tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

Spotting a Mistake Set Art Papas on the Path to Success

May 11, 2015 by tylie eaves

Art Papas was only 23 years old when he realized the company for which he worked did not have any sort of real future. Not only was it suffering financially, but the software he had been hired to help engineer and develop did not actually seem to serve any real purpose.

Concerned that the potential customers who the business had lined up would come to the same conclusion, he approached his employers with his worries. Confident of his assessment of the product and of his own abilities, Papas even advocated for various strategies that would produce a more applicable end product. Not only were his concerns ignored, but he can still recall one executive deriding him for his opinion. Ignoring his better instincts, he returned to work on the project to complete the job for which he had been hired.

Unfortunately, Papas was correct. After production wrapped up, he hit the road alongside the CEO and began to showcase the product to all of the big-name customers who had been eagerly awaiting its release. The excitement that those customers had initially expressed quickly waned into disinterest. Most people did not show any kind of reaction at all when listening to the sales pitch.

Recognizing potential blunders in a service or product and further understanding how to correct them is an important aspect of running any business. After wrapping up the road trip showcase, Papas separated from this job and, instead, partnered with someone who appreciated the skills that he offered as both a software engineer and an inspired business leader. Only two short weeks later, he and his partner founded Bullhorn, which continues to thrive today.

Search Engine Optimization For A Local Business

May 7, 2015 by tylie eaves

Should a local business owner invest in search engine optimization (SEO)? SEO is important for larger businesses and companies that are not restricted to a specific geographical area, but it can also be a beneficial tool for local businesses that need to maximize exposure and increase website traffic. Local businesses will benefit from setting up a local page with major search engines, such as Bing, Yahoo and Google.

Once the proper local pages are set up, the next step is to optimize these pages so that they appear at or near the top of the results page when a local resident is searching for a specific category. Local businesses of all kinds will benefit from a close understanding of SEO and how it can impact their profitability, including restaurants, boutiques, insurance salesmen and even car dealerships. Many potential clients, even if they are local, depend on internet searches to look up location and business hours.

One of the main factors that can “make or break” SEO is updated information. Outdated or incorrect information can negatively impact search results. Negative reviews, low quality photographs or a poorly constructed website can also impact SEO, bumping a business farther down on the search results list. Many local business owners underestimate the importance of a smartly developed website and how that can actually affect how residents patronize local businesses.

Optimizing a website and improving SEO can be complex and time consuming tasks for small business owners. At Virtue Marketing, we know what it takes to run a small business. We help businesses of all sizes develop website content that improves SEO and increases site traffic. These steps are as important for a small business as they are for a major corporation. Let us help you connect with potential local customers through search engine optimization and quality website content.

Business Growth Often Starts at the Bottom

May 4, 2015 by tylie eaves

After the initial success of a startup, it can be easy to become complacent with the ease of a routine. However, most founders do not start their companies with the image of staying put at the first tier of success. When the time is right to break out of a comfortable routine and consider potential opportunities or investments that could help a business grow, a bit of introspective consideration may be necessary.

While a business cannot move forward without the right leadership, employees contribute significantly to the overall success of most companies. Remaining transparent and open with employees can help create more welcoming, working environments that can in turn lead to happier, productive workers.This means being available to listen to employee concerns as well as simply being honest with them about the direction and future goals of the company will most likely pay dividends toward your future success.

Being available for workers to voice their concerns is one thing, but being able to exercise empathy is truly what makes a difference. There is serious value in extending some amount of consideration and understanding toward employee concerns and hardships and, in general, those who feel that they are heard and respected are simply happier.

The sacrifice and dedication of entrepreneurs certainly cannot be ignored, but empowered workers can help drive a business forward toward new and better opportunities than were ever believed to be possible. Before striking out with new ventures, taking care of those who have already dedicated themselves to a company can yield a more favorable outcome for business success.

4 Tips to Keep Your Productivity High in a Cluttered Work Space

May 4, 2015 by tylie eaves

Running a business is certainly not a part-time endeavor, and even the most systematic and organized of entrepreneurs with designated work spaces and hours can begin to feel as if his or her office area is spinning out of control. A bit of disorganization might not seem like a big deal at first. After all, you can get to it tomorrow morning, right? Well, that is if you have time after the million other little tasks on your to-do list. If you have recently begun to feel the slow tug of disorganization slowing down your productivity, it may be time to make de-cluttering number one on your priority list. If organization has never really been your strong point, here are some quick tips to get you started.

Purge

Sticky notes can come in handy when you need to jot down a few quick notes, but do you really need the novelty cat set that has sat untouched for a year? Find unused or unnecessary items and get them off of your desk and out of your mind.

Label your boxes

Whether you use boxes, folders or any combination thereof, make sure that you know what is actually going on with your paperwork. Poor organization can result in an important outgoing notice getting mixed in with your “inbox” pile and, as the saying goes, time is money.

