Archive for August, 2009
Win or Lose – Where Will Your Website Fall On the Wheel of Fortune?
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Will you win or will you lose? You’ve probably seen the show Wheel of Fortune where people spin the wheel to determine what prizes they could they win. If you were to spin the Internet Fortune Wheel, where would your website land? Would it be on the winning side or are you closer to going bankrupt?
Most people think they just need to zip out any old site and it will work for them. That, my friend, is an attitude you can’t afford to have when it comes to working online. Your website is the calling card for your online business. Without it, you would have difficulty getting people to find you, let alone buy your products.
Publishing a site to the internet that isn’t appealing or doesn’t cut it will cause the Internet wheel to land on the losing side for you. If you want your business to be a success, don’t risk your hard earned money and time by having an ineffective site.
Why is it so Important to Have a Well Created Site?
You have an online business and your site will be your “store” from which all your sales and transactions will take place. If you walk into a local store, you will see a specifically designed layout within that store. Everything is placed where it is, for a reason.
Why? Brick and mortar store owners do this to increase interest in products or to gain more sales. Most stores are kept pretty clean and fairly easy to navigate to help you find what you need. The reason for that is to build a rapport with you, so you can develop trust with that store and their workers. How many people do you think would buy items from a dirty, grungy, poorly laid out store? Not too many.
People don’t trust business owners that don’t take care of their stores. When selling online, your “store” is your website, so you must take care of it and make sure it’s pleasing and easy to navigate for your online visitors. Those visitors are no different than the customers who walk into the local stores. Will your site measure up?
Your business site should come across to your visitor as a professional site with which to do business from. It should welcome them, help them around and make the sale as easy as possible for them. Since your website says a lot about your business, you will need to make sure it speaking positive things.
Plan to create the best possible professional website to sell your products from. Your customers are important to the success of your business. No customers = No sales. A site that grabs a visitor and keeps them there while you layout what you have to offer and your sales pitch will land on the winning side of that Internet wheel. The losing side is only for those who don’t care about their business and whether or not it succeeds. Since you’re not one of them, keep your site up to par and make your customers happy.
Twitter Lingo: What You Should Know
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I’m really loving Twitter. At first I wasn’t so sure, but as the months have progressed, I’ve come to realize that Twitter and other forms of social media are not a fading trend, but rather the “new” way to business.
Twitter is one of the most popular social networking tools that everyone is using. It is so popular that it has developed its own language. If you want to use Twitter, learn a few of the terms so you’ll be on top of your game the first time out.
Basically, Twitter is like instant messaging or text messaging. You feel like you’ve stepped into an alternate universe because everyone looks human but they are speaking some sort of gibberish. Well, it is not really gibberish but the Twitter language. You’ll think you are developing a lisp but that’s okay – everyone who uses it has one.
What are the Basics?
1. The site is called Twitter. Some interchange Twitter and Tweeter and that’s a faux pas. A tweeter is something that works with woofers in your car speakers. Now, you can use “tweeter” to refer to someone who uses Twitter if you want to.
2. The messages that you send are called Tweets. Don’t confuse it with chirps. A bird chirps and even though a bird is the logo, the messages that you chirp out are known as tweets. Each message is 140 characters or shorter.
3. A person that uses Twitter is a Twitterer. You can say a Twitter user but twitterer is more accepted. Twittering (or tweeting) is the act of sending and receiving tweets and using various aspects of the service.
4. On Facebook you have friends, but on Twitter you have followers. Yes, it sounds like you are recruiting, but it distinguishes Twitter from the other social networking tools. You can be followed or have people that you follow.
5. There are several tools or applications that can be used with Twitter service. All of these will either begin with “Tw”, hence the lisp. For example you have TweetDeck, Twhirl, Twitterfeed, Twitterrati just to name a few
Texting, Anyone?
6. Twitter does use some of the same lingo as text messaging or chat room users. With 140 characters, space is precious. Instead of typing “see you later,” change it to “CUL8R.” so, not only do you need to be familiar with Twitter lingo but text messaging terms help as well.
Follow Suit
7. Remember the lisp? Many Twitter terms are recycled terms with a Tw- prefix. For instance, “twalking” is someone who twitters (by text) while they are walking. “Twaffic” is twitter traffic. You get the idea.
8. For a more comprehensive list of Twitter lingo go to http://twittonary.com for more. This Twitter dictionary includes text messaging abbreviations, Twitter lingo and names for Twitter tools. Keep this handy and you’ll always look like a hip Twitterer.
