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Using Clubs to Build Your Business

We all know that networking is an essential part of growing a business. Using clubs is a fun and effective way to network, develop relationships and build your business. For example, if you sell books, it would make great sense to start or join a book club. The goal is to gather likeminded people together, nurture relationships, and help increase business by using a social setting. Consider people in your target market, in your local community and current customers. Here are some club ideas to start or join.

Book clubs – If you’re an avid reader, finding a book club will be easy and fun. You’ll be interacting with people who share your interests and also building a rapport as you gather with them on a regular basis (most book clubs meet once or twice a month).
Exercise clubs – Whether you’re into running, yoga, swimming, or the like, start an in-home or join a fitness club. Running a business is bound to pile on the stress, so decompress with some physical activity. What better way to multitask then to exercise, share your opportunity and network simultaneously?
Moms clubs and/or playgroups – If you’re a parent of young children, this will benefit both you and them. Playgroups are usually informal get-togethers either at someone’s house or a recreation center where the children have unstructured playtime; they also allow for the parents to socialize with each other. For example, if you are a stay-at-home mom, you’ll be surrounding yourself with other moms in the same situation. It’s an effective way to learn about the interests of others and share your own personal and professional interests. For those that work outside the home during the day, many areas have playgroups that meet one evening a week. Try a website like Meetup or Craigslist to find what is locally available.
Scrapbooking/craft clubs – If you enjoy arts and crafts, consider taking up scrapbooking. You undoubtedly have a box of pictures somewhere that have never quite made it into an album, or perhaps you have hundreds of pictures still taking up space on your memory card. Find a scrap-a-thon in your community where you can network while participating in a fun activity. You’ll be able to share personal interests as you work with others who are displaying pictures of family and friends. Scrapbooking can be an easy way to break the ice and introduce yourself to others.

Whatever kind of club you choose to network and build your business, it is important that you keep it social and enjoyable. Your enthusiasm for the activity will help others get to know you, while you make new friends who may be able to help you in building your business. Joining clubs not only leads you to build relationships and increase your network, but it gets you and your business involved in the community. What are some of your ideas for using clubs to build your business? Share with us in the comments section below!

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Crowdsourcing for Your Small Business

Crowdsourcing is a relatively new idea that small businesses can use to solve a problem or improve their business. This process takes a task usually done by individuals to a group of people or community for their input. Here are some benefits and ideas to implement crowdsourcing for your business.

The benefits of Crowdsourcing:

The process helps you find out exactly what your local clientele wants and/or needs.
Provides you with a list of people who may be interested in your products/services or opportunity.
Provide a formal way to gather feedback from neighbors and clients that will help you tailor your products, services, marketing, and customer care to the very people who frequent your business.
Keeps your marketing cost down. Ask people who frequent your business in person, and utilize free websites like Craigslist that let you post to one of several different categories, depending on your needs. The website is also localized by city, so you can find people close by to provide input you need. Social networks like Facebook are also an efficient way of reaching more people quickly. Keep in mind, though, that you want to engage your target market and not the whole world.

Here are some disadvantages to keep in mind:

It may take you a long time to assess the quality of each submission.
The quality may not be professional.
It will take longer to screen candidates and assess the data.

Crowdsourcing initiatives:

Provide your community/network with voting ballots they can use to vote on their favorite products/services. This will help you assess your current product/services.
Run a poster contest that asks participants to create an image that best innovates one of your products/services or highlights a new one they would like to see. Then invite the rest of your community to vote on the ideas to select a winner. This can help you develop new products/services.
Ask your community to create and vote on a motto that promotes your branding. This will help you promote your brand and improve customer care.
Invite your community to submit and vote on a “how to” video for a product/service that you offer. This is a great way to generate videos of your products/services and provide visual testimonials at the same time.

When crowdsourcing, you must offer some sort of incentive like a voucher or discount for participating or a prize to a winner(s). You’re also showing that you value your community and customer opinions and appreciate the time they are taking to help you.

What are your thoughts on crowdsourcing? What have been your experiences with it? Share with us in the comments section below!

