Small Business Revitalization Blog

Today we're welcoming Guest Blogger Lauren Neilson from ISP Media... enjoy!

YouTube is well known and well used. With something from just about every category you can think of from music, to charity and not-for-profit, through to education - it really does seem to have it all.

Now owned and run by Google, the site has a global reach with the functionality and brand awareness to back it up. But can it help you promote your business, products and services?

YouTube opens up a world of promise for business to promote their products and services, showcase your knowledge and expertise, monitor the success of advertising campaigns, encourage new interest from previously untapped or unreachable markets, enhance your brand awareness and more.

While there is a lot of time and effort involved, the broad ranging benefits of this channel are impressive and extremely cost effective.

It is very easy and free to open a YouTube account; however, you will need a Gmail account to sign up. If you do not have one they will happily walk you through the registration process (also free).

The site is very easy to use and has a familiar social media layout and feel to it. The navigation is clear and easy to follow and you can edit just about everything to suit you, from your colour scheme right through to your home page layout.

How can I use this site to benefit my business?

• Create your own unique channel URL to direct users to that links back to your site and has your unique profile
• Embed your web address on all video files that you upload to guide users to your main site
• Integrate YouTube with your other Social Media tools (Twitter, Facebook)
• Broadcast free training videos to encourage interest in your business
• Embed your video files into your web site or blog
• Showcase your TV advertising in another medium
• Send a video message to clients to complement or introduce your eNewsletter
• Visually launch new products simultaneously with your offline launch
• Promote and showcase your services
• Promote and showcase your products in action
• Promote and showcase yourself
• Broadcast seminar or speaking engagements
• Tag your video files with keywords to increase your searchability
• Categorise your video to make it easier for interested parties to find
• Use the YouTube community as a global focus group
• Get visual testimonials from your clients and put them on your blog and web site
• Discover real time trends in your industry by subscribing to related channels
• Guide clients to your video files anywhere in the world with the click of a mouse
• Encourage people to subscribe to your channel and gain a new audience for your business
• Utilise YouTube’s analytics tool, YouTube Insight, to hone your campaigns
• And if you get really popular, consider selling product placement in your videos

 
If it is a bit much initially, then simply create your free account, beef up your profile and begin engaging with the YouTube community. You can do this through searching, watching, selecting favourites and adding subscriptions to your account. Then when you are ready to launch into video, you will not be the new kid on the block!

I would like to end with a polite warning - this tool has the ability to bend the time space continuum to suck your valuable time into a vortex! It is extremely easy to get lost in space and time with YouTube. Not only is the content intoxicating, it is just a hop, click and a jump over to the myriad of Google tools (toys) and if you are not careful, you can spend hours in the exhilarating maze that is Google!

My hot tip is to treat YouTube and Google (including its ever expanding applications) like your grocery shopping, i.e. only visit the items on your list, follow this rule and you should be able to avoid spending over your allocated time budget every time!



About Lauren:
Lauren Neilson, co-founder of ISP Media - an internet marketing and web development business launched in 2000, has been has been researching,  socialising, blogging, publishing, surfing, writing, commenting and more recently tweeting about internet marketing strategies for over 9 years. You can find Lauren and ISP Media on LinkedIn, Twitter, the ISP Media Blog and most other places where Australian business meets the web! Please feel welcome to get online and get social with Lauren and ISP Media!
Connect here:  Email    Twitter    Blog    Website     LinkedIn - ISP Media     Lauren Neilson's LinkedIn Profile    

New business owners often get stuck when it comes to setting pricing. Pricing is determined by factors such as positioning, competition, market demand and, surprisingly, how you value yourself and the services and products that you offer!

Have you ever found yourself pricing a product or service in your business based on what you would pay in your current financial circumstances?  Did you stop to think about whether your personal perspectives are in any way a good match for your ideal customer?

Pricing is a choice.  But rarely do business owners exercise that choice with awareness of the potentials created by different price points.  Let’s consider a brief case study…

Erin is a natural health practitioner who specializes in a couple of healing modalities.  She is making $60 an hour and sees clients for 20 hours a week on average.  This equates to $1200 a week – not quite enough to put her into GST territory, but getting close.  By the time you take out taxes and costs of running the business (eg marketing, hiring space, training etc), Erin brings home closer to $30 a session - $600 a week is not a lot to live on!

