what is holding you back from blogging for your biz?

one of the questions i get asked the most at build a little biz is “what are some inexpensive ways i can promote my business?” and one of my most common answers is “start blogging.” to read more about why i think you should start a blog, click here.

the main thing i always tell little biz builders is this:

having a blog is like getting to stand at the front counter of your shop, chatting with the customers. it is a chance to TALK to them: to help them, answer questions, ease concerns, demonstrate expertise, tell stories, share your passion & brand message…

every business owner should take the opportunity to ‘front counter chat’ with customers. a blog is your chance to do that. (click here to tweet that!)

but even if i have you convinced that blogging is great for any biz, i do realize there are still a number of things that hold little biz builders back. so i am going to try to ease your concerns and change your mindset.

NOTE: i have pulled all of these comments straight of my facebook page and email. see how i have turned the common objections of my customers into a blog post? if i could chat with people at the front counter of my shop, this is what i would tell them…

i don’t have the time.

yes. i say this too, all of the time. it is my first ‘jump to’ reason for anything – it is one of my mindsets. but you know, i have the same number of minutes each day as anyone else. it is all about how i chose to spend them!

most of the people i chat with are sinking time into one strategy or another that is not actually bringing traffic to their biz, or turning that traffic into sales. i know i spend all sorts of my daily minutes checking my email compulsively, reading ‘helpful’ resources, wandering around on social media, fiddling with my website… i tell myself i am ‘working’ but really it is just bizzy work. it makes me feel like i am working but really i am avoiding the harder, scarier work i need to do.

blogging is marketing. if you need a way to market your business that does not cost a lot of money, then blogging is a fantastic option. blogging is great because you get to do it your way, make it “you”, make it awesome, make it something you love. but you have to get ‘real’ about it, and invest the time. that means giving up bizzy work. that means investing in expertise to help you with things that are time sinks for your biz, that you don’t enjoy, or that you are plain not good at.

plus, keep in mind that blogging is not a stand-alone task. it ties in really well with facebook, twitter, pinterest, email marketing and more. what you share & talk about in one place you can do in the other. it is not necessarily a task you must add to everything else, it can be a natural extension of what you are already doing.

you need to market your business. you need to budget your time wisely, and include time to market your business. if you can’t make time to do that, then please don’t tell me "i need free ways to promote my business." they will cost you time or money. so get serious about investing.

i am not a writer.

i totally get this belief. i am not a writer either. i have a bachelor degree in science! and i went on to become a science teacher. i was a substitute teacher for a high school english class once and i was terrified that i would pass on my bad grammer, spelling & slang habits to those kids!

but i can talk. i can very easily talk about the stuff i am passionate about, the stuff i believe in. and that is what you do with your blog. you talk. write like you talk. pretend a customer has asked you a question or commented on something that interests you up at that front counter. answer them. write that.

the more you write the better you will get. and there aren’t really any rules when blogging, there are no blogging police who will tell you that you are doing it wrong. it’s yours. you are the boss of your blog, just write for your right people. the rest don’t matter.

by the way, in 18 months i have had maybe 5 people tell me they can’t stand the way i write with no capitals. and i think 3 people have told me they don’t like me because i say stuff like ‘kick ass’. i have had more readers than i can count tell me they love the way i write, that i am approachable and i make things make sense for them. those people are my right people. the rest can go eff off and find some other blogger to nitpick about grammar and swear words.

i am not a writer but i do have something to say. my blog, my way.

i don’t know what to blog about.

yep, this one feels tricky too, because we tend to think of our business as being about what we sell (and what else could we possibly say about what we sell?) but it is not, it is actually about who we help; the people whose problems are solved and needs met by our products.

your website is for your products. your blog is for your people. (click here to tweet that.)

i could go on and on about all of the things you can blog about. in fact i do in the blueprints for building a blog, where i take readers through a number of brainstorms to come up with a huge list of topic ideas and post types. but quickly, here are some ideas to get you started…

be helpful. tell stories. demonstrate your expertise. share your passion. share your interests & talents. spread your brand message. solve problems. be funny. be entertaining. be controversial. answer questions. ease concerns. provide additional support. comment on trends/news items etc. oh, did i mention, be helpful?

i would just use it for specials or to show new products.

your blog is not really the place you sell your stuff. that is what your website (shop) is for. your blog is the front counter. and just as you (hopefully) wouldn’t stand at the counter shouting to the customers – “hey! look! here is this new thing!” or “hey, guys! this item is for sale!” – don’t do that with your blog.

if people want to look at your products they will go to the shop and do so. your blog is to let those people know they are in the right place to have their problems solved. that you understand their dreams and their fears. that you are the ‘go to girl’ to help them.

i don’t know how to keep it fresh.

your blog does not have to be the same style of written paragraphs every time. you can share images, videos, infographics, music, or inspirational quotes. you can post tutorials, instructions, check lists, links to other blogs, polls, reader submissions… the sky is the limit really.

to come up with fresh ideas, look outside of your niche and your marketplace to see what bloggers in other circles are doing. and look at what is popular on your facebook page, twitter, pinterest or other spots where you interact with fans. take the conversation from one of those spots onto your blog!

to see 15 inspiring examples of blogs run by little businesses click here.

i don’t think anyone would read it.

yep, i can relate to this one too. when i first started blogging the only reader i had was my mom. i thought no one would read my blog. i wasn’t sure i even had anything to say that wasn’t already being said by a number of other bloggers, with way more experience than me.

but i listened to my gut and just decided to try it. i gave myself 6 months to see if i had something of value to offer and if there were people out there who cared.  i shared my posts on facebook and twitter. i commented on other blogs and found other blogs to guest post on. i asked other bloggers to guest post for me.

at first i didn’t have many readers, but slowly i gained more. i kept at it, found my groove, and found things to write about that people really needed. when i get it right, my posts get shared and I gain more readers.

if you just pop up your blog posts and don’t do anything to share those posts then no one will read them. if you don’t practice and try out different things until you find your ‘sweet spot’ then you might not find many readers. but if you keep at it, and listen to your fans, and treat your blog as your way to interact with them, you will find readers. if you believe in the value of what your business has to offer then you have something valuable to offer them.

i can’t make money blogging, it is a waste of my time.

the second most common question i get asked by readers is “how do i turn traffic into sales”. your blog can help you do that, your blog can help you increase sales. you can use it to ease fears, answer objections, demonstrate your expertise & build trust, show that you ‘get’ what your right people need. you can even use it to help you come up with new ideas for products to sell.

