Welcome!

I hope you find my writing and business tips and observations useful. My business and blog are dedicated to helping businesses communicate clearly and reach their potential. Read, subscribe to my newsletter, enjoy!Tash

Refer to older posts…

Blogging services

HCI chat

business

← Older posts
Newer posts →

Building trust

Published 18 July, 2009 | By TashWord

One of the reasons I give for writing promotional articles and blog posts is build trust in the community and your (potential) clients. By sharing relevant information, people can trust your expertise and learn about your personality and integrity.

In the current global situation, building trust may be even more important.

The Edelman Trust Barometer for Australia is a survey of consumers and how they feel about various institutions. In February this year, they noted a huge 74% decline in trust for business – only 34% of respondents trust a business to do what is right in a specific situation.

What is critical to learn from this survey is the following:

  • 87% of Australians will  not buy from a company they don’t trust
  • 64% of Australians will pay extra to use a company they do trust
  • Australians prefer Australian-owned companies to foreign owned companies as a general rule (obviously that changes in specific situations if the Australian company isn’t trusted)
  • corporate advertising is trusted by only 6% of Australians – and corporate websites by only 13%

Some other interesting notes:

  • people between 25 and 34 years are twice as likely to share experiences of a company than older respondents
  • treating employees well is important – even more important than an environmental commitment – in building trust

As for the survey, it was based on “4,475 upper-income, highly-educated people in 20 countries, including 1,375 in Asia-Pacific countries.”

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Keywords in promotional articles

Published 23 June, 2009 | By TashWord

On Sunday, I presented a workshop on using promotional articles as a business tool and discussed the use of keywords in such articles.

Keywords are words that a search engine will use to provide search results (e.g. if you type in “promotional articles”, they are the keywords and a search engine will find the sites most relevant for those words.) They are very useful in building up the popularity of your site with search engines.

So it is a good idea to include your keywords in your promotional articles so search engines will find your articles online and increase your exposure. In terms of attracting search engines, putting keywords into the title is also effective.

In reality, you probably use keywords in your articles without really trying – it isn’t easy to write an article about business books without writing business or books for example.

However, it is important to not use your keywords too many times in one article as search engines can actually penalise you for doing so. The easiest way to judge how many times is right is to read it out loud – if it sounds ok and appeals to a human, you probably haven’t over used the keywords.

I will share some examples tomorrow on overuse of keywords, but thanks to Suzie of Suz’s Space asking a question in my  workshop, let me explain that it is repetition of one or two words that is the potential problem – using a lot of different keywords in a suitable context is not a search engine risk.

For example, writing an article about a style of writing which includes a list of authors does have a lot of keywords (each name for instance) but is not over using the keywords (such as books and authors) for Suzie’s site.

Posted in newsletter content, web content, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Recharge your business with promotional articles

Published 10 June, 2009 | By TashWord

I will be presenting the above topic at the Business Mums Conference on 20/21 June in Melbourne. I will be covering ways to help people get the most value out of the promotional articles they write (or pay to get written) as I believe it is a valuable, low cost way to promote any business.

What is a promotional article?

Any useful article can be used as a promotional article, although they tend to be around 300-600 words long. At the end of the article, you include an information section (called a bio box or resource box) about yourself and/or your business.

To be a good promotion for your business, it is best to use topics that build your credibility in your industry. For example, if you are a hairdresser you could use articles about choosing shampoos, the best types of hair accessories and hair care tips, but if you sell children’s party accessories, you would be better using articles about how to plan a birthday party, dealing with invitation lists and party game suggestions.

Note that a promotional article is not an ad. An article about the services you offer or how you are better than a competitor is not a promotional article – it is an ad. The aim of your article is to provide information, and/or entertainment, to readers.

** If you are going to the conference, please come and chat to me – I’ll be there all weekend as I know from experience that is a positive, information pack weekend that will benefit my business.

If you havent bought tickets yet, Save Time Online is offering an advertising bonus if you mention them when booking.

Posted in About Word Constructions, blogging, newsletter content, web content, writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How reliant is your business?

Published 5 June, 2009 | By TashWord

As a sole trader, especially in the early part of a business and in a service based business, it is common for the owner to be critical to business operations. Without the owner, the business stagnates or slides backwards.

There are a number of consequences to this reliance, and all of them can impact on the long term success of the business.