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Small Business Easy Low Cost Marketing

Although marketing is essential to your business, it’s easy to spend too much of your hard-earned money on strategies that return very little. In order to get the most bang for your marketing buck, you should find low-cost or even free ways to reach your local demographic. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Sponsoring story time at a local library and other community workshops. Most libraries have at least one, if not several, story groups for children of varying ages. Offer to sponsor one by providing the refreshments, or even by being a guest reader. In doing so, you will be able to network with potential customers, the children’s parents. You could base your time at the library around a theme that is relevant to your business and provide samples that include your business card. For example, a private children’s instrumental music instructor would read a book about a certain instrument, bring some different mouthpieces or small instruments for children to try out, and talk about what is offered at his or her studio with parents.
Form connections to local businesses. By teaming up with local businesses, you can pool your resources together to draw in customers that would be able to use both of your services. The owner of a hair salon could team up with the dress shop down the street. Come prom season, each business could recommend the other and offer discounts if a customer uses both services. To go even further, connecting to a local business would allow you to sponsor joint marketing events, like sidewalk sales or craft fairs.
Create an e-newsletter or start a blog. To make the ever-increasing cost of postage and mailing supplies a non-issue, you may want to develop a monthly newsletter to send out via email. Collect the email addresses of your past customers, and with their permission, send out a newsletter that highlights information about products or services they have recently purchased, and introduce new products as well. You can even make it more relevant by choosing some frequently asked questions to answer in each issue. As an extra incentive for subscribing to the e-newsletter, consider offering a coupon or voucher in each issue.
Use your vehicle as a promotional tool. Decals for your car that contain your business’s name, phone number, website URL, and slogan can be found at affordable prices, especially online. Think of how many people see your vehicle, especially if you live in a congested area where there is a good deal of traffic. That level of exposure is constant after the initial cost, which doesn’t have to be much.
Ask customers how they found you. Keep track of how new customers are hearing about you. This will give you accurate information about which of your marketing tools is most effective. From here, you can decide where to focus your efforts and your money.

As a small business owner or direct seller, your marketing campaigns must reach the largest amount of potentially interested people at the lowest cost possible to you. What strategies have you used to market your business in affordable ways? Please leave a comment below!

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How To Get More Referrals

How To Get More Referrals

It’s no secret that referrals are an excellent way to boost sales; potential customers are much more comfortable doing business with people they meet via personal recommendations. Wouldn’t you be? Why is it then that they seem so difficult to come by? Pursuing referrals is a lot like any other skill; it takes commitment and practice. The first step is making the search for referrals a regular and necessary part of your business. Implement the following suggestions to start doing so.

Ask! This seems obvious, but many people shy away from asking for referrals directly from their customers. There are, of course, certain ways to ask that are more effective than others, such as being specific. For example, instead of asking, “Who do you know that would want my services?” a better question is, “Who do you know that loves to cook?” A specific question will draw more names from your customer and will also bring you relevant leads rather than a whole list of people who may not be interested in what you offer.
Help others. You may be missing an opportunity to put yourself in a mutually beneficial situation. Attending a charity event in which a friend or family member is involved can be useful in obtaining referrals. You will be helping someone out, contributing to a cause, and meeting new prospects all at the same time.
Build strong relationships. Of course you want your clients to trust you, but you also want them to be enthusiastic about doing business with you. Find out what your customers are passionate about and cater to that when interacting with them. You will be able to add a personal touch to your business dealings, which will in turn impress your customer, who will want to tell his or her friends about you. Always be professional, courteous, and caring.
Set a precise goal for yourself. Make it part of your daily work day to ask for referrals. Keep track of how many you ask for every day, and as you feel more comfortable pursuing referrals, challenge yourself by increasing that number and setting a new goal.
Send out holiday cards. It’s that time of year again, and holiday cards, if done well, can really stand out and lead to referrals. Remember that most people put their cards on display, where party guests and family members will see them. So take some time to create a unique card that is noticeable, and send it early so it will be one of the first to make it to your customer’s display.
Offer rewards. When a customer does give you a referral, let them know how much you appreciate it. A handwritten note sent through snail mail is very thoughtful in this age of emails, texts, and video chats. Furthermore, don’t hesitate to get creative. For example, whenever a customer gives you a referral, send the customer a scratch-off lottery ticket along with a quick thank you card. Because you’re showing that you are genuinely grateful, they won’t think twice about referring you to others again and again.