your blog will also help you gain traffic to your site. a blog can improve your search engine optimization so your website will show up in online searches. and a blog post can easily be shared by fans on facebook, twitter, pinterest, google+, and email – so if you write something helpful or entertaining it can ‘go viral’!

lastly, you can use your blog to add additional income streams to your business. you can become an affiliate for other products and use your blogs to introduce those products to your fans. you can do sponsored posts or paid advertorials for products & services. and you can use your best, most informative posts to create an ebook, ecourse, or tutorial that you can add to your product line.

note: if you do add affiliate sales or sponsored reviews to your blog, be sure that you do so with the best interests of your reader in mind. you don’t want to lose their trust and readership that you have worked hard to gain!

i tried using my blog to answer customer questions, but i still get contacted with the same questions. it is a waste of time!

you know this happens to me too – i get asked questions all the time that i have already addressed on my blog, sometimes a number of times. i wonder actually if anyone uses the search box i included on the blog!  but i get it, people are busy, or they know what they are looking for but don’t know how to find it, or they don’t realize they can search the blog… or maybe it is just easier to ask than to do a search. and for me, it is a lot easier to answer the question with a link to a well written, well thought out blog post than to try to type out a quick response while my kids are screaming for a snack. my blog makes it easier to help my right people.

the thing about blogs is that the newer, fresher content seems to get ‘seen’ and promoted the most and the older stuff can be a bit forgotten. but it is still there, and it is still very valuable to you. you can refer the old links to customers, you can repurpose and republish them as guest posts on other sites, or as i suggested above you can compile them into an ebook which you could sell or give away.

i don’t know how to get started.

there is a lot of information out there on blogging  for business – two of my favorite sites are copyblogger and problogger. plus, i often share helpful posts on blogging in the toolbox each week.

but i know how hard it is to find the right information, in a simple format, which is why i wrote the build a blog blueprint. whether you haven’t started blogging yet or you have a blog but feel stuck with what to do with it, the blueprints have all of the information you need, in one spot, so that you can make blogging a successful strategy for your biz.

you know what i always say: do what you love. and then kick ass with it. blogging certainly isn’t for everyone. but it is one strategy that you can be creative with and turn into something you love. and for a low cost marketing option, it is a pretty fantastic choice. if you are going to blog, make a real go of it. don’t just let it sit there, saying “i have no time” or “i don’t know what to write”. get serious about it! your business deserves it. 

click here to have a look at the build a blog blueprint. you can read the contents and introduction to see if it is right for you. 

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ask the expert | How Twitter Actually Makes Your Small Business Life Easier

Today we have a post from our expert partner in online marketing: Martina Iring from Small Business Bliss. She is answering a question I get asked often...

"Is it worth getting started on twitter?"

Many little biz owners find Twitter synonymous with a “waste of precious time”.  Many think that it's a total time suck.  Or that it can't possibly help their small business.

If you’re ignoring Twitter, leaving it out of your social media marketing scheme because you don’t really get how it works, you are ignoring a wonderful tool that can be a huge help to you. 

The key to Twitter (especially for all those small business owners out there without marketing departments) is to use your Twitter time strategically. Like Facebook and other social media channels, Twitter can be a black hole of productivity. Let’s ditch the random surfing around! Read on for some ways that Twitter can actually make your small business life easier.  Maybe you’ll decide that it’s not so bad after all!

Easily find people talking about your product or services

 This is a top business opportunity on Twitter - you can easily find potential customers who are actively searching for your product or service.  A friendly tweet is a simple way to let people know your business is here and could lead to future business contracts or paying customers. I personally have gotten clients and made fantastic connections with this trick.

In Twitter, go to the search option and enter in your keywords (words that someone would use when looking for your business’ offering).  The more specific your keywords the better, as it will help narrow down your search results.  Entering in a location is a must if you’re a local business, as it will narrow down the search to people looking for your offering in your area.

If you’d like a little more help with this, check out the how-to video in this post: How to use Twitter search.

Once you have found people who are looking for or talking about what your small business does, this is a wonderful chance to engage and get tweeting.  You come the customer!

Quick and dirty networking

A great organizational tool for Twitter is the create a list option. One of the biggest complaints about Twitter I hear from small business owners is “How could I possibly keep track of hundreds (maybe thousands) of Twitter followers?” The answer is – you can’t! Lists to the rescue.

To create a list, from the Twitter home page, go to the “lists” tab, and there will be an option to “create a list”.  You can chose to make a list private (only you will be able to see it) or public (anyone on Twitter can see the list you've created). 

Whether you go public or private with your list, you can now keep track of and interact with the businesses and people that you want to stay in touch with, without having to sift through all the tweets in your stream.

Spy on your competitors

This is the perfect non-confrontational way to check in on your competitors and see what they're tweeting about, who they're tweeting with and what tweeps (aka Twitter users) are saying about them.  Simply search their name, and have a look at what they're up too.

Do some free market research

Trending topics on Twitter are those topics that are the most popular and are tagged more than others on Twitter.  It's a great way to tune in to what people are talking about and what's going on. When using the Twitter interface, you can see these topics right from the homepage. If you’re more interested in seeing popular topics in your geographical area, click here to get instructions on how to do this from the folks at Twitter.

You can also just use the search function (as we discussed above), looking for conversations around certain keywords to see what people are talking about.  Twitter is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to market research for your small business.

Easy testimonials

Even better than what you have to say about your business is what your customers have to say about it. Twitter makes posting testimonials easy as pie. If someone says something positive in a tweet, it’s a very simple process to tag it as a favourite and get it up on your website in a special Twitter testimonial bar. Click here for some great step by step instructions on getting this set up from the folks at Social Media Examiner.  The best part is, you don’t have to ask for permission. Tweets are public information.

Twitter is not for everyone and may not be an ideal channel for your small business - despite what you might read online with gurus insisting you have to be on Twitter. You always have to take everything with a grain of salt! However, gaining a better understanding of how it can help you empowers you to make the right decision for your biz.

On to you, do you use Twitter for your little biz? Have you tried the ideas above? Do you have other Twitter tips to share? Let’s hear it in the comments! 

