Goals, dreams, to do’s, follow-up, connecting with old and new clients, coming up with a new plan, working, working, working … AAAHHH, it all seems to be too much at the beginning of a New Year.  It’s just too much to even think about and so much easier just to not do it.  But when you do, it can be so beneficial for the entire year.  You set the pace and the success right now for what you can accomplish this year.  So go ahead, get out there and do it.  Here’s a little help.

Tips to grow your business in 2012:

Get Organized

Clean out the old and bring on the new.  It’s so important to put away last year’s work and start with a clean start for not only you, but your clients too.  It can be as simple as going through your client’s folders, putting anything you might need this year in a new folder and everything else stays in their old worn out folder.  Put all your client’s 2011 folders together, put a rubber band around them, and put them away marking them 2011.  Also make sure that everything is in alphabetical order in your current file system.  Never know how by the end of the year that totally slips and the z’s are by the e’s, but it just happens.  How awesome to see a-z once again. Now continue this throughout your office.  Done!

Get a new planner

(Yes, I know you have one already – but don’t skip to the next step just yet.) This planner doesn’t have client work in it.  It doesn’t have school functions and times to pick up the kids.  This planner is your business growth planner.  (Make sure to mark it accordingly.)  The planner needs to have each day on a new sheet, divided by hours.

Get Planning – Set out time to work your business

In your new planner, for the next month shade in time you plan on working on YOUR business.  For me it’s in the morning from 6:30 to 7:30 and then at lunch.  I will probably work other times on my business, but this is the time that I have scheduled just for it.  I am a morning person and this is when I do my best work. Take that into consideration for your plan.  When are you at your best? For just one week write down what you are going to do in that time.  Each Friday or over the weekend you are going to take that one step and plan out your next week.

Get Writing

(You knew as a marketer, I’d say that didn’t you!) You are going to write one article a month.  No excuses.  With that article you are also going to send it out, add it to your blog, create a couple of tweets from it, and also add it to your newsletter.  Can you see the traction you can get with just one article?  And don’t forget you can hire a publicity virtual assistant to do this for you.

Get Social

Okay, I know you are already on Facebook and Twitter, but this year you are actually going to get more involved.  In your planner, you need to schedule time (at least several times a day) to get active on Twitter and Facebook.  (Or whatever social media you use.)  Schedule the time and then send great quality tweets and tips.

Get Help

You just don’t have to do it alone.  Hire a virtual assistant or someone who can help you accomplish all these goals.  If you have a virtual assistant already, start sending things over to them to do.  It’s all about the action steps of getting it done.

Get Happy

Remember you own your business for a reason.  Enjoy it!  Don’t get so caught up in the to do’s and client work to not remember why you are doing this in the first place.  Take some time to reflect where you are and just be grateful for being there.  Commit to enjoying your business more this year and the rest of all this (the to-dos’, the client work, etc.)  will just seem to fall into place.

Can you see how you can do this? You can grow your business. Yes, it will require that you make a commitment to it, but don’t NOT take advantage of that new year feeling.  You will be amazed that after a short time, this will be so routine, you won’t even realize that you haven’t been doing it forever.

About the Author: Diana Ennen is the President of Virtual Word Publishing,  and co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business with Jill Hart and also VA the Series: Become a Highly Successful Sought After Virtual Assistant (Kelly Poelker). 

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Photo Credit: Creativity103

No matter what the nature of your business, without clients of some description it is highly unlikely that your company would still be in existence, therefore making sure their expectations are managed effectively is highly important. If you are struggling to juggle your customer’s wants and needs, there are a few ways in which the pressure can be alleviated and your clients can continue to receive and excellent service; let’s take a look at them in further detail.

Recruit

Whilst the budget for expansion may be tight, if you are not able to effectively deliver the service you promised your clients, you could see your reputation for quality and care quickly slip away, something which could result in a sharp decline of valued customers. Bringing in another member of the team will help to lighten the load and help to improve efficiency within the office. Choose highly regarded recruitment agents to search for suitable candidates in whatever area of your business you are lacking, from IT sales recruitment through to customer service advisors.

Communicate

A client will undoubtedly be expecting communication from yourself or another business representative when it comes to on-going campaigns, so whilst it might seem like there simply are not enough hours in the day, be sure to save time at least once a month to communicate with your clients frequently. Picking up the phone is much more effective than sending out an email but if you cannot get hold of them, firing off an email is still better than zero contact from yourself.

