Support Remote Working and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

You’re concerned about the coronavirus. So are we. So, we put together 10 awesome business tips helping you to support remote working even long after COVID-19 becomes a distant memory.

The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – Support Remote Working and More

Our research ninjas at Credit Suite put on surgical masks and smuggled out ten amazing business tips for you! Be fierce and score in business with the best tips around the web. You can use them today and see fast results. You can take that to the bank – these are foolproof! Support remote working to keep your employees safe – plus more ways to refresh your business and marketing.

Stop making stupid decisions and start powering up your business. Demolish your business nightmares and start celebrating as your business fulfills its promise.

And these brilliant business tips are all here for free! So, settle in and scoop up these tantalizing goodies before your competition does!

#10. Content is King; We’re All Just Vassals (or Maybe Court Jesters)

Our first jaw-dropping tip is all about kicking off your content marketing the right way. Inc says the first key point is to own your own content. Oh yes. Oh my God, yes.

What does this mean?

Owning your own content virtually always means your business has a blog and a website. It’s not Wix and it’s not Medium. Content ownership matters because you never know when a platform will implode. Remember: people used to think MySpace would be around forever.

Heh, not so much now, eh?

Here’s another tip we really liked.

Define Your Niche, and Then Broaden It

What does Credit Suite write about? Well, we don’t write about business in the generic sense. Rather, we write about business credit. And there are some natural offshoots to that. That includes these Friday blog posts about marketing. It also includes what it takes to start a business, and how to fund yours.

But we don’t write about just anything when it comes to business. So, don’t expect to get advice about working with foreign exporters here. But that’s okay. There are plenty of other places to find such information.

The bottom line is you don’t have to be all things to all people. For that way lies madness. Get good at your niche!

#9. Marketing for Those of Us with Champagne Tastes and Beer Pocketbooks

The next awesome tip is about marketing for a startup when your budget is, shall we say, less than grand. Young Upstarts notes the old school business card is still a fantastic way to market yourself.

It also has the benefit of being something tangible. Even with fewer gatherings (thanks a heap, COVID-19), there’s nothing stopping you from slipping a business card into an envelope with something you’re mailing anyway. That could be advertising materials or even invoices.

Here’s another idea we loved.

Fishbowl Marketing

Have you ever seen one of these on a receptionist’s desk? It’s one of those things where you toss your business card (there’s another use for ‘em) into the bowl or bucket. You’re entered into a contest for … something. 

Of course, only one person (or only a few people) wins. What happens to all those other business cards?

If you said they’re added to a marketing mailing list, then give yourself a gold star. And if they’re just tossed, then what a wasted opportunity!

So, collect the cards. And for the folks who don’t win? How about telling them they’re entered into a second chance drawing or future drawings? Give to get, as we say.

Mailing lists filled with warm prospects are worth more than their weight in gold. The good old fishbowl is an easy way to build one, for nearly no cost.

Support Remote Working Credit Suite

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Support remote working for more than safety and health – it’s great for productivity, too. Plus, nine more fantastic tips!

#8. You Have from the Ground Floor to the Top Floor to Convince Me: Now, Go!

Our following life-changing tip concerns writing an elevator pitch. Business Knowhow lays it all out for us.  This is a skill you can use elsewhere in life, by the way. 

Maybe the best part of this article is the emphasis on personal connections and tailoring. We believe in value in every transaction here at Credit Suite. And you should, too! Your audience certainly does.

It all starts with understanding what they’re looking for. So, let’s go with a fer-instance.

An Example

Let’s say you sell perfume. A retailer is wondering whether it’s worthwhile to set aside some of their valuable shelf space for your product. An end user is wondering what your product smells like. And they may be wondering if you ever test on animals. And a distributor may be concerned with how well your product is packaged to prevent breakage, and where your manufacturing center or warehouse is. 

Telling your end user or a retailer that your product is made in Milwaukee is going to get you tuned out right quick. And telling a distributor that your product smells like lavender and mint doesn’t matter to them unless your packaging fails. Or there’s a spill on the highway.

A Personal Story

Elevator pitches (often in writing) are an integral part of the author experience. In a few moments, I have to convince a publisher that they want to read all 100,000+ words of a science fiction story showcasing the struggles in a society composed of humans, smart robots, and aliens.

This has led me to understanding better about what a publisher (or agent) wants. They want something that sells. That’s their bottom line. So, while they want to know if my book will be a page turner, they’re also wondering what the ultimate readership could be. This helps them figure out how to market it. So, if I tell them it’s a cross between Alien Nation and I, Robot, then they’ve got a much better idea of who might want to read the novel. 

