Chrome, An Essential Business Mineral

I LOVE GOOGLE CHROME!!!!

Did I come on a little strong…………………….?

I can’t talk enough about the productivity elements that Chrome offers to business people.  I've battled between Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome for a while, but now I’m a heavy metal head!

Why you ask?  Let me tell you:

1.  Synchronization – I drive a lot for my work and I have an Android phone so it is great to have all of my contacts and prospective addresses synced to my phone and other devices.  Even if I’m just thinking about going to a place, if I searched it on my notebook it quickly pops up on my phone (huge time saver).

2.  Speed – I know Chrome does use a lot of resources on your computer, but when it’s going it’s very fast (I’m all about time saving).

3.  Extensions -  This is the number 1 reason why I love Chrome.  I've found some great extensions that make my work a lot more productive and insightful.  Here’s a section on those  (the bullet title links go to the Chrome Web Store):

1.  Stayfocused – do you ever find yourself just sitting in your email inbox or drifting around LinkedIn or Twitter because of one notification?  Stayfocused allows you to set a timer for websites you use and then when the time expires you cannot login to these sites until the next day.  I’ll tell you what, when you know you can’t get into your email until the next day you look at it with more focus, speed, and efficiency!

2.  PowerInbox – this one just allows you to see any social media emails more completely.  Follow people from your email and unsubscribe from a list right from the inbox without even opening the email!

3.  mxHero Toolbox - Best extension ever!  I send a lot of emails and the fact that this one sends the tracking response right to your email you can see if you have a response on your phone.  Even schedule emails for later and set the email to remind you if you don’t receive a reply by a certain time.  Huge email supercharger!!

There’s a few more, but I think these 3 will get you well on your way to web wizardry!

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3 Things All Small Businesses Should Do

So you've been in business for a while.  Things are going pretty good.  You're paying your bills.  Your doors are still open,............but you're they're all the time!!  

Are you running your business or is your business running you?  And when I say "run" it I mean being the most efficient with the least amount of your most valuable resource, ………..time.  

Owning your own business is supposed to provide you the greatest luxury of owning your time.  A poll in 2009 poll concluded that out 39% of small business owners work more than 10 hours per day.  Struggling businesses are probably closer to 70% working more than 12 hours a day! 

So how can you stop this conundrum? 

By being more efficient. 

There are a lot of missed opportunities for marketing and sales in small businesses  that some know about and some never thought of.

1.  Social Media

I can't stress this enough.  For some reasons businesses think they don't need social media.  Take Twitter for instance.  Stephanie Wagner says "Twitter not only facilitates real-time businesses-to-consumer communication, but it also facilitates business-to-business and consumer-to-consumer communication. Twitter has transformed the platform of business communication. " That is marketing gold.  Plus,
ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ARE FREE!!!!!

2.  Get customers’ emails (if you’re not already)

Email is one of the biggest revolutions in marketing today.  Even if you’re not a great marketer, it provides great opportunity.  Jay Baer concluded from a study that 44% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email.  In 2012, 85% of the world uses email…………So basically, if you get all of your customer’s email addresses you may be able to get 1 extra sale from 44% of them!  That’s potentially huge!!  Don’t miss the chance.  The easiest way to get their emails is to use it for their receipt or invoice.  If you’re not paperless, then hurry up!

3.  Watch your competition

This may seem like common sense, but I don’t mean just watch the competition and hate them.  If they appear to be doing more than you, see why.  Are they using more social media?  Is their page better placed on search engine results?  Are their online listings more complete than yours?  There’s nothing wrong with learning from your competition.  There is something wrong with being obliterated by them for simple reasons though!

