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Let Google Do Your Job For You: How Search Engine Optimization Will Bring Potential Customers To Your Business

Posted on March 4th, 2009, 01:03 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up, Interactive) by Daniel Natale

You finally have a great looking website for your business. You spent a lot of time designing, revising and selecting just the right photos. It’s both cool and professional, unique and original, a perfect expression of your business and its products or services.

But can anyone find it? Do you ever Google your business’ name to see where your business appears? Is it on the first page of the results, or do you have to go through page after page of results before you find your website?

If your business has a great website, and you want potential customers to find your business, then you MUST invest in Search Engine Optimization for your website.

Search Engine Optimization is the active method of analyzing, improving, and reconstructing a website’s internal and external features to increase traffic and improve your ranking on the web’s major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

Not optimizing your site is like buying a high-end sports car, not putting any gas in the tank, and expecting it to take you anywhere you want to go. Optimization is the fuel that drives visitors, and more importantly—potential customers, to your site. It can be your most valuable marketing tool. Let’s look at some of the major benefits:

1. Visibility
You wouldn’t have an unlisted phone number or address for your business, so why should your most visible asset of your business be hidden from potential customers? Your customers are looking for your business! Make yourself easier to find. Search Engine Optimization helps move your website upward in search engine results for the keywords and phrases related to the services that your business provides. Search Engine Optimization brings customers that are already interested in you to your doorstep.

2. Affordability
Search Engine Optimization is one of the most inexpensive ways to market and advertise your business. Consider that Yellowbook and local print ads can run almost $2,000 dollars a month, and have a limited reach. Pay Per Click (PPC) rates and online banner advertising can cost up to $3,500 per month, and exist only for as long as your marketing budget does. However, Search Engine Optimization of your site offers a low–cost option (typically only $150-$600 per month) to promoting and advertising your business online. Remember, consumers are more likely to purchase from a high–ranking site rather than from one that has (obviously) sponsored ads.

3. Simplicity
Imagine going to bed each night knowing that if someone Googles “interior decorator California” or “Chicago accountant”, or “Philadelphia landscaper” your business will be right near the top, and you will have a new business opportunity waiting for you the next day. That is very possible with Search Engine Optimization. Take the work and the hassle out of finding new customers, and let your website do all the work.

Search Engine Optimization is a powerful marketing and advertising tool for any small business. By adding Search Engine Optimization to your professional web design , you will ensure that your business has at least one simple and cost–effective sales generating tool.

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Top “Gotchas” of Being Self-Employed

Posted on February 27th, 2009, 01:02 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up, Graphic Design, Interactive) by Kevin Reeth

Economic times being what they are, we’re meeting a lot of people who are becoming self-employed for the first time. For many of them, the amount of “stuff” to deal with is overwhelming.

On one hand, you have the more exciting things like getting business cards, putting up a web site, starting to network and doing all that fun stuff that brings in the money. On the other hand, there’s all the overhead that comes with being a “business” in the eyes of local, state and federal government. I’m going to list out some of the most important ones to be aware of.

1. Estimated taxes, including self-employment tax

Now that you’re not drawing a paycheck, two big things change. One, nobody is withholding taxes for you and sending them to the government every few weeks. You need to do that 4 times a year, on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15. Two, not only do you have to pay income taxes every quarter, you also have to pay self employment tax. What’s self-employment tax? It’s your mandatory contributions to Social Security and Medicare. And the real kicker is that you have to pay the full Social Security contribution of 12.4% (up to the first $102,00 in 2008 earnings.) You employer used to pay half of that for you before. Now it’s all on you.

2. 1099 reporting requirements

Let’s say you’re going to design and build web sites for clients. Every once in a while, you may want to get some help from an independent contractor – say, a graphic illustrator. Hopefully you can mark up his or her time and earn a little extra profit. But, if you pay him or her more than $600 during the year, you are required to file a copy of form 1099MISC at the end of the year. In order to fill that out, you need to have the contractor fill out form W9 with the right contact information and tax identification (often a social security number.) Plus, there are multiple different deadlines – one (end of January) for the copy that has to go to the contractor, another (end of February) if you file by paper with the IRS, yet another (end of March) if you file electronically.

3. Coming up with contracts and written agreements

Whenever possible, you should get a written agreement in place with your customer or client. But lawyers are expensive and odds are you aren’t one. So one of the most common things we’ve seen is to simply “borrow” from other publicly available agreements and modify them to your needs. For example, you can find lots of sample agreements on Docstoc. And while having a written agreement won’t guarantee that you get paid, it definitely increases the likelihood that you’re compensated for your output.