So, let’s have a look at the common small business traps Erin has fallen into: She is doing what she loves and is great at, but is not reaping the financial rewards – she needs to charge what she is worth.

• She is swapping time for hours – there is no leverage in her business – if she doesn’t work, nor does the business
• She has not differentiated her service sufficiently so that clients will pay a premium.
• She doesn’t believe people will pay more than she is charging – but she hasn’t tested a higher pricepoint.
• She doesn’t like asking for money for helping people - her beliefs are in conflict with her purse!

Have you ever fallen into any of these traps?  What choices did you make to improve your financial position?  Share your story below – just click the Comment link.

Need inspiration for making more money in your business?  Book your place for the April 19 2010 Playshop:  ‘Show Me The Money’ – you’ll discover more about money and your business than you thought possible!!

(Kirsiri - a Passion Fest highliight!)

Are you better off having a strong vision and not so strong implementation, or a weaker vision and phenomenal implementation?  For business owners this question can mean the difference between success and failure.  Here’s a small case study that demonstrates exactly what the risks are…

I went to a local Passion Tasting Festival on the weekend.  The idea of the festival was engaging.  The publicity on the festival was great.  The website was fabulous. The vision sounded intriguing.  But…it was a complete fizzer…

The first warning sign was it cost me $100 a head to get in the door!  Quite a daunting price, but I was primarily going as research for a new venture.  When we arrived, we could see about 10 tents on a sports field – I could feel that $100 disappearing before my eyes.  Once inside, we discovered that there truly was little to see besides a few market stalls, the occasional performance (an excellent tribal dance by Kitsiri!) and almost nothing new to discover when it comes to living your passion.  What’s more, there were only about 10 other paying customers there…

So, what went wrong?  Strong vision… but in a nutshell the pricing strategy was a failure!   When you set pricing for anything, there are a few things to consider if you want to be successful…

* What is your end goal?  Often there will be a trade-off between volume of transactions and gross profit – work out which one is most important to your business.

* What creates value for your customers?  In this case, their stallholders required a high volume of traffic and festival visitors required a high volume of interesting things to see and do… both missed out!!

* If what you are doing isn’t working – change something!!  It must have been clear some weeks ago that ticket sales were virtually nil.  Instead of slugging it out and failing, what could have happened if the organizers were willing to sell tickets for $10 each?  At least a few hundred people would have turned up… and stall holders and presenters would have been happy – a starting point for future events… I heard they were actually turning people away at the gate who didn’t want to pay the premium gate price of $125 a ticket!!

The lessons?  Less rhetoric, more understanding of your customers.  Less greed, more flexibility in your business model.  Business really is that simple!!

Want to know more about pricing and how it can make your vision rock?  Check out this month’s Playshop – it’s all about money!!

Want more of Kerri Rodley's great tips on creating your dream office?  Don't miss her 'Creating Your Dream Life' workshop this Saturday afternoon!

Secret 4 - Scheduling
Time management and scheduling is a big component of how well your home office fits into your home and lifestyle. You can’t be stopping projects to put a load of washing on the line no matter how much the laundry is piling up. If you we back in the corporate world in a high rise, the washing would still be waiting for you after hours and that is the attitude you must have.

The same applies for those drop in visitors – just because you work from home does not mean you are available for coffee and a chat at any time of day. On the other hand, make sure you schedule time for breaks every hour or so; set a timer if you have to. When you don’t have office co-workers to meet with or to discuss issues, you can find yourself sitting in the same position sitting at your desk staring at the screen with the hours flying by.

Keep the fluids up, do eye exercises or sit outside in the sun for a few minutes (but don’t put that washing out!) And most important of all – make a prioritised task list every day and do those urgent and important jobs first; the ones that will be bringing in the $ (not the quick and easy jobs that can wait until later).

