Successful Blog

Are You Spilling Money Away?

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asuccessfulYou’ve got your business going quite well.

It’s just you and yourself, working from your home, but you’ve got some great clients and accounts. Maybe your business is a bit bigger and you’ve got a few employees and a nice office.

Here’s one thing you need to make sure you have, as well, no matter the size of your business – insurance.

Why do you need insurance if your business is small?

No matter the size of your business, if you are working with anyone, you should have insurance.

If a client comes to your home to meet with you (or your office for that matter) and trips on a loose carpet or an icy stair, you can be liable for paying all costs. If you don’t have insurance, you could be in big financial trouble.

Many customers want to know your insurance background, especially if you are doing work on their property.

For instance, if you are in construction and working in someone’s home, your customers will more than likely want to see you are insured before they’ll sign a contract with you because they don’t want to be responsible if you or your employees get hurt.

What kind of insurance is best?

Most professionals recommend general liability insurance, or commercial general liability insurance.  This protects a broad spectrum of claims, including negligence and injury.

With this, you’ll be covered in the case of a lawsuit, with court costs and reasonable expenses being covered through insurance. Your employees are also covered, even volunteers.

However, liability insurance does not cover if your employees get hurt and sue you. This would fall under workers compensation, which is another story.

Are these lawsuits common?

Unfortunately, yes.

Many slip and fall lawsuits are actually hoaxes by con-artists looking to make money, in fact, probably more are scams than not. However, people do legitimately get hurt and want compensation.

And, it’s not always a slip – as the article “Common Spills in Businesses” notes, these can include a trip, a stumble or anything that causes a fall.

Sure, it can be due to the client being careless, but it also can be your fault, maybe you have loose stones in your walkway or boxes were left in the way inhibiting safe stepping.

Even the legitimate cases are often quite hard to prove and the plaintiff needs a combination of documentation including photos of the scene, proof of injury and medical damage, and other evidence. However, the cost of the lawsuit itself can be detrimental to your business.

Bottom line, you need insurance to protect you and your business.

You don’t want something that could have been prevented or a dishonest person to be the downfall of your business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Praisaeng at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Heather Legg is an independent writer who covers a variety of topics including small business, social media and education.

What is Your Customer Buying?

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By Lisa D. Jenkins

Every brand or business is selling something.

When we create social media profiles, curate content and provide customer service, we do it hoping current and prospective customers will buy from us or tell their friends about us.

What are you selling?

Answering is marginally (but not entirely) easier for those of us who sell concrete products. At the most basic level, Nordstrom sells things to wear. Whole Foods sells things to eat. FAO Schwarz sells things to play with.

For those of us who sell intangibles, it’s harder to define because what we sell is less about the product or service and more about the experience.

The question then becomes not “What are you selling?” but “What is your customer buying?” Once you understand things from your customer’s side of the table, it’s easier to market to them.

What might that look like?

The local mechanic sells oil changes. The customer isn’t buying an oil change, they’re buying the peace of mind that comes with knowing their transportation will continue to get them where they need to be. Market the peace of mind.

Consultants sell their reputation. The customer isn’t buying reputation, they’re buying knowledge they don’t possess so they can be more successful. Market the knowledge.

Banks and credit unions sell mobile check deposit. The customer isn’t buying mobile check deposit, they’re buying the time they would’ve spent waiting in line and using it for business meetings or kindergarten graduations. Market the time.

Visitor bureaus sell destinations. The customer isn’t buying a destination, they’re buying memories that will bind them to others for the rest of their lives. Market the memories.

What you’re selling isn’t necessarily what your customer is buying, but the two aren’t and shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.

It’s time to sit on the other side of the table. Consider things from your customer’s perspective.

What is your customer really buying?

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+

How to tame social media’s sound and fury

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“Out, out, brief candle! Social media’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (almost) Macbeth Quote (Act V, Scene V).

You’re building a business, right?

That means you should be spending most of your time making your product or services as amazing as they can be. You need to focus.

single black dot on red field

Social media is one little piece of your marketing puzzle, so it shouldn’t be absorbing large chunks of your day, even if you’re a solo entrepreneur who’s running everything.

“But I’m getting alerts across my screen all day long,” you say.

In the immortal words of Chef Gordon Ramsey: Shut. It. Down.

If you truly are building a business, you must create space for innovation, planning, face-to-face contact with customers, and other things that take you away from a computer screen.

