’m going to go out on a thin branch of a limb here and assume that you know the value inherent in blogging for your business. It should be an integral component of your networking / business-building strategy. If it’s not, you might have bigger fish to fry!

Unfortunately – but not surprisingly – too many business owners are intimidated at the prospect of blogging for their business. “I’m not a good writer,” they say. Or, worse, “I’m not sure what to write.” Since blogs are a bit more informal, it’s okay to not be an excellent writer. Instead, a blog is a way to share information and tell a little bit about you; although, as The Grammar Doctor, I want your writing to be good, it doesn’t have to be “A” caliber; “C” works just as well in this arena.

For those who aren’t sure on what to write, I suggest grabbing your calendar. Okay, now that you’re looking at a few months in advance … well, breathe first … it’s not that bad! I promise, this strategy will give you some great tools to get blogging! First, think about your business. I’m guessing you can break it down into four distinct components. Perhaps you’re an image consultant. Your four components might be clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories. A network marketer for a skincare line might use skincare, makeup, household items, and a new product. As luck would have it, there are four weeks in most months! Like magic, you now have a category to write about each week.

Now, drill down deeper. If you’re thinking about clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories, what can you talk about each month? Perhaps there’s a new style or cut that’s hitting the runways, a color palette creeping up for the next season, or a controversy about real gold vs. plated. Whatever those things are, jot down about three ideas for each initial category. Okay, look at your paper. You’ve just noted the subject of your weekly blogs for the next three months!!

Okay, so that was easy, but what about actually writing the blogs? This is almost as easy, believe me! Write from your heart. Write what you know. Share parts of yourself. A decent blog only needs to be about three paragraphs, so there’s not a lot to write. In fact, most readers will veer away if they’re not engaged pretty much immediately – and no one wants to read pages of text. So get to the point. And, remember, NEVER blatantly sell. People like information, but no one wants to be sold. Remember that as you write your blog. Share information, anecdotes, links, and how to reach you; don’t sell your product.

Need help with your blogging strategy or editing what you write? The Grammar Doctors can help! Contact us to set up a FREE consultation.