Martina Iring works with entrepreneurs overwhelmed with all that web stuff. She’s on a mission to help the little guys make sense of internet marketing, teaching small business owners how being online is not only profitable, but enjoyable! Her blog, Small Business Bliss, offers up gobs of marketing info and doses of inspiration just for little biz owners. Be sure to go visit and grab a free website improvement guide.

further reading on twitter: your one stop guide to using twitter

15 tips for using pinterest as a way to build your little biz

love it? pin it! Pin It

WARNING: proceed at your own risk. pinterest is highly addictive. if you are like most of its users, you will find hours have slipped away just clicking ‘see more pins’ over and over. it just might be the best fun you have ever had online!

pinterest is the new kid on the social media block. it’s the fastest growing social sharing site, growing from 40,000 users to 3.2 million in just 1 year (source). for buildalittlebiz.com it has become the number one source of traffic, and i know i am not the only site experiencing this.

for those of you who haven’t checked it out yet, pinterest is a ‘virtual pin board’ for images (and video too) that people can organize in their own themed pin boards. it is only available by invite (you can request an invite from pinterest or email me and i can invite you if you want to skip the waiting list.) with pinterest you can pin any image from any website, or you can just hang out on pinterest ‘repinning’ the stuff you love.

and there is a lot to love.

one of the reasons i think pinterest is so fun is because it’s visual – with all the information we get from ebooks, blogs, newsletters, websites, facebook posts, tweets and more online, pinterest feels so peaceful! it’s easy to scan without information overload. it’s easy to share what you love without feeling spam-ish. it’s easy to stay organized. it is simple. it’s pretty. it’s fun.

pinterest is mostly comprised of female users (70 %) but it is appealing to men too (my hubby is as addicted as i am, pinning all of the funny stuff he finds there. but don’t tell him i told you he likes pinterest. he does think it’s girly!)

because it is visual, pinterest lends itself well to sharing excellent images, inspirational quotes, how to instructions, tips & ideas, local places, humour, infographics, and videos. i bet that any little biz can find applicable things to share on pinterest!

at this stage it is for people (not businesses) so when you sign up you sign up as yourself. your pins & boards are public, so keep in mind that what you share is a representation of you (and your business if you are using it that way!) like with all social media, i always say if you wouldn’t want it displayed up on a billboard it is probably best not to post it (or pin it in this case)!

you can link to your personal facebook profile (not your business page) and to your twitter account as well. these links will automatically be added then to your pinterest profile, plus you can link to your website and include your business information in your profile. and do link your social media profiles, sharing your pins across other platforms will allow you to expand your following. which is the point afterall!

once you sign up you can start pinning right away. when you see pins that you love you can follow the pinner or just follow individual boards. find people/boards to follow that fit with your brand, products/services, niche, passion, interests, target audience etc. the more you pin the more likely you are to get repins and people following you and your boards.

it’s quite simple really. you pin stuff you love, you repin stuff other people love, you follow people/boards who pin stuff you love. that’s pinterest!

tip #1 – do what you love.

yes, this is one more platform in a world where it already feels like there is too much to do and not enough time. have a look at it, if you think pinterest is a good fit for your own interests and the interests of your ‘right people’ then it can be a great tool to add to your business. but, like all social media marketing tools, pinterest takes time and requires you to be present and to engage. if pinterest is not your thing, that’s ok. only do what you love!

but if it is your thing, i bet it won’t even feel like working when you use pinterest for your biz. like i said, it can be very addictive! you can spend hours just looking and pinning and looking some more. if you do that with your biz/brand/people in mind then you are building your brand, spreading your message, and interacting with your right people at the same time. working plus having fun at the same time. what could be better?

tip #2 – don’t be spam-ish

pinterest is NOT a place to sell sell sell your thing. in fact pinterest specifically asks you NOT pin your own things over and over on the ‘etiquette’ page. pinterest IS a place to curate and share the things that you are interested in.

your job on pinterest is not to promote your business, but to share the things you love and that you think your right people will love. let the people who love you share your stuff for you.

tip #3 – be ‘pintastic’ with your biz

the key to getting traffic back to your site from pinterest is to have something worth pinning. people seem to love to pin stuff that is:

• pretty – so be sure include excellent images in your blog posts/website
• helpful – share how to’s, step-by-step instructions, tutorials, infographics, recipes, patterns, videos
• inspiring – share great quotes, phrases, lyrics, poems
• funny – comics/graphics, humour, snark & sarcasm, commentary on the world today

so if you want your stuff to get pinned then your stuff needs to be pintastic. (i thought i just invented that word but apparently it has been around for awhile. sigh.) keep it in mind when you write a blog post, share something on facebook, send out a newsletter, update your product images. are they pintastic?

in particular, be sure that the images you share (of your products, yourself, your workspace, the result of your services etc.) are pintastic. you might right a super helpful blog post with a super crappy image attached. people will pin your post & that super crappy image will be pinned and repinned over and over. it is better to have great images associated with your brand, no?

tip #4 – ask your 'right people' to join you

having a pintastic business is just one half of the equation. you also need your customers and fans to be into pinterest, in order to get them pinning your stuff. so ask your fans & customers & followers to join you at pinterest – share a basic getting started guide like this one or write your own.

tell your fans why it is a great place to hang out. share examples on your facebook page or blog of the stuff you are finding over there. offer to send them invites. link your pinterest community with your facebook & twitter community. once your fans are on pinterest they will be more likely to pin your things and word will spread!

include ‘follow me on pinterest’ buttons on your website, emails, newsletter, etc. pinterest has the code for a follow me button in its ‘goodies’ page.

tip #5 – make it easy to ‘pin it’

include a ‘pin it’ button on your blog posts, website and newsletter – pinterest has the code for a pin it button in its ‘goodies’ page and there is also a wordpress  ‘pin it’ plugin.  you need to include the code for each post/image you want people to pin, but it is worth the minute it will take you to add it. the benefit is that you get to choose which image in a post gets pinned, be sure the permalink is the exact post you want linked, and write a description that will entice interest and repins.

and don’t forget: ask people to pin your stuff if they love it! a clear call to action will help your images get pinned.

tip #6 – watermark & name your images

when an image is pinned from your website it is linked back to your website so that people can click and see/read more. that is what makes it great for driving traffic to your website!

but sometimes images get posted on other blogs, sites like tumblr or flickr, newsletters and or facebook pages and unfortunately there are people who will use your images without maintaining your link or crediting you. (click here to read about one blogger’s experience with this problem.)

