Get More Business Podcast - Becoming or Hiring a Virtual Buzz Assistant
June 6, 2008
Tune in to our live podcast at Get More Business Podcast to learn more about becoming certified as a Virtual Buzz Assistant or hiring a Certified Buzz Assistant.
Would Your Life Be Better
If Someone Was Promoting You
EVERY Day?
VirtualBuzzAssistant.com
SEO Book & Tool - Search Engine Optimization Book
May 2, 2008
Today on Get More Business we will be reviewing Aaron Wall’s SEO Training Program and Tools.
Listen to the review of Aaron Wall’s SEO Training / Book / Tool site.
If you’re following along at Aaron’s site while listening to the call you will want to click on this link to see what I’m describing. While you’re there get the free account and get the basics of SEO for your website.
This tool / training is MUST HAVE if you’re serious about generating an income/meaningful traffic from your website, your blog, or any Internet presence. If you’ve got a charitable cause you’re promoting on the Internet - you need this training!
Blogging Business Strategy
April 24, 2008
Textblogg 24 april, originally uploaded by moonhouse.
Blogging is really quite a phenomenon. Anybody can be “published” internationally on the Internet with a blog - but that doesn’t guarantee you readers. What is the strategy that successful bloggers use to make money online?
Today on Get More Business Podcast we’ll be discussing a strategy that many Internet Marketers use when developing an income producing blog.
Here’s a list of some of the basic steps to get started:
Research - Before you do anything at all you need to do some research on whether or not people are shopping for what you want to offer. Terry Dean has a great report that is available for only $10 that will describe a method and several sources for researching and choosing slam dunk markets.
Secure a domain name and hosting - The host that I trust for my domain registration and reliable hosting is a company called My Small Business Website. Their prices are reasonable - less than $10 to register a domain and just under $4 a month to host - that’s less than a Mocha Frappechino from Starbucks! Their customer service is friendly and available 24/7. I almost never talk to customer service or tech support - only because I almost never have a problem! The website hosting package includes a free WordPress Blog that can be installed for you - you just need to customize and fill it with content!
Create a 30 Day Plan for creating content and promoting your blog. This is not my idea. I subscribe to Terry Dean’s Monthly Mentor Club. This monthly printed publication is a wealth of information. It’s the best $20 I spend each month.
Following are practices that you will need to do repeatedly to create an income producing blog:
- Research Long Tail Keywords for your market - this is important to get found on the Internet.
- Post comments on complimentary blogs and forums
- Write relevant blog posts - write ahead for the whole week!
- Turn your blog posts in to Articles and submit to other publishers and bloggers
- Submit your best posts to Blog Carnivals
- Write and Submit Press Releases
- Interview guests to create products and or blog posts
- Create and upload video
Your success will be in consistency. Don’t abandon Your blog! We’ll talk more about this on the show!
Click to listen to today’s show in talkshoe player or download mp3 - I give TONS of information that you can begin using immediately to create a blogging business strategy.
For a more structured training I recommend that you participate in Anik Singal and Rosalind Gardner’s Blog Classroom. Read here for more resources.
Productivity Follows Order
March 11, 2008
Have you ever known someone who always seems out of time, out of energy and basically overwhelmed by life? You know the type that has a perfectly good excuse for being late, not keeping appointments or someone who is generally unprepared for just about everything.
Maybe in your own life you’ve even felt that way. It’s like your life is a juggling act and it’s up to you to keep all those colored balls in the air. Don’t drop a ball or someone who’s counting on you will suffer because of your mistake.
These feelings of overwhelm, lack of energy, not enough time and too much to do are symptoms of a life “out of integrity.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.”
A life that is out of integrity is a life that is somehow incomplete or divided. Let me illustrate what I mean.
Picture yourself blowing air into a balloon. If the ballon is complete, then the air collecdts inside until the ballon is fully inflated or you stop blowing into the balloon. Now picture the balloon with little tiny holes. What will happen when you begin to blow the air into the balloon? It never fully inflates. All of the air that you’re blowing into the balloon leaks out the tiny holes.
Our lives can be just like the balloon. We have leaks of energy riddled throughout our lives rendering us ineffective.We create these holes or energy leaks by violating the natural laws that were designed to secure our abundant life.
