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The line between online and offline is becoming ever more blurred, and there are plenty of ways of marketing your business that span both.

Fifteen years ago few businesses had a website, and even email was still in its relative infancy. Online marketing was a new phenomenon, suffering the teething troubles to be expected when any new technology goes mainstream. Since then, budgets for online marketing have rocketed, by some estimates now accounting for around a quarter of all marketing. For smaller businesses, perhaps based predominantly on the web, this figure will be much higher. Online marketing in its many forms – paid search, SEO, social networking and more – is relatively cheap and easy to access for those who know what they are doing. Some businesses may completely avoid offline marketing, believing that they can achieve better results by spending the same money online, but this is usually a mistake.

Online vs offline?

There are some extremely easy ways to market your business in the ‘real world’ – ones which cost next to nothing and can have a significant effect. Not only that, but ‘offline’ doesn’t really mean offline any more. With the profusion of mobile phones, particularly smart phones, the cross-over between real and virtual is growing, presenting further opportunities to guide people to your website.

QR codes

One of the most obvious examples of this tendency is the rise of the QR code. A QR or Quick Response Code is a square of pixels that is effectively a kind of sophisticated two-dimensional bar code. The quantity of data that can be stored in them varies depending on the resolution and the quality. It’s best to keep things relatively simple, since some less sophisticated smart phones will not be able to read complex QR codes. At the very least, you can store a website address in them, which will load automatically when snapped by a smart phone. You can also store text, SMS messages, telephone numbers and even calendar entries in them. If you haven’t seen them in action yet, you will soon: their use has soared in recent months and will doubtless continue to do so with the increase in smart phone use. This is one area in which the online and offline merge beautifully thanks to convergent technology.

Joined-up branding

Most online businesses will still operate to some degree in the real world. This might be because you send out mail or packages, or because you also have a physical store. Even if none of these apply, you should still have business cards that you can give to interested parties (these are cheaply available from most digital printing companies). These should all display your email and web address, as well as your company name and tagline. The same goes for your email signature. If you do use QR codes, they are also perfect ways to give potential customers a short-cut to visiting your site.

Conclusion

The online and offline worlds are increasingly linked, due largely to the growing popularity of smart phones and other portable browsing devices. These present cheap and simple ways to funnel potential customers to your site that should not be overlooked, even by businesses that operate almost exclusively via the internet.

This article was supplied by Nick Green of printed.com, a supplier of quality leaflet printing and an accredited member of the Direct Marketing Association.

Marketing an online business ‘offline’

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If you’re in business, or are perhaps thinking about starting up a new venture, then one of the key areas to focus on is that of where you’re going to be based. While many freelancers or small-time setups can work from home perfectly well, this isn’t always ideal for anyone who needs to be out there in the public eye. After all, networking is one of the best ways to pick up new clients, so having an office makes really good sense.

The only downside to this is the cost factor, which is often seen by many starting out at the bottom of the ladder as needless expense. However, thanks to the current economic situation, renting a desk or office is actually surprisingly affordable. Many landlords currently have plenty of available areas in their buildings and are obviously keen to maximise the potential of this otherwise dead space.

That means you can often get really good deals, often on an office in a prime location too, such as the centre of a city or business district that will be ideal for garnering new contacts and clients. The best way to secure the right place, and also get an overview of what’s on offer, is to head online where you can search for things such s serviced offices and office rental deals in a comparison site. There are a few of these around now and work in much the same way as you’d look for a broadband or phone deal.

What to get?

The type of rental deal you get depends largely on what your requirements are going to be. If you’re just working on your own and want to keep the overheads down then lookout for desk space rental deals. These are effectively desks located in a part of another office, but they’re known for being one of the cheapest ways of getting yourself setup in a professional business environment. They’ll probably come with few frills, but you should get high-speed broadband and the added benefit is that contracts are generally short-term.

Anyone with slightly more grandiose needs might want to look at the full office rental options out there. And, if you’ve got other employees to think of and have a business that is on the up then the serviced office option is another route to take. This type of scenario will get you added extras such as receptionists, post rooms and IT support, although these bells and whistles will obviously get factored into the overall cost too.

