All posts tagged home-based business

Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Front view portrait of four business executives jumping with arms raisedHere at DSEF, it’s our goal to provide you with great content you can use right now to build your business. And it’s content you can use any time. So we dug into the archives, to provide you with our Top 10 posts of 2013. These were your favorite posts this past year. Which one is your favorite?

  1. 6 Ideas to Increase Sales
  2. Is the Company a Scam? How to Identify a Pyramid Scheme
  3. 12 Tips for Successful Online Virtual Events
  4. 5 Tips To Attract More People To Your Facebook Page
  5. How to Run a Successful Direct Selling Business (and a Free Gift for You!)
  6. How to Find Customers
  7. Free eBook: 15 Days to Greater Success
  8. Five Ways to Increase Repeat Sales
  9. 6 Strategies to Attract Customers
  10. No Sales? Tips to Make Sales

Thanks for being such a great community! We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to serve you this year!

Practical Rules to Build a Successful Business

Practical Rules to Build a Successful Business

Practical Rules to Build a Successful Business from http://dsef.orgThere are countless resources out there with information to help you build, operate, maintain, and grow a successful business. The wealth of material available on such topics can be daunting to sift through, so we’ve compiled a basic list of practical rules that every entrepreneur should follow. These rules apply to small businesses in any industry, so consider each one carefully as you begin your journey as an entrepreneur.

  • Expect positive results, but prepare to overcome failure. Expecting positive outcomes has everything to do with putting yourself in an optimistic frame of mind. If you are too consumed with fear of failure then you are inadvertently setting yourself up to do just that. Make sure the tone of your self-talk is positive, find effective motivators, and remind yourself frequently that you are more than capable of achieving your dreams. At the same time, recognize that a positive mindset alone is not enough to succeed. Prepare yourself for setbacks both financially and emotionally. Obstacles are bound to appear, but with adequate preparation and a confident outlook, you can overcome them and move on, all the better for it.
  • Strengthen your skills. Never stop learning. Invest the time, and money if possible, to sharpen even your strongest skills, and improve your weakest ones. There will always be someone or something you can learn from. Don’t get too caught up in the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities and neglect to improve your own skill set. Professional development and continuing your education can increase the longevity of your success.
  • Plan for the long run. This means everything from putting money aside for a rainy day to staying on top of your responsibilities so as not to fall behind in case of something unexpected like an illness or family obligation. Also take into account the big picture. For example, while hunting for retail space, an aspiring business owner finds an affordable location with lots of foot traffic anchored by a large department store. The problem is that this anchor store will be closing its doors within the next year. Although this may not seem significant, it’s a very real possibility that the closing of the department store will cause the majority of shoppers to go elsewhere, having a negative effect on the foot traffic in the area. So even though it may be an ideal space right now, planning for the long run means taking into account that it might be a poor choice in the future.
  • Identify your competition and learn about them. There’s an old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Although your competition shouldn’t be your enemy, you should know as much as you can about what they offer their customers and how they conduct their business. Staying in the loop allows you to keep pace with industry trends and to stay on par with what your customers want and need from you. The same goes for identifying what it is about the competition that you don’t want to do. Perhaps your main competitor has a good reputation for offering frequent incentives and promotions, but also has a bad reputation for its poor customer service. Take the weakness of your competitor and make it your strength. Your customers will notice and spread the word.
  • Don’t waste money. The best way to avoid this common mistake is to create a conservative budget and stick to it. A good idea is to track each and every expense, and evaluate them all at the end of a given time period (pay cycle, month, quarter, etc.). By putting your budget and expenses in writing, you will easily be able to analyze the financial health of your business and adjust accordingly.
  • Seek opportunities. There will no doubt be opportunities available to you that will allow you to grow your business. However, they won’t exactly come with an engraved invitation; you must be proactive and seek them out. If you want to increase your following within the community, find local events in which to participate and promote your business like school fundraisers, sidewalk sales, and holiday festivities. Define your goals and priorities, and develop an action plan to find your opportunities.
  • Minimize risks. There is a certain amount of risk-taking necessary in running a successful small business, but you can minimize these risks by doing your research and making the necessary preparations. The owner of a clothing boutique has been operating successfully for over ten years, so she decides to expand her business by opening up another retail location. Of course this is a big risk, but she knows how to minimize it by taking all the same precautions she did when she opened up her first location a decade ago: research locations, look at a variety of spaces, analyze potential customer base, have a financial fallback plan, etc. Whatever the risk you decide to take, be smart about your preparation in order to minimize the possibility of a negative outcome.

