Do As I Advise, Not As I Did (part 1)

Hello,

So you own a small business, or are your own boss at home, huh? Congratulations! You are in very good company. According to a US Census Bureau, over 16 million people worked at home....in 2001. We can only imagine what the number is now.

As a writer, I have been happy to claim the title of being my own boss for a few years now.  And of course, I've always done everything right by my business. Marketing, advertising, elevator pitches, websites, blogs, the whole bit. Piece of cake. Okay, okay, actually no (I know, I was a shocked as you are :)), not the case at all. In fact I am still working on a few of these. Read on for some of my mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.

#1. Not Letting Anyone Know I Was There.

One of my biggest mistakes, not telling anyone about my business. Oh I told people that I was a writer, but that's as far as I got. I never bothered to tell them that they could hire me to write for them, or that I was available for any of their writing projects. As a result, I didn't get any clients.

The simple way to avoid this--tell everyone about your business. Not simply friends and family, and the obvious people. For example if you are a plumber, talk to your local home improvement store, local business owners, contractors, new businesses, etc.. You never know when someone might be looking for, or know of someone who needs, someone who does what you do.

Continued Tomorrow....

Succeed!

Helen Heard

Flashback Friday

Hello,

Welcome back to Flashback Fridays! Now on to today's post, which was originally published on December 5, 2008:

Another important small business fact to remember, is that people need to you you are there. Have you ever talked to someone about your business, only to have them forget who you are the next time you see them?
How is that going to build your business? In a word, it's not.

Let's say your kid wants a certain pair of jeans. Do they come and ask for just a pair of jeans, or do they ask for them by name? How do they know what to ask for? Because that company keeps it's name out there.

There are several ways to keep your small business' name in the public eye. Here are just a few.

#1 Place an ad in your newspaper. Most classified ads are priced by the word, such as $20.oo for the first twelve words, $1.00 for each word after. So make those words count, and write in what really sets your business apart.

#2 Make a video. Many business owners are starting to use video sites, like U-tube to advertise their business. Remember to try to make your video look professional,a nd keep it short and to the point. (to learn more about this topic, please read this excellent article in WHY Magazine )

#3 Use social media. Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, are all sites that can get your name out there. Don't just strive for the most friends on the site,  but for what you can do for people as potential customers.

#4. Sponsor something. Little kiddos sports teams, community events, and non-profits are always in need of sponsors. Why not advertise, and do something for the community at the same time? Sponsors are usually rewarded, with their names being included in all advertising. It's a win-win.

So there you go, a few tips for keeping your business  from being forgotten again.

Succeed!

Helen Heard

Make Thy Business Accessible To Thy Customers

Hello,

It all happened a few months ago. My brother James and I had gone to one of the big chain home improvement stores in our local area, to price roofing supplies. All went well, until we moseyed up to the service counter and asked for a price on shingles from a very well known, expensive company. The associate dialed their number, and was immediately placed on hold.

After ten to fifteen minutes of that, he found a different number, called it, and...was placed on hold. After 30 minutes of being on hold, and taking care of customers in between, he finally asked us if we would like to leave our number, and he would call when he got an answer.

About forty five minutes later, he called and explained things. He had finally found the right number, that associates were supposed to call. All that time, he had been on hold with the number that "regular customers" should call.

And The Point?

Why did I tell you this story? Because a lot of time, patience, and headaches could have been saved if...the company had just made themselves more accessible to their customers. Well, they only have so many people to answer their phones, you might say. That's tru, but there are other ways to be more accessible.

How?

One of the things they could have done, is to e-mail, or fax a simple price sheet to the stores that sell their supplies. This step would probably alleviate a lot of their phone calls, and customers waiting to get prices. Small businesses need to remember that if they offer several services, it might be easier on their customers if they list the prices for the most popular services on their website or blog. Or if you sell things in a boutique or store, leave a price  and product description sheet with the store owner, or manager. It'll save a lot of headaches in the end.

Even if the big roofing company has a limited amount of people to answer phones, that is no excuse to leave a customer on hold for thirty minutes or longer. Small businesses often live and die, depending on their customer base. So they must be able to answer a customers question, or quiet their concern quickly, or run the risk of loosing a sale.