Ultimately, it’s easy to match a working area to the size of your business and the amount you want to spend. Thanks to the internet it’s now easy to view prime locations without even going there in person. It certainly cuts down on the work involved in finding a place to run your business from and, what’s more, the fact that you might bag yourself a prestigious new address will look pretty good on your stationary and shiny new website too.

Guest post written by Rob Clymo from Office Genie, the online portal to find office space for small businesses, startups and freelancers.

Small Business & Startups: Renting is Best to Maximise Profits

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When you are planning to start your own business, the first question that comes in your mind is how you will manage the cash for it. It is quiet obvious that you will not have the lump sum cash ready in your hands and as such, if you have credit cards in your wallet, you will think of swapping them to manage your bucks. You need to keep in mind that you have to pay off the credit card balance on time other wise, you will get entangled into credit card debt problems. In this situation, you will have to take the take the help of debt consolidation program to repay your outstanding debts.

3 Ways to manage your personal finance in your own business

Read on to know the 3 ways how you can manage your personal finance in your own business.

1. Search for a trusted counselor - Handling money matters is the most important decision that one has to make in his life. As such, when it comes to managing money of your own business, it is advisable that you take the help of a professional expert who can assist you as to how you should invest and spend money in order to expand your business and earn maximum profit with the help of it. Your business may face several unfavorable circumstances and this is the most important reason why you should take the help of a trusted counselor in financial decisions of your own business.

2. Try to save sufficient money - Your business is the platform where you invest money in order to boost maximum returns with the help of it. Often it has been found that you invest additional money in your business even though it is not needed and do not make enough profit from it. In this situation, you get entrapped into debt problems falling which you take the help of debt consolidation to eliminate your debt problems. To avoid such situations, it is advisable that you invest only the required amount of money in your business and try to save as much as you can. This will help you stay away from debt problems.

3. Formulate a profitable budget - While formulating a budget for your own business, you should try to make a profitable one so that you may be able to keep a track on your personal finances and avoid facing debt problems. Every business owner should prepare a well-planned budget so that they can understand where their money is going. This, in turn, will help them to handle their money matters in a much better way and remain debt free.

Having plans in mind to establish business is not all that you should assume when you want to start your own business. It is important that you think from before hand as to how you’ll be handling your personal finances in your own business. This, in turn, will enable you to stay away from unnecessary debt problems and expand your business in the most successful way possible.

Kavin Matthews is a financial writer who has expertise in dealing with financial issues. He loves to contribute financial write ups to websites and blogs so that he can help people who are struggling with financial worries. To know more on ways in which you can get out of any kind of debt obligations, you may visit http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/

Flourish your business and achieve success in it – Stay away from debt problems

I was at my mastermind retreat in California. Being that I live in New Jersey I found myself very awake and productive at 5:00 in the morning and went to the gym at 5:45.

After my workout, I was standing by the water cooler and looked out the window. There was a beautiful sunrise. One of the hotel attendants was next to me and I said, “Look at the beautiful sunrise.” She was courteous to me, but yet I could see in her eyes that she assumed that I wanted something from her or was complaining about something. I said, “Everything is okay, I just don’t want you to miss the good stuff.”

So often in our day-to-day lives we end up focused on the things that are not going well, on what we still have to do or more often, what we think we’ll never get around to doing. We spend our day beating ourselves up instead of paying attention to what is going right.

These past couple of months I’ve been in a bit of a rut. Sure things are going okay. I have great clients and I enjoy what I’m doing. Technically things were going well, yet I kept thinking about what wasn’t going well, the things I wasn’t doing or hadn’t summoned up my energy to do. In my own rut I lost sight of the all the wonderful things going on in my life…the beautiful sunrise that exists around me every day.

Some parts of my sunrise are personal. My daughter got into her first choice college early decision (she’s going to Lehigh University, it’s my alma mater!). My sons are growing up into beautiful, smart, sensitive young men. I have an incredibly supportive husband who will happily support me in any way that I need support and often knows what support I need before I do. Oh, and because I was up and at the gym early I ran two miles on the treadmill (I’m not much of a treadmill runner, that’s quite an accomplishment for me!)

