Business Start Up Tips, part deux

No matter what business area you are in, you need a website.  Web presence makes your business larger and global immediately, for a relatively small cost.  Factors to consider are cost to build and set up, hosting fees and maintenance of the site.  Maintenance is the area least considered by small businesses.  Everyone knows that Google analytics exist, but few understand that fresh and updated content factor into your search rankings.

If your business is very small and service oriented, you may make do with one of the free template sites until you can afford a web designer.  Keep in mind that you won’t be able to develop a “brand” look with this, but it can quickly get you up and running so that you can market yourself.

Next, learn how to use social media for your business exposure.  If y0u have a Facebook page, you will need a new one for your business with only business related p0sts and commentary.  Invite your friends and family to “like” your page, but hide their posts unless they are responding to your business comments.

Find meaningful tips and content to share on Facebook and Twitter.  There is a wealth of information on optimizing your social media.  Google “how to use Twitter” and see how many listings come up.  Search the Twitter listings by tag or topic and find specialists in your business area.  Follow them, converse with them and mention them.  You will gain knowledge and followers.

Part 3 coming soon.  Missed part one?  Find it here.

Technology Leads Way to Employment

The true economic jobs plan is for those with the drive and skills to start their own business.  Many businesses can be started and run from any location and with low start up costs.  Laptops, netbooks, tablets and smartphones all keep business owners connected and productive.  24/7 technology and the Internet also make it possible to do business worldwide no matter where you are.

The first thing to consider when starting a business is if you really love what you will be doing.  Running a business is not for those who like to punch out at the end of 6 or 8 hours.  Reducing your personal expenses to the bare bones and dropping any cash sucking distractions can further make starting your own business a reachable venture.  A business will consume almost all your time and take creative planning just to fit in family obligations.  If you don’t absolutely love your business, you will not be successful.

Next, do you have the skills or resources to start and run a business?  You may love to bake and make the best pound cake in the world, but if you cannot make your kitchen meet food service code, no successful bakery can be produced from home.  Renting or leasing an existing building will make this dream out of reach.

Can you make enough to support yourself and/or your family while the business gets going?  This is critical as every business takes some funds to operate, even without the overhead of office space.  Make a strict budget for 3 months at a time.  Every 3 months, treat yourself to something that was cut out of the budget.  This gives enough breathing room and reward to keep you on track.

Come back next week for more start up tips.

Choosing Your Tech

With the daily release of new gadgets and software, how do you wade through the pool to choose what to spend your limited entrepreneur dollars on?

First, know that any items purchased must suit your personal and business needs.  As an entrepreneur,  you don’t have the luxury of separating work and family.  Particularly with freelance or start up businesses, you are always at work.  There is no “off” time.  Either you are working, meeting clients, marketing or thinking up ideas.  If you don’t spend time on all these activities, you won’t be successful.

So your tech has to be a multi-tasking as you are.  At the same time, you don’t have time to get a degree in how to use your tablet.  Quick tip; Sprint will tutor you on your new device and set it up for your specific needs.  Just make a set up appointment when you purchase and you can cut your learning curve to nearly zero.

Second, know what you can give up comfortably.  If the idea of using a touch screen is not appealing, stick with a laptop, netbook and traditional style phone.  Most smartphones and tablets are optimized for touch use only, you can add third-party keyboards, but you may give up some functionality of the device.

Third, consider price.  This is usually the first thing people consider, but if you have a business, buy the best, most up to date tech you can afford.  The upgrade cycle is usually two to three years so you will be stuck with this device for a while.  If the capabilities are already being phased out, no price break will make this a good idea.

Finally, do your foot work.  Don’t just rely on on-line reviews.  Instead, use on-line references to narrow your list then go out to the stores and actually play with the device for a while.  You may end up purchasing on line for a good deal, but make sure you are going to love the item you are entrusting your profitability to.

Can Netflix Recover from Qwikster

Yea!  Netflix is waking up from their stupor.

Over the past couple of months, Netflix has doubled prices, tried to spin off their DVD business and alienated customers, investors and bloggers all over.  Now, they have apparently started waking up to their in-company insanity and are starting damage control.

As eloquently stated by Flack Me, Qwikster joins the ranks of New Coke and Windows Vista in becoming the marketing joke of the century.  Perhaps even the Millenia.  I outlined some of Netflix’s blunders in September, showing just how absurd the progression was.

From the price hike to the idiotic idea that anyone would want to log into 2 different websites and maintain 2 different lists to pull entertainment content from the same source, Netflix leadership was making decisions with their hindquarters, not their brains.

Did anyone do market research, a focus group, Facebook poll?  Clearly not.  A million subscribers spoke with their wallets and let the formerly excellent company know how they felt.

The only question now is can Netflix regain the loyalty and trust of their customers and investors?

Yahoo Blunders – Big and Small

In case you missed it, Yahoo recently fired it’s CEO by telephone.  Yes, that’s right, the board of a multi-billion dollar corporation picked up a telephone and fired their top executive.  Can you say “faux pax” anyone?  But, wait, don’t be sad for her, Carol Bartz will walk away with a cool $10 million to ease her broken heart.

By Yahoo’s own statement, Ms. Bartz was released for “termination without cause”.   And Yahoo stated in their press release that the board was appreciative of Ms. Bartz’s service and has appointed the CFO as interim CEO.  Techsnoop doesn’t know about you but I wouldn’t release anyone a year early if it would cost me $10 million if they were a good worker.  Even if we hated each other, we would have to get along for that much money.  We’re talking about salaries for 10 developers for 20 years.

Next in said press release was the statement “The Co-founders of Yahoo!, David Filo and Jerry Yang, will each continue as Chief Yahoo and will provide counsel to Tim and the Executive Leadership Council.”  Yes, that’s right, they will each continue as “Chief Yahoo“.  Did someone really let this critical communication be released with a typo of this maginitude?

I smell job opening and I want to apply.