If you have children in school and own a home business, you are probably relieved to have a break after the summer vacation. You’ll be able to return to a full time schedule, if you had taken a little time off during the summer. No more stopping in the middle of a task to do something for your kids. So you think you’ll have the time to get everything caught up, or start on that new project.
But wait! Now that the kids have been back in school for awhile, why do you feel like you’re not getting any more accomplished than you were over the summer? You had plans to update your websites and/or set up new ones, evaluate your projects and goals, etc. But you just do not seem to have the time to do these things. What happened to all that extra time you thought you would have on your hands now that the kids were not distracting you during the day?
More than likely, it’s not the extra time that you’ve lost, it’s how you manage your time. It’s time to set a different routine and manage your time wisely to get back on track and make your home business a success. Here are some steps you can take to do just that:
1. Set priorities. Each day, you need to list create a To-Do List, in the order of importance. Even if the hardest task you need to get done is the most important, list it at top and do it first. Normally getting the most difficult task out of the way will make your day go even smoother.
2. Plan of Action. Write out the time periods that you would like to work on each task. Creating blocks of time to do different tasks will help you keep track of your work during the day. The schedule does not have to be followed by the minute, but it helps keep you in stride.
3. Messages. Learn to let your callers leave messages if they call during the time you are working on an important task. In your Plan of Action in #2 above, set aside a block of time to return these phone calls. Of course, you should not do this all of the time as this would not be good customer services, but if you are right in the middle of working on an important task, do not let the phone call be a distraction and continue on with your work.
4. Breaks. Make sure you take breaks during the day. You may feel like you have to work straight through the day to free up some of your time later, but you need to take care of yourself. What better way can you do that than to take a breather from your work?
5. Delegate. You may consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to work on administrative duties while you concentrate on your higher priority projects for the business. They say, “Time is money,” and the money you would spend to hire a Virtual Assistant would be worth the money spent.
Sit down and make a plan using these steps, then when your children get home from school, you’ll have plenty of time to spend with them just like you did during their summer break. These steps will definitely get your home business back on track.
Of course, the above steps are only some of the things you can do to get yourself organized and motivated throughout the day. We would love to hear the things you do to help yourself accomplish your daily goals!
Have you decided it’s time to start blogging for your business? If so (which I hope you have), make sure you come up with a plan on how you are going to get started in the first place. Why is this important? Because even though blogging can be quick and easy to set up, it also requires your utmost consideration on some important factors. The following are some tips to include in your plan to start your own blogging site today!
Decide Who Your Target Market Is
As in any business, the most important step you should take in starting your blog is identifying your target market. Who would be interested in your product or service? Who is most familiar with your niche? Who will bring in the business sales you want to achieve?
A good way to identify your target market is to research other businesses that are similar to yours. See who their customers (friends, followers, etc.) are and base your search for your audience on that. Another good way to find your target market is by signing up with different social networks and business organizations, read through the forums and articles to see if you can find people that would be interested in your products or services. You also can get a lot of good information and advice!
Determine What You Really Want to Say
When you are setting up your blog, you need to make sure your message is clear and targeted. Make sure they will learn something from it. Some people that have blog sites make the mistake of writing about anything and everything just to keep their blog sites active. If you write about things your audience is not even interested in or about something you are not knowledgeable in, you could be throwing away your chance to obtain more prospective loyal customers.
Gather Your Facts and Start Communicating
It is not enough that you throw all your efforts into writing down your thoughts, jotting down all your observations or your viewpoints into your blog. The most important thing you need to remember to do is give your blog a taste of freshness and uniqueness all the time. This could definitely increase the traffic to your blog very quickly.
Keep in mind that a successful business owner does not only blog by giving some marketing speech about how good their business has turned out or why and how. Nor do they just write about any news or current events that are not in their niche. The audience can always feel what you are writing. Therefore, you need to be true and heartfelt when you write your blogs. If you stick with that, you are sure to have more success in your business.
Social networking is worldwide now and is growing by the hour. Millions of people use it everyday to make new friends and connections, as well as a way to rekindle past relationships. The new social media is a great way to communicate, but did you know it is also a very powerful marketing tool? It can be an invaluable business tool too!