Talk to any successful small business owner, and he or she will tell you how these rules have applied to his or her situation. Have you followed these rules? How have they helped you? Is there anything else you would add to our list? Please share your comments below!

How to Stay Clear-Minded In the Midst of Chaos

How to Stay Clear-Minded In the Midst of Chaos

Frustrated Businesswoman on the PhoneHave you ever felt like you were trying to accomplish so much that your constant multitasking turned into chaos? This is a common problem for people with a lot to do. The best way to combat this overwhelming feeling is to clear your mind so that you are able to focus on achieving your objectives. The following list will help you break through the chaos and bring order to your professional life.

  • Stop whatever you’re doing, and take a deep breath until you regain composure. This very important action is the first step to relieving that feeling of chaos and is vital to your productivity. Deep breathing affects the nervous system, which in turn relieves feelings of stress and anxiety. (Source) Just five to ten seconds of deep breathing, especially while visualizing the source of the stress leaving your body, will allow you to concentrate on the task at hand. In addition to deep breathing, you could even incorporate a soothing phrase or mantra that will signal your mind to calm down and regroup. Your physical body must first be relaxed in order to be productive.
  • Focus on the goal and don’t become overly detailed. Once you have taken some deep breaths, it’s time to remind yourself what the goal is. What is your overall objective? By keeping the goal in mind, you will be better able to sort through all the details without getting buried in or sidetracked by minute tasks. For example, say your goal is to touch base with a list of clients by making follow-up phone calls. While pulling up your contact list, you notice that you haven’t synced your list on your computer with the one on your smartphone in a while, so you take a detour to complete that task. While that is happening, you also notice that you have some contacts on that list you no longer need, so you begin to update and organize your digital rolodex. All of these other tasks, though they may need completing at some point, are not helping accomplish your overall goal, which is to follow up with your clients via telephone. Keep the goal at the forefront of your mind, and only complete tasks that directly contribute to the completion of that goal.
  • Take a break and be social. Socializing is a great relaxer and puts you in a positive mindset. It is okay to take a break when you’ve been focused for a long period of time and feel you need to step away for a bit to refresh your body and mind. Text a friend about a lunch date, check in with your spouse about how his or her day is going, or even browse your social networks for five minutes. By taking your mind off the task for a short period of time, you actually can increase your productivity by preventing burnout and excessive stress. Be responsible with your downtime, but don’t be afraid to use it.

Clearing your mind is of utmost importance in the long-term journey of accomplishing your business goals. Remember to take deep breaths, don’t sweat the details, and allow yourself some social interaction. This mix of caring for both your physical and mental needs is crucial to your ability to deal with any level of chaos.

What do you think of our list? Have you tried any of these things? Please share your comments below!

Here’s What to Do if You Don’t Have a Business Plan

Here’s What to Do if You Don’t Have a Business Plan

businessgrowWhether you are just starting a small business or you are looking to reinvent your existing one, creating a business plan is the first step toward setting goals and generating your action plan. Creating a business plan can be overwhelming, but the good news is that you don’t actually need one to really get going. If you don’t know where to begin but want to take action, start with the following three tasks. These will help you define your ideas and make your business dreams a reality.

