With the market like it is right now, you may want to take the time to build up marketing impact when the daily work of real estate isn’t all-consuming. Are you interested in finding new ways to advertise your listing online to improve that home’s chance of selling, while boosting your own visibility?

Featured Listings
Here’s a list of a few of the best online resources for advertising yourself… er… I mean your listing. Be sure that you have your listing FEATURED on your own home page. By doing this, any incoming links “for more information” will lead to the index page of your website. So, even if the home sells, you still have a link that’s live and is helping you. And when you sell a home, you will have other “featured” homes listed for the incoming traffic to review.

Landing Pages
You may want to add a landing page that gathers the “from” URL and customizes your website to say, “If you were seeking the featured home from Craig’s List, it’s already sold… but we have these great homes still available! And then list the home you do have featured in a thumbnail format so they can click for more information.

Localized Online Classifieds
Most popular websites for free (or extremely low cost) real estate classified ads today:

http://www.kijiji.com
http://www.craigslist.com/
http://www.backpage.com
http://www.tenant.com/
http://www.nfafn.org/
http://www.usfreeads.com/
http://www.freeclassifiedads.com/
http://listsomething.com/
http://www.nocostclassifieds.com/
http://www.postlets.com/
http://www.facebook.com (Free “MarketPlace” ads)
http://www.trulia.com/
http://base.google.com/
http://www.oodle.com/
http://www.local.com/
http://www.propsmart.com/
http://www.vast.com/
http://byownermls.com/
http://www.livedeal.com

Many of these websites have an expiration day- so don’t forget to renew!

(photo by mconnors of morguefile.com)

Being “sociable” on the web can have huge payoffs. Provider-customer communications have never been more important. In the old face-to-face days, small business owners maintained a manageable number of extremely loyal clients, all of whom were accustomed to seeing the small business owner in person.

If customers had a concern, a question, a request or a problem — the business owner was there, in person, to work it out.

Social networking and web 2.0 (yeah, I know, I’m tired of those phrases too) are high tech tools offering new delivery platforms to achieve this classic caliber of old-time service.

• Loyal customers develop as a result of good relationships. (Give someone a bad experience when they are buying products or services, without remedy, and they will probably not come back.)
• If you have a relationship and there is a problem and you FIX the problem personally, they will not only come back, they will love you for going “above and beyond.” This scenario will build loyalty more than a flawless experience.
• They will talk about you. If you give excellent service or exceedingly poor service, your customers will tell others. That word-of-mouth advertising will make or break your business — especially online.

Social networking helps you to build strong, personal relationships with potential and existing clients, even though you may never meet them “face-to-face.” The new social tools permit personal interaction even before the first sale. It also offers an amazing built-in referral network.

If you aren’t currently participating, consider broadening your horizons. Select one or two platforms from the major players, fill out your profile page and join in the conversation.

Quit being a wall-flower at the Internet dance!

(NOTE: photo courtesy of Clarita at MorgueFile.com)

I tend to worry about things over which I have no control. It makes life more drama-filled than necessary. It makes parenting challenging. Heck, sometimes it makes breathing difficult!

Riding the economy’s roller coaster is a white-knuckled, teeth-clenching experience these days… especially THIS day.

It shook me today. I’ve been preparing for a “recession/depression” for several months. My debt load is probably lower than most peoples’ — but I still have debt. (I hate being in debt.) I live simply. I don’t have extravagant tastes. That all helps me to make it as a solopreneur.

My client-base is primarily real estate and that industry has been hard-hit of late. I don’t work with those new to the industry. My clients are the established, knowledgeable, experienced portion of the market. So when MY clients are feeling the pinch — it’s serious. When my clients go from immediate pay to 30/60 days, I get concerned.

But, for those entrepreneurs out there that are starting to worry, I’d like to share some sage advice from one of my clients (complete with my interpretation). I won’t identify the client because he admitted “I’m scared too” and that admission may alarm his agents. He said, “I’m scared too, Angela, but you are in a good place and so am I… we owe little and are not at the mercy of a big corporation for our weekly check. If it’s not working, we will reinvent ourselves!”

I took that information and sat on it awhile this afternoon. While I watched the stock market climb back up to a reasonable level (back above 10,000 for the DOW), I pondered the implications of what he said.

He’s right. As entrepreneurs, we are able to make adjustments, look for opportunities and jump on them in a way that others can’t. We do have the flexibility to “reinvent” ourselves, to refine our vision, or to completely rebuild our set of goals.

