WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS - Blog

Marketing 101 - Tip # 15 Start Your Own Newsletter

You really can get new clients via your own newsletter. I've done it and so can you! Starting your own newsletter is one of the very best "keep in touch" marketing strategies out there. Some small business owners avoid making a start as they imagine it will be a great deal of work. OK - it does take a bit of work and dedication, but the rewards are well worth it.

Like I said in an earlier post  about blogging you'll be creating valuable content as well as keeping you and your business in front of prospective clients. Using a newsletter service like Constant Contact can cost as little as £10 a month. 

Sending out your newsletter less than once a month makes it too easy for subscribers to forget who you are! I made this mistake early on. So I recommend a monthly routine. See if you can come up with 12 topics for articles you could use in your newsletter in 2010.

Plan Ahead for 2010

This is a great time of year to set the foundations for a successful year ahead. Carve out some time over the festive season to give some serious thought to how you want your business  -and your life - to look like this time next year.

A good starting point is to take stock of the year just gone. What went well, what didn't go so well and what lessons did you learn? How can you increase your profits, how can you increase your time off? Are there systems you need to put in place to ensure your business and your life run more smoothly? Some people never do this review, but it is a vital part of making the next year one of your best ever.   

Often we'll sit down and write our plan for the next year without reference to what's already happened. This is not a good idea as we'll miss out on the lessons learned.  So make sure you do some kind of review of the previous year. Ideally this kind of review and the forward planning will be written down.Initially you may just want to brainstorm ideas, but capturing your thoughts in written form will  provide focus and aid clarity.

There are lots of planning tools you can use, both on and off line. Most people have their own favourite time management tool. And if you don't, now's a perfect time to choose a paper based or electronic system to help you really get organised for 2010.

I highly recommend Jinny Ditzler's fantastic book "Your Best Year Yet" which I have used for the past five years for my own planning. This will give you great questions and a structure for deciding what are your top goals and priorities for 2010.

YOUR TAKE ACTION CHALLENGE:

You might want to try the "Year Ahead Exercise".  Imagine it's already December 2010 and you are writing a letter or journal entry about the year just gone. It's best to hand write this exercise as this makes it easier to get in touch with your creative brain.  Don't worry about what seems possible. Just go with the flow and write what pops into your head. Don't edit and don't over analyse. You may be surprised at what crops up.

Some of my clients have found brilliant new business ideas through doing this exercise. You never know what fantastic thoughts your subconscious will present you with that you may never have discovered at an intellectual level. Have fun with this and don't rule anything out as being too fantastical - the clues are there for taking into next year's plan.

(c) Shona Partridge, Women Mean Business

This is a great time of year to set the foundations for a successful year ahead. Carve out some time over the festive season to give some serious thought to how you want your business  -and your life - to look like this time next year.

A good starting point is to take stock of the year just gone. What went well, what didn't go so well and what lessons did you learn? How can you increase your profits, how can you increase your time off? Are there systems you need to put in place to ensure your business and your life run more smoothly? Some people never do this review, but it is a vital part of making the next year one of your best ever.   

Often we'll sit down and write our plan for the next year without reference to what's already happened. This is not a good idea as we'll miss out on the lessons learned.  So make sure you do some kind of review of the previous year. Ideally this kind of review and the forward planning will be written down.Initially you may just want to brainstorm ideas, but capturing your thoughts in written form will  provide focus and aid clarity.

There are lots of planning tools you can use, both on and off line. Most people have their own favourite time management tool. And if you don't, now's a perfect time to choose a paper based or electronic system to help you really get organised for 2010.

I highly recommend Jinny Ditzler's fantastic book "Your Best Year Yet" which I have used for the past five years for my own planning. This will give you great questions and a structure for deciding what are your top goals and priorities for 2010.

YOUR TAKE ACTION CHALLENGE:

You might want to try the "Year Ahead Exercise".  Imagine it's already December 2010 and you are writing a letter or journal entry about the year just gone. It's best to hand write this exercise as this makes it easier to get in touch with your creative brain.  Don't worry about what seems possible. Just go with the flow and write what pops into your head. Don't edit and don't over analyse. You may be surprised at what crops up.

Some of my clients have found brilliant new business ideas through doing this exercise. You never know what fantastic thoughts your subconscious will present you with that you may never have discovered at an intellectual level. Have fun with this and don't rule anything out as being too fantastical - the clues are there for taking into next year's plan.

(c) Shona Partridge, Women Mean Business

Blogging for Business - 5 Reasons to Start One Today!

If you’re still resisting setting up a blog for your business, read this post and see if it changes your mind!

A blog is the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to get your business on line. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should set up your blog today, if you don’t already have one.

1. Search engines love blogs

If you’re not blogging, you’re missing out on one of the best ways to raise your search engine ranking. Forget complicated SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), simply write regularly with relevant content aimed at your target niche.