Beyond that my business is doing great. My revenues were up over 110% from 2010. My clients are growing and doing things in their businesses and lives that are incredible. I am confident that the work I do brings my clients and other people that I interact with value.

By moving my focus from the things that weren’t doing exactly what I wanted them to do, to areas that were going well I put a smile on my face. That smile alone is enough to help me turn the rut around.

What you focus on is well…what you focus on. You get to choose. Will you focus on the sunrise and the good that surrounds you or on the problems? Choose the good and the problems become much smaller in comparison and are much easier to manage.

I’m not sure why it’s easy to forget the beauty and wonder around you. Why is it so easy to downplay all that you have accomplished on the road to where you are? We need to force ourselves to stop and take the good in. The attendant at the hotel was so focused on her job and what she had yet to do that when I spoke to her she assumed that something was wrong. I forced her to shift her focus to see the sunrise. It brightened my day, I hope it brightened hers too.

My suggestion for you is to take a moment and think. What is working well for you in your business and life? What things have you allowed yourself to gloss over or take for granted? What things have you accomplished that you’re not taking the time to acknowledge? Now that you know what’s going well, share your sunrises with me on my blog and use it as inspiration for your day.

About this Author

Carrie Greene is a speaker, trainer, coach and author of Chaos to Cash. She helps entrepreneurs cut through the confusion and chaos surrounding them so they make decisions, stop spinning and procrastinating and make more money. Free resources at http://www.CarrieThru.com

The Right Way To Bring In Revenue

Undoubtedly, breaking into the media was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my career. At the time I started to write, I promised my dying mentor, Harvey Cohen that I would get in the New York Times someday – a very bold promise for someone who was just published on an Ezine site.

As I began to get recognized for my work, I soon learned the power of the media and how exactly to harness it for business leverage. This is something that many people fail to do.

Bringing It Back to the Website

If I have an article in Forbes or am quoted in AOL, etc. only a few thousand people will see that article – 5k at most per article in the 1st month. While this may seem high to some, the odds of a big decision maker finding this article and, subsequently wanting to pay my company a $15,000 recruiting fee carries much worse odds than playing the house at a casino.

However, since it is so difficult to get into major media, quotes, articles, etc. can provide a return on investment if they are used properly by the business owner and displayed on the website in order to display their expertise in their respective field.

Media is only powerful for the business owner if the business owner does his or her part to leverage the recognition, though never rely on it as a sole driver for clients to sign on with their company.

Another advantageous way to bring back the media to your website in order to leverage potential clients finding you through the search engines as links back to one’s website from major media sources will make Google, Bing, etc. more confident in ranking your company’s website in what are known as the Search Engine Ranking Page or “SERPs.”

Are PR Representatives Needed?

For the most part, PR representatives are not needed because the client of their firms don’t give them enough to work with and, in conjunction with that 95% of the media recognition I’ve received has not been due to a press release.

Instead, it is due to me providing content to these sites that they, in turn profit off of via advertising dollars. Just like anything in life and business, it’s what can you do for them, not what you want them to do for you.

Moreover, some PR firms charge way more than they are worth and because they are media related, feel as if you should be glad to be paying them – a theory that turned me off and prompted me to do everything myself.

To the naked eye, PR reps seem quite important and high ranking, though in the media world are looked upon as almost an annoying as they are consistently contacting major media via phone calls, mass emails, etc. to push their clients’ agendas.

If you work with a PR firm and see correspondence between them and an editor and / or producer, you are going to see a GMail address as these individuals rarely are willing to give PR representatives their direct information, let alone their phone number.

In Closing

You will only break into the media if you understand that for every 1,000 closed doors, 1 will open. However, it will only open if you have something to offer them and, finally it will only be monetized if you use the press recognition in the right manner.

Ken Sundheim runs KAS Placement, an executive staffing firm that Ken started in 2005.

Executive Headhunting Firms New York

Recruiters in NYC

Ken’s articles have appeared in, among many others Forbes, NYTimes, USA Today and more.

The Relationship Between the Media and Business

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Ordering business cards is easier than ever before, thanks to digital print on demand technology. But getting a card that makes you look the part requires a bit of thought.