Because of the internet, i-phones, and other technology, there are multiple ways that small business owners can connect with their customers.  Consider letting your costumers reach you through instant message, text, e-mail, and social media sites. Make your self as easy to reach as possible for your small business clients, and you will find it will also be easier to make a sale. After all, what would your business be without your customers? Just something to think about, for the next time you say "thank you for calling, please hold".

Success!

Helen Heard

Creating A Positive Customer Service Experience

Hello,

There are many things a small business owner needs to consider, when running his business. Ordering products, paying the bills, keeping up with his competitors, balancing work and home life, just to name a few. But there is one thing that the owner of any size business cannot afford to forget-great customer service.

Customer service is so important in a company, especially smaller ones, because that is basically how you make repeat sales. You can have a one of the kind, awesome, world shattering product , but if you don't have wonderful customer service people won't keep coming back.

When was the last time you heard someone say; "boy those people are rude, but I'll be sure to come back for their (fill in the blank with your product name)?" Now, when was the last time you told someone about a company, simply because of how nice and knowledgeable the sales people were?

Customer Service On The Phone and Online

Customer service goes into action, the first time a potential customer contacts you on the phone or by e-mail. Answer the customers call with a cheery (not cheesy) "Good morning, your company's name, this is Frank, how may I help you?" This puts customers at ease, and makes them feel important, which after all they are.

On The Phone

Be courteous through out the call, using the customers name as much as possible. Genuinely try to help, if you don't know the answer to a question, tell the customer, and offer to research and find them an answer.

Never make the customer feel stupid, or belittle them for not knowing something. If a customer is agitated, stay calm, and try to empathize with them, and find out why they feel that way.. If they start to yell and cuss, do not get angry or call them names, try to calm them down and diffuse the situation.

That is not to say that you should take abuse. If a call with a customer is getting out of hand, or if they start to make threats, simply state firmly "I'm sorry ma'am, but that is not acceptable, you will have to calm down before we can finish this discussion." If the threats continue, hang up and call the authorities.

By E-mail

Answer e-mails from customers promptly, and be courteous. Use the customers last name and title, as in Mr. Smith, unless they have only written their first name. Remember to thank the customer for getting in touch, their kind words, about the company or product, etc...

Do not open attachments that customers send, and do not send them the cutesy e-mails you send out to your friends. Follow the same guidelines for an -email message, as you would for a phone message.

Customer Service In Person

If you have a store that your customers can come to, customer service starts when they walk in the door. Make sure to smile, approaching customers as they walk in to shake hands, and say hello. If you are waiting on another customer as someone one enters, acknowledge the new customer with a "good morning", or at least a warm smile.

Make yourself available to customers, if they appear to need assistance walk up to them, and ask if you can help. If you do not have a particular product or service a customer needs, refer them to someone who does (remember that scene in Miracle on 34^th Street, where Macy's employees send people to Gimbles?).

Above all treat people fairly, and follow the Golden Rule—"Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."

A great customer experience is not a given at all small businesses. It must be created by the owner, and his employees. But once it's there, customers will keep coming back over and over again. Which means more sales for you, and a more positive experience for the customer.

Succeed!

Helen Heard

Flashback Fridays

Hello,

First let me apologize again for neglecting this blog. I hope you will enjoy reading this post anyways, and will visit again soon.

Welcome to Flashback Fridays! Today's post titled First Up, Create A Business Plan was originally posted on 11/29/2008 . Enjoy!

Hi Everyone,

One of the major things that you must remember, is that if people don't know you are there, they won't buy from you.

What does that mean? It means that if you do not let people know you are in business, you will not get very many sales. You might get a few orders from family and friends, but unless they plan on supporting your whole business, you will probably need more.

First step, write out a business plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just have these essentials:

#1. The name of your business.

#2. What you do, and what you need to get it done.

#3. Market research, and information on your competition.

#4. How you plan to support your business (aka where is the money coming from until you get established).

#5. How you plan to market your business (websites, articles, news paper ads etc..)

#6. What you eventually plan on earning, and how you are going to get there.

During the next few days, we will take a look at these one by one. Hopefully, if you have any business tips, you will share them with me.

Helen

Why? Because!