Another client commented (sometime last week) that there would always be work for someone who was knowledgeable in their field. He said the economic slow down would do two things: Clear out the “chaff” from his industry (real estate) and create an even stronger demand for my own services. He said, “People who need help will be less willing to offer work to those who are unproven and those who are less talented.”

Although his compliments made me blush at the time (and offer me an opportunity to brag a bit now), the fact is… when money is tight, you go for the “sure thing” in business and in personal decisions.

So if you are an established provider, there really isn’t a reason to worry. It may get interesting for awhile, but we will be fine. It may help to remember that these issues aren’t an issue for a particular country, they are world-wide.

We are participating in a global economy and no country will be its own little universe again. What happens from here on out will cause ripples across all oceans. That’s something that I find both comforting and alarming. It requires thinking about my tiny little business on a much bigger scale.

For those new to the industry, make friends with the “old hands” and show your stuff. The best way to land work in tough times is through the recommendation of trusted providers, subcontracting and concentrating on your best offerings.

If you aren’t advertising your niche or special skills, do it. If you haven’t established a short list of your best service offerings, there’s never been a better time. Choose them, communicate them and make sure they are “front and center” on your business website.

Just because there is a sluggishness in the economy does not mean we can afford it in our businesses. Now is the time to work harder and rise faster. These are the times when opportunities arise and disappear quickly.  Be ready.

And remember, in this era when mega-corporations are failing and floundering and drowning… you have the reins of your business. Here, at least, you have a choice on how your income is made and how your bottom line reads. Small businesses are the backbone of economies — we work even when others don’t.

(Photo from MorgueFile.com by MarkeMark.)

When you are a remote professional, making a sweeping business change is a big step. Your business identity becomes inextricably intertwined with your personal identity. After a few years on the web, you consider your business URL in the same way you do your physical address. Like a cross-country move, any big change can be traumatic.

If the time has come to narrow your scope, deepen your niche or completely reinvent yourself online, there are a few steps you can take to make the transition a bit smoother.

Get an unbiased opinion… or two or three

Because you are so “close” to the project, having outside opinions from people you trust is paramount. There are things that you simply won’t see solo. Your business may often seem to be a solitary venture, but this is a place where you need to reach out to your network. Don’t fall in love with one option before seeking feedback. Go to the “floor” with your top three or four ideas.

If you blog, post your ideas there and see if any readers will offer suggestions. If you have a professional network, toss your ideas out and get feedback from peers. If you have family members that aren’t too close to your business, get their impressions of your new direction.

Once you have narrowed the field, pay a marketing consultant or business planning specialist to give a professional opinion on the pros and cons of your plans and how they will affect your bottom line and your ability to market your new brand. You don’t want to put all this effort into something that won’t help you in the long run. A single meeting may make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your efforts.

Take all these opinions and really listen to what was said. Keep notes on all the feedback for a couple days of agonizing push-me, pull-me evaluation. Once that period is over, pick the one you love. After all, you should be in love with your business name and concept. You will spend much of your life building, growing, nurturing and living with it. It should be something you love.

Plan ahead

Don’t jump into the transition. It’s going to be a challenging project. It will require a great deal of pre-planning to make the move smoothly. Start with the baby steps…

Your new URL

• Your URL should be a brand that you can love and one you can quickly take to heart and adopt as your online “alterego.”
• Select a URL that carries a keyword or two if possible. It should be short, focused and possess a little “zing” to capture attention. Make sure the URL will serve you from a marketing perspective. Why would you rebrand in a way that actually HURTS your online marketing?
• If at all possible, use a “.com” URL. Forget .net, .info, and all the upcoming extensions. Select a .com for a timeless and established look.
• The URL should be your legal business name. Register it as “MyCompany.com” to give you the advantage of “silently” promoting your URL whenever you give your business name. Even websites and directories that don’t offer a web link will accept this type of legal business name.

The Omni-important Tagline

• Forget the pain and agony of developing an elevator speech. The classic wisdom of a 30-second regurgitation of who you are and what you do and what value a potential customer would find in hiring you is soooo outdated and old school. (Besides, that is the purpose of your website!)
• Don’t assault strangers with all this information. You will only make them sorry they asked. Thirty seconds will seem like a lifetime to your marketing “victim.”
• Instead, develop a self-apparent business name with matching URL and a tiny 5-6 word tagline that clarifies your unique marketing position. You can use this combo on your voice-mail, business cards and in person, when asked what you do.
• It will take some time and quite a bit of effort to find the perfect combination of so few words. If well-executed, it will pay huge dividends and will make you memorable.

