Katie Darden – Page 18 – Career Life Institute

Q & A: Marketing My Business

Note: Although this person provided specifics about her business, we have chosen to maintain confidentiality in order to protect her idea.

Dear Katie:

I have started an email support service (that costs a small monthly fee), and I don't know how to reach the people who could really benefit from my service. I sent out notices to everyone on my personal and professional email list, informing them of my service and asking them to refer anyone whom they thought would be interested.

I have placed ads on Yahoo and some other internet classified sites and I'm in the process of getting a domain name and creating a website. I am also going to list my daily emails as an ezine at various listing sites.

What else can I do to get the word out to homebound, isolated, disabled or ill people who might want to subscribe to my service? I want to spend my time on actually creating and running the service, not on promoting it.

I'd appreciate any help you can give me.

Sincerely,

Miranda

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Hi Miranda,

It sounds as though you have a very interesting idea. Hopefully it can take off for you, although to be honest, most people offer email newsletters at no cost to the individuals, so remember you will be competing with those folks, too.

Most of your questions are marketing questions, and to be honest again, in order to create anything that is successful online, you're going to have to spend a substantial amount of time (or money as you pay someone else) to get your project rolling the way you'd like. Like anything else, once you hit "critical mass", it should take off and almost run itself.

The first thing you will need to do to be "legitimate" in the internet community is to have your own domain name. They're very easy to get, only cost $70 for the first 2 years (note: yes, it used to cost this much – now you can get them for as low as $7/year), and most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be able to park it for you for no extra charge until you're ready to open your website. In fact, this is something I recommend before you "open your doors" for business. Think about it: a retail store wouldn't start selling stuff from their warehouse, and then expect folks to transfer to the store later.

So, get your domain name, set up your email from there (some hosts even let you park your domain and still get email using the domain name for a small fee prior to actually publishing the site to the web).

Then, or even in the meantime, some other things to consider include using the internet to investigate sites where the people you are interested in will be "hanging out". When you find a site that would appeal to your audience, contact the owner of the site and ask about a reciprocal link. A reciprocal link means that each of you link to the other's site. If your site is already up, you can add the other link first. Letting the owner of the other site know you have already linked to his/he r site will strengthen the attractiveness for linking to yours.

Build your network by building your relationships, and that will build referrals far more quickly. You will need to convince the other owner that you have something to offer him/her in exchange for the link (for instance, a substantial subscriber base, information that his/her visitors may be interested in, etc.).

I like that you offer a free sample. That's a good way to let people know what your product is like before they are required to pay for it. Perhaps you could also offer an incentive for people who send you referrals who "stick" (for instance a free month for anyone whose referral signs up for 3 months).

Now, to be honest for the third time, I need to ask, how much market research have you done? Are you sure there's a market for your services (have you found enough people who will want to pay for them)? Have you found other people who are doing similar things in a different market and actually making money on them? For instance, someone else who has a pay-for-email service relating to a different market segment? You have a lovely idea, but with so much free stuff on the internet, you may well find out that there's just not enough interest by folks who are willing to pay. I recommend you do a great deal of research first, and consider having your service be a free one that supports something else that provides the profit. For instance, provide a website that has all the information online (that you've listed in your offer), some free email services, and then a product or other service for a fee.

You might also be able to offer your service (at a fee) to existing online companies for whom it could become an acillary/free product from them. An example might be a pharmaceutical company, or one that specializes in medical equipment for the home. You wouldn't make as much money per subscriber, but you would be generating an income. One of the secrets to success on the internet is giving stuff away, so I'm wondering about the viability of your idea. Before you get too far down the path , putting your heart and soul into something you think is a good idea, I'd highly recommend you do a lot of research.

If you find you have a viable product, there are several internet marketing programs that can help you promote your business. Unfortunately, you will have to do marketing in some way. Any business that wants to stay in business has to put time, effort and at least a bit of money into marketing.

