The Home Business Boom- How to Work at Home Without Losing Your Mind
August 6, 2009
How to Create a Sacred Space to Perform at Your Peak:
One of the biggest struggles of working from home is creating a space to perform at your peak. Ringing phones, you’ve got mail, kids tugging at your leg, laundry piling up, dog barking to go out…sometimes it seems you’ll never get anything done. How will you ever raise your kids and be able to provide for them with your home business if you never get your work done? Here are seven tips to help guide your way to getting things done:
Working At Home: How to Create a Sacred Space to Perform at Your Peak
1. Set Goals and create rewards for achieving them. You should have personal and work goals for yourself, but it is crucial to also set goals with your family. Give everyone equal input and have a family vote if you can. Let them know what the benefits are to them when the goals are achieved. The sooner mommy gets her work done the sooner we go to __(insert reward here)__. I am an advocate of quality time goals. This is what your kids truly desire. You might even find your kids want to make a contribution to your mission when they realize they play an important part in it.
2. Determine your prime focus work hours. By now you have probably figured out what the best time of day is to dig in and work without interruption. Now you need to carve out and set aside that time and space in advance on a regular basis. This means you have a clear start time and stop time. Knowing that you have this block of time already reserved for your work allows you be fully present when you are with your kids because you know you have already carved out an created a sacred time for your work.
3. Arrange for a sitter or loved one to watch your kids during this time. If your trusted friends are also working at home, you can swap babysitting time. If your next door neighbor takes your kids in the morning, you can take her kids in the afternoon and make it an even trade. You will have the peace of mind that your kids are safe and nearby in case of emergency and that they are in good hands.
4. Make a declaration: put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door and close it, turn off the phone and let others know that you are in the sacred work zone. Make it fun, let your kids make the sign saying something like “Mommy’s Work Space, Employees Only.” Remember you must treat that time as sacred if you want others to treat it as such. If people see you doing laundry, socializing, watching tv or surfing the net during that time, you are violating that space and inviting others to do the same. Clarify what a real emergency is so that everyone understands what is urgent and what can wait until you are finished.
5. Carve out a space. What area of your home will be command central aka your workspace? Locate a quiet, private place and rope it off so that the kids understand when you’re in it, you mean business. If you can find a room with a door, even better so you can close it… and lock it. Gasp! Disclaimer: you only lock the door if you have some sort of responsible babysitter or childcare arrangement. Your kids can be in the house but you have to have the peace of mind of knowing that they are in good hands, safe and sound. If you must, you can set a time on the hour to peak out, stretch your legs and check in with what’s happening outside. But be sure it’s an official check in, reassure the kids that you are near and retreat back to your work space.
6. Protect Your Work Space. For some reason when you work from home, people treat your time like a hobby. They assume if you’re at home, you must be free to socialize and entertain when they drop by unannounced. When your kids, friends, spouse or neighbors disrupt this space, you have a responsibility and duty to protect it. Gently remind them by saying, “I am working on my/our dreams.” If you allow interruptions, you encourage more of it so be sure to draw a clear line in the sand and honor it. Never reward behavior that you don’t want more of. Trust me on this, if you let it go, it will arise again.
7. Before You Begin Your Work, Know Your Priorities for that Time. To keep myself laser focused during my work time, I created a productivity theory called The Priority Principle. This means not only do you create an action list, but you also determine your order of priority in advance and then complete the action plan in order. Without priorities, you are doomed to do what feels convenient instead of doing what is important and necessary. Often the order in which you do things makes all the difference in the world. Think of baking a cake. What if you put in half of the ingredients, put it in the oven to bake, then put in the remainder and mix it. It doesn’t work. Create your winning recipe in advance and then follow it.
While initially it was not easy to transition into working at home like a pro, I made progress and saw the results quickly. I can tell you first hand if you do not treat your endeavor like a million dollar business, it won’t perform like one. Once I got clear and drew my line in the sand, I went on to generate over $ 26 million dollars in business from home and I’m still going strong.
