Successful Blog

A Good-Bye from Terez

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By Terez Howard

Passion, Reason and Success: An Impenetrable Triad

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“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.” — Benjamin Franklin

In the blogging business, do you think that passion should make your business decisions? Probably not. But should it be the motivating force behind your work? No harm there.

I have a confession to make. I have a passion. That passion has been alive for 5 years. During that time, I’ve read, researched and learned a plethora of information. I’ve hungered for more information and found myself starved. I desired to give people what I had been craving. More information.

I spent a few months writing more than 35,000 words on the topic of black natural hair. I spent April designing a website and compiling all of this information into an organized manner to give other naturals a whisper of the information we yearn for. This whisper will transform into a shout because my passion still burns and will grow.

What does this mean for me?

I’m not going to go into great detail about why I decided to write about natural hair. I’m not going to tell you my personal story with natural hair because I doubt that you care. What I want you to know is that this passion of mine has taken hold of my time and energy. Since I’ve always been one to keep my writing business hours at a part time level, that means letting some things go.

My guest blogging here is one of those things. Jael Strong too will cease guest blogging and focus on pursuing creative writing, her passion.

What does this mean for you?

Maybe nothing.

But, it might make think about evaluating your circumstances, including your work schedule and productivity. Are you working your passion? If you are, are you spending enough time to develop it? Are you spending too much time on it? Are you being reasonable?

Benjamin Franklin put it so well. “If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”

Please be honest with yourself. There’s no sense in lying to yourself.

As for me, if you’re interested in the natural hair scene, you will see me around.

If not, know that I’m very grateful to have been here. Thank you, Liz, for the opportunity to know you and learn from your great wisdom. Thank you, readers, for checking in, commenting, tweeting and driving me to success.

And yes, I do think I’m successful, even though I’ve just recently started this endeavor.

I believe in what Pablo Picasso once said, “Action is the foundational key to all success.”

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez, for sharing yourself and your insights on my blog!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Beach Notes: Inspiration

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by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Volunteer surf lifesavers setting up at Coolangatta Beach

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Inspiration. Every weekend, right around Australia, teams of volunteer men and women surf lifesavers turn out to spend their days at the beach, watching the surfers and often risking their own safety to rescue the unsuspecting or foolhardy. Locally, because this is a major tourist area, the city council provides paid lifeguards on weekdays. Starting just over 100 years ago, in 1907 with a group on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the organization now known as Surf Lifesaving Australia is the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world.
Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh

Home Sick? 7 Productivity Tips So You Don’t Get Sick of Working at Home

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A Guest Post By Ripley Daniels

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So, you’ve been given the opportunity of working from home and the excitement of skipping your daily commute, navigating office politics and being chained to your cubicle have all but completely overtaken you. You are free to work from home and be productive without the confines of an office environment. For the first few months, all is well as you love falling out of bed in your favorite pajamas only to stumble a few feet into your home office. The freedom and autonomy is absolutely priceless. A few months later, the isolation begins to set in. You miss the office chatter and the scheduled breaks with your co-workers. There’s something unnatural about spending several hours a day in front of a computer screen with no one to interact with.

If you find yourself running into the issue of restlessness, isolation and depression while working from home; there is no need to worry. Like with anything new, you must learn to adapt to your new work environment. Follow these seven simple steps and you will be whizzing through your work day in no time.

