Thursday, February 28, 2008

How Social Networking Can Help Your Business

Social networking is a phenomena defined by linking people together online. It's used by millions of people every single day to interact with each other.

At one point, I thought social networking was neat - but a complete waste of time. I thought it was something that only college students could benefit from for entertainment purposes only.

Now, I think otherwise. Thanks to web sites like LinkedIn.com, entrepreneurs can benefit greatly from "professional social networking" that can indeed help your business.

Here's 5 ways how:

1) Visibility - Social networking allows you to post a public profile about your current professional status, and your professional background. This enables others to see who you are, and what your accomplishments are - encouraging them to connect with you for business.

2) Targeting - Social networking allows you to find potential business partners and clients with similar interests. Once identified, you can add them to your network for others to see who you're affiliate with.

3) Endorsement - Social networking allows people who know you (or who have done business with you) to post their recommendations about you. This type of endorsement is good for others to see when considering to connect with you.

4) Confirmation - Social networking enhances your search engine results whenever someone "googles" you. This will validate you when people are conducting research to confirm who you claim to be.

5) Easy Networking - Social networking allows you to network with others virtually. This means you can do so entirely from your computer. While its still good to attend conferences, shake hands, and exchange business cards - nothing beats an opportunity to connect with people in the comfort of your own home or office.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Common Internet Myths Debunked

A recent issue of Entrepreneur magazine outlines 11 common myths about the Internet. Each myth is addressed by Homestead.com founder Justin Kitch. Here are my favorites:

1) This internet thing is going to be a revolution. "Dude, the revolution already happened," says Kitch, pointing to the more than 150 million Americans who use the internet every day. "Anybody who thinks they can worry about the internet later is completely wrong."

2) I don't need a website. "You're missing a chance to be open 24/7, essentially for free," explains Kitch. "Why would you not do that?"

3) The Yellow Pages is all I need. At least half your new customers are going online to find you, says Kitch, "so you're automatically shutting them out [by not having a website]." In addition, Kitch points to the fact that you can't track Yellow Pages advertising the way you can online advertising.

4) My internet strategy is my website. "Your website is only the tip of the iceberg," says Kitch. Look to: e-mail newsletters, comparison sites, editorial sites, blogs, Web 2.0, social networking sites, lead generators and more.

5) Being small is a huge disadvantage. "By nature, customers would rather deal with small businesses," explains Kitch. "So embrace [being small], make it a competitive advantage, and tell your story."

6) The internet will make me rich. Nothing substitutes for good business sense. Says Kitch, "People skills and your interactions with employees and customers become even more critical when dealing with an internet business. You have to work harder to create those interactions."

For the complete article, visit:
www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/gettingstarted/article190590.html

Thursday, February 21, 2008

What Is That Light At The End of The Tunnel?

Sometimes you may feel that you are in a dark tunnel, and that the bright light at the end is an oncoming train. But you are mistaken; that light at the end of the tunnel is the way out getting closer and closer!

Building a business is hard, and many times it may seem like you are doomed. The key is to be optimistic. Hard work always pays off, and you will soon reap the rewards. You just have to keep at it.

Remember that Donald Trump once found himself in billions of dollars in debt, but he found a way to rebound and is now known as the Real Estate King.

Remember that Bill Gates once found himself struggling to convince people that his Windows operating system was a billion-dollar concept. Now, he's a billionaire 80 times over.

Remember how difficult it was for Bob Johnson to launch BET - the first-ever nationally-syndicated Black channel. Now BET is a 3 billion dollar empire.

These types of success stories are not uncommon, and your story is next. So, get back to the basics and figure out what you need to do to remedy or enhance your situation. Once you determine what your personal recipe is, stick to it and don't deviate!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Have You Heard About The Secret To Marketing?

The secret to marketing is this: Realize and understand that your company is a marketing company. I don't care what your company sells or produces; At the end of the day, you are a marketing company.

This means that you need to spend at least 50% of your time and money on marketing and promoting whatever it is that you do. Too often, Black entrepreneurs get into the habit of NOT self-promoting. This is the worst mistake to make in business.