What are some creative methods you have used to acquire referrals? We’d love to hear from you!

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Making More Time

Making More Time

Time management is essential for any working individual, but it is especially important to the self-employed. Direct sellers and small business owners are constantly performing multiple jobs in a single day, so there are many opportunities to get sidetracked, lose focus, and ultimately waste precious time. Read on for a simple step-by-step guide on how to maximize your time as efficiently as possible.

Pinpoint what tasks are most imperative. Thinking about what you do in any given day, decide which of those things directly contribute to the growth and money-making aspects of your business. When time is tight, these are the tasks that should take precedence over any others.
Rid your day of at least one time-waster or distraction. Although we all deserve a break throughout the course of the day, we often allow for too many detractors which can easily add up to an hour or more. After you’ve identified your most important tasks, do the same with your least important ones, such as updating your personal Facebook page or checking the score of the big game. Commit yourself to avoiding such diversions while you get your time management under control.
Put in place time limits for your tasks. Now that you’ve weeded out the unnecessary and know exactly what you should be working on, give yourself a certain amount of time to complete these duties. If you know you only have an hour, for instance, to create a rough draft of that new promotional poster, you will work much more efficiently toward your goal than you would if you were going back and forth between the poster and other activities.
Make use of time management tools. There is a plethora of software and internet-based organizational programs at your disposal, and much of it is free. For example, Google Calendar is a very effective way to map out your day, week, and month. It also offers useful features such as event reminders, scheduling across time zones, and automatic synching to your Microsoft Outlook calendar. Find one that works for your business and tailor it to your needs.
Don’t try to work for too long in one sitting. Our brains can only focus for no longer than 60-90 minutes at a time. Plan on taking a quick break to go outside for some fresh air, listen to a song on your iPod, or have a healthy snack. Even 5-10 minutes away from your work every hour and a half or so will increase your energy and long-term focus throughout the day.
Get enough rest. This seems like a no-brainer, but most of us simply don’t get enough sleep. When you are sufficiently rested, you can actually get more accomplished in less time than it would take if you were tired all day long. Not only that, the work you do will be of higher quality because you will be working at optimum capacity.

Remember, no matter what you do, there will only ever be 24 hours in a day. You can’t create more hours, but you can manage yourself to get the most productivity out of each valuable minute. Please share your own time management tips in the comments section below!

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How to Get Organized In a Week

As you may have learned during your time as a small business owner or direct seller, getting organized and staying that way are two completely different things. Both can be daunting, but the long-term maintenance of your organization system is essential to the success of your business, and your own sanity as well. Follow each daily suggestion below to gradually put your life in order.

Day 1 – Get a handle on the daily flow of paperwork. You most likely have an inbox for mail and other documents that appear on a regular basis. Instead of letting it accumulate to the point of overwhelming capacity, deal with each piece right away. For example, when you open a piece of mail, only give yourself two options: file it or toss it. You’ll be amazed by how much open space you’ll have on your desk!
Day 2 – Label everything. If you get a good labeling machine, this will be an easy and even fun task. Label anything you need to maximize your organization systems, like file folders and storage containers. Because where everything goes will be clearly visible, putting everything in its place when you’re finished with it will take no time at all.
Day 3 – Sort your emails. Using the same principle as the first two suggestions above, treat your emails the same way you would treat any piece of paper: file or toss. In this case, filing means sorting your emails into a folder or label system that works best for the needs of your business. Categories could include Priority, Accounting, Customer Service, Vendors, Inventory, etc. This can be especially helpful when searching for an old email as well. Certain email programs, like Gmail, even allow you to sort emails into more than one category if needed. As soon as you have finished reading and/or responding to an email, either move it to one of your folders or delete. Now, just like your desk, your inbox will be sparkling clean!
Day 4 – Create a correspondence window. Set aside a certain amount of time each day devoted solely to email and phone correspondence. This way you’re not taking calls and answering emails all day long, which can inhibit productivity. Furthermore, you will be able to return communications to customers and vendors in a consistently timely manner, something that everyone with which you do business will certainly appreciate.
Day 5 – Keep your eye on the prize. Either at the start or end of each day, create a to-do list of 3 tasks that MUST be completed that day. You can always add more if you finish all 3. As you work throughout your day, always refer back to that list. Check off what you have completed and move onto another task. This doesn’t always mean that a to-do list can’t be adjusted, but giving yourself a general outline of your day will help you stay on track. Most people also take a little bit of pleasure in crossing off a task, so make it a regular part of your work day!

