Blogging isn’t just for emotional college kids and foodies any more! If you are serious about taking your business to the next level, you need to blog regularly via a professional, polished business blog. Here are my top 3 reasons why. 1. Blogging Makes You Visible OnlineConsistent blogging populates the web with your business name, the types of services you offer, and topics that appeal to your target market. This is important because when clients and other businesses conduct searches for these things, the likelihood of your business showing up in search results (and earning high rankings) goes up the…
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Despite the growing popularity of virtual assistants and employees, many business owners have never even considered hiring a virtual assistant because of budgetary fears, a desire to be the only steering their company, or one of many other reasons. The truth is that partnering with a virtual assistant can not only increase profits but can also offer you even more control over your company’s future. While US-based virtual assistants charge higher hourly rates than you’d pay an in-house employee, they also work less and work faster, so in the end you’re paying less money for better work. A virtual assistant…
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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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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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Being organized, especially as a small business owner with a long to-do list, keeps your business productive, focused, and profitable—and keeps you sane. Spring is the perfect time of year to re-focus your energies and get your space and task list in order. Here are 6 great organization tips for your small business. 1. Use the CloudStoring documents in the cloud is a great way to protect them from computer crashes or viruses. Additionally, it’s a much cleaner, faster way to share files and information if you work with a virtual team. Applications to consider include Google Drive and Dropbox.…
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“Branding”, a term that once meant simply stamping your business logo on everything, has evolved into the process of building a company’s identity and personality. While branding still involves developing a name and symbol or design that sets your business apart from the rest, it is so much more than that. Effective, strategic branding gives you an advantage over competitors and makes it possible for your company to target markets as tight or broad as you like. Because branding is so foundational to success, I thought I would offer a few more tips for creating a strong brand that I’ve…
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Technology has given us so many incredible things, like modern medicine, instant toast, and spaceships, for example. For me, and many other entrepreneurs, one of the greatest gifts technology has given society is the virtual office. We now enjoy the ability to instantly access just about any person, piece of information, and resource imaginable—all from the comfort of a home office. In addition to the virtual container of the Internet, cloud-based small business software have made it possible to hold online calls and meetings, erect storefronts in cyberspace, and share schedules, data, and media of all kinds. Here are my…
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Like most women, you have probably heard that you can’t do it all—and you probably try to anyway. It is easy to run yourself ragged trying to juggle your business, social life, family, and household. Remember, though, that you are your company’s most valuable asset! Successfully managing all aspects of your life requires balance and prioritizing self-care. Healthy habits help us to be more effective in both business and life. When we are healthy and balanced, we can “do more”—and in less time (which is always the goal). Here are 5 healthy habits for women in business. 1. Healthy Diet…
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More and more small businesses these days are home-based or physically scaled down, operating out of a small office with minimal equipment. Additionally, more businesses start with modest budgets and aim to cut overhead costs in order to develop into successful startups more quickly. Because small businesses still need a team to operate, the cost-effective, simple solution is to partner with a virtual team of workers instead of staffing an office with salaried employees, which requires a bigger office rental, bulkier payroll, and an HR department—to name a few things. Even though virtual support teams are non-traditional (though they are…
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Even if you’ve partnered with a virtual assistant or content manager to create your online business content (i.e. blog and social media posts) you’ll still need to come up with the topics that your online content will be about. As an entrepreneur, you are probably great at coming up with new ideas—for your business. Coming up with topics to address for your audience may not be as easy. When you live, breathe, and move in your business every day, you have an unlimited amount of information about your principal service or product; it can be challenging to know what information…
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