tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

How MyYearbook’s Founders Ditched the Conventional Yearbook

June 7, 2015 by tylie eaves

Catherine Cook was only 14 years old when she came up with the idea for her popular social networking website, myYearbook. After moving just before starting high school, Catherine and her brother Dave decided to look through the school’s previous yearbooks to see if they could scope out potential new friends, but what they found was mostly empty and useless information. Realizing that the yearbook experience was seriously behind modern times, the two decided to create a website where high school students could gather.

The brother-sister duo followed the footsteps of their eldest sibling, Geoff, who, in 2002, sold off two different websites that he had founded while attending Harvard University. When Geoff learned about their start-up website, he stepped in as CEO and invested $250,000 of his own money.

The original website was basic in its structure, but, with some clever advertising and engaging content, they signed up 400 people in the first week. The siblings quickly began to introduce new and better features, thanks to an easy “in” they had with the users — namely, Catherine. She remained active and engaged on the website and listened to what the users wanted or thought needed to be improved, and, as a high school student herself, she had her own unique perspective of the website.

When Facebook began to rule the social networking world, myYearbook did not back away. Instead, it reinvented its message and focused on helping users make new friends, not connect with the ones that they already had. Recently, myYearbook merged with another social media site in a whopping $100 million deal.

It is clear that the Cook siblings have more than just a knack for the entrepreneurial mindset, and even with competition from Facebook and Twitter, myYearbook is still listed in the top 25 websites that receive the most traffic in the United States.

How to Turn Your Freelancing Gig into a Successful Business

June 7, 2015 by tylie eaves

Look just about anywhere on the Internet and you will likely find someone offering services as a freelance worker. While some freelancers are content to continue at the same level of success, others are not as satisfied with this path. There are actually many former freelancers who understood how to up their game and transform their small, freelancing service into a growing and thriving online business.

The gap between freelancers and entrepreneurs might seem too wide to bridge, but, for those dedicated to succeeding in online business, the distance is not far at all. By following a few relatively easy steps and adding in a big helping of hard work, a freelancer can transform his or her service into a successful business.

1. Consider the market

Has there been an increase in demand for work lately? Are there more clients than you are able to handle? The time might be right to expand.

2. Take care of the legalities

Most people can start freelancing without having to sign or register legal documentation, but if you plan to start hiring people, you will need to have the legal ability to do so. Consider consulting with other start-up owners or a knowledgeable attorney when completing this step.

3. Find your funding

Contact investors who are interested in individuals who have already built successful freelancing services and pitch your business. Make sure you already have your business plan and finance estimates prepared and ready to go.

4. Hire your team

You will still be wearing most of the hats around the virtual office, but having a few extra hands on deck can leave customers with a more satisfying experience.

5. Get the word out

Let your former freelance customers know that your services have expanded through a new business and consider offering one-time discounts for “returning” customers. Also, do not forget how important social media can be for advertising.

While it is certainly okay for freelancers to feel happy and comfortable with the freelance career that they have built for themselves, there is nothing standing in the way of those who desire more.

Think You Have What It Takes to Start a Start-Up?

June 7, 2015 by tylie eaves

Everyone is different, sure, but there are still some generalizations that are fairly safe to make. Gymnasts tend to be athletic, writers generally have a knack for words and CEOs typically have outstanding leadership skills.

Entrepreneurs are no exception.

Many entrepreneurs are fiercely determined and passionate, but it takes more than that to successfully build an online start-up. Do you have any of these common entrepreneurial traits?

Organized: Some entrepreneurs are innately organized while others are not. Both types of people can be equally successful when the latter understands the importance of good organization skills and makes an effort to change, which leads to our next point…

Adaptable: Having your business plan in order, a carefully organized calendar and your desk neatly arranged is no doubt hugely beneficial during the often hectic start-up time, but there is something to be said for the ability to deviate from the plan. An entrepreneur understands that there are times to stick to the plan and times to deviate from it.

Persistent: When first starting a business there are bound to be plenty of “NOs” and closed doors, but an entrepreneur does not abandon his or her idea that easily. The going may be tough, but entrepreneurs are tough and they keep going.

Realistic: Entrepreneurs often have to wear many different hats in the early stages of a start-up, but they also understand their own limitations. Whether they struggle with time commitments or handling finances, entrepreneurs know when to take on the burden themselves and when to ask for help.

Building a business from scratch is not for the lighthearted, and there is no ignoring or denying the amount of commitment that it takes, but most entrepreneurs have another thing in common — they are not afraid of a challenge.

Your Annual Budget Could Be the Key to Success

June 2, 2015 by tylie eaves

Even with all of the drive and motivation in the world, a business cannot continue to function without one very basic thing — money. While your budget should be able to accommodate various events by either slightly stretching or shrinking when necessary, it should otherwise remain on point.

The first step you should take when developing an effective budget is establishing your expenses. Make sure that you distinguish between weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual expenses. How much will it cost to set up an office or maintain a website? What do the outgoing bills look like? If this is your second, third or even fourth year in business, and you still find that you struggle with these types of figures, go back and review previous expenses to get a better idea of these costs.

Sales estimates and projections are another important consideration in your budget. Keep in mind that an estimated income from sales is more than just a guess. This figure is usually a carefully calculated total that takes a variety of factors into account, including seasonal fluctuations.