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Don’t Tweet Like A Twit

Hi guys!  So let’s start off with a few updates on social media’s impact.  Namely Twitter. 
Last year, Twitter was the number 2 tool for social media branding at 53% of businesses using it.  Facebook was number one at 83%, but that is a different strategy.  I want to talk about a few quick tips for Twitter, because I see a lot of businesses make these mistakes. 
Top 5 tips:

1. Know that you’re tweeting!
1. You’d be amazed about how many companies don’t know what or when they’re tweeting and then have the gall to say, “I don’t think Twitter helps my business”…………  You definitely need some automizing to help your tweeting, but if you don’t know when or what it’s helping you with then you’re kind of wasting the web’s time….
2. Stop talking about yourself all the time!
1. You know that friend you hate to talk to because the entire conversation is about them?  Don’t be that guy on Twitter.  So many people get surprised that they don’t have followers when all they talk about is specials and promos.  There’s only so many times someone will want to see you say thing are half off before they’re all the way gone…………
3. Be helpful!
1. Try to provide your audience with some knowledge you’ve gained from your industry or life experiences.  Sure you want to gain sales from these people, but social media is like a Hanzel and Gretel situation.  Give people a few crumbs to lead them to the real meal!
4. Get to the point!
1. Yes twitter allows 140 characters, but don’t do the long sentence … thing.  People don’t respond to those that often unless you have a very compelling 137 characters.  Try to leave something hard hitting and a quick take away with a link attached.  If you expect everyone to read all of your “extended” tweets you’ll have a lot of extended alone time.
5. Be fun!
1. Last year 91% of mobile internet access was spent socializing.  Not self promoting!  Talk about fun things sometimes.  Provide cool news articles related to your field or how you help people.  People will read this a lot sooner and you develop a subliminal link with them.  Then you’re able to slip in  very small marketing things here and there. 

Social media is very much a cat and mouse game.  You  cannot expect quick techniques to work or not spend any time planning.  You have to be likeable especially when you consider how short the shelf life of a tweet is. 
Definitely get familiar with sites like Hootsuite, Tweetcaster, and Buffer.  They’re 3 of my favorite social media tools and greatly help. 

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Your Fear Of Technology Is Killing Your Business

I work with all different walks of life when it comes to business. Young, old, black, white, skinny, fat, foreign, local, etc. With that said, I have noticed a terribly annoying trend with certain groups (there’s not one specific, but all in all they are pesky).

This group is the “I don’t like technology even though it controls 99% of my life” group. When I say technology it can be anything from social media topaperless payments to email marketing. These people seem content on the “word of mouth” factor and referrals from existing customers…………..

I’m dedicating this blog to these people to open their eyes to a few things:

1. Businesses typically lose 10% of their customers each year. This is typically in the case of the businesses that have no efficient way of attaining new customers. Word of mouth isn’t nearly efficient as it used to be when you speak on it vocally. The internet is the new word of mouth. 72% of people trust an online review as much as their friend! Capitalize on this! Make a bloody Google places page (this takes time so get on it……….mine is still in limbo with the “we do not service” error………) or Google+ for God’s sake!!

2. 91% of internet usage on mobile devices is spent socializing. This is huge!! EVERYBODY IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA! WHY AREN’T YOU?! I admit it can be daunting, but not unbearable. Pick 2 platforms to start with and really study and get used to them. When you opened your business you probably spent a lot of time looking for print marketing or television. Apply the same to social media.

3. I don’t like paperless systems / I don’t want my info on the internet. This one really irks me because the people that say this already have info on the internet!! If you have car insurance, the info is online. If you have a home, the info is online. If you pay bills, you probably pay them online (you’re silly to waste postage if you don’t do this). If you have a business, your info is online. When you can get a paperless system for your office it means:

a. You don’t need as many filing cabinets

b. You can find records in minutes even seconds versus hours.

c. You save paper that would otherwise be thrown away within 6 months.

d. If your office burns or you move your records are still there (thank the cloud!)

e. Lessening your exposure the Cancer causing chemical BPA .

4. We get all of our clients from referrals. This is awesome if it always happens, but there’s a few things you’re leaving to chance. If you go through a slew of transit, cheap, or unhappy customers, then you get no referrals. If the clients you do get aren’t forthcoming about their experience or don’t have friends that need your help, then dead end. Referrals today come from the web so much. This is why places ask “how did you hear about us?” More often than not you’ll hear they found you online or saw a web ad. People spend about 60% of their online time shopping. You need to position yourself for this.

In short, don’t be a hermit! The digital age has been hear since we though Y2K was the end of the world! The only thing that ended then was the world as we knew it.

I like to phase it this way a lot: if I presented you the option of a land line phone or a smart phone for the same amount of money each month, which would you choose?........................

If you say landline phone, disconnect your computer right now…………..