In addition, remember that you want to market to NEW CUSTOMERS. There is nothing wrong with revisiting past clients to stimulate continuous business activity. However, new customers should constantly be flowing through your company.

Do more than just pass out flyers and business cards. You need to brainstorm and come up with clever and impressive ideas to market your company. Do something that no one else is doing. Reinvent the wheel. Be spontaneous, and be innovative.

Make it your goal to at least recruit one new customer each week. As time goes on, you can ease up to one new customer each day.

To give you the right perspective, think about this: Companies like Allstate and Verizon never stop running commercials on TV. In fact on any given day, you will see their advertisements on TV, in magazines, on billboards, and more. By doing this, they sign up thousands of new PAYING customers every single day of the year (including Sundays).

The conclusion is simple: If you want to generate more revenue, you have to invest constantly into your marketing initiatives. That's the secret!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

This book, although 5 years old, is an excellent resource for all entrepreneurs. Author Jim Collins uses his research and smart writing to bust myths and offer important insights about business.

"Good is the enemy of great," he says. "Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice."

Anyone who wants to make the right choices for their business will find Good to Great instructive, accessible, and well worth reading. It is sure to be a business book that will be consulted and referred to for years to come.

The book has been highly recommended by P. Diddy, Donald Trump and other successful entrepreneurs - including myself.

Get your copy today from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

How To Reach Financial Freedom

Everyone wants to be financially free. The road to that freedom, however, seems paved with a host of obstacles that are seemingly impenetrable. Many of these obstacles are not natural to the path we take, but created by our fears. Fear of success can drive us to do things that are self-defeating.

It is incumbent on us to recognize the role we play in delaying our financial success. Once that is discovered, all else is a matter of hard work and application. Making money is challenging, yes, but there are numerous factors, that if mastered, can make acquiring financial success easier.

First, take charge of your business. It is important to know every aspect of your business so you can effectively manage it. This is integral to ensuring your finances are in order and your money is working for you.

Next, believe that your efforts will be fruitful. Put a lot of work into the business with the knowledge that you are building worth and personal wealth. In the short run, the wealth may not be monetary, but by building a reputation, the monetary wealth will begin to present itself.

Finally, invest your money wisely. Learning how to make your money work for you is key to building wealth. Only invest what you can afford to lose, never more. Stay on top of the changes in the market and keep your money circulating. Over time, you can build a mini empire that will have you set for life.

Financial freedom is not as far off as it seems. Stay the course and believe in your product or service. Don’t let the naysayers steer you from your path.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Turn Those Cold Calls To Gold Calls

Stop wasting time making ineffective cold calls! Attend a FREE Webinar from Jigsaw.com on February 20th from 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM PST, and watch as Pete Ekstrom of Deal Builders shows you simple techniques that you can use to strike “gold” over the phone.

Topics Include:

* How to start conversations with any prospect over the phone.
* The prerequisites of effective 'sales speak'
* Filling the sales pipeline with future business.
* Surviving the 'Attention Economy'.
* The demise of the 'elevator pitch'.
* The 'Gold Call' - The winning sales dialogue that closes more sales appointments.

To sign up FREE, visit:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/385242011

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Be Progressive

Take a long hard look at your business. Are you in the same place you were last year? If so, you have not made any progress - and have just wasted precious time that you will never get back.

Being progressive means to take small consistent steps that add up to big ones. It means that you are slowly (but surely) making your way to success.

You may be losing money on your business, but if you're losing less and less each month - you will eventually break even, and then hit profitability.

You may not have as many clients as you would like, but if you keeping offering that unforgettable customer service - the word will get around.

Tom Joyner and Oprah may not have called you back to be on their shows, but if you're doing interviews on smaller radio shows - you will eventually become the go-to person for your industry.

Your book may not be on the bestseller's list, but if you keep pushing it at small functions - you will create a demand that bookstores and readers can't ignore.

Remember this always: Moving forward slowly is better than not moving at all. A thousand mile journey starts with the first step!

So, be progressive and don't give up. Time will go on with or without you.