Once you have the basic cash in, cash out aspects of your budget handled, you may be discouraged to find that your expenses outweigh your income. This is where successful and innovative entrepreneurs really have the chance to shine. Part of running a successful online business is having ingenuity. When a budget is unbalanced, you will need to find areas to make up this loss. Two examples of this include reviewing expenses for unnecessary costs and finding innovative ways to bring in a little extra cash from other products or services.

If your business is struggling to stay afloat in the online world, consider revisiting your budget to set things back on track.

Turning Your Purpose Into Profit

June 2, 2015 by tylie eaves

Most people know someone who is a veritable wealth of knowledge on at least one subject. If none of your friends fit that bill, then that fountain of knowledge just could be you.

From tips for keeping a marriage happy to fashion tricks that can keep you up-to-date on fashion trends for half the cost, some people simply find joy in learning the latest secrets for success and then sharing them with others. While those types of individuals might have vital information across a wide array of subjects, they may not realize that there is an actual market for their knowledge.

Information marketing can combine your purpose for keeping up with the latest tips and tricks with a bit of hard work and effort to create a steady and meaningful

paycheck. A large number of people who log online do so in search of some kind of helpful information; however, without someone there to supply those answers, their searches can end up fruitless. Articles addressing specific types of needs are in high demand, and people who have the passion and drive to learn and share with others are an invaluable aspect of the entire process.

Whether Internet users are searching for “Tips for building a shed” or for “How long meat is good in the fridge,” they need help. Could you be the one to provide those answers?

Muzio’s Founder Utilizes Love of Travel for Business Success

June 2, 2015 by tylie eaves

Muzio — an app development company — thrives by remaining open to new and innovative ideas for the mobile platform. CEO and founder Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin helps foster that company-wide attitude from her own love of traveling, which often places her in the midst of new and exciting cultures. Prior to starting Muzio, Chamberlin spent time as both an app developer and manager for large groups of web developers, positions that took her all over the world.

Perhaps, one of the most remarkable aspects of Muzio’s start-up was that Chamberlin and her partner were able to fund the project entirely by themselves. Without any commitments to investors, she was able to exercise her best-judgment and skills to design Muzio and its very first app — Muzio app — in such a way that allows for

continual improvement and innovation as the company faces different challenges or new ideas arise.

Chamberlin acknowledges that others may be quick to dole out advice or opinions to entrepreneurs who are ready to strike out on their own, something she is quick to caution other entrepreneurs about. Chamberlin believes that prospective entrepreneurs can gain much more by paying careful attention to their own instincts and experiences. Her success is due in part to realizing that no one person has all the answers, and she has built an extremely successful career out of primarily relying on her own skills.

Want the Clicks? Don’t Leave Room for Deliberation

June 2, 2015 by tylie eaves

When a piece of copy has been crafted to accurately represent a product or service to its target market and also includes unique and recognizable key words, it can be easy to wipe your hands clean of a project and walk away.

Don’t.

Now that your customer has not only found your website (see “Customers unable to find your website? Your keywords could be to blame”) but has a solid understanding of what the product is, what are they supposed to do with that information? From the business’s point of view, the answer may seem obvious, but things can look very different from where a customer is seated.

A quick perusal of well-written copy around the Internet reveals that they all have one thing in common: a call to action. Do you want readers to click a link or make a purchase? Making that call to action clear and concise can be extremely effective at getting your customers to act. Take the following for example:

Ready to learn more? Click here to find out how.
Join us as we bring technology into the future.
Keep up with new developments – sign up here.
Broken computer? Let us handle it.

Consider both a piece of copy that includes a call to action and one that does not. Once a customer has finished reading about a product without any call to action, he or she might still decide to proceed with a purchase or inquiry, but it is equally as likely that he or she might instead choose to put the decision off until a later date. A call to action should encourage a customer to take action now, not later when work and dinner and a mile-long to-do list have had time to take over.

When the right call to action is paired with the best copy possible, businesses should be able to count on those clicks from customers.

3 Companies That Live What They Love

June 1, 2015 by tylie eaves

What is the most important thing in life?

Most people probably would not rate money at the top of the list. When faced with this type of question, most people instead point to things like family, helping others or love. So, why does it often seem that most businesses are simply in it to make a profit?

While the notion of giving back or encouraging consumers to abstain from unnecessary purchases might seem counterproductive, there are a number of businesses that have made this very business model successful.

1.TOMS Shoes – This popular brand of shoes started out on a simple premise; for each pair of shoes that is purchased from them, the company donates a pair to a person who is in need. TOMS has since expanded its give-back efforts by using some of its profits to help improve access to safe water, sight care and safe birth practices in underdeveloped areas.

2.Patagonia – Not only does this maker of climbing gear and clothing fund environmental grants with its own profits, it also encourages its customers to buy less. Instead of tossing out worn or damaged gear and clothing, Patagonia offers repair services to take the weight off its customers’ wallets as well as the environment.

3.Starbucks – The gourmet coffee company caught a lot of flak for what some called an ill-planned campaign to engage consumers in an open conversation on race, but the company continues to press forward and is clicking on all cylinders. Also, disheartened by the overwhelming cost of a secondary education, the CEO partnered with Arizona State University to offer all of its employees the opportunity to attend school free of cost.

TOMS, Patagonia and Starbucks all demonstrate one very important idea — there is no cold, hard line between business and personal life, because a business is bound to touch the personal lives of its customers in one form or another.