Tips for Putting Social Media Back in its Place

  • Don’t let social status updates absorb time throughout the day. If you’re going to curate content, use scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite, so that you can stay focused.
  • Start your marketing planning with your actual business goals, not with a new tool you just heard about.
  • Don’t get caught in the social media echo chamber. Be sure you read widely, on a variety of topics that support your business.
  • For each social network you use, have a reason why you’re using it. And be sure that reason is related to your business plan.
  • Stop saying social media is “free.” It’s not. Your time is worth money.
  • Dedicate blocks of time to your social media strategy, and the rest of the time shut off the alerts, close the Facebook tab, and set your phone to vibrate. You really don’t need to see the notification that Joe and Stacy are talking about Zac Efron on Twitter.
  • Remember that nothing is set in stone, particularly when it comes to social media tactics. Trust your own gut more than some “guru” who doesn’t know your business.
  • If you have a choice between Tweeting a customer and talking on the phone, choose the phone. Better yet, meet for coffee.

Above all, keep it in perspective. It can seem as though everything revolves around social media, but your customers just want your fantastic product/service, delivered with a smile. Everything else is just “sound and fury.”

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 the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: http://heretakis.com via Compfight cc

Why Business Cards Still Matter

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abizcard

If you’re a tech-savvy, online-shopping, social media-sharing internet junkie like much of the rest of the world, you probably wonder why some businesses still rely on business cards.

We live in a time where the world is at our fingertips – literally – thanks to the internet. You can find company information, contact pages, product information and more with just the click of a button.

So, how do business cards still fit in?

Surprisingly, a Small Business Sentiment Survey conducted by Yodle found that roughly 52 percent of small businesses still don’t have a website. And, in North America alone, more than 20 percent of the population does not use the internet, according to Internet World Stats.

Business cards won’t get lost in the shuffle of the world-wide web. They’re concrete, edgy and still very useful.

In fact, a survey conducted by Designcrowd found that 87 percent of Americans exchange business cards when meeting. If you own and operate a small business, that statistic alone should be enough to make you want to develop your own personalized business card.

Why business cards matter

Though having a website and developing company social media pages are important, you still need to have a real-life, tangible business card to help meet your needs.

Keep in mind:

  1. Business cards put a face to a business – When meeting someone new, handing them your business card (preferably with your photo on it) will help keep your business in the back of their minds. Though they may not need your product or services today, there may come a time when they do, and hopefully they will be able to pull out your business card and call versus trying to remember your company name and searching the web.
  2. Business cards visually create your brand – Your business card should stand out among the rest. It showcases you and your company in a visually creative way. Don’t just simply put your name and phone number on the card; instead, add color, a photo or two and your business’ motto. Make it easy for your potential customer to want to use your services.
  3. Without a business card, you look unprofessional – Even if your business is done almost solely online, you still should carry a business card for when you meet new people – whether at the gym or at your child’s birthday party. Local business is always important and by handing out your business card to new people you meet, you’re greatly increasing your chances of growing your business. Plus, if a new friend is genuinely interested in your company and you have no way of providing them with contact information, you may have lost them as your future customer.

If you’d like to get creative, Canva offers a “Free Business Card Maker” so you can easily create your own business cards with a few clicks.

Almost as important as the business card itself is how you carry them.

While stashing a few in your pocket may work, it’s better to be organized with a sleek, high-quality holder.

Retailers such as Walmart offer a variety of business card holders at an affordable price. This Engraved Leather Business Card Case is lightweight, will fit into your suit jacket pocket and is personalized all for $25.

Have your business card handy and always carry at least 5 with you at all times.

As a business owner, marketing your business is not a 9 to 5 job, it’s a 24/7/365 job since you’ll always be on the lookout for new business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of savit keawtavee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Sarah Brooks is a freelance writer living in Glendale, AZ. She writes on small businesses, personal finances and travel.

3 Tips for Gathering User-Generated Content To Write A Blog Post

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By Dorien Morin-van Dam

Creating content is a tough task, especially since everything you want to write about has already been written about. It’s tough to be original, isn’t it? In recent months I’ve seen a surge in articles being written about user-generated content and how to create it. I have also spotted more and more articles written with user-generated content.

river flowing through farmland aerial shot

There are many social media platforms that lend themselves perfectly for sharing user-generated content; two very well known visual platforms come to mind first. The first one is Pinterest and the second platform is Instagram.

On Pinterest, people re-pin pretty pictures other people pinned before them – 80% of pins are re-pins. On Instagram, using re-post apps, people can easily find and share other peoples pictures, too!

But what about written content? Can we use text-based user-generated content?