Be consistent and be clear about your Goals and what you want to accomplish. Knowing this and knowing that you have a sacred time and space carved out will help you perform at your peak and be more productive. Creating and honoring your boundaries is the key to having more fun and getting more done. You will be a better parent and your kids will enjoy being around you even more when they feel they are supporting you.
Live Your Dreams.
Jill Koenig
Want to know how to Achieve your Goals at Turbo speed? Get your FREE 60 minute “Jump Start Your Goals” instant mp3 audio and Goal Setting Workbook at http://www.TheGoalGuru.com
Jill Koenig is “The Goal Guru” A Self Made Millionaire and America’s Top Goal Coach
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Solving the Time Crunch for Entrepreneurs
May 5, 2009
All businesses, no matter the size, require various departments to function; Sales and Marketing,Reception, Human Resources, Accounting, Administration, Technology, Facilities, and Customer Service; these are vital aspects to any business and require someone to do this type of work.
Kathy at TimeOnTaskVa.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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The Five Core Business Success Factors
December 4, 2008
All businesses have five critically important success factors (core profit principles) - that must be understood - whether your business is small or large. They can make the difference between getting ahead… or just getting by. And in times like these, understanding them can make the essential difference in your business’s survival.
Here, we’ll explore what they are - and how you can put them to work for you in your own business. These principles form the basis for most success in business achieved by entrepreneurs, business owners, business managers, and professionals. Without following them at least to some extent, you’ll find business to be a struggle - and much less rewarding than it could be.
As you read this, see how well your own thinking and actions in business stack up to these five core principles:
1) Profits are essential for your business to succeed - they are what pays you.
You don’t have to look far to find examples of businesses imploding due to lack of profits. (The current banking and financial crisis immediately comes to mind… Or, remember the dot-com bubble?… the spend, spend, spend your way to market share type of thinking.) And, those are just some larger, more visible examples… small businesses are at even more risk.
Ultimately, profits are the essential key ingredient for business survival - and your focus on them is key. The very existence of your business depends on a steady-stream of profits… to pay your bills… your salary… your employees… your vendors and suppliers… and to secure your financial future.
Profits make the difference between the success or failure of your enterprise. They are the fruits of your labor and the essence of why you’re in business. Without profits (or deep pockets), you can’t last long.
2) Most businesses miss profit opportunities on almost every transaction or customer/client relationship - and are limiting their incomes without even knowing it.
Here again, you won’t have to look far for examples. Just think of all the leads that don’t get proper follow-up, the customers/clients that receive only occasional communications (if any), the up-sells, cross-sells and add-on sales that could have been part of a given transaction, the unrealized intangible opportunities that exist in your customer/client or vendor/supplier relationships - and you can begin to see a sad pattern.
It’s a pattern of profit opportunities gone by… wasted utilization of assets… or under-realized profit potential in your transactions. In many cases, business owners, managers and professionals are completely unaware of their lost profit opportunities.
Make your expenditure of time, energy, capital, and resources produce more for you - and capture the money that most businesses miss. Think about your sales, marketing, and advertising process as a total package - and create, test, and put in place processes that take advantage of strengths in your business.
3) Stability and security comes from creating a “Web of Profits” in your business.
Do you have a number of different sources within your business to support you? Or, are you relying on only a few? Or, even worse, relying on only ONE primary source of profit?
The majority of businesses rely on fewer than five profit sources - and think in terms of “profit centers.” In other words, a collection of different channels of profit from individual sales of products or services (retail), bulk sales (wholesale), joint ventures, ownership interests, licensing and/or other arrangements, and so on.
But, when you create a “Web of Profits” in your business - that is, an interconnected approach that integrates a variety of profit sources and activities together into a single unit of functionality - you stand a better chance of leveraging your business in new ways.
4) The focus on Increasing Profits is more beneficial than the focus on Cost-Cutting.