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  1. Set up or maintain a regular work schedule. Nothing causes anxiety more than not having an organized daily routine which is what the traditional office environment automatically creates. In order to get into a happy, healthy work rhythm, you must create a work schedule that is realistic and doable and then stick to it. If you are used to starting work at 9AM and shutting down for the day at 5PM, this should be the work routine that you commit to while working from home.
  2. Allow yourself an hour break for lunch and a few small breaks throughout the day. Just as it is legally mandated that employees take lunch breaks and small breaks, you must follow the same guidelines or run the risk of burning yourself out. It is nearly impossible to work eight hours or more without stepping away from your desk so don’t feel pressured to slave away in front of your computer because you’re no longer officially on the clock. Set your lunch time and breaks at the same time every day so you can keep a regular schedule.
  3. Get outside and get active. Living a sedentary lifestyle is harmful to your health, sanity and confidence. When you are required to sit in front of a computer while working from home, it can be easy to forget the importance of fresh air and exercise and sunshine. When you do take your lunch break or small periodic breaks, try and get outside for a walk or to make a leisure call to friends/family. Take advantage of your new work environment and fit in some exercise via an exercise DVD or take a mid-day work out class at the gym on your lunch break.
  4. Set up Skype or Google Chat so you can maintain contact with your fellow co-workers while working from home. Telecommuting can be an isolating experience but with the help of social media and various programs, you can stay in touch with your co-workers as if you were right back in your cubicle or office. This is also a good way to keep your socialization skills sharp as telecommuting can easily dull your sensibilities from the lack of human interaction.
  5. Set goals for yourself both professionally and personally. Unlike a traditional job, a telecommuter has the opportunity of enhancing both their work life and personal life at the same time. You have the ability of using your breaks to complete various projects around the house which also serves as a mental break from your daily work load.
  6. Attend industry events and conferences so that you can stay current on the latest technology, products, services and inventions within your field. There is nothing worse than falling behind in your position because you’re working from home and no longer have access to the same information regarding classes or programs. Just because you are a telecommuter doesn’t mean that you can mentally check out and not deliver outstanding work performance.
  7. Step away from your desk at the end of each business day and don’t look back. If your schedule is 9AM-5PM, you should resist working past your scheduled hours as you will soon find that your energy levels, confidence and productivity will all drastically be affected. Turn your computer off and shut down your home office during the evenings and weekends so that you can maintain some semblance of a normal work/life balance.

Do you have other tricks you use to keep your business well and working?
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Ripley Daniels is an editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles.

Thanks, Ripley, for your insight into the problems that are unique to working at home!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Defining Greatness: Delicious Chocolate Lollipops

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By Jael Strong

Greatness is associated with unusual power and intensity. When something is “great,” it conveys excellence and brilliance; it is truly impressive.  So, is your blog great?

We must face reality. The vast majority of blogs fall short of greatness. Mediocrity seems the aim for many. But isn’t this to be expected? With millions of blogs in existence, and more being added each day, can we expect a flood of greatness? No, of course not. But don’t we want to be listed among the greats? Sure, who doesn’t?

So, what are the ingredients for greatness? I wanted to come up with something witty, but all I can muster is Delicious Chocolate Lollipops, commonly known as Design, Content, and Loyalty.

Delicious design

Blogs should be inviting, accessible, and navigable. Great blogs appeal to the eye. A trademark image and a catchy slogan can go a long way. Readers can easily remember these things, making it that much easier to find you again when they get a hankering for a good read.

Hand-in-hand with this is the concept of simplicity. A cluttered blog is just asking for readers to click away. I hate it when I go to a site and I am inundated with a plethora of useless links and advertisements. It’s like going to the mall around on Black Friday; I feel like I’m being pushed and shoved, and it takes forever to get what I came for.

A well-organized blog will not deluge its readers with nonsense. Rather, it should be like sitting down to eat a decadent dessert made especially for the reader.

Smooth chocolaty content, please

Appealing to the eye is good. Appealing to the mind is great. Once a reader is attracted to a particular blog, the writer should deliver with some great content. An excellent idea delivered poorly is like promising a moist chocolate cake, but bringing a piece of crusty, dried-out, cake-from-a-box instead.

How are you delivering your concepts? Do you try to be original? Are you checking for distracting grammatical errors? Do you mix in some humor? Most importantly, is your content relevant and up-to-date, providing something that readers are really looking for?

The loyalty lollipop

Loyalty is like a lollipop, you love it and you carry it with you wherever you go. A great blog is a blog people will think about even when they aren’t in front of their computers. They’ll recommend it to friends and colleagues, and look forward to being engaged by it again.

How do we build this loyalty? Bloggers have come up with some great tools for this. Of course, we should always encourage comments. Another tool is allowing guest bloggers to write for you. Sponsor contests and allow short humorous submissions that you will in turn publish on your site. Welcome feedback. Make your blog an open room where readers feel like they are part of the process.

Of course, loyalty is not one sided. You must be loyal to your readers as well. If you sponsor contests, allow submissions, or welcome guest posts and comments, keep up with time lines and respond to your readers. Also, keep a schedule that your readers can recognize. In other words, don’t take two months off without writing and then expect a warm reception on your return.

By combining quality design and content with reader loyalty we can all aspire to greatness and rise above the average. Talk to us, what tools for greatness do you utilize?

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Jael Strong writes for TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written both fiction and non-fiction pieces for print and online publications. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas.

Thanks, Jael

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Rhythmic Marketing Strategies for Businesses with Seasonal Demand

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A Guest Post By Isabella York

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In this day and age of uncertain times, more and more people are looking for a point of stability in their lives with regard to income. These fervent searches have proved fruitful in the form of capitalizing on certain skills or native products, turning them into moneymaking ventures that last years or, unfortunately, fizzle and fade into obscurity. In an effort to stay fresh and original, personal business ventures have taken on different forms, one of which being the seasonal business.

A seasonal business can be rewarding for those who have the ingenuity and drive to see it through, even with its numerous pitfalls that can lead to its downfall. Amazingly productive only during a certain time of the year, seasonal businesses quickly lose their profit-generating capabilities during a period called the off-season. Unfortunately, off-season periods for a seasonal business can encompass most of the year leaving a very small margin for the moneymaking process.

In order to combat the dreaded period of slow income, seasonal business owners have to continuously innovate and market their products and services. This entails constant promotion and the use of a number of techniques that will help turn a profit when times are tough. It also calls for strategic planning and timely intervention, knowing when to push a sale and when to hold off or where to allocate funds to produce the greatest amount of positive change.

When it comes to marketing, no rules are set in stone, especially so with seasonal businesses, much of it is touch and go. By taking initiative and combining personal strategies with these tried and true methods, seasonal business owners can definitely last longer than the dismal projection most others set for them:

  1. Thorough Analysis and Planning

    Make sure to take a look at the calendar at the beginning of every fiscal year. Take note of important occasions and events and try to see how your products or services can be incorporated. Give yourself a trial period and map out your initial progress through a specific time period. Analyze trends and apply this knowledge to your sales approach. Try not to restrict yourself to the limits of your seasonal business but go beyond and see how you can move further. A good example would be modifying summer pool covers to fit the demands of the season. Another instance would entail offering tropical themed Christmas trees that could serve as summer time decor.

  2. Innovative Advertisement

    It is a known fact that customers are attracted to seasonal products and will generate a lot of income during the peak season. To this effect, seasonal business owners would do well to advertise their products far and wide. Reach as many people as possible through the latest communication avenues and create a system of feedback that allows you to talk directly with your customers. Study the latest advertisement techniques and use them to the optimum effect.

  3. Excellent Customer Service

    Establish an excellent database of loyal customers. By doing so, you generate a stable source of income even during the off-season. Create updated surveys every sale period and get customer responses personally to build rapport. The web with its wide array of tools is an effective way to generate and manage surveys. You can also draw on customer ideas to generate new advertisement and marketing schemes. Consumers can have great ideas too.

  4. Off-Season Strategizing

    Marketing practices need not be confined to peak-season. In fact, business experts claim that the most effort a seasonal business owner must exert is during the period of low income. However, an important point is not to exhaust one’s income and to prioritize what needs the most attention. For example, either do an advertising campaign or push for store renovations and product updates. Never take on too many projects as this may tip the fragile balance of peak season income and off-season demands.

