tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

What It Takes To Be Your Own Boss, Part Two

January 27, 2015 by tylie eaves

In our previous blog, we explored what it means to be a small-business owner and pointed out that it may take more than simply inventing a new product or service. Being successful in the business world often takes more than just a good idea–it takes determination and discipline to govern yourself. Thousands of small businesses fail every year, not because of an unmarketable product or a bad business plan, but because the habits of a business owner are not continually improving, challenging and propelling a business toward success.

Since it is not enough to simply want success, it is important to carefully consider personal habits and disciplines that may need to be implemented on a personal level, such as the following:

Discipline: The importance of discipline cannot be overstated. Every successful business owner has disciplined themselves, often against their natural inclination, to develop new skills and habits that will benefit their business. For you, this may mean waking an hour earlier, taking the time to learn something new or educating yourself about an important issue. Discipline is not a pleasant process, but making the effort will richly reward those who manage to change and improve the most difficult person in the world: themselves.

Schedule: Business owners of all types struggle with distraction. In an age where communication is constant, it is hard to turn work “off.” It can be extremely difficult to master the temptation to constantly check email or to work at home while watching TV, but these habits eventually lead to burn out and physical exhaustion. To ensure that you control your schedule, and not the other way around, take into account everything that needs to be done in a day, including family time, and put it into a daily calendar. Set work hours for yourself and have the discipline to walk away from a task that can wait until the next day. Remember, highly successful people are typically tightly scheduled people.

Personal Growth: Do you have a hobby? When launching or running a business, it can be easy to let hobbies, sports–even daily exercise–fly out of the window. With a well-managed schedule, even the busiest of people can find time to invest in themselves. In fact, taking time for personal growth can lead to growth on a professional level. To avoid mental exhaustion, schedule time for yourself in your daily calendar and have the discipline to stick with your plans.

To master any of the above habits, it requires time and effort. It may be difficult for a person who is already pouring heart and soul into a small business. Fortunately, these can be learned and improved over time. Personal experience proves to be one of the best teachers, and over time, you will find that it is worth the effort and struggle to be your own boss.

What It Takes To Be Your Own Boss, Part One

January 20, 2015 by tylie eaves

Do you want to start your own business? It’s a dearly-held aspect of the American dream, but few people manage to reach this goal. America has long been known as the land of dreamers, inventors and entrepreneurs, yet day after day, millions of people report to joyless, dead-end jobs. If you wish to break out of the daily grind and do whatever it is that you have been dreaming of, it may be time to determine if you can be your own boss.

What does it take to be your own boss? Before delving into the complex work of small-business ownership, it is imperative to identify several key factors. These will determine how to move forward with a plan for business ownership. It can be useful to ask yourself a few basic questions, such as the following:

What do I really want to do?
Is my product marketable?
Who will purchase my product or services?
Where can I obtain the financing needed to launch a business?

These are just some of the basic things that must be determined. The above list of questions does not include other initial steps that business owners must take, such as setting up a website or renting a store front. It is very tempting to be caught up in the emotion and promise of small-business ownership, while simultaneously overlooking some of the basic, if less-glamorous, details. Take care of the practical things first, laying a strong foundation for continued success.

If you talk to any successful business owner, one of the recurring themes that you will notice is not surprising: determination. Entrepreneurs face diversity every day, from being denied by an investor to a slow sales month. If you wish to truly be successful, it may come only after months or years of hard work and frustration. Only those who are truly committed and determined will make it to the other side of those hardships. After taking an honest inventory of the practical parts of entrepreneurship, every would-be business owner must ask this question and answer it honestly: Do I have what it takes to be my own boss–no matter how long and hard the process may be?

Small-business is the backbone of the American economy, but it is not an easy path. Many people will never see their dream come to fruition, but if you have the desire and determination to reach your goals, it is possible. In our next post, we will take a closer look at some of the intangible character traits and daily habits of those who have seen great success with their small business. If you believe that you have a good idea and you possess the drive to see it come to life, stay tuned for more input on how to do what you love–and make money!

