Successful Blog

Thanks to Week 334 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

5 Things to Do BEFORE You Launch Your Business

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Congratulations! You’re ready to take the plunge, ditch the J-O-B, and pursue your dream of launching your own business. Chances are, you’ve spent a long time, perhaps even years, to reach this decision and set the wheels in motion. Before you propel down the path of entrepreneurship, consider these tips:

1. Save some money.

You’re going to need a chunk of change to invest in a variety of necessities. The costs you’ll face will vary based on the nature of your business but some typical costs most entrepreneurs face are advertising, insurance, rent, equipment, licenses, and legal fees. You should make a list of all the items (and prices) of what you think you’ll need. Undoubtedly other expenses will crop up. And if you are the main wage earner in your household, you’ll need cash set aside for living expenses for approximately 3-6 months. If you don’t have enough capital, you may want to consider applying for a business loan with a modest interest rate.

2. Decide on your niche and get to know your target market.

It can be tempting to grab any work that comes your way in the quest for new clients and the fact that the bills need to be paid. But most business owners claim as soon as they focused their niche, success followed. It’s important to find out who your current customers are, and why they buy your product or service. The best way to decide on who these people are is to make a list of the benefits that your product or service provides. Once you have this list you need to make a list of people who have problems that your benefit solves. Clients want to work with an “expert” and when you specialize, you position yourself as an expert. Chances are, your niche may change as your business evolves, but commit to at least one year. Remember to F.O.C.U.S.: Follow One Course Until Successful.

3. Create your marketing materials.

A website, logo, and business cards are the three essentials you need when launching your business. You don’t need to drop a bundle on a fancy website design when you’re first starting out. Forego the bells and whistles for a clean, error-free, navigable website. A company like Free Logo Services, can give you logo design ideas or help you create a look that’s professional and distinctive. Use this design to create a sharp business card can make you stand out when people are considering your business. Having a solid design on the card is crucial but you can’t forgo a great 2-line description on what your company does.

4. Get informed.

Knowledge is power: If you don’t have a degree or first-hand experience in your industry, don’t despair. Take online courses, download e-books, follow blogs, sign up for (and read) e-newsletters, join online groups, and educate yourself. There are many resources that small business have access too for free. The Small Business Administration offer many services for free to small business owners! Reaching out to your local office will get you access to free counseling and advice from professionals.

5. Design a roadmap for success.

Be crystal-clear on your goal for the first year. Develop 4-6 actionable objectives for your goal and then write out measurable tasks each month that will help you accomplish your objectives. Your work plan should address the following areas; Specific and concise goal, Measurement: how will your measure whether you achieve your goal, major problems anticipated, work steps: 3 or 4 essential steps and completion dates for them. Once you have written this out follow this roadmap! Revisit it monthly to assess your progress, make adjustments, and write new tasks for the upcoming month. Having an individual to help you be accountable to your goal and objectives is tremendously helpful. If you’re a solo-preneur, find a mentor/business coach/trusted friend to bounce ideas off of and provide mutual support.

You feel READY. Now you’re SET with these five tips. Before you GO, don’t forget about shifting your attitude. Becoming a business owner is vastly different from the life of an employee. You’ll gain autonomy over your schedule and freedom to make all the decisions…and there’s no one to blame but yourself when something goes wrong. Anticipate some setbacks, but believe you will succeed. Pour on the hard work with a mega-dose of patience, and.. Ready, set, go!

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Author’s Bio:
Dylan Mazeika is an online writer with a background in marketing and small business. He enjoys writing about the latest business and design trends, and assisting small business owners with logo design. Find him on twitter @dylan_mazeika

Thank you, Dylan!

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

How Long Term Thinking Makes You a More Accomplished Internet Marketer

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Successfully Working From a Home-based Office

One trait that hurts human beings more than anything else is impatience, the impulsiveness, the haste to get where we want in a flash and that too without moving a muscle?

How funny it’d be to see someone promising to get moving, only after he reaches the destination? Ironical, to say the least, and still majority of us keep doing it all the time, hoping for the destination to come our way without even starting to travel. Short-term thinking stems from this human characteristic of being impatient, because we are not ready to go the distance, we opt for the short-cuts, looking to get there quickly, but what do we get? A constant state of disgruntlement, just because we cannot put up with the “pace of nature”…

If you are one of those young ones getting into the field of Internet marketing, one virtue I’d like you to take up is thinking long terms, no matter what you are doing. From content creation to link building, and from social media to email marketing, thinking long term will help you devise strategies that will work, and save you from wasting your time and resources on goals that wouldn’t even matter after some time.

Following are some ways thinking long term will bolster your internet marketing endeavors.

