Time Management Techniques for Small Business Owners
A lot of small businesses are struggling to keep the doors open. How can you make sure your business is successful when every day feels like a struggle? The following article lists some time management practices that can help in small business.
Disorganization drains your energy and motivates you with no return on investment. To stay focused, it's important to manage your time efficiently and build a schedule that clicks for you. This helps to prevent scattered thoughts and exhausted feelings before they happen, which can lead to bad decision-making and discouragement in your endeavors.
You can begin by scheduling your time on a daily or weekly basis. If you don't have the discipline to do this, use a calendar to keep yourself organized. Plan for large events in advance and schedule appointments at least 30 days in advance.
What should you include? Schedule time for administrative tasks, such as networking and keeping your books, as well as time for marketing and sales activities, research and development, public relations, accounting and clerical tasks like filing papers. To help you stay organized with your schedule, use a tool such as Trello that helps you visualize what needs to be done at any given time.
Next, learn how to say "no" in a gentle way. You're not being a "bad guy" if you refuse to do something that doesn't fit into your schedule. People who've never been told "no" often feel rejected and may treat you poorly in the future. Instead of feeling guilty about setting boundaries, use the phrase "I wish I could, but…". For example: "I wish I could meet for coffee on Thursday; but I'm tied up with a project all day."
While there's no magic wand or quick fix for business success, you can manage your time more efficiently with these strategies. Don't wait any longer to get more out of your day. Take action now.
By: Ray Williams
Source: http://www.timemanagementtips.org/time-management-techniques-small-business-owners/
Title: B2B Lead Generation Tips For The Super Bowl [ARTICLE START] Every year, millions of Americans flock to their televisions to watch the Super Bowl, the single most watched sporting event in the nation. According to Nielsen Media Research data from 2011, a total of 114 million viewers tuned in for Super Bowl XLV, making it the most viewed television broadcast in U.S. history and a perfect opportunity for marketers and advertisers to reach a large audience with their messages. Just like every other year, many of these messages will come in the form of advertisements that are shown as part of the game. However, there will also be millions of dollars spent on commercials that are shown on other programs leading up to the Super Bowl to drive viewers to online content. These ads typically consist of a short commercial during an ad break and an online video that can be viewed after the commercial ends. In fact, according to a study by Visible Measures , 57% of all Super Bowl 2012 ads were viewed online – a significant increase from just 2 years before when only 19% were. The most important factor in online video success is usually the number of views a video gets. However, other factors are key to maximizing your return on investment (ROI) from your commercial. Here are three B2B lead generation tips to ensure you make the most of your commercial and capture leads: 1) Make sure the brand name and product name are mentioned several times throughout the ad. This ensures that viewers know exactly who is being advertised and can quickly find more information about the company if they like what they see. 2) Include a URL prominently on-screen at least once during the ad. This will remind viewers where they can go for more information, as well as make it very easy for them to visit when they get ready to. 3) Show the value the company has to offer to viewers. This is key in helping viewers see how your product can improve their lives and, in turn, make them more likely to purchase your product.
Source: http://www.b2bleadgenerationtips.com/blog/2012/02/16/super-bowl-commercial-advice-from-a-marketing-professional/
Title: Are You Making Mistakes With Your Online Business? [ARTICLE START] In 2012, 99% of all consumers used the internet to conduct business . This is a tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to market their products or services to a large number of people without spending a fortune on marketing. If you're targeting this massive audience, you need to be online with an internet marketing campaign. Many online businesses start off as little more than hobby sites, but are quickly able to turn a profit when they snag just one big customer. However, most of these businesses don't ever get beyond their first sale or two. If you don't have marketing 101 down perfect, you need all the help you can get! Check out the list below for some common mistakes that owners make when creating and maintaining their online business: 1) You haven't implemented search engine optimization (SEO). The first thing you do in order to generate revenue is to get your site ranked high in search engine results . This means having a lot of quality content on your site that is easy to find. To do this, you need to have the Search Engine Optimization Authority (SEO) in place . 2) You haven't implemented social media marketing. The next step many business owners turn towards is social media marketing . They use Facebook and Twitter as their main communication channels with people who are interested in their products or services – but they're doing it wrong! Consider hiring a service like Social Media ROI to help you develop a social media strategy and ease into the process. 3) You don't have a logo or branding. Every business needs to have a clear and recognizable logo in order to market effectively . This logo should be featured on your website, your social media profiles, in your marketing materials and on any printed materials you use, such as brochures. 4) You don't have strong authority links. Your online presence needs to pass the test by Google's PageRank algorithm . To do that, you need strong authority links to and from your site that are stable over time. 5) You're not constantly updating content. If you want people to keep coming back to your site, you need fresh , timely information about the niche you're writing in . Don't be afraid to post often! 6) You haven't built a community or forum on your site.
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