Sometimes, taking a step back is the best thing you can do. And one of the things that we have come across while stepping back is the idea of simplicity.

When talking about simplicity, we thought about some of the services we offered. Then, we openly wondered, “Have we ever done this for anyone?” Some of these services as ones that have been offered by TOG Solutions since its inception in 2003.

Slow burns, to be sure. But is anyone really interested in them?

Well, it would appear not. So, as a result, we will spend a couple of weeks evaluating each of our services, both in an attempt to keep things simple for you, the customer, and a way to concentrate on the type of business we think will help us grow.

So, where did this all come from? From a few sources, actually. Since we’ve stepped up our activity on the blog, I have found that most of our current business comes from an area that we don’t mention at all: Transcription. Mind you, we have been able to establish a great deal of rapport with past and current customers, and we will keep doing so.

As for all of our other services, our review has been inspired by another source. Recently, we came across an excellent piece by Kirk Bannerman about the gradual growth of home-based businesses, which, of course, we proudly are. In the piece, Bannerman touches on diversification and its pitfalls.

This, again, is us all over.

So, with that, please excuse our dust for the next few weeks. We will be changing around some things, revising some services, dropping others. Some of our core services, resume writing, transcription and virtual assistance, will, of course remain. In the end, we will still be there to lend a helping hand when you need it.

A couple of weeks ago, in response to the sudden closing of all of InkStop’s locations, we offered to their former employees our resume services for $35, up to 66 percent off our regular prices, as well as one free cover letter, a savings of $25.

However, after careful consideration, we felt that the InkStop employee situation is far from isolated, and that there are many others out there that share in their plight.

So, with that said, TOG Solutions has extended its offer to any worker who has recently found themselves unemployed in these tough economic times.

Again, that’s $35 for regular resume services and one free cover letter. And, unlike many of our competitors, there are no up-front fees! Only when we’ve finished the job to your satisfaction will you be billed for any services.

Plus, as we said two weeks ago, we understand that you may not be able to pay us now. That’s OK. We can work with you to defer payment until later on when your financial picture has brightened a little more.

For more information about what we have to offer, please contact TOG Solutions by phone at 216.245.0840 or 312.725.4864, by e-mail at info@togsolutions.com or by visiting togsolutions.com.

Normally, we take the weekend off to work on current projects or come up with new material for the Web site and the blog. However, recent news has prompted us to offer some help.

On Friday, October 2, employees at InkStop, a company based in Northeast Ohio, were told that all 152 retail stores would be shut down. To make matters worse, they were also told that they wouldn’t be paid for the last two weeks they worked, and would have to find their own health insurance, which was cut off at the end of August, unbeknownst to them.

For those who find themselves put out and decimated by this news, we at TOG Solutions feel your pain. That’s why we want to make you the following offer:

Any InkStop employee who needs a resume, revised or from scratch, you can get one for only $35. That’s up to 66 percent off of our normal resume price. Furthermore, we’re offering cover letters, normally $25, for ABSOLUTELY FREE!

This offer is good for InkStop employees around the country throughout the month of October, and even if your can’t afford $35 for a resume at this point, we can defer payment until a later date. We know times are tough, and we want to help you out in any way possible!

For more information, please visit our Resume Writing page, or contact us via the Web, by e-mail at info@togsolutions.com or by calling 216.245.0840 or at 312.725.4864.

This post serves a couple of purposes. First, and most importantly, if you are trying to build your business, you always want to see what people, be it customers, competitors, etc., are saying about you on the Internet. You don’t want to act blind-side if you’re checking your company on Google one day and end up finding some disgruntled person posting things about you on Rip-Off Report or a similar site.

Secondly, this post is about having as much information about your company as possible. Only putting up part of the story can lead to the sort of conclusions that other people can make…

…just like this one…

While searching TOG Solutions and togsolutions.com, I came across this an iPaper titled, “Types of Resume Writing Service Providers — Choose Carefully” by professional resume writer Jennifer Anthony. The 6-page document is a very well-written piece on how to choose resume writing service and what types of companies to avoid.

Ms. Anthony divided resume writing services into three categories: Professional Resume Writers, Resume Mills and Resume Typists, Typestters and Designers , with the latter two falling into the “Not Recommended” realm.

And guess where TOG Solutions fell? I’d like to say under Recommended, but sadly no.

The rationale? According to the piece, there were two reasons.

1. TOG Solutions provides desktop publishing, transcription and word processing, and added resume writing because people asked about it.
2. TOG Solutions will make your resume look pretty, but little else and won’t provide you a resume in an editable format.

Well, first first part is true, sort of. TOG Solutions did start out providing desktop publishing, but actually added both transcription and resume writing at the exact same time. And we did that not because of customer requests, but based on our experience in both area, mine in resume writing in particular.

And sure, we do try to make resumes look pretty, but we are also primarily concerned with the substance as well. I think both Ms. Anthony and I can completely agree on the fact that a fancy-looking resume will only get you so far and that the more detailed the substance, the better.

In a way, I blame myself for this happening. But, as they say, you live and you learn.

Update: Slot this one in the “All’s Well That Ends Well” file. After a brief conversation with Jennifer Anthony, she’s agreed to change out the page mentioning TOG Solutions. Again, I completely understood her point of view on writing that particular excerpt, and still do believe that it is a very good guide for people who are seeking a good resume writer!