1. the owner gets stressed and exhausted as they can’t afford to take a holiday or even a long weekend, and are likely to work when sick and/or recovering

2. something unexpected happens to the owner (e.g. a car accident, appendicitis, a premature birth, a critically ill loved one) and no one else is able to run the business so the business fails before the owner gets back

3. things are done by habit – there is no opportunity for new ideas or better methods, old errors get repeated, the owner can get bored and the business doesn’t grow as much as it could

In larger businesses, the same reliance can occur if people have very strictly defined roles. For instance, if only one person can access the bank account what happens to outstanding invoices while that person is seriously ill for two months? Or if that person was the only one who could update prices on your website, or operate the cash register, or prepare quotes

So how reliant is your business on one or two key people? What critical tasks need to carry on in the absence of that person(s)?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Protecting the essential

Published 28 May, 2009 | By TashWord

Last week I wrote about identifying the essential aspects of your business as one step in contingency planning. Obviously, the next thing is to protect those aspects as much as possible…

I see there are two distinct ways to protect essential details – find ways to prevent those details being hurt or destroyed and find ways to stop the business being so reliant on those details.

Each aspect of your business may require very different techniques for protection against damage, but the idea is to reduce the risk of a problem and then reduce the length of time before it is operational again.

Here are some examples of how to protect some aspects of your business – and you can use these even if they don’t count as essential aspects of your business:

  • provide a safe working environment for yourself and staff – it may sound simple, but imagine a masseur or carpenter falling over a loose cord and breaking their arm …
  • isolate people during health issues – for instance, swine flu can’t spread  if those with the disease are not near everyone else. This can mean sick people don’t come to work or you arrange for remote access for sick people and/or essential staff
  • have computer back up systems in place – and store the data off site. We use carbonite as it regualrly backs up for us and we can reclaim work easily at any time, even after human errors rather than major problems
  • make sure your equipment is serviced and cleaned frequently
  • instal security alarms, locks and so on to protect against theft
  • ensure smoke and fire alarms are working and placed appropriately – smoke alarms above a stove going off all the time tend to be ignored so move them
  • purchase a fire proof safe to store precious documents, data and equipment
  • establish rules to minimise damage of fragile and essential items – for instance, only fully licensed drivers do deliveries, store fragile items out of walkways and on stable surfaces
  • research details for a back up web host in case you need to swap in a hurry (for example their servers were damaged in a natural disaster and your site would be down for weeks)
  • have a spare computer and monitor available to use if necessary – it doesn’t have to be as good as your usual computer as long as it can cope with the basic and essential requirements
  • know where you can hire replacement equipment if need be, and keep those details somewhere accessible

What other ways have you protected your essential business assets?

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Small business tax break

Published 26 May, 2009 | By TashWord

The 50% tax deduction for small businesses (turnover under $2 million) announced in the Federal Budget has now been given royal assent so it is law. That means, eligible purchases over $1,000 can be added to your tax return as a 50% deduction.

Note that this is a bonus as you can still claim any depreciation and deductions you would otherwise be entitled to.

So if a purchase was already something you had planned this year (the deadline is 31 December 2009) it’s great news; if a purchase was a possibility or planned for early next year, considering buying it now is now more affordable. However, if cashflow is a problem and/or you don’t really need any $1,000 purchases, forget the tax break and spend your money elsewhere!

Is this tax deduction affecting your spending?

I am about ready to upgrade my computer so this tax break could be well timed for me – yes I could buy a computer for under $1,000 anyway but I want reliability, a large screen and various features (such as mobility, i.e. a laptop) that will make life easier for me.

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What’s essential?

Published 19 May, 2009 | By TashWord

With the bushfires and floods, the global financial crisis and swine flu, every business should be thinking about having contingency plans in place. I gave some tips on preparing for a distruption to your business and being prepared, but real contingency planning requires even more effort.

A key step in ensuring your business can survive a major issue is understanding what is essential. Protecting and replacing the essential is what helps you survive – other things may be important  but are of little use if the essential factors are missing.

For example, it is important to have the Word Constructions website online but it is essential that I have a computer and software for preparing documents (yes, I can write with pen and paper but it isn’t very professional to hand that to a client!)

So what is essential in your business? Think about the essential equipment, skills, people, services and resources you rely on.

Imagine a dentist’s surgery without a dentist, an engineering firm with no engineers, a dressmaker business with no sewing machine, a hairdresser with no scissors and a referral agency missing its directories.

Make a list of what is essential for your business, and perhaps a second list of what is very important but non-essential.

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Stimulus bonus

Published 29 April, 2009 | By TashWord

Assuming you qualify, you may get (or already have) a bonus from the Government as part of the stimulus package. Remembering this is a tax free payment (how many hours would you have to work to get that much after tax?) have you seriously thought about how to use that money?