  • Have a vision and goal in mind. What do you ideally want your business to be? What will the experience be like for you? How about the customer? Answering such questions helps form a vision for your business, which in turn will allow you to set specific goals to fit that vision. Even if you can’t work out the specifics right now, having a vision and goal in mind will give you a focus point and motivation to continue. It will also help to be able to describe this vision for others you want involved in your business. So take some quiet time and figure out what you want this business to be so you can work toward making it a reality.
  • Focus on people by networking and building a good team. Don’t forget that above all else, a successful business is built by hard-working, intelligent, and creative people. Start to surround yourself with good people through networking. When interacting with others, don’t hesitate to ask questions about their own experiences launching a business. You will not only gather ideas for yourself, but you will begin to build professional relationships that will prove essential to your success. Work toward gathering a team of people who share your goals and ambitions. Collaborating with others is a highly effective way to achieve your objectives.
  • Build momentum, but don’t focus on perfection. Don’t get caught up in making sure everything is done perfectly, at least not right away. Initiating momentum in achieving your goals is more important at this stage of the game. This is the time to form good work habits like setting a consistent schedule for yourself, creating daily agendas and following them consistently, and reaching out to others for ideas and assistance. The best way to learn how to do something is to actually do it, so jump right in and get to work. Have the confidence that you’ll figure out the details along the way.

The specifics of a business plan such as tasks, deadlines, and finances are certainly an important first step for any startup. However, by creating a vision, focusing on people, and building momentum, you can be well on your way to launching your business before you delve into the details of an official business plan. Do you have other ideas to add to our list? Please share them in the comments section below!

Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Facebook Ads can be a powerful tool in helping you build business during the holidays. For a rather small investment, you can specifically target people you want to reach with your message. Whether your message be related to sales or recruiting, Facebook Ads can help you reach the right people and build your business.

Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business from http://dsef.orgThe easiest way to get started with Facebook Ads is to use Facebook’s built-in Ads Manager. To get there, click the wheel icon in the upper-right corner of any page on Facebook, and click Create Ads.

Next, you’ll choose an objective for your ad. If your goal is to increase the Likes on your Facebook Page so that you can build your community and engage them through a series of posts filled with content as well as promotions, choose “Page Likes.” You might choose “Clicks to Website” if you want to point your ad towards a sales or recruiting page on your site, or a custom landing page designed to capture visitor information. If you are going to be hosting a special event for the holidays (an open house, a table at a bazaar, etc.) you might want to choose Event Responses, and set up an Event on Facebook with the details of the event. If you’ve set up a special Offer on Facebook, such as a special discount on a product, you might choose Offer Claims. Choose the type of result you want for your ads, and select the objective from the list.

Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business from http://dsef.org

 

Once you’ve made your choice, select the options that make sense for you. In this case, we’ve chosen Clicks to Website. Note that we are adding additional tracking by using bit.ly (a link tracking service) that will enable us to count the number of clicks that our link gets. (For advanced users, you can use Google’s URL builder in conjunction with Google Analytics to track the source and medium of your links, and tie it to specific campaigns that you can track within Google Analytics. Shorten the tracking URL that the URL builder creates with bit.ly, and use that URL here.)

Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business from http://dsef.org

Next you’ll choose images for your ads. You can select up to 6 images, and Facebook will create up to 6 versions of your ad with each of the images.

Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business from http://dsef.org

Now it’s time to write your ad. Connect your Facebook Page to your Ad, and then write your ad copy. (Depending on the type of ad you choose, you may have slightly different options here.) You can choose to place your ad in the News Feed, the Right Column, or both. By default both are selected. If, for example, you want to remove the Right Column, simply select “Remove.” For tips on creating your Facebook Ads, read this post. (Facebook has recently changed its ads interface, but this post still has some useful information.)

Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

 

Your next step is to make choices about who you want to target with your ads. You can choose geographic location, gender, age, interests and more. If your advertising budget is limited ($5 or $10 per day) try to keep your advertising target market small. You may also wish to target people whose friends are connected to your Page, as they may be more likely to engage with your ad because their friends already like you.

Targeting is the most important part of the ad process. Especially if your budget is small, be very specific about the type of people you want to reach. You may wish to limit your geographic area to where you actually live and can service customers, and be very specific about the interests, education level, etc. of the people you want to reach. If you’ve never done an ideal customer profile, now is the time to start. What does your most profitable target look like? What are their interests? What is their lifestyle? The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that you will reach them through your ad campaign. Experiment with this to see which target markets give you the best results.

Your final 2 steps involve creating a campaign and deciding how you will pay for your ads. Now mind you, you must have a billing source associated with your Facebook profile (personal account) in order to advertise.

