Saturday, June 5th, 2010 at
10:17 pm
Let’s face it; the average business owner has neither the time nor the inclination to learn the nuances of search engine optimization. When I was first introduced to the concept of search marketing, I spent endless hours researching forums and blog trying to separate the signal from the noise. There’s no shortage of information and advice for business owners out there in theinterwebz , but finding trustworthy and reliable sources is another monster entirely. I would estimate that I invested hundreds of hours researching reliable sources ofSEO and SEM information, and I am thrilled to this day when I discover new ones. This can be a daunting prospect for a small business owner, regardless of their current level of marketing knowledge. I know when I was trying to grow my first small business, I barely had time to eat and sleep…much less surf the web for hours on end.
The real key to local search visibility is to recognize that your location is your brand. In most cases, searches with local intent rarely reflect brand terms. In the research I have seen, most local searches are industry and/or service based with geographic qualifiers. For example, “boston emergency plumber” or “san diego pediatric dentist” are more likely to be searched for than “city name + your business name”. If people are searching for your business by name, that’s great! You’ve done a great job establishing your brand! But if your sole focus is on brand promotion, you are missing out on some great opportunities to develop relationships with new customers in your area. Recent research has shown that almost 40% of allinternet searches are local in intent. If you want to maintain a lead over your competition, now is the time to take action. The following short-list of actionable items will help get you started:
Read the rest of this entry
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at
10:17 pm
Here are three common disabling beliefs which prevent people from starting small businesses because of the fear of failure.
Many think they are not well enough educated, come from a poor background which holds them back, or think they need loads of money to get started in a new small business venture.
Let me show you why I think these are not true.
Read the rest of this entry
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 at
10:12 pm
Most home and small businesses rely on classified advertisements to market their services and products. Getting good results with a classified ad isn’t as simple as it seems. There is more to it than just writing two or three lines of copy and placing it in the local shopping digest or weekly newspaper. A well-written ad in the wrong publication or under a wrong headline or a poorly written ad in the right publication will not get you the desired results.
Read the rest of this entry
Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at
10:11 pm
Owning a business means you will have more free time.
With this myth, the exact opposite is usually true. Nearly all-new business owners find that they actually have much less free time when they open a business – especially in the beginning. Yes, your schedule will be more flexible but it will not be lighter. Being a business owner is more of a life style than a job. If you are going to be successful, you will probably need to dedicate most of your time to it.
You should not worry about a business plan.
People often mistakenly think that if they do not need to secure funding for their business, it means they should not worry about a business plan. Technically, you do not need a business plan in this situation, but you should still compose one for your own purposes. Creating a business plan will allow you to research your industry, organize your thoughts, and set your long-term goals.
Read the rest of this entry
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at
10:17 pm
The traffic statistics page for Robert’s new small business web site starts to load. He scrolls down the page, dismayed. Just one or two visitors daily. Robert sits back and sighs. Most were probably curious friends and family.
When his internet-savvy nephew suggested promoting his small business on the Internet, Robert designed a simple but attractive five-page small business web site. He added meta-tags and keywords, and waited for the search engines.
Read the rest of this entry
Monday, May 24th, 2010 at
10:11 pm
Talking about business laws in microscopic detail would need a couple of months of your time! There is indeed a plethora of legislation that governs small businesses, ranging from state to county laws. Some are relevant to your business even today whereas others are outdated and have not been enforced since the early part of the last century!
Read the rest of this entry
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010 at
10:11 pm
Hi.
I wanna run my own business. I want to start with weddings and any events eventually.
The most important question I have, is about the equipment i need for an outdoor, indoor shooting, such as a event, on a party etc.
Thank you,so much