Category: Client Retention

The Advantages of Hiring an Independent Small Business Coach/Advisor: Networking Opportunities, Access to Diverse Industries, and Enhancing Skills

Posted on by Alden Porter III

Running a small business is like embarking on a journey full of twists and turns, challenges, and opportunities. To navigate this path successfully, many entrepreneurs are turning to a valuable resource: independent small business coaches and advisors. These professionals offer insights, guidance, and support that can make a significant difference in the growth and sustainability of your venture. In this blog post, we’ll explore three key advantages of hiring an independent small business coach/advisor: networking opportunities, access to diverse industries, and skill enhancement.

1. Networking Opportunities: One of the most powerful benefits of working with an independent small business coach or advisor is the access they provide to a well-established network of professionals. These coaches often have years of experience and connections within various industries, allowing them to introduce you to potential collaborators, partners, suppliers, and even investors. This network can open doors to opportunities that might have otherwise remained hidden. Through networking, you can learn from the experiences of others, gain valuable insights, and build relationships that could significantly impact the success of your business.

2. Access to Diverse Industries: While entrepreneurs tend to be experts in their own fields, they might not have comprehensive knowledge about other industries that could complement or enhance their businesses. Independent small business coaches/advisors often come with a wide range of experiences across different sectors. This expertise can be leveraged to help you explore untapped markets, innovative ideas, and creative solutions that might not have been apparent within your own industry bubble. This cross-industry perspective can lead to unique strategies and approaches that set your business apart from competitors.

3. Enhancing Skills: Continuous learning and skill development are vital components of business success. Independent small business coaches/advisors can play a pivotal role in enhancing your skill set. Whether it’s honing your leadership abilities, improving communication skills, or learning effective negotiation techniques, these professionals can provide personalized guidance and resources to help you become a more effective and well-rounded business owner. They can identify areas for improvement, create tailored development plans, and provide ongoing support as you strive to master new skills.

In Conclusion: Hiring an independent small business coach or advisor is a strategic investment in your entrepreneurial journey. Their expertise, insights, and connections can catapult your business to new heights. From opening doors to valuable networking opportunities and diverse industries, to honing your skills as a business leader, the advantages of working with these professionals are substantial. As you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, remember that seeking guidance from those who have walked similar paths can be the differentiating factor that propels your business toward success.

The Benefits of Being an Independent Small Business Coach/Advisor

Posted on by Alden Porter III

“The Benefits of Being an Independent Small Business Coach/Advisor: Flexibility, Autonomy, and Personal Fulfillment”

Are you looking for a career that offers flexibility, autonomy, and personal fulfillment? Consider becoming an independent small business coach/advisor! As an independent coach/advisor, you can set your own schedule, make your own decisions, and design your own coaching programs.

Working as an independent coach/advisor also means you have unlimited income potential, as you can set your own rates and charge what you feel your services are worth. Plus, helping small businesses succeed can be incredibly rewarding, and seeing the impact of your coaching can bring you a great sense of personal satisfaction.

If you’re someone who values independence, creativity, and making a difference in the world, becoming an independent small business coach/advisor may be the right career for you. So why not explore this exciting opportunity today?

 

Email Promotion

Posted on by Alden Porter III

To expand your customer base through email marketing, you can grow a list of potential customers by purchasing a mailing list, collecting email addresses from existing clients, employees, or acquaintances, or using an opt-in page. However, it is essential to craft a clear and concise message to attract and retain your audience. If your email is cluttered, difficult to read, or lacks the information the recipient is looking for, they may unsubscribe or delete it without reading it.

When creating your email, use a simple layout with well-defined sections and avoid using too many images or crowded text. Incorporate high-quality images of your product or real people to increase engagement and clicks. Remember to place your logo prominently in the header or at the top of the email.

The ultimate goal of your email campaign is to encourage the recipient to take action, whether that is clicking on a link, signing up for a free trial, or contacting your business. To achieve this, ensure that your email content is relevant, valuable, and includes a clear call to action at the top of the message. It is also wise to keep the file size of your emails under 100 KB.