Good Luck, and let me know how it goes.

Katie Darden

©2000-2010 Katie Darden, Career Life Institute

Updating Your Resume: Create an Historical Perspective

Okay, maybe you're doing just great in that job, and the last thing on your mind is thinking about where you want to go next. For most of us, we forget we even have a resume until the realization of needing to look for new employment is thrust upon us – whether through an unpleasant work environment or experience, or because a new opportunity gets us thinking that maybe there's more out there…

Given how quickly things are moving today, wouldn't it be nice to have your resume ready the next time you discovered a place to share it? At least you can have the pieces updated so it's easier to put together and send off.

The basis of every good resume is a full and complete history. If you haven't already done so, take the time to create an historical perspective by listing everything you've ever done – volunteer or paid. Include the duration of the job or activity, the time basis (full time, and percentage of full time), and the major duties – as well as the traditional who, when and where. Someplace you should also identify the major skills you used as you performed the duties. This is important because it allows you to begin grouping your history into functions rather than just by employers.

And why is that important? Because skills are transferable. Being able to type on a typewriter transfers fairly easily to keyboarding skills on a computer. Interviewing authors transfers easily to interviewing clients. Scheduling rooms transfers to scheduling workers. Project management is project management. You get the idea.

And as you group your employment history into functions you will begin to see patterns – patterns that can help you recognize what you are good at and what you enjoy doing.

Another part of your history should include specific accomplishments. For instance, when I was working as a Training Manager, I was responsible for bringing in $500,000 each year, at an 85% profit level. And that was 25% of the company's gross income. As you can tell, the training function provided a LOT of capital for the other functions in the company. A prospective employer would understand that I know what to do to generate revenue – with high profitability.

As you look over the resume that got you your current job, think about the things you are currently doing that are not yet reflected there. Add the duties, the skills and especially the accomplishments to your historical perspective. Keep the history as a separate document and continue to add to it over time. And consider setting up a regular update schedule so you're not scrambling the next time you need to send one out. A little preparation in advance could give you the advantage that gets you the job!

Refresh Your Business Plan

When is the last time you reviewed your business plan? Do you even HAVE a business plan? Many businesses sprout from someone's "good idea", by an entrepreneur who either didn't know about business plans, or simply didn't have the time to complete one.

While the idea of a business plan may seem overwhelming at first, many businesses end up hitting that wall when it's time to expand or they need financing. Anyone who wishes to attract funding quickly understands that without a business plan, commercial lenders won't even talk with you.

Yet business plans serve a much larger purpose, too. They allow the owner to really understand their business. Developing the plan requires a certain amount of research into the general industry as well as the business itself. Delving into the intricacies can give the business owner a new perspective on what's working and what needs to be improved in their own business. It also helps identify new or unexplored trends in the industry. New ideas and possibilities pop up when you are clear about what works.

There are several good software packages that can help you develop your business plan or you can simply start with a good business plan outline of categories and "fill-in-the-blanks". Either way you will be broadening your understanding of what's possible and probable in your business.

The approach we've taken in most of our "Writing a Business Plan" classes has been to divide the traditional plan into individual parts and focus on each section in turn. Even with the focus and group interaction, few participants were able to complete more than 60-75% of their plans by the end of the 7-10 sessions. Recently, however, I've come across a wonderful new book that takes a slightly different approach.

Using Jim Horan's "One Page Business Plan", I've been able to help one of my coaching clients complete her initial draft of a viable plan in three sessions. Jim Horan is a San Francisco Bay Area small business expert who has taken the complexity of business plans and demystified the process. My client had already done some work on vision and mission, and had a fairly clear idea about what she wanted to create, but she seemed stuck as she struggled to complete the formal business plan.

Jim's book offers several interactive exercises that are more interesting and enjoyable than straight research. The exercises are designed to get you thinking about key elements of your business, from vision and mission through strategies and plans. All the elements are still there, but with the One Page Business Plan(sm) they are simplified down to their essence.