Marketing Materials

Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars on all the marketing “fixings” including letterhead, multiple logos and images, envelopes, branded note cards, custom postage stamps, business cards, business websites, blogs, custom rubber stamps (with my logo), embroidered denim shirts, t-shirts, ball caps, table spreads (for events), etc, etc.,

Of those items, the most effective have been my business cards for in-person face-to-face encounters and my website/blog. Of the printed materials, I’ve used the branded notecards more than all the other business stationery combined. When I drop a physical note to a client, a peer or a prospect, I prefer it to be a personalized, handwritten item. The rest of the time, I use email and/or PDFs.

How you handle this will depend on your business and what niche services you offer. The more online your business, the less printed materials you will need… so your mileage may vary.

Before you automatically reorder all the stuff you had in the old business name, determine what really works for you. Don’t reorder out of rote. If you ordered 1000 custom envelopes three years ago and you still 995 of those, it’s probably not the best use of your funds.

Enjoy a Clean Slate

If you are rebranding, it’s a wonderful opportunity to purge any old ideas you have about how to run a business online. You have, no doubt, learned a great deal as a result of your “hands on” experience. Advise yourself in the same way you would advise someone who is just getting started.

Think about all of your “if ONLY someone had told me…” moments. Think about all the wasted time, money, and effort you expended when you first started.

Then, take a deep breath and plan. Make sure you don’t do any of that this time.

My Clean Slate

Personally, trying to keep my blog separate from my business website, and managing multiple branded websites was a mistake. I’m not a big business and I have no need to project that image. I should have accepted that fact early on.

People hire me as much for my personality as for my skills. It was weird to realize that, but it shouldn’t have been… after all, I accept or decline clients based on that “gut” feeling I have about them. Working so closely, and being happy with that situation, requires a good rapport. It just does.

Accepting that makes it easier to develop a single site (which contains a blog) to maintain.

Keep Records

You will be going (temporarily) backward to re-brand when you change your business. It’s a fact. There are places all over the web where you have promoted your old brand.

Keeping a record (a spread sheet will work fine) of all the places that you “find” your old brand will help you transition. Change all your profiles to reflect the new business identity. You will probably be surprised how many you have online. Going through your password list is a quick way to determine the identities you need to rebrand right away.

Legal Stuff

Don’t forget to change your business name legally; even if you are using a DBA you need to register it. Do the paperwork for any required business licenses for your area. Secure a new EIN, if necessary.

Change the information with your bank and PayPal accounts. Let your current clients know how to make out future checks/payments.

Redirect Traffic to Capture Visitors

Apply a Google-friendly 301 permanent redirect to capture as much of the old site(s) traffic as possible. Use your website’s 404 logs to determine when people are looking for something they don’t find.

Fix/forward every link. It will take time, but it’s worth the effort. You don’t want to lose visitors by frustrating loyal readers.

Re-Introduce yourself

Once you are up and running, take the time to go to your favorite blogs and websites and comment to help establish the new identity. Social networking can actually make this process easier. Some platforms allow a username and URL change without any problem (like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), while others will only allow a URL change and you are stuck with the same username or the prospect of opening a new account and trying to recapture your friends (like StumbleUpon and ActiveRain).

Do a press release. Produce a little fanfare. This is a big deal! Celebrate it.

A Final Thought: Be Sure

Before you start this process, be sure it’s necessary. It involves a tremendous amount of effort and should not be undertaken lightly.

If a change is needed, it’s better to make that transition sooner, rather than later. The availability of good URLs is diminishing by the second and unless you have already captured the URLs you may want to use in future years, merely getting the perfect URL can be a costly endeavor.

Don’t forget to have fun recreating yourself!

How much money do you need to make in 2008? How much do you want to make? Have you budgeted for expenses? Have you planned for vacation time away from work?

I just finished and filed my taxes. Yeah me! But the cooler part of that equation was that I took the tax software for 2007, and ran a few numbers for fun. Yes, I said “for fun.”

I hate taxes and bookkeeping more than the average joe… probably a lot more… but I found this process quite enjoyable. Why? Because it gave me a perspective that all the personal business planning to date hasn’t managed to offer.