It’s okay now, I’m here (haha I couldn’t resist that opportunity). If you were wondering and perhaps even if you weren’t, why I have not posted this past week, here are my excuses reasons.

I took a little mini vacay to Galveston TX.

With my mom for a ladies retreat.

Part of the trip was fun, other parts not so much. Plus we got absolutely ate up by mosquitos down there, which if you think about, someone should have told the organizers about before we all came to Galveston. There was a very sweet lady named MimI that cooked our meals for us though, including baked potatoes with all of the toppings, and spicy chicken spaghetti. Yumm!

Then when we came back, we had a girls day with my aunty,of shopping and goofing around. After that, there was laundry to be done, and a house to be cleaned. So all of that was to say this, I was glad for the time off but I’m ready to get back to work tomorow.

In the mean time, I hope you will check out these other fine blogs. Enjoy and come back tomorrow!

MckMama

Scary Mommy

Dave Barry’s Official Blog

Mama’s Loosing It


Peace!

Helen Heard

10 Ways To Promote Your Business For FREE! (part 2)

Hello,

#2 Promote Thyself
Okay you've heard about those other options already, what about something different? Something a little more creative. Ask and you shall receive, read on.

A) Radio Show
Ever wanted to hear yourself on the radio? Not on those cheesy late night talk shows, but what about actually hosting your own show? But I don't have the means to do that,  you say.  Well, since this a free list all you will need is the ability to call long distance, and a voice. Sign up at Blogtalk radio for a FREE radio show. Granted if you buy a subscription you will get more features, but the free acount will do for a start.

Use this tool to broadcast about your business, share your vision, interview other small business owners, or host a call in show. Be sure to promote your business however you use your account, that is after all what you set out to do.

B) Youtube
Thousands of people use Youtube to broadcast their point of view every day. Why not join them and advertise your business? Simply sign up for a FREE account,  make your own video with your digital camera, or cell phone camera, upload it and there you go. Publish the video on your website or blog to reach even more potential customers.

C) Yodio
This is a recording software, but there is no downloading, and it's pretty easy to set up.  Once again, Sign up for a FREE account, and enter in your phone number. After that you can call the given number, make a recording describing a digital photo you've uploaded, and it will publish to your account. Then you can paste the recording on your blog or website, or just about anywhere else.

To be continued............

Peace!

Helen R Heard

Remembering 9/11

Today is a day of remembrance, honor, and reflection.  Regular posts will continue tomorrow.

Hello,

It's 9/11 and everyone in America knows what that means. Eight years ago America suffered the worst attack on our homeland soil, since Pearl Harbor. September eleventh, will always be a where were you when moment in history. But it will also always have a deeper emotional meaning for all of us that are old enough to remember that day.

On that day I was 17, and working at a church daycare about thirty minutes away from my house. It started out as just an ordinary day, as I'm sure it did for every other American. The other teachers and I, had just finished giving the kids their morning snack, when the youth pastor's wife came in to the lunch room, and told us that a plane had hit a building in New York.

Thinking it was just a freak, but horrible accident, we kept on with whatever we were doing. Then she came back and said a second plane had hit another building. That's when I started wondering what in the world was going on. And when she came back to us and said the words "we are going to war, they hit the Pentagon", I knew that this wasn't just a concidence or an accident.

Asking the parents as they came to pick up their children, what was going on, I got several different answers. We were going to war, the President and Vice President had been hidden underground, no one really knew what was going on. I still didn't quite believe it, until I got into my moms truck to go home (she worked across the street from the church at a doctor's office).  I asked her if she had heard anything about planes crashing into buildings. She said "it's been all over the news", and then I knew it was real.

We rode home listening to whatever radio stations were covering the tragedy. After watching a little of the news on the TV, we went to our church and cried and prayed. Fliers had been put up all around our town, advertising a community wide prayer service to be held at the park that evening. A lot of people were there, parent pushing their children in strollers, different churches, different people, all anxious and worried, all needing to do something.

The next few sad days were spent watching people show pictures of their loved ones to the news media, asking that anyone who knew anything about them call in. The networks also showed interviews with offices that had lost their employees. Co-workers had to attend so many funerals, they started dividing them up, half the survivors going to one service, the other half to the other, and so on.