This is different from how the story might be pitched to readers. That’s the blurb (you know, the piece on the back cover of a book or in the description section on Amazon). For a reader, I might draw an analogy to current attitudes toward immigration and technology.

You may have a service and not a product. And if you have a product, it’s probably not a book. So, your specifics will differ. But this is yet another area where tailoring will serve you well.

#7. Good Blog Posting is no Accident

So, for our next sensational tip, we looked at creating converting blog posts. Opt in Monster says that breaking up texts makes it more compelling.

That’s kind of why we do it in these posts!

But there’s more than that, when it comes to writing a blog post to help with conversions. We’ll just concentrate on one of the tips in this article.

Bang! Bullet Points to the Rescue

The best things about bullet points are:

  • They’re easy to read
  • Readers are naturally drawn to them
  • They’re a great way to make short, sharp points
  • You don’t need to even write full sentences
  • In fact, they’re supposed to be a lot more like headlines
  • And they break up text beautifully

#6. Creating Bite-Sized Content for Bite-Sized Attention Spans

This tip is so cool, and it works! G2 tells us all about creating ‘digestible’ content. 

Did you know the current attention span is something like eight seconds?

That’s less time than it just took me to read the first part of our tip #8 (right before the ‘An Example’ subheading). And I know what it says! The first time you read it, it probably took more like eight seconds to read the first one or two paragraphs.

Yeah, it’s like that. Whoa.

Short, Sweet, and Maybe to the Point

The article focuses on some great forms of short content and how to get them going. We highly recommend reading the article in its entirety. So, let’s talk about one type of nugget-sized content.

Videos

We create business credit videos here. Lots and lots of videos. Some are short, and some are longer. The beauty of video isn’t just that you can get a lot across in a shorter amount of time. It’s also possible to multitask when it’s on. You’re busy. I’m busy. All God’s children are busy.

So, make it easier for your unbelievably busy audience to connection with you and give them short, sweet content mixed in with the deeper dives.

#5. Keep Your Workers Safer and Support Remote Working – Now and Forever

Support Remote Working Credit SuiteGrab this mind-blowing tip while it’s hot! 

And you can help people, too, which is awesome. You can do so when you support remote working.

Effortless HR says when you support remote working, you allow for more employee flexibility. Because the challenge is less to attract top talent these days (although that’s still vital) – it’s keeping them. And keeping them happy.

Of course, this setup reduces operational expenses. Imagine having to only rent enough office space for 15 workers, rather than 30. And if you offer a commuting benefit, you’re only paying for gas or train or bus tickets for 15 people (or whatever the figure is). After all, it makes sense. Letting people work from home means you don’t need to pay someone to commute from their bedroom or kitchen to their spare room or couch or the like.

Let’s concentrate on one terrific benefit when you support remote working.

Look at that Big Candidate Pool – Just Look at it!

That is, when you support remote working, you’re allowing people to work who couldn’t before. The parent with the small child. The caregiver for an elderly parent. And, yes, the person who’s disabled, either temporarily or permanently. 

Your employee could be in a wheelchair, and it wouldn’t make any difference versus other employees who aren’t. They could have a child who needs attention. But so long as they get their work done, then things should be golden. 

Personally, I love working from home. And I am just about at a point where I wouldn’t even consider a company if they didn’t offer it (don’t worry; I’m not looking to jump ship). But yeah, it means that much to me.

Support Remote Working Credit Suite

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Support remote working for more than safety and health – it’s great for productivity, too. Plus, nine more fantastic tips!

#4. Ready, Set, Makeover!

So, check out this spectacular tip, all about giving your office a productivity makeover. After all, even as you support remote working, you may still have folks who’ve got to be the office. Under 30 CEO notes that your environment can have a serious effect on your productivity. One of their tips really surprised us.

Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere

You may be used to working amidst a lot of papers you’re not working on right now. 

Guilty as charged.

Don’t.

And here’s why.

Clutter can actually make you more creative. How? It has to do with being able to make unique and new connections. But that tanks your productivity. Once you’ve got the creative stuff going on, it’s time to buckle down and execute on your ideas.

So, maybe take out those papers and the like, whatever helps you get creative, to start. But then put them away when it’s time to get in gear and get things done.

#3. Initial Traction, then Scaling

So, it’s not your imagination: this winning tip can help you scale your efforts. Startup Professionals tells us your first job is to get traction. Of course, you should – otherwise, you won’t have a business!

But once you’ve gotten going, things are going to have to change. This is a part of the natural progression of startup ventures. Things need to slow down and pivot after a while.

Let’s concentrate on two separate tips.