You will be looking to form relationships:

Thinking long term means that you will invest time and resources on building relationships with the right guys in the cyber world, instead of wasting your time on sending spam posts to numberless websites for link exchange or getting paid links. Those tactics might bring you some garbage links resulting in a very short lived boost to your rankings, but in the longer run, it will do more harm to your website than good. On the other hand, a healthy relationship with a blogger or well-connected person can be of help in more than one ways.

Guest posting on the right blog:

Guest blogging is one of the very few ways of link building, which is still in grasp of common bloggers or website owners. If you are thinking short term, you will be missing some great opportunities on blogs which are fairly new, just because they don’t have the page rank or number of back links to boast. When you are choosing a guest blog, it is imperative to look at the potential, and not on the current standing, because you never know which blog will go on to become a considerable force in blogosphere and a most-wanted platform for guest bloggers.

Milk an opportunity before it implodes:

Internet Marketing is all about detecting the opportunity and making the most of it before it gets overdone. It’s better to take up a tactic and get on a platform when it’s fairly new, as compared to trying and taking some advantage when everybody and their grandmothers are trying to get their share of the pie.

Being proactive:

Thinking long term means that you will be proactive in your planning and implantation, instead of being reactive. If you look around, you will notice that a big majority of SEO and Internet Marketing professionals are busy doing the damage control (e.g. trying to revive the drop in rankings because of some Google update); however these drops wouldn’t even have occurred only if they were proactive.

Hardly any trend or change in algorithm is sudden in nature, it happens that we keep reading about the upcoming changes or trends but continue to ignore just because our short-term tactics seem to be working, and then our websites are throttled by one of those updates. Thinking long term will help you take the right decision at the right time, because Onlline Marketing is not about damage control, it’s about seizing opportunities before they become commonplace.

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Author’s Bio:
Natasha Mesty is an Internet Marketing expert, writing mostly on topics related to link building, guest blogging, Link Tracking and how to use link reports to evaluate your Internet Marketing campaigns.

Thank you, Natasha!

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

Be Healthy

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A Guest Post by
Rosemary O’Neill

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Sometimes, you’re cruising along at light speed, taking names and kicking butt, and all of a sudden…bang, you’re sick as a dog.

You suddenly have to rely on others, an uncomfortable position for anyone who is used to being in charge at all times.

In my particular case, I lost my voice completely. No teleconferences, no drive-through ordering, no chatting with friends or reading to the kids. It was humbling and jarring.

But here’s what I really want to share—in the midst of this, I had two different situations where friends stepped in and took over for me, and both times, I had to be almost physically restrained from jumping in to help. (My wonderful husband was on the other coast, providing moral support via text.)

It finally sunk in. While you’re trying to be a human-centered business, don’t forget that you are one of the humans in the center of it! If you aren’t taking care of yourself, and letting your friends take care of you, then you won’t be there for the long run.

So today, go quaff some orange juice, get out the Purell, and if you do get sick, admit you’re human and let someone take care of you.

Heartfelt thanks to my friends Coleen, Elyse, and Susan for coming to my rescue this week!

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Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out their blog. You can find her on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee
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Use Writing Skills; Get Compensated at the Same Time

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Whether it is done as a primary job or just picking up some part-time work on the side, freelance writing is a great way to get a writer’s name out there, picking up some extra money along the way in many cases.

In the event you are considering freelance writing or have been doing it for a while but don’t feel you are getting all you can out of it, there are several things to keep in mind.

Among them are what you will be writing about, who you will be writing articles for, whether or not you will be getting compensated and how often you will be expected to craft stories.

The top challenge for many freelancers, especially those just beginning, is what their area of expertise should be.

Should they focus on an area that they currently or have worked in or choose a topic selection that is of great interest to them, even if they aren’t necessarily experts in that field?

While it is a given that newspapers and magazines are traditional sites for one to offer their freelance articles, there are many other avenues where one can find enjoyable work and make some extra money on the side. Among them are:

  • SEO Writing – If you know how to write from an SEO point of view, you can definitely find work in today’s Internet driven age. More and more companies are contracting with companies who want SEO branded copy to improve their search engine rankings. SEO writing is different from traditional writing in the sense that certain words and phrases are targeted to be picked up by the search engine. Phrasing sentences with SEO words is a little trickier than a normal sentence, but it is not that hard to do. The goal here is businesses want to attract customers, and your writing skills may just do that.
  • Copywriting – While some businesses have full-time in-house copywriters, others either give outgoing articles a quick look or look outside for freelance copywriters. If you have an eye for detail, you can accrue a rather steady stable of work in the process.
  • Resumes – With more individuals out of work these days, it should come as no surprise that many people need to keep their resumes up to speed. If you’re good with writing and editing, you can assist individuals in sharpening their resumes.
  • Press Releases – While many companies spend their time doing press releases in-house, others will look to freelancers to craft the right message for them. The style and substance of each press release will vary from company to company, so if you have a diverse writing background and can write captivating copy, this might be for you.
  • Ghostwriting – How many times have you seen ads online or elsewhere seeking a ghostwriter? Whether it is someone producing a book or movie who doesn’t have the time to write or someone isn’t a very good writer and needs assistance, ghostwriters can make some nice money in doing so. Keep in mind that you will not get a byline and any credit for the material, but it can lead to some steady and profitable work.