Having the resulting business plan on a single page helps the business owner focus on the essentials of what will make the business work, rather than getting trapped in the verbage that makes up a more traditional plan. And it provides a document that can start the dialogue with bankers or venture capitalists.

My client's response to the One Page Business Plan? Now she's excited about her business again – she sees that it's doable, she has specific milestones to aim for, and best of all, a plan that will help her focus!

Whatever your approach, taking the time to develop your plan more fully will help you refocuse on your strengths and remember your vision. Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing one, a well thought-out business plan will add to your success.

_____For More Information_____
Contact the Career Life Institute to find out more about small business coaching, our Biz Plan In a Week Program and other upcoming classes.

This book is available at Amazon.com. Click below to find out more:

The One Page Business Plan – Start with a Vision, Build a Company
– James T. Horan, Jr.

Change Your Handwriting, Change Your Life: Raise Your Self-Esteem

Just as the personality can be determined by the strokes we make as we write, reversing the process and changing those strokes can also change our personality.

I first read about this "graphotherapy" in the early 1960's. They had just begun to use the process with juvenile delinquents to assist them with changing some of the negative aspects of their personalities. I was intrigued and even though I wasn't a juvenile delinquent, decided I could use some improvement too. I changed a couple of strokes (one to add even more creativity), and I liked what I noticed in the results.

Over the years I remember several times of changing my handwriting when I felt particularly stuck in a rut. Of course then I didn't understand the impact of the changes, and not all of them were necessarily positive, but they did cause a shift!!

One of the biggest problems that exist today is the lack of adequate self-esteem. Most people do not give themselves enough credit, and some folks are downright rude to themselves!! This usually develops over time, and is the result of a variety of circumstances and events. Unfortunately, most people who have low self-esteem have reinforced it to the point where they don't even notice how pervasively they perpetuate the negativity in their lives.

The good news is that this is a relatively easy area to change with Graphotherapy.

When you look at your own writing, notice where on the T stem you actually cross your T's. My favorite analogy is the pole at the county fair – you remember the one where the guys used this huge hammer and tried to make the slider hit the bell at the top?? Well, you know who the winners were – the ones who got to the top!! The same is true of your T-bar – the closer to the top you get, the more of a winner you will be.

The height of the T-bar also determines the height of your goals. If your T-bar is low on the stem, you probably either don't set many goals, or you have lots of reasons for not reaching them – and you are bound to stay in a bad situation far longer than you should. If your T-bar is crossed in the middle of the stem, or slightly above middle, you set good, practical goals, based on what you have achieved before. You set your sights based on where you are comfortable, and don't take a lot of risks. In both these cases you are settling for less than you are capable of achieving, and trading comfort (what you already know) for the big successes that take a bit more risk.

Crossing your T-bar at the top of the stem lengthens your vision and your goals, and gives you a larger scope of possibility. Of course, make sure your T-bars are touching the stem. The person whose T-bar flies above the stem is the same person whose head is in the clouds, and is therefore not grounded. We call that person a dreamer, and we all know that as important as dreams are, they must be followed through with practical application in order to be successful.

Take a look at the handwriting of people you know who feel good about themselves, consistently take risks and achieve what they go after. You will find that most of them have consistently high T-bars. This is a trait you can easily change by practicing your T's for 5 to 10 minutes each day (1 to 3 pages daily for 30 days). And it works great with kids, too!! I have testimonials from kids who improved their grades and their social relationships just from changing this one trait.

(Note: Ignore T's where the bar links to the next letter, as in the words "the" or "with" where the bar of the T links into the H. This linking of the T to the next letter is considered "fluidity of thought" and the height of the T-bar is ignored. Also, make your T-bar higher, not your T-stem taller.)

So, keep your T-bars high, and enjoy your successes!!

Find out more about Handwriting Analysis and GraphoTherapy at HandwritingTraits.com