For a small business owner, taking a vacation often depends on staying ahead of clients’ needs. You can’t afford to let things slip or have radio silence reign in your absence. I’ve always found that clients appreciate an entrepreneur who makes every effort to maintain continuous service no matter what time of year it is. However, that doesn’t have to mean skipping your vacation(s)! Some clients are wonderful, and understand that everyone needs a break now and then. Others may have (unrealistically) high expectations and not want to see any break in the service they receive from your business. You…
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Writing can be daunting for many small business owners; you’re an expert in your field, but that doesn’t mean you’re also an incredible wordsmith! Even savvy entrepreneurs don’t always stop to consider just how much writing work is involved in running their own business. Aside from emails (and any other documents you send to clients), you also have to worry about website copy, advertisements, and branding collateral like brochures. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the regular blogging and social media posts a small business needs to appear active in this digital age! [Tweet “The quality of your copy…
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Getting your website in front of potential clients is essential for small business owners, and updating your web copy is the first step. Using search engine optimization (SEO) strategies is, in my experience, the quickest way to start getting more page views. SEO works on the algorithms that determine how to place a website in search result rankings. This means that the written content of your website, when properly optimized, brings in more potential clients! When a potential client searches for key terms related to the products and services your business offers, they are more likely to find your website…
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“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Boy, how about that old cliché, huh? It’s just one of those phrases that gets thrown around, without any real through as to what it means. Well, I am going to reclaim that phrase because it is a truly fantastic piece of advice for small business owners. When you are talking with a client, even if you are engaging, interesting, and are offering them something really special, there is a chance that they might not be fully listening. That’s the problem with words, it can be easy to get lost in them. If…
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Social media is an essential component of marketing for small businesses, but it can also put a huge strain on busy entrepreneurs. The “always on” nature of our modern, interconnected world may mean your clients expect to be able to reach you via any communication channel at any time. This is a recipe for overworking yourself and living under constant stress. As entrepreneurs, we need to be especially careful to take care of ourselves. Small business owners are more likely to try and do it all when it comes to running our companies! The current expectation to maintain active social…
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Have you paid much attention to Pinterest lately? It may not have the immediacy of Instagram, but it’s still a very important social media platform for small business owners! Pinterest combines visuals with powerful organizational and search capabilities. Content uploaded to it can still go “viral” like Instagram and Facebook posts, but also has more staying power and is easier to find months or years later. [Tweet “Pinterest is an incredible visual search engine that functions differently from other social media.”] I’ve personally used Pinterest to great effect for my businesses. I’ve gained followers on multiple social media platforms, and…
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Seminars are a staple in the business world. The problem is that seminars are expensive and somewhat inconvenient affairs that, although useful and informative, sometimes only attract limited audiences. But today, thanks to the power of technology, anyone can reach a much wider audience around the world! Using a real-time video conference, known as a webinar, small business owners can give a much more cost-effective talk. A webinar is basically an online seminar. It offers your clients a real-time connection to you; they actually hear you speak and can respond through chat. With the option for anyone in the world…
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Product launches are exciting for small business owners, whether they’re for a new webinar, e-book, online course, or physical product. Seeing the results of your labor being used and appreciated by dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of people, is extremely satisfying! However, it’s also a lot of work to get to the point of launch, especially if you’re doing everything on your own. [Tweet “Make a big deal about your launch! Think Facebook ads and online promotions to mark the occasion.”] Have you ever looked at other entrepreneurs and wondered how they get new products ready to launch so quickly?…
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Whether you work from a small office, co-working space, or home, having an inspiring work space is important for entrepreneurs. I mean, part of why we start our own small businesses is to follow our passions and escape the gray, dreary cubicle life, right? Your work space should get you energized and excited to get down to business each day! I know that for me, coming into my home office and seeing everything from favorite photos to slick branding collateral sitting neatly in its place makes me want to do my best work and get my business out there! [Tweet…
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Have you been meeting the goal or goals you set for your small business this year? Is something holding you back from making progress? Back in January, I talked about the importance of setting actionable goals and checking in on them regularly. Consider this your check-in if you’ve fallen off the wagon already! Even if you’re sticking to and completing your goals, I hope you’ll find this article useful for the goal revision strategies. Plus, at the end of this post, you can download my Goal Check-In Worksheet to help guide your check-in process. [Tweet “Hard data shows that business…
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