Be Honest

Be realistic about what you are able to achieve for customers and always be honest with regards to any areas that could be problematic. The likelihood is that these people will have been promised the moon on a stick from unreliable sales people in the past, therefore will appreciate the simple truth of what you have to offer.

Don’t lose customers over lack of staff, poor communication or false promises; take heed of the aforementioned tips and you can rest assured your clients reasonable expectations will always be met by your business.

About the Author: Sophie has a keen interest in the many areas of business and believes IT sales recruitment is one of the most effective ways to ensure expectations of clients, stake holders and other members of the team are managed.

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Photo Credit: visualpanic

With social media marketing gaining rapid speed in the world of business, both big and small, you want to be prepared to use it, and do so correctly. Social media marketing can make a significant difference within a small business that has minimal budget funds.

Before signing up for every social network on the market, you should have a plan in place. You’ve written your business plan, now it’s time to create your social media marketing plan.

1.       Decide Where To Become Involved

Most companies assume that they should be relevant on every social media platform out there. This is a wrong assumption, and one that can hurt your business, rather than help. You should be choosing a platform that works best with your business model and targets your audience.

If experience is an issue, using a platform you are familiar with is recommended. Regardless of what social media sites you are affiliated with, it’s most important to be current, fresh and relevant. However, you do have a number of options.

• Facebook- The most popular social networking site, with over 800 billion users world-wide, you can be sure that you’ll reach customers. With Facebook, you can reach your customers on a level that is familiar to them.
• Twitter- Many may consider this the second most popular social networking site. Twitter has been the site of many breaking news stories, some that have damaged the reputation of popular companies. When you are able to be a part of the conversation, you have the opportunity to guide a negative conversation in a positive direction, instead of watching it spin out of control.
• Pinterest- While this site is just recently coming into the limelight, its popularity is finding its way into the business world. Pinterest explicitly states that businesses are not allowed to use their accounts for direct advertising. Though you may immediately think otherwise, this can be a positive stipulation for you. This gives you an opportunity to reach your customers on the level of the average user, as opposed to looming, un-relatable, marketing machine.

2.       Make a Time Commitment

While 59% of businesses only spend about 1-5 hours per week on social media efforts, according to the Social Media Marketing Report 2011, it is becoming increasingly more evident that this may be due to a lack of knowledge or skills. It was reported that long time users dedicate 6-16 hours a week.

• If you don’t have the skills or knowledge, build a learning curve into your plan. It is critical that you use your social media outlets correctly. As a small business you can reach out to a variety of resources to learn from, such as tutorials or friends.
• If you have extra spending in your budget, consider hiring a social media consultant. With a social media consultant you can be sure that you’re getting quality work, catered to your business.

3.       Make It Worth Your While

If you’ve decided to dedicate a significant amount of hours in the workweek to creating your online presence, you want to see results. Simply signing up will not bring you traffic, new customers, or more business. To make an impact there are a variety of suggestions you should bear in mind.

• Stay current: Customers don’t want to search out your Facebook page to find stagnant information from last year. With more than 60 million status updates happening every day, you need to keep up.
• Be Exclusive: Users want exclusivity. They expect to be compensated for their loyalty. You should be providing breaking news about the company, offers for your Facebook fans or Twitter followers, and frequent deals or coupons.
• Engage: Being on social networks is about interacting with your customers in a way that is familiar and comfortable. According to Facebook, more than 250 million photos are uploaded every day. Offering deals for those who pin or upload pictures of themselves using or buying your products is a strategic way for them to connect with your page and product.

4.       Plan To Measure Your Results

Once you’ve put in the hard work, you want to see your results. There are a variety of ways to assess your ROI, effectiveness of customer engagement, etc. Social media monitoring allows you to assess how your customers see your brand, how they are finding you, and what they are searching for. Programs like Radian6 and Google Analytics offer you extensive monitoring services, which will give you an accurate picture of how your efforts are paying off.

Social media marketing can have a profitable impact on your business.  By creating a social media marketing plan, you are setting in motion an important aspect of your marketing efforts. While many companies have an online presence, not very many are able to use it to their advantage. If you make the time investment, it is likely you’ll see significant results.

About the Author: Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics ranging from social media to merchant services. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including credit card processing for b2b lead generation resource, Resource Nation.

