tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

Is Your Brain Sabotaging Your Purpose?

July 14, 2015 by tylie eaves

Countless people have strong and varying opinions concerning the meaning of life, but ultimately, the answer to this mystery is mostly out of reach. There is no need to be too bummed out over this, however, as individuals can still search for (and discover!) their own purpose in life.

Not sure if your life has any meaning? Chances are you just have not found it yet. The first thing you need to do is:

Stop using your brain.

Humans have the extraordinary ability to exercise critical thinking and pattern recognition skills that are, no doubt, exceedingly important in the business world, but this ability can be downright useless for other tasks.

When on a path to discover your true purpose, consider focusing on feelings and pure emotion. Compare what truly fills you with joy to what leaves you feeling merely placated.

If you are on your path to discovering your purpose online, you may want to hop out of your chair because:

You need to get moving.

Frustrated after still not knowing your purpose? In all likelihood, you are probably overthinking things, which is frustrating and only leads to ineffective stressing and contemplation. So, get up, get outside and move around. Does a rainy day have you holed up inside your home? Try reading a book or attempting a new recipe. As long as it gives your mind a break, whatever activity you choose is fine, and when you return to the journey to discover your purpose, you will likely be able to spot cleared paths that, although now obvious, were previously shrouded in doubt.

Even if the majority of people cannot agree on what the overarching meaning of life is, developing an understanding of what your purpose in life is can be a tremendously useful and intimate tool to help guide you through the ups and downs of not only the world of business and entrepreneurship, but of life as well.

Building Wealth Doesn’t Happen Overnight, but It’s Far from Impossible

July 10, 2015 by tylie eaves

Building real wealth means that most get-rich-quick antics or schemes simply will not cut it. Most plans to rake in a huge amount of cash in a relatively short period of time are not long-lived, and they often can get in the way of reaching long-term business goals. Instead, think of building wealth through an online business as a process, one that has immediate, short-term and long-term goals. Each goal must be met in succession in order to properly cultivate the wealth that many entrepreneurs have in mind.

Here are examples of all three types of goals and how they can be accomplished with relative ease.

Immediate Goal: Release that new product or service on which your business has been working. Admittedly, this might seem like an obvious goal, but it’s the profit from that product that is important.
Short-term Goal: Okay, so the product has been well received by customers and the profit margin is solid. Resist the urge to sit on that money and, instead, turn it into an investment. A popular option is to invest that money back into the business for product or customer research, but you should also consider an outside investment. Small investments in other promising businesses or start-ups can not only net a profit, but they can also lend a helping hand to other entrepreneurs, which can be a reward in and of itself.
Long-term Goal: When smaller investments begin to roll money back into the company, it might be time to set your gaze a little higher. What would be a promising, high-yield, long-term investment that could build the worth of your business and your personal wealth? Although long-term goals might still be in the distance, go ahead and earmark the investments you are interested in now in order to have a more tangible goal to work toward.

Successful entrepreneurs understand that wealth does not magically accumulate overnight. Instead, careful and calculated steps toward goals can typically yield the most profitable results possible.

Does Your Website Need A Rescue?

July 9, 2015 by tylie eaves

If you have ever attempted to browse a company’s website or purchase a product online, only to find that the site is slow, difficult to navigate, poorly constructed or contains false links, you know how frustrating it can be. Most consumers, when they happen upon such a site, move on to another relevant site in a matter of seconds. If there are problems with your company’s site, you can miss the opportunity to develop a profitable relationship with a potential customer in less than 10 seconds.

Out-of-date websites are simply unacceptable in today’s business world. Consumers are smarter and equipped with more technology than ever before, and they are searching for the most convenient, easiest and fastest option. If your website has problems, it can affect your brand, the foundation of trust with customers and, ultimately, your bottom line. It is simply too risky to have a bad website, but you may not have the time, resources or technical skills to make the needed improvements.

At Virtue Marketing, we offer web repair services to businesses of all kinds. We help insert functionality and improve the overall navigability of your site. In just one hour, our team of skilled web designers can identify problems and develop a solution that will improve your site and make it easier to connect with your customers. Working with a skilled web developer does not have to compromise your bottom line. These services are available on an hourly basis, so no long-term commitment is required in order to get the results that you need.

Our Web Rescue services are more than just a one-size-fits-all solution—our approach is tailored to the specific needs of your company. Get the quality, professional site you need by seeking the help of a professional. Every successful business has a high-quality website—what does your current site say about your company, brand and message?

Should Your Purpose Be Intertwined with Your Business’s Purpose?

July 9, 2015 by tylie eaves

Whether an individual’s purpose comes naturally or someone has to spend years of work and self-reflection to discover it, purpose is often an intensely personal aspect of one’s life. While that purpose might lead someone to establish his or her own business, it might not always be clear how to weave that purpose into a business.

Finding the best route to build a business that reflects a personal purpose often starts in the business plan. Consider the three big Ps — product, profit and purpose. A solid and well-defined business plan will address all three of these, the most important of which is purpose.

Think about it, what leads a business? The answer to this question: The mission statement. For entrepreneurs, the mission statement should be where they find their own purpose mirrored back to them. If the mission statement is focusing on any of the other Ps, then it has missed the mark, and it is time to go back and revise. Potential investors and future customers want to know what a business is actually striving to achieve and how it intends to affect the lives of those linked to it.

The mission statement is more than just an airless claim — it is the heart and purpose of a business.

Things like products and profits come secondary to purpose because there can be no sustainable growth, product development or growing profits without the focus, drive and heart that an intertwined personal and business purpose will inspire.