How so? Let me explain…

After my taxes were complete, I saved that file for posterity (and for future reference, if needed) and renamed the file so I could play, without re-entering all the information.

First I gave some serious thought to the larger purchases I need to make for the business this year. For instance, going from a two-monitor system to a single one with my new Linux computer has been difficult. Within the next two months I plan to purchase two wide-screen monitors and a graphics card to push them to improve my efficiency when I’m online (and to eliminate any of that pesky extra deskspace I might otherwise enjoy.)

I reviewed my expenses for 2007 and determined which ones would be about the same and which ones would increase and which ones I could whittle down. I plugged my best estimations onto each category. (Which also gives me a de facto operating budget for 2008 neatly organized into tax categories, now printed out in my budget notebook!)

The next thing I did was max out my retirement contribution for 2008. (Note that IRA contributions will increase from $4000 in 2007 to $5000 in 2008, and take that into account with your final numbers.) With my expenses and my investments calculated, I then tweaked some of the other numbers to determine exactly how much money I need to make in 2008 to meet my income and savings goals without increasing my taxable income dramatically.

There are a few little spots in the income category that really bump up your taxes – to the tune of 30%+. Personally, I don’t want to work to make an extra 10K, if that means that the federal government will take $3300 of that off the top. I’d rather have a little more time to call my own.

You can also use this tool to determine how much you should put into your IRA contribution… for 2007. I found the “sweet spot” in my own contributions by plugging in various IRA contributions until I found the amount that benefited me the most in taxes without breaking my budget. Since you have until April 15th to fund that IRA, it’s crazy to pay more taxes than you must, if you can pay yourself instead!

I decided this year that rather than simply trying to make as much money as possible, I would employ the 80/20 rule. I determined the optimum income for my personal situation. I’ve been working as an independent, remote professional for eight years now. I wanted to get a bit smarter about it. I love my business, but I’m tired of it constantly encroaching on my life. I’m ready to have my cake and eat it too! Being self-employed is a tough balancing act, but your income is still merely a tool to live – even if you adore your work.

So, I decided how much time I wanted to take off this year for personal days, vacations, etc. In 2007, I took off the entire month of December. Granted, I had to move from the city back to the country during that month, but I also enjoyed a cruise vacation. As a result, I’ve decided that vacations are wonderful! Yes, I should have known that before, but I only managed to take “working” vacations in the past. I’ll not make that mistake again. Live and learn.

I deducted the number of weeks I wanted to take off this year from the available 52 to determine the number of working weeks for me in 2008. I even padded that figure a little for personal illness days, personal mental health days and days when the kids may be sick or other members of the family may need my help.

I took the number of dollars I wanted to make this year (from the tweaked numbers on the tax program) and divided that by number of work weeks I determined I would have to give me the amount of money I needed to make per week.

Then, dividing that figure by my hourly rate, I knew how many hours I needed to bill per week to meet my goals. I was surprised at the figure… and thrilled.

I also was honest enough with myself to know that I work 2-3 hours for every billable hour. Yes, I should be more efficient, but I spend many “non-billable” hours writing articles, doing research and staying on top of the industries I serve and the technologies they use. I also have an unquenchable personal thirst for such things, so I’m not as disciplined as I should be. Knowing your weaknesses and working those into your budget will make your numbers more accurate.

Now, I know how many hours I need to work per week, how many need to be billable and how many days off I can take this year without impacting my bottom line. It’s a liberating feeling. It takes the guess work out of being self-employed.

This year, I’m not going to spend my life at the computer and I’m probably going to actually enjoy more of the money I make. Yes, the software I used is based on 2007, not 2008, but it’s probably the best tool readily (and inexpensively) available to make these determinations for the small business owner.

You may want to give it a whirl yourself… after your taxes are filed.

Personally, I use TaxAct… it’s about half the cost of the leading software, it’s downloadable for immediate gratification, and I find it simple to use.

(It also keeps a running total of taxes in the top right hand corner which helps for “comparison” planning for the new year.)

Once this year is winding down, I’ll order the 2008 version and plug in my numbers to make sure I’m on track. I’ve planned my work so I can determine in October how much more I need to make, if I should invest in any additional equipment, and what needs to happen to keep me on track even with the changes in tax law. I’m actually looking forward to doing my taxes for 2008 to see how well this planning works. Me… looking forward to doing my taxes! Will wonders never cease?

