The Digital Practitioner: Small Business
    • Showing posts with label Small Business. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label Small Business. Show all posts

    Monday, 26 November 2018

    Is Your Business Controlling You?

    November 26, 2018 0
    Is Your Business Controlling You?


    Being a parent and husband / wife are two of the most important roles we have in life. 


    Like it or not, our environment, work life, health and financial situation will all influence how we behave and interact with our nearest and dearest. 

    It’s unfortunate that for so many of us, the stresses and strains of work & money can interfere with our ability to be present in the most important moments - those spent with our kids, playing and connecting, with our spouse when we really need to devote time to each other. 

    You see life happens, it will through shit at you and sometimes that shit is had to take. It’s natural to feel the stress and pressure, the emotional deluge that life has to offer, but it’s vitality important not to let that impact our relationships with our partners children and family. 

    This is certainly easier said than done. I know, I’ve lived it.

    Until you identify and address the root cause of why you are not satisfied or why you are stressed, unfulfilled or depressed then you are not bringing your ‘best self’ to the table. 

    And it’s ok, you are certainly not alone here. One quote by Dr John Demartini always sticks in my mind. 

    That is “Most are living quiet lives of desperation, repressed by their job.” 

    In my years of running my optical practice and from speaking with hundreds of other small business owners I realise this to be quite true. Especially so in recent years where the advancement of online infrastructure has caused major disruption to traditional businesses that refuse to adapt or are blindly unaware of it. 



    But it is here where the opportunity lies in how you can free yourself from the despair and repression of your job or business.

    This is the best time in history to be an entrepreneur. 

    This is only true, however, if our business can grow and scale using the one infrastructure that gives us access to the globe. 

    The internet, when used as an integral part of your business or even as your business, provides the means to free you from the burden of overheads, give you full control of where and when you work and can be used to generate substantially more income than you would struggle to obtain from your traditional business. 

    It’s the knowing how to approach the online world so that you may set yourself up to succeed that is the key to your success.



    It’s certainly not about working hard, it’s about working smart and follow specific systems that have been developed from the successful few who are securing their and their families financial futures through online business. 

    It’s essential to learn from these people and emulate what they do to get you to the quickest route for success. 

    Alan Bryden
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Monday, 30 April 2018

    Online Marketing Overview for the Cash & Membership Chiropractic Office

    April 30, 2018 0
    Online Marketing Overview for the Cash & Membership Chiropractic Office

    Because online marketing is a vast universe of promotional opportunities it can also become an equally huge source of confusion for small business owners.

    Most chiropractors are no different.
    In a nutshell you should work your online marketing from 3 angles.
    1. Social Media Marketing
    2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing
    3. Advertising (Online Ads such as Google Ads) Marketing
    Arguably, all 3 approaches have equal importance in the world of marketing your small business online.
    Social Media Marketing
    You are no doubt familiar with social media.
    It's comprises the faddish world of sites that allow you to keep up with friends, family and celebrities all while telling everyone about everything going on in your own life - should you choose.

    Beyond the personal boundaries of social media, the business application can prove quite impactful by simply getting a well-crafted business page set up and driving traffic to it. From there just stay actively engaged with those people and you will accomplish top of mind awareness.
    Supply valuable and thought provoking content with an occasion self-serving promotion such as an upcoming Patient Appreciation Day.
    Once you are active on the 4 or 5 most popular social media sites, you may consider a platform such as Hootsuite (Hootsuite.com) that will allow you to post from one place and have it populate onto many social media platforms.
    SEO Marketing
    To break SEO marketing down into its most basic explanation coupled with advice, you want to create links pointing to your website.
    That simply means you want to create a ton of original content (just like this article is for my website) and put your website URL (address) somewhere in it so that people can click it and land on your site.

    People landing on your website is called your traffic.
    The more traffic you get, the cooler the search engines think you are and the more your phone will ring.
    Marketing with Paid Ads
    Another way to get traffic is to pay for it.
    Using Google as the obvious search engine example, you can run what are called Google Ads using their AdWords campaign function.
    To do this you simply need a Google account and some time on your hands to learn the basics of how to run ads.

