1. Multiple Rewards Aim to be rewarded multiple times for a single effort. Money can be recovered but time cannot. Time gets spent. You can't put it in a bank and you can't earn more of it. Wherever possible, you should look for ways to get paid/rewarded multiple times for each hour you invest. You will never be truly independent if your income comes from your own time and labour so package your knowledge as a product. Once you have aproduct you can sell your packaged time again and again.

2. Mistakes Are Gifts Mistakes are nothing more than "Learning Opportunities". The best way to learn more and grow more is to make more mistakes. Mistakes are unavoidable when you're learning so adopt a ready, fire, aim approach to decisions and learn as you take action. If it doesn't work you can easily make another decision to put things right again.

Writing a business letter is not simply a matter of expressing your ideas clearly. The way you write a letter and etiquette you employ may have a significant impact on your success or failure in business.

Failure to observe correct business letter etiquette can result in you adopting an inappropriate tone, causing offense or misunderstandings, lack of clarity or purpose and hostility or soured relations.

The foundation of good business letter etiquette is ‘Think before you write’. You should be considering who letter is addressed to, how and why? This will then influence style, content and structure.

Here we cover some of main issues relating to good business letter etiquette:

Addressing Letter

Always make sure you have spelt recipient’s name correctly. It may sound simple, but you would be surprised at how many people fail to do so. The recipient’s name should include titles, honours or qualifications if deemed necessary.

Many people use ‘Dear Sir/Yours Faithfully’ formula when addressing receiver. Although this is acceptable for routine matters it is impersonal and should not be used when dealing with those you know, queries or complaints. With these ‘Dear Mr…./Yours Sincerely’ formula should be adopted.

Once a certain level of familiarity is reached it is not considered bad etiquette to use phrases such as ‘Kind Regards’ or ‘All best’ at end of letter.

Confidentiality

If content of letter is sensitive, personal or confidential it must be marked appropriately. Marking letter ‘confidential’ will suffice in highlighting this fact. If you only want letter read by receiver without interception of a secretary or PA, mark it as ‘Private’, ‘Personal’ or ‘Strictly Confidential’. If you have received such a business letter it is good etiquette to reciprocate and ensure that all future correspondence is kept at that level of confidentiality.

Style

Proper business letter etiquette requires that a consistent and clear approach, combined with courtesy, be employed. As a rule of thumb, aim to keep all business letters formal in style. Even when receiver is familiar to you, it is advisable maintain a certain level of business etiquette as letter may be seen by others or referred to by a third party in future.