business info & tools

Refer to older posts…

Expert presenters

Published 1 September, 2010 | By TashWord

Do you think the Internet (and all the associated media that has followed) has changed our perception of an expert?

We all love ‘big names’ and are more likely to pay for a concert or conference with someone we know of than a complete stranger. And many organisers of events get caught up in finding a big name to draw crowds.

Yet I don’t think you have to be a big name to be an expert and some of the best presentations I’ve been to were run by people I hadn’t heard of before. Not every successful person is rich or famous, not all great business people own/work in the corporate world, not all talented people are widely recognised, and so on.

Getting back to my first question, is the net changing some of these perceptions? I think so as people in traditional ways were not recognised as experts or ‘worthy’ of teaching us can now share their knowledge and skills through articles, blogs, newsletters, tweets, webinars and more.

If you are thinking of attending an event, does the ‘size of a name’ influence you greatly? Would you Google (or use social media searches) the presenters to find out more?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged expert, perceptions, presenters | 2 Comments

Social media relationships

Published 28 August, 2010 | By TashWord

My last post was about networking with a bottle of wine, so I thought I’d also aim it more specifically on social media as Chris did in his original post.

Using social media (facebook, twitter, blogs, You Tube, etc) is in many ways exactly the same as more traditional networking and socialising. Building these relationships depends on being friendly, listening to people and showing interest.

Even the differences are based on the same principles, they use technology to reach those aims. If you met someone at a party, you would answer them by talking; in social media, it is still polite and expected that you answer but you might do so by posting a comment or retweeting instead.

So some social media networking tips are:

be generous with links – if you like something add the link to your blog, tweet it, write about it in Facebook, and so on. It costs you nothing but time, it actually gives you something to write about and is likely to help the creator
visit other people’s blog, Facebook wall, twitter profile, You Tube channel and so on. You can learn more about them than just responding to their emails and comments, and they will probably appreciate you leaving comments when you visit
if networking for your business, broaden your topics – chat with people about other interests (if you network in real life, you’d probably have some references to the weather, the food, the venue or major news/sports of the day, so why not on social media?)
link all your social media outlets – it makes it easier for someone to find what they want but also helps your Twitter followers discover your blog readers, etc.
give more often (by a long shot) than you promote or sell; Chris Brogan suggested a 15:1 ratio – what do you think is a good ratio?
share information on how to socialise online – you don’t need to tell people how to talk but not all your customers and contacts know the purpose of # in a tweet or how to embed a video in a blog
remember to touch base frequently – just like friends drift away if you don’t see them much, online contacts will forget you if you don’t tweet for a month or so.

I’m not a social media expert (closer to the beginner end of the scale really) so I’d love to hear your tips for maximising social media networking…

Posted in Business Communications, business info & tools, social media | Tagged link, networking, social media, technology | 5 Comments

Bring wine when networking

Published 26 August, 2010 | By TashWord

Would you really take wine to every networking event? Probably not so let me explain…

Chris Brogan wrote a story in his blog about social media and not being ‘that guy’. In short, the story is that if you’re going on a picnic with friends take a bottle of wine rather than just coming along and eating everyone else’s food. Sounds obvious in that context doesn’t it?

The same principle applies in networking (Chris was specifically referring to social media but I am putting it together with all networking). People will respond better if you give something of value rather than if you just try taking.

So if someone at an event or on a forum says “I’m having trouble writing some promotional articles“, I could answer with “What questions do people often ask about your industry? Answering those questions is a good place to start your articles. Here are some tips in my blog.”

Or I could be that guy and answer with “I write articles – you should pay me. Did you know I could also write your website and I …”

Effective networking is about building relationships rather than selling yourself.