I think there are two useful ways to spend your bonus – pay off debt (credit cards or mortgage) or investing it (shares, property, etc, or to your super or in your business.) Either way, the bonus can then go towards your financial future. Of course, the aim of the stimulus package is to get us spending rather than saving which is why I think the bonus could be well used for your business…

  1. spending on your business is an investment that can increase your long term profits – which means you can spend more later!
  2. whatever you purchase will help another business and stimulate the economy!
  3. this tax free money can buy you things that are tax deductible – and I suspect your accountant will approve of that!
  4. depending on what you buy, it may also be eligible for the extra tax deductions available at the moment – this can make bigger things much more affordable for tight budgets

Given we’re potentially talking about $600 or $900, I don’t mean buying a few pens and a ream of paper! Investing in your business could include some of the following expenditures:

  • upgrade your computer or some software
  • update your website – think about a CMS, shopping cart, design, content, new photos and graphics
  • attend some training – seminars and conferences can pay back their price and time many times over through information, ideas and people met
  • get some professional help – a trademark lawyer, accountant, coach, writer, image consultant and so on can make a long term difference for your business
  • hire some help, whether it is a cleaner, VA, packer or letterbox deliverer
  • buy a good chair – your comfort is worth it especially if you sit for hours to run your business, and it will increase your productivity
  • buy some resources – books, DVDs, videos, business guides, magazines
  • get some flyers or postcards printed or some promo items made to spread the word of your business
  • look for some sponsorship or prize opportunities to help others and build exposure and publicity for your business

Posted in business info & tools | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Do you have a website?

Published 1 April, 2009 | By TashWord

I posted earlier about the MYOB survey of small business owners’ response to the global financial situation, but am startled by another part of their survey.

Apparently, 60% of surveyed small business owners don’t have a website for their business. That is incredible. They surveyed 1,503 business owners with no more than 19 employees, so it is a reasonable number but perhaps not statistically significant compared to how many small businesses there are in Australia.

Not all businesses are internet based, obviously, but offline businesses can have a website and use it to good effect.

Why am I so surprised they don’t have a website?

  • personally, I often refer to the website for further information or to get a feel for a business before I contact them – no website and there’s a good chance I’ll move on. This is especially true now I have a baby as it is easier to research and compare from home than to drive around
  • a website is like a brochure that works 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so why limit yourself to paper?
  • a website can be a lot cheaper to run than many traditional advertising options (I pay $5 a month for hosting – you won’t get much advertising for $60 a year!)
  • people generally find it easier to remember words than numbers so if you or a happy customer are inviting someone to learn more about your business, a web address could be more successful
  • people expect websites now – not meeting that expectation may decrease your credibility in their eyes

A website can be simple and as short as one or two pages; it can be static and need little maintenance (although search engines prefer more active sites). Some online directories offer full page listings which can act as a website, which is better than nothing, but the URL may be long.

SO back to the original question? Do you have a website? Do other business owners you know have websites? If not, why not?

Posted in bit off track, business info & tools | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Small business is apparently pessimistic…

Published 1 April, 2009 | By TashWord

MYOB has conducted a survey of small business owners and found that 43% of them had experienced a negative result from the global economic situation. Which of course implies that 57% have NOT experienced a loss in turnover.

63% think a recession is coming, and I agree that is likely. I disagree however that it means small businesses are all about to fail or feel pessimistic. Many people actually thrive and do better during a recession , and it means many will just cut the excesses and find more efficient ways of doing things which is all good to me.

Their survey also showed 43% of people (I guess they weren’t the same 43%!) believe their business will perform better over the next 12 months. This may be down from 56% in June last year, but I still think it is a positive response.

Mr Reed, CEO of MYOB, said “Now more than ever business owners need to step out of the daily chaos and look at the ‘big picture’.  There are many things they can’t control – they should accept those and put energy into what they can control.  Business owners shouldn’t be afraid to seek specialist help, such as talking to their accountant about ensuring their business is running as efficiently as possible”

I think he is right – let’s accept that we can’t control the world finances but we can control our own businesses and attitudes. If the financial crisis does reduce profits and makes it tough for some businesses, being creative and looking for opportunities could help many small businesses survive and even thrive.

What do you think – does the financial crisis mean small business should worry or get conservative? Or is this the time to work on strengthening and refining your business to weather the storm?

Posted in bit off track, business info & tools | Tagged , , | 1 Comment
← Older posts
Newer posts →

Word Constructions | Subscribe | Contact us

Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.