In times of recession or economic crisis, sometimes cost-cutting is the only logical and sane option. If you’re bleeding… you stop the bleeding before anything else. But, when it comes to cost-cutting, the effect is temporary and fleeting. Once you’ve drastically reduced your expenses, any additional cost-cutting might hurt your business’s effectiveness and viability.
Crisis management aside, it’s much better to focus on getting more business, to create new profit sources, run better promotions, do better advertising and marketing, and generally operate your business in a more customer/client oriented way.
That’s what eases the pressure from high-costs… and provides you with what you need from your business. The thinking that goes into a profit-oriented focus and mindset can often provide innovative and inspirational breakthroughs in results.
5) Strategically plan for Profits - and take the specific action steps needed to implement your plan.
Being laser-focused on profits - rather than your strategic planning being primarily focused on revenue - takes you to the next level in your business plan. You’ll be able to see alternative profit possibilities - and the action steps needed - so you can build them directly into your plan.
By their very nature, business plans focus on the bottom-line - and usually they just focus on the obvious sources - not necessarily on the alternative profit possibilities. And it’s these alternative profits that most businesses miss… profits that could even eclipse what’s being produced by your current business activities.
Often, the biggest difference between those who are able to implement new profit sources and those who aren’t - is simply the willingness to identify what potential alternative profit sources exist… to prioritize the order in which you want to implement them… and to know exactly which action steps to take. Then, of course, to simply get started - and systematically put them into practice in your business, one-by-one.
Copyright © 2008, Guerrilla Profits International
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Stuart Burkow is co-author of the new book, Guerrilla Profits: “10 Powerful Strategies to Increase Cashflow, Boost Earnings & Get More Business,” with Jay Conrad Levinson (the famed “father” of Guerrilla Marketing). Just Released: You can get a Free “Profits Launch Kit” with 5 Free Bonuses worth $161… when you get the Guerrilla Profits book at the $14.78 “Amazon.com” price (reg. $18.95) — Go To: http://www.guerrillaprofits.com/NewBook.html |
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Double Your Productivity in 90 Days or Less
October 22, 2008
Just recently I was being interviewed on a well known talk show and the interviewer asked me a very important question.
She asked, “Why are some people with all the potential in the world just barely getting by while others with the same potential are thriving and succeeding?”
It is the same question that I have asked myself consistently throughout my life, the same question that led me to ultimately discover how to untap more of my own potential.
Over the past decade, I have identified 21 traits that I have found in people who lifted themselves from failure to fortune, from hopeless to joyful, from broke to Millionaire, from worst to first - in health, relationships, business and in every area of life.
While there is not enough room here to unveil the 21 traits all at once, I will tell you the 3 that you can put to work right now to create lasting success in your own life starting today.
Three traits successful people have in common:
1. They have clear, specific measurable goals with plans for their attainment
(they know where they are going and how they are going to get there)
2. They take action on those goals every single day
(they follow through on what they said they were going to do to achieve their Goals)
3. They value their time
(they schedule their days and invest their time in a way that ensures their Goals will be realized)
Most people have not made a habit of learning how to condition themselves for success. While we all have tremendous potential that has not been untapped yet, most people still have not figured out how to get the most out of themselves.
They have not yet learned how to think, act, talk or feel like a massive success yet. The potential is certainly there, it simply has not been unlocked yet.
When I was broke in my 20’s, I was blessed to discover a mentor who offered to start me on this journey of becoming everything I could be. Someone who told me my dreams did not have to stay inside my own imagination, that I was indeed worthy, that I could be, have and do anything I wanted. This person offered to take me by the hand and lead me in the direction of my dreams. All I had to do was make the commitment to implement the Success Secrets I was being taught.
I admired, respected and studied that person and I modeled as many of those success traits that I could. I copied them into my own life and they quickly became habits that I still practice to this day.