If you struggle with designing HTML emails, consider working with a designer or email service provider that offers web-based software to create custom email marketing messages. By following these guidelines, you can effectively promote your product or service and grow your customer base through email marketing.

Are you considering making an investment?

Posted on by Alden Porter III

If you’re considering investing your money, it’s important to determine how much you can afford to invest and which account to use. You should also evaluate your risk tolerance based on your age and investment goals.

Are you planning to start investing? The sooner you start, the better chance you have of growing your money into a more substantial sum over time, which could help you achieve major goals like retiring comfortably. If you’re new to investing and want to get started, here are some key steps to take:

  1. Create a budget to determine the amount of money you have available to invest each month. It’s essential to ensure that you’re not investing so much that you can’t pay your essential bills.
  2. Decide whether to invest your money in a retirement plan or a regular brokerage account. While retirement plans provide tax advantages, they’re also restrictive. Meanwhile, regular brokerage accounts offer more flexibility, but you won’t receive tax breaks.
  3. Commit to investing a preset amount of money each month, which can be automated to help you stay on track.
  4. Assess your risk tolerance before investing to ensure that you’re comfortable with the amount of risk you’re taking on. While taking on some risk can lead to greater rewards, it’s important to balance that with your short-term well-being.

Even if you can only afford to invest a small amount at first, it’s worth considering. Starting early is the key to accumulating more wealth over time through investing.

Best Option for Financial Goals

Posted on by Alden Porter III

While both can be attractive options for parking your savings, money market accounts and money market funds offer different advantages. Money market accounts offer set interest rates on your savings in a bank or credit union. Meanwhile, a money market fund bundles relatively liquid investments like cash, treasury bills and certificates of deposit for a low-risk return. Money market account: Pros and cons Money market accounts may serve you well if your goals align with its advantages. Pros: Flexible linked accounts: You can link your money market account with your checking account savings accounts debit card You can link your money market account with your Competitive rates: Many money market accounts offer higher interest rates than other savings options.

However, certificates of deposit Many money market accounts offer higher interest rates than other savings options. However, Safety: Money market accounts are insured by the FDIC up to $250,000, so you won’t lose your money if the bank goes bankrupt. Cons: Access: Money market accounts are more liquid than certificates of deposit, but more restricted than money market funds.

Money market accounts are more liquid than certificates of deposit, but more restricted than money market funds. Minimum balance requirements: Many money market accounts require a minimum balance to earn interest, and that balance can be as high as $500. While there is no cost to hold a money market account although some financial institutions impose monthly maintenance fees if the minimum balance is not maintained. Many money market accounts require a minimum balance to earn interest, and that balance can be as high as $500. While there is no cost to hold a money market account although some financial institutions impose monthly maintenance fees if the minimum balance is not maintained.

Lower interest rates: Interest rates on money market accounts are lower than other savings options, including money market funds. Money market fund: Pros and cons Similarly, money market funds will only be suitable if the pros outweigh the cons for your situation. Pros: Low risk to principal: Money market funds invest in very low-risk instruments, like cash, cash equivalents and debt-backed securities. Money market funds invest in very low-risk instruments, like cash, cash equivalents and debt-backed securities. Liquidity: Unlike money market accounts, money market funds don’t restrict your withdrawals.

Unlike money market accounts, money market funds don’t restrict your withdrawals. Competitive rates: Money market funds typically offer higher interest rates than money market accounts, though they may deliver a lower return than riskier investments. Cons: Funds aren’t insured: Money in a money market fund is not protected by the FDIC. It is considered an investment, which is inherently riskier than saving your money in a money market account. Money in a money market fund is not protected by the FDIC.

It is considered an investment, which is inherently riskier than saving your money in a money market account. Fees: Potential fees can reduce returns on your investment. Make sure you know the specific terms of an account before applying. Similarities between money market funds and money market accounts As their names would suggest, there are a few commonalities between money market funds and money market accounts. While both are low-risk places to park your money, they both come with opportunity cost. It’s possible that you’d earn better returns in riskier investments, like common stock or index funds. And because of their relatively low return rates, both money market accounts and money market funds may not sufficiently protect your investment in a high-inflation environment. Any returns you do earn may be subject to tax, as well. You’ll have to report any interest or capital gains to the IRS.