4. Retirement options are non-obvious

Hopefully, you’ll be pulling in enough that you can choose to put away a little something for the future. But now that you’re on your own, you don’t really have traditional 401k or pension opportunities. You can look at a SEP-IRA (Simplified Employee Pension), a Keogh plan, or a Solo-401k, then also look at additional Roth IRA contributions on top of that. But you have to choose what works best for you and it takes effort to find companies to provide them.

In short, make sure you carve out at least some time to address these issues. It will pay off down the road. For the first two, you might try Outright.com – it’s free and super easy to use.

To everyone out there getting started on this exciting new journey – good luck!

About the Author

Kevin Reeth is CEO & Co-Founder of Outright.com, a dead-simple online bookkeeping application for self-employed individuals and very small businesses. He lives in Los Gatos, CA and is still on his journey from salaried job to self-employment to self-actualization.

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How to Seamlessly Incorporate Your Logo with Printed Materials

Posted on February 4th, 2009, 02:02 pm
Filed Under (Branding) by Anna Cruz

After you’ve created the perfect logo (congratulations!), you now need to think about how you’ll incorporate that logo into your sales, marketing and printed materials. Your logo now needs to be printed on anything that the public will see. You also need to upload your logo to your Web site and append it to any emails you send out. This will ensure that your logo will be seen again and again, which means people will be more likely to remember it and call you the next time they need your product or service.

First, let’s review the four elements that are essential to any great logo:

1. It’s describable (which means it’s simple enough for people to remember)
2. It’s memorable (it’s unique so people remember it)
3. It works in black-and-white as well as color (it’s got to work in different media)
4. It’s scalable (it’s legible and effective whether an inch tall or 10 feet tall)

These four elements will ensure a successful interpretation from computer screen to printed material. When you’re integrating your logo into other materials, first you need to take a look at your overall marketing picture, as well as your brand. What are you trying to convey?

Look at Your Overall Marketing Picture
Your logo’s colors, design and feel needs to match your other printed materials’ look and feel. Choose complimentary colors to the color(s) in your logo design when choosing a background color for your brochures, business cards and postcards. Also, don’t forget your Web site – you need to design the site so that it reflects the same feeling your logo does; remember, all of these elements should contribute to effectively communicate your brand.

Ensure Consistency Across Materials
All of your printed materials should have some kind of consistent feel, whether that’s in the typography, the colors or some design element.

All of the design elements from the colors used to the carefree logo reinforce the company’s message of being healthy (Viva is a network of health and fitness professionals). This goes to show that your color scheme and font choices should be the same regardless if you’re printing brochures or posters, designing custom business cards or your company’s Web site. This kind of consistency is what makes a company look professional.

Remember Your Brand
If a design or color choice doesn’t represent your brand, but looks really good design-wise, you must not use that color. Your logo and all your printed materials must represent what your brand stands for – you can’t let your brand’s message come in as a second priority after a pretty design. A brand is a valuable corporate asset and is not to be taken lightly or changed on a whim just because of design. The logo’s purpose is to build, maintain and work in parallel with your brand image to strengthen your company identity and public image.

Special Thanks to Anna Cruz at Graphic Fetish. Graphic Fetish provides daily resources and creative inspiration for Graphic Design professionals.

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Entrepreneurs Head to Washington: 24 New Congressmen are Small Business Owners

Posted on January 8th, 2009, 08:01 am
Filed Under (Biz Start Up) by Daniel Natale

Interesting post over by Raymund Flandez at Independent Street, The Wall Street Journal’s entrepreneur blog. 24 of the U.S’s New Congress Members have small business backgrounds:

“Here’s a look at the 24 incoming members of Congress (out of a total of 61) who have had some small-business experience, according to the Small Business Advocate, a monthly newsletter published by the SBA’s Office of Advocacy:

Senate

Mark Begich (D-Alaska), owner of a property-development company.

Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), owner of a computer-repair company.

Jim Risch (R-Idaho), lawyer, rancher, and former trailer-company owner.

Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), former jewelry-store owner.

Mark Warner (D-Va.), telecommunications and technology venture capitalist.

House of Representatives

Steve Austria (R-Ohio, 7th District), owners of a financial-services firm.

Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah, 3rd District), public-relations-firm owner.

Mike Coffman (R-Colo., 6th District), founded two property-management companies and a leasing firm.

Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa., 3rd District), owner of a landscape-architecture business.

John Fleming (R-La., 4th District), physician; sandwich-shop owner.

Alan Grayson (D-Fla., 8th District), president of a phone-services company; investor in small companies.

Parker Griffith (R-Ala., 5th District), physician; owner of a funeral home and a nursing home; real-estate developer.

