Having started my business career using the more traditional bricks and mortar business route I know only too well how difficult it can be to increase sales for a small business. Sadly, nowadays it is even harder for local businesses to survive as more and more of us opt for the more convenient route of ordering our goods online… But are there any “tactics” that small businesses can employ to lure more of us to buy their goods or services?Mobile Marketing-Promoting To The ConvertedMany local businesses miss out “big time” as they waste too much valuable time and resources chasing new customers when the real money (and consistent income) comes from marketing to existing customers. After all, people who have already bought from you will already be aware of the quality of your product or service and providing that the buying experience that they had with you was good, then chances are that they will buy from you again and even encourage others to buy from you as well… They just need a little prompt or reminder that you are still open for business.One of the easiest and most instant ways to promote to existing customers is to use mobile marketing. Let’s be honest most of us now carry our mobiles with us 24 hours a day and more texts are opened straight away than any other form of communication.Indeed, most of us now provide a mobile phone number as our first point of contact as opposed to the more traditional landline contact number. Therefore all you small business owners out there need to make a point of storing these valuable mobile numbers and start using them to promote your business via a cheap text messages. Don’t worry of you don’t know how to get started as there are affordable training packages out there that will show you step by step how to set a mobile marketing campaign.The best way to achieve instant results for your business by using this method is to promote an offer or a promotion. Let’s be honest we all like a bargain so simply offering, for example, a free glass of wine to customers who book a table at your restaurant on a quiet evening will help to attract more business. Even though it will cost you a glass of wine, you will more than make up for it by filling empty tables with paying customers.Mobile marketing can benefit other small businesses too including texting appointment reminders for businesses like dentists or doctors, luring people into car showrooms via Bluetooth messages, promoting special offer up sells for businesses like beauticians or health spas. There are endless benefits that using mobile marketing as part of your local business marketing can offer, not least of all that it’s cheap, quick and offers instant results.What Is A Business Without A Good Website?I am amazed by how many local businesses are still not online. Given the ever growing popularity of the internet, small business that are not promoting their business online are losing out on massive income potential and are passing that business onto other business savvy owners instead.Creating a website for your business does not have to cost a fortune… In fact some websites even offer free templates that you can use. You then simply need to purchase a domain name and some hosting for your website. If you lack the confidence or knowledge to do this yourself, there are websites out there that offer a way of outsourcing this task to others quite cheaply, simply check out outsourcing sites for that offer that type of service. Often you can put a bid on the outsourcing websites that will invite people to bid for the work. This can be a great way of getting the best value for your money.Again, there are training packages available that offer step by step training on the best ways to create a website for you business together with the cheapest ways to drive traffic to the website including how to get onto page 1 of Google.Without a doubt, regardless of what small business you own, it is vital to have a good internet presence to ensure consistent sales for your business.Business Blogs- Seeing The Bigger PictureIt’s often quite challenging to persuade small businesses to start blogging. They fail to realise that writing a blog can significantly increase sales for their business; most sadly fail to see the bigger picture.Blogging takes time but if you are consistent, your business will begin to see dramatic results. Blogging for your business can help you to connect with people, especially if you are careful to write in a style that is unique to you and that you offer valuable content. If you are careful to offer useful advice within you blog, then you will help to promote yourself as an expert who people can trust, which will result in the reader buying from you rather than your competitor. It doesn’t matter what business you own, whether you’re a dog trainer, a piano teacher, a shop owner or a driving instructor, writing a blog can offer an affordable and fun way of getting your business noticed.You can then drive traffic to your business blog by sharing the link to your blog on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. There are also opportunities available, (for a small monthly fee) for small businesses to use existing high ranking blogging sites to promote their business.These are the 3 ways that I personally consider to be the most effective way to increase sales for your small business. They are methods that I have personally used, with success, within all of my businesses as they are affordable and create instant results.
The Dangers Associated With Starting a Home Based Business
There are often times many people who are afraid to try any home based business. Why? Often it is due to the fact that there are so many scams around that it can be difficult to tell the good companies from the bad, and some would just rather avoid that at all costs.
So how do you start a home bases business if you don’t know who or what you can trust? How do you build a business online when you are not sure what you are going to do, or even you’re your options may be?
You can make money working from home, and from your internet business. The key to becoming successful with your online business is to first decide what you are going to do. Deciding what you are going to do is a lot easier than it sounds and too often we make the mistake of making it more difficult than it has to be.
For example, if you are an artist and you love to create, you can take a course in web design or graphic design and you can become a freelancer. Your internet business would be creating logos and web pages for other customers. You would in essence be paid to do what you enjoy doing.
Maybe you like products; you can become an independent secret shopper and get paid to shop. This would be your home business, and you can work it both online and when you get out.
Your other option is one of the more traditional home based businesses; these are considered the Network Marketing businesses. This is the business of building relationships and usually involves a company for which you are a distributor. You are paid on the sales of your customers and commissions on the sales of your direct distributors as well. In some cases you are also paid bonus commissions. Now these bonuses vary from company to company so they should not be expected unless you specifically seek out a business that offers these additional incentives.
Earning money with an online business is very possible and in fact more and more people are finding ways to do this online. The key to finding the right home based business for you is to first (as I mentioned earlier) determine what you enjoy doing and start from there.
Whatever you do, don’t allow someone to tell you what you should be doing online. When you start to allow others to determine the road that you are going to take this is when you will find yourself without money and without a friend. This is the trap that too many people fall into.
Also, do not spend more than you can afford. There is no good reason for you to do this. There are a lot of people who will try to convince you that it is in your best interest to buy the larger package, or to buy this lead package, or advertising, but in the end this is YOUR business and you need to do what you can feel comfortable doing.
Online Education and Online Degrees – Many Options Available for Distance Education
Online education is the latest trend in alternative education choices. Also known as distance learning, options in online education are being pursued by people from all over the world who are looking to further their education. And it’s never been easier to join the growing class of Internet U.
Whether you’re interested in simply getting your GED or receiving your MBA from an accredited university, your options in adult education have doubled in the past five years with the advent of online education and will likely continue to grow as more colleges, universities, graduate schools, and trade schools begin offering distance learning classes online.
How Does Online Education Work?
In most cases, it is not the specific college or university that runs the online education portion of their program. Most schools outsource their internet education duties to companies that specialize in hosting distance learning classes. These companies (who have names like eCollege, SkillSoft and such) perform the actual tasks of running the online classes, assigning work, and conducting exams, all according to the curriculum provided by the specific school. Students that enroll in online education courses are typically required to provide their own computer and any necessary software needed to participate in the online classes and take the exams. In the world of online education your books, binders, and number two pencils are replaced by a PC (or MAC – but compatibility may vary), a word processor, and some form of multimedia player. Broadband internet access is advisable as well. It may be hard to get your masters with low baud.
Things to Look Out For
Online education is a very worthwhile trend in the evolution of education in our world and it is conceivable that sometime in the future nearly all official education will take place online. The internet, however, is the real-world equivalent of George Lucas’ Mos Eisley Spaceport; a wretched hive of scum and villainy. As online education becomes more prominent, there will be more companies looking to take advantage of the trend by offering sub par classes and fly-by-night degrees from non-accredited schools. Before you commit to any online education program, do your homework and make sure that the school is accredited. The last thing you want to do is spend your time and money earning a degree online that isn’t worth a byte in the job market or to other educational institutions.
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