The bottom line Money market accounts and money market funds both offer safety, liquidity and moderate yields which will vary depending on the account or fund. It is important to research and compare rates to find the best option, though you should also consider fees, account minimums and customer service.

Attracting New Customer

Posted on by Alden Porter III
The importance of retaining current and former customers cannot be emphasized enough. While many businesses focus solely on attracting new customers, it is essential to spend a good chunk of your time and resources on retaining existing customers. After all, these are people who have already purchased from you and are likely to be good sales prospects.

Rather than trying to sell old products to new customers, focus on marketing and selling new products to your existing customer base. This approach can lead to a drastic change in your sales, customer quality, and branding position. To retain your current customers, there are a few key elements that you can implement.

Firstly, stay in contact with your customers through various means such as phone, email, e-newsletters, or in-person meetings. This helps to maintain a relationship with them and keep your business top of mind.

Secondly, provide post-purchase assurance by following up with your customers to ensure they feel supported with their purchase. Something as simple as a thank you note with your contact or customer service information can go a long way in retaining a great customer.

Thirdly, offer deals and guarantees to your current customers to show them you appreciate their business. You can also create a club specifically to reward loyal customers or offer a preferred pricing option.

Finally, use good business practices and uphold integrity, dignity, and honesty with your customers. This can help build trust and confidence in your business, leading to a supportive and loyal customer base.

In summary, a successful business is built on three cornerstone ideas: providing quality products or services, offering useful products or services that solve a problem or enhance the customer’s life, and offering subjects that customers find interesting. By educating your customers and offering them real information and insight, you can foster loyalty and success.

As Jay Abraham suggests, your best prospects are your existing customers. Therefore, rather than putting all your marketing efforts into acquiring new customers, divert some of your resources into reselling, upselling, and cross-selling to the same customers. By staying in touch with them through package inserts, regular mailings, and special offers, you can build a strong relationship with your existing customers and watch the benefits pay off many-fold.

How To Go Viral In The Marketing World

Posted on by Alden Porter III

You’ve just seen the most often utilized viral techniques by most marketers in producing a successful and viral web campaign. All you have to do is be creative and think out of the box. In doing so, you are able to think of so many additional ways to get your viral message going and going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • The Buzz About The Buzz
    Producers of products and services are slowly starting to recognize that what Consumer reports say about their products and services isn’t nearly as crucial as what consumers say to each other about them. Therefore, we have the ballooning of viral marketing…..word-of-mouth…or buzz. And… We’ll take 2 case studies as concrete proof. MSN Hotmail’s viral marketing success tale is practically in the domain of folk lore. Back in 95, when Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith approached the venture capital firm of Draper Fisher & Jervetson with their thought for a free e-mail service, the firm liked the theme but wondered how they’d draw in members and build a company around it. Nowadays there are more than thirty million participating members.

 

  • One Way To Do It
    They made it simple to spread the word by utilizing the standard e-mail that will ask your friends to join, but the software may likewise be instructed to scan your address book and send all your acquaintances invitation letters. Their thought was to construct a tool that includes an inherent mechanism for circulating the work and then simply letting it grow! Now, to the meat and potatoes – You might not produce a program like Hotmail or ICQ but your products may go viral, bringing in tons of subscribers and revenue.

 

  • Utilizing Your Emails
    Everybody wishes his or her marketing message to be viral, or have a viral facet and make the best of viral marketing. Why not? It’s free of charge and effective. The issue is that most individuals don’t comprehend what it is that makes their marketing e-mail message worthy of being passed along. The idea of building an ad in email become viral is really pretty simple. You place something in there that individuals will wish to share with their loved ones and acquaintances, something they’ll wish to spread around.

 

  • Practical Ways to Go Viral
    When you’re seeking excellent content for your niche site, you’re commonly seeking articles that are well-written and bear timely info.
    The 1st option, as brought up earlier, is the article directories. The articles are free of charge but you’re required to link your website to the author’s website. So ‘free of charge’ isn’t precisely free of charge.

