Tips for Launching a Business You Can Run from Home

Being your own boss has a lot of appeal, but it’s even better if you can run your business from the comfort of home. Not only are operating costs lower when you work from home, it’s also great to have a nonexistent commute. All those perks are nice, but it doesn’t mean starting a home-based business is easy. The resources below can help guide you through the process of setting up a successful business to run from home.

Getting Established

Knowing you want to run your own business is just the beginning. To get your ideas off the ground, you’ll have to develop a business plan, think of your ideal customer or client and find ways to fund your business. 

You’ll also want to think carefully about the business structure you want. Your business structure determines what taxes you pay and what paperwork you need to file. Not only that, you have to choose a structure before you can register your business. 

Common structures include sole proprietorship, partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs). For many people, an LLC is ideal because it limits personal liability for business issues. The rules for establishing an LLC as well as the tax requirements vary by state, so be sure to do your research to determine what’s best for you. 

Making a Distraction-Free Home Office 

In addition to establishing your business, you will also want to carve out a work area to operate your business at home. If you make and sell products or need to keep inventory on hand, think about setting up in the basement or converting your garage. If you simply run an online service, your space requirements will be much smaller and you can easily set up in a spare bedroom or other unused space. 

When choosing a work area, you also have to think about how to keep your work and personal life separate. This is hard enough if you live alone, but it’s even more challenging if you have pets or kids. BusinessKnowHow.com says it helps to keep regular hours and to make sure all business-related things are contained in one area. 

Finding Clients 

After putting together your work space, you’ll be ready to start focusing on running your business. Landing your first customer or client takes a lot of work, but you’ll need to persevere to be successful.

First, you have to make sure people know about your products or services. If your business provides a service like writing, consulting, accounting or just about any other service, it doesn’t hurt to make a profile on freelance job boards to find your first clients. You’ll also need to build and maintain a strong digital presence, but you’re best off hiring professionals for these tasks. Patrick Cox, The Cre8ive Consultant can help by creating a website, working with you to develop a strong social media presence, and build an email list using inbound lead generation to grow your email list.

You might also find it helps to run advertisements to help spread the word. Running ads on Google and Bing can be beneficial, but social media ads are often effective as well. Ads do cost money, but ThriveHive points out that you can also get free exposure on Google by diversifying your approach. Publishing useful content on your website or offering a free introductory consultation are just a few ways to put yourself out there. 

Maintaining Business Growth 

Landing a few clients and making your first sales is exciting, but now you have to think about ways to keep your momentum going. Maintaining relationships with your best clients and customers is a good way to earn repeat business. However, you also need to work on expanding your customer and client base. Posting regularly on social media, keeping your website fresh and starting an email newsletter are a few ways to bring in more clients. 

If you’ve always wanted to run a business, don’t let fear get in the way. By following these tips for success, you can ensure your great ideas get off the ground.

Amy Collett is creator of Biz Well, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. When she isn’t helping clients boost their careers or businesses, she enjoys coaching her daughter’s soccer team and training to become a yoga instructor.

How Blogging can Greatly Improve Your Small Business Marketing in a Small Town

Running a small business comes with plenty of challenges.. On top of managing your day-to-day operations, you need:

• a well-trained and loyal team;

• a great product or service;

• to deliver fantastic customer experience;

• a well managed, mobile-responsive, and frequently updated website;

• to provide a consistent and engaging social media presence; and 

• to implement an SEO strategy that will ensure your website gets noticed by those who need to see it. 

This is basic stuff for most of us; however, in small rural towns, businesses operate a bit differently. That’s not to say these things wouldn’t drastically improve sales and lead generation; it simply means small town business owners have survived thousands of years doing things “their way.”

Many small town business owners get most of their business from the community that has supported them for years. They haven’t needed a website, especially when they have a well-loved Facebook page (and that’s if they are even online, at all). They have all they need right where they’re at and never really planned on changing.

Operating a small business in a small town does come with its advantages:

• Word-of-mouth is powerful in a small town.

• Competition is less.

• Community relationships matter.

• Small town businesses usually have friendlier staff and offer better customer service.

Small town life is simple, more straightforward, and referrals are an everyday occurrence. Most of your marketing occurs while chatting with a neighbor, at a local networking event or at your favorite restaurant or bar. Up until recently, if you had a prosperous small business in a small town it really didn’t take much to keep it going.

Then 2020 happened and everything changed.

Today, small town business owners are dealing with some pretty significant issues:

• a global pandemic;

• political and economic uncertainty; and

• a nation divided .

This has made it much harder to do things the “old way”. Therefore, it may be time to reconsider your current marketing strategy and reach out to a wider market. Marketing your business is more important today than it’s ever been; unfortunately, many small business owners lack the funds to do so properly.

So what can you do to get your local business that extra needed attention? 

BLOG!

If you don’t have a website, now is the time to consider entering the 21st century and I would be happy to help; however this post is focused on those of you who do have a web presence and need to expand into a wider market.

One of the most effective and affordable ways to build brand awareness and improve lead generation is to provide your core audience with a fresh, relevant and consistently updated blog.