Squeeze Those Pennies!

Can you get a volume discount? Or maybe a few percent off if you pay early? If you can do it, then go for little helpers like this. Get used to looking for the bargains out there. And get used to finding ways to defer payments. Hey, starting business credit is one great way to do that.

That’s one of the reasons why we here think it’s so awesome.

Selling is Everyone’s Job

Just adding sales to someone’s job title shouldn’t be necessary to get them to help with sales. This doesn’t mean everyone is hard selling and cold calling, etc. Rather, it means your employees are company advocates. This can even get into them telling their friends they like working for you (assuming they do, of course). More easily and cheaply attracting great talent is a terrific way to save money.

By the way, the article says to do this and we agree – reward people who help with this! Being a wonderful place to work is a pretty surefire way to convince your employees to tell your pals they, you know, actually like working for you.

#2. Job Candidates are People, Too

Well, of course they are. 

Our second to last unbeatable tip can give you a new perspective on improving the job candidate experience. Indeed reveals all about treating your future employees better. 

It’s hard to hire these days. So, why make it harder for yourself? 

I’ve been through a ton of job interviews and the hiring process varies wildly from place to place. This tip really resonated.

Don’t Wait Forever to Provide Feedback

At a certain point, a job candidate will think you’re ghosting them if you don’t follow up soon. At the absolute minimum, please let people know if they’re still in the running. And if they aren’t, then cut them loose.

#1. Is Disruption Compatible with Customer Satisfaction and Process Excellence? It Can Be

We saved the best for last. For our favorite remarkable tip, we focused on how industry disruptors can improve customer satisfaction and process excellence. Entrepreneur says these are not mutually exclusive goals. We recommend reading the article in its entirety, so instead we’ll focus on one particular point.

Map and Maintain Your Processes

YouTube is a disruptor. So’s Google. You honestly think they don’t have any processes in place? Of course, they do! Those are processes for everything from hiring to deciding on the color the walls in their offices.

Processes help with workflow. They save time and, by extension, money. The gist of it is – if it’s already been decided, then that’s one less thing to do. So, your business can be Disruption City. Just, stop reinventing the wheel all the time.

So, which one of our brilliant business tips was your favorite? And which one will you be implementing now? 

Support Remote Working Credit Suite

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Support remote working for more than safety and health – it’s great for productivity, too. Plus, nine more fantastic tips!

The post Support Remote Working and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week appeared first on Credit Suite.

Write More Likeable Social Media and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

Are you looking to write more likeable social media copy? It’s nothing without a thumbs up – so make it easier for people to like what you’re putting on social media. We show you how, plus 9 other awesome tips to help your business succeed.

The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – Create More Likeable Social Media and More

Our research ninjas at Credit Suite smuggled out ten amazing business tips for you! Be fierce and score in business with the best tips around the web. You can use them today and see fast results. You can take that to the bank – these are foolproof! More likeable social media can get you more prospects and more sales – and we show you how to do it!

Stop making stupid decisions and start powering up your business. Demolish your business nightmares and start celebrating as your business fulfills its promise.

And these brilliant business tips are all here for free! So, settle in and scoop up these tantalizing goodies before your competition does!

#10. Business Success is in Your Hands

Our first jaw-dropping tip is all about running a successful business. HubSpot quotes some sobering statistics. Currently, 9% of American businesses close each year. Yet only 8% of businesses are started each year. And around half of all new businesses close after the first five years.

Still, that means half don’t. So, how do you get into the other half? You know, the good half?

This article is jam-packed with great stuff so we encourage you to read it all. Hence, we’ll concentrate on bits of it.

Offer Benefits for Staff

Now, you may be wondering why I’m zeroing in on this. It’s not necessarily something which businesses start with. Yet, it’s still vital.

Why is it so important to offer employees benefits? Well, some are required by law no matter what. You’ve got to offer jury duty leave. And you need to have workers’ compensation. But there’s another reason to do so.

Benefits help to motivate your employees. And they help your employees with buy-in. Employees are more likely to be loyal to a company with decent benefits because benefits directly help them. Life and disability insurance could help a struggling family more than nearly anything else. Beyond employee loyalty, you’d also be doing the right thing. Can’t beat that! 

#9. You Don’t Have to Go it Alone

The next awesome tip is about working with an advisory board. Startup Professionals notes working with an advisory board can help to fill any talent gaps in your organization.

Now, this article is in the context of startups. But there’s no reason why you can’t work with an advisory board even if you’ve been in business for a while. An advisory board can be as formal or informal as you like. They’re essentially people you turn to for advice on your business. 

Fill Knowledge Gaps

Gather ‘round for a quick true story.