Story after heartbreaking story emerged about the heroes, who consistently though of others first, and gave up their own lives to save another's. The firemen, police men, paramedics, officials, engineers, church leaders, civilians, and restauraunt and businesses that fed and offered supplies to the rescuers deserve our heartfelt thanks and respect.

A beautiful thing came out of 9/11 though, America came together, even if it was just for a little while. We put out our flags, helped our neighbors, attended church more, prayed harder, smiled easier, watched the kids around us closer, teared up at The National Anthem, ate our freedom vanilla ice cream, and asked for freedom fries at restaurants. We did everything we could to show that although 9/11 had knocked us down, knocked the wind out of us as a nation, with God's help we could persevere, we were Americans.

I witnessed a moment that I will also never forget, while attending our annual Texas state fair the month with my family. One of the big draws that weekend was the Texas vrs Oklahoma game, and I'll admit the rivalry between us can get a little heated at times. A little while after entering the fair grounds, we came across a bluegrass band that was playing patriotic music. As they played The Battle Hymn Of The Republic, both Texas and Oklahoma fans removed their hats, put aside their differences and sang together.

Because at that moment a football game seemed trivial, andwhat state you were from didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was that we were there together and we were still America, the land of the free, and the home of the brave! May God continue to choose to bless America.

Peace!

Helen R. Heard

10 Ways To Promote Your Business For FREE (part 1)

Hello,

Everyone who works for themselves has been there. You know that feeling when you know you need to drum up some business,  if you want to do things like buy food, gas for the car, or pay for the doctors bill.

So you pick up the phone to call a potential customer, and your stomach starts to ache, your mouth goes dry, and for the life of you, you cannot remember what it is you do. You hang up the call, frustrated with yourself because you just can't talk to people about your business, much less promote it.

But what if there were other ways to tell people about your business? What if they were easier, more fun, and oh yeah FREE? Would you be interested in learning what they are? Well, grab a glass of diet coke, and read on my fellow work-at-home friend.

#1 Get Thee Online
There is absolutely no good reason for why your business is not online these days. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's true. Not being experienced in technologically, or not knowing how to design a website, are not valid reasons anymore.

A) Websites
Sign up for a FREE website, pick your template, and then write what your business does, and more importantly what it can do for the customer, and publish it to the internet. Make sure to add pictures, and links to websites containg even more valuable information on your industry.

B) Blogs
If you don't want to take the time to make a website, at least sign up for a FREE blog. Sign up, pick a template, write and publish. A blog doesn't have to be a diary, or a step by step detailed report of your business, but it can be a valuable marketing tool. Write about your upcoming sale, that new project you've been working on, or upload a picture of the last house you designed.

To be continued............

Peace!

Cool Downloads

Originally published on 2-12-2009 on Wordpress.com

Hi Everyone,

We're back online again. I missed my little blog here!

Just for fun before we get back to the business stuff, here is a link you should seriously check out:  bravenet.com. Click on the "free resources" link, on the navagation menu.

Look at the Resources Menu on the left, and choose "audio clips". Then just have fun!! There are downloadable clips from tv shows and movies, sound effects, and music.

Don't forget to look at the "free downloads"  link, and check out the sitepal.com. They will show you haw to add a speaking character to your site.

Until next time,

Helen

Keeping Your Business Name Out There

 Originally published on 12-5-2008 on Wordpress.

Hi Everyone,

**I apologize for not writing for a few days. With a funeral tomorrow, trying to get some work done, and planning a Christmas concert on Saturday for our non profit organization, something had to give.  So please forgive me this week, and enjoy this post.**

Another important small business fact to remember, is that people need to you you are there. Have you ever talked to someone about your business, only to have them forget who you are the next time you see them?
 How is that going to build your business? In a word, it's not.

Let's say your kid wants a certain pair of jeans. Do they come and ask for just a pair of jeans, or do they ask for them by name? How do they know what to ask for? Because that company keeps it's name out there.
There are several ways to keep your small business' name in the public eye. Here are just a few.

#1 Place an ad in your newspaper. Most classified ads are priced by the word, such as $20.oo for the first twelve words, $1.00 for each word after. So make those words count, and write in what really sets your business apart.