I jumped at the opportunity when a Millionaire offered to teach me how to get the most out of myself. What I learned led me on a journey to start a business that went on to generate over $ 25 million in revenue. Little old me. I developed a new confidence with new success habits that left me feeling unstoppable.
(And I’m just getting started)
You have a similar opportunity to learn the strategies I have been practicing for over a decade.
My colleague, Eben, has graciously allowed me to share some of these ideas with you in a new course he has created for Entrepreneurs. I think many of these principles go way beyond entrepreneurship and can be carried over into other areas of life. These tips could help you get a promotion at work, instill better habits for your children, help you maintain peak energy all day long and so much more, more so you can develop your own true potential.
And if a Multi-Millionaire knocked on your door and offered to show you exactly what they do to design their day to day life and reach their true potential in business and in life- so that you could copy their success traits and model their success habits in your own life, would that have a positive effect on you?
A wise man once told me, “Find out what successful people do and then go do it.”
Do you want to see exactly what Eben and I do on a daily basis to create unstoppable momentum, have more clarity and energy than we know what to do with?
To unleash your own potential, go here (it will only be up for 12 hours)
http://www.dotcompreneur.com/recommends/productivity
Live Your Dreams,
Jill Koenig
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Discover the Power of 3×5 Cards
June 25, 2008
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”
Mark Twain
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all there is to do and all that’s on your brain? It’s so important when you feel overwhelmed to STOP and regroup. That feels counterintuitive to us since when we feel stress the logical thing is to try and work harder. But that’s not what you should do. Take time to think about all that has to be done.
Go out and purchase some really cool colored 3×5 index cards. My favorite color for the cards is neon green! Then when you feel overwhelmed take out the cards and write down one thought on each card. Perhaps one says go to the grocery store, another says call Mary, and another says clean out e-mail inbox. Keep going until you feel like your brain is completely drained. Then look at all the cards and ask yourself “What is the most efficient use of my time right now?” Take that card and turn it over. Then ask “What’s the 2nd most important thing to do?” Take that card and turn it over on top of the 1st card. Keep going until all the cards are turned over. Then flip the pile over and you have your thoughts in a logical order and in the priority in which they should be done.
If any of the cards is a large project take the project and break it down into small tasks with a card for each task.
Other uses:
To get the kids to help:
Write a chore down one per card, let the kids each pick 1 or 2 cards from the deck (they can’t see them) and send them off and watch things get done. Put a reward on the back that they get when they hand the card back in.
When you’re on the road:
Take 12 - 3×5 cards and clip them with a small colored binder clip – keep in your purse or pocket. As you’re out and about and think of things that you need to do write one item per card. When you get back home or to the office put them in your “In” basket and you won’t have to try and remember all those great things you though of when you were out.
Getting organized:
Look around the room and write down one area that needs to get organized on each card. Kitchen areas might be refrigerator, pantry, south cupboards, north cupboards, etc. Shuffle the cards around and whatever one ends up on top – DO IT!
Discover the power of 3×5 cards! They are the most inexpensive and simple way to get control back of your day and your life!
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Elizabeth Hagen is a dynamic and inspiring speaker, author, and consultant who has motivated thousands to take action and get organized. She is President of ElizabethHagen.com and works with overwhelmed people to help them get more focused, more organized, more confident and more productive. Her latest book “Organize with Confidence!” is a pocket book and manual that will change your life! Subscribe to Elizabeth’s free ezine “Extraordinary Results” at http://www.Elizabethhagen.com and receive the “31 Tips to Simplify Your Life” as her gift to you. |
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Finding a Good SEO or Internet Marketing Company Tip #1 - Ask for a FREE Analysis
April 26, 2008
There seems to be a lot of SEO and internet marketing companies popping up all over the place along with traditional advertising and marketing companies offering these services along side there normal offerings. So how do you sort the good internet marketing consultants from the bad and the ugly.