Organize Your Way To Better Productivity

January 13, 2015 by tylie eaves

Anyone who owns or operates a small business knows that success doesn’t come easy. While there are many tangibles that contribute to success, it is equally important to consider some of the intangible factors that may play a role in the longevity of a business. If tangibles include things such as a marketing plan, quality product or a good computer, then intangibles include things such as motivation, passion and….organization.

Organization is a skill that does not come naturally to everyone. Some people have a natural propensity for filing, labeling and maintaining an orderly work space, but others have to make an intentional effort to learn these skills. It can be as unnatural for an introvert to learn how to speak in front of a crowd as it is for some to learn organizational skills. While it can be a long and arduous process, learning to organize is worth the effort. Business owners, entrepreneurs and even the neighborhood soccer mom find that this is not just a new skill, but a discipline that affects every area of life.

Why is it important to learn this discipline? Simply put, it can make or break your business. Some business owners may assume that since they do not have a storefront, a customer will never know that their desk is piled high with messages and papers. While that may be true, it should be noted that a sharply organized owner/operator will be better prepared to answer, help and sell. If you go to bed feeling overwhelmed by your business or rarely have the expectation of finishing your work by the end of the day, it may be time to evaluate how organized you may be in some of the following areas:

Schedule: Even if you work exclusively from home, it is important that you have a designated start and stop time each day. Organize and plan every minute of your work, down to the 15 minutes you need to simply get settled at your desk before you open your email. A tightly organized schedule will increase productivity out of necessity and eventually, self-motivation.
Workspace: Do you have a desk or an office? Piles of papers, a full trash bin and other messes are distracting and demotivating. Even for a work-from-home entrepreneur, an organized workspace can give the impression of a “real office,” which in turn can be inspiring and refreshing for a person who does not have to leave the house to go to work.
Self: The small business owner should be organized at work and at home. It is virtually impossible to have a messy and disorganized home-life and step seamlessly into an orderly work environment. From managing time on social media to cleaning out the car, carefully evaluate the areas of your personal life that may be dragging you down in your professional role.

Thankfully, organization is a teachable skill. With time, patience and the desire to increase productivity, it can prove to be one of the most valuable, and perhaps underrated, intangibles you need to succeed–at work and at home.

Resolutions For A New Business Year

January 6, 2015 by tylie eaves

Now that the holidays are over, people are beginning to pack up their holiday decorations and think about the new year. For many, this means tossing out the Christmas cookies and pledging to lose 15 pounds. For others, it means setting a personal goal to be more organized, read more, try new things or scores of other similar self-improvement promises. Many of these goals go unmet, perhaps because of a lack of discipline or unrealistic expectations.

While personal New Year’s resolutions may not ever come to fruition, it can be beneficial for a business owner to take the dawn of a new year as an opportunity to outline specific and attainable goals for the next twelve months. Entering 2015 with a list of goals is a simple but powerful way to get a running start in January. As the calendar rolls over, consider some, or all, of the following as suggested New Year’s resolutions for business:

We will meet the needs of our customers: What are your customers telling you? Find out where help is needed and meet that need. This may seem overly simplistic, but sometimes, it is useful to strip away unneeded complications and simply evaluate the real, tangible needs of clients.
We will evaluate our marketing strategy: Are you expecting different results while doing the same thing that has always been done? Make it a goal to closely and honestly evaluate every aspect of a marketing plan. Even a minor change can breathe life into a stagnant business.
We will try one new thing this year: Setting resolutions for the new year can motivate a business to step into new territory. Introducing a new product or getting a business on social media may be some basic, yet surprisingly effective, goals.
We will take steps to improve our product: Sometimes, it may be necessary to look to third-party experts for marketing improvement, search engine optimization (SEO) or even effective blogging strategies. Resolve to do whatever it takes to gain a competitive edge and make improvements–both existing and potential clients will notice.

This is the perfect time of year to reflect on what a business has accomplished in the past year. It is also an opportune time to determine how to capitalize on past success and continue to move forward. Fortunately, this is not something that must be done alone. Our company understands how to help businesses make attainable goals, prioritize these goals and do whatever it takes to succeed.