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Starting your very own small business can be a very exciting and very stressful time.  Even before the doors open, a massive amount of work needs to be done to ensure the business is successful right out of the gate.  Too many small businesses fail because they’re unprepared with initial costs and one of the ways to ensure any small business is getting the best bang for their buck is by owning a small business credit card.

Most small business credit cards are geared toward two types of rewards programs; travel and cash back.  Here’s a look at the ten top small business credit cards available to business owners today.

The Plum Card® from American Express OPEN

My personal favorite, the Plum Card from American Express OPEN is a charge card which simply means that a small business owner has no pre-set spending limit.  This also means the card has no interest rate so purchases are due in full every month.  As an added bonus, if you pay 10 days early each month, you’ll receive a 1.5% discount, effectively providing you with a 1.5% cash back rate.  There is an annual fee of $185, but it’s waived during the first year.

Ink Cash(SM) Business

The Ink Cash Business offers the biggest up-front incentive on our list, giving new cardholders a $250 cash bonus after they spend $500 in the first three months.  5% cash back is earned on office supply, cellular and cable services, 2% cash back is earned on gasoline and restaurant purchases and 1% cash back is earned on all other purchases.  There is a limit of $25,000 spent annually that triggers the 5% and 2% cash back categories (so once you’ve spent $25,000 in gas and at restaurants, you’ll earn 1% for the remainder of the year) but this card also includes a 0% intro APR on purchases for six months AND does not charge an annual fee.

The New Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN

Another one of American Express’s line of charge cards, the new Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN dishes out rewards points in tier levels.  3x points on travel purchases, 2x points on gas, advertising and shipping purchases and 1x points on everything else makes for a very solid rewards program.  There is a hefty $175 annual fee which is kindly waived during the first year and every small business owner can expect the full line of AMEX perks.

Capital One® SparkSM Cash for Business

A fairly new credit card, the Cap One Spark Cash for Business is a no-nonsense small business card offering 2% cash back on every purchase.  New cardholders will also earn a $100 cash bonus after spending $1,000 in the first three months with another $50 cash bonus coming after an additional employee is added to the account.  The $59 annual fee is waived during the first year and this card includes a very low 13.9% variable APR.

TrueEarnings® Business Card from Costco and American Express

The best card on our list for the local traveler, the TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express offers 4% cash back on gasoline purchases (up to $6,000 spent annually), 3% cash back at restaurants, 2% cash back on travel and 1% cash back on everything else.  The 1% cash back includes at Costco and there is no annual fee so long as your Costco membership is paid every year.  Cardholders will also find a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first six months.

Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® Card

Another great cash back business card to fill out our list is the Bank of America Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard Card.  Cardholders will earn 3% cashback at gas stations, office supply stores and for computer network services, 2% cash back at restaurants and 1% cash back on all other purchases.  There is no annual fee to own this credit card and it comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first nine months.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN

The most powerful of business credit cards, the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN provides its members the best perks any business card can.  Complimentary airport lounge passes, an annual $200 travel reimbursement and 24-hour concierge service are just some of the things every business owner will receive when owning this charge card (remember, payment in full every month). The big downside to having this power and prestige is a $450 annual fee.

Capital One® SparkSM Miles for Business

Similar to the Spark Cash card listed above, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business offers double miles on all purchases.  10,000 bonus miles are provided to businesses that spend at least $1,000 in the first three months of card ownership and another 5,000 miles are awarded when an additional employee is added.  A $59 annual fee accompanies this travel themed small business card but Capital One will not charge it for the first year.

SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express OPEN

The least expensive American Express business card to own; the SimplyCash Business Card from American Express OPEN provides cash back on every purchase.  It’s earned based on purchase categories; 5% cash back on office supplies and wireless services, 3% cash back on auto gasoline and 1% cash back on everything else.  Cardholders can save an additional 3% – 10% on select merchants like FedEx and Hertz and are also offered a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months.  This card is annual fee FREE.

Capital One® SparkSM Classic for Business

The last but not least card to make this list is the Capital One Spark Classic for Business.  This is actually the small business card I own, and I chose it because my credit score would be classified as below-average to average.  The card offers 1% cash back on all purchases and does not have an annual fee.  The upside is that it’s perfect for a small business owner with less than excellent credit … the only card on our list which is offered to mid-600 FICO score consumers.

About the Author: Founded in 2004, CompareCards.com is an online resource that provides expert reviews, tips and tools to find and compare credit cards.  Visit CompareCards.com today and review the credit card deals that fit your lifestyle and/or current needs.  

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Planning an office move can be a daunting and time-consuming project to execute successfully.  With so many tasks to juggle, deadlines to meet and people to organise, these 10 practical and easy steps cover all the important issues to help you plan, organise and execute a smooth and hassle-free office move.

 Step 1: Define your reasons for moving

Expanding, downsizing, reducing costs or the need a better location are all contributing factors to businesses needing to move office. By having a clear understanding of your reasons for moving will help you to set your goals, new office requirements and communicate a clear and consistent message to staff and clients.

 Step 2: Get a Checklist

A Moving Office Checklist is the starting point to planning a successful office move.  It will guide you through the entire office move process from start to finish and become your “roadmap” to organise and execute a smooth office move without any disruption to business.

 Step 3: Know your Key Dates

Once you have determined when you will be vacating your existing office, you can then begin to work backwards to establish what important tasks need to be done by, and when.  Prepare a timeline of events and set yourself daily or weekly reminders so you ensure you never miss a deadline.

 Step 4: Set a Budget

When your business is relocating you need to know roughly how much your office move is going to cost and more importantly, where all your money is going.  Setting a realistic budget from the outset will help you keep a track of what’s being spent and avoid any unnecessary overspend.

 Step 5: Brief your Property Agent

Select a local Property Agent to help you find the right office space and negotiate the best office lease terms.  They’ll be able to advise you on the right size of office to look for, assess what facilities you need, and determine the best location for your business.

 Step 6: Book your Office Removals Company

Choose and book an Office Removals Company.  A meeting with them will help you to establish which office furniture items are going to be moved, what needs replacing and what can be disposed of.

 Step 7: Plan your new Office Design & Space Layout

The design and delivery of your newly found office is central to the continuing success of your business.  Good office design helps to improve productivity and increase staff morale. Appoint an Office Fit-Out Company to help you transform your new office space into an effective and functional workplace.

 Step 8: Plan your IT Relocation

Work out the logistics of moving and re-commissioning your PCs and telephones in the new office.  The right IT infrastructure will need to be in place in the new office so that your IT equipment is working as should in the new office without any disruption to services.

Step 9: Finalise your Office Lease

Ask a Property Solicitor to check through your office lease to make sure everything has been documented correctly before you sign the office lease.

 Step 10: Dilapidations

Before you hand over your “old” office back to the Landlord, ensure that all dilapidations have been carried out and that the office is in a good state of repair so there will be no dispute in returning your rental deposit.

About the Author:  Help Moving Office is the free website that guides companies through the office move process. It offers free Moving Office Checklists & Office Relocation Planning Guides to ensure that office moves happen on time, to budget and with the minimum disruption to the business.

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Focus on Material

As a business owner or CEO trying to broaden your internet target and get recognized, I’m sure you are aware of the significance of new, fresh, recurring material on your site of all kinds. When it comes to written material on page copy or blogs and articles, you need to have the ability to write well, be informative and entertain, that’s obvious. That’s for your audience. But if you can’t write as well for Google and the other search engines to maximize your subject matter for Search Engine Marketing, you are the proverbial tree in the forest that falls when no one else is around. This post provides an often talked about yet misunderstood tool to help you make your subject matter applicable and explode your SEO online.

Google Adwords

Perhaps you’ve heard of Google Adwords, Google’s key pay for placement tool on their mother of all search engine returns. You may have run a campaign or I bet you’ve at least been petitioned by Google Adwords “experts” to run your campaigns for you to help you pay less per click, otherwise known as PPC.

Well, Google offers a free instrument to help you choose keywords and phrases depending upon how much they are searched every month and how much opposition there is from other marketers. It’s called the Google Adwords Keyword Tool and while it is designed for advertisers, it exposes plenty of clues about search engine optimizing your written content (or video tags) for your page copy and blogs. Unlike what many think, you do not have to have an Adwords account to utilize this tool, and here is the link, so keep this:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

I could tell you about it, but why don’t I just show you. Watch this instructional Vlog video:

Awkward Wording

When I write I like to write for the people reading. I’ve seen too much content composed for search engine optimization that really stinks to the point of being unintelligible, cramming keywords unnaturally into sentences. It’s uncomfortable to write like this in my opinion, and perhaps for you, because it just feels weird and you can end up with a write-up or blog that seems bogus. Here are a few ideas for getting adjusted to it:

1. Utilize the Adwords Tool first and uncover 3-5 keywords (phrases) for your content, using high-traffic, low-competition keywords where available. Write them on a list in front of you.