Organization requires patience and self-discipline, two qualities you most likely already possess as an entrepreneur. Incorporate a new method of organization everyday into your business so that by the end of the week you’ll be completely organized, and then make it a habit. By organizing as you go, you will find yourself with more time to focus on other areas that need lots of attention, like advertising and customer service.

How do you stay organized? What systems do you recommend? Please share your tips in the comments section.

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DSEF & CBBB: Jumpstart Your Creative Marketing Strategies

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Click here:

Jumpstart Your Creative Marketing Strategies

It isn’t easy to always be at the top of your game. For most of us, even if we eat our Wheaties every day, the likelihood that we bring creative and competitively-charged ideas to work with us each morning is far-fetched.

At the BBB, the members of our marketing department pride themselves on working together as a team. I assume most of your marketing departments do the same. We bounce ideas off each other and brainstorm for new and creative ways of attracting both consumers and businesses to the BBB brand.

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visitwww.bbb.org/us for more information.

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DSEF & Money Wise Women: Become a Sought After Speaker to Grow Your List, Attract Clients & Make Your Biz THRIVE!

Today’s highlighted post from Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series:

Become a Sought After Speaker to Grow Your List, Attract Clients, and Make Your Business THRIVE!

Would you like to walk out of your house in the morning, go to a place where you know no one and come home with clients in the afternoon? If so this info. packed session is for you. You will learn: All the reasons why public speaking is the best business building strategy, how to get started to position yourself as a speaker and get booked, what to do before during and after your presentation to come home with clients.

DSEF proudly sponsors the free Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series hosted by Marcia Brixey, Founder and President of Money Wise Women Educational Services and author ofThe Money Therapist: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life. The series covers topics related to business and finances and provides women the opportunity to learn from professional experts in a safe, comfortable environment.

To find out about upcoming teleseminars, visit http://www.moneywisewomengetsmart.com/

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Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for your Business

Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions for your Business

Another year is almost through, and just like most of us make resolutions for our personal lives, it is also a smart idea to make some for your business as well. So before your pop open that champagne and watch the ball drop in Times Square, consider making a few changes to boost your business in 2015.