When a business owner, operator or manager is considering the new year ahead, it is important to outline goals. If making a New Year’s resolution is important on a personal level, imagine what a New Year’s resolution can do for a small business. Write it down, seek accountability or reach out for help. Unlike the new gym members who give up on their weight-loss resolutions in mid-February, it is possible to succeed in meeting these goals throughout the entire year, with the right help and motivation.

Using Twitter As A Marketing Tool

December 30, 2014 by tylie eaves

What is one of the major advantages of using social media as a marketing tool? It’s free! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are popular and useful, yet many small businesses are hesitant to take advantage of this tool. It can be intimidating to join “Twittersphere,” especially for an individual who is not well-versed in social media vernacular. However, it is worth stepping outside the comfort zone in order to leverage this platform as a part of a successful marketing campaign.

Using social media is not an overnight solution for sluggish growth. It may take weeks and months to connect with a customer base through Twitter. It has been said that in order to gain value from anything, one must first input value. The same can be said for using Twitter for marketing. It is important that a Twitter account portray an accurate, albeit brief, picture of what a company offers. It takes time and commitment to build a following on Twitter, and any followers will respond better to consistency. Regularly using Twitter can be a simple, yet effective, manner by which a company can begin to gain an advantage through social media.

In order to successfully navigate social media, the content should be original. Potential customers may not connect with content that is too generic, boring or simply repeats old information. This should include any graphics or videos that are shared. Every business should actively create new content or present ideas with a fresh perspective. Twitter is a great way to find and share content from other related sources. By re-tweeting and sharing the information of others, it attracts greater attention and eventually, can lead to a greater circulation of original content.

When creating new content, it is important to attract positive attention. Twitter is a great way to briefly connect with a client by doing any of the following:

Share a video
Link to relevant or useful information
Use humor to connect on a personal level
Ask for customer feedback or opinions
Provide the opportunity for customers to win something
Ask a question or take a poll

It is important to remember that a business should not use a Twitter account to discuss politics, post opinions about divisive current events or tweet anything that could be construed as offensive or insensitive. Using Twitter can be a balancing act of sorts. Any business should be sure that what is posted only moves a business forward instead of creating controversy or turning customers to a competitor.

A marketing campaign will have a greater chance of success if the business can learn to navigate and implement Twitter in the right way. It can be intimidating to delve into the world of social media, but it is well worth the effort.

The Basics Of Search Engine Optimization

December 23, 2014 by tylie eaves

Search engine optimization is maximizing a site’s potential by increasing its ranking in search engine results. For example, a doctor can take specific steps to ensure that his practice is at or near the top of the list when someone enters “doctor, Anytown, USA.” Search engine optimization (SEO) increases traffic to a site, thereby increasing the number of potential clients and viewers.

In the highly competitive world of online business, any website is in competition with dozens, even hundreds or thousands, of sites that offer similar products or services. When someone uses Google or another search engine, it is a distinct advantage to be one of the first sites that are shown in the results. Fortunately, basic search engine optimization is an attainable goal and once reached, can increase profitability and site traffic.

How can a business owner or individual build a website in a way that will connect customers in a more direct and simple manner? Here are some of the things that can affect where a search engine places a site:

Site content: What is actually written in your site will affect how it places in search engine results. Proper use of key words in the content, including blogs, can help SEO.
Linking: Proper use of links within a website can positively affect SEO. It is also beneficial when another source links to a business site. Purchased links do not benefit SEO.
Navigability: Search engines look kindly on professional, easy-to-navigate sites. If your site has poor customer reviews, is difficult to use or looks like it may be unsafe for online transactions, it will rank lower than other sites advertising similar products.

There is an intricate balance between improving SEO and maintaining the integrity of a business’ message. Search engine optimization is something that we do at Virtue Marketing. We can analyze an existing site and determine how to increase web traffic, while still clearly communicating a product. We are also experienced in building websites “from the ground up,” ensuring that a business has the right balance of key words usage and links, while still personally connecting with readers. SEO is vital to the online success of a business. If you have more questions about SEO or how we can specifically help your business, contact us for a site consultation today.

