No Permit, No Value

September 2nd, 2010

Property Owners wanting to do improvements are always asking us if acquiring building permits is really necessary.

Let’s take a poll: Raise your hand if you can actually park two cars in your garage. Closet anarchists are we? As if it’s anybody’s business what you do on your own property, right?

Wrong! In boom years gone past, even the malicious whistle blowing of a jealous neighbor could be hushed with phrases like “pre-existing condition” or “grandfathered- in”. Upon selling the house, a good broker would list only the legally permitted square footage then work multiple offers over the asking price due to the “bonus second story master suite” or the “backyard editing studio”. With an interest only, stated-stated loan, escrow would close long before anybody asked the City’s Building and Safety Department for permit records.

These days there is a new whistle blower and it’s the LENDERS! BMR recently represented a Buyer in the purchase of a home near Griffith Park. In order to comply with new Federal underwriting guidelines, the Seller had to remove an unpermitted guest house from the garage and drywall over the staircase leading up to the unpermitted bedrooms in the attic. Not only did her house just shrink by HALF, but it cost her $8,000 out-of-pocket and three weeks of despair! Lenders are now more liable than ever for the integrity of the properties they finance and with their capital so severely limited, they will find unimaginable reasons not to approve a loan. Do you want to be stuck hanging upside down in your property for the next
decade?

Consult with licensed professionals to permit your projects and always seek to justify even the most indulgent improvements by their market value.

BMR Enterprises is a real property firm based in Los Angeles with general
contracting and real estate sales licenses. Our team draws from extensive experience in architectural design development, construction, real estate brokerage, syndications, and financial analysis to develop creative and thoughtful real property solutions that enrich our clients’ homes, businesses and lifestyles.

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Twitter Is A Dream Come True For Brand Awareness

August 10th, 2010

It is undeniable that Twitter has quickly become a mainstay of social media alongside Facebook. There are many key reasons for its popularity and its rise in popularity, like the simplicity, micro-blogging platform, and mobile application. Twitter’s growth is astounding; in April 2010 they released some of their statistics including over 105 million registered users, 300,000 new registered users per day, and 180 million unique visitors per month. Simply said, people are spending their time reading tweets and making tweets.

Businesses are now realizing the potential of creating brand awareness on Twitter as people continue to shift their attention away from traditional forms of media. If managed effectively, companies can use Twitter to reach a large, targeted audience regardless of industry. A presence on Twitter allows companies to be found by users searching for their products and services because they can actively attract potential customers by providing useful content and information.

Twitter provides a platform that allows businesses to find targeted prospects, then engage them by providing relevant information and through direct, real-time conversation. Twitter makes it easy for us to help our clients manage relationships with new prospects and existing customers. This is much more powerful than one way marketing of yesterday. This new interactive marketing allows a dialogue that can help match the needs of the consumer and the benefits being offered by businesses.

Vince Yuen founded TweetsByUs, a Twitter & Facebook management company, after experiencing the benefits of social media in creating brand awareness and driving traffic to a site he co-founded, toptentopten.com. Since then, he has been constantly learning about how social media marketing works and how it is evolving. He holds an MBA from the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego and a BA in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara.

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The Importance of Keyword Research for SEO

July 13th, 2010

As many of you probably know, having your website optimized for search engines is a crucial component to generating more traffic. One of the building blocks of successful SEO is conducting proper Keyword & Competitor Research in order to identify which keywords you should be targeting. If you conduct your Keyword & Competitor Research correctly, you can find out which keywords your potential clients are using to find your business online. You can also discover which keywords your competitors are targeting.

Getting started with your Keyword Research is easy:

1. Brainstorm 10-20 words that you think your consumers may type into the search engines when looking for your product and/or service.

2. Go to the Google AdWords Keyword Tool and enter them in.

After you submit your keywords, Google will let you know approximately how many searches are conducted for these keywords. They will also provide similar keywords that people are searching for… which may also be ones that you hadn’t even thought of! By figuring out which keywords people are actually searching for, you’ll have a better of idea which keywords you should target for your website.