Well one way is to check if there a member of a recognised professional marketing body, however they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating so why not ask for some free analysis work. This should come as a document giving you a snap shot of were your current site stands within the rankings, some simple keywords research, content and site user experience suggestions along with an easy to understand explanation of each point and some form of conclusion at then end.
Any SEO or internet marketing consultant worth their salt will happily offer you this service for free, this is certainly the case when you talk to a senior SEO consultant John Hardgreves
“We have always offered our clients a no obligation free initial analysis. The reason for this is a good SEO or internet marketing consultant should be going through most of this process anyway when looking at a new clients website to determine the amount of work and therefore the cost of reaching the desired results of the client. You wouldn’t employ a builder or other contractor to build a house without an initial estimate, sadly people seem to think the normal common-sense rules don’t apply when looking at the internet maybe it’s because of a lack of understanding or lack of confidence with dealing with the subject but it can lead to a very poor return on your investment.”
John also pointed out that unfortunately a number of the clients have approached his company of the back of a bad experience with other firms. This can be avoided entirely by doing a little home work and asking for some free analysis upfront.
Its also good practice to employ a specialist to handle your internet marketing and SEO requirements rather than use your web development or hosting company . The main reason is an independent SEO or Internet marketing expert will be able to give you an unbiased and highly objective view of your site compared to the company that either built or hosts your website. It is often the case that there maybe an issue with the way your site is coded or hosted and your current suppliers are understandably not always going to be forth coming with admitting that an error on their behalf is effecting your traffic.
So in conclusion do a little home work and ask questions and ask if your not offered, for some free initial analysis and you should be well on the way to developing a great working relationship with a reliable internet marketing or SEO company.
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Mike Harding - Chief Consultant at ‘SEO dynamiks’ search engine optimisation consultants. |
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What is the Difference Between SEO and PPC ?
April 25, 2008
If you are looking for a way to maximise relevant traffic to your website and to increase your sales as well as advertise your presence, you’ll find that there are some techniques that you must be aware of when it comes to ensuring your online business’ survival. When you are considering the advertising options that are open to you, you’ll find that search engine optimisation, often shortened to SEO, and pay per click advertising, often shortened to PPC, are both tools that are vital that you become familiar with. Take a look at some basics to get you started when it comes to both of these valuable tools, and you’ll soon see why they are so popular.
SEO is the process whereby your site becomes more attractive to the search engine, resulting in the search engine giving your site the top ranking when someone does a search for a term that is related to your service. When you are considering SEO, think about how your site is set up. Do you have a lot of keywords that are relevant to your business used on it? A search engine will look for things like how often you use certain key words, and what context you use them in to rank your site in order of desirability to the searcher. You’ll also find that the popularity of your site, as judged by how many people will link to you without your linking back, plays an important factor in deciding how high your search engine ranking is.
PPC, on the other hand, is a specific service that you will pay for. Essentially, at the most basic level, PPC advertising causes a link to your business to show up on the sidebar of a site. Whenever someone at that site clicks on that link, you’ll pay the advertising company a very small amount. This is quite appealing, given the fact that you only pay when a person comes to visit your site. Google AdWords is one of the most popular PPC arrangements out there; whenever anyone types in a specific search that you have designated, you’ll find that your link will show across the top or along the sidebar.
Both SEO and PPC are very important concepts for any internet businessperson to grasp. They can bring your site a great deal of attention, but the real issue is making sure that it is the attention that you want. For instance, if the keywords that you pick are too general, your business will be deluged with people who are only tangentially interested in what it is you do, while if the keywords are too specific, you’ll find that no one who is not in the business already will find them.
If you really want to put your business on the map, you’ll find that both SEO and PPC are excellent ways to do this. Take some to learn about these concepts or hire an internet-specific marketing company to help you out. You’ll find that this is quite important if you are to stay in business!
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents many UK businesses. For Pay per Click and Search Engine Optimisation, he recommends Impact Media Ltd, one of the UK’s leading specialists of Search Engine Marketing.