Here are some networking tips off the top of my head:

hand out business cards to selected people rather than everyone in reach
remember things about people you network with – jotting down some notes soon after helps – to show you are interested
be generous and show an abundant mentality – tell others about great promotional opportunities, give your opinion and expertise, link to other blogs/websites whether or not they link back, and so on
smile! It’s much more inviting than a scowl, and it can even change your voice if you are on the phone
introduce people to each other. For example, a friend mentions needing a plumber and you met one last week at a networking event – give your friend those contact details. It also means introducing people looking alone at an event too
use people’s names – it means a lot to them and using it soon after hearing it helps you to remember it, too
don’t be afraid to ask for help (not for business mind you) as it shows you are human and you give people a chance to help. Maybe you ask for referrals to a service, opinions on a decision you need to make or for understanding a technical issue. Pretending to know everything and be perfect is likely to alienate people than attract them

What other tips do you have for effective networking?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged networking, value, wine | 4 Comments

Coddling the right clients

Published 23 August, 2010 | By TashWord

If you’ve been in business a while, the chances are you’ve had at least one annoying, energy-sapping client. So, like me you will probably appreciate the following comments from Seth Godin:

The challenge of winning more than your fair share of the market is that the best available strategy–providing remarkable service and an honest human connection–will be abused by a few people you work with.

You have three choices: put up with the whiners, write off everyone, or, deliberately exclude the ungrateful curs.

Firing the customers you can’t possibly please gives you the bandwidth and resources to coddle the ones that truly deserve your attention and repay you with referrals, applause and loyalty.

Next time you are having trouble with the idea of sacking a client, or refusing to take on a particular client, remember that doing so gives you more energy to do a great job for those clients who will truly appreciate it.

On the positive side, the time consuming clients I have had in the past have helped me better value my time and espertise, and taught me what to look for in people I want to work with.

Who would you prefer to coddle?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged appreciate, Clients, sacking, service | 1 Comment

Consulting new clients

Published 5 July, 2010 | By TashWord

Last week I referredto a post by Danielle Keister about admitting she is human and may make mistakes before she actually makes any. The other detail I got from her post was her insistence on having a consultation or meeting at the beginning of each client relationship.

I think a consultation is a valuble step in an ongoing business relationship but it doesn’t matter as much when you are dong a small one-off task for the client. Given you are trying to make relationships with clients, here are some reasons to value consultations:

despite our increasing comfort in dealing with people electronically, there is something human and appealing in meeting a real person. Conversations with clients are often easier when you can picture each other and have an idea of who the other really is – think about how surprising it sometimes is to see a picture of someone you have heard or emailed with
you can set some ground rules and expectations
you can establish a better understanding of each other which can lead to easier communications as you work together. For instance, I have a client who knows me well enough that a brief outline of her requirments is usually enough for me to write what she wants, and that saves us both time
it can be a tool in screening out tyre kickers who would otherwise waste your time
sometimes you can determine that an effective working relationship is unlikely and move on before you both waste time and energy on it. This is hard for a new business, but having suitable clients and client relationships makes business much more fun and leaves you the resources to be a better job overall

However, it isn’t always practical to meet face to face with clients. Personally, I have had a small proportion of my clients in Melbourne with the rest being interstate or overseas. I have travelled interstate and to New Zealand to meet ith clients but it generally isn’t feasible.

So here are some other ways to build client relationships in the early stages:

use a phone and include some chatting as well as business talk – voip makes this an affordable option
invite the client to add you to our favourite chatting software (msn, yahoo, etc) so you can chat about projects
have an information sheet or webpage that outlines some expectations and procedures – use a friendly tone but make it clear
add friendly comments and questions to emails (e.g. how did your team go over the weekend? has the weather warmed up yet? how was your day/weekend?)
have a client questionnaire for all new clients to complete so you can learn about them quickly
take extra care to paraphrase their instructions and information to ensure you are understanding them and their communication style

How do you establish good relationships with clients from the begining? Do you insist on some sort of start up meeting?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged client, consultations, relationship | 2 Comments

Attitude to mistakes

Published 26 June, 2010 | By TashWord

How do you deal with making mistakes? Do you accept that you are going to make mistakes when dealing with clients, and consider how to deal with the aftermath?

I came across a blog post by Danielle Keister where she advises new VAs that they will make mistakes. I love her attitude and her honesty in warning people that they will make mistakes – “Someone who says they never make mistakes is a liar (or delusional).”