    There is an art and science to running effective ads but well worth your time spent. My own Express Chiropractic office gets 40% of new patients from online marketing efforts, a percentage of which is well crafted paid ads.
    Another 40% of my patients come from unsolicited patient referrals. Why do I mention this in an online marketing article? Because if you put out all the time and effort it takes to build and maintain an effective online presence just to have those people come in and not have an incredible experience in your office then all that effort was for nothing.
    And you are going to need to keep spending money to fill the clinic because your existing patients aren't helping out.
    Bottom Line for Cash and Membership Practices
    Online marketing is all about having an even split of ads, social media posts and high quality original content floating around on the web. You will never over market online and especially when the bulk of it is proving valuable information verses self-promotion.
    This means you and your staff can and should always be marketing during any down time.
    Whether writing an article, a press release, a social media post or online ad there is more to get done than you could ever possibly keep up with.
    For the Cash/Membership chiropractic office the focus should largely be on your philosophy about health (Salutogenesis vs Pathogenesis, etc.) and the benefits of care and services you offer (No appointment needed, No insurance needed, etc.) along with occasional promotional information (first visit special, etc.).
    In other words, how you are different than the typical insurance based chiropractic office. By setting yourself apart, the wellness chiropractic niche in your community can better identify that you are the right chiropractor for them.
    Dr. Daron Stegall is founder and COO of Cash Practice Concepts and Express Chiropractic. For more than 15 years he has been coaching chiropractors on the business and marketing of chiropractic offices.
    To learn more about Express Chiropractic and franchising opportunities visit the website at http://www.ExpressChiropractic.com.
    For free information about transitioning an existing practice to a cash/membership office visit http://www.CashPracticeConcepts.com.


    by: Dr. Daron Stegall 
    Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Daron_Stegall/312644
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

    Tuesday, 27 March 2018

    1 Simple Social Media Strategy for Getting Attention in a "BORING" Niche

    March 27, 2018 0
    1 Simple Social Media Strategy for Getting Attention in a "BORING" Niche


    Are we involved in a Dull Niche?

    I guess it's about individual perception, but if you are stuck for ideas on how to stand out in your industry this video shares some great insight into ways of thinking around your topics to really engage and grow your following.  





    A growing following leads to a greater chance of a growing income.

    It's all about positioning.
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , ,

    Friday, 16 March 2018

    No More Excuses for Small Business Owners for Not Growing Their Businesses

    March 16, 2018 0
    No More Excuses for Small Business Owners for Not Growing Their Businesses

    When talking about business related issues, solutions, and technologies, you will almost always group businesses as small and large. While the separation is there, it won't be wrong to say that in a modern where digital technologies prevail, it should not be a problem for small businesses to compete with large ones. 

    The large corporations have the advantage of having more resources without a doubt. However, there was not a time in the past when growing and expanding was as easy for small businesses as it is today.
    Digital Marketing for Everyone
    Digital marketing starts with a website today. When it comes to website designs, more money does not always mean a better design. If you are working with the right people and are clear about your requirements, your website can be just as impressive as the website of a large business. In fact, internet users today are more in favor of simplistic websites with a focus on the information they are looking for rather than the glitter and sparkle.
    As for social media marketing, there is no difference in the size of the market that small and large businesses have to target. They are both targeting global audiences and how good they are at it is not defined by how much money they put in their marketing efforts. Social media marketing is free marketing, so there is no excuse as to who has more resources.

    And if you believe that the large corporations make it to the top of the search engine results, you always have a better and more effective niche to compete within - local. With local search engine optimization, small businesses can compete with the medium and large businesses head to head. In simple words, regardless of the size of the business, everyone has access to the same market and same people today. What matters is who does it better.
    Digital Solutions Are Available Specifically for Small Businesses
    When it comes to software solutions for businesses, the focus is not on large corporations anymore. Today, all types of software solutions have their versions built specifically for small businesses. These digital solutions allow small businesses to cut down their costs and make use of the same technologies that large companies are using.
    Take the example of CRMs. At one point, there was a notion that customer relationship management software are only for large businesses, but the things have changed quite a bit today. Web-based CRM are a revelation for small businesses. First, these CRMs provide great marketing, database, customer service and sales solutions to the businesses. Second, they are unbelievably affordable. If you own a small business, you don't even have to worry about software integration, hardware compatibility, updates, and upgrades, etc. Keep in mind that with in-house solutions, these are the costs that make it difficult for small businesses to grow financially.
    With web-based solutions designed for small businesses, you can now have access to a world-class CRM at a fractional monthly or yearly cost. Other affordable digital solutions available include invoicing software, bookkeeping software, payroll software, etc.
    Customers Have the Power in Hands
    The Internet has empowered customers like never before. You can't say that just because a business is in multiple countries, it will be impressive enough for people to buy its products. The amazing thing about today's economy is the power that customers have in their hands. 