Secret 5 – Storage
From filing cabinets of paperwork & bills to garages filled with product & packaging supplies, storage of business paraphernalia is a huge factor to deal with in your home. You don’t want your work taking over your families personal space and you don’t want items such as toys or washing in your work space if you  have clients in for a meeting (plus the visual clutter is distracting).

Unless you have an office with a door that can be shut at the end of the day keeping work and home lives separate, you need to have defined  spaces where “never the twain shall meet”. Set ground rules for yourself and family members so things are either put away (if you are using the dining room table for example) or can be covered up (a filing cabinet in a family space).

And stick to them, otherwise you become complacent and before you know it your time and space for work and home become intertwined and you won’t be comfortable or focused in either space.

Secret 6 – Simplicity
You don’t know how long you are going to be working from a home office, your business may grow rapidly and you need to hire extra employees, your storage area for supplies may double overnight, or  God forbid you may need to go back to working for someone else until things pick up.

The point is don’t be spending the big bucks on setting up the home office when the money can be better spent in building your business – on your website, your marketing, distribution channels etc.

A large table is as good a desk as a purpose built one as long as it suits your style (see secret 2). Make sure the chair is comfortable and supportive but that doesn’t mean spending $500.

Always shop at discount stores first for supplies rather than the big name brands – be a spend thrift and your business dollars will go further.

Secret 7 – Serenity now!
To make your work space inviting and serene, you need to add touches such as a family photo, flowers, music or other items you enjoy. I actually have a water fountain next to my desk on the floor that provides not only a lovely sound, but I add lavender oil to the water to create a calming aroma too. Great for Feng Shui.

Hint: don’t overdo it! You don’t want to add unnecessary clutter through personal items, just a few things that give you pleasure and keep you grounded and balanced.

For more ideas and tips on decluttering, organising and setting up your small business, visit Kerri's Domestic Downsizing decluttering blog or follow her on Twitter.

We welcome Kerri Rodley from Domestic Downsizing as our guest blogger today... Kerri is sharing the secrets of a productive home office (I know these tips work because Kerri helped me fix up my office earlier this year!)

Making the decision to set up a business working from home is daunting enough without complicating matters with the stresses of making the perfecting work space. Here are my 7 secrets on setting up your home office to create a space that ensures you are encouraged to start work each morning!

Secret 1 - The Space
The first and most important step before you even think about setting up a home office is: location, location, location! I have spent many an hour setting up the perfect space with the PC just so, shelves and supplies close to hand only to find the room too cold and dark. I ended up working on my laptop in the sunroom.

You have to be drawn to your space and encouraged to spend many an hour working there otherwise you may find other tasks to do rather than concentrating on your work. Make sure the natural light is good or you have good task lighting (lamps) and that you aren’t distracted by outside noise.

Hint: Make sure if you are working on the dining room table that you have a super quick pack up system so the table can be used for it’s original purpose – family meals! Have a storage box or cupboard near by to stow the office materials – easy to set up, easy to pack up is the key. For other areas you could invest in an attractive room dividing screen, this way when the work day is over, pull the screen around your table and voila – the office is shut for the day!

Secret 2 – Your Style
The second most important step - find out what sort of organising style you have. Do you like your current projects on show so you can easily put your hand on them, or do you prefer to have everything out of site so it looks neat and tidy?

If you are a visual person and like piles of papers or files on your desk that you can see, but instead have filed them away out of sight to make the office look tidy, you will find this system won’t work as “out of sight” can become “out of mind” and you may overlook tasks.

Remember, your work space doesn’t have to look perfectly tidy to be organised. Many people have home offices that look more like a disaster zone, but if you ask them for a particular piece of paper, they can put their hand straight on it.

On the other hand, if you have the style “a place for everything and everything in its place” and you find your workspace covered with papers, this will also cause you unnecessary stress. Set up systems where you can easily locate files or papers but that are just as easy to put back (and make sure you do!). “Toaster” file racks are the perfect example, they sit on your desk so your files are readily accessible but they keep clutter to a minimum (and you can easily pick up the rack at the end of the day and put away if you need to).

Secret 3 – The Systems
Don’t rush out and buy up all sorts of expensive organising in-trays, storage boxes and the like until you have used your office for a week or two. Chances are what looks great in the store may not work for your particular system (as per your style) and you don’t want to waste your money.