First you’ll create a Campaign with a daily dollar limit associated with it. For example, you might create a campaign called “Holiday Sales” and add a daily spend limit of $10 per day for that campaign. All the ads you create will be lumped together under this campaign. You can create as many ads as you want for the campaign, but you will never spend more than $10 daily for this campaign. Once you reach that spend limit, Facebook will no longer display any of your ads that day.

Facebook Ads Campaign and Pricing

Next you’ll decide how much you want to pay for your ads. If you Optimize for clicks, you’ll only get charged for the number of people that click on your ad. This is our favorite method. If you Optimize for impressions, you get charged for the number of times Facebook displays your ad, regardless of whether or not someone interacts with your ad.

You may want to choose “Manually bid for clicks” and then enter a dollar amount you’re willing to pay up to for clicks. Keep in mind that this is a bid, not a set amount. You will never pay more per click than the amount you specify, but you may pay less. Facebook recommends a range for your pricing bid. If you want to ensure your ad is displayed, you may want to work on the high side of this bid.

After you have made these choices, review and place your order. Once Facebook approves your ads (can take up to 24 hours) they will begin to run within the Facebook platform. It is important to continually monitor the success of your ads, and write new ones as needed.

Facebook Ads can be an excellent way to build your holiday business by helping you connect with more people. Start with a small daily amount, and monitor the success of your ads daily. This can be an excellent way to grow your business.

Do you use Facebook Ads? How successful have they been for you? What advice would you give to someone trying them for the first time? Would love to read your experiences in the comments below!

3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

beprepareBecause you are your own boss, you can usually establish your own work schedule and daily agenda. As wonderful as this can be, it can also be challenging to resist all the distractions that come your way. These distractions can stem from your personal life, the abundance of convenient technology available at your fingertips (checked your Facebook and Twitter feeds lately?), or even the feeling of being overwhelmed with how much you need to accomplish. In order to keep these distractions to a minimum, follow these tips for staying as focused as you possibly can.

  1. Establish clear and concrete goals or benchmarks. Yes, this means putting them in writing. Keep a file on your computer listing your goals along with realistic deadlines. This list can be short term (daily, weekly) or long term (monthly, yearly). Find a system that works best for you to not only make the most of the hours in a day, but also to reach your overall professional objectives. For instance, a music teacher who gives private lessons from his home studio wants to expand his business by acquiring five new clients each month for the next six months. His list of goals includes seeking referrals from existing students and giving free weekly workshops at the town’s youth center. By referring to these goals regularly, he will be on his way to achieving it in his desired time frame.
  2. Track your results and continually make adjustments to reach your target. When you do become focused, it is important to stop and evaluate your progress every so often. If you fail to do this, it’s possible you may not be using your time as efficiently as possible. The music teacher trying to acquire new clients finds that seeking referrals has been more successful in helping him find new students than his workshops have.  So he decides to cut down his workshops to once a month instead of once a week, and invest more time in following up with his referrals. Tracking your results will allow you to make the most out of your time and increase your chances of reaching your goals.
  3. Have someone hold you accountable. Even the most disciplined person can give in to distractions and lose focus. To prevent this from happening, reach out to a trusted family member, friend or colleague to hold you accountable. Find a creative way to do this that will help your cause. For example, while training for her first 5K race, a novice runner decided to post each of her morning runs to her best friend’s Facebook timeline. If she was ever late in posting or didn’t run at all, her friend sent her a motivating message via Facebook and text. This simple task kept her focused and motivated to continue because she knew someone else was expecting something from her. Increase your chances of success by holding yourself accountable.

These tips for staying laser focused can be customized to fit any of your professional and even personal goals. Establish clear objectives, track your results and make adjustments, and find someone to hold you accountable. What else would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

businessgrowThroughout the course of your business, you will undoubtedly be faced with the prospect of increasing your prices while making sure you don’t lose your customers. As long as you are truthful and you maintain your high quality products and customer service, you can rest easy with the knowledge that your clients likely aren’t going anywhere. If you find yourself in the situation of having to increase prices, here are some tips.