    Online reviewing websites, YouTube videos, blogs, etc. are among many platforms that allow customers to know more about businesses. In fact, even Google now puts business ratings and customer reviews right within its search results.
    What this means is that when a customer searches for a business today, he/she is already able to see the reputation of the product they are going to buy. Furthermore, negative reviews from customers can greatly affect the sales of business, giving other businesses a chance to make their name.
    Furthermore, it's not just the quality of products that matters today. In the modern world, businesses are competing for better customer experience. If your business can give customers the experience they are looking for, your growth is inevitable despite the small size of your business.
    Funding Is No Issue for Startups
    It is always the starting days that matter the most for business. When you are a startup, you are looking for ways to fund your business so you can materialize your idea and polish your product/service according to the requirements of the customers. Finding a platform where you could connect with investors was a challenge in the past. This is not an issue anymore.

    With like our websites, it is easier than ever for small businesses to get in touch with investors and get the right amount of investment that sets them on the path of growth. These are websites that act as a bridge between investors from all around the world and startups. With traditional banks and lenders, you are only limited to a local audience of investors. When you can't find an investor in your local market, your hopes are almost dead.
    With online funding websites, all you have to do is create a convincing pitch that explains the viability of your startup to the investors and its scope. Your pitch along with all the necessary information that you think investors should see goes on the website where it is visible to hundreds and thousands of investors. If you have done your homework and have a team of right professionals on board, getting the right investment is just a matter of hours or days.
    Final Words
    You can see that a small business can overcome almost all of their challenges much more efficiently today. Starting a business has become so easy that even students can be entrepreneurs today. They can lay the foundation for a business using just their pocket money. From connecting with the right investors to cutting down operational costs, all can be done from the comfort of a person's home. The only thing that makes the difference today is if you are confident enough to take the first step.
    More detailed information and useful advice can be found at http://www.Funded.com



    by: Pierre Jean-Claude 
    Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pierre_Jean-Claude/335283
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

    Monday, 12 March 2018

    Tim Ferriss shares his podcast setup | Tim Ferriss

    March 12, 2018 0
    Tim Ferriss shares his podcast setup | Tim Ferriss
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

    How to Have a Great Amount of Assets on the Search Engines

    March 12, 2018 0
    How to Have a Great Amount of Assets on the Search Engines

    One of the main focuses of a website should be on getting a lot of assets on the first page of the search engines. This effectively knocks other competitors off the same page. This means that the company has more assets to get more clicks and traffic than the competitors. This all translates into more sales for the company.

    Many people say that micro sites are the best way to do this action. A micro site is a site that is a small version of any other site. They are usually one to three pages big and they do not have much content. These are very popular for smaller internet marketers to use because they can get a lot of these assets up in a short amount of time.
    However, this is not a good thing to do. The recent update to a major search engine has basically crushed this model as an SEO tactic. Many people used to get different domain hosts and use these small micro sites to point to their main website. However, the big search engine figured out this tactic and now penalizes a person for using this tactic.
    It is also very difficult to get a micro site to rank on a search engine because of the lack of content. The new model of the internet is built around content. This means that a site with very little content is already behind the 8 ball when comes to getting ranked on the search engines. The search engines want to see a lot of content before they begin ranking a site. Therefore, a site with one to three pages will usually be nothing but a complete waste of SEO time and money.
    The best thing to do is to develop a multitude of media assets. This includes videos, PDFs, and possibly audios (that can be pushed through pod cast networks). Not only does this increase the amount of engagement that a person can have with a company, it also helps the business compete for SEO slots developed for those media types (which also take up room on the first page when available).

    Different media types give a user a lot of leeway in the way they like to be communicated to on the internet. Even though the internet is very much a text based medium, there are still people who like to watch videos on the internet. There are people who also like audio on the internet (mostly because they like to listen to the internet while they work or do something else).
    In conclusion, a business is better off when they have a lot of assets to take up room on the search engines. These assets should be diversified and not micro sites as micro sites tend to no longer work on the search engines. Therefore, a business that spends their time generating different types of assets are businesses that are able to grab more spots on the search engines than their competitors. This leads to greater sales and more success.
    Scott Buendia is an internet marketing expert who is well known for his SEO, social media, and marketing prowess. Check out his companies website at [http://www.oncomingstormmarketing.com]. You can connect with Oncomingstormmarketing.com here as well, http://www.bizbuilt.com/cards/portlandseo.



    by: S. Buendia  
    Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/S._Buendia/1373894
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

    Friday, 9 March 2018

    Becoming an Influencer in Your Industry

    March 09, 2018 0
    Becoming an Influencer in Your Industry

    You undoubtedly hear the term, "influencer" from different people in business. You have probably surmised that not only are influencers important for your business but you might have also concluded that being an influencer yourself is something that will help you to bring your business to the next level.