Some of the things which cause us to get out of integrity or produce energy leaks:
- living or working in a cluttered environment
- working at a job we dislike
- not being allowed to use our God-given talents and gifts
- feeling as if we underpaid for the work we peform
- being with people we dislike
- procrastination
- not knowing where we stand financially
- feeling unproductive
- feeling unappreciated
- not eating healthy
- neglecting to follow up on important tasks
This list could actually be much longer. There’s quite a number of things which we do because we perceive that there is no immediate consequence. However, when we surround ourselves with an environgment of multiple energy leaks we have major life changing consequences. And still, there are many individual who never make the connection between their poor habits and their falling apart life.
A life that is whole, integris, without energy leaks is a life that is in order - it’s a life that is operating in harmoney with the natural laws of an abundant life. When our life or should I say our lifestyle is in order we then are naturally more productive.
I want to invite you to explore this with me further. Here are some of the topics that we’ll explore here on this blog:
- The five areas of our life that most often contain disorder or energy leaks.
- What does a(n) disorderly / orderly life look like?
- Simple tasks to begin your journey to wholeness
These are just a few of the topics for future posts. I’d love to receive comments on this topic as you join me in this journey to a life with Integrity (wholeness - no energy leaks).
“Does my small business need a budget?”
March 4, 2008
“I only have a small business, I don’t need a budget.”
“I don’t have enough money to budget.”
For many small business owners, the word “budget” is something for the bigger company - maybe they’ll have one when their business “grows up.”
What is a Budget?
The simple explanation is a budget is a plan for how you will manage all financial resources and all expenses for your business. The basic equation that you want to demonstrate in a budget is as follows:
(estimated )Sales minus (estimated) Expenses = Profit (or loss)
How to create a Budget
If this is your first time to work on a budget for your small business, you might work from the perspective of having to list cost of goods or services plus all of your operating expenses to start the process.
*How much does it take to operate your phone line?
*What is the cost of other utilities?
*How about the cost of a company vehicle, or what is the cost of transportation if you’re using your personal vehicle to also serve as a company vehicle?
*Do you need any supplies or inventory to operate your business?
*How about any employee payroll, payroll taxes or independent product or service providers?
Remember to include everything you spend money on to operate your business even if you allocate some of the expenses to “petty cash” expenses, such as parking or bridge tolls while traveling to see clients.
I recommend that you create annual budget, in addition to a monthly budget, so you can identify any expenses that you may have that come up only once or twice a year such as insurance and include them in your list of expenses. This allows you to amortize or spread the cost of this out over several months so that you can plan ahead for the expense.
As you work on your list of expenses keep in mind that these are the expenses that are necessary to operate your business. These should not be items from your “wish list” unless you want to budget in some expansion or growth. You may want to create a budget with just the necessities and another version of your budget with expansion expenses listed so that you can see the cost of both separately. With a dollar figure to work with of your total expenses you are able to set the standard for or evaluate your sales figures. If you are new to your business you may need to use the dollar amount of your expenses to help you determine what your sales need to be in order to cover all costs and show a profit. If you have been in business for a while you can evaluate whether or not you are producing a profit by looking at historical sales figures.
As you conduct business during your budget year you should compare your actual income and spending with what you estimated. This will allow you to manage your spending so that you don’t over spend and cut into or eliminate your profits. You will also be able to see if sales have met expectations in order to cover expenses and still remain profitable.
Who should Budget?
Every small business owner should budget, no matter the size of business. I have heard some small business owners say their business is too small to budget, but that is not true. If you don’t have a written plan for what your financial obligations are and how your revenue will cover those obligations and leave some money unspent, then your business will never grow. In fact, you may out-spend your revenue and put yourself out of business.
Why Budget?
Budgeting for your small business gives you control over your finances. By looking ahead to what you know or can reasonably estimate what your expenses will be, you can then make financial decisions that will keep you from over-spending, or give you the freedom to invest in the growth of your business.
When Budget?
Every small business owner should have a budget to start their business and then review it annually. I recommend that small business owners review their budget several months before the end of their fiscal year. When I say review the budget I’m talking about comparing projected budget with actual. In the comparison you can see if your estimates were realistic. You and your CPA can also plan for last minute tax strategies, or plan to implement strategies in the up coming year’s budget.