2. Lay out your paragraph or article in light of the phrases you picked out for SEO. It may provide a different angle than you first had or take you down a different direction that you know interests the people out there.

3. Write your article dropping in the key phrases on your list where they click. Add a check mark each time you use a keyword, and you can use variants of a keyword to not sound too redundant (spot gold, spot gold prices, spot gold pricing, gold prices).

4. Proof-read for sanity and information flow, and revise where needed.

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That’s it! Get used to that process and it will get easier and easier.

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About the Author: Karl Walinskas is the CEO of Smart Company Growth, a business development firm that helps small to mid-size professional service firms build competitive advantage in an online world of sameness.  He is author of numerous articles and the Smart Blog on leadership, business communication, sales & service, public speaking and virtual business, and Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership, available in theSmartShop.  Get your FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimization eBook & Video Course, Video Marketing video and course, or Mastermind Groups e-course & video now.

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Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

Big businesses have always had an advantage when it comes to reaching customers. This was because of their big marketing budgets and their ability to utilise large long-term contracts. Whilst these advantages have not disappeared, they do not matter as much anymore and there is a simple reason for this: Social Media. Social Media has enabled the smallest of companies to compete with the largest of companies and it is all free. This article will consider how you can make your business look bigger and more prosperous than it actually is through the use of clever network management and free social media.

1. Become a Trusted Field Expert

Blogging will allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. By providing free and accurate advice you will create an ideal relationship with your customers and trigger an increase in email opt-in communications. This method will help to generate leads for your sales team and demonstrate that you are capable in your field.

Additional benefits come through the promotion of your site through Search Engine Optimisation. Google and other search engines provide great website ranking benefits to those who write blogs.

2. Build a Custom Facebook Page

Facebook provides a huge potential market but it is important that you approach this area correctly. Your Facebook page will need to offer the customer something which will make them want to return to it. Include interesting discussions, engaging materials and relevant information about your business. By including an email communications opt-in on the page, you will be able to generate a greater customer contact list.

3. Professional Videos

Video marketing is easy. What was once out of reach for most small businesses is something which can be produced at a very low cost now. The advent of Youtube allows you to present your business to the world through the medium of video. Video hosting is free, so all that you need to do is create the material to place online. Website visitors who watch an online product video are 85% more likely to make a purchase than those who don’t, so it is wise to seriously consider this option.

4. Give It Up For Free

By providing e-books, tips, guides, and other methods of free help, you will be able to demonstrate your expertise and convince potential customers that your business is the right place to go. Customers are far more likely to utilise a business which has offered them a high quality free trial than they are to trust in an unknown and untrusted source. Providing free services is a great way to generate custom.

5. Dominate the Search Engines

Part of your business’ IT service should focus heavily on Search Engine Optimisation. Social media channels will enable you to optimise your SEO ranking. The number of times that a link or video that you have created has been shared will directly impact on the prominence of your company in search engines. If you can make it so that your business is the first result for your industry keywords then you will be able to easily and effectively get a step ahead of the competition.

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“Congratulations. You’ve been promoted.” All of your hard work has paid off. All of those long hours you spent in the office did not go unnoticed, and you’re rising through the ranks. So what’s next? You know that making the transition from employee to manager will take some work.  However, you’re also making the transition from peer to manager, which poses an additional set of challenges that you didn’t anticipate.

Prior to my current position as Vice President of Consero Group LLC, the events services company that I co-founded last year, I had the good fortune to be promoted on several occasions. In each case, I was put in the position of managing individuals who had been colleagues of mine, or had even been more experienced.

 In one case in particular, I was asked to manage someone with whom I had started at the company on the same date some months before.  Following each promotion, I was confident that I had the skills to provide direction and lead by example; however, I was not prepared for the emotional and political strains caused by my supervising former peers.

Having been through this situation multiple times, it is clear to me that management status comes at a price.  It is also clear that there are certain strategies and methods that are critical to employ when you find yourself in a new position in charge of people who were once your peers.  Here are a few pointers that may help you as you take a step up the corporate ladder:

 3 Steps to Going From One of the Gang to the Boss

1.     Be confident in your own abilities. When you are promoted from a group of peers, it is easy for others to question the decision or harbor resentment.   The best way to overcome these sentiments and garner respect is to take the reins and lead with conviction.  Your new reports will need this in order for the team as a whole to succeed.  Be confident in your abilities to handle the management duties expected of you. 