I hope these tips help your business grow!

PS – I help business owners increase their sales and lower their costs up to 40% on average.

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Your Clients Will Love When You Do This

Running a business is hard. Period.

So how can you make it easier is the prime question. A lot of people don’t realize a core element of “business”.

Old business was a better example of how it should be done.

Let’s talk about Jimmy’s Shake Shop. Jimmy made the best shakes anybody had tried so he decided to open a shop. Jimmy personally spoke to every customer that came in the shop. Jimmy really befriended a lot of them too.

That element is mostly gone these days. Now I’m not saying be fake, but make an effort. Business is really making a customer and keeping that customer for life. Sadly nowadays companies lose around 10% of their customers every year. This is really sad because a lot of people don’t gather that 80% of their business is often generated by 20% of their customers!

In this digital age there is a quick and painless way to “befriend” your customers.

Did you know that half of all local searches are done on smart phones and that 91% of mobile internet access is used to socialize!

What this means is, use this to your advantage. Empower your customers if anything. Too often I see small business owners set up some service to bombard their customers with Twitter ads or meaningless updates. That actually has an adverse effect.

Use it for advertising , but do so in such a manner that doesn’t cry desperation and that you can follow up on. I remember once I tweeted back on a deal I saw and never got a response.

Don’t do anything that overwhelms you. Once you find a platform that works for you, run with it.

I cannot stress the power of empowerment. That’s what Jimmy did. He would try to help his customers with anything he knew. People already respect you more because you had the stones to start a business. Send some educational info out pertaining to your business. Don’t give the secret recipe, but people love when someone in their network is a giver as well. No body wants someone to entirely take from them.

I hope these tips help your business grow!

PS – Tweet them if they do!! Ha ha, ……..see how I did that. I kid I kid!

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1 Little Tool That Makes A Huge Difference

Why aren’t customers beating your door down with handfuls of money?!

Face it. We all want more. The paradox in that is WE ALL want more.

Since there is inevitably a shrinking pie, you need a better knife to get a better piece. So where do you start?

Your competitive edge. This is a phrase that Warren Buffet has stood behind and so should you.

What REALLY makes you different from the other guys?

I’ll tell you an easy way to get a competitive edge for free.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

This can be really simple and cheap things:

1. Follow up every customer about a week or so after service is rendered (sooner is ok as well)

a. A real important thing to know about this step is that you have a manageable customer records management system. Paper will kill you, so make sure you have some digital system in place.

2. Email your customers on a no annoying frequent basis (people like to know you’re thinking about them. We’re all vain…….)

3. Ask customers for reviews (this gives you valuable feedback and free exposure on the web)

a. This can be done verbally, with a sign, or through email

4. Send reminders of coming back or checkups (this is a strong tool that Amazon uses. You should too!)

The economy is busted still, so we all need to get back to basics!

I hope these tips help your business grow!

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This Is Why You Should Go Paperless

You may have heard of paperless offices.
If you haven’t, you’ve lived under a tree!
So why should you make the plunge into paperless?

There are a plethora of reasons (bear in mind that a paperless office can still print things out. The point though is to avoid this as much as possible. A lot of owners get scared that “paperless” means there is no other option.)

1. Saving money: You can save upwards of $100,000 a year by going paperless because you avoid paper costs, receipt paper costs, printing toner, mailing costs, and storage! That amount can be the difference in a business still running for another month sometimes.
2. Protecting yourself: This is in the case of receipt paper. A lot of people don’t know this, but receipt paper contains high levels of BPA and BPS. These chemicals are bad for your health as they cause cancer, diabetes, obesity, etc. Imagine your staff being exposed to cancer causing chemicals every single day!
3. Marketing: If you go paperless you open up a new venue of marketing. Typically paperless systems integrate a lot more email into the routine. THIS IS FREE MARKETING GOLD! When you get a client’s email you have all kinds of opportunities to increase revenue.
4. Improve accounts receivables: Surveys find that businesses who accept payments electronically are normally paid within 10 days versus 27 days for all other forms. Every owner I’ve dealt with wanted their money ASAP. Obviously electronic is faster because who carries checks?...........................Plus,
5. Reduce the amount of bounced checks: Back in 2000 it was estimated that 731 million checks would bounce for various reasons. Don’t get caught in that statistic having to chase a customer down! With a credit/debit card payment you find out right away if it is good, not days later! Plus people nowadays like the convenience of it. I rarely carry my checkbook.
6. Store records on a hard drive not a hard cabinet: A computer can take up inches and hold billions of records while paper takes up cubic feet! Find your transactions in split seconds, not minutes or even hours. Plus, if you pay for bookkeeping, it will save you money being able to present your records via email or USB rather than a folder (accountants hate folder files)