Life moves fast. Achieving a successful work-life balance can be especially difficult for remote professionals, consultants, freelancers and small business owners. A professional coach can offer effective tools to help you manage your time and your business more effectively so you can enjoy your life more.

(more…)

Today marks the fifth birthday for WickedWordCraft.com. In honor of this landmark, I’ve given WWC a much-needed facelift. I’m also now running on the WordPress platform. It looks a bit cleaner and fresher. I’ve also imported my background from WickedBlog.com to have a bit of continuity between the two sites.

I’ll be tweaking and adjusting things over the next few days (maybe even weeks), but the look should stay mostly stable now. If you have any suggestions or comments, I’d love to hear them. Thanks for stopping by!

Angela

(Note: Image taken from Morguefile.com courtesy of photographer earl53.)

The energy and enthusiasm of youth is amazing. It utilizes the leverage, strength, and sheer “force of will” to grow, mature and eventually to become self-sufficient. The same is true of your small business.

You watched in awe as your business grew. (Never mind the lack of sleep and the volume of work you endured to make it happen). Every tiny success made you work harder and kept you moving forward.

Then you were breaking even (or maybe even making a small profit) but the business needed your constant, careful guidance. Later, you were forced to endure a stretch of “business adolescence” complete with the inevitable identity crisis.

You were forced to make difficult decisions about the direction your business should take. You knew benign neglect wouldn’t work and even your focused diligence didn’t prevent some small details from wiggling out of your grasp. There was so much to juggle!

Now the business isn’t quite so needy. Finally, it has matured enough that you don’t have to tend it 24/7 and you are officially playing with the “big boys.” A mature business obtains the power of experience, professionalism and polish.

Showcasing these traits makes your business more appealing to the best clients and helps you to secure your place in your industry. It’s time your business “dress” for success… I’ll show you how in five easy steps! (more…)

It seems that once you get a few good, national clients, the people at home start to notice you. Local businesses are interested in this “offsite help” or “remote professional” concept. I was recently asked by a friend if I would be working with the locals now that I’m living in the city. My answer? “I’m not interested.”

Why? For me, the “cons” outweigh the “pros” of working locally. Have you weighed out the pros and cons to determine if a local client list is more beneficial than a long distance one? Maybe you should…

Benefits of working with local clients:

• You are available for face-to-face meetings.
• You “know” your clients in a more concrete way.
• You can travel onsite to see how they operate.
• You can deliver something across town quicker than you can overnight it.
• You are in the same time zone so workday hours mesh.
• You are more likely to work with the subordinates, instead of just the boss.
• You may find that the number of projects you are assigned increases because you are local and/or more involved in the business.
• You can take your clients out to lunch occasionally and find other ways to build that working relationship with personal contact.
• Word of mouth marketing may be stronger on a local level and you may grow a local client base more quickly than a national or global one.
• You can market locally by joining local networking groups and business clubs and feel less “isolated” in your work.

Possible problems with working with local clients:

• You are expected to be physically present when there’s a crisis.
• You spend more time traveling to the client’s site (and if you don’t charge for travel time, you lose billable hours).
• You may experience a resistance to work done “virtually” when you are physically close. (“Can you just come in, it’s so much easier if I can just show you what I need…”)
• You can’t use “off hours” to complete projects and deliver them using the time difference (so you may work later).
• You may experience fewer eggs in your business basket: clients who lean on you more (because you are close) may monopolize your time and prevent you from maintaining a variety of clients.
• You may notice a less distinct line between “employee” and “independent contractor” — be sure to review the IRS guidelines on employee vs. contract labor.
• Getting paid may actually take longer. (Waiting when the “check is in the mail” takes longer than immediate electronic, credit card or PayPal funding.)
• You may spend more time being PC and less time doing the work when you are physically close to the client.
• You are easier to find and may encounter clients when you are off the clock, when you are at school functions, even at the grocery store.
• Your “business attire” is completely different when you have local clients that may “drop by” than when you have distance clients that never see how you dress to work.

That gives you ten pros and ten cons for cultivating a local client base. Personally, I have one local client that I maintain. The rest are long distance. Why? I find that on the average, local clients are “needy” compared to my national clients (my current client being the exception). I find that local clients expect me to drop everything and help when they have a crisis. I find that they plan less and are less likely to try to problem solve on their own before picking up the phone and calling me to come in. And, I like having the option to work in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. My days of the daily “power suit” are long gone. Thankfully, my “local” client is still a couple hours away, so I don’t have “drop in” surprises in my home office.