the best thing to do with any image on your site/newsletter/facebook page etc. is to watermark it with your business website. even better, include your logo in your watermark to increase brand recognition! this way, even if your image gets reposted, repinned, and loses the link to your site you will still be credited and people will still have a way to find you for more information.

if you have photoshop or photoshop elements, MCP actions has a free action for watermarking your images with the click of a button. or try GIMP, picasa or picnik for free photo editing software that will allow you to watermark your images.

better yet, use that software to edit your photos , add inspirational/informative text, create quality images, and create something pintastic for your fans! do a YouTube search for tutorials on using any of those programs, you will find heaps of help!

tip #7 – check in regularly on your biz pins

you can easily see what people have pinned from your site. pop this in your browser bar: http://pinterest.com/source/enteryoursitehere.com/ and bookmark it so you can check it regularly.

see what types of images/posts get pinned most often. see what comments you get. see how people ‘name’ the pins to get an idea of how they categorize your stuff. you can learn a lot about what works for your right people (and get ideas for what else you can offer!)

tip #8 – pin stuff your people would love

as mentioned, the point of pinterest is not to promote your business. it is to curate the fantastic stuff you find online. so create boards and fill them with things that you know your customers, readers, and fans will love. again, people seem to love pins that are helpful, inspiring, funny, interesting, snarky, controversial, local, and  pretty! share the great pins you find on facebook and twitter as a way of growing and linking your communities.

you can add a 'pin it' button to your browser bar to make it easy to pin great stuff you find on websites & blogs (find the pin it button for your browser on the goodies page.) when you come across something that you would like to pin, do it from the original source of the image. use the permalink of the exact page/blog post you find the image, that way followers can visit the right spot to find more information (vs just pinning from the home page of a site or from a source that is not the author of the image). read more about frustration with this here & here.

give your boards interesting, inviting names. make people want to look through them & follow them. you can have as many boards as you want plus boards, pins, and descriptions  are easily editable so if you decide to re-organize/re-name things, no problem!

place your board under an appropriate pinterest category to make your pins come up in searches, and give your pins good descriptions for the same reason. if an item is for sale, add a $ to your description, pinterest will put a price banner on it and add it to the gifts category (this is a great way to support the little businesses that you pin images from).

tip #9 – share your brand message

in the blueprints i write about business i suggest creating a ‘vision board’ or ‘inspiration board’ for your business and brand. pinterest is the perfect place to share that vision. create a board that shouts your brand message ‘loud & clear’. share your passion & your personality. come up with something catchy and interesting you would like to be associated with you and your biz – eg a color, an image or icon, a word or phrase – before you know it people will be sending you pin ideas that just scream ‘you’!

encourage your right people to start their own vision board for their goals, their family, 2012… whatever. give them something inspiring to pin as a starting point. become a part of their vision for their own lives!

tip #10 – find inspiration

pinterest is a fantastic place to find inspiration for your own blog, newsletter, or facebook page. use something you see there as a starting point for an article or a conversation. match a quote, DIY instructions, or activity idea with something you sell. compile a number of helpful tips or fabulous ideas into a ‘round up post’ that you can share with others.

but, and this is hugely important, before you use any image or info you find on pinterest for your own business, get permission from the author of the pin, credit the author and link back to their site. you will find that most people would love to get a link back to their site from yours (it is great for SEO!) and will gladly permit you to share their image.

never never just use the image and cite/link to ‘pinterest’ as your source. at the very least the author deserves the link back (rather than pinterest) and it is really bad form. (click here to read more about how to credit images.)

tip #11 – get ideas for new products

use pinterest to do some market research and to watch trends in the marketplace. people tend to pin a lot of great instructions, ideas, tips, tricks and information but they might not have the time to DIY it all. this can be a great opportunity for your biz!

the things that are popular with your right people can give you ideas for products, services and information that you can provide. look at what your customers love, what they struggle with, their dreams & frustrations. what solutions can you offer?

tip #12 – get your fans to contribute

one great component of pinterest is the ability to create a board and invite collaborators. one way to grow your business community is to start a board related to the needs and interests of your customers/fans and ask them to contribute. you need to invite collaborators by email and you need to have followed at least one of their boards, so it does require a fairly close connection to them (you can’t just tell people to jump in!).

alternatively you can let people know you are looking for contributions to a specific board and ask them to tag you with an @mention when they see a pin that would fit. you can then pin it to the board and share the board often with your fans. be sure to thank the pinner that contributed to encourage further sharing & participation.

tip #13 – get creative

pinterest is still new enough that nothing has really been overdone and the possibilities are endless. make the most of a new platform and enthusiastic users to have some fun with your fans & followers.

encourage fans to post images of themselves using your product/the result of your service and tag you. create a board of these reader contributions and give them a shout out for sharing.

have a ‘pin it to win it’ contest where fans create a wish list board for an upcoming occasion and have them email you the link. or pin a fabulous image related to your business or brand message and tag you. offer a random prize or a prize to the most creative entry.

come up with fun weekly or monthly themes for slogans, images, colours, products etc. related to your brand or to the kinds of things your fans are into. share the best entries on facebook & twitter, your blog or newsletter.

tip #14 – share some little biz pin love

pinterest is not really designed to be a place to promote your biz, but if you have things on offer that people love then your business can fit in well on this platform. for instance, it is a huge source of traffic for etsy! as you grow your presence on pinterest support other little businesses in the same endevour. start a board for ‘mum run businesses i love’ or ‘the best blogs run by women’ or ‘my favorite handmade bizzes’. use it like a public bookmarking tool to sprea some little biz love!

do not just use pinterest to build a community with your readers, use it to build a community with other little businesses. especially if you have complementary products & services, or a similar target market, or a similar brand message & passion, you can work together to spread that message. karma is a pretty fantastic thing; the more you pin other people’s fabulous stuff the more likely you are to get your own stuff pinned in return.

tip #15 – keep to the spirit of pinterest

my final tip is really a summation of what i have already said. pinterest is about community. it is about spreading the love. it is a place to curate awesomeness. it is a place to explore and discover new things.

the value in pinterest is that is different from all the other social platforms that seem to be more and more about having information thrown at us from all directions. people love pinterest because it is a breath of fresh air. let’s keep it that way! let’s not ruin it by being spam-ish, competitive, marketing machines.

when you use pinterest for your business strive to be: 

fresh. pretty. interesting. fun. funny. helpful. inspiring. genuine. awesome.