Here are a few facts that might surprise you about blogging:

Fact #1: Blogging is one of the most effective ways to build brand awareness. Businesses with Blogs Get 2X More Email Traffic than Businesses without Blogs.

Brand awareness helps people remember your products and your mission. Blogs, infographics and guest articles are a great way to get started with content. Brand awareness is how consumers recognize and remember your business.

Fact #2: Blogging encourages others to partner and share your content. Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website.

SEO loves backlinks. The more people who link back to your blog, the better it is for your website and page rank. Build partnerships with other vendors and local business owners to increase your backlinks and you’ll be climbing the ladder to the coveted #1 position on Google. But you have to start, first!

Fact #3: Blogging gets your website the visibility it deserves. On average, companies that blog receive 434% more indexed pages and 55% more website visitors.

Search engines love fresh, relevant content and each blog you write and post on your website creates a new search engine link. If you use specific keywords and phrases with strategically worded blog titles people search for online, you stand a much great chance of attract your core audience.

Example: Let’s say you’re a local roofer, and you want to expand into a broader market. By writing blog posts that serve people in those areas, you’ll get on their radar much quicker, and they’ll see you not only provide a solution to their need, but you’ve also got the experience and know-how to get the job done. Here are a few ideas:

• You could focus on the weather: “Hurricane ? is coming! What to Expect, How to Prepare & How to Get Your Roof Inspected After the Storm”  

• You could focus on drainage issues: “How adding gutters can save your driveway in rural North Carolina.”

• You could focus on specific communities: Many homes in North Raleigh are hitting their 20’s. Time for a new roof!”

• You could call attention to the economic hardship many are facing: “How to Get Insurance to Pay for Your Roof Replacement in 2020.”

Blogging allows you to focus on your target audiences specific needs.

By actively blogging, you can educate and inform your audience on what your products/services can do to solve their problems. Here are a few other reasons why blogging should be an essential part of your content strategy.

• Blogging improves brand loyalty. Use your blog to teach your audience what makes you so awesome. Offer tutorials, videos, “how to’s”, share testimonials and invite quests to come blog about their experience working with you.

• Blogging helps build your email list. Your email list is the single most crucial tool for remaining in contact with visitors to your website. Without an email list, you have no way to contact those who visited your website. By offering a subscription service to your blog, you can get contact information to build on that relationship. DON'T ADVERTISE to your email list. Inform, educate and entertain. Teach your subscribers what makes you the best in the business.

• Blogging provides additional content for other social media sites. Use a quote from your blog and create visual content for Facebook and LinkedIn. Take an excerpt from your blog and post it on LinkedIn. Encourage people to read it and then provide feedback on the post. The more you get people talking, the better chance you have of inspiring others to subscribe to your blog and join your email list.

• Blogging builds trust in your industry.  Instead of talking about what you can do, show your audience how. Blogging allows you to share knowledge with your customers about the industry in your other relevant interest areas. It helps consumers build trust and confidence in your brand because someone who reads your blog often naturally has a relationship with you and trusts you.

• Blogging can expand your network and help you to become an influencer in your industry. The more people read and share your blog, the greater the influence you have in your industry. People begin to look at you for an answer, or better yet, recommend you.

• Blogging provides a community your audience can get behind. A loyal fanbase is priceless. They share your content. They engage on social media. They refer you to others. A Blog will help develop that fanbase and by offering subscribers unique promotions, announcements to events before others know, share upcoming product/service ideas and get feedback are all effects of a loyal fanbase.

Now, it’s recommended you blog at least 20 times a month and that your blog posts should be no less then 1,500-2,000 words. Each post should take on average 3 hours 16 minutes per piece to complete.

Sounds nuts, right!

Look, you have your business to run. The most important thing is consistency. If you can post twice a week, that’s better then posting nothing at all and you will definitely see a spike in website visits on the days you post. Find what works for you and stick to it.

Should you desire my help, click the button below or call/text me at (919)n 763-5244. If I don’t answer, please leave a message, chances are I am working on another blog and I will get back to you in the next few hours.

5 Printed Products your Organization Needs and Why

Printed Marketing Collateral

We’ve all felt the pressure to focus most of our attention on our digital presence, print has taken second fiddle among many marketing campaigns and can “appear” less cost effective with so many “Free “resources. Nothing could be more wrong; printed marketing collateral is an essential part of any strong marketing campaign and when wielded correctly, it will deliver in more ways than one.

The trick with all marketing is brand visibility and recognition, and although your company gets a lot of attention online, it is easy to get lost in the overcrowded digital world. Printed marketing material puts your brand in the hands of your clients and that can be the one thing that ensures your standing out above everyone else.

1)   The Brand Identity Package

One of the most important components of your printed business arsenal is your Brand Identity Package (BIP). This includes:

• Business cards

• Letterhead

• Envelopes

• Pads

• Labels

Your BIP is how you introduce yourself, making a positive impact on your clients and future customers. It’s vital you invest in a quality designer when creating your identity package; whether classy, timeless or edgy this is a key part of your brand's image. Additionally, your BIP is a vital communication tool used to reach other businesses, your clients, and prospects. After all, if they can't find you, they can't do business with you. Show them you mean business and hand them the tools they need to stay in contact.