The Goal in Budgeting Remember, the goal of having a budget is to stay in control of your finances in advance. Setting the standard for your spending and revenue and having a tool to compare with actual will give you the control that you need to stay profitable. At the very least it will give you an indication of whether or not your business is actually profitable and not just busy.
Melody Campbell, Business Coach invites Small Business Owners to do an “Extreme Marketing Make-Over.” Receive her Special Report “5 Strategies that Any Business Owner can do for an Extreme Marketing Make-Over” along with having access to her blog and weekly show “Get More Business Podcast at: http://www.TheSmallBusinessGuru.com
The Ultimate Referral System Webinar
January 29, 2008
“If You Only Had $500 In Your Budget and You Needed To Double Your Customers, What Would You Spend It On?”
I’ve been asked that exact same question hundreds of times from business owners who are frustrated with their marketing results.
My simple answer is, “Referral Marketing!”
In a study done by our company with 2,134 small business owners, we found that over 55% said that they received the highest return on their investment from referral marketing. Referrals are the lifeblood of your small business. You know it and I know it. Without referrals, our businesses would dry up and blow away.
That’s why I’ve developed the “Referral Marketing Best Practices Webinar.” This is a one hour webinar in which I share with you what the best referral marketers are doing to generate more referrals. I want to invite YOU to attend one of my webinars.
If you’ve been frustrated with your ability to get more referrals or to motivate your clients and customers to talk about you, then you must attend this webinar.
It’s not too late to register for tomorrow’s event - Wednesday January 30, 2008 at 1 pm Pacific (3 pm Central, 4 pm Eastern)
We will be using GoToMeeting for the Webinar. Go here to register for this fr.ee event: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/893400884
There will be a special bonus announced at the end of the event. You don’t want to miss this.
The Ultimate Referral System Series
January 18, 2008
Today on www.GetMoreBusinessPodcast.com we covered part one of a series of shows on The Ultimate Referral Marketing System.
We covered several “best practices” of what makes a good “intentional” referral marketing plan that you can predict a steady flow of referrals from when you’re offering a quality product or service.
Even if you’re a superior technician in you business there is no guarantee of referral business if you don’t have a system in place to generate referrals.
In this series I give you all the secrets - well, today was just part one of all the secrets used by the all the “business by referral” gurus.
Join me in a live webinar where I cover all the best practices and strategies for this gold mine marketing technique by sending me your information below so I can send you the date and time of the event.
When you attend the Live Webinar “The Ulitmate Referral System” I will send you a 2008 Referral Marketing Plan that you can use as a guide to help you prepare your own personalized system for getting all the referrals you can handle.
Other related reading
The Power of Business “Thank You” Notes
December 27, 2007
Dale Carnagie said “You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you”
Let me say that another way…The same is true of business as with friendship. You will earn more business by being interested in other peoples lives than you can by trying to get people interested in your product or service.
Sending Thank you cards is a very powerful marketing tool. I quickly Googled how many books had references to the sending of Thank you Cards to build business. Here’s a summary of what I found:
Here’s a quote from Make Million$ Selling Real Estate: Earning Secrets of Top Agents By Jim Remley
…when I do receive these cards or letters in the mail, they are something that I stop and read. Even when I am busy, tired or stressed out, I put what I’m doing aside and stop to read what someone took the time to write me in longhand. A Thank You card is special.
For this reason, by far the most powerful of any mailing program is a personalized handwritten note, and the most powerful handwritten note is a thank you card. Unfortunately the handwritten note is quickly becoming a lost art. Now that email has surpassed all other forms of communication for overall use, very few people take the time to actually write a note to someone the old fashioned way with paper and ink.
How long did you hang on to you last thank you card? I bet you still have it. Your clients are just like you. I don’t care how jaded we have become; when we receive a card in the mail we all carefully open and read it. Why? It’s human nature. We love to be treated as special, we love to be the center of attention, and we all love special recognition.