(click here to tweet that. help me spred the word!)

help me spread the word! pin it! Pin It

what are you waiting for? hop on and try it out. it just might be the most fun you have ever had spreading the word about what you are passionate about. that should really be what all of your marketing is! just sayin…

ask the expert | what do i need to know about record keeping for my biz?

today we have a super helpful post on record keeping from our expert partner in administration, kelly evans from mary poppins - virtual assistant

Record keeping is a pretty simple thing. So why does it seem to end up in the ‘too hard basket’  left until the end of the quarter, or the financial year – when the GST or Tax Return is due?

If you are a sole trader - it doesn’t have to be this way! Let’s break it down and put in place some simple systems to keep you accountable and on track.

PS. If you really are just too damn busy to do this, then that’s great because it means your business is booming and… you probably should look to pay someone to do it for you!

There are two main parts – records and a cashbook (to record your expenses and income).

INCOME

You need to keep records of your income (or sales). What records you need to keep will vary according to your location, business (and other factors, for example whether you use a cash register or not, or whether you are GST registered or not) so you might want to check with your accountant up front. 

(For example, in Australia there are some requirements specific to using a cash register, such as holding onto your till rolls.)

You do need to keep a copy of the invoices that you issue. I upload a PDF copy of mine straight to Dropbox.

Every sale needs to be recorded in a cashbook - I use Kashoo as I love the fact that it is cloud based and pretty simple to use. There are many other popular software products out there including MYOB, Quickbooks, Freshbooks, and some industry specific ones like Agrimaster. Some have lots of bonus features and are very handy for reporting and business planning (if you know how to use them, if you don’t they can just be a pain).

• Set yourself a calendar reminder daily to record your sales in your cashbook at the end of the day.

At its simplest, you can just record your income on a paper cashbook which you can buy from a newsagency or office supply store.

(If you are in Australia - you can print from the templates included in the ATO publication Record Keeping for Small Business) 

EXPENSES

Now onto the bit that most of us dread – expenses. Again don’t forget to check with your accountant what you can claim for your business as you might be surprised!

(eg. In Australia, people who work outdoors can claim for hats and sunscreen).

Here’s how I keep track of mine. I store all of my expense invoices electronically.

Paper Invoices

It starts at the point of sale! If I am given a paper invoice (like a fuel receipt) I use my smartphone (well my Galaxy Tab actually - but any smartphone with a camera will do), take a picture of the receipt, and instantly upload it to my expense folder in Dropbox.

e-Invoices

If I am given an electronic invoice, I copy it immediately to Dropbox. Don’t delay. Don’t think that you will do it later. Do it immediately.

Recurring Payments

If I have a recurring payment (and thus recurring invoices) I set myself up a calendar reminder, on the day the invoice is available to download it to Dropbox.

• Put a reminder in your calendar for each recurring payment

CASHBOOK DAY

Then I have one day a week (Monday for me) where I set myself a Google reminder to spend an hour entering those expenses from Dropbox into my cashbook. The key is to do it once a week, every single week (or month or however often you need to). 

• Put a reminder in your calendar for Cashbook Day.

RECONCILE

Once a month get your bank statement (paper or electronic) and reconcile it with your records. This means you compare each transaction on the statement with your records and check it off.

Some software will allow you import straight from your bank account to your software and do automatic reconciliation, but if you are using an excel spreadsheet for example, or a paper cashbook you may need to do this manually.

• Put a reminder in your calendar for the day of the month you do bank reconciliation.

So there you have it. Record keeping is done. If you ever need those invoices you can find them on Dropbox. I have a folder structure in place in my Dropbox, with subfolders for each category (software, fuel etc). The receipts sort in order of the day they were uploaded which makes them easy to find (as long as you follow the system and upload them the same day). 

END OF YEAR

At the end of the year – I share my Dropbox folder with my tax agent, so they have access to my records and can do my tax return.

BUT WHAT IF?...

If you are ever audited you simply need your cashbook records, and printed copies of the Dropboxed invoices (if requested) to give to the auditor.

(For businesses in Australia you need to hang on to your records for at least 5 years, just in case).

Simple really isn’t it?

Kelly Evans is a virtual Mary Poppins. A qualified trainer, assessor and book keeper, with over 10 years experience in administration in both the private and public sectors. Her mission is to make small business easy with quality administrative assistance. Visit www.virtualmarypoppins.com.au

recommended resource | marketing your business online

please note: this is a sponsored post. i will only recommend resources & people that i think would truly be helpful to you.

the main questions i get asked by little biz builders are:

• how can i promote my business?
• how can i attract people to my website?
• how can i turn traffic into sales?

the thing is that there are a lot of strategies and tactics that can be used to market your business and sell your products. the choices can be overwhelming, and it can be very hard to figure out what to do for your business. i do not think you should try to implement every strategy you hear about or see being used. i think you should choose and focus on a few strategies for being absolutely awesome at what you do, and doing what you love.

once you have picked key strategies that will help YOUR business, do not just coast along piecing together some sort of plan by trial and error, or by following what everyone else seems to be doing. get serious! learn the best methods that will make that strategy a successful one. kick ass with it!

(otherwise, why bother really? if you aren’t going to be serious about how you run your business, why would customers take you seriously?)

the university of newcastle is offering a FREE webinar on marketing your business online. if you have those same questions about how to promote your business and turn traffic into sales, then this webinar might be a good starting point for choosing and focusing on those key strategies that will help your biz.

the topics for the free webinar are:

• digital advertising
• social media marketing
• emerging technologies for selling & marketing

tools & strategies such as email marketing, online advertising, and social media marketing are very valuable to any little biz. and there are new 'it' strategies emerging all of the time - you know the ones everyone tells you that you got to jump on right away! but these can also be strategies where you feel like you are working on your biz, but really you are just wasting valuable time. 

so the key is, to choose the right strategies for your biz, and to learn how to do them well. kick ass! the free webinar is a good place to start. it is only 15 minutes and is open to anyone. the U of N will also be offering a 6 week online marketing course. click here to read more about the course and to register for the free webinar.

the webinar is a great trial to see if that course will be the right one to invest in. because here is the thing, free is helpful to a point, but if you really want to get serious about kicking ass with the right strategies, then you need to invest. money and time.

the beginning of a new year seems to be the time for launching and promoting business courses, ebooks, webinars and mastermind groups. it makes sense. coaches, teachers & trainers know that you all want to make improvements to your little businesses this year, to become more profitable and more successful.