Real Entrepreneurs vs. Impersonators

July 8, 2015 by tylie eaves

Think you have what it takes to sling it with other entrepreneurs in the world of online business? While all entrepreneurs and business owners are individuals who are, of course, somewhat different, in general, they do all share many business-positive characteristics. Before you establish your own dot com business, take a look at what sets real entrepreneurs apart from everyone else.

Real entrepreneurs want to live their purpose in business.
Impersonators want to make a quick buck.

Real entrepreneurs are concerned with their customers and their needs.
Impersonators are not even sure who their customers are.

Real entrepreneurs care about the quality of their products and services.
Impersonators do not give much thought to this aspect of their products.

Real entrepreneurs are careful to build the best and most positive team possible.
Impersonators have employees who are not the best fit.

The takeaway? Entrepreneurs are totally and completely committed to their purpose, their idea and their business. They are not focused solely on the profit side of the business but also on the entirety of it, including on those who might be affected most by it — the customers and employees.

It is time to shred the image of a scowling business owner in an expensive suit. Entrepreneurs who run and own successful, thriving businesses understand what it takes to survive both online and in person. Empathetic, caring and purpose-driven, real entrepreneurs succeed in environments where the impersonator will almost surely fail.

Overwhelmed? It’s Time for a Break

July 8, 2015 by tylie eaves

The work days might feel like they never end in the early days of a start-up. Days spent at the computer desk can easily blend into nights, and, unfortunately, some nights can blend right on into the mornings. While all that work can seem productive on the outside, a step back and a careful review of productivity can help some business owners come to a shocking realization — that they are less productive than ever.

Sound familiar? Then it might be time to step away for a breather. Here’s how:

Schedule breaks. There’s a reason that employment law mandates breaks for workers after so many hours. Even without a set schedule, try setting an alarm every four hours while you work. When the alarm goes off, take 10 minutes to walk around, grab a drink of water or just get outside for a breath of fresh air. Doing this will help your mind relax, making it easier to focus when you get back to work.

Take lunch. It can be mighty tempting to eat lunch at your desk, but this can be a bad idea for more than one reason. Mindlessly eating in front of a screen can lead to eating larger helpings and have a negative effect on your waistline. Additionally, lunch time gives you the time to break away from work and gather yourself. Read a book or grab a 15-minute snooze after you finish eating.

Just because you set your own hours and wear the hat of multiple positions does not mean that working yourself to death is necessary. In all reality, this type of behavior can tank productivity, work quality and can even be bad for your health. Keep your body and mind as sharp as possible for both your business and yourself by taking a break whenever necessary.

Learning to Let Go

June 26, 2015 by tylie eaves

One of the hardest lessons learned by the small business owner is the art of letting go. It is easy to focus on making a sale and to lose sight of the fact that sometimes a business relationship is not meant to work out. While it my seem counterintuitive to small business owners and entrepreneurs, it is important to learn how to discern situations in which is best to move on.

There is a delicate balance between working hard to meet the expectations of the client and wasting valuable time and sanity. In the business world, as in every other area of life, some clients and customers are simply impossible to please. However, before moving on, consider some of the following suggestions when dealing with a difficult client:

Choose your words carefully. A thoughtful approach may be the key to sidestepping an awkward conflict and maintaining a profitable relationship.
Acknowledge concerns. You can address the concerns of a client without actually agreeing with his or her statements or complaints. This can make a client feel valued and lead to a long-term relationship.
Keep it professional. Some people are jerks. It is just reality. When dealing with a difficult personality, stick with professional, business-related topics. If you do not mesh with an individual on a personal level, it does not mean that you cannot have a professional relationship.

Even after attempting all of the above, it may be evident that a particular business relationship will not work. You, as a business owner, have the right to protect yourself, your employees and your overall well being by whatever means necessary, even if it means that you will lose a client. At the end of the day, a profit may not be worth dealing an abrasive, insulting or impossible-to-please client—and frankly, that is just fine.

Grow Wealth the Right Way

June 26, 2015 by tylie eaves

“Rome was not built in a day” just might be one of the oldest — and perhaps most annoying — clichés of all time, but it has stuck around for a good reason; it is true. A lot of the time, doing something in the right manner does not mean doing it quickly. Sure, the execution of a business’s plan might appear fast-paced from a consumer’s perspective, but most consumers are generally not privy to the months and even years of research, dedication and planning that go into a single moment for a business.

In a society that prizes fast returns on virtually everything, it is important to remember that a little patience can go a long way. When done in a sustainable manner, slow growth and accumulation of wealth is actually a good thing.

Think of the future. Go on, shut your eyes and picture it. The immediate gratification of accumulating a vast amount of wealth in a short period of time is more likely to derail goals than push a person to keep moving forward. The thing to remember is that you don’t just want to accumulate wealth for now, you want to be able to sustain and grow your wealth into the foreseeable future.

When accumulating wealth through a business, there are actually several options that can lead to a brighter future.

Invest profits back into the company. (Think product development, marketing, etc.)
Create worker-friendly policies. Happier employees are more likely to be productive assets at work, making the business more profitable overall.
Make an investment plan. This will not turn a huge profit overnight, but in 10 or 20 years, an adequately implemented investment plan should reap dividends.

Amid the many get-rich-quick schemes that plague the online world, there are real opportunities for growing wealth with a business. With a solid understanding of investment, business principles and the nature of patience, building wealth might just be the easiest part of running a company.