Did you know that there are 241 BILLION emails that are sent every day and over 81% of them are spam. Do you know how to make social media work for you and your business? By befriending people on social networks, you have direct access to them. This is all ‘permission based’, which means they willingly allow open communication with you. They want to be ‘connected’ with you. By using these avenues, you can have direct contact with possible clients, avoiding the dreaded junk mail folder. This is an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
Do you know the difference between the Social Networking sites? Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Linkedin… what do they all do? Where do you start? Can you make a ‘tweet’ profitable? What is the difference between Direct Marketing and Social Media?
The technology is at your fingertips to unleash a whole new world of business possibilities and prospects. You can do wonders for your business by having a proper ‘profile’ on these sites. It is not as hard as you think. You can easily build a profile that can make a real impression. Simple things like showing your credibility and expertise will make a huge difference. Taking actions to show you are helping the ‘social community’ can also be an easy step which makes you and your business be the difference a client is looking for.
Learn the steps to make your profile work for you. Have it be far reaching with simple steps and do’s and dont’s for interacting within Social Networking sites. A little bit of research can help you learn the power of ‘branding’, and also be able to track what others are saying about you online.
It is possible to use these networks for fun, and a few simple steps can really turn this ‘fun’ into real profit. Social media provides and invaluable springboard to truly get you ahead and in touch with countless possibilities otherwise. Best of all, with a few clicks, you can be directly in contact with your clients and easily showing the strengths of your business almost effortlessly. By displaying certain aspects of you business and openly conversing with others, your client base can grow daily.
One of the most powerful ways to further your business is through a strong and thorough profile. This is one of the easiest ways to reach clients and to gain future prospects. The best thing is that it is also one of the easiest things to do too.
Why would anyone look at your profile to start with? Some may look up your profile because of a link, or they have heard something about you or your business. Mostly, it is out of curiosity…and because they want to look at your profile. They want to know you! This is a total open door and opportunity based upon their desire. It is easy to capture the opportunity and make the most of the situation, if you know how to make your profile work for you.
As with any business, it is important to be clean. There is no need for clutter and bragging or silliness. Keep your profile simple and to the point. Include a good clear photo and list your accomplishments and expertise. It is also very important to include proper contact information as well as location. Seeing you isn’t enough, for possible clients, they must have a clear and efficient way to contact you.
According to recent data, Linkedin claims that those with a complete profile are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through their site. In short, think of your profile as your calling card. Many will see your profile before even meeting you. This is important because it is your first chance to make a lasting impression.
It is important to consider these things because your profile is always up, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is up for anyone to see anywhere in the world. Remember, this is not just casual ‘networking’, but more like hanging out your ‘open for business’ sign for the whole world to see.
Another important factor is your username. This can make you easily identifiable and help people find you. Think about your username, it is a great way to represent yourself and re-enforce your brand.
It is also important to relay to the public what you have to offer. Plenty people complain about things, but you can list how you plan to solve problems! It is also very helpful to list your expertise, and give examples to back it up. Just as with a resume, your experience speaks volumes and can help people decide on whom to choose.
Making an impact with your profile page is simple and can be very effective if you consider some of the simple steps listed. It is a great introduction and a great way to win clients by simply being clear, concise and showing your strengths.
Something big is happening today, and I knew you wouldn’t want to miss out.
Today, August 19th, my colleague, Irene Watson, has gathered together leading authors and experts, to show you new ways to lift your life to breathtaking heights — including transformation, personal growth, and creating an inspiring life.
I’m working with her to make you this offer. If you purchase her award-winning book: The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference today, you will be on your way to receive the many gifts entitled to you.
All you have to do is go to http://www.readerviews.com/RV-amazon/index.html and follow the link to purchase your copy of The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference at Amazon.com. Then enter your Amazon transaction number in the space provided and you will be directed to where you can claim your gifts.
All proceeds from the sale of The Sitting Swing will be donated to Higher Power Foundation, Inc., a foundation created to give financial assistance for people to attend recovery based spiritual and life training events.
So don’t delay, go to http://www.readerviews.com/RV-amazon/index.html and claim your copy of The Sitting Swing today, August 19th.
Scammers are getting more and more clever in their tricks to get you to turn over financial information.
Just today, I received two emails about my Google AdWords acount. I use Google AdWords, so I was definitely interested. HOWEVER…
Neither email was legitimate.
Here is one of them:
Subject line: Your payment didn’t succeed, so your ads have been suspended.
Oops – what’s wrong with my payment??
This is the body of the email:
Dear Advertiser,
——————————
We were unable to process your payment.
Your ads will be suspended soon unless we can process your payment.