the key for you will be figuring out where to invest your time and your money. start by trying out the free things people are offering. when you find one that really clicks for you, that makes the light bulbs go off, that helps you get unstuck and move forward with your plans… that is the resource you want to invest in! choose the right places to invest your money and time and you will get it all back and more!

need more help finding people/resources/blogs that can help YOU and YOUR business? just ask. i might be able to point you in the right direction.

would you like a little help as you build your little biz? sign up for the TOOLBOX to get the week's best resources delivered to your inbox.

are you really stuck with your biz plans or are you just making excuses?

like this? please...Pin It

mindset:

1. a mental attitude or inclination.
2. a fixed state of mind.
3. a disposition that determines how we will interpret and respond to situations.

we all have them. sometimes a mindset can be a good thing. the belief that nothing will go wrong, the propensity to take risks, the tendency to see the glass as half full… these could be helpful as you build a little biz.

but what i hear more and more often from the little biz builders i work with is that they feel like something, some lack of confidence, is holding them back.

limiting mindsets are the excuses we make to ourselves about why we can't do something. the automatic instinct we have to reply "yes, but..." when faced with a new idea. in the end they just boil down to fear.

we can choose to carry on as we always have. to state that those fears are actually based on logic, reason and experience. to push them outside of ourselves, lay the blame on something out of our control, and to carry on as we always have.  to continue answering every idea or opportunity with "yes, but..." and holding back, not moving forward.

or we can choose to acknowledge them. to see them for what they are, to embrace them as part of the way our brains work. to be aware of them so that we can do things differently and move past them. to say instead "yes, i can..." and move forward. 

let's just say that again. be aware of your mindsets. the “yes, but...” thoughts that hold you back. stop them in their tracks. say “yes, i can...” (click to tweet this message. let's spread the word and make a change!)

the first step in moving  forward is to be aware of your own mindsets. not sure what mindsets you have ingrained? the next time you think about moving forward with a plan and then come up with some excuse or automatically think “yes, but…” that is probably a mindset coming in to play.

yes, but…

• it’s not good enough.  i’m not good enough. i don’t have enough experience. i’m not smart enough. i can’t compete. no one will like it.

• it’s pointless. no one cares. it’s too late. i’m too old.  there is too much competition. no one is going to like it. i am just going to fold under pressure.

• it’s risky. it might fail. i don’t know what to expect. i am too uncertain what the outcome will be. i will let everyone down.

• it’s the wrong time. i can do it later. i have too much other stuff to do. i need more time. i am not ready yet. i am too busy.

• it’s impossible. it’s too hard. it will take too much time. i’ve got too much to do. it’s never going to work. i don’t have enough money. i don’t have enough information. i have no support.

do any of these things sound familiar? do you find yourself responding with these replies often?

(not to say that sometimes these fear aren’t unfounded. if a plan is actually not good enough, or your product is actually not ready, that’s not a mindset. mindsets are our automatic responses before we really even have a chance to be realistic. sort of our ‘go to’ reaction whenever something feels a little bit scary, new, or uncomfortable.)

what can you do to conquer these mindsets?

1. first, as we said you have to recognize your mindsets. be aware that you have them and be conscious of when they pop up.

for instance: if your minsdset is ‘i can’t do it, i don’t have enough time’ – recognize that you are laying the blames outside of yourself on time, and that you probably do have enough time. mindsets are sort of self-fulfilling. if you ‘never have enough time’ it really feels like you never have enough time. you protect yourself from failure by filling your time with ‘busy-work’ and time-wasters (hello checking my email every 5 minutes!)

2. when you find a mindset popping up, stop. stop the thought in its tracks. come up with a new statement to take its place.

‘i can’t do it, i don’t have enough time’ –> ‘YES i do have enough time, i have the same number of minutes as everyone else has.’

3. focus on the opposite of your mindset.

‘i can’t do it, i don’t have enough time’ – make a plan to allow yourself a little more time (maybe giving up a time waster like checking email 10 times a day or watching TV) and devote those extra minutes to working on your project.

4. a mindset is a habit like any other. replace it with a positive daily habit, such as focusing on your successes, reading your manifesto/brand promise/vision statement for your business, or looking at inspiring quotes/messages.

5. give yourself time before making decisions (eg saying yes or no to an opportunity) – don’t let your mindset do the talking, think it through.

6. stop trying to find the right way. accept that there is no right way. there is just your way, however that is.

7. play ‘what if the worst actually happens’ and imagine the outcome. allow yourself to go ahead even if things won’t be perfect, and see that the mistakes that you will make are opportunities to learn. you cannot do better until you make the mistakes to learn from them!

8. set yourself a real goal to accomplish one of those things you have been making excuses for not doing. share your goal so that you have people you need to be accountable to.

9. find a partner to work with on your next idea or create a collective of other little biz builders in your niche that you are responsible too. it can be easier to overcome excuses when you do it for someone else.

10. keep track of your successes, victories & positive feedback - create a scrapbook or a bulletin board that you can look at every day, to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones.

11. visualize a successful outcome. what would it look like, feel like...  what would the steps be like along the way? when we look for something negative to happen, that is often what we find. so we need to replace negative visualizations with positive ones.

12. give yourself time – it took a long time to build the negative mindsets it will take a long time to change them into positive ones.

13. listen to your heart, your gut, your intuition… you know, that little nudge you feel when you are thinking ‘logically’ about time/experience/quality etc. remember the mindset is an automatic response that we pass off as being logical, but underneath it your gut is telling you to go for it. listen to that!

what mindset is holding you back from moving forward with your biz dreams? find a way to move past that mindset. follow your heart. (click to tweet this message. let's spread the word and make a change!)

further reading:

• copyblogger – the cowardly lion’s guide to conquering entrepreneurial fears
• chris brogan – 106 excuses that prevent you from being great
• ittybiz – how to stop being so goddamn scared all the time
• chris guillebeau – how to put off making decisions about your life

would you like a little help as you build your little biz? sign up for the TOOLBOX to get the week's best resources delivered to your inbox.

quote inspired by one i found online, which i cannot find the author of. new quote and image my own. copyright karen gunton 2011 www.buildalittlebiz.com www.smileplaylove.com

guest post | it is time to define success on YOUR terms

today we have a fantastic guest post from sam leader of flying solo. it fits so well with the theme of the new year which is to be awesome. do what you love. kick ass. who says you have to be bigger or better or more than you already are in order to be taken seriously or have credibility? 