A quick hunt around the web will soon turn up a number of companies who will offer to produce your business cards for you. But it pays to be a little discerning about what you opt for in the end: after all, this is the way that you will leave your contact details with many potential customers, and you need to create the right impression if they are going to use them.

Many companies even offer free business cards or special offers, but make sure you know exactly what you are getting. This is one area where saving money at the expense of quality is definitely a false economy. In order to get a business card that gives a really good impression at a decent price, you should:

• Opt for heavier stock
• Ensure high print quality
• Avoid freebies
• Think carefully about coating/finish
• Shop around a few different companies

Paper stock

The paper stock is the thickness of the paper – or, in this case, card. It is typically measured in gsm, or grams per square metre. Typical printer paper is usually 80 gsm. Slightly thicker paper, such as that used for menus in restaurants, might be up to 130 gsm. Postcards might come in at 300 gsm. Business cards come in a range of weights, but generally speaking the heavier the card the better the look and feel of it. 400 gsm is around the right weight. Different companies will use different weights by preference, but don’t be tempted to save money here: a thin card can appear scrappy and cheap.

Print quality

Similarly, digital print firms use various printers, some of which will result in a better quality business card than others. Unless you happen to know a lot about the different types of printer typically used, you are best off looking for reviews of companies and products. Pay particular attention to any images you might include, like a logo – you want these to be photo quality, looking crisp and vibrant, not grainy and faded.

Avoid freebies

Some digital print companies will offer free business cards, but these are best avoided. They are generally low-quality card and poorly designed, and some companies will insist that you include their logo on the card – all round, a terrible impression to give. Handing a potential client one of these cards is a good way to put them off you altogether, since it clearly conveys the message that you don’t even want to invest a few pounds in your brand and image. Not only that, but you may be stung by high postage costs and other ‘extras’ that aren’t included up-front.

Finish

You can have your cards finished in a variety of ways. They can be unfinished, just the plain card, of course. Then you can opt for a matte, silk or gloss varnish; these give a sheen to the card, protecting it and making it last longer. You can also get a spot UV finish, which can make some areas of the card (like an image or logo) brighter and shinier. Which you go for will depend on the design of your card; high-contrast cards like white type on a black background might be well highlighted with a gloss finish, and individual elements can be brought out with spot UV. Matte might be better for a more traditional black on white card. If you want to write on your card, you might want to leave one side untreated.

Shop around

Lastly, shop around different companies until you are happy with the specification and price. Ask for a few samples or variations on your design to get an idea of what they look and feel like in reality – this is something you have to hold in your hand before you know how well it will work.

This article was supplied by printed.com, the new home of The Digital Print Partnership, a supplier of quality digital print and an accredited member of the Direct Marketing Association.

Making the right impression with business cards

E-Mail Wars

This is a guest post if you would like to write for Startup Resources view the guidelines here.

Finding the right employees is critical to the success of your business. When you have the best people working for you, your company is able to offer the best service, develop the most innovative products and plan the most effective strategies. However, finding the right people to hire can be easier said than done, as can ensuring that you develop a long-term relationship with them and don’t lose them to your competition. Fortunately, there are a few easy tips that can help you hire the best employees for your small business and to retain them over the long run:

Write Effective Job Posts

Your job post must sell your company in the same way that a resume must sell an applicant. An effective job posting should be clearly written to properly explain the parameters of the job and the skills required, but it should also sell the position and the company, highlighting why employees should want to work there. Clearly defining the job and the qualifications required will ensure that you attract only qualified applicants. Marketing your ad to promote the highlights of the job and working for your company will give the best applicants incentive to apply.

Explore All Leads

Don’t limit yourself to job boards such as Monster or Yahoo. Market your vacancies the same way you would your company: through social-networking sites, your website, print campaigns, e-mail, newsletter and word of mouth. Explore all opportunities you have to network and to get the word out about your vacancy. Referrals and networking opportunities like conferences and receptions are an excellent way to find valuable candidates as well.