2.     Clearly communicate your new role and expectations. Don’t be afraid to sit down and talk with your team members. Understand that your new role is not just challenging for you, but for them, too.  Make sure you clearly communicate your new responsibilities and the metrics by which you will be evaluated; setting clear expectations of what is required of you, and what you need from them, is critical from the very beginning.

3.     Draw boundaries and stick to them. While there is nothing wrong with remaining friends with your former peers, by going out for the occasional lunch for example, you will need to set a new, professional tone and create boundaries among your relationships.  Perhaps for the first time, the company’s needs and interests take priority, and you may well encounter some rule-breaking that will require you to discipline or terminate a friend.  If you draw appropriate lines ahead of time, you’ll be much better off when such situations arise.

If you follow these simple steps, moving up the corporate ladder will most certainly be easier.  If at any point the transition becomes overwhelming, always remember that you earned this promotion.  Now, it’s time to lead in the way that you know you can.

About the Author:  Jessica Druckman is a Founder and the Vice President for Program Development of Consero. Ms. Druckman is responsible for conducting market research, writing program agendas, and organizing the faculties for Consero Forums. Through carefully-planned programming, Ms. Druckman ensures that Consero delegates leave each Forum with practical business skills that spur corporate growth. 

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Lot of ways to make your small company competitive and gain a lead over the other guys battling it out for your clients. One of the best techniques is, when you have an innovation or strategy to offer consumers, be sure you arrive first. You’ll gain a competitive advantage that will be tough to overcome unless your product or service is a failure.

The One That Got Away

As a young guy in my 20s, I’d been going to the beaches in Maryland every summer season looking for useful things to do, like party and pick up chicks (that is girls or women for the mature yet unwashed masses). Most of the time you end up on the beach soaking in the sun and getting as dark as possible because of how intelligent it makes you look. But Houston, I had a problem. My ethnic background is German, Eastern European, and by now you know that if I don’t get the sun block on in a major way, my summer vacation goes up in the flames of red, burned skin– the anti-chick magnet.

Big problem: How do I get sunscreen on my back at the beach to prevent sunburn while being a bit too shy to ask every passing girl? It is an inescapable conclusion that, in public, your buds can NOT apply sunscreen to your back. Anti-cool points to the max, no chance with any women within 5 miles.

No worries, I thought, I am innovative and imaginative. I take a paint stick (untouched) and glue a foam pad to the end of it. I take it to the beach, apply SPF 15 on the pad, and proceed to apply sun block to my back like a champ, preventing the burn and maintaining at arms distance from my male friends. A true win-win.

“Hey Karl, that’s a great invention dude, you oughta patent it. Toss me another Bud Lite dude.” And so I tossed the beverage and forgot about guarding the idea. Go forward 5 years later, I am preparing for an adult getaway to the Bahamas in the winter by doing the reasonable thing: going to a tanning booth. I walk in and the first thing I see is “The Back Applicator”, a 18 inch long plastic stick with, get ready, a foam pad at one end to self-apply overpriced tanning salon sun block.

I walked out, kicking myself for not getting rich on being the first guy with this idea, knowing the other guy or gal was a flipping millionaire by this point.

My Wife’s Big Idea

About 3 months ago my spouse presented me with an idea while she was two sheets to the wind on Pinot Grigio. I can’t tell you the suggestion because, in my view, it was a game changer. Virtually, as I told her, something that we’d need venture capital to execute but would change society as we know it if carried out. Stop asking, I can not reveal the idea.

Well, we’ve been talking about it for the past few months. I helped out and did some investigation, and guess what I found? Three other companies are test marketing this very idea, maybe not exactly but close enough for intellectual property sake.

Missed again! We’re talking about a spin on the idea now that includes cell phones. What can potentially go wrong?

Our Little Beach

When my kid was four or five years old, there was a little strip of land about two miles from our waterside home via the river that we would take the Jet ski to and hang out. We’d cruise over with my son in my lap doing about 10 miles an hour to keep his head from getting whiplash and spend the whole day there, wading in the water and drinking non-alcoholic drinks. Since we were the only ones there we named this little venue “Jack’s Beach”, named after said kid.

My spouse Lora gets a mural painter to paint Jack’s room that summer, and she indeed paints Jack’s Beach, with surfboards embedded the sand and a street sign marking the territory. Pretty cool.