  • Give an honest explanation for the increase and thank them for being loyal customers. It won’t take long for customers to notice a price increase, especially for items that they buy on a regular basis. The most important thing is for you to be honest. For example, a local business owner who designs and makes window treatments (curtains, draperies, etc.) gets most of her materials from out of state. Because of a recent increase in gas prices, her distributor is charging more for shipping. In order for her to maintain her profit margin and keep her business afloat, she must increase the price customers pay for both her supplies and services. Customers will understand and most likely relate to your reasons, so don’t keep them in the dark. Instead, thank them for understanding and show your appreciation for their loyalty. They won’t want to bring their business elsewhere if they know you sincerely care.
  • Offer another lower price item. There will be times when a customer is unable or unwilling to pay the higher price, so in this situation you may want to offer an alternative. The window treatment designer offered her customers a similar fabric that is less expensive for her to buy, so she is able to pass that savings on to her customers. Again, be honest about what you are offering and why it is a lower price, but be sure to emphasize that it is of the same quality that your customers have come to expect.
  • Add more value to your existing items. This is a great way to keep your customers happy despite the price hike. Add value to your items by offering an extra service or perhaps a discount on a future purchase. Listen to what your customers want, and be creative in finding ways to make them happy. In most cases, they won’t mind spending a few extra dollars if they know they are getting more for it, instead of less.
  • Show how the increase gives them more for their dollar. When the window treatment designer explains the reasons for her price increase to her customers, she also makes a point of explaining that without the price increase, she wouldn’t be able to offer as wide of a selection of fabrics. This is a big selling point for her because her business is among only a handful of those like it in the region, and by far the one with the most choices. So for customers who are willing to pay the higher price, they are getting an expert who can offer them exactly what will be best for their needs.
  • Demonstrate how the increase in price is not to increase profit. If you have been honest in your explanation and fair in your increase, it will become apparent to your customers that you are increasing your prices out of necessity, not greed. All too often, we read in the newspaper how large corporations are posting record profits, even in times of economic distress. Show your customers that your small business is unlike those corporations and that you need to increase your prices to maintain your business and livelihood. They will likely agree with you and understand the reasons for your actions.

By being honest with your customers and adding value to your products and services, you will maintain your clientele despite your prices going up. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and will remain loyal if they know you sincerely appreciate them in return. What are your ideas for keeping customers while raising your prices? Please share your comments with us!

A Simple Way to Make More Sales

A Simple Way to Make More Sales

Using Credit Card at RegisterWhen you are in the process of making a sale, your enthusiasm and adrenaline kick into high gear. These may help you close the deal, but they can also hinder your progress. The most important thing to remember about making a sale is that the sale should never be a one-sided presentation. Think back to your school days. Were your favorite teachers the ones who lectured on the material the entire time or the ones who engaged you with thoughtful questions and hands-on experiences? It is most likely the latter, since we tend to grow bored and stop listening if there isn’t a dialogue involved.

In order to prevent your sales presentation from becoming one-sided, focus on keeping your customer engaged with questions. These questions should elicit more than “yes” or “no” answers. They should allow a dialogue to take place and give you an opening to present more information. For example, you’re about to demonstrate the effectiveness of your all-natural carpet cleaner on your sample red wine stain. Ask the customer, “Have your children or pets ever stained your carpet so badly that all the scrubbing you’ve done just won’t get rid of it?” When the customer answers yes, ask them to tell you that story. This shows that you are interested in what the person has to say, and that you are not simply giving a generic presentation. Continue asking questions throughout your presentation, and customize it based on what the customer shares with you.

If you have asked the right types of questions and have followed up with related ones, you have learned a bit about your customer. Use this information and keep referring to it while you interact. When you asked the customer to tell you the story about the carpet stain, you notice she mentioned that she has a newborn baby in the house. When you get to the part in your presentation where you tout your product’s environmentally friendly ingredients, emphasize the benefits of reducing the amount of chemicals her baby is exposed to. This might lead her to ask what exactly is in your carpet cleaner, and the conversation continues. Remember that the more questions a prospective customer asks, the more likely you are to make the sale. Think of this as time well spent, as it is an investment into your business. Take the time necessary to grasp every opportunity you can to continue the conversation and lead the prospect to ask more questions. You will be sparking and maintaining interest in your product or service, which will likely lead to a sale.