To learn more about how to identify lucrative keywords for your website, join us for SEO for Everyone: Highly Relevant Keyword & Competitor Research Bootcamp.

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3 Money Tips for Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Workers

June 24th, 2010

So you’re working on the next great Web 2.0 startup, or you’re finally shedding your corporate past to work for yourself. You spend all your free time thinking about your business, how to get more clients, and even dabbling in SEO. Well, let’s take a few minutes to make sure your financial house is in order. Here are 3 simple money tips for entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, or anyone going through a career transition.

1. Don’t invest your rent money

If your income is not stable yet and you expect to dip into savings to
pay rent or other living/business expenses, that money should not be
invested in the stock or bond market. Any savings you expect to use
within a year or two should be in very safe, “cash” investments. We’re
talking about the boring stuff here: savings accounts, CDs, and money market funds. You’ll need the money soon, don’t gamble it away.

2. Consider a Roth IRA conversion

If you expect your income to be unusually low this year because your
business is not yet making Zynga money, or you’re just getting started as a consultant, you may be an excellent candidate for converting your old IRAs and 401k’s into a Roth IRA. By converting, you would be prepaying your taxes this year, when you’re in a low bracket, instead of paying them later, when you return to a high bracket. Obviously, many factors go into this decision, so consult a tax expert.

3. Contribute to a small business retirement plan

Once you start making a decent income, saving on taxes becomes a high priority. As a business owner or contractor, an easy solution is to
set up a small business retirement account, like a SEP IRA or
Self-Employed 401k. Your contribution limit depends on your business income, so you may even be able to contribute more than you did with your old corporate 401k. Take a look at Fidelity’s comparison chart to find the right option for you. And if you’re still working a job while starting your business, you may be able to contribute to the small business plan on top of your plan at work.

Edwin Choi is an investment advisor and owner Mariposa Capital Management. Prior to starting Mariposa, he spent several years as a portfolio manager and trader with Merrill Lynch in New York. Subscribe to Mariposa’s quarterly newsletter at http://www.mariposacap.com/join-our-mailing-list/

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Is Twitter a Presenter’s Nightmare or a Dream Come True?

June 23rd, 2010

Sharing your ideas with an audience can be challenging enough. Doing it in the age of Twitter—when everything you say can instantly be broadcast to a potential audience of far greater numbers—can be downright daunting.

But just like PowerPoint, Twitter is a tool that can be used for good or for bad. To use it for good, start by thinking of it as a means of engaging your audience before, during and after your presentation:
Use Twitter beforehand to research your audience and solicit case studies and challenges they face.
Use it during the presentation when you take Twitter breaks, to answer questions and get a feel for the temperature of the audience.
Use Twitter after your talk to follow up on open items and keep the conversation going. Because you can make a record of all of the tweets your audience has made during your talk, this “Twitterstream” is a goldmine of audience feedback, showing you which of your ideas and techniques were a hit, and which ones were a miss that you can then revise for the next time.

You can best manage the change to the audience-speaker dynamic that Twitter has introduced when you embrace Twitter, and guide it to become the dream come true that it has the potential to be.

Cliff Atkinson (@cliffatkinson on Twitter) wrote the bestselling book Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft Press, 2007). For more on how you can effectively engage audiences who use Twitter, see his latest book The Backchannel: How Audiences are Using Twitter and Social Media and Changing Presentations Forever (New Riders, 2009), and the companion website at www.backchannelbook.com

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Adding meaning to spring cleaning by Samantha Bennett, The Organized Artist Company

June 22nd, 2010

Chores are just chores unless they are tied to a higher purpose, so before you start cleaning, organizing or putting things away, I want you to create a short list of how you want your space to feel. Close your eyes – how does the more-perfect version of your space look? Spacious? Clear? Warm? Cozy? Sun-soaked? Elegant?