    Why influencers are so critical to your business
    Well, the truth is that there are many different reasons why influencers are important for you professionally. Influencers bring credibility (beyond the credibility that you have established yourself for your business) that only they can bring. With credibility comes trust and a position at the top of the food chain as subject matter expert. Okay, you are probably convinced that influencers are important for your business. However, now it is time for you to understand why you should also become an influencer and how you go about making that happen.
    At this point, you are probably wondering exactly you go about becoming an influencer. Well, there are some definitive steps that you can follow to get there. However, it is important for you to realize at this juncture that it will not happen overnight. It will take some time and effort for you to become the influencer that you want to be.
    • Embrace the concept of influencer: An influencer is a person who carries a great deal of credibility with him or her. That person has a very positive impact on the niche and, subsequently, your brand. Influencers also come with followers (an entourage, of sorts). Followers can come in various forms, such as people who consistently read blogs that the influencer has shared or people who interact regularly with that influencer. At the same time, influencers can come in various shapes and sizes. The one thing that all influencers have in common is that they all have the ability to influence other people. In other words, they are very powerful people and they should not be dismissed as anything short of that. Influencers have presence and their word carries weight. You can consider them authority figures. They are the gold standard on which you should base your business approach. The truth is that you are not the only person who recognizes the value of influencers. Other people understand and embrace their value as well. 
    • Concentrate on your niche: As you start to take steps to become an influencer, the first thing that you need to do is to determine exactly where you want your influence to live. That decision will be based on exactly where your passions lie. If you choose to be an influencer in an area that doesn't really touch you deeply, you will not be able to pull it off. If you haven't been able to convince yourself of your commitment and passion, exactly how do you expect other people to be convinced of your commitment and passion. It is really that simple. However, it is really important that you are closely associated with your niche so that other people can associate you with that niche as well. In fact, that is an important part of your branding. You want to steer clear of speaking about other things. You want to be associated with your niche only. Otherwise, your influencer status will be diluted and you will not be perceived an expert of anything.

      •
    • Give other people the benefit of your knowledge: The truth is that it is one thing to be knowledgeable (even to go so far as to be an expert in your niche) but it is another thing entirely (and much more of a gift) to be able to teach someone else what you know so that the other person can grow professionally because of it. Whether or not you can achieve that is a true test of your influencer status. In this context (with all of the online interactions that you have for your business), the best (and probably the only) way to do that is by sharing content (in whichever form(s) you choose to share. A good way to accomplish that is by posting blogs, videos, newsletters, etc.Another great way to share your knowledge is through online discussions that are relevant and compelling to other people. Remember to pay close attention to your social media profiles at all time. You don't want them to be static. You want to update your status on the various social media profiles and keep people in your social circles close to you so that you can grow your relationships with them.

      •
    • Offer your opinion to other people: Everyone loves to know that their opinions and their feelings matter. As an infuencer, that is even more important for you and for your business. There is no such thing as a silent influencer. It is a contradiction in terms. The more you engage people, the more they will get to know who you are and what you know. Both of those are essential to your continued success. It is not as though you are going to be twisting anyone's arm when it comes to getting them to engage with you. They will be willing participants, as long as the interactions interest them. You just have to make sure that it is always the case. As an influencer, you will be able to achieve that easily. Even if you are not an influencer yet but are on your way to becoming one, that approach will serve you well.
    • Network until you drop: Networking has always been and will always be an important part of the business process. The two possible ways that you can network are in person and online. Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can also network in both ways. Only you can determine which approach works best for your particular business. At the heart of networking success are the relationships themselves. The truth is that not everyone can (or will) take the time to attend networking events so you need to be flexible enough to make it work with the other person. If you network consistently with people, they will get to know you and the will start to trust you, find you credible, and you will be top of mind whenever they need what you happen to be offering.

      •
    • Recognize the importance of engagement: Engaging your target audience is so important for you. Without engagement, you will be stopped in your tracks. However, you have the power to prevent that from happening. With everything that you have to offer, whether you are an influencer already or you are on your way to becoming an influencer, other people will want to be around you and to bask in the glory of all that you have to offer.
    Conclusion
    Influencers are extremely important in the professional world and it will be well worth the time and effort that you have to put into it to become an influencer yourself. People will respect what you have to say and they will turn to you for the answers that they don't feel they are qualified to come up with themselves. Make sure that you make your influencer interactions an integral part of your social media marketing strategy. It should be one of the building blocks of your business' foundation. You will hold a position of esteem in your social communities and your business will benefit from all of your hard work. In a world where it is more challenging than ever to grab other people's attention, your influencer status will attract those people and keep them with you.
    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
    His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
    Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
    Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).



    by: Michael Cohn
    Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_Cohn/404898
    By at No comments:
    Labels: , , , , , , , ,