What do you like about local clients? What do you like about national/global clients? Help build the pros and cons list!

I read a quote today that left me thinking about the early days of my business. Back then, it seemed that my systems tripped me up as often as they helped me. I wasn’t an “old hand” yet and I had not learned that starting a new project was NOT the time to investigate a new piece of software or a new system to accomplish this task.

Then, I assumed all things would go perfectly every time I started a new job, and I believed that this new program, system or tech tool wold make my pending project simpler, no matter how often that theory had been proven wrong. I remember staying up late, turning off my timer so I didn’t charge my client the time it took me to wrestle with my technology and creative issues long enough to pin a project to the mat.

I was ever-optimistic and did whatever was required to meet the deadline, but I knew I couldn’t tell the client the bends I’d endured to deliver. I couldn’t. It would be unprofessional. Every job should be a breeze. Every delivered project should be like “old hat” to a professional. Right? At least that’s how I felt the clients needed to see the final product.

And today, I see this quote:

“Clients don’t want to hear about the labor pains. They just want to see the baby.” – Andy Lansing, CEO, Levy Restaurants

I think that about sums it up. Clients really don’t need to know all the details.

That’s why we develop tight bonds with our “virtual” peers. That’s why we call to share the personal and professional victories and failures with someone who really understands that having a font suddenly quit producing symbols in the middle of a newsletter deadline isn’t a small issue. And they understand that, no, you can’t simply substitute another font after a one year run with this branded piece. They understand that an issue with emails that don’t arrive timely (or at all) isn’t a tiny or a passing problem. It’s an open-artery kind of problem that will mean the death of your business. They get it. They bemoan your situation with you.

Your family can only understand so much of what you do all day, if they don’t work right beside you. Your personal friends will try to get it, but will fail as often as they succeed. Your clients don’t need to know — they just need their own “baby” delivered in what seems like natural birth without drugs, pain or discomfort for anyone.

For those in the midst of launching a business, hang on tight. Build a network of peers — virtual and/or physical — to get you through the tough times. Rest assured that the bonds you build in this way will become some of the strongest you have ever known. Treat them with care, nurture and grow them. They will be worth even more when you are an “old hand” than they do now.

If you haven’t already filed your taxes, you probably will soon. Looking at the bottom line and the “taxes owed” line for small business owners is always painful. When considering your business and personal wealth, you may want to review the wisdom of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher who said, “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” In the realm of the small business, this means narrowing your scope of services and your related expenses. Here’s how…

When I first started working “independently” I felt I needed to know everything about my business and I needed to do it all myself. (I was so stupid — I can admit that now.) I have grown as an entrepreneur over the past seven years and I now know that I need to know more about less, not less about more to do well in my industry. It’s depth that pulls in the clients. They come to you for one thing — even if they stay with you for other services. Living the life of an entrepreneur and staying interested in the industries of your choice will give you the breadth without too much additional effort, but depth requires work.

Dig in and Gain Depth

1. If you have a well-defined service list, you should also have a well-defined referral list.
2. If you want to do only what you do best, you will notice that your cost to do business goes down compared to being a generalist because more time is billable and less time is research in areas you may only use a few times.
3. To do just a few things really well requires less software, less hardware, less “stuff’ — which means less expense.

If you refer out the business you don’t consider your core services, you gain many advantages over the long-haul. You also stay efficient by doing what you do best. Those services that are your “core” are the ones you are most confident providing and are able to do quickest with the most enjoyment.

How Referring Out Work Builds Your Business

1. Make professional friends with those who have complimentary specialties and nurture that network. It makes it easier for you to be the “one stop shop” if you know how to get the services your clients need — even when you aren’t the provider.
2. Explain to the client that you are offering them better service by referring them to an expert in the fields outside of your own niche: “Joe, I’d love to help you with the spreadsheet, but my best area (as you know) is graphic design. If you let me turn this over to Sue, she can do it in half the time it would take me. She’s a spreadsheet whiz, and by doing it faster, it will cost you less. Let me help you save a few bucks!”
3. You begin to get leads in your area of expertise from those to whom you refer and you gain a new level of trust from the clients you refer (they know you are keeping their best interests at heart, even if it costs you billable time.
4. For you, it means never having to do that stuff you really hate again — and you can quit updating the software and the hardware required to do it. If you spend less, you make more.