I could go on longer, but you might run out of paper………………………

Seriously though, get with it. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Change is good!

I hope these tips help your business grow!
PS – They will.

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What Everybody Should Know About Receipts

Shopping. Sometimes mundane yet sometimes exciting. We do it habitually but also impulsively.
It is such a joy, but carries a serious threat.

WE USE 4.3 MILLION TREES A YEAR FOR RECEIPTS!

We found that in the United States 80% of the population receives 1 to 3 receipts a day!  That is a ton of paper.  On top of that, 70% said they have no organized way of storing their receipts (think about the size of them.....You're either stapling or using envelopes....) plus 30% agree that paper receipts are a growing environmental concern. 

So basically,

MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HATE RECEIPTS!!!

ON TOP OF THAT, THERE IS THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CHEMICAL BPA FOUND ALL OVER THE RECEIPTS.

Oh yeah, if you didn't know, BPA can cause Cancer, Diabetes,  obesity, infertility, and more.
Business owners have an opportunity now to make a difference. There is up to 19 times more BPA on a receipt than a plastic bottle. The only solution is to go paperless. Protect the earth and yourself!

Plus, paperless offices run far more efficiently.

I hope this tip helps your business grow!

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While You Are Drooling Over the iPhone 5 Launch, Don’t Forget These 3 Things

The new iPhone has been unveiled!!!!!!!!!
Stop everything! This is a code red!!!!!
………………………..
Ok, now on to serious matters. The world has been captivated with the iPhone since its inception. Why is that? Apple was a niche computer manufacturer with a decent share hold and the company had no experience in smartphones. So how did they poise themselves for success and hold onto it?
1. Exposure.
a. Apple is great for their showmanship. I can’t say that I really recalled electronic product launches as flashy and attractive like theirs at any given day. In CES you see a lot of these things and it’s kind of a captive audience. Apple will say, “let’s do it next Tuesday” and the entire world is there. They did this by having their hand in a little bit of everything. TV, magazines, and social media I think benefited them the most. It’s a whole culture of iPhone people and Apple does a good job of reinforcing why they should stay that way. Do that with your clients. This is a crucial building block . A lot of business owners don’t “house keep” their customer book and then they wonder why they lose them. Often times people will stay with a given business purely because of the customer service and interaction.
2. Developing a competitive edge.
a. I won’t say Apple is the best at making phones, but they are the best at creating small changes to software that people love. Siri is their biggest hit. Yes Android has Iris (I use androids myself), but it isn’t the same. Siri is a personality, a person in some households. People just like feeling like they have a little servant in their hand. You need to development a similar competitive edge. If you’re an auto repair shop amongst 100 try doing things like having follow up emails after service is rendered or offering coupons to your best customers from a database you create. Do that extra step and people will respond. I’m always befuddled when a fast food attendant smiles extra big, says please and thank you a lot, plus extra careful of my food. Develop that edge quickly!
3. Customer service
a. Apple is definitely top notch in this department. They bend over backwards for their customers most times. People like that. People like knowing they can get a phone and have a massive network of help using it. Let your customers feel the same way about you. Follow up with them in an appropriate time for your sales cycle. Ask them for reviews. Ask if they have any friends you can help . TELL THEM THANK YOU (should be automatic, but I thought I’d toss it in!).
Doing things like this can set you on a path to be the iPhone of whatever you do!
And customers will come back even if you just change your product/service a little bit……….
I hope these tips help your business grow!

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3 Things You Should Do Like The Kardashians

The Kardashian family. One of the most known, talked about, and followed families on the planet. And this is all for absolutely no reason! There’s not really any clear “talent” in this family, but America eats them up.

Why though?