Copy Editing: Who, What And Why

December 16, 2014 by tylie eaves

Are you just beginning to build your business? You know how important it is to build a website and have a strong online presence, but how can you be certain that you are presenting a quality product? Anyone can type a brochure, buy a domain name or draft a business proposal. As more customers first connect with vendors online, either through Facebook, website or a blog, it is essential that every business consider copy editing as one of the necessary components to its online presence.

Copy editing is simply editing or proofing every written word on anything that will be read or seen by potential customers. For hundreds of years, writers have been passing along manuscripts and drafts to an editor. It is the most efficient way to ensure that there are no mistakes with either the grammar or spelling. There is immeasurable value in having a third party review, edit and read any material that will be made public.

What does this mean for you? Business owners, website builders, entrepreneurs, etc. should note the following when considering hiring copy editing services for a business:

Who: Copy editing should be done by a professional, not just a family member who has a minor in English. A copy editor should know grammar and be up-to-date on any changes to common grammar issues (such as the use of the Oxford comma). Additionally, a copy editor should be able to convey the purpose of your business in a thoughtful, relatable and professional manner. While a professional copy editor will not change the content of your website, he or she should have the experience to know what will be effective in online mediums.
What: Your copy editor should be proofing grammar, sentence structure and spelling. If there are any major issues with a document or website, a copy editor has the experience needed to determine the optimal way to correct these problems.
Why: One misspelled word or poorly constructed sentence on a website can be enough to “turn off” a customer from your business. Not only should the permanent content of your website be perfect, every tweet, Facebook update and blog post should be, as well. This is a tall order for any business owner, especially in addition to the daily pressures of operating a business — hence, the need for a neutral third party to manage this aspect of your business operation.

We are proud to offer copy editing services to our clients. We understand how important it is to have a strong online presence, and we can ensure that you always present the best possible product to your existing and potential customers and clients. In addition to copy editing, we also offer high-quality copy-writing services for businesses of all kinds. Let us help you build, edit or manage your website and online material–we can help you set your business apart from the competition.

Make The End Of The Year Count

December 9, 2014 by tylie eaves

As we approach the end of the year, it is tempting to think ahead to 2015. A new year promises a fresh start, and, let’s face it, that may be exactly what your business needs. As ready as you may be to close out 2014, it is important to remember that the few remaining weeks of this calendar year can potentially lay the foundation for a more productive and profitable new year.

There are some important ideas to keep in mind, in order to get the most out of the waning year. Instead of mentally “checking out” during the holiday season, use it to propel yourself and employees onto better things ahead. Consider some of these important points as you think about the time remaining before the new year:

It is tempting to “lay off the gas” during the holidays. The end of the year is not typically a time of growth for most businesses. Instead of coasting until New Years, use this slower time for training. Preparing yourself and your staff for what lies ahead can give you a running start into 2015.
If you are not handling any new clients, why not prepare for the ones you plan to have in the next weeks and months? A well-prepared and detailed road map for 2015 will clearly communicate your goals for the coming year with your employees. Think carefully: what do you want for your business in the new year? Write it down, and plan every step.
Take an inventory of 2014. Do you consider this year to be one of growth? What can you change to make progress in the coming year? Be honest about your shortcomings and needed improvements for yourself. It is equally beneficial to evaluate employees, process, business plan and products. Of course, it is also important to take a physical inventory of your office or business–are there any tangible things that you need in order to be more successful next year?
A “slow time” is the perfect opportunity to re-vamp your budget. It is fiscally responsible for business owners of all types to make a practice of regularly checking, evaluating, balancing and improving the budget. Even if your business’s fiscal year does not end on December 31st, it is always a beneficial practice to keep a close watch on the financial aspects of your operations.

As it is important to work hard from the start through the end of the year, it is equally important to use the holiday season to rest and rebuild energy for the work ahead. With careful time-management practices, it is possible to both rejuvenate and prepare for a better year.

A successful business owner, individual, parent or student is one who uses his or her time wisely, whether it is working or resting. Make the most out of every second left in this year–those well-used minutes can make a big difference for you in 2015, both personally and professionally.