To prevent your ads from being suspended, please update your payment information.
————————
Please sign in
to your account at http://adwords.google.com/select/login,
and update your payment information.
————————————
We look forward to providing you with the most effective advertising available.Thank you for advertising with Google AdWords.
It looks legitimate, I don’t want my ads to be suspended, and they were kind enough to include a link to login to my account. When I click on the link, the page looks exactly like a Google AdWords login page.
These guys are tricky – and they catch a lot of unsuspecting people this way.
So – how do you protect yourself?
1. NEVER go to a website from clicking the link included in the email. Instead, open a new browser window and type in the link to the website. Access your account from there.
2. Check the link included in the email. On the surface, the above link is a Google AdWords link. But when you look at the embedded link, it is not at all the same. This is where you really end up from the link in my email: http://www.adwords.google.com.cdoip.cn/select/Login See the cdoip.cn portion of the link? That is not a Google link.
How do you check this? If you put your mouse over the link, look at the bottom left of your computer screen. Most of the time, the address you are going to will show up in the corner.
3. Report fraudulent or suspicious emails. These companies want to protect you. Go to their website and look for Customer Support.
Someone had already reported this email – when I checked this “google” website, I was greeted with this:
It’s a frequent question and my stock answer is… it depends. Helpful, yes?
Blogs are the website-of-choice and in many cases are the way to go – it you’re going to keep up with them. A stagnant blog leaves the impression that you aren’t around, aren’t available, still in business… egads! At least with a traditional website… well, you don’t expect them to be updated so frequently!
I’ve spent literally hours over the last few days visiting different blogs – on most I spent only as long as it took to click over to the next blog, but there were many that held my attention for quite awhile longer. What made the difference?
Content.
I’ve had many conversations over the last several months with my buddy Chris Muccio about creating good, solid content. Trouble is, everyone is beyond busy – tapped out, overwhelmed. It’s tough to find time to blog consistently or be actively involved in whatever social media/networking you choose.
It’s easy enough to find content providers to fill in the gaps, and on occasion I’ve used ghost-written content myself (not for this blog, btw). But this is not the content that provokes conversation or brings people back on a regular basis – it merely keeps the posts somewhat current. The content that brings people back – at least that draws me back – is interesting, thought-provoking, informative, edgy… not the same ol’ same ‘ol.
Naomi Dunford’s blog, IttyBiz, fits all of the above. While giving out solid small business advice, she weaves in interesting tales of her life. And there’s always a marketing lesson to be learned.
Blogs afford an opportunity to connect with your visitors, and because of their interactive nature, allow them to connect with you.
Especially for those in business, it brings home the point… people do business with those they know, like and trust. What better way to let your visitors get to know you than with a well cared-for blog?
Ever get tired of trying to figure out time zones for your clients/customers? Even when you spell it out, sometimes there is still a mis-communication and one or the other of you will miss an appointment.
I have an online scheduler, which is a great convenience for coordinating schedules, but sometimes we still run into the Time Zone glitch. I have just found an interactive map that hopefully will help get everyone on the same page. It’s too cool not to share!
For a buck a month, you can have the advertising removed. What’s not to love about this one? Visit Zebra Map here
Join us Thursday, July 10th at 3PM EST
Join Attorney Bob White (Gunster Yoakley), Bruce Rector (The Rector Group) and Chris Muccio (SFGI Solutions) as they discuss “Social Media, Focusing on Balancing the Business Growth Potential with Legal Concerns and Considerations.”
These three gentlemen bring to bear over 70 years of combined business experience successfully helping companies from $250,000 to over $12 Billion accelerate their growth.
This promises to be a lively (free!) webinar as they discuss point and counter-point the legal considerations of Social Media.
Register for the free webinar here: http://www.SocialMediaMadeSimple.com/teleseminar
As many of you already know, I’ve been focusing more and more on Web 2.0/Social Media and two things are becoming very apparent; many people are struggling to understand where to begin and just as many are simply trying to find out which sites to participate in.
Given the power of Social Media and how it might help your business, I’d like to invite you to a teleseminar on May 19th, at 7PM EST, where Chris Muccio, the CFO Strategist and I will introduce you to, and begin to help you sort through the Social Media puzzle. To register for this free call, please go to http://www.imarket20.com/teleseminar. If you can’t make the call, but are still interested in hearing it, sign up anyway. We’ll send out the recording.
Hope to talk to you Monday!