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How to Establish Business Credit in 90 Days
April 24, 2008
By Paul McDonald, MBA
Business Credit—every small business needs it at some point in time. Unfortunately, the age-old rule so often seems to be true—the only way to qualify for a loan is to prove that you don’t need it.
But that isn’t necessarily the case… here are some simple strategies that will help any small business move toward a good, strong credit relationship with a bank.
I am speaking from experience here. One of my major mistakes early on in business was not creating and working a plan to have established business credit. Had I taken these measures I could have avoided some hard times through the early years of my business.
Be a Good Customer of Your Bank
Remember that if you apply for a business loan at a bank where you have your business checking account, the first thing that the loan officer will do is call up your checking history. If it is constantly in a state of overdraft or is very low, they are unlikely to consider a loan proposal any further. However, if your account shows a regular inflow of cash from many customers, that is much more appealing to a loan officer.
There is another reason to have an account at the bank where you are taking a loan—you can have several months payments at that bank ready to be transferred over at any time. Make arrangements with your loan officer to set up such a program if you can—this can help you to avoid late fees from forgetting to make a payment.
Have Great Financial Records
Get your financial records in shape. Have a nice summary booklet prepared to show to your banker. Include a brief confidentiality statement. Also, have a brief description of what you do, how business has been, and what your future plans are for your business. Include some photos of your business and work. While these measures aren’t really required for a bank loan, they do show that you are serious about your business and help the loan officer to more understand your business.
Letters of reference also help a lot. Ask a few of your best customers to write letters for you to include in your record book. Ask them to state that they intend to continue to do business with you in the future, and at what level they expect to do business. Letters like this will go a long way to convincing a lender to work with you to set up a line of credit.
Most loan officers like to see at least six months history for new businesses, but one banker commented that two years is much better. But wherever your situation is right now, be sure to show summaries for every year you have been in business—even the “bad years.” This disclosure goes a long way to helping a loan officer make a decision about lending to your company.
Establish Secured Loans
This method is widely taught to help people establish credit. You’ll need about $1,000 to start—go to your bank and set up a $1,000 Certificate of Deposit (CD) and use that CD to secure a line of credit for the same amount. You can then use that money borrowed to complete the same move at a second, and then a third bank. You’ll have $3,000 borrowed at with $3,000 on deposit to secure those loans.
Pay the loans as agreed and in about 90 days you should have a good working relationship and history with three banks for your business line of credit.
If you want to improve your position, start with more than $1,000. In fact, one banker I spoke to suggests starting at $3,000. “Most banks do not like small loans (under $3,000 to $4,000) because they are not very profitable.” Because of the fixed overhead of the loan, smaller loans tend to have higher rates even when secured by a CD. The banker concluded by saying: “One $3,000 loan would probably be better, especially if it was paid off early.”
If you don’t do anything else, do this step.
Establish a Floor Plan with Wholesale Suppliers
I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t always the best idea. In fact, I know of several businesses that went completely under by having too much money and profit tied up in their “floor plan” of products with their vendors.
That’s the key phrase, though… “too much.” If you are in a business that sells products that can be acquired by a floor plan, those items in your inventory are used to secure the credit. While I don’t recommend having 100% of your inventory on a floor plan, it is a good idea to establish some credit with one or more wholesale vendors.
Buy a Company Car on Credit
Sure, if you have cash then sometimes it is a good idea to pay in full for a car… but this isn’t about being debt-free, it’s about establishing credit. Get a company car from a dealer and arrange the financing through your business. Many automotive financing companies and banks will issue business loans for automobiles because the loan is secured by the vehicle.
Leasing a car is sometimes better than buying a car for a business. You can generally write off all the lease costs which is usually greater than depreciation and deducting the loan interest. Business owners considering this move may want to ask their accountant which option works best for them. However, there is no need to worry about which option is better for establishing credit. Leases are usually reported the same way bank loans are for credit purposes.