Search engines love fresh content and by blogging two to four times a week you’ll really help raise your Google ranking.

2. You’ll be creating valuable content on a regular basis

Writing a book may seem like an overwhelming task, but short blog posts a few times a week seems a lot more manageable. Some people really have blogged to create their book, which was later published.

Blogging regularly on targeted topics creates valuable content that you can then repurpose – in articles, your newsletter, e-books, Special Reports, guest blog posts and even audio recordings and information products. Once you start blogging regularly you’ll be “primed” to come up with ideas for content.

3. It’s the easiest and quickest way to create a website!

You can get your blog up and running in an afternoon. In fact using a blog platform you can create your whole website in as little as a week. If I can do it, so can you! I use Typepad as the platform for my blog and my website. You can also set up a free blog on Blogger.com or on Wordpress if you’re more technically minded.

4. You’ll be seen as an expert in your field

If you’re still resisting blogging for your business, think about this – your competition may be establishing a strong presence on line with a website and a blog they write on regularly. Do you want to be left behind?

Blogging can be very low cost, or even free, but it can set you apart as a leader in your field if you do it the right way and consistently. A great blog can really help your business. If you’re sharing useful information and tips via your blog, you can create a connection with your potential clients. You could even get new clients as a direct result of what you’ve written on your blog.

5.  You can blog once and appear in several places

Did you know that your blog content can be automatically linked to post to Facebook, Twitter and Linked in? So you write the post only once yet you can appear in at least four different places as a result! Great for visibility and Search Engine rankings.

(c) Shona Partridge, Women Mean Business
 

Get Blogging for More Business

If you've been wondering whether or not to start a blog for your business, you'll want to read this month's Women Mean Business "SUCCESS STRATEGIES" newsletter.

The main article will be "Blogging for Business - It Really Works!"

The newsletter will now be going out on Tuesday so there's still time to sign up to get your own copy delivered straight to your in-box. Plus you'll get other business building bonuses too.

Marketing 101 - Tip # 2 Create "Client Free Days"

One of the most important decisions I ever made in my business was to only see clients 3 days a week!

I decided to ring fence times where I did not see clients or even do a lot of client  work. Nowadays, I don't see clients on Mondays or Fridays and  I limit any client work I do on these days.

My key days for seeing clients and doing client work are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This means I have two days a week to concentrate on other things. Maybe it's marketing and PR, writing, creating new programmes,reading or learning new skills or maybe just taking some time out to re-charge my batteries.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this decision changed my life. Instead of rushing around at the whim of my clients, I took control of my time and my commitments. My clients benefit too because they know when I'm available for them.

Trust me - this one decision will repay huge dividends in extra time, energy and a feeling of control.

One of the most important decisions I ever made in my business was to only see clients 3 days a week!

I decided to ring fence times where I did not see clients or even do a lot of client  work. Nowadays, I don't see clients on Mondays or Fridays and  I limit any client work I do on these days.

My key days for seeing clients and doing client work are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This means I have two days a week to concentrate on other things. Maybe it's marketing and PR, writing, creating new programmes,reading or learning new skills or maybe just taking some time out to re-charge my batteries.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this decision changed my life. Instead of rushing around at the whim of my clients, I took control of my time and my commitments. My clients benefit too because they know when I'm available for them.

Trust me - this one decision will repay huge dividends in extra time, energy and a feeling of control.

Entrepreneurial insomnia!

Had to get out of bed at 4.00 am this morning as I was having so many ideas I had to get up and write them all down! Sometimes I'm so buzzing with ideas I can't get to sleep. But this time I'd already been asleep and woke up full of ideas. An inconvenient side effect of running your own business! I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep unless I wrote the ideas down, and besides, I might have forgotten most of them by the morning.

Strengthen your business boundaries

If you want to have more energy and more confidence it pays to have strong boundaries.

If you say yes to too many requests from other people you could find yourself feeling harassed and even resentful. Not a good combination for your confidence levels!

There are several things you can start to do right away which will have a positive impact in this area.

You’ll find that a lot of these suggestions are really about controlling your time in one way or another. If we feel in control of how we use our time it helps us to feel more confident that we are in charge of our own lives and businesses.

• Get really clear on your business and personal priorities. Only say yes to requests that fit into your own priorities.
• Have set days and times for client appointments rather that saying yes just because you have a space in your diary. This one action can radically reduce your stress levels and give you clear time to work “on” your business.
• If you work from home ensure that friends, neighbours and family members know your core working hours. Don’t fall into the trap of being everyone’s errand runner or doing the car pool most days. Remind people that you are running a business and your time is important too.
• Say no to requests politely but firmly – you don’t even have to say why. Just practice saying something like: “That won’t work for me.”
• Buy yourself time by not saying yes to requests when you are first asked. Say you’ll get back to the person when you’ve checked your diary. This gives you breathing space to make a considered decision. We all love to be helpful and can find ourselves saying yes and regretting it later.
• Remember you don’t have to answer the door or the telephone if you are busy.
• Get help in the form of a cleaner, baby sitter, order groceries on line etc.