What really caught my eye, though, is her ‘speech’ to prospective clients. She basically tells them that mistakes may occur despite her best intentions but that she will also work at fixing them as soon as she is aware of them. Her ideal business relationship is built on trust – people trust her to do the job and fix mistakes and she trusts them to be honest and give her feedback.

I have never written out my attitude about mistakes like Danielle, but I think what she has written is close to what I would write for myself. As a writer, I often deal with feedback from clients and fully expect that to occur – together, clients and I get the best result for their needs as I have the communications skills and they know their brand, business and customers best. This is why my quotes often include a certain number of edits.

Of course, that feedback is not often based on me making a mistake but on technicalities in content, personal preferences and unclear objectives. When it is my mistake, though, I apologise and do my best to quickly rectify the situation. I do that naturally out of a sense of pride and professional integrity.

Additionally, I know that I prefer a supplier to be honest and admit their mistakes to me – I am less likely to return somewhere that makes mistakes but denies or hide them. So it is a business decision to deal with mistakes openly, too.

Given that we are all human and make mistakes, do you have a policy or guideline for dealing with mistakes once you are aware of them?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged honesty, mistakes, rectify | 1 Comment

2010-11 is almost here!

Published 2 June, 2010 | By TashWord

Do you think it is time to prepare for a new financial year – or are you going to wait until July to work on your tax and accounting obligations?

I always plan to be organised so I can submit a tax return in early July, but it is never quite that smooth in reality. My bookkeeper needs time to enter all the data from June, I need my super fund to send me a deduction letter and so on.

However, I really do look at my accounts now so I can maximise this financial year – thinking of deductions in July won’t help much!

Here are some of my tips on keeping accounting issues under control in June/July:

have regular data entry for expenses throughout the year- or get a bookkeeper!
keep a document going all year to note down anything that may go into your annual report (i.e. note down any significant changes or events so you don’t have to remember them when you starting writing the report) This will also help a lot if you outsource the report writing
if website pages/attachments need to be updated for 1 July (e.g. for legislation or price changes), prepare them in advance – even if data is unavailable until late June, you can have everything else ready to go
book your accountant/tax agent early so you can choose a date that suits you
get someone to help you if you are stuck entering a lot of data (e.g. for new depreciable items or household accounts if you are home-based) – it’s much quicker if one person reads out the data while the other types it
check your online bank access – many will show the year’s interest instead of adding up each month’s or waiting for a printed statement
review your payroll records now so you have all the information when sending out PAYG statements
automate any regular payments – this can be useful all year, but taking the time in April/May to schedule payment of memberships and subscriptions due in June can save time and the stress of forgetting
prepare communications in advance (blog posts, newsletter information) so those tasks are out of the way for a month or so
have a good account filing system as well as your actual accounts – I use a display folder with a plastic envelope per month plus some extras (‘to be entered’, ‘pending’, etc) – and avoid changing it at this time of year

How else do you make your accounting and tax tasks quicker or easier?

Posted in bit off track, business info & tools | Tagged financial, july, june, time, year | Leave a comment

Blogging for money

Published 20 November, 2009 | By TashWord

I often come across people claiming to make their living from a blog or advocating others to start a blog for the purpose of making money. While I don’t doubt a blog CAN make money, I don’t think it is as easy as starting a blog nor do I think ‘everyone’ can do it.

blog for money or blog for others purposes?

Do you blog for money or other reasons?

Raivyn (who apparently does make money from her blogs) wrote a blog post about the realities of blogs and money. I like the fact she starts with suggesting the need to know why you are blogging and what you want to achieve. If you love writing online and want to make enough for a weekly cup of coffee, then blogs may be the income stream you need; if you hate your job and want a full time income, then blogging needs a lot of thought before believing it is the solution.

Which leads, of course, to why do I write this blog? There are a few reasons, but my aim has never been to make money directly or to be a pro-blogger.