    The 2nd option: You want articles ghostwritten for you and the way to get them is to go to article brokers. Google “Niche Article Brokers” and you’ll get a lot of hits.

 

  • Viral and Video
    Video presentations are among the most crucial tools you may develop for use in viral marketing. The reasons that a video may be so effective are many. They’re a visual tool. The vast majority of individuals are visual in the way they relate to the world around them. Even individuals who are primarily audibly oriented or kinesthetic (sound or touch) frequently have a strong secondary visual orientation. They’re accessible. By utilizing one or two of the common formats, you may rest assured that virtually anybody will be able to view the videos.

 

  • Movies
    It’s significant to note that a video that’s produced as part of a viral marketing campaign is a bit different from many of the videos that proliferate around the net. The chief purpose is to excite viewers enough that they decide they have to purchase your product or become an affiliate so they may begin making revenue with your product. There are a few matters you have to always bear in mind so your video won’t become a total mess.

WRAPPING UP

A few matters you need to bear in mind when producing a successful viral product:

 

Material:

The success of any viral marketing and web campaign is directly related to the material of the viral message by whatever vehicle it’s delivered, be it, e-mail, e-zines, sites, etc. Really great, creative, and inspired material may and does bring in buyers by the numbers. Illustrations include valuable discounts, relevant data, jokes, and multimedia goodies.

 

Satisfaction:

Viral and web marketing efforts may provide enormous advantages to e-commerce sites by bringing in fresh users but most fail to totally appreciate the promotional advantages of user satisfaction. Viral marketing is a two-way street. The news that your e-business didn’t provide as promised travels like a racing bullet and twice as fast as the speed of light.

 

Trust:

Trust is the all-important lubricant of Web business; without trust, business grates to a halt and establishing trust takes time and work on your part. It isn’t something that buyers give freely. You have to earn it and continue to earn it with each sale.

 

Well, I wish you the best for your viral and web campaigns, but in whatever medium you pick out, forever remember the above 3 factors.

Educate Your Customers

Posted on by Alden Porter III

Educate them about what, you may be thinking. Well, consider this, many businesses focus solely on attracting new customers, but you NEED to spend a good chunk of your time retaining current and former customers. These are people you already know to be a good sales potential…they’ve already bought from you!

Take the time to market and sell new products to your old customers and less time trying to sell old products to new customers and you will see a drastic change in your sales, customer quality and branding position.

Here are a couple of key elements to use to retain your current customers:

  1. Stay in contact: This means by phone, email, e-newsletter, in person-by pigeon if you have too!
  2. Post-Purchase Assurance: This means you need to follow up with customers. Your customers need to feel like they are being supported for their purchase and with the item they purchased. How many times have you purchased a product, then felt completely abandoned? Something as simple as a Thank You note with your contact or customer service information can go along way in retaining a great customer.
  3. Deals & Guarantees: Always offer your current customers the best deals and guarantees you have. Show them you appreciate their business or even come up with a club specifically to reward loyal customers. You can also do this with a preferred pricing option.
  4. Integrity: Using good business practices and simply upholding integrity, dignity and honesty go along way with customers. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of swindling and crap out there and the safer and more confident you make your customers feel, the more they will trust you and that makes for an amazingly supportive and loyal customer.

There are three cornerstone ideas to a successful business:

  • Quality product/service
  • Offering useful products/services that solve a problem for or enhance the life of a customer
  • Offer subjects your customers find interesting

Use this approach of educating your customers and offering them real information and insight and you will be rewarded with loyalty and success.

Stop wasting all your time on new prospects while your current customers fall by the wayside!

As Jay Abraham says, “Your best prospects are your existing customers. If you’ve been putting all your marketing efforts into acquiring new customers, stop and diverts some of your resources into reselling, upselling, cross-selling to those same customers. In every ways possible – through package inserts, regular mailings, special offers – stay in touch with those customers and get them used to buying from you.”

So, there it is! Remember, we can help you put together the resources and tools to do exactly that. We can help you educate your customers and you can watch the benefits pay offer many-fold.