A majority of soloists admit they are concerned about their small business credibility. But before changing our ways to suit others, we should recognise the legitimacy of our chosen workstyle.

There’s no doubt cynical attitudes abound in the wider business community.

When you think about it, those who view soloism using a traditional work paradigm are bound to struggle with the concept. It’s easier for them to talk in patronising terms like ‘how's your little business?’ or 'Are you still just working from home?' than it is for them to appreciate our integrity, autonomy and earning potential.

I suppose they think a regular job in the Cube Farm is the way forward.

What a cheek. Why should 'their' (wider business community's) be 'our' (soloist) way?

In reality, solo businesses have not so much rewritten the work rulebook as razed it to the ground. Furthermore, there are almost as many ways of working as there are solo businesses.

For me, soloism is a lifestyle choice. My business is not a stepping stone to 'better' things, but a way of work uniquely crafted to fit and finance the way I live. As a result, work is not a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 endeavour. Instead, my weekdays are a joyous mix of family, friends and office time. Ditto my weekends, actually.

But before you worry that mine is a slacker approach which gives the solo movement a bad name, let me assure you, I can turn on the professionalism when I need to.

For example, I want to take the kids to the beach at 10am on a Wednesday. Do I divert calls to my mobile? No. I have a message that says "I will respond to your call within two hours." I am aware that clients don't want to hear seagulls and pounding surf while talking business.

And return the calls within two hours I do, without explanation or apology.

"What if it’s urgent?" you ask. This won’t happen. Because I am not a thrive-under-pressure type, I won’t take on work if deadlines are too tight. Also I don’t believe in being always available, even if it is during so-called work hours. Clients know this, i.e. their expectations are set and boundaries are in place.

Plenty of outsiders, as well as more earnest solo business types, would frown on me popping off to the beach during the day. They would despair of me working propped up in bed, in my tracky daks, sans lipstick. I can empathise with that view, particularly when so many in the solo community struggle with credibility issues.

But, I argue, does my unconventional style mean the work I do for my clients is cack-handed? Hardly. Does it make me incompetent or stupid? No.

Besides, I've tried the whole 'dress smart so you'll feel more professional' bit and ended up feeling like an alien in my own skin. It didn't work...for me.

However, I've found a work style that does it's tand I honour it. I love my work, but I also love my friends and family and recognise the time needed to keep these relationships healthy. And if I lavish time on them in the week, that's my choice. Happy Sam = happy clients.

Whether you're a serious soloist driven by money and prestige or an idler seeking the path to an easy life, surely finding what works for you has got to be central to any soloist's definition of success. 

further reading:

• be awesome. do what you love. kick ass.
• who says we have to be bigger in 2012?
• we are the soul traders

Sam Leader is the Editor of Flying Solo, Australia's micro businesscommunity, and one of its three directors. Over the last five years she has overseen the publication of over 1,300 articles from over 100 contributors. She is also the co-author, with Robert Gerrish and Peter Crocker, of the business bestseller Flying Solo - How to go it alone in business. Sam's responsible "...for all the book's good bits."   Like most solo business owners, Sam wears a number of other hats. As Social Media Manager, she oversees Flying Solo's presence on Facebook and Twitter (LinkedIn's coming soon) and she is also Mistress of Mojo, ensuring motivation stays high for everyone involved in Flying Solo.

would you like a little help as you build your little biz? sign up for the TOOLBOX to get the week's best resources delivered to your inbox.

what i really mean when i say "be awesome"...

as you probably noticed, in december i gave build a little biz a bit of an update. a fresh look  and a fresh message. i want build a little biz to be the place to ‘get a little help as you build your little biz.’

but i also want to send a strong message about the people i want to help. people who want to…

be awesome. do what you love. kick ass.

i have these words posted clear above my desk as a reminder to myself too. in fact i wrote a guest post for create hype about sticking with this message and not getting sidetracked or overwhelmed by all the ‘be bigger and better’ biz advice that is out there, especially at the start of a new year.

but what does it mean exactly?

be awesome.

one of my favorite blogs for biz advice is ittybiz.com. around the time i was working on my new brand message for build a little biz, naomi wrote a post about how the word awesome is overused and ineffective: “awesome is not what paying customers are looking for.”

i guess it depends on your definition of awesome. to me awesomeness means you:

stand out. rock people’s world. create a community. shout your message loud & clear. think outside the box.

in other words, don’t do the same boring stuff all the other little bizzes are doing. figure out what makes YOU & YOUR BIZ awesome & DO THAT. (right? click to tweet that message. let's spread the word!)

rock people’s worlds by how helpful you are, how great you are at solving their problems and meeting their needs, at how well you ‘get’ them and how you are selling more than just another ‘thing’ on the market.

do what you love.

i think we all probably started out with an idea for our biz based on doing something that we love. but overtime we tend to want our businesses to be ‘professional’, to ‘fit in’ with what is happening in the marketplace, and to ‘follow the lead’ of more successful businesses.

i get why we all seem to do that, but it sure makes for a boring landscape of businesses that are all selling the same thing, in the same way, using the same strategies. ugh. i believe you should…

share your passion. live your brand message. question the rules. be baddass. be you.

again, instead of doing things just because someone says you should, or because everyone else seems to be… do what you love. be passionate about what you do. be you and allow you to be part of your biz (after all you are the most unique thing about your biz. nobody can copy you.)

i wrote about this in a guest post for the mogul mom. go have a read to get more ideas on how to do what you love, and be awesome.

kick ass.

the phrase ‘kick ass’ has been part of my message since the beginning, so you should be used to me saying it by now.  but i want to be clear what i really mean.

get serious about your biz. get unstuck. be a leader. earn what you’re worth. rock your strategies & plans.

you don’t have to do everything that you read. you don't have to be everywhere. you don’t have be everything to everyone. but whatever it is you are doing to build your biz, kick ass with it.

do what you do really, really well. invest money & time. hire coaches or designers or manufacturers or whatever you need. get serious about running a real business.

no more hobby style biz. no more being a volunteer. no more half-assed effort. no more coasting.

what does it mean for your biz to be awesome? to do what you love? to kick ass? i have made my list. what’s on yours? 

would you like a little help as you build your little biz? sign up for the TOOLBOX to get the week's best resources delivered to your inbox.

ask the expert | how do i create a biz plan for 2012?

we have the ulitmate guest post today on creating a plan for your little biz in 2012 in just 5 easy steps, from our expert partner megan gallagher of method & madness

The end of 2011 is coming up fast; the holiday rush will soon be over, and 2012 will start brimming with possibility.  Are you and your business ready to take full advantage of it?  Planning for a new year is always a little daunting & stressful—especially since you’re coming off of your busiest time of year. 