Hold an Open House

A resume doesn’t always give you a good idea of a candidate’s personality and range of skills. Someone who might not read well on paper may be an engaging salesperson or charming people person. Hold an open house to get to know interested candidates in an informal setting without committing to an intensive recruiting process. Give candidates an opportunity to sell themselves to you.

Think Outside the Box

Don’t limit yourself to a traditional interview or the typical playlist of questions. Put your candidates through their paces to challenge their skillset and creative thinking. Design tests or other challenges that apply to the vacant position. For example, you could ask candidates to give you a short lesson in a relevant topic. You could provide applicants with a puzzle or riddle and evaluate the solutions they provide. You could ask interviewees to come up with creative ideas for a hypothetical product or project. You may not be able to see candidates in action before you hire them, but you can use the recruiting process to test their skills and intuition.

Offer a Competitive Package

Once you have found the right employees for your company, you must develop strategies for ensuring that you retain them and are able to build a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. You can start by offering a competitive salary and benefits package that will not only lure them into taking the position, but that will also satisfy them enough to stay on longer than it takes to find their next (higher-paying) job. Research your competitors to find out what typical salary and benefits packages they offer, and find ways to beat their offers.

Create a Great Company Culture

You believe in your company and your vision; now you have to make your employees believe in it, too. Creating this company may have been your life-long dream, but your employees are going to be motivated by shared values, challenging work, and inspiring goals. Make sure that you provide them with it. Take the time to learn your employee’s strengths, and find opportunities to utilize them and to challenge them even more. Create a unifying environment, and find ways to make your employees feel invested in the future of the company.

Finding and keeping the right employees is a critical component of your company’s success, and it is a complicated process that takes insight and managerial skill. These simple tips can get you started, but long-term success will take commitment and perseverance.

About the author:

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on international student grants and student grants in new jersey.

Success Strategies: How to Hire and Retain the Right People

When it comes to a successful business it often boils down to this–sales, sales, sales. Whether you are selling your books or products, or promoting a speaking event or book tour, normally the bottom line in measuring success is how many sales you make or how many people show up at your event. The results themselves can be what determines whether or not you are successful.

Therefore, to get the best results, it’s important to focus on exactly how you’re driving those sales and where they are coming from. Ask those who contact you how they found you; was it through an ad, social media, or perhaps a referral? Knowing where your potential clients or customers are coming from is crucial. That tells you what you need to be doing more of in your marketing efforts and what areas to focus on. But just as important is making sure you take full advantage of each and every opportunity that comes your way. It’s so easy to do when you have your systems set up properly.

Here are key points to remember in marketing your business:

Getting the Most from Your Shopping Cart- Make sure you get your website and shopping cart working for you. This is key to success. You are missing out on major opportunities every time you don’t set up an autoresponder for orders, or have your shopping cart set up to reconnect with your buyers in some way. Think how often you have purchased something (say, for the holidays) and then totally forgot about that business until you receive something new from them, like their latest sales event or their company newsletter. That’s exactly how it works – out of sight – out of mind. This one simple step will make a huge difference in your business success now and for years to come.

Knowing Your Statistics- Yes, it truly is important to know your stats so you can utilize that information in future marketing. It will also help you customize your marketing efforts to where there is the most interest, making your efforts more effective. Many in social media obsess over how many are following them, their influence, etc. That is important and one key element to explore, but take it farther than that. Constantly monitor your website stats, blog stats, etc. Many of these will even list keywords that are used to get to your site. Can you imagine just how priceless that can be? That is what is leading clients to you. Monitor all of that. Write down your notes and compare your results monthly. You will be amazed at just how much these simple steps can improve your business and you’ll clearly be able to see what’s working and what is not.

Having a Team to Support You- Do you have a marketing team or a virtual team behind you dedicated to your business? One that knows what it takes to get better results? A team that can connect all the dots together and make sure that each video you create, and each sales page you write will bring you the results you are looking to achieve. Is that team familiar with your products and services and able to take your thoughts and dreams and make them a reality (with very little supervision)? Behind most successful businesses, you will find a team of dedicated professionals who handle the different aspects of a business. If you don’t have a team now, get one. And if you do have a team, make sure you utilize their services fully. Ask them… what else can you do for me? You will be amazed at just how much they come back with.