Now, what do you imagine might happen if the space felt that way all the time? Might you be more productive? Have a more cheerful staff? Be more spontaneous? Spend less time looking for stuff?

Picking out one or two words from each list, let’s put it all together and make a sign that says:

I Want My Space To Feel________ So That I Can _________.

Now we’re not just getting organized (groan); we’re creating a space that feels “Open and Friendly” so that we can “Invite Friends Over Spontaneously” (yay!). Tying the work of organizing to your dreams and values will motivate you to action and help prevent backsliding.

Now, Get Rid Of Some Stuff
Don’t panic – I didn’t say, “Get rid of everything.” I said, “Get rid of some stuff.” Take a deep breath. Take frequent breaks. Don’t forget to eat something. If at any time in the process you feel wobbly, get a drink of water, remind yourself of your dreams and values (i.e., “having an open and friendly space so you can invite friends over spontaneously”) and keep going. Even doing a little is better than doing nothing.

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SO…WHAT DO YOU DO?

March 16th, 2010

If that question—”What do you do?”—sends you into a remarkably accurate impersonation of a deer in headlights, you’re not alone. Here are a few ideas for creating a perfect pitch, whether it’s for you, your project or a business.

INVESTIGATE what is of value to your existing and past clients by asking yourself the following:

How would you describe the benefits of working with you?
What is your favorite problem to solve?
Who is your ideal client?
The idea is to find out why you are particularly good at what you do or how your business works.

PAN FOR GOLD. Now that you’ve collected your research, go back through and find out what stands out. What words, ideas or even feelings repeat? You’re now identifying your core message. If you get stuck, go through your feedback from clients or testimonials.

LEAD with the benefits. “I [solve x problem] for people who [y]” instead of, “I design x for y or z.” A good pitch makes it easy for your ideal client to know you are right for them and for the folks who aren’t your potential clients to refer clients to you.

FOLLOW these real-life examples, drawn from people I’ve worked with:
BEFORE: I’m an interior decorator for architects.
AFTER: My passion is creating elegant, functional design for architects within budget and ahead of deadline.
BEFORE: I make it affordable to look good by building client’s identity from the ground up.
AFTER: My passion is helping small businesses look good, because their success is built on more than a logo!

CONGRATS! You have investigated, that means that you are telling the truth, so you won’t be bragging. Because you’ve looked for gold, you’ve identified the images and themes that are “sticky” and fun for you, and will be interesting to others. Since you lead with the benefits, you have succeeded in making your pitch all about THEM, not you. You got feedback, so you know you are telling a compelling story, people LOVE stories. Way to go. Now, get pitching!

Dyana Valentine looks closely at and works intensely with clients who are truly ready to make their projects happen and their businesses grow. Learn more about her and how she can help you get your PitchPerfect! on dyanavalentine.com.

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Are you leaving your biggest advantage behind you?

February 8th, 2010

“Hindsight is 20/20,” and yet few people take advantage of this wisdom systematically. How often do we take the time to do a thorough debrief of an event? Yet, so much of our work is cyclical, with yearly conferences, quarterly workshops and weekly meetings.
The immediate value disappears if it is not documented in a timely manner. Research shows the lesser details are forgotten after just 3-6 days. Many people don’t do a debrief session because they are already busy working on the next big thing.

The purpose of the debrief is to find better ways of doing things by identifying mistakes and clarifying objectives. Two important outcomes of this process are to (1) learn and hold onto what works and to (2) share and teach best practices.

Here are 4 topics to address during your debrief session:

1. What worked especially well? What were the highlights?
2. What aspects did not work? What assumptions did we make? What areas needed more support?
3. What were the big(gest) risks we took? Did we take enough risks? How could we better prepare for “surprise factor?”
4. If money, time and resources were not a factor, what would we do differently? What features, benefits or “goodies” would we add to the event? Describe in vivid detail this ideal scene in terms of wild success and flawless execution.