#2 Make a video. Many business owners are starting to use video sites, like U-tube to advertise their business. Remember to try to make your video look professional,a nd keep it short and to the point. (to learn more about this topic, please read this excellent article in WHY Magazine )

#3 Use social media. Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, are all sites that can get your name out there. Don't just strive for the most friends on the site,  but for what you can do for people as potential customers.

#4. Sponsor something. Little kiddos sports teams, community events, and non-profits are always in need of sponsors. Why not advertise, and do something for the community at the same time? Sponsors are usually rewarded, with their names being included in all advertising. It's a win-win.
So there you go, a few tips for keeping your business  from being forgotten again.

Helen

Red Train Marketing

Last Three BP Details

 Originally published 12-1-2008 on Wordpress.

Hi Everyone,

The last details of the business plan.

#4. How You Plan To Support Your Business (aka where is the money coming from until you get established)

 How much money will you need to get your business started? Do you know the dollar amounts, of what all of your business supplies will cost? What does a business license in your state cost? Where will you get the money for these? Whether you plan to take out a loan, or you have the recommended six months savings, write this figure into your business plan.

#5. How You Plan To Market Your Business (websites, articles, news paper ads etc..)

A lot of business owners forget about this step, but it is very important. Decide how you will market your business. Will you put an ad in your towns' newspaper? Are you aware that you will have to keep it in, around six to eight weeks for it to work? Will you use radio or TV ads? Consider that most successful businesses, have a strong online presence,. So having a website makes great business sense. Also include the stores, boutiques, or other online sites that will sell your merchandise as well, such as E bay, and the like.

#6. What You Eventually Plan To Earn, and How To Get There.

This is one of the more enjoyable parts, of writing your business plan. Decide how much you want to earn from your business, within a set amount of time. Let's say, with your shoe business, you would like to earn $5000.00 a month, by years end. That is a great goal. Now decide how you are going to achieve it. If for example, each pair of your shoes retails for $50.00, you will need to be consistently selling one hundred pairs of shoes, to make that goal each month. How are you going to do that? You will need to know.

Helen

Business Plan Details

  Originally published 11-29-2008 on Wordpress.

Here's a look at some of the business plan details, in well, detail.

#1. The Name Of Your Business.

It sounds a bit unnecessary to mention, but remember that since this is a plan for your business, it is a smart idea to include the name of your venture. When naming your business, try to reflect on what you do, want to achieve, or simply something smart and catchy. If you are a freelancer it might be a good idea to include your first, or last name, in your business' name.

#2. What You Do, and What You Need To Get It Done.

Let's say you sell shoes, that's great. But what kind of shoes? Sneakers? High heels? Ballet shoes? You will need something a bit more specific, to write into your business plan. Now let's say that you sell ballet shoes, that you will custom design. Then you must think about what you will need to keep doing so. Will you need fabric paint, ribbons, an embroidery machine? Will you send the shoes somewhere else to be made? These are things to consider.

#3. A Little Market Research

Another important part in your business plan, that some people don't bother with, is market research. It is just what it sounds, researching your market. Keeping with the designer shoe story, let's say that you plan to sell the shoes from your home. What if your next door neighbor was doing the same thing? What if your town is a small mountain town, where everyone only wears hiking boots? How much do your custom designer shoes cost to make? Taking the time to do a little research, and writing it into your business plan, will save you a lot of time and grief in the future.

Helen

First Up, Create A Business Plan

Originally published on  11-29-2008, on Wordpress.com

Hi Everyone,

One of the major things that you must remember, is that if people don't know you are there, they won't buy from you.

What does that mean? It means that if you do not let people know you are in business, you will not get very many sales. You might get a few orders from family and friends, but unless they plan on supporting your whole business, you will probably need more.

First step, write out a business plan. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just have these essentials:

#1. The name of your business.
#2. What you do, and what you need to get it done.
#3. Market research, and information on your competition.
#4. How you plan to support your business (aka where is the money coming from until you get established).
#5. How you plan to market your business (websites, articles, news paper ads etc..)
#6. What you eventually plan on earning, and how you are going to get there.

During the next few days, we will take a look at these one by one. Hopefully, if you have any business tips, you will share them with me.

Helen

Red Train Marketing