Running a successful business is mostly about doing the right things over and over again and avoiding the things that aren’t working for you. These simple tips should help you do just that. Need help? Hire a virtual team to maximize all your efforts. With the right team in place, you can focus even more on getting the results you’re looking for.

Terry L. Green, is the President of BizEase Support Solutions and with a team of qualified online support specialists, provides seamless online marketing implementation, technology and administrative support solutions to speakers and business coaches worldwide. Visit http://www.bizeasesupport.com to find out how partnering with BizEase can help you grow your business, have more time, and make more money. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.

Business Success Starts With the Right Marketing Strategy and Tools

Procrastination is denial’s best friend, which is why I also tell my clients: If your business is in distress, or you aren’t making the kind of money you’d initially imagined, then it’s time to open your eyes and wise up. In other words, It’s time to stop the denial.

Don’t deny yourself until you’re broke. Look at your books and admit to yourself that your profits aren’t where they should be.

Imagine back to a time when you were a small child seated at the dinner table, painfully staring down at a plate of vegetables. You couldn’t push your peas and carrots away fast enough. And even though it appeared that you may have gotten rid of them, they were still on your plate, just a little further away from your fork.
Now, as adults some of us have subsequently taken this childhood habit into our business life. We get up every morning with obligations that we don’t want to meet such as; going over last week’s expense reports in painful detail; calling the bank to ask about renewing a credit line; meeting an employee to issue a performance warning. It’s my guess that heading out for a networking lunch or an afternoon game of golf would be a touch more gratifying so, why not put these things off just a little longer? BIG MISTAKE! – Comparable to pushing the peas to the other side of the plate, the concerns are still close at hand. It’s time to approach them head-on, get it over with, and eat your vegetables!

The longer these tasks don’t get done, the more problems will accumulate. Putting off the stuff you don’t want to do is just another sign you are in denial. Tackle it head-on and get it over with.

Here are just a few obvious red flags to indicate you’ve got problems.

You’re living week to week just to cover operational expenses
Your line of credit is maxed out
Your knuckles turn white every time you try to meet payroll
Facing reality is never easy. Taking a cold hard look at yourself and your business can be the toughest thing for an owner to do. If your bad habits like procrastination or self-indulgence have bled your business dry, perhaps it’s time to assess your leadership. Ask yourself honestly, where you think the business is doing well, and where you need major improvements. Denial is the small business owner’s worst enemy. End it now. Face whatever it takes to build a stronger business.

Answer these questions as honestly as possible. Don’t worry. No one’s reading over your shoulder. The only person who has to handle the truth is you.

DENIAL POP QUIZ:

You give someone a task that must be completed as soon as possible. How long do you wait before checking in on him? A: 2 days B. 1 day C. Til the end of the day D. You mean it isn’t done yet?

How closely do you monitor each department? A: Weekly B: Daily C: Hourly D: You didn’t read the question because you’re doing it right now.

If your business isn’t turning a profit, who’s to blame? A: The sales staff B: The sales manager C: The faltering economy D: Take a look in the mirror and take a few guesses
If you answered mostly A’s and B’s: You have no business owning a business.

If you answered mostly C’s: There may be hope for you yet but you’re probably just scraping by.

If you answered mostly D’s: You’re on the right track, but there’s always more you can do.

Founded in 1986, American Management Services has worked with over 6000 small businesses in 400 industries. American Management’s mission is to increase profits and cash flow to small and mid-sized companies.
Celebrating its 25th year American Management employs over 100 full-time professionals, all seasoned executives, working in turnaround management, profit management, cash management services and strategic management throughout the nation.
The founder George Cloutier aka ‘Turnaround Ace’ graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Business School, where he wrote his MBA Thesis on implementing increased profits, cash flow and organizational effectiveness for small and mid-size companies.
If you are a small business owner, committed to increasing your company’s sales, profits or cash flow, American Management Services is much more than another consulting company. We deliver “Results, not Reports”.

Article Author: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_VonAchen Are you currently in denial about the state of your business you will only hurt the business if you are not totally honest with yourself, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Denial Is the Small Business Owner’s Worst Enemy