Most crises can be anticipated with the right planning and attention. If you’re shaking your head and saying, “No, I’m always in crisis mode,” then implement this immediately and build it into your culture. You don’t have the luxury of not requiring this essential aspect of productivity management. By making the debrief session part of the complete process, you’ll add an effective planning tool to your management ability and to your organization’s future. Take advantage of all you can learn from the past to make your future even better.

Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA, and Jodi Womack, MA, help busy professionals up level their organizational performance through maximizing time, energy, focus, and technology. www.WomackCompany.com

Visit www.ThePromiseDoctrine.com to read a free chapter of Jason’s new book, on the advantage of keeping your word.

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What to do when you just can’t write

January 15th, 2010

Whether you find yourself grappling with a wicked case of writer’s block or are just wildly unhappy with what’s coming out of your keyboard, there are tried and true methods that will help you get that piece of writing out of your head and onto the page. Here are my three favorites:

1. Do a “vomit draft”

99 times out of 100, what gets me stuck are visions of a perfect final draft dancing in my head as I sit down to the keyboard. While writing a lot makes it easier to get to that draft faster, no one gets it in one shot (and if you do, email me immediately: I want you on emergency speed-dial). Give yourself permission to write one horrid version of the email/proposal/what-have-you. Then give yourself a break–the longer the better, but at least a cup of coffee or walk’s worth–before tackling Draft #2.

2. Write it for a five-year-old or the clean-up crew

In other words (haha), step out of your own fancy way and explain what you mean in terms so simple that a child (or a random adult with no knowledge of your field) could understand. Alternatively, spew all of your ideas as bullet points on a page without regard to how they line up. You’ll have to move stuff around later, but at least you’ll have stuff.

3. If all else fails, talk it

Some people are great in the room and not so hot at the computer. If that’s you, save yourself some anguish and talk your piece into voice mail or a digital capture device. Yes, you’ll have to go back and transcribe, but better that than banging your head against your MacBook for a morning.

Getting stuck is an inevitable part of the act of creation at times, and writing is no different. But slowing down, taking a breath and applying one of the above tools can go a long way towards unsticking you, and making your writing stronger, to boot.

Colleen Wainwright is a writer/speaker/consultant who helps other creative types figure out what they want to say and learn to say it more effectively.

You can see for yourself by subscribing to her free newsletter. She’s been a fan of Los Angeles, Jerome and BLANKSPACES since before she knew of them.

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Review, reflect and plan ahead.

January 14th, 2010

The best teacher is a teacher called life. And when we reflect on the past we are capturing the valuable lessons that our life has to offer. So while it’s always good to look forward, set goals and plan for the future, it’s equally valuable to review the year just past. I find a place where I can be still, and write down obstacles I overcame, lessons I’ve learned, what I accomplished and what I celebrated. I take a look not only at my business but at my personal life as well.

This holiday season, think about taking some time to review 2009 and create your 2010. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself to help you on this journey.

Write down the answers to the following questions:
1. What were my successes?
2. What did I accomplish?
3. What did I accomplish that I am most proud of?
4. What experiences touched me the most?
5. When did I have the most fun?
6. What experiences were the most powerful?
7. What were my major breakthroughs of the year?
8. What major obstacles did I overcome?

Now create 2010 with these intentions in mind:
1. For my body/soul/spirit?
2. My relationships?
3. My home environment?
4. My work/service?
5. My finances?
6. My growth/development?
7. My fun, adventure, expression?
8. In which areas of my life do I plan to move forward in 2010?

If you take the time to pause, review where you’ve been and set intentions to where you are going, you’ll find that both your life and your business will be richer and more fulfilling.

Love to you,
PELEG TOP

Peleg Top is a business development and marketing mentor helping creative entreprentues grow their business and become better leaders. Sign up for Peleg’s monthly newlstter here.

On January 8th and 14th, Peleg will be leading two separate, full-day group retreats in Los Angeles designed to help you map out your goals and intentions for 2010. For more information or to sign up, click here.

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