A perfect example of written user-generated content is, of course, quotes! Who hasn’t seen and shared quotes on social media? I know I have. It would be a stretch to write a whole blog post just with quotes (it has been done), but I am here to suggest several other techniques that may help you seek out user-generated content.

Here are my 3 tips for writing a blog post simply by asking the right people!

1. Ask your fans.

One way I use my Facebook audience, for example, is to give them two or three words and let them free-associate with those. I often get great ideas for blog posts based on their answers. It shows what is foremost on their minds. I also ask questions on Twitter, but since my audience is greater and more diverse, it has not been as effective for me as asking my Facebook fans.

2. Ask the experts in your circles of influence.

You can do this via email or dedicated Facebook group. Those would be my first choices as I recommend you reach out to each individual privately, and of course, offer to link to them once your write your blog post. Here are some ideas on how to crowdsource content from the experts:

  • You can give each of them the same question (or hypothetical) situation to answer in their own way.
  • You can ask them to give you real life questions (sourced from their audience) about a specific topic you provide i.e Pinterest, LinkedIn profile, Twitter Cards.
  • You can ask them for a solution to a problem you are having. If you ask five experts you will be sure to get five different solutions.
  • You can ask for an interview from an expert. Whether you have created a set series of questions, or you make it up as you go, interviewing someone in your industry, a leader, is a great way to get user-generated content. You will be using their words, their thoughts, to write your blog.

3. Ask your peers.

Your peers are the people in your industry, your co-workers, your fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs. I love involving them and asking them questions or get input from them on a certain topic. People also love to be quoted.

If you go to your peers for a quote, at least they will be aware your are writing something that mentions them and will look for your article to be published.

Alternatively, you could read a series of articles written by your peers and take quotes, and link back of course, highlighting their take on issues.

Your Turn:

• Have you used any of these techniques to get content for your blog?

• Do you enjoy reading these types of blog posts?

• Can you think of other ways to gather user-generated content?

Author’s Bio: Dorien Morin-van Dam is owner and social media marketer at More In Media, a social media consultancy in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dorien provides social media consulting, management, training and education; she is passionate about teaching social media to small business owners. She services clients all over the USA and has worked in many different industries as well as with several NPO’s. In her spare time, Dorien manages four kids, three dogs and a husband. She runs marathons and loves to bake, travel and read.

Photo Credit: eutoxeres via Compfight cc

Train Your Brain Like a Boss

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One of the most important pieces of equipment you need as a business owner is a healthy brain. You have to be able to make good decisions, think creatively, and respond to new challenges on a daily basis.

We don’t understand a lot about our brains. For example, we’ve been told we typically only use 10% of our brain. According to this myth-busting video from asapSCIENCE, we use all of it, all of the time. (So we don’t have to worry about Lucy happening any time soon.)

My favorite way to keep my brain sharp is doing the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle. It’s available in digital format, but I love the paper version.

But you’re not limited to puzzles; the brain training trend has resulted in a variety of cool methods to keep your mental facilities in shape.

Brain Training Apps

Lumosity is a brain training and neuroscience company that offers both web-based and mobile apps. They will design a specific training regimen for you, based on a questionnaire, and provide statistics to show your progress. The games within the apps are fun and challenging.

focus@will App claims to be able to increase your attention span by 400%, using neuroscience based music channels. Their research shows that by listening to a specific type of music, your brain will respond by focusing more deeply on the task at hand.

Fit Brains from Rosetta Stone (the language learning folks) is another website that offers games tailored to training your brain for problem-solving, concentration, and memory skills.

Brain Training on TV

Wait. I thought it was called “the boob tube.” Perhaps it’s not so stupid after all.

The History Channel’s “Your Bleeped Up Brain” is a one hour show (currently on hiatus) that offers a light-hearted take on brain-related research. Find out how your brain separates fact from fiction, why some people have better memories, and how humans are often fooled by simple deceptions.

National Geographic Channel has Brain Games, an Emmy nominated series that uses intricate experiments to demonstrate the inner workings of the brain. Many of the experiments on the show are also available on the interactive website. Do you know whether a lightning strike or a wild bear is more likely to kill you?

Brain Training in Your Living Room

We bought a Mindflex as a gag gift last year, but it turned out to be fascinating. You wear a headset that makes contact with your temples, and power the movement of a ping pong ball through a series of obstacles. You can also go up against an opponent and try to push the ball over their goal line while they push in the opposite direction.

Physical exercise has been shown to increase your brain power too. So while you’re doing your Zumba, you’re training your brain!

How are you taking good care of your brain?

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 the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee