Small Business Success Strategies

Self Employed Business Marketing Plan: 4 Tips to Fine-Tune Your Niche Marketing

Before you can have clients, you need to have prospects -- that's what marketing is all about. If your marketing isn't attracting the kind of people you'd like to be working with, it's like pushing a rope -- you are trying to sell them something they don't need, and they are looking for something you don't offer. A little fine-tuning of your marketing plan can make the difference between a solo business that lurches and stalls, and a business that runs smoothly and is fun to operate.

Your Four-Point Marketing Tune-Up Checklist:

Understand the difference between your Target Market and your Niche. A target market has distinguishing demographic characteristics; for example, recently widowed working women under 50.

Read Terri's entire article Self Employed Business Marketing Plan: 4 Tips to Fine-Tune Your Niche Marketing

Terri Zwierzynski, our official Solo-Entrepreneur Expert

What Keeps You Up at Night? You May be Worrying About All the Wrong Things

In my last newsletter I finally broke the news that I was hard at work putting together all the elements of something intended to help you change course faster than you could likely ever do on your own. One of the inspirations for my new "fast track a dream" project came from a question put to me by a reporter for USA Today's entrepreneur section. What he wanted to know was, "What keeps a small business owner like you up at night?"

The article came out a few weeks later. Not surprisingly it focused on concerns of people who own dry cleaning shops, car dealerships, ad agencies and other traditional brick and mortar businesses. What kept these small business owners up at night were things like rising fuel prices, employee turnover, the cost of employee health care coverage, and a potential jump in the minimum wage. Frankly I never expected my answer to be included in the article because at this stage of my business the kind of things I angst about are atypical to say the least.

Read Valerie's entire article What Keeps You Up at Night? You May be Worrying About All the Wrong Things

Valerie Young, our official Career Change Expert

How to Make Money Online By Marketing via Answering Questions

Did you realize thousands of folks search in the form of a question each and every month? Learn how to make money online by capitalizing on answering the questions pertaining to your web site theme, driving thousand of unique visitors to your site.

First you will need to find a highly searched question which is relevant to your sites content.

Some examples of highly searched questions:

How to lose weight

How to paint

Read Bruce's entire article How to Make Money Online By Marketing via Answering Questions

Bruce Galle, our official Getting Started Online Expert

Truck Driving Jobs - The Top 30 Jobs of the Future

Truck driving jobs are always plentiful due to the constant driver turn over rate that now stands at 128 percent for over the road drivers. The average yearly income for truck drivers is $35,000 to $45,000 for company drivers, and $95,000 to $130,000 for owner operators, depending on where you live. Currently, as a local driver, working five days per week and home every night, I enjoy a driving job grossing $50,200 per year.

Every two years the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases their list for the top 30 fastest growing job opportunities. Just released, this list shows the best career choices projected to the year 2016. Truck driving didn't make the list, but how does truck driving jobs salaries compare with these 30 fastest growing jobs for the future?

Read Allen's entire article Truck Driving Jobs - The Top 30 Jobs of the Future

Allen Smith, our official Trucking/Truck Driver Training Expert

Personally I've been using a life or business coach almost consistently since 1997--before it was "cool" to have a coach! Hiring a coach/mentor has always helped me focus laser like on what I've wanted to achieve and helped me reach it. I can certainly work without a coach or mentor; however, I can't reach my goals as fast without using one. For me time equals money and I want to save time by reaching my goals as fast as possible.

The world is changing daily. It's impossible to keep up with everything you must know to grow your business. Using a mentor or coach is a GREAT WAY to make sure you get the information, structure, accountability and support you need for your business to grow fast!

Read Sharon's entire article Is it Time for a Business Coach?

Sharon Quarmby, our official Lead Generation Expert

Social Networking Tip: Be Anything But Boring

During a recent consultation with a client, we took a good look at her Facebook profile and her blog. This successful woman entrepreneur wasn't really into social networking, so she delegated out most of her tasks to her team. She mistakenly thought that she could reap the benefits of Web 2.0 marketing without actually having to show up and interact.

Together we looked at her pages, and immediately were struck by the sheer dullness of everything. Nothing sounded like her, nothing felt like her, and overall it was generic and tedious.

Read Nancy's entire article Social Networking Tip: Be Anything But Boring

Nancy Marmolejo, our official Visibility Expert

Low Cost Networking Techniques That Work

Business networking isn’t just for sales people anymore. In fact, it can be a savvy marketing strategy for virtually any entrepreneur. Whether you’re looking to land new clients, form strategic alliances or swap ideas with other business owners, it’s all possible when you get out and meet new people.

Where to Network You have the chance to network whenever you meet someone for the first time. This can happen in line at Starbucks, at your kid’s little league game, or when you’re sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room. But if you really want to increase your exposure, your best bet is to attend networking meetings on a regular basis.

Read Stephanie's entire article Low Cost Networking Techniques That Work

Stephanie Chandler, our official Entrepreneurial Expert

Transform Your Business Name into a Brand Name

It's easy to think that because you have a name, logo and tag line, that you have a brand. But corporate identity is just the first step of building a brand image. The name, logo and tag line are two dimensional elements in a three dimensional world. And to become "real," to become a living, breathing, brand name, companies must possess three dimensional attributes. In other words, they must possess the same qualities that people do -- specific, consistent traits and characteristics that customers can easily identify, remember and relate to.

This is where most companies fall short. In an attempt to be all things to all people, they have no identity. They try to compete on every level... price, quality, service, selection and so on. It sounds like a good strategy but it fails nearly every time.

Read Phil's entire article Transform Your Business Name into a Brand Name

Phil Davis, our official Branding and Naming Expert

The 10 Profound Breakthroughs That Created My 6-Figure Business

Recently I offered a free tele-class called The 10 Profound Breakthroughs That Created My 6-Figure Business. It was the first time I truly opened up about the underlying breakthroughs that have been responsible for my business success and that I've passed on to my small business clients.

I was amazed at the response. So many people have listened to the audio that each day we've had to purchase additional bandwidth. Although I can't include all of the content of this groundbreaking class here I wanted to share a brief summary of the 10 Breakthroughs with you. Here we go.

1. Passion -- you can make money without passion. People do it every day. But you will not find joy in your work and you won't look forward to work each day. And eventually you will burn out.

Read Janis' entire article The 10 Profound Breakthroughs That Created My 6-Figure Business

Janis Pettit, our official Small Business Strategy Coach Expert

10 Common Challenges Life Coaches Face and How to Solve Them

10 Common Challenges Life Coaches Face and How to Solve Them
Posted on December 04th, 2009 in Niche Marketing for Coaches · Print Article Print Article · Tweet This

Finding true success in coaching presents some significant challenges. All are solved with pinpointed focus on one target market, plus a handful of winning strategies and a bit of patience. No joke. Targeting your attraction energy on one viable market is where leverage begins.
10 Common Challenges Life Coaches Face

Recognize any of these?

    * Prospects can’t seem to justify your fees.

    * Your confidence is flagging.

    * You’re getting too few referrals.

    * You’re not filling your groups.

Read Rhonda's entire article 10 Common Challenges Life Coaches Face and How to Solve Them

Rhonda Hess, our official Coaching Business Expert