Get to filing

You do not need everything on your desk. Invest in a good filing cabinet and some hanging file folders, then work out a filing system that works best for you. Do you function better with alphabetization or categorizing things by date? Once you know how you want to proceed, label your folders and make sure you dedicate once or twice a month to filing organization.

Make organization a priority

Pick a daily time and do a quick once-over of your office space. 5-10 minutes a day can make a tremendous difference and ultimately save you a significant amount of wasted time in the future.

You do not have to be a habitually organized person to maintain a productive office space. While it may take a bit of effort to get your office into the state that it needs to be, only minimal follow up is needed to maintain it, and you may be amazed at how quickly your productivity increases.

Picking the Right Investments to Grow Your Wealth

May 4, 2015 by tylie eaves

As your business begins to grow and thrive, you maybe ecstatic at the sudden appearance of investment opportunities that seem ripe for the picking. Before you dive headfirst into every opportunity that is offered, consider that this may not actually be themost appropriate strategy toward continuing to building wealth.

Selecting the right investment opportunities can be looked at much like a pick-your-own strawberry patch. When you grab your bucket and head out into the field, do you stop at the first several rows? Probably not, because any that are left on the vine are typically not ripe yet, and the juicy, plump ones were already all plucked by earlier visitors.

So you keep going, walking back row after row until you find the rows with the strawberries worth picking. When you look back at the entrance, you may notice that you traveled much farther than you initially anticipated, but one look at the ruby red strawberries reminds you that it was a well worth the extra effort.

As tempting as it may be to accept the first investment opportunity that comes along, make sure you remember the strawberry patch. Spend your time examining the various opportunities and do not be afraid to pass up offers that will cost more than what they are worth or that do not serve your business’ needs or purpose. While you may end up with relatively small percentage of investments compared to the ones that you were offered, remember that it is far better to have a handful of wonderful, ripe strawberries than a whole bucket of green ones.

Mom Was Right, Money Does Not Buy Happiness

May 4, 2015 by tylie eaves

Money first, happiness second is not an uncommon thought in
America, but does it really hold true? For entrepreneurs, the reverse might be
a more feasible reality.

Okay, yes, establishing a new startup typically means that a
person has a goal of turning a healthy profit at some point in the future, but
for truly successful entrepreneurs, money plays second fiddle to fulfilling a
purpose. A quick review of some of the most successful entrepreneurs will reveal
that those trying to make a positive impact tend to succeed more than those who

solely focus on making money.

So why is this? There are likely multiple factors that

influence this trend, and customers are certainly one of the most influential
of these factors. Consider the last positive experience you had when making a
purchase. What about that transaction made it memorable? Was it welcoming

customer service and a dedication to fulfilling your needs, or was it an
owner’s focus on his or her own bottom line? It was most likely the former of

the two.

Entrepreneurs who strive to fulfill
their purpose and passion in life through their businesses are typically more

concerned with the effect that their business practices have on their workers,
customers and community. Compared with a business that has a sole goal of
raking in as much cash as possible, which of the two would likely have the
better customer retention rate? On average, the money-hungry business is more

likely to fail at establishing a returning customer base.

There is a small fraction of people who believe that the
line connecting emotions and business should be severed, but when consumers are
faced with the difficult decision of cutting their budgets, the business with a
purpose will have a stronger connection with the consumer and, thus, better
staying power.

Should You Be Blogging?

April 29, 2015 by tylie eaves

Small business owners have obligations and responsibilities that require constant attention and take significant amounts of time. Understandably, these individuals may wonder if it is worth their valuable time to start a blog for the business, and the answer to that is, in a word, yes. While it can be a moderate time commitment, blogging is actually a very cost-effective manner by which a business or company can connect with potential clients and garner attention. Frequent posts can drive more traffic to the website, ultimately boosting exposure and profitability.

A blog is not a magical solution for a struggling business, but it can offer several benefits that make this process well worth the effort. First of all, blogging can boost a website’s search engine optimization. This makes it more likely that people will find a particular site through their search engine of choice. Secondly, a blog can allow a potential customer to gain a better understanding of the company and the personalities of the people who run it. This emotional connection is the first step in establishing a long-term relationship with a repeat customer.

Blogging also allows customers the opportunity to share their experiences with the company. It is an extremely popular practice to share blog links through Facebook and Twitter. If a business owner writes regular, interesting blog posts, the greater the chance that someone will share it, exposing the business brand to many more people. In actuality, blogging can be one of the cheapest, or free, sources of positive publicity.

After establishing a blog schedule and adjusting to the routine, many business owners find that it is not such a huge effort to keep a blog updated. For those new to blogging or business owners who have particular concerns about search engine optimization, it can be useful to reach out for assistance. At Virtue Marketing, we help businesses of all types develop and update blogs, increase site traffic and draft strong content for websites. We are happy to explain how a blog can contribute to the success of a business, and we also help business owners take these important steps.