Brett Guthrie (R-Ky., 2nd District), vice president of family-owned automobile die-casting business-

Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla., 24th District), owner of a real-estate company.

Chris Lee (R-N.Y., 26th District), executive of family-owned shock-absorber-manufacturing business.

Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Missouri, 9th District), co-owner and manager of a family-owned bank and insurance agency; rancher.

Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo., At Large), manages family ranch operation

Betsy Markey (D-Colo., 4th District), owner of an ice cream and coffee shop, as well as a Web-services company.

Walt Minnick (D-Idaho, 1st District), founder of a retail gardening chain.

Chellie Pingree (D-Maine, 1st District), inn and restaurant owner; former owner of knitting and craft business; farmer.

Jared Polis (D-Colo., 2nd District), Internet entrepreneur and venture capitalist; at-risk charter schools founder.

Kurt Schrader (D-Ore., 5th District), veterinarian and farmer.

Aaron Schock (R-Ill., 18th District), real-estate developer and home-improvement company owner.

Harry Teague (D-N.M., 2nd District), oil well-services-company owner.”

Do you think their small business experience will help them be better public servants? In all likelihood it’s probably a natural transition from entrepreneur to politician. Entrepreneurs have long been known for their strong networking abilities, negotiation skills, and tenacious self promotion, all valuable qualities in political life. Do you think their knowledge of corporate identity, made it easier for them to build a personal brand for themselves and their campaign?

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More than Just a Logo: Building Your Brand in 2009

Posted on January 6th, 2009, 12:01 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up, Branding) by Daniel Natale

It is a new year, and a new chance to build your company’s image. Building an image for your business should be near the top of your to list for the new year, and one of the first tasks you tackle in 2009.

Now that you have a professional logo design for your business, it is time to build on it, and develop a comprehensive brand.

What is a brand?

A brand is a mix of both the visual and the intangible. When you think of the golden arches of McDonald’s, you immediately think fast food. When you think of Nike’s iconic swoosh you instantly think of sneakers. When you think of Google, you think of searching the internet.Your brand should ultimately be the mental picture that forms when someone thinks of your business. Branding is not just about separating yourself from your competitors; it’s about getting prospective customers to see that your business is the only solution for their problem.

How Does My Company Achieve This?

Brand Promotion

Let the world know about your business professional image. It might be just a logo now, but remember this is the first experience a potential customer will have with your business, so get it noticed. Place your logo on a website, place it on a business card, and place it on a sale sheet. Do any and everything to start building visual recognition for your brand.

Brand Reputation

Think of your brand as your reputation. It should reflect you and your company. You wouldn’t want to show up to an important meeting in sweatpants, or in need of a shave. Although it sounds obvious,
your brand must always look professional and industry appropriate. Your logo should not be used or associated with business without your permission, nor should it be used to endorse any activity you wouldn’t want to associate with your business.

Brand Consistency
Ensure that you are consistent with the visual aspects of your brand. Make sure your logo has a uniform and consistent layout. Different colors, and fonts and multiple versions of your logo will be confusing to your customers, vendors, and employees. Make sure your logo is uniform across all media and look the same whether on a website, brochure, or business card.

Build Better Brand Relationships
One goal of your brand is to build a relationship between you and your customer. Your brand should represent a piece of you and your business so that your customer identifies with you and your brand. This personal relationship may be just a superficial attachment, but ultimately it should build long lasting relationships.

Most Importantly-Do What You Do Everyday

All the advertising, marketing, and professional design in the world won’t matter unless you consistently serve your customers day in and day out. Are you there for them? Do you answer their phone calls right away? Do you go above and beyond and provide an excellent product or service? Do you exceed their expectations? The true heart of your brand is not just a professional design, but also your customer’s expectations of you and your business. Providing top-notch service or an outstanding product will ultimately be the true mark of a professional brand.

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Don’t Let the Grinch Steal Your Christmas!

Posted on December 12th, 2008, 04:12 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up) by Daniel Natale

During the holiday season, it can be difficult to manage a business, a family, and the annual stresses of the holidays. Throw in a recession, and you have a recipe for a grouchy Christmas. It is important to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy this time with friends and family. Below a few tips on handing this time of the year:

1.Control What You can Control
There is no sense worrying about things you may have any control of. You can’t predict what will be the perfect gift for Aunt June, and you certainly can’t predict the direction of the economy. However, you can make informed decisions based on the information you do have. Have confidence in your own decision-making abilities, and execute based on your best judgment. Both Aunt June and your business will benefit from your conviction.

2. Budget Wisely
Remember you have financial limits, both at home and at the office. Prepare a budget for your holiday spending much as you would for your business. It is not stressful to spend, but it will be stressful to pay when bills and statements arrive in January. Take a practical approach, and give yourself one less thing to worry about in 2009.

