Small Business Tools to Boost Productivity

In the present business world today where time and money go hand in hand, you simply have to use the small business tools that are available to you to boost productivity and keep costs down. Here are some tools to help that happen for you:

1. Dropbox is a free service that allows you to simply drag and drop, or copy and paste, files into another file folder on your system to share with those who you select. It's ideal for avoiding attaching large files to the internet, for use in webinars, product demonstrations, and more.

2. Tungle is an important scheduling application that syncs all of your calendars. This one is different from others because it features the innovation and technology that actually makes it work for you. You don't have to sign up for a user account just to use Tungle. Even without an account, you can use all the features of this tool. In other words, you can get milk even without paying for the cow! What I like the best about Tungle is that it synchronizes most naturally with other calendar service. For instance, it syncs up with Yahoo! Calendars, Google Calendars, Outlook, Lotus Notes, Windows Live, Tripit, Plancast, and many others. It can pull and post appointments from existing calendars, and you don't even have to think twice or thrice about it.

3. Rapportive is an email application tool that works with Gmail only. It gives you a complete rundown on everyone who is sending you email, from a picture of their face to their company name and other information. This is ideal for those professionals who network significantly but have trouble remembering people by name alone.
RescueTime is just what you need to stay productive during work hours. It tracks your computer time and generates an analysis of how you spend that time, giving you the information you need to drive productivity.

Each of these small business tools give you the features and benefits you need to truly boost productivity in yourself as well as in your employees.

Finding a Good Cleaning Service in Boise

A clean, sparkling space does wonders to lift spirits, and creates a smart, professional face for your company. You surely would not want to enter an office space that is shabby and poorly maintained. A good cleaning service can help to keep your office clean and perform maintenance services so that it always remains spotless. If your office is in Boise, there are many cleaning companies you could check out.           

Whether you have a large or small office, efficient janitorial service is needed to keep it sparkling. All janitorial programs do not suit every office need. Your office might have nightly schedules, or yours could be a flexi-time office where people come in and work according to their convenience. Having a full-fledged cleaning team interrupt just when you are in the middle of a meeting with a prospective client could be a bad idea. A reputable cleaning service can draw up a cleaning program that is just right for your needs.           
 
When choosing a cleaning service in Boise, you also need to see how flexible they are. It might be that you require services just once a month, or once every week. On the other hand, you might also want them to come and perform cleaning services on an emergency basis. A good cleaning company will work perform their services at your convenience without disturbing your schedule.           

There are so many maintenance and cleaning services that are needed to keep a space clean and looking at its best. Duct-cleaning, maintaining floors and carpets, clean-up after some construction activity—a business could need any of these at different times. Mold is not good for equipment so it is good to have a cleaning service perform mold remediation service if your walls are moldy and old. The sophisticated technology used by a cleaning service will help your walls remain mold-free and healthy for years.           

When cleaning companies let loose their battery of cleaning equipment, the damage to the environment could be immense. All those fumes and toxic chemicals are surely not good for your employees’ health. Look for a cleaning company that performs their service using environment-friendly cleaning chemicals that are free of toxins. If you are looking for an efficient cleaning service, Boise has several companies that you could approach. Western Building Maintenance offers janitorial, carpet-cleaning, duct-cleaning, construction clean-up, window-cleaning, and mold-remediation services. All their cleaning is done using environment-friendly chemicals.

5 Mistakes That Can Stop You From Making The Sale

You’re in the process of introducing a new program to your database and everything is prepared.

Your sales page is up; your shopping cart/payment gateway is ready to accept participants; and you’re sending out emails to prospective clients who you know could benefit from your support.

Launching a new program (or product/service) is certainly an exciting and busy time. However excitement can soon turn into concern, and concern to panic if you’re nearing the start date with hardly anyone booked in? Can you relate?

Help! Where did you go wrong?

While there can be multiple reasons why you haven’t got clients flocking to your door, here are five common mistakes that can result in minimum signups to your programs.

See if you recognise any.

Mistake 1: You haven’t created the ‘irresistible’ factor

As a service provider it’s vital to build a strong signature brand that instantly captures the spirit, personality and passion of YOU and what you do. A strong brand will enable you to stand out in a crowded marketplace as an expert and leader in your field.

And, building a reputation as the expert and leader in your field who delivers amazing results will make you irresistible to your ideal client.

It’s also important to have a uniquely branded Signature System. What’s a Signature System? It’s the step-by-step process you’ll take clients through in your program.

People prefer order and structure and will place more value on a well-defined system than an unstructured and vaguely laid out program. They’ll be far more likely to invest in your program if you show them you’ve got a proven step-by-step system that will help them reach their desired goals.

Have you got a strong signature brand and signature system that’s making you irresistible to your ideal clients and prospects?

Mistake 2: You’re promoting program features – not benefits

While providing an outline of your program (your Signature System) is important – be mindful of WHAT you highlight. Don’t just promote the step-by-step outline of your program as these are just the features. Instead tell your prospect about the benefits and results they can expect to achieve if investing in your program.

For instance, one of my Signature Systems is my Unearthing Your Brilliance – Your Brand Private VIP Session where I take people through a step-by-step process to help them define and develop their own powerful authentic Signature Brand.