Include a photo of the vehicle in your financial statement.
Get a Line of Credit Established BEFORE You “Need It”
This is the most important step. You have to be prepared in advance. Establish business credit before you need it for your business. Have a strategic plan to establish credit for your company and work that plan. Don’t be afraid to meet with your banker and discuss the plan—their job is to loan money to good credit-worthy low-risk businesses.
I have never found a business of any size or profitability that didn’t need credit at some point during its growth stage. Plan ahead, establish your business credit as soon as you can and you will not regret it.
Work with More than One Bank
In his book Sharkproof, author and businessman Harvey MacKay explains one of his business mistakes. He had given all of his banking business to one and only one banker for many years. When the market turned hard on the bank and on his business, his one and only bank had pulled his line of credit and it severely hurt his company’s operations.
He continues to explain that he “should have taken his own advice” and spread his business around to several banks. While you may not have a company the size of Mackay Envelope Corporation, it’s still good advice for something as critical to your business as banking relationships—spread the business around.
But remember not to go too far with this idea. It is a good idea to have a couple of banking relationships, but too many makes the other banks nervous. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, but don’t have too many baskets either!
Refer Business to Your Bank
When you go about your daily business, it is not uncommon to find people who have moved to the area or are unhappy with their current bank. Recommend your bank to them. Write them a great note and tell them how you really do like your bank. Include a business card of your banker for them to contact. You then should send a copy of that note to your banker with another note attached stating that you are truly happy with them and that you are always looking to help their business as well as your own.
Is this sneaky? Maybe. Do it anyway—your banker will love you for it and will remember you when the time comes for you to increase your business with that bank. One banker I know made the comment that referring business to your bank is a very good idea and will pay many dividends to the person making the referrals.
Summary
Not every strategy listed here will work for every company and with every banker or lender. Nothing works 100% of the time, but these eight ideas are enough to get any profitable business started toward establishing good business credit.
Paul McDonald, MBA has been a financial advisor for 20 years and lives in the Kansas City area with his wife Kristine. He enjoys cooking new recipes, reading new books, and fishing. Paul maintains several active blogs on his favorite topics and makes them freely available for syndication worldwide. People who read his work find it entertaining and educational.
Paul can be reached at 1-877-711-1264.
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New Ezine Marketing Strategies for 2008
March 27, 2008
I was fortunate to be on Part 1 of Alexandria Brown’s teleseminar the other night and part 2 is about to take place (you can listen to the recordings of both calls when you register for the
“Ezine Marketing Secrets” teleseminar at this link:
http://www.netofficetoolbox.com/app/?af=611149
Part 1 received RAVE reviews (over 6,000 people registered to
attend) and Part 2 is going to be even better, as Ali will be
interviewing 6 solo-preneurs just like us who are using their
ezines to skyrocket their business in many different ways.
You’ll hear how:
* a family lawyer has used her ezine to help grow her million-
dollar law practice, she gets to work part-time, and now her
clients LOVE hearing from their lawyer!
* an ex-corporate sales guru from Sydney learned that sharing a
heartfelt story about his son opened an entire new channel of
communication with his clients and readers (and increased sales
too)
* a personal coach from Oregon gave up expensive print
newsletters for an ezine, and now attracts clients and speaking
invitations like crazy
* a Dallas-based marketing consultant used her ezine to garner
her $20K in new revenues in just 45 days
* a professional organizer from Orange County is raking in
thousands of dollars in new clients and is also getting a 50%
average click-through rate on each issue
* a California fitness trainer tripled her sales with her very
FIRST ezine issue!
Remember, Ali’s methods have helped her students make MILLIONS
more dollars in their businesses by using low-cost online
marketing, and she has the testimonials to prove it.