Improve your time management. Take an inventory of what your typical day looks like. What areas lack efficiency? What duties can be multitasked to save time? Perhaps your daily to-do list is too long. Prioritize aggressively to get a handle on how much can actually be accomplished in any given day.
Give back to your community. Remember that your business is part of a community. Giving back has an endless list of mutual benefits for everyone involved. Make a point to find one or two local organizations with which to involve yourself this year. You can find some good ideas here.
Learn something new. Even if you’ve been in business for decades, there are always new, exciting, affordable, and convenient opportunities to further your business education. Consider taking a mini-course at the local community college or participating in a webinar hosted by others in your industry.
Get organized. Whether you’re dealing with actual papers in a filing cabinet or electronic files on your hard drive, organization is essential to productivity. Now is a good time to set aside any documents you might need for tax purposes, as April 15 will sneak up on you in no time. Maybe your customer records need updating, your finance software is inefficient, or your desk is buried in paperwork. Focus on one aspect and bring order to it so you can start fresh in the New Year.
Predict your financial future. The end of the calendar year is an opportune time to look back on your overhead and sales volume. Using this information, plan ahead for the coming months so you don’t spend money needlessly and you do make the most out of your current investments.
Set realistic goals. A goal that is realistic is one that is both specific and attainable. It’s okay to think big and challenge yourself, but create benchmarks so you have a path to get there. For example, if you want to increase profits by 50% next year, what has to be done each week and each month to make that happen? Answers to those questions will guide you in setting your objectives.
Update your website. Do some exploratory surgery on your website, searching for things like broken or outdated links, unnecessary flash content, and information about discontinued products. Even a cosmetic reboot may be just what your business needs to start anew in making the best use of your website. While you’re at it, consider creating or updating your social media presence such as networking sites and blogs.
Back up your files. In addition to manually backing up files onto a CD/DVD or flash drive, most internet service providers and antivirus software companies offer free or inexpensive online storage services. Take advantage of these because all it takes is one accident to erase years of data and hard work. It’s simply not worth the risk.
Ramp up your customer service. In what areas is your customer care lacking? Do you procrastinate in making courtesy or follow-up calls? How long does the average customer usually have to wait before they get a return call or email after making an inquiry? Make customer service a frequent flier on that to-do list of yours.
Celebrate your accomplishments. Every once in awhile, it’s important to evaluate what you have done well and give yourself a pat on the back. As a business owner, you are ultimately the one responsible for every outcome, good and bad. When you reach a goal or solve a problem, reward yourself by going out to your favorite restaurant or simply taking a much-needed day off. You will feel re-energized and motivated to forge ahead and tackle the next project or obstacle.

What resolutions have you made for your business? Please leave a comment below and have a happy, prosperous New Year!

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What Small Business Can Learn From a Kid’s Lemonade Stand

The basics behind a successful lemonade stand don’t require a rocket scientist to figure out: buy cups, make lemonade, paint a few signs, sell more than it cost to make, and voila! A 7-year-old entrepreneur is turning a profit in no time. Surely, the adult business venture isn’t that simple, but remembering the basics of running a business like the tried and true lemonade stand is an important requirement for success.

Focus on your local market. Decide what exactly your local customers’ needs are, and cater to those first. If you were running a lemonade stand you would need to consider the demographic when deciding when to conduct your business. For the parents and kids coming home in the early afternoon from a morning baseball practice or beach outing, marketing your stand for a lunch rush would make perfect sense. For the working parents who just finished a long commute from the office, an additional set of early evening hours would be beneficial as well.
Know when to adjust. Even if your business is pulling in profits, it is important to know when it is appropriate to invest more money and when to pull back. After a lucrative summer and early fall lemonade stand season, it would probably be ill-advised to buy more supplies for a larger lemonade output just as the colder weather moves in. The demand will be much lower, which will make it more difficult to turn a profit. A smart idea would be to hold off until the warmer weather returns. Does your business have a slower time of the year, month, or week? Use your busier times to prepare for lags and don’t sink money into it when you’re unlikely to see a return anytime soon.
Be an aggressive advertiser. Budding entrepreneurs don’t simply wait for cars to drive by their stands. They can be seen with their friends and parents on street corners throughout the whole neighborhood holding large, colorful signs and loudly announcing their businesses as their neighbors drive past. Furthermore, 21^st century kids are using their social media presence to generate customers. Take a lesson from their spirited advertising and get your name and face out there. And just like those kids standing on street corners, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of friends and family to put in a good word about you in their own circles.
Offer exceptional customer service. Have you ever stopped at a kid’s lemonade stand? Those adorable faces, those winning smiles, and those polite “Thank you’s” and “Come again soon’s” are enough to make anyone a repeat customer. Make your customers feel special and important by showing them that you truly appreciate them patronizing your business. Outstanding customer service goes a long way through word of mouth that will bring you repeat business and new clients alike.
Sell a high-quality product. For as much time and effort as setting up a lemonade stand can be for a child, it would all be for naught if he or she just put some powder mix in a pitcher of water and called it a day. Many successful children have a special, and often secret, recipe that they work hard to perfect for their business. You should be doing the same for your product or service. Consider what your competitors are offering, and make sure yours is a step above the rest. This will make your business stand out and turn potential customers into frequent ones.

Did you have a lemonade stand or other business venture as a kid? What did you learn from it that you still use in your business today? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!