What Makes Press Releases or Business Profiles Newsworthy?
      
Impress the Media by Sending Them a News Release or Business Profile That Excites Their Audience

      The Women's News Bureau can coach you on how to design and construct a professional 200 - 300 word news release or business profile. Yes, there is an art to writing a newsworthy PR piece. You will get assistance with:

        Finding a business date to associate your PR piece with or selecting an exciting news angle to increase its newsworthiness. See the sample press 
        release below. View sample business profiles by clicking on the "Business Profile" link on the menu. Selecting information to include in your PR piece. 
        Wording and formatting your PR piece. Polishing your PR piece. 
 

        Telecommuter Appreciation Week is February 26 - March 4 
        Local Businesswoman Provides Metro Atlanta Businesses with Information 
        on How Telecommuting Can Benefit Them and Their Employees 
        Snellville, GA -- Virtual assistant Carolyn Akens, owner of Akens 
        Business Essentials, regularly researches topics online for executives, 
        Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses. Telecommuting is a very 
        popular topic. "It isn't a new idea. Telecommuting is a work option 
        practiced in Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Japan, 
        Netherlands, New Zealand, Scandinavia and the United States," says 
        Akens. According to Link Resources, a New York based research firm, 7.6 
        million American workers are telecommuting and the number is growing 
        every year. 
        "The media has promoted carpooling and Marta as a solution to metro 
        Atlanta's air quality problems. If more of them took advantage of 
        telecommuting as an option for their employees, it would truly reduce 
        traffic," says Akens. Telecommuting allows selected employees to work 
        from home one or two days a week, thus eliminating the commute trip. 
        Contrary to popular thinking, telecommuting doesn't demand a big 
        investment in high-tech equipment and offers many advantages to the 
        organization, employee and community. 

        Most telecommuters work from home one or two days a week and in their 
        offices the rest of the time. However, some work at home up to five days 
        each week while others telecommute only on an occasional or 
        project-specific basis. 

        Telecommuting, also called telework, offers many benefits to a company, 
        the employee and their community. Just a few are listed below. 
        
COMPANY BENEFITS: 

        - Decreases turnover 
        - Expands labor market 
        - Increases productivity 
        - Provides competitive edge in recruiting 
        - Reduces absenteeism and sick leave usage 
        - Reduces office and parking space requirements 
        
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: 

        - Decreases stress 
        - Improves job satisfaction 
        - Decreases commute hours, cost and frustration 
        - Provides opportunity to balance home and work life 
        - Increases safety at home and in the community 
        - Decreases clothing and restaurant lunch expenses 
        
COMMUNITY BENEFITS: 

        - Decreases air pollution 
        - Reduces rush hour traffic 
        - Increases safety in the neighborhood 
        - Increases job opportunities for the homebound 
        - Conserves energy resources 

        A software programs that make telecommuting easy without having to get 
        too technical is Symantec's PCAnywhere. This program enables you to 
        connect to your employers system remotely. If you use software that you 
        will be able to download, or that you already own then you don't worry 
        about remote access issues. You will be able to forward information by 
        fax and email, or deliver hard copies to the office. 

        JOBS FOR TELECOMMUTERS: 

        Analysis, typing, research, data entry, writing, drafting, editing, 
        evaluation, graphics, preparing budgets, preparing/maintaining 
        contracts, project management, record keeping, computer programming, 
        spreadsheet analysis, word processing, design work, coaching, public 
        relations, marketing, etc. 

        Akens has a compiled a list of telecommuting resources on her site ( 
        www.akens.com ). Akens Business Essentials provides not only Internet 
        research services but a variety of other support services. They include 
        information processing, database management, marketing support, and 
        virtual administration coaching. Akens is available at carolyn@akens.com 
        or 770-982-3508 to answer any questions about telecommuting or any of 
        other many services. 

      Businesswomen who want to be really successful don't sit and wait for news 
      to happen. They MAKE news! This fantastic service is perfect for 
      businesswomen who want to heighten awareness about their business but are 
      on a budget. Everything is conveniently done via email. Clients are given 
      a detailed interview form to fill out. The information gathered is then 
      used to design and construct their news release.