Where Does Pay Rank in Importance?

While freelancing does have its advantages in the eyes of many writers, one major concern is always regarding on-time payments and making sure you get paid in the first place.

In order to make sure you don’t fall victim to unscrupulous businesses for your writing services, make sure you are up front about the payment requirements when you put a business proposal together for a prospective buyer of your writing services.

To be safe, seek a contract so that everything is in writing. If you don’t want to go the contract route, at least get a proper e-mail exchange that provides the terms of the deal. With an independent contractors’ deal in writing, the chances of being taken advantage of certainly decrease.

Secondly, have in place a kill fee so that your work does not go to waste if the client kills the project and/or the piece does not reach publication.

Finally, seek a deposit up front, thereby giving both you and the client added incentive to follow through with everything.

While it doesn’t fall under the payment category, ask your client if they wouldn’t mind recommending your services to others seeking writers, proofreaders, etc.

Once the word filters around to the value of your writing services, you could be free to do more work and increase your wallet size.

Photo credit: gaebler.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items advice on starting a small business, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

7 Real Ways Writing Increases Expertise

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Each morning, I greet the Internet with my coffee and a clear purpose. I say “Good morning, Twitterville!” share the view in the harborhood, and check in with my friends. I find lots of opportunity — information, ideas, and input — offering itself.

If I’m not focused my head fills with thoughts, energy sparking and flaring in every direction.

Fast and fun, but too shallow to be satisfying in the long hall.

Real conversation offer more than a sound byte. Real ideas are worth more than a passing thought.

It’s one reason Twitter never will win out over my blog.
Of course, Google is another.

7 Real Ways Writing Increases Expertise

Writing is one way to share thoughts with many folks efficiently. Publishing makes the connection more natural and accessible. The words stay available through time for anyone who wants to access them.

Sure we get visibility and offer value when we write, but we get a huge payoff ourselves.

By recording our thoughts we make them more.

Here are 7 real ways that writing increases our expertise.

  1. Writing clarifies what we know. If you know something and can’t explain it, do you really know it? We tell ourselves that we know what we know how to do laying it out. Writing won’t let us do that. We have to find words to articulate our ideas.
  2. Writing moves become familiar with degrees of difference. Want to be more fluent on a subject? Write about it. Every time we write we choose words to express a thought or an idea. Writing teaches us how words communicate meaning. The more we practice the more we learn which word choices connect people to what we mean.
  3. Writing leads us to explore different answers. Leave ideas in your head and you can shut them down before you’ve fully considered their possibilities. Writing brings us to see what we think. When we find words to articulate what’s on our mind, we take the words out of our heads. We make them more real, more transportable, and more memorable. When we put ideas on the page they take form –we can shuffle them, change them, improve them.
  4. Writing helps us develop a voice that is natural and consistent, strong and confident. Talking to yourself might not be … um … acceptable, but write and you’ll know your and how to express them. Even when we write for ourselves, we go back to read, listening to what we wrote. We question. We consider. We critique our choices. We start to recognize what’s our own way of saying things.
  5. Writing challenges us to set fear aside, yet maintain discipline. A clear sentence requires structure. A sentence that moves people is expression. Once we find our voice, we see how expression needs structure, and that structure without expression is listless and boring. Over time writers learn to value our thoughts and hold the editor quiet until feedback is useful. The act of writing builds thoughtful integrity. Putting thought into words builds confidence.
  6. Writing offers us opportunity to share our expertise. Everything we write has an audience. Every time someone shares something that we write they add value to our ideas — when they change them and when they don’t. Writers get the space of mind to show what we know in ways that can help people we’ve never met.
  7. Writing makes us more thoughtful readers and more aware responders. Write for a while and you’ll find you bring the insights and appreciation of a writer to what you read. You’ll start to notice that the way a writer writes makes a message stronger, weaker, more meaningful to you. You might even begin to recognize their *voices* in what they write. Writing gives us understanding of nuance and a sensitivity to what we read. We ask better questions.

As efficient as Twitter is for conversation, it’s not enough for working out ideas. 140 characters can’t express a full-on deep thought. A soundbyte might get attention, but it doesn’t show depth of knowledge.

Writing is clear thinking made visible. — Bill Wheeler

We meet more people in print than we can ever possibly meet face to face. Many people will know our written voice as well as they know our names. Writing is a huge opportunity in a noisy world to share what we know and to learn from the best of the people we meet.

What sort of thinking have you shared today?

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

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