Small Business Success Strategies

How to Work From Home Without Feeling Isolated

If you work from home as I do, it's very easy to slip into the habit of holing up at home for days. When you first get the idea of starting a home based business, it sounds so appealing--work in your pajamas if you want to. No commuting, no interruptions from colleagues, more time freedom.

But when the reality sets in you find yourself socially isolated in a virtual world. Your world shrinks and becomes your computer and your family. Even the occasional business lunch or networking event doesn't help much.

I've battled this and found that social interaction is absolutely necessary for humans! Here are some ways to help you keep you from becoming a cloistered hermit.

Read Janis' entire article How to Work From Home Without Feeling Isolated

Janis Pettit, our official Small Business Strategy Coach Expert

When Should a Coach Hire a VA?

When Should a Coach Hire a VA?
Posted on October 19th, 2009 in Coaching Business Tips · · Print Article Print Article

In the early days of the coaching industry, coaches used to handle everything in their business themselves, from admin to marketing to developing clunky templated websites. It was the “penny wise – pound foolish” mindset of practitioners who hadn’t yet taken themselves seriously as business owners. In the long run, this approach stunted the growth of the coaching industry and coaches alike.

Now, many coaches work smarter. They build their business with the expert support of mentors, web designers and virtual assistants from the get-go. The result: coaches who invest in their business make more money faster. With their learning curves shortened and time well-leveraged, they stay off the money for time treadmill and enjoy themselves more.

Read Rhonda's entire article When Should a Coach Hire a VA?

Rhonda Hess, our official Coaching Business Expert

10lbs Slimmer Without Breaking a Sweat!

A woman stopped me in the produce section of the grocery store. Distressed and worn-out, she asked, ‘Hey, Susie… What can I do about this?’ and she grabbed a big handful of her tummy. I told her very simply to STAND UP STRAIGHT.

It’s true; my #1 exercise for women is PERFECT POSTURE. Our bodies go through some ‘balance’ changes while pregnant. Our abdominal muscles stretch, our shoulders roll forward and our big butts stick out. Our bodies become accustomed to being in this position. Then it gets worse after giving birth with the care of our babies.

Read Debbye's entire article 10lbs Slimmer Without Breaking a Sweat!

Debbye Cannon, our official BusinessMom Mentor Expert

How Much Money Are You Making From Parking Your Domain?

Domain parking has become big profit business these days. The one problem most are unaware of is the fact that when you park a domain with your registrar, usually you do not partake in the profit sharing the registrar is enjoying.

There are numerous free parking services you can use that will pay you a percentage of the click through profits from your parked domain names. So how do you know which ones are better than others?

I spent five months moving one hundred of my domains from one parking service to another every 30 days.

Read Bruce's entire article How Much Money Are You Making From Parking Your Domain?

Bruce Galle, our official Getting Started Online Expert

Marketing Mythology: Putting Lipstick on a Pig

When I first started my career as a solo entrepreneur, I hired a web designer to create my website for me. He was awesome, and I loved his work. When I received my first bill, it included a contact email address for his "support department" and "billing department". I was a little curious about who those other people were! Later I found out it was just him...he was ALL of those departments -- design, support, billing, the works! A true case of putting lipstick on the pig. Even though he attempted to "paint" his business with these additional departments, underneath it all, he was still simply a solo entrepreneur.

Read Terri's entire article Marketing Mythology: Putting Lipstick on a Pig

Terri Zwierzynski, our official Solo-Entrepreneur Expert

Are Successful People Really Luckier?

Are Successful People Really Luckier? You Bet They Are

When Stephen Fofanoff and Chris Warnock needed a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) willing to work on an equity basis to help them take their fledging design consulting business, A Designer’s Eye (ADesignersEye.com), to the next level, they came up with a novel approach – they advertised on Craig’s List (CraigsList.com). Nearly three dozen people responded. The applicant they decided to go with is a former CFO for a major corporation who left to start his own highly successful software business. With his own company in maintenance mode, the guy was just looking for a challenge.

This guy didn’t need the money.

Read Valerie's entire article Are Successful People Really Luckier?

Valerie Young, our official Career Change Expert

The Brotherhood of Trucking

Trucking has seen a lot of changes through the twenty-nine years I've been involved in the profession. I can only imagine what the pro's with forty to fifty years of trucking under their belts have seen. I remember when I was fourteen, and my older brother, Eddie, invited me along on a road trip from Oklahoma to south Texas. He actually wanted me, his little brother, to tag along . . . I was so proud! I recall the moment he cranked that Kenworth and that old diesel engine came to life. As he pulled out onto I-40, I remember wondering what experiences would lie ahead.

We had a lot of fun times and it was a great learning experience for a young teenager. I remember seeing a truck broken down on the side of the road and at least two or three more trucks behind him lending him a helping hand.

Read Allen's entire article The Brotherhood of Trucking

Allen Smith, our official Trucking/Truck Driver Training Expert

Social Networking Tip: Top 10 Things to Outsource

Entrepreneurs involved in social networking are already feeling the time crunch when it comes to adding this effective marketing tool to the mix. Smart entrepreneurs utilize other people's talents and energies in their businesses by outsourcing administrative tasks, so it begs the question: can you outsource your social networking too?

Yes and No.

Successful social networking is built upon relationship building and credibility. If you have someone else doing all your social networking, then at some point it's going to become obvious that it's not really you.

Read Nancy's entire article Social Networking Tip: Top 10 Things to Outsource

Nancy Marmolejo, our official Visibility Expert

Blogging for Business: Benefits of a Blog and Essential Tips for Getting Started

A blog is essentially an online diary that allows you to post information, tips, thoughts and ideas in a running log format for others to view. Blogs are used by companies large and small to build an audience, promote a business and gain valuable online exposure.

Not sure if a blog is right for you? Here are six key reasons to start blogging now:

Search Engines Love Blogs: The major search engines provide higher rankings to sites that update data frequently. When you post to a blog several times each week, you content is constantly changing and growing. The search engines will reward your effort with improved search engine rankings.

Read Stephanie's entire article Blogging for Business: Benefits of a Blog and Essential Tips for Getting Started

Stephanie Chandler, our official Entrepreneurial Expert

The Most Important Question to Ask When Naming a New Business

After nearly twenty years of corporate branding experience, the same question still arises when naming a new business -- "What is the most important factor when deciding on the best company name?" Some naming experts would argue it's the length of the name, or the ease of pronunciation or the uniqueness. Others would say domain name availability or trademark clearance. I've come to the conclusion that the best answer to that question is yet another question.

Does your proposed business name create a "Huh?" Or a "What!" 

Read Phil's entire article The Most Important Question to Ask When Naming a New Business

Phil Davis, our official Branding and Naming Expert