Now Jack is ten. We continue to go to Jack’s beach. I am not making up this next part, I swear. We went there this year and there is an 8 foot high wood street sign embedded in the sand on Jack’s Beach, with absolutely nothing on it! We did NOT put this there, but it was just too poetic.

Well what do you imagine I did? I got a can of paint and a small paintbrush, Jet skied over to the sign in broad daylight, and gave it the proper name. You can read my kid’s name from 30 yards in the water.

A couple of weeks down the road we meet a couple of new friends while out for dinner in a neighborhood restaurant. They tell us they take their boat to a private little beach for fun and so do their friends. “Where may that be?” I ask, feigning interest. “Oh, it’s called ‘Jack’s Beach’ over on the other side of the bridge.”

SCORE.

Create Your Own Competitive Advantage

OK, I’m not promoting tickets to Jack’s Beach … yet, but these three little vignettes tell a story. Don’t be the doofus who didn’t safeguard his idea of a back sun block applicator to watch someone else get all of the splendor. If you have a plan, even a little one that helps your consumers or does something in a different way or better, claim it.

Is it patentable? Find out at http://www.uspto.gov/ and doing an investigation. Invent a logo and copyright the artwork. Go get 5 sites that other people might want to copy and promote your concept with. Most significantly, don’t hesitate in taking action if you really think it’s a winning concept.

ASSERT THAT SUCKER FIRST! Be the company that sets the new standard before your rival does. Ask yourself these easy questions:

The Development Acid Test

1. Do I see this out there in the current market? (Internet search)

2. Can this genuinely aid my customers?

3. Is this cool and unequaled?

4. Can I visualize somebody purchasing this?

If your answers are N-Y-Y-Y (as in no-yes-yes-yes) to these questions, go claim that beach my friend! If your concept is awful and no one replicas it, you can still make money at it or at worst, you lost a few bucks and a little time. If you get copycats, you know you’re on to something. If you’ve done it right and yield value on the promise, your opponents will always be behind and you ‘ll be patting yourself on the back, with either your hand or your $10.99 Back Sun block Applicator.

About the Author: Karl Walinskas is the CEO of Smart Company Growth, a business development firm that helps small to mid-size professional service firms build competitive advantage in an online world of sameness.  He is author of numerous articles and the Smart Blog on leadership, business communication, sales & service, public speaking and virtual business, and Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership, available in the SmartShop.  Get your FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimization eBook & Video Course, Video Marketing video and course, or Mastermind Groups e-course & video now.

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Photo Credit: The Happy Rower

Business travel expense can take up a huge amount of a company’s annual budget. Travelling to attend meetings, seminars and trade events can prove a costly procedure, especially when accommodation, food and salary are all included.

Although much of this travel is necessary for the development of a business, it’s not only the company’s budget that is under threat but the environment as well. Planes, trains and motor vehicles all release harmful emissions and fumes into the atmosphere, spelling disaster for plant, animal and human life alike. Cars alone discharge around 4 tonnes of harmful chemicals into the air every year which affects people’s health and well-being. Businesses need to address this matter as they are potentially harming the people in which they serve.

Although businesses are becoming more and more open to the idea of ‘going green’, it is a surprise that most haven’t picked up on the benefits of video conferencing. Whilst many have adapted to procedures involving recycling and reduced paper waste, journeys that could be eliminated through the use of this technology are not being practised by the majority.

Video conferencing gives businesses the ability to set up client and colleague meetings without the need to leave a desk. Via an internet connection, people are able to undergo real-time face-to-face interaction whilst situated at opposite ends of the world. Whether it’s communicating with present clients, potential clients, work colleagues or giving a talk at a seminar, businesses are able to conduct compulsory and necessary activities without the hassle of arranging transport and accommodation.

Helping the environment whilst saving valuable money is just one of the many advantages associated with video conferencing. Although the initial cost may seem steep, the increase in productivity and reduction in paper usage cannot be ignored. This is due to the fact that all footage can be saved and downloaded, meaning there is no need for hand-outs or copies of slides because all of this can be done electronically, over the internet.

Businesses should not neglect the benefits of such equipment. It has already proved extremely useful for those who have already implemented it into their routine. Necessary conversations regarding the general running and the future of a company can still be done but without the travel and expense.

About the Author: This is a guest post by Nicola Winters on behalf of LifeSize, a leading supplier of video conferencing equipment.

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Photo Credit: linh.ngân