Solopreneurs on Facebook
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Have you been to our Facebook Fan Page recently? I highly encourage you to go to http://www.facebook.com/solopreneurbiz right now and share your business insights with us. We have been getting a lot of interaction lately and it really makes for a lively yet meaningful discussion.
Recently we’ve talked about:
How to Get Started as a Solopreneur
The Most Common Social Media Mistakes
How to Start Self-Employed Life
and so much more!
I also encourage you to take a few minutes and go to our discussions page and add your business to “What is Your Solopreneur Biz?”
If you’re not already, go on over to our Facebook Fan Page and become a “fan” today! We would love to have your input in our discussions.
Keys to Business Success on BlogTalkRadio
Posted by: | CommentsI hope you were able to listen in to the live call on BlogTalkRadio when I was interviewed by Kimberly J. Bowles of Dream Girl Publicity. We had planned to discuss business mistakes, but Kimberly and I are both such positive people that we discussed Success Strategies for small businesses instead. Listen to the recording to learn about some of the most important ways to succeed – gaining and using the entrepreneur’s mindset, personal qualities for success, motivation tips, getting friendly with marketing and much more. You’ll even hear that I couldn’t resist coaching Kimberly briefly in the middle of the call!
If you aren’t familiar with BlogTalkRadio, read this previous post about the resources available there. Look for me on the radio again in the future! And if you want that insight into ways to be successful, go listen to the recording of my appearance on Kimberly’s show here.
Top 10 Mistakes of Entrepreneurs
Posted by: | CommentsMark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th at 8:00 p.m. for Top 10 Mistakes of Entrepreneurs.
I’ve even made a video all about it!
Teleseminar: Top Ten Mistakes of Entrepreneurs
Posted by: | CommentsOver the past few months, I have realized that many of my new clients are coming to me because they are making some basic mistakes in their businesses. The mistakes I see are much too common and they are preventing many businesses from thriving or even succeeding.
You have probably heard that 75% or more of small businesses don’t survive the first three years. Don’t let your business fall into this category. I have decided to do a free teleseminar called Top Ten Mistakes of Entrepreneurs because I want you to make sure your business is on the right track.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th at 8:00 p.m. ET (New York USA) for my teleseminar Top Ten Mistakes of Entrepreneurs. Join me to learn about some of these common mistakes made by both new and experienced entrepreneurs and how to avoid them.
Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs Make Pt. 2
Posted by: | CommentsDetails are coming soon, but I want you to mark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th for my newest teleseminar “10 Mistakes that Most Entrepreneurs Make”. Be sure to sign up for our RSS feed and/or for Biz Tips for Solo Business Owners and Entrepreneurs (which you can sign up for in the top right corner and get a free ebook too) to be be notified of the details.
To get the juices flowing, I am going to discuss just one of these mistakes now. During the call 
we will go a little more in-depth and also discuss how you can shift your thinking.
Lack of Vision
As I was surfing the net today, I came across this article “Who Gave Day Dreamers a Bad Name?”. Perhaps it struck a chord with me because I AM a dreamer and a visionary.
As I was reading this article these sentences really stuck with me “Little children aren’t afraid to ask. They aren’t afraid to demand what they want. They dream, and the sky is the limit for them. But somewhere between childhood and the teenage years, these children quit dreaming.” This is so true! I look at my grandchildren and they aren’t afraid to tell me what they want and they do so with a wide smile and laughing all the way. They have not yet faced the rejection what comes with the word no and how it can dash dreams in an instant.
We can all take lessons from the children around us. Let’s start to view the world through their eyes. Don’t be afraid to have a vision and to allow the vision to come to fruition. Sometimes all we need to do is speak it. Granted I am not the biggest Microsoft fan, but remember years ago the vision that Bill Gates made public? The one where he said that he wanted a personal computer in every house? I remember people laughing at that comment. But look at us now. Did we ever stop to think “what if Bill Gates never made that comment? Would we be where we are today?” Others might not agree, but I am not sure that we would be as technologically advanced as we are today. Because sometimes it takes the spoken word to bring things to fruition.
WordPress As A Content Management System
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What is the one thing all websites have in common regardless of the type of site they are? Every site has to have CONTENT! Whether you are an online store, an online newspaper, a photo gallery, a coaching group, a or a blog, your site won’t succeed without quality, informative content.