Having a blog attached to my business website allows me to promote my business indirectly – it lets customers know who I am, it is an easy way to add content to my site frequently which gives people a reason to return and search engines a reason to find me, and it is related to my business anyway.

I also enjoy helping people and sharing knowledge which is what most of my blog posts are aimed at.

Of course, if anyone wants to pay me riches for reading my blog, I’m open to new ideas! But making money is not my priority from the blog.

So why do you have a blog? Is your reason for continuing it the same reason you started it? Does blogging bring you an income? An income worth the time and effort it takes to run a blog?

Posted in blogging, business info & tools, web content | Tagged aim, blog, money, reason | 5 Comments

Backing up is a winner!

Published 29 October, 2009 | By TashWord

Yesterday, I listened to a webinar to announce the Smart Company web awards (I’m linking to their site but a it’s been down every time I’ve tried today, I apologise in advance if their site doesn’t show up.)

I don’t know much about most of the winners, although I intend to look at them to see what I can learn about effective websites, etc. However, I did recognise the winner of the ecommerce section.

Carbonite is a back up service to keep your computer files safe if something happens (something like a fire, a computer malfunction or even theft of your computer.) I’ve been using them for about 18 months and have recommended them a few times when people have asked about backing their files up.

I love the fact that I don’t have to remember to do anything – the files are automatically backed up for me regularly and I can even tell which files have been backed up in my file manager. I also like that I can access all copies that have been backed up – so if I want to go back to an older version of a document that I didn’t keep, I can access a previous back up and get the older file.

As for them as a winning ecommerce site, well I know I had no troubles subscribing or renewing so it is user friendly! I haven’t looked at them critically to agree or disagree with them winning this award, but I like their service – so congratulations Carbonite!

How do you manage your back ups? Do you have a written procedure for back ups, even if you use a service like Carbonite (so someone else knows how to access your files if you aren’t there and they are needed)? I know if l lost my computer files, it would cause a lot of stress and my business would suffer so I consider backing up a critical measure in business. And personally – I have my digital photos backed up off site, too.

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged back up, carbonite, files, winner | 2 Comments

Climate Change is a business concern too

Published 15 October, 2009 | By TashWord

Today is Blog Action Day, with over 6,000 bloggers writing about climate change and its impact on our world, and on us.

Maybe climate change, and protecting our environment, is something you think of at home or when choosing to buy local or low packaging options. Many people act as if environmental concerns don’t apply at work or in business, but we all need to think and act sustainably all the time and in all sorts of situations.

As a small business owner, here are some of the things I take into account:

amongst other reasons, I work from home because it saves any energy or pollution from commuting to an office somewhere else AND I only have one set of base consumption (e.g. I don’t heat an office and somewhere for my baby; I only need one computer for business and personal use)
I choose to reuse paper by using the back of documents and envelopes instead of notepads
I buy recycled paper products for printing
I email invoices and statements to save paper and printing – the computer is already on so sending an email is close to environmentally neutral
I read news items and articles online rather than buying paper versions – and rarely print copies of them
I use email and phone calls as much as possible for communicating with clients – again, this saves using a car or plane for meeting face to face
I turn off my computer, printer, etc when I finish for the day, and turn off my screen whenever I leave my desk for a while
I close the curtains as soon as it starts getting dark and cold – keeping the heat inside saves heating
I choose practical promotional items rather than gimmicky things that use resources to make but provide no real value. So I would prefer a pen, notepad, water bottle or bookmark to a plastic bracelet, inflatable toy, flag or fan

I’m sure there’s more as I care about my environmental impact, but the list shows how easy it can be to include environmental ideas into everyday business. While we may not be able to reverse climate change, I think we can slow it down considerably by taking individual responsibility in the little things as well as the big things.

In Copenhagen next month, world leaders will be making some decisions and agreements about topics around climate change. I just hope that everyone starts working on those targets straight away rather than waiting until the deadlines.

What have you done/are you doing in your business to help our planet? What suggestions do you have for other businesses?

Posted in bit off track, business info & tools | Tagged change, climate, environment, impact | 7 Comments

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