What can you learn from them?

I’ll tell you 3 things they are talented at that you should apply to your business strategy

1. They are all over you like a spider monkey!

a. Every outlet of the media has Kardashian. They are on every single platform (as new as Pinterest is they already have 381 followers…). Try to get on all social media platforms that pertain to you (I don’t really think a Physician can use a Facebook or Pinterest that much without another marketing team). If you can fit it in your budget and time, then do it. There are a lot of them though. If need be, get some kind of software or add-on to your browser so you can make the spreading of one news update across all platforms very seamless.

2. They play to their strengths.

a. Pretty much the Kardashians are good at being outrageous and looking stylish. Yes they have an empire, but it’s built upon others intelligence and musk. They never talk about their intellectual capital unless it’s about a style they like. You do the same. Highlight your strengths to your clients and don’t be afraid to tell them you need to look for an answer. They’ll appreciate your honesty that way better than you making up something and they find out………

3. They form great strategic alliances.

a. People have long but forgotten the friendship of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. Then people thought “ooh, who’s the Armenian girl” and “awwww, aren’t they cute besties!” WRONG!!!! Kim was working on her first strategic alliance. After she received her notoriety and fame, they split. The family later learned to not just disappear after connecting with someone and I’m telling you now to not do that ever. No need to learn the hard way that this act can tarnish your name. Look for people in your community that you can help and who can help you, but be for real about it. Don’t be a leech.

So go out there and get your Kardashian on!!!

I hope these tips help your business grow! ………………………………….like Kim’s rear!

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I Bet You're Not Doing This 1 Simple Thing To Nurture Your Business

With so many tips out there for small business owners, what is the most powerful? ( When I speak of business owners on this topic I am mainly referring to those with a physical business). Some people think it is to invest in a commercial on TV (which is still pretty powerful). Others will say online directory marketing (also powerful).

Although both of these are great things to do, they also can be very expensive………some of these online advertisers charge $200 a month and you may not have a great return on that investment all of the time. So what is the solution?

GET EVERY CUSTOMER’S EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!!

A survey conducted in December 2009 by ExactTarget indicates that more than 50% of consumers make purchases as a direct outcome of email. It also drives more ROI than any other channel including social media and PPC advertising.

This little thing is one of the things that helped Amazon become the giant they are today. With your email submitted to them you get recommendations on products to buy, deals, and links to review what you bought. All are marketing gold!!

So here’s all you have to do in your brick and mortar business:

1. When you are completing a sale with a customer, get their email so you can send them a paperless receipt . Tell them you’re doing it for their safety and for the better of the environment (if you’re not paperless now, catch up!!).

2. Within 1-2 weeks (depending on your sales cycle) send another email with 3 parts:

a. Telling them thank you for choosing your company/product

b. A request for them to leave you a review (preferably on Google, but otherwise on SuperPages, YellowPages, Yelp, Bing, Yahoo, or HealthGrades if you’re a physician

c. A direct link to your social media pages (FaceBook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp, FourSquare, MySpace, or whatever you have!!)

This simple 2 email process does 2 things:

1. A little old fashioned courtesy in saying thank you again. This practice has all but died out unless in this fashion. I wouldn’t really expect you to send thank you notes, but at least you can do this……… People appreciate it.

2. Increases your chances of getting reviews. We all know that people will post negative reviews easily. The positive reviews sometimes need a push. If you contain a link right there in their email for where to go, then there is little to no excuse for them to not review you!

I hope these tips help your business grow!!

Paperless Joy: Paperless Business & Lifestyle Design (Google Affiliate Ad)

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2 Reasons Why You Must Use Social Media

Social media is a major entity in today’s world. It is estimated that there are about 58 million social media “users” to date. That’s a lot! Considering also now that 62% of adults worldwide use social media and 47% of people say that Facebook has the greatest impact on their purchase behaviors. With that said, you need to be in position for this.

In my opinion, the 2 strongest pieces of social media are:

1. Reviews: sorry folks, the days of anonymous reviews are gone! People want to know a real person reviewed a service or business, so pretty much all review locations require an account. Google especially!