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Discover the Amazing Profit Pulling Power of Marketing with Audio
December 1, 2007
Audio is a great tool for your lead generation and relationship building, and it also makes a relatively easy-to-produce info-product that you can use to generate revenue. If you have a service business, especially any service that is very personal or intimate, or if it’s very important that your prospects trust you and really feel comfortable with you before they would consider becoming your client, then audio would be a great asset to your marketing mix.
Audio adds the human factor to your business and, as we all know, people do not do business with businesses, they do business with other people. By using audio, you become a “real person” instead of a total stranger and you start the rapport building process.
With audio, you can convert most prospects into customers. In general, audio is much more entertaining than, say, a brochure or a sales letter, so it allows you to elicit more of a response from your prospects. Because you’re tapping into the listener’s senses, your prospect becomes more engaged in your message. As you know, it’s impossible to convert a prospect into a customer if he’s not receiving your message, and audio delivers your message in a more intimate way. Studies show that people remember only 20% of what they read but they’ll remember up to 70% of what they hear. If you want your prospects to act on your message, they’ll need to remember it!
Audio also allows you to distinguish yourself from your competition. Because even though audio is easily available to even the smallest businesses, most companies are still not taking advantage of this unique marketing opportunity. So by adding audio into your own marketing mix you’re really differentiating yourself from the others in your industry.
You can use your audio, whether it’s a CD or a podcast or web-based, as a means of introducing yourself to your prospects, and explaining the products and services you offer. If you offer a product or service that is technical or somehow requires training for your customers, audio is a great way to provide this training, or this in-depth information. It’s much more personal than a written instruction manual, and it can also be used in conjunction with a written manual.
According to educational psychologists, up to half of the population learns best by listening. Now consider this - according to those same educational psychologists, learning is increased exponentially with repetition. So when you’re using audio to present any technical aspect, your prospects can listen to it over and over again, and this repetition aids in learning. And since you, in effect, are the one who taught them, you become the expert.
You can use audio to present your client testimonials. You can have a full CD of client testimonials, or you can include audio testimonials on your web site. Similar to testimonials are audio product reviews, we’ve been using audio testimonials for a few years now, but even more powerful than testimonials is the audio product review.
You can also use audio to present tips, or frequently asked questions, and it’s a great branding tool. Plus, it’s portable, so your prospects can take your marketing message with them. They can pop your CD into their car stereo or download your mp3 onto their ipod. Distribution is very easy.
By using audio as a marketing vehicle you can free up your time and reduce the number of hours you work. Audio allows you to automate your sales process, because you create your presentation one time and it gets delivered over and over again. You make multiple copies of your CD or upload an mp3 to your web site and the audio is distributed to tons of different customers. And each time, it’s a very personal, rapport-building presentation.
Another way audio allows you to leverage your time is because it helps filter out your prospects. Through your CD or your mp3 not only are you presenting your marketing message, but you’re also presenting yourself. Your prospect gets to know you on a more personal level and he can then decide if you and your services are a good fit for his needs. The prospects who respond to your audio message already feels a bond with you - you don’t need to waste a lot of your time trying to personally convince your prospect. He’s already made up his mind by listening to your audio. So you end up with more time to work with prospects who are, in a sense, pre-qualified.
In general, adding audio to your marketing mix helps:
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- reinforce your brand
- create “top-of-mind” awareness of your products and services
- intensify your exposure with your prospects
- increase impulse purchases
- provide greater reach than display ads
- free up staff by presenting your sales and marketing messages an unlimited number of time
Ready to take advantage of this great marketing medium? Be sure to request a copy of my FREE Quick Start Guide To Using Audio In Your Marketing Mix at http://www.modernimage.com/freereports/audio.htm.
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Karen Scharf helps small business owners attract and retain more clients. Karen coaches and trains website owners on various tricks and techniques that have been proven to increase website conversion. She offers coaching programs and a Marketing Makeover to turn your ineffective advertising into a profit-pulling system. Grab your FREE checklists, whitepapers and reports, You can also get a FREE subscription to Successful Site Secrets at http://www.SuccessfulSiteSecrets.com |
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