Look at Software Expenses

1. How much do you spend per year to update software (on the average)?
2. How much of that software do you really use and which can you easily eliminate?
3. If you had to select three primary software programs to run your business, what would they be?
4. Are there viable open source software options to meet your needs for the other programs?
5. Is it possible to use open source or online versions for even your most essential programs?
6. How much would this save you per year, over the next five years — if you went with ONLY open source options?

If you can get over the fear of loosening your grip on the “big boy” programs, you could save hundreds (or even thousands) per year! I’m currently investigating a number of open source options for philosophical and financial reasons. And, I’m finding that some of the opensource options are outpacing my “big boy” programs in performance, flexibility, load-time and CPU usage. (How nice!)

Look at Hardware Expenses

Consider the optimum computer required to do your core services. If you currently have a desktop and a laptop, do you really need both? Could you possibly maintain just one? It used to be that you needed two, in case one died, so you didn’t have your entire business crash. A little planning with an external hard drive and cash socked away in the business account rather than spent on a redundant system means that if tragedy strikes, you can drive to the nearest computer store and buy a replacement in the morning and be working like nothing happened within a couple hours. And, it means that your “backup” system won’t sit there getting dated and aged while you run the other system as your primary. Daily external backups are amazingly liberating things!

• Portable computers are grand. I love them. But the “pro” of being able to take it with you also means that you probably WILL take it with you (which may be a “con”). Consider if you want to take work everywhere you go or if you want to be away from work occasionally and giving full attention to your personal activities.
• Desktop computers are cheaper by about 40% for the same CPU and memory — sometimes as much as 60-75% cheaper! If you have a single system, you have less to maintain. This means less time maintaining it and less expense keeping up multiple systems. But, if you tend to be mobile, they are terribly cumbersome.
• When you do buy computers, accessories and hardware make sure you really need them and that they are the best you can afford. Headsets, keyboards, phone systems and mice are a few of the items where I simply won’t skimp. They are too important and I work them too hard. I find that the “sweet spot” for computer purchases tend to be one model back from the “latest and greatest” currently available. That’s where the best prices are for the most power and features.

That’s where I usually buy when I replace my computer.

But, again, don’t buy more than you need. If you have trimmed down your programs to just the essentials, you will find that you need to replace your machine less often. And, remember, every year you can go without upgrading everything, is another year with several hundred (or thousand) extra dollars in your pocket.

Other Expenses

Every year you should review your other expenses and look for ways to trim the fat.

1. If you are a domain collector, quit it! Sell the ones you have or let them expire. Even at $10 or less per year, this adds up if you collect very many. Keep only those that are your brand, protect your brand or you actually plan to use in the future.
2. Determine if your online business really needs a vast amount of “traditional” stationery products. If you do use them, be sure that you have only the essential information listed. This makes them more classic and less likely to become dated and useless.
3. Invest in really nice business cards — this is not the place to go cheap. As an online business owner, this is the one piece of tactile, non-virtual marketing that you will use most often. Don’t overload it with information. Keep it simple, elegant and of the highest quality — just like your services!
4. Make sure all your expenses are properly logged and recorded for the business. Don’t pick up little things when you are out and forget to charge them to the business and keep a perfect, complete mileage log for any business trips or errands.
5. Unsubscribe from any magazines, online subscriptions and various annual fees that are not benefiting your business. If you aren’t using it, lose it. If it doesn’t make your life easier, it’s not worth the expense. All extras should provide real value.

And, as a self-employed entrepreneur, every dollar you save is one less dollar you have to earn and then pay 15% self-employment taxes on, income taxes, etc, etc. Once you reach a certain income level, making more doesn’t really benefit you — but spending less always will. Also, keep your eye on your tax bracket. Don’t put yourself in a position where you work harder to actually realize less money at the end of the year. That’s a painful discovery.

If you can trim your hardware, software and miscellaneous budget by a few grand each year… you have that much you can slip into your retirement account, which will lower your taxes now and help pave yourself a smoother future. And you have until April 15th to do that for LAST year!

“In most cases, when people make more money, they get deeper in debt. This is why money alone does not make you rich.” -Robert Kiyosaki

Above all, avoid going into debt for your business. Debt strips you of freedom and peace of mind. Spend less, budget and work hard, but do not owe.