These reviews are the most powerful obviously because in 2011 Google accounted for 1.722 quadrillion (that’s right,……quadrillion) searches!! You can have a lot of reviews from other sources, but the Google search algorithm gives extreme preference to their own reviews. YOU NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS NOW!

If you don’t have a Google+ account, ……….get one ASAP!!! After that, start contacting customers of yours that have Gmail accounts and ask them for reviews first. The others will possibly need to get your help to start leaving reviews, but help them.

2. Being a helpful source: People of all walks of life need help. The internet has helped place that needed assistance right at your fingertips. So commonly though, I see people simply abuse social media to send out constant posts about what they’re selling or producing. This typically becomes a turn off to people.

We are bombarded with marketing all day. Don’t fill up my wall with it!! I typically block or mute somebody that does this. Instead, try to teach someone.

If someone connects with you on social media and is not a friend then they are in need of your assistance in some facet. Teach them something you know that they may not. Show them why they should be connected with you. This practice takes more time in communication, but it provides quality communication and not just white noise.

I hope these tips help your business grow!

Send me any questions you have! If I don’t have the answer, I will find it!

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3 Simple Ways To Improve Your Web Presence

So, you're a business owner and you've been doing it for a while.  Word of mouth has been your best friend.  Unfortunately, we live in a world where word of mouth is either fleeting or not around.  Today, 72% of people trust online reviews as much as word of mouth. That's huge!! Especially if all of your friends are idiots! 

So what does that mean for you?  That means you need to have some online reviews.  Now typically people will post a review when they're mad much more than when they're happy.  With that said, you need to be proactive about having your positive interactions documented online. Here are some easy ways to do that

1. Include a reminder on your receipts
1. Try putting a helpful reminder on your receipts.  Big corporations are very good at this. “Fill out a survey for a chance to win $1,000,000”. You may not go this far, but leave a reminder like “Please review us on Google” or “Like us on FaceBook” or “+1 us”.
2. Email your clients
1. A problem you may encounter is that you tell them to do it, but they don’t remember when they’re on their computer.  Email them a link to the review source you choose.  Then there is almost no excuse to not get some reviews.
3. FORCE THEM!!
1. Have a computer in your office somewhere that you will give customers access to in order to post a review. Help them do it.  All it takes is to say, “hey, would you mind taking a moment to post a review of our services right here. I would greatly appreciate it.” If need be even offer some small discount.

You have to be proactive about this.  You can have the greatest service around, but the guy with a subpar product and a lot of positive reviews will trump you online.  Protect your online reputation as much as you would challenge a guy to a fight for calling you a chicken!! These operational tips are meant to help your business flourish.  

I hope your business grows!

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2 Reasons Your Business Is Slowing Down

2 Reasons Your Business Is Slowing Down

I work with a lot of different types of business owners, but they typically have 1 common concern.........

How do I get more customers?

Often people think they are eating from a shrinking pie, so what they have is suitable.  The thing is, the pie may be growing, but you're trying to cut it with the wrong knife.  So how do you get the simple marketing tools you need today?

1.  USE THE INTERNET, USE THE INTERNET, USE THE INTERNET!!  

Often times, owners get in a system as they call it, but it's really a rut.  In order to do something different you have to do something you've never done.  This is key in business.  So what all of your previous customers came via word of mouth!  That river can dry up easily.  In fact, 72% of people trust an online review as much as word of mouth!  So have a social media page and most importantly a Google page.  Make sure you're listed correctly on any relevant search directory.

2.  Ask your current or potential customers for more.

Have you ever really looked at the receipts from large businesses like Walmart or Home Depot?  They always put some kind of call to action to go to their site so you can receive more marketing from them.  Try putting something on your receipts that tells your customers to like you on Facebook, or +1 you, or more importantly to put a review up for you.  If they post a unique review with their picture, that is worth gold! People want to know the reviews come from a human and not a computer.  Also ask for referrals in the same way.  If you need to, provide some incentive.

Remember, this must become a habit.  If you get someone's email, there is huge potential for more business for very little investment.  Too often owners or managers tell me, "we don't ask for customer's email" and say it with an air of it's a bother.  WHY DON'T YOU ASK FOR THEIR EMAIL? YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THEIR MONEY...... With their email you can more easily get more reviews and comments online.

Try it out!  I know it will better your business!

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