Notice in the following example, how I position the features of the program alongside the benefits they can expect to achieve:
“When you invest in the Unearth Your Brilliance Branding Program, you’ll also learn:

•    How to create the heart and soul of your brand by identifying your primary and influencing Brand Archetype’s making you become irresistible to your ideal clients.
•    Specific words that speak directly to each of the Brand Archetypes’ needs and desires. Sprinkle these throughout your marketing messages to attract and influence the people YOU want to work with.
•    How to develop your on-brand core marketing message so that clients feel compelled to invest in you and your services.

Even if you already have a brand, the ‘Unearth Your Brilliance’ Branding Program will reveal vital tweaks that can dramatically boost sales and results. Best of all, the process is easy and FUN!”

As you can see, rather than listing the step-by-step process (the ‘features’), I have highlighted the results (‘benefits’) my clients will achieve. I know this is something they’re looking to resolve and therefore increase their desire to invest in the program.
So, what benefits can your clients expect if they invest in your program? Are you using words you know will speak to their needs and create desire so they invest in you?

Mistake 3: You’re marketing to the masses

While it may be true that anyone can benefit from your program if you market your program to the masses, you’ll probably find fewer (if any at all) people signing up. This is because your marketing message doesn’t speak to their needs and fails to demonstrate how you can help them.

Niching is vital. Get clear on the struggles your target market faces, the problems they experience and what keeps them up at night. Be specific, speak directly to their issues and desires and show them that your program provides the step-by-step solution to their problem.

Do you know what keeps your target market up at night? Are you using the same phrases and words in your marketing to show them you have the answer to their problems?

Mistake 4: You haven’t got a strategic marketing plan

While it would be great to be able to fill your entire program with just one email – in reality you’ll find you have to send several pieces of communication to someone, before they make their purchase decision.

Remember, there’s not just ONE way to fill a program. It can take several methods of communication to get ONE person into your program.

Avoid the ad hoc, spontaneous approach when marketing your program. Instead, have a well thought out marketing plan that includes various ways of communicating that is sent out a period of time leading up to the start date.

Map out your integrated marketing plan using some of the methods from my Brand Communications Wheel, which includes:

•    Social Media Networks

•    LinkedIn
•    Twitter
•    Facebook

•    Speaking
•    Articles
•    Blog Posts
•    Video
•    Webinars
•    Podcast / Audios

Which method(s) will you use to market your program? How often will you reach out to your list? And, how will you bring this information to your list in different formats so that you don’t sound repetitive?

Mistake 5: You’re marketing too many programs/products at the same time

Have a number of programs, products and services you offer to clients? Great! Don’t be tempted to promote these at the same time. You’ll only confuse your prospects and they’ll more than likely not sign up for any of them.

Make sure your marketing plan schedules the promotion of just one of your programs over a certain period of time so your list/contacts can see a consistent message about that one program.

Once that program has been filled, you can start to promote another one of your offerings.

Remember, an overwhelmed prospect will more than likely not invest in any of your offerings so only market one program/product at a time.

What do you think? Was this helpful? What will you do differently next time you launch a program to ensure you get more enrolments into your program?

Here’s to your successful program launch!

Self Employment Ideas: Niche Marketing

As I comb the internet for workable self employment ideas, I am amazed to find so much diversity.  There is truly something for everyone online.  With that being said, I would like to focus on one single marketing strategy employed by many successful entrepreneurs.  It is called niche marketing. 

The central concept behind niche marketing is to avoid going head-to-head with large competitors.  After all, we are all competing for customers.  The trick is to find a smaller market or niche where our chance for success is much greater.  So, how is this done?
As with every other aspect of becoming self employed, finding the right niche requires research and testing.  As an example, suppose that I am an avid birdwatcher and would like to start a blog about my hobby.  My plan is to monetize the blog’s website with ads and accessories associated with birdwatching.  First, I must determine what kind of competition I am up against.
If I were to conduct a keyword search on Google using the word birdwatching, there is likely going to be a huge number of websites competing for traffic.  So, the trick is to narrow-down the competition.  This is accomplished by creating a keyword string for a more specific target group.
I decide to narrow my keyword search to birdwatching in Southern Florida.  Now I utilize the free Google keyword tool found in Adwords.  The tool enables me to see how much traffic this keyword string generates on Google in a given time period.  The tool also displays data on similar keyword strings for comparison.  Obviously, the more people there are doing a particular keyword search, the more competition there will be for their traffic. 
Although there is no perfect amount of traffic for niche marketing, most niches focus on keyword strings that generate fewer than ten thousand searches a month.  On the flip-side, I would not want to choose keywords that very few people ever search.  There will be little to no competition, but there will also be no customers coming to my website.
Now that I have found the right keywords, I need to purchase a domain containing my keywords.  In the case of the birdwatching  example, my domain would be birdwatchinginsouthernflorida.com.  That is provided the domain is available.  I may have to use another extension or use hyphens between my words if that particular domain is not available.  The point of this is that Google will give higher ranking to more relevant websites, and the goal of every niche marketer is to get his or her website into the top ten on the first page of their Google keyword search.
Niche marketing can be an excellent method for generating multiple income streams from the internet.  The reason for this is because once we find success on one website, we can replicate the methods we used there to develop several more websites. 
Anyone who has been following my articles on self employment ideas knows that I have been putting my research to the test with my own website.  As I write this article my site has moved to the top of page three in the Google rankings.  It would appear that what I have learned is actually working.  I will have further updates in the near future.