3. Remember, You are Not Alone
You are the not the only one experiencing stress this time of year. Your relatives, employees, and colleagues are all going through the same stresses, leading to potential holiday squabbles and blow-ups. Take some time to listen to them vent and complain, offer advice and express your own challenges. Ninety percent of the time, an angry or stressed person just wants to be heard, and lending that ear will prevent a Christmas Grinch, and will make you feel better in the process.

Remember, the holidays should be a time for enjoying your family, friends, and something bigger then you and your business. Sit back relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor from 2008.

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Surviving the Economic Downturn

Posted on November 13th, 2008, 01:11 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up) by Joe Witte

I just read at Bloomberg that the U.S. unemployment rate is going to hit it’s highest since 1994. Another 500,000 people will be laid off, and I have a sneaky suspicion that this is only the beginning. Just about every major industry is suffering—auto, banking, real estate/mortgage and retail, you name it.

It won’t be long until this recession trickles down to hit just about everyone who isn’t a doctor. A close friend of mine who manages a mutual fund and is a financial analyst confided that this recession could take up to six years to fully recover. So, how can you prepare your small business for this economy?

Stay Calm
Your employees, clients and family are depending on you to lead them in a time of potential crisis. Do your best to make decisions methodically, and get the counsel of other professionals who can help you make good judgments. The last thing you want to do is unnecessarily sever relationships with employees or vendors, potentially inflicting unnecessary damage to your company and reputation.

Avoid Debt
This suggestion may be late for many businesses, but for those of you that are considering going into business for yourself, do your best to build your business the right way. Something that our company, Logo Design Guru, has done extremely well is to build a profitable business with no debt.

I’ve seen many companies take massive loans to expedite growth rather than grow organically, only to hit a speed bump and never recover. It’s always easier to get money when you have money. And, since we are profitable, we’ve been able to save for opportunities as well as for rainy days. Get ready for a storm.

Eliminate Waste
Now is a great time to review your vendors. Contracts with vendors such as telephone companies, merchant accounts, payroll services, health care services, and office supplies should be renegotiated, or replaced with a less costly vendor. These actions should be done prior to layoffs or cutting marketing expenses.

Be Honest
Let them know the financial status of the company. It is OK to tell your employees that raises are frozen as a result of the economic conditions. You may be surprised at how well your staff rallies behind you in order to save the company, and ultimately, their own jobs.

Develop a Game Plan
Create several financial scenarios for stress tests. Each scenario should have a plan that you can implement in the event you don’t reach your sales or revenue benchmarks. This allows you to remain methodical without getting overly emotional.

Look for Opportunities
Successful businesspeople look for silver linings in the cloud. Your competitors will begin to disappear, thus opening up an opportunity to gain market share. You can forge new relationships with other companies who also are looking for ways to generate new revenue. Don’t stop marketing. In fact, get creative and aggressive with your marketing. If you survive the rough times, you will come out even stronger when the economy rebounds.

Joe Witte is a partner at Logo Design Guru and a writer for SOHOBLOG, and has successfully started 3 small businesses including CentricSource and Travel Ad Network.

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Giving the Store Away: Good Promotion or Tired Trick?

Posted on November 12th, 2008, 01:11 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up) by Daniel Natale

Saw this over at Endgadget, Sam’s Club is offering a Nintendo Wii Family Bundle for $224 on Black Friday. Included in the bundle are three Wiiremotes, Three nun chucks, and three games, much more valuable then the $224 price tag. Sam’s Club is claiming quantities are limited. Good ploy to drive business into the store, or unnecessary give away to people that will be there to shop anyway? Does this type of give away have an impact on consumers who are used to ridiculous black Friday deals?

What does your small business do in terms of freebies and giveaways?

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Check out SOHO blog!

Posted on November 6th, 2008, 12:11 pm
Filed Under (Biz Start Up) by Daniel Natale

Check out the Small Home Small Office Blog at www.sohoblog.org, it offers some nice tips and good advice on running a small business and reaching your immediate and long-term goals.

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Caffeinate the Electorate: Starbucks Strategy Good or Bad?

Posted on November 3rd, 2008, 04:11 pm
Filed Under (Branding) by Daniel Natale

Aside from having a voice in your democracy, and a say in how your tax money is spent, Voting on November 4 will get you free coffee from Starbucks. Check it out: Starbucks Free Coffee

It’s a pretty neat way to caffeinate the electorate and offer another added bonus for voting.

What do you think of this as a marketing/public relations strategy? Silly stunt or good marketing?

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