Content is simply the stuff that makes up your site, similar to ingredients that make up a recipe. Just as with any good recipe, ingredients have to be added in the right order and the right amounts for the recipe to come out just right, so it is with content on your website. You want to be able to create a site that has the right information, in the right quantities, at the right locations. Do this and you have conquered the world of CMS, otherwise known as Content Management System(s).
Using WordPress for your CMS is equivalent to picking the type of oven you are going to cook your recipe in. Some may prefer gas or electric ovens, others like the microwave. WordPress is your microwave choice when it comes to CMS. You are able to add content to your site quickly and efficiently, but may not be able to add all the bells and whistles. WordPress certainly has many opportunities, but just as you cannot cook all things in a microwave, you cannot make all applications work with WordPress…yet.
Advantages of WordPress as a CMS
The main advantage of using WordPress as a CMS is the ability to choose pages verses posts within your content. A page is a place where you will store static information, such as information about the company and owners, or a sign-up/contact form for visitors to your site. Pages are not meant to be changed on a regular basis; for that purpose it makes more sense to create a post.
Post pages can be created for either a single or multi-post format. You may include categories, archives, or multiple posts to be displayed. Their purpose is not to remain static, but to update on a continual basis. These post pages are perfect for bloggers.
Another benefit of WordPress is that you can have a static home page with post-pages behind it. The front page that your visitors will see when they login will always be the same, and then they can click within your site for updated information, articles, or blogs.
This brings us to another great feature with WordPress as a CMS. The site administration is very user friendly. As the site owner you may go into your control panel and assign different types of roles for individuals contributing to your site. If you have several writers you can enable their role allowing them to post articles only. Likewise, you may have several site administrators or site accounts.
WordPress also offers many widgets, plugins, and themes to help you create or brainstorm for your site content. Themes can be altered with the installation of plugins, making the site uniquely yours. Further, you can add other options to your site such as an online store, links to other sites, comment cards, or even polls.
Regardless of the type of site you choose to build, WordPress is your best choice for easy content management with the endless possibilities it provides.
Feast for Your Heart, Mind and Soul
Posted by: | CommentsLast month I participated in MaestroMonth — an extraordinary learning event with dozens of today’s top
personal transformation leaders, all using an interactive new teleseminar platform from MaestroConference.
At first, the recordings were only available to the speakers themselves. But lucky for us, that’s changed!
Maestro is now offering a downloadable library of the recordings from MaestroMonth for an incredibly low price…
…Only $49 for full access to more than 50 illuminating calls! What an amazing value.
So if you missed a call, or just wish you had the recording of one, now you can listen to
all of them, anytime you want.
Click here to see the details.
For less than $1 per recording, you get a library of practical wisdom from teachers such as:
* Deepak Chopra
* Gregg Braden
* Marianne Williamson
* Debbie Ford
* Michael Port
* Mari Smith
* Bernie Siegel
* Terri Levine
* Dave Buck
* And many, many more!
It’s quite a feast for heart, mind, and soul. This event and now the recordings get my strongest recommendation…
Get the entire Maestro Month now.
Mistakes Most Entrepreneurs Make
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Details are coming soon, but I want you to mark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th for my newest teleseminar “10 Mistakes that Most Entrepreneurs Make”. Be sure to sign up for our RSS feed and/or for Biz Tips for Solo Business Owners and Entrepreneurs (which you can sign up for in the top right corner and get a free ebook too) to be be notified of the details.
To get the juices flowing, I am going to discuss just two of these mistakes now. During the call we will go a little more in-depth and also discuss how you can shift your thinking.
Not thinking like an entrepreneur
There are very specific thinking patterns in the mind of an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial mind is the source of creativity, possibility, and growth in business. The success of the business is rooted in the business owner’s ability to think and dream. If you have been an employee for a while before starting your own business, then you may need to change your thinking patterns.
Take some time to decompress from being an employee and then concentrate on shifting your mind and ideals to that of an entrepreneur. Develop your vision and action plan for your business and most importantly, put it into practice. Remember you are on your own now and your success lies totally on your shoulders.
Uncertain of what you have to offer
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to create the business of their dreams. You may have a great “idea” but you need to take the time to plan it out. You need more than just an idea to succeed in business. Take the time sit down and research. Create a standard business plan to ensure that you have an idea that can be marketed and utilized by businesses or consumers. After you have a solid business plan, it’s time to create a marketing plan and put it into practice.