As you work, keep a shopping list handy and write things down that you find will make your office organised and easy to
use. You may already have suitable things in the house that will work just as well. Shop at stores such as Big W or discount chains so if your purchases aren’t suitable you haven’t spent a fortune.

(see the blog tomorrow for the next 4 secrets!!)

Kerri Rodley is sharing her secrets to creating a dream life this Saturday afternoon in Brisbane - 4 hours of expertise & ideas on style, organisation, design & life with fabulous food & new friends!  Bookings close Friday!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gi/

Two years ago I effectively had a network of about 50 people including my friends – I was shy, introverted and mostly preferred my own company! Not only that, I really didn’t want anyone to see me – I rather liked being invisible!!  Or so I told myself…

Now, my network extends to thousands of people, I’ve become a coach, mentor, author and speaker, and I enjoy personal connections with more phenomenal people than I thought existed!!

What changed?  Firstly I became aware that I could offer so much more to the world if I would follow my bliss.  This bliss is evolving into an enormous vision that will create more joy and ease with people all over the world.

The phenomenal size and intent of my  vision and my commitment to living it daily has allowed me to be as generative, joyful, inspirational, expansive, captivating, and spectacular as I truly be… (and no, it wasn’t a 10 second transformation – it did take a little bit of focus on getting rid of the blocks that had put me in that unblissful disconnected place originally!)

Being that energy of bliss and inspiration and expansiveness has attracted amazing connections for me – neither I nor my business would be what we are today without the contribution of so many people…  When I stopped playing small and insignificant, the universe started delivering big!!

What would it take for you to start living beyond your imagination?  Who could you meet that could transform your life into living and working blissfully?  Who do you need to know that you aren’t connected with yet?

There’s only one way to find out and that’s to start getting connected!  

Online:  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are fabulous starting points - or particpate in a forum with topics that interest you.
Offline:  Local networking groups, Local MeetUp groups and being the invitation with people you already know will get you started…

Want to connect your business to the people who make a difference online?  The Content Marketing Made Simple Playshop on March 22 will help you design a connection strategy based on your knowledge and expertise!

How do you connect?  What do you find difficult in connecting?  Share your experiences via the comments link below...

Image: FlickrCCYtseJamPhotography

Many businesses build their brand by educating potential customers. Informative, high quality content promotes what they do and demonstrates their expertise.  However, it pays to think of your content as the vehicle – i.e. content is plentiful and everyone has some!

What makes the difference and accelerates your results (besides an effective content marketing strategy!) is how you express your bliss.

Would you prefer to do business with a person who loves what they do and expresses it in all the ways they interact with you, or with someone who has one foot in the grave and simply can’t be bothered in making your experience with their business blissful?

The same applies to anything you write or produce as video or audio – how do you express your bliss?  When you have clarity and enthusiasm in expressing what you know, it’s contagious… and that is the point of content marketing… when you do it well it will accelerate how fast you can share your bliss with the world!!  

Here’s two examples of sharing business bliss through content marketing that really kick butt!!  Is it time to up the ante on how you share content with prospects?

Video: Doing Great Work (rather than bad or good work...)

Seth Godin: “People don't become leaders because they have charisma; people get charisma because they're leaders.”  (Image credit: flickr_jurvetson)

Last week we discussed ways 'indispensable' employees can hold you hostage - here's some solutions!

Most employees are willing to share information, knowledge and expertise.  However there are the small minority who stick very closely to the ‘information is power’ adage and subtly or obviously refuse to share information throughout the organization.  Often these people have come from corporate environments where this type of behavior was accepted and even encouraged.  

The recent global financial crisis has seen an increase in advice to employees to ‘make yourself indispensable’.  A useful strategy for the employee maybe, but not ideal for a smart small business!

The ‘indispensables’ can engage in behaviour as simple as putting passwords on particular information unnecessarily and never writing down critical information, or as extreme as being downright uncooperative and stealing your client and supplier data.  