Think about what bothers you in this area. Is there something that others take for granted that is bugging you? Is there a negative friend who drains you every time they phone? Are you doing most of the housework and cooking? Are you the one who always seems to be picked for committees? Make a list.

Now go through your list item by item and decide what you can do differently in future to strengthen your boundaries.  Pick something easier to start with as this will give you the confidence to work up to the more challenging items. Not everyone will be happy with your new way of doing things, but trust me, the freed up time and energy will be well worth it!

On commitment, by W H Murray

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way."

W H Murray, the Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1950s)

This is one of my absolutely favourite quotations. Often these days it's attributed to Goethe because W H Murray follows this with another of my favourite quotations, actually from Goethe:

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. BEGIN IT NOW!"

It Pays to Love Your Business!

I was working with a client recently who was feeling a bit down about the current economic climate and the effect the down turn was having on her particular business. As we talked, I realised that she was actually feeling almost resentful towards her own business. It felt as if her business had let her down and now she was feeling demotivated at the very time she wanted to rev things up a notch.

What turned things around for her was when I asked her to do a simple sentence completion exercise. If the problem was that she was feeling resentful towards her business, I wondered what would happen if she changed that feeling of resentment to love!

Yes I know I usually teach very practical marketing tips, but your mindset is the single most important aspect of running a successful business. It impacts on everything you do. Humour me and do the following short exercise. If you've been feeling any of that negativity and resentment towards your own business, try writing several endings to this sentence:

"If I really loved my business I would...................." Try to find at least ten different things - 20 would be even better! Can you feel the shift in your energy? This simple exercise can help you refocus on what really matters and can jump start your motivation again.

Create a year end plan for your business

Do you have a strong, detailed plan in place for your business? Have you planned ahead, knowing what your end of year goals are? Don't worry if you haven't quite got the plan worked out - help is at hand! The guidelines in this post should give you more clarity.

Many small business owners can be a bit reactive when it comes to deciding what to do next. We tend to look at the short term and what's right in front of us. And often, even if we make a plan, it ends up gathering dust on a shelf and we don't revisit it.  I'll be honest with you - I used to fall into this category! I was quite good at the year end goals and having a weekly plan, but I wasn't looking at the six monthly, quarterly and monthly picture. And just as importantly I didn't look far enough ahead.

If you want a compelling vision for your business that will pull you forward, then looking further into the future to three and five years is vital. A spell of a year simply isn't long enough to get you thinking "out of the box". The danger here is that unless you go for a longer term vision, this year could end up looking like a carbon copy of last year.

Once you've worked out your year end plan it pays to do six monthly, quarterly and monthly plans to break things into bite sized, manageable chunks.It's sounds simple - but it's not easy! It takes discipline and planning to remember to revisit you plan! So to save time - try using the one I've developed:

Look further ahead than just this year - where do you want to be in three years time? Or even in 5 years' time? This longer stretch of time can really help you to think bigger. Don't worry too much about the "how" in this longer term vision - use long term planning to let you see what might be possible for your business.

Get really clear on your year end goals. Make them realistic and measurable yet a bit of a stretch. Your longer term vision may  help you create brand new goals.

Devise headings that work for your business - for instance: earnings, number of new clients, new products developed, networking events attended, speaking engagements booked etc. The main thing is to create measurable targets.

Take a look at your current business model - is it still working for you or are there changes you want to make this year? For instance, maybe you want to do less traveling , or you want to add new products or services. Perhaps like me you are planning to make your business more virtual this year by doing more work by telephone and on the web. Maybe you want to create a day a week when you work "on" your business and devote time to business development and marketing strategies - these vital tasks that get pushed into the background when we're busy. Take some time to really think about what you want your typical working week and month to look like.

Once you're happy with your year end goals, start to work backwards. "Reverse engineer" your year. What needs to happen at the six month point of the year for your plan to succeed? Then do the same exercise for each quarter. Carve your year up into manageable project chunks.

Then you're ready for your monthly targets and more detailed plans. You can take this planning right down to the weekly and finally, the daily level. However - don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do weekly plans too far ahead. Just remember to revisit your plan regularly - even diary in appointments with yourself to work on it so it gets done.

I once heard this about planning and it's so true: "We overestimate what we can get done in a week and we underestimate what we can get done in a year!"

Make regular planning a priority and you'll end the year closer to your goals and much more productive.

(c) 2009 Shona Partridge Women Mean Business