So, the first thing you’re going to do after the holiday rush is spend a couple days relaxing with your family & friends, putting your feet up, and drinking a few glasses of wine.   You’ve earned it.

Once you’re feeling rejuvenated & ready to tackle your 2012 business plan, we’re going to jump right in with both feet.  The first step of setting up your 2012 strategy is actually not about projecting sales, or constructing marketing plans, or designing new products.  Really—it’s all about reflection.

Taking the time to reflect on the past year’s achievements and opportunities forces you to recognize and acknowledge where you need to work, and celebrate your major wins.  Do it.

Give yourself a solid 3 hours of time—no interruptions, no distractions, no other tasks to take care of.  Just you & your journal (or laptop, or just a pen/paper…)—let’s get to work.

step one:

First, we’re going to list 10 things (big, small, or in-between) that your business accomplished in 2011.  Here are a few questions to get you thinking:

• Did you meet your sales goals? Marketing goals?
• Were there any specific launches during the year?
• Did you add/remove any products, income streams, etc. that enhanced your business?
• Did you get any major press or publicity for your business?

step two:

Next, list 10 things that were a challenge or opportunity for your business in 2011. They can be as big as a catastrophic product launch or as small as a dispute with an unhappy customer.

step three:

Then, let’s talk about you.  (I know.  Just do it.) What were your major wins of 2011?  Did you launch an awesome product, have an awesome entrepreneurial development, or do something that made you feel really awesome about yourself?  Let’s hear it. 

• Did you take any classes, read any books, or attend any events that broadened your entrepreneurial horizons?
• Did you change any of your business processes for the better?
• Were there any initiatives (like a social media campaign or product design) that you really knocked out of the park?
• What are the specific areas of your business that you really excel in?
• Did you end the year feeling satisfied & proud or anxious & stressed out?

step four:

Now, where do you feel like you could’ve done better?  Knowing your own limitations is a sign of a truly successful entrepreneur—we can’t be perfect at everything.  There is always something to revise, improve, cut out, and add in.  We couldn’t call ourselves creatives if we didn’t think that way!

step five:

Walk away from the exercise for a few hours—you just did a lot of work.  See if anything pops up when you come back to it. Once you feel like you’ve got the full picture of 2011 written down, we can get started on building your strategy.  In truth, all of the information you just pulled together IS your 2012 business plan—you just need to formulate it into action steps.  I’m going to get you started with 2 big questions:

• Look at your major accomplishments of 2011—can you use the same approach for other sides of your business.  No need to reinvent the wheel—if you’ve discovered something that really works for you, keep on using it. 

• Rank the top 5 opportunities (for either your business or yourself) by how they impact your bottom line financials or how they might inhibit the growth of your brand—two things that can quickly kill your business if you don’t tackle them quickly.  What can you do fix them in both the short & long term?

These two questions can root all your actions, plans, and development for 2012.

Ready, set, go.

Get set up for success in 2012! Megan has a sweet new e-course launching January 2, 2012 called Leap: 2012--create awesome alignment for you, your business, and your mission in the coming year.  Check out the details on her website: http://www.megangall.com/home/leap-2012/ 

ask the expert | how to set up a media kit & sell online advertising

today we have an awesome guest post from our expert partner Nicole Leedham from Black Coffee Communication. she is helping us with media kits and selling advertising on your site. this information is so helpful, thank you nicole!

When you make the decision to accept advertising on your website, it can be a bit daunting to work out how to attract the right advertisers (at the right price).

And, there often seems to be approximately 16 kabillion websites competing for that same marketing dollar.

Selling advertising really isn’t much different to selling your thing – it still involves finding your USP (Unique Selling Point), identifying target audience and talking about benefits, not features - so if you start with that mindset, developing your media kit shouldn’t be too hard.

The first step is to develop a media kit to attract potential advertisers.

This needs to be easily downloadable on your web site and you should also do some research to ensure it gets in the hands of your ideal advertisers.

But what should it include? The following four items are a must – the rest is window dressing.

1. Benefits

Start with the benefits to the advertiser - this is THE most important bit of this document. Why should they advertise with you and not one of your gazillion competitors? So perhaps a heading "What you get”.  Then go into what's in it for them - maybe start with something like "We are the largest online distributor of our thing in Australia and more than XXXX of your clients/customer visit our site every week. That means XXX will be exposed to your ad every day, or XXX every hour."

This is infinitely better than saying “We believe in our products because they are the best on the market and we love what we do. We know you’ll like them.” (No offence, but most advertisers don't care about your motivations, and care even less what you think of them. They want to know that their prospects read your site.).

Put simply – features are what your product has or does, benefits are what your customers get from it.

2.  Background

Next, put in a bit of background on your company, but don’t go overboard. And, unless you’ve decided being a micro-business is your USP, try to avoid making your business sound too small – this might scare potential advertisers into thinking you won’t be around for long. Instead, tell them what your thing is, maybe a little bit about why you love your thing.

3. Stats

Now is the time for the facts and figures – a lot of the raw kits I see have this information first, but putting it down a bit will draw a potential advertiser in – then you can hit them with the details. How many hits you get and where from, unique visits or returns etc. Be upfront with this – if it’s not impressively huge, you can let them know how much it is growing each month, and make sure your rates are reflective of your audience numbers. Don’t try and sell a Corolla at a Rolls Royce price.

4. Rates

Finally, put in your rates. Give plenty of options, and list the benefits (not features) of each, so the advertiser can decide on their return on investment.  For instance, offer display click-through advertisements of different sizes, landing page or inside pages, directory listings, newsletter sponsorship, product reviews – whatever suits your niche. And also provide 1, 3, 6 and 12 month options – on a sliding scale. Research what other sites are offering.

Good luck with attracting advertising to your site. If anyone wants me to look over their media kit and make suggested edits, I always love to help small (and micro) businesses. Mention this post and get your kit proofread and edited at 20 per cent off – that’s a saving of $15!