  5. Diversified Approach

    Branch out in terms of market groups. Never restrict your campaigns and services to one market as this also limits the amount of money you can make. See about reaching different people from different countries. Try to go global and tap into the different seasonal strategies of business owners from other countries. Not only do you build a wider customer base but you are also opening yourself up to potentially useful knowledge you would never know otherwise.

Be willing to take in one step further. Look beyond the strategies presented here and see how you can build and improve on them. The consumer market is vast and constantly changing, requiring you to stay on your toes and keep the ball rolling with regard to coming up with new and more attractive marketing schemes. The most important thing in business, seasonal or otherwise is to take the first step. It’s all about initiative. With constant innovation and attention-to-detail you can start and maintain a successful seasonal business.

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Isabella York has been in the business world her entire life. Having seen business cycles ebb and flow, she knows a thing or two about developing strategies for changing demands, however her job with a purveyor of Artificial Christmas Trees (http://www.balsamhill.com/Artificial-Christmas-Trees-s/1.htm) and Christmas Trees (http://www.balsamhill.com/) has catapulted this skill set to a new level.

Thanks, Isabella, for your insight into something we don’t talk about enough!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Should You Dish What You Take?

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By Terez Howard

One of the editors that I write for usually doesn’t get back with me about my articles until right before publication. That means that I have to scramble to make any changes. She hardly ever responds to my first e-mail, and oftentimes doesn’t “get” the e-mails I send. I’ve had so many issues with this woman, from getting no check at all to getting double on my check, that I’ve contemplated ceasing my business relationship with her.

I love to write. But when I have to deal with someone that doesn’t seem the least bit organized, I don’t want to deal with them. I feel like not responding to her e-mails or only doing half the work I’m asked to do. I know that’s a horrible attitude that will make her feel that I am unworthy of writing for that publication.  That attitude would get me bad reviews from a higher up.

No matter how angry and wronged I feel, I tell myself that I have to maintain a professional demeanor.

When you’re wronged

Do you pay in kind? Or, do you turn the other cheek?

In the blogging business world, you might feel that paying in kind is a necessity. With your blog, you have a means to communicate your unbridled ideas and opinions with the world. You might feel that it’s your duty to be brutally honest.

Personally, I agree that a blog should keep it real.

On the other hand, perhaps you are more of a turn the other cheek person. It’s not that you aren’t being true to yourself. Being yourself just means avoiding confrontation. You actually just might not care about an issue one way or the other. You might prefer to ban ranting from your blog.

That’s OK, too. Once again, be real.

What about a personal level?

With a blog, you don’t usually get more personal than comments and e-mails. What are people saying about what you write? What are people saying about you?

You can choose to take offense on a personal attack and dish what they serve, or you can choose ignore ignorance, or do something in between.

The in between approach is best. When you deal with a confrontational reader, you have to always be tactful. Just because a person is rude to you, does not mean that you have to be the exact same way. Say how you feel as professionally as possible.

Be careful when you choose to ignore a person. That individual, while agitated, might be expecting a response from you. If that is the case, do so in the same tactful spirit I mentioned before. If you still just don’t want to deal with it, you can still let a person know that you are not going to respond to that type of negativity and leave it at that.

What will I do?

I’m still not sure what to do about writing for this editor. I try to be a very organized woman, and when that organization is dramatically disrupted time and time again, I have a difficult time rolling with the punches. I probably will not dish what she serves. I probably will not try to approach her again about these issues. (Yes, I’ve already made some attempts to smooth things out).

What would you do? Do you dish what people serve?

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Terez Howard operates TheWriteBloggers, a professional blogging service which builds clients’ authority status and net visibility. She has written informative pieces for newspapers, online magazines and blogs, both big and small. She regularly blogs at Freelance Writing Mamas. You’ll find her on Twitter @thewriteblogger.

Thanks, Terez!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!