2)   The Pocket Folder

Pocket folders are powerful branding tools and exceptionally useful for pulling all your marketing materials together in one convenient-to-carry package. These marketing devices lend a professional image to your brand and help customers sift through the natural information flow involved with sales, whether you’re selling B2B or B2C, big ticket items or smaller products and services.

Personally, I feel these are vital to any sales rep as they provide a great leave behind for your prospects. Be sure to include a few of the following based on your products and services:

• Business card

• Stepped down sell sheets

• Cover letter

• Testimonials

• Flyers

• Booklets

• Posters

• Notepads

• Brochures

• USB flash drives

• Newsletters and News clippings

• Calendars, bookmarks, and magnets

• DVD/CD Rom placed on left side pocket will add a unique opportunity to show off your services via visual presentation, a sample of your software, or even a handy e-book that will highlight your expertise.

Branded pocket folders will reinforce your pitch while providing your prospects with something tangible they can take with them. You don’t have to fill it with everything, but be smart and mix it up to see what works best for your business.

Another great feature when it comes to pocket folders is the flexibility you have with the shape, size, theme, and motif. Our designers will create something that will truly standout above your competition since you have the option to design them from scratch. That means if you want your folder to look like a cat, a cell phone or even a pair of cheetah spot galoshes, we can do it.

3)   Referral Cards

In today’s business climate, referral marketing has become one of the most successful ways to grow your business. This word-of-mouth tactic is practiced in every city of every state in the country, thanks to the countless business networking events being attended every day.

84% of B2B decision makers start the buying process off with a referral

Your customers are your best sales people. How are you rewarding them for it? A strong customer referral program will provide you an opportunity to not only make your current clientele happier but offer their friends and colleagues a chance to try you out at a discounted rate.

Referral cards are much like business cards, however, you can hand them out to your clients and they can hand them out at functions they attend. Once you establish a relationship with the new client, you let the customer who referred them know how appreciative you are by extending them a discount as well. 

It’s important to have a strong tracking plan in place, so you can reward your clients for helping you out. Also make sure you have your customer referral program outlined on your website, with all the rules and stipulations, so there are no questions later.

4)   Brochures, Rack Cards, and Flyers

Whether you are promoting an event, new service or product, or simply need to share some information a high-quality brochure, rack card or flyer will do the trick. These marketing necessities are an essential element for any organization.

56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing

According to B2B Marketing:

• Brochures help capture the attention of potential customers, especially in the case of small and emerging businesses that are on a tight budget.

• They are more effective and pocket-friendly than product advertisements in magazines and newspapers, given the fact that prime space on print media is costly. Advertisement space is shared by several businesses competing for public attention, making it a challenge to really get noticed amongst the competition.

• Brochures or booklets, on the other hand, can focus entirely on the business and its offerings, thereby getting the undivided attention of all potential customers who browse through them. The key, however, is to make the content both interesting and informative, supporting it with appropriate images, and including a call to action.

• They are versatile pieces of printed information that can be used for promoting almost all types of products and services, and in different venues, right from reception desks of offices to promotional events. They are found in several formats such as menus, flyers, product guides, and newsletters, in addition to the conventional tri-fold style.

• Brochure printing services are definitely more cost-effective, given the discounts that are usually offered with bulk printing. The cost per brochure reportedly comes down with the number of prints. Regular customers also enjoy discounted brochure printing offers.

Effective marketing campaigns are all about customer interactions. Brochures are simply just another way to interact with customers and generate leads for the sales teams to follow up. A printed brochure is tangible and easy to access, providing your prospect with something to hold when compared to the content being seen on an e-mail or a website.

5)   Direct Mail

Direct mail is still the number one marketing strategy used by many successful sales companies. In fact, one of the most successful marketing campaigns is the “Bed, Bath and Beyond” 20% off coupon you receive in your mail every month.  This has not only consistently brought in new customers, but provides a brand loyalty program that customers have now come to look forward to each month.

An International Communications Research survey found that 73% of consumers actually prefer mail over other advertising methods

With direct mail, you have total control over the presentation of your message. Direct mail is a unique blend of advertising and sales. While good advertising should certainly lead to sales, direct mail allows you to present the product or service, make an offer and try to close the sale-all at once.

There are many forms of direct mail that your company could be using:

• Postcards

• Self-mailers

• Newsletters

• Lead Letters

In my next article, I will go much deeper into the power of direct mail and how to run a successful direct mail campaign.

To sum it up it’s important to note that to be successful you must be consistent with your tactics. You can’t just send out one mailing, make a phone call and expect people to be pounding down your door. Customers need to see and hear your message up to 7 times. 76% of small businesses say their ideal marketing strategy encompasses a combination of both print and digital communication. I often recommend a blend of direct mail, social media marketing, personal interaction and event/networking attendance to maximize your exposure and get the best return on your investment, just be sure to bring plenty of printed marketing collateral along with you to share your message and wow your prospects.