The author Jim Remley provides readers with the following list
Twelve Reasons to send a handwritten note to members of your Sphere of Influence
- Follow up after a transaction
- Thank them for their business
- Thank them for a recent referral
- Congragulate them on career achievements
- Welcome them to new clubs or organizations
- Invite them to an annual sphere of influence event
- Follow up after a recent phone conversation
- Send a note with a clipping containing interesting information
- Wish them a happy holiday
- Wish them a happy one year home anniversary
- Follow up on a business achievement
- Congratulate them on family events, such as new children
I use thank you cards in my business and I’ve discovered a wonderful way to make the “job” of writing and sending the note - less like a “job.” I shop, write and send from a website called Send Cards Get Business.
The selection at Send Cards Get Business is amazing! there are over 12,000 cards to choose from in hundreds of catagories…AND you can also create a completely customize your card by uploading your own photo or artwork.
It takes about 30 seconds to send a card - including a customized message. Send Cards Get Business will print, stamp and mail your card for you in ONE BUSINESS DAY!
But what about handwritten notes - oh that’s easy - you send the alphabet written in your own handwriting and they create a font from it. So everytime you go online to send a real printed greeting card the personal message is produced in the font of YOUR HANDWRITING!
I’m telling you this system allows you to touch so many more people - This year alone I have sent over 300 cards to business contacts, friends and loved ones.
My favorite way to use the card is to send a gift card to someone who has sent me a referral. Wnen I get a referral that does business with me I add a $5 Starbucks card. Whoa! I get some wonderful feedback and MORE referrals! I love it. Make me feel wonderful to know that just a small gesture showing my gratitude has such a profound impact on my customers. Yeah, can you believe that not only does this company print the cards with my handwriting, stamp and mail them - they will also insert a gift card or even a CHECK up to $50.
David Frey, of The Small Business Marketing Bible, created a wonderful video about using Send Cards Get Business to create a stream of Instant Referrals. Click on this link to watch.
Get More Business Podcast- Marketing Best Practices - David Frey
May 11, 2007
David Frey, of Marketing Best Practices and the Small Business Market Bible will be our guest next Friday at 9 am Pacific.
David tells me he has 106 different strategies for generating referrals. Well of course there are some Key Elements.
On the call he promises to share the 3 Main Elements for Getting all the Referrals You can Handle. And he will explain why a small business owner needs a system to manage the relationships that are used to build a business by the referral - a GOOD referral system will produce consistant, repeatable and PREDICTABLE results!
Why is Word of Mouth system of referrals not a reliable system for generating more business to rely on? Is there a way to automate the system for generating referrals - really good referrals?
Listen to David Frey on Get More Business Podcast.
Check out the tool that David Frey uses to automate his entire referral system.
The Consumption Chain
November 1, 2006
It is possible to uncover opportunities to position your product or services in new and interesting ways you may not have thought of yet. In the Harvard Business Review, authors Ian C. MacMillan and Rita Gunther McGrath, write in their article “Discovering New Points of Differentiation” that companies should examine the customers’ entire experience with a product or service - that is “The Consumption Chain” - in order to discover new points of differentiation. MacMillan and McGrath list a set of questions to ask about your business:
- How do people become aware of their need for your product or service?
- How do consumers find your offering?
- How do consumers make their final selection?
- How do customers order and purchse your product or service?
- What happens when your product or service is delivered?
- How is your product installed?
- How is your product or service paid for?
- How is your product stored?
- How is your product moved around?
- What is the customer really wanting your product for?
- What do customers need help with when they use your product?
- What about returns and exchanges?
- How is your product repaired or serviced?
- What happens when your product is disposed of or no longer used?
By asking yourself or your team these questions you may uncover opportunities to
- improve on your product
- add to your product line
- add a disposal or recycling service for which the customers will pay for or be alerted to restock your product
- solve problems before they arise
- discover new places to find customers
- redesign your product
- overcome objections
- improve service
- add service for your product
- rewrite a more attractive guarentee which may attract more customers
As small business owners we sometimes think we’re too busy to pay attention to our marketing. Yet this creates much more work than necessary. It’ s like pumping for water, endlessly and everytime you stop pumping the water stops. So to whenever you stop “pumping” for business the revenue begins to dry up.
It’s possible to schedule an appointment with yourself for 1/2 hour to 1 hour each week to work ON your business so that the time you spend working IN working in your business. I think you’ll fnd it worth the time you spend as your revenue begins to pick up.
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