Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are no longer the only social media platforms businesses should have profiles on if they want to engage their market online. The past few years have seen a shift towards visual social media content—the kind that sites like Pinterest and Instagram provide. Savvy businesses have taken advantage of this shift by promoting their brand through visual content on all of the above platforms, as well as through impactful, relevant images, videos, and graphics on their website. There are two big reasons why this shift towards visual content is taking place and why your business will…
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Whether it’s because of a tedious project, long hours, burnout, or boredom, slumps happen. We’ve all been there; we’ve all grown tired of our work at times and lost our passion and motivation. Whatever the reason, if you’re in an entrepreneurial slump right now there are a few techniques that might kick it right to the curb. Reassure Yourself: This is NormalBeing in a slump is not synonymous with failing as an entrepreneur. A slump is a temporary setback where your drive, motivation, and/or resources are lacking. Everyone experiences a slump at some point, whether in business, their tennis game,…
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As business owners, the decisions we make in the first few minutes of the workday are critical. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of “quickly” checking in on social media or email only to find ourselves an hour or more into the day having accomplished little more than viewing a handful of videos or answering a few personal emails. The following are three healthy morning routines for business success. 1. Fortify Your MorningWhat habits energize and inspire you most? Whether your kick-start comes from your morning yoga routine, 30 minutes of silent meditation, a healthy breakfast,…
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Most small business owners go it alone—for a while. You probably spent (or are still spending) all of your free time, money, and energy working because you haven’t felt you could afford an employee. If you’re finding yourself burned out, it’s time to partner with a virtual assistant! Virtual assistants can actually save you time and money, making it possible to grow a successful business without neglecting your personal life. In previous blog posts, we’ve discussed the big reasons why you need a virtual assistant. Also, how partnering with one can strengthen your foundation. And don’t forget how a…
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Your business website is your online storefront, and the first impression you offer visiting and prospective clients. Obviously, it’s of utmost importance that your site is one that invites clients to visit and one they enjoy returning to. Here are my essential elements to include in your small business website. Functional and Easy to Use Your website MUST be easy to navigate and use and, of course, needs to be fully functional. Your shopping carts need to work and be free of bugs, links need to work, and your contact forms must send messages to the right place. Additionally, if…
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As entrepreneurs, we put enormous amounts of time, energy, and money into creating and building our businesses and creating a positive brand reputation. So why does our business sometimes struggle or experience unexpected dry spells? If you’ve stopped receiving inquiries from prospects and repeat business from existing clients, your brand reputation may be to blame. Despite our hard work and daily toil, even one bad review or negative comment on a blog can prove very detrimental to our reputation. Brand Reputation is Important As amazing as it seems that one or two pieces of negative information online or via word…
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I would venture a guess that there hasn’t been a successful entrepreneur, athlete, world leader—anything—who didn’t want to throw in the towel at some point. Venturing out on your own and pursuing your dreams and passions is huge; it’s risky, new, exciting, and at times extremely challenging. The ability to stay inspired as an entrepreneur is absolutely essential to your success because, let’s face it, if being a lone wolf in the business world were easy a lot more people would be doing it successfully! Fortunately, some superhero entrepreneurs have gone before and paved the way for those of us…
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Posting at least one article a week to your business blog is a great way to build your expert reputation and engage your target market through professional insights and useful information about your business. Most small business owners have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with their clients about their industry and what they sell, but not everyone knows how to craft an engaging, relevant blog piece using this information. I love to write, and have partnered with many entrepreneurs and large businesses alike to create original content on a variety of topics (you can learn more about…
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Staying in touch with your clients via email marketing tools ensures that you are always top of mind. Email marketing includes every email sent to build a relationship with your audience. There are many ways that email marketing tools can help your small business maintain professional, profitable contact with clients. At Jennie Lyon Virtual Assistant Services, we are very familiar with a handful of great email marketing applications. The following are the 5 software we use when partnering with clients on email marketing. [Tweet “Email marketing includes every email sent to a customer or potential client.”] 1. MadMimi MadMimi is a…
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If your small business isn’t active on social networking sites, it should be! Active participation in social networking sites draws more traffic to your website, increases sales, deepens trust in your brand, and provides almost endless networking opportunities. Social networking is more than just Facebook; successful businesses also need professional, active profiles (that they post to at least once daily with a combination of visual content, text posts, conversational links, and referrals) on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest. Depending on your brand and client base, you may also consider accounts with Instagram and YouTube, as well. If you are not…
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