If you read my articles, you know I think you should be blogging. You should. Period.

But if you read my stuff, you also know that I don’t advocate ghost bloggers, nor do I ghost blog for others. But, I have run into a writer who has a firm handle on the ethical side of helping business people blog — and her name is JJ Murphy.

She offers blogging assistance to the shy would-be blogger to help you get your ideas — your OWN ideas — down in print and published on your blog. So if you know the articles you should be writing, but never have the time to finish up the ideas, she may be your first-class ticket into the blogosphere. (more…)

The real estate industry has experienced an amazing boom cycle during the past 11 years. Most of today’s agents have experienced only a raging market in the midst of incredible growth.

In 2005, according to recently published survey by NAR, 24% of all Realtors® have been in business one year or less and fewer than one third were in business last time the market took a dip.

Since the housing market has been a bit bumpy, some real estate agents have become alarmed. Newer agents, in particular, hesitate to spend any money to build their business. Even some “old hands” have cut or eliminated their marketing and advertising budgets and are running their offices with a “bare bones” approach.

Normally, I’m all for simplification. Usually, I would agree that if you aren’t making money, you should be wary of spending it. But in the current housing climate, I’d like to offer a few thoughts. (more…)

Real Estate Articles Being a real estate agent is challenging especially considering the industry’s technological intensity and the current climate of economic uncertainty. It’s especially taxing for successful agents and Realtors® who are considering redefining their business. If you plan to hone only one skill this year, select the one that will make a huge positive difference in your business, your success, and your quality of life. Become an expert decision maker.

Let me explain… (more…)

Last month we covered how to select an excellent URL to help build your brand. Since April 26th is World Intellectual Property Day, I wanted to cover a few pointers on how to protect your own intellectual property, your brand, your current projects and even your future endeavors. Here is how you do it …What is Cybersquatting?

Cybersquatters are individuals or companies that buy registration rights for popular, trademarked and established business names with the purpose of reselling to the rightful owner or diverting traffic from the rightful brand-owner to other sites. A few years ago, this was only a problem for large, national and international companies… think “McDonalds and Wal-Mart” – but as the importance of local search increases, cybersquatting for smaller company names and typosquatting (purchasing variations and misspellings of popular names) will be on the rise. This means there is an increasing threat to smaller companies like yours. Brands like yours. Names like yours. (more…)

The term “marketing” has acquired a bad rep. People equate “marketing” people with “salesmen” and that alarms me. It alarms me so much that I nearly dropped the term from my own business altogether.

Marketing, or at least my form of it, is (and always will be) about communication. Marketing isn’t about selling, it’s about serving.

It isn’t about what’s in it for the company, it’s about conveying — communicating — what’s in it for the client. (more…)

It’s not easy to cut through the financial red tape of running a small business or your own real estate business. On January 19, with the help of a teleseminar from www.RemoteProfessionals.com, it might get just a bit easier.(Jupiter, FL – December 19, 2005) One of the most difficult aspects of running a small business is often managing the books. The financial and tax implications of the entrepreneurial and small business endeavors can be overwhelming. On January 19, 2005, a 15-year veteran bookkeeper will offer tips to help make preparations for April 15, and the rest of 2006, a little easier for small business owners. (more…)

Businesses on the web are blogging their way to marketing success. Blogging has become increasingly popular from corporate CEO to sole proprietors. How does this form of online writing help a company’s bottom line and who should consider writing a blog? More importantly, who shouldn’t?

A blog (short for web log) is a dynamic, regularly updated journal entry created in “real time” and uploaded to your website or blog server. For real estate professionals, it can be a fantastic marketing tool. It’s now hit the mainstream and if you have ever considered a blog for your Real Estate website, it’s time to move forward with your plans!

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A good relationship with excellent outsourcing specialists is a business asset, and it’s one you should protect. Specialists in this industry do “fire” clients and they do it more often than clients “fire” them. It happens when the match isn’t working, when projects aren’t being completed, and for a host of other reasons. Most outsourcing providers protect their success ratios – it’s tied to their professional reputations and is reflected in their own bottom line.

Below are a few tips to help you keep the best offsite services providers on your team:

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You have written a well-polished, newsworthy press release, now what?

This final article in the press release series offers tips and resources for online and off line media venues for press release distribution.

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