Of course, these risks also become concerning if a team member is head hunted, run over by the proverbial bus or becomes ill.  If you outsource activities such as IT or administration, remember to apply these ideas to your external team as well.

The best plan is to set up your systems and procedures so that the expectations are clear and then reinforcing cooperation through active leadership.  Here’s 7 ways you can protect your business:

1. Cross-train team members (great for having holiday backup as well).
2. Have multiple points of contact with clients (so salespeople or service providers are not the only relationship builders).
3. Know which data is critical to your business and how to access it – have detailed operational manuals and confidential log-in/password lists done for core activities carried out by each team member.
4. If you are not sure where you are ‘held hostage’ watch what happens when staff go on holiday – what tasks and relationships fall through the cracks?  Debrief your team after each person goes on holidays and create written procedures and processes for anything that didn’t work.
5. Put ‘difficult’ or core employees in a position of leadership where it is their responsibility to teach others the required information – ensure this role is on their position description and regular conversations are held about it.
6. Use CRM systems and other databases to ensure that all appropriate information is captured and used appropriately within the organization.  Monitor exporting of data from these systems and ensure that sales results are measured through these systems so that all data must be entered rather than kept private.
7. Gain a clear understanding of what makes your top performers outstanding at what they do – capture the expertise, skills and knowledge so that a) you know what you are looking for if that person leaves and b) you can train others to replicate that success.

Ever had this challenge?  What did you do?  Please comment below…

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Related Posts:
Are your employees holding you hostage?
Managing the 'indispensable' high performing employee.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudlavibizon

One of the most common challenges I see with practitioners and technicians who own a business is that they actually love being the practitioner!  All of the beautiful advice from the e-Myth stands completely at odds with their greatest strengths and desires.  So what to do?

The secret is to design your business in such a way that you can continue to do what you love, but the other aspects of the business are taken care of in an appropriate way.  Here’s three quick tips to get you started:

1. Make a list of your strengths and check you are doing the roles in the business that require those skills.
2. Make a list of your weaknesses and look at how much time you are spending doing  less productive work (because it ‘must’ be done).
3. Take three things from the ‘unproductive’ list and brainstorm whether there is a better way or whether these things need to be done at all!

Then take action – make changes that will give you some immediate joy and ease in your business.  You own it – it’s your choice!!  What would it take for your business to be phenomenal and joyful?

How do you solve this dilemma?  Share your ideas below (click the comment link)  Or share this blog post with your networks |
Related Posts:
Do you have the balls to be productive?
To do lists that work!
How to complete your goals with ease.

Image Credit: Flickr_PhotoVandal

My dear friend and coaching client Wendy Mulder launched her new book ‘Learning From Grief’ today with great pizzazz and insight. I was truly honoured that Wendy chose me to MC this momentous occasion.   

Not only did I have a great time… not only was it a heartfelt privilege to promote Wendy’s phenomenal skills in this area… not only did I meet some amazing people who are following their bliss in life… I learned something today that will change my life, and quite possibly yours as well!  Here it is…


The flip side of this is that we all have far more influence over those around us than we are willing to recognize – me included!!  I discovered this when I realized that whilst I knew hardly anyone in the room, there were plenty of people who felt they ‘knew’ me – initially through Wendy sharing what we have contributed and generated together in bringing her book to life, and also through my Revive Business Coaching ezine.

One lady told me how much she enjoys the ezine and that she had shared the latest issue with friends.  This small piece of feedback took me by surprise because, until that moment, I had never actually acknowledged just how much influence such a simple tool could have.

Every time we offer something of ourselves to others, we can influence their life for better, for bliss or for worse… which one will you choose today?  And will you choose to stand up and be the real you – the one that other people see as phenomenal… the one that others look up to…. the one that inspires others and creates more possibilities for them?  Will you?

Because that’s what being a business owner really offers you… the possibility of making a contribution and a difference that matters... there are people out there who are looking for what you offer  - what would it take to gift to them the specialness you offer but never actually recognise?  Whether you see it or not… you have influence in places you never imagined.  You may not think you are ready for world domination… but the world is ready for you!  What are you waiting for???  Start a ripple effect...

Where will you start?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below...