By simply focusing on your customer, engaging him or her in the presentation, and investing your time well, you will certainly find yourself making more sales. Enjoy this part of your business; interacting with others is fun and interesting work. Use it to your advantage while you help others find solutions to their problems with your products and services. How do you engage your customers while making a sale? Please share your comments below!

A Fantastic List of Resources to Grow Your Business

A Fantastic List of Resources to Grow Your Business

Are you looking for ways to grow your business? Increase your sales? Manage your time better? Here at DSEF, we’ve been providing content for years on these topics and many others, to help you build a more profitable and rewarding business.

So today, we decided to reach back into the archives and compile some of our posts by topic, to help you find the content that will help you with what you’re working on right now. Take some time to explore the posts below, and share them with your friends and colleagues. We wish you much success!

Grow Your Business from http://dsef.orgMarketing Your Business Online

Establishing Your Online Presence

4 Tips for Effective Online Marketing

Tips for Running an Effective Contest Online

5 Tips to Attract More People to Your Facebook Page

12 Tips for Successful Online Virtual Events

4 Ways Photos Can Help You Grow Your Business

Making Facebook Work for Your Business

Using Instagram for Your Small Business

 

Grow your Business from http://dsef.orgBusiness Growth

Free eBook: 15 Days to Greater Success

3 Things You Must Do Now to Grow Your Business

Reaching Your Target Market in Different Generations

6 Ways to Get in Front of More Customers this Holiday Season

7 Ways to Get More Customers

Planning for a Bigger Business: The 3:3:3 Approach

Free eBook: The Power of the Success Mindset

 

Tips for Business Growth from http://dsef.orgIncreasing Sales

5 Ways to Get More Sales From Existing Customers

3 Ways to Increase Your Average Customer Order

4 Ways to Master Your Sales Pitch

4 No-Cost Ways to Increase Sales

 

Leadership

8 Ways to Be a Great Leader

What Your Team Needs

Leadership that Motivates

 

Time Management

Why You Procrastinate

Balance Without Sacrificing Business (How to Make your Business More Efficient)

How To Manage Your Time on Social Media

 

Grow Your Business from http://dsef.orgBusiness Finances

Creating a Budget for Your Small Business

10 Tips for Reducing Financial Stress

Tips for Taking Control of Your Business Finances

 

Which post has helped you the most with your business? Please share with us in the comments!

5 Ways to Jump Start Your Business

5 Ways to Jump Start Your Business

MP900289918[1]Have you felt like your business has slowed down a bit over the summer? If so, now is the time to turn that around. The holiday sales season is coming, and what you do now can help make your holiday season as productive as possible. Here are some tips.

  1. Make sure your goals are written down, and that you plan specific, daily activities to reach those goals. Having a list of things you need to accomplish each day will help you move in a positive direction. Do whatever is necessary to keep moving forward towards your goals.
  2. Stay flexible! While it’s important to have goals and planned activities, you also need to stay alert to opportunities that come. Perhaps you are offered a networking opportunity, or a chance to team up with another business to cross-promote. Be flexible and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.
  3. Realize that your business is a building process, and you may not have all the momentum you want immediately. That’s OK. The work you do today will bring tomorrow’s opportunities. Take it one step at a time, and be sure to manage your risk so that the steps that you take benefit your business.
  4. Get rid of the excuses. Do you want excuses, or do you want a prosperous business? Presuming the latter, get to work and develop a “no excuses” mentality. You have a list each day…keep working until it’s done. this is what will help you build the momentum you need for a productive selling season.
  5. Focus. The most successful entrepreneurs are those that stay focused on what they want to achieve. So be laser focused and unwavering. Don’t let circumstances keep you from what you want to achieve. For example, if you want to schedule 8 sales events in a month, keep making phone calls and marketing until you have them on the calendar. Persistence is what builds momentum. Don’t give up!

By making a plan and sticking with it, you will build the kind of business that you want. So stay focused on your goals, and get it done. You will either find a way to achieve what you want or you will find an excuse. Be the kind of business owner that gets it done.

What will you do today to jump start your business? Please share with us in the comments.