Over a decade ago (oh my gosh, it really is that long ago), I worked at a startup. It was four engineering students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. And me. You know, Wendy and the Lost Boys.

None of us really understood how to do everything from working with suppliers to doing the books. That’s not to say we didn’t try. And the school provided some assistance. But it wasn’t truly enough. 

You don’t need to know everything. And you don’t need to do anything. Cripes, no.

Get help from others – and in this article the biggest takeaway is that a regular, formalish advisory board is the way to go.

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Create more likeable social media and win over more customers and prospects. Plus, nine other awesome tips to keep your business humming.

#8. Spending Money to Bring in Employees to Help You Make Money

Our following life-changing tip concerns improving your recruiting budget. Indeed lays it all out for us. First, the budgeting process for recruiting should be going on all year long. And, the truth is, budgeting for everything should probably be more or less constant.  Being able to roll with the punches and turn on a dime is good for nearly any aspect of business.

But let’s talk about your recruiting budget.

Examine Your Process and Refine It

So many businesses seem to be stuck in an older mindset when it comes to recruiting. They’re advertising online, yes, but that’s about the only difference between today and 1960.

It’s still vetting tons of resumes, in-person interviews, etc. 

So, let me tell you a story.

The Never-ending Recruiting Process

Well, at least it seemed that way at the time.

A few decades ago, I was interviewing for positions and the standard was, you’ll hear in a week or so. Okay.

There was a company which I ended up interviewing with for two separate positions. Both of them said it would be a month before I would hear. So, for the second one, I asked why. And they told me it was to get through the pool of applicants and meet them. All of them.

I asked – how many people are interviewing for this one role?

Oh, forty.

Say what?

That business had never learned to triage its applicants. As a result, the recruiting process had to have been extraordinarily expensive.

Vetting and Meeting and Deciding

To combat this, that business would have done well to vet the applicants and their resumes better. Vetting takes some time. But it’s far cheaper than pulling so many people out of their work routines to meet with over thirty employees who would never work there. 

By devoting more time and attention and money earlier in the process, you’ll save money. And you can save cash later in the process, too. After all, just how many people have to meet every single applicant? The first interview should be a second stage of vetting. Your, say, 40 applicants should be vetted down to maybe 20 who get a first interview. And then there should be maybe only 10 – 15 people who make it to the second interview round.

Putting off the big decisions and saving them for the end of the process wasted everyone’s time and money. 

Tech to the Rescue

That company – and yours, too – could have used better triaging technology. It didn’t really exist then. But it sure as heck exists now. You may find the expense well worth it, to eliminate less acceptable candidates faster. And then you can concentrate on your best prospects.

Budgeting for such software should help to offset some of the human hour costs. So, be sure to factor that in when putting a final bow on your improved recruiting budget.

#7. Stretch Productivity Without Stretching Numbers

So, for our next sensational tip, we looked at upping sales productivity without upping headcount. LinkedIn says that most salespeople spend about 40% of their time selling. But if you could raise that to 50% for a ten-person team, then you would effectively have the work of 11 salespeople.

Pretty neat, eh?

But how do you do that?

Reduce the Time Spent on Things Which Keep Your Salespeople from Having Enough Time to Sell

Like what?Likable Social Marketing Credit Suite

Well, like onboarding, for example.

How do you reduce the time onboarding? Isn’t it important? Of course, it is.

So, make your salespeople want to stay. And you won’t be onboarding quite so many people. 

Another way to save non-selling time is with technology. Are your computers too slow? Do your employees constantly do workarounds to get their work done properly? Then your tech could stand an overhaul. 

And our fave was good old outsourcing. Are your salespeople typing up orders, or keeping the common areas in your office tidy?

Why are they?

Pay someone else to do less skilled and mission critical work. Save your salespeople for what you hired them for – selling. 

#6. Hello, I’d Like to Sell You Something

This tip is so easy, and it works! Mail Shake tells us all about selling over the phone. This article covers some fundamentals when it comes to any sort of selling – not just over the phone. 

The tip I’d like to concentrate on is the one about action. As the article notes, once the writer knew what to do to make sales, he kept doing the same thing. Over and over again.

It’s hard to overemphasize the importance of this point. So, it means less experimenting, perhaps – or maybe not. After all, to be genuine with your prospects, you can’t say the exact same thing over and over again. Treating people individually is the name of the game – just check out our tip #5 for the specifics on that.

Instead, here’s an analogy which should be more instructive.

Free Throws

Have you ever played basketball? Any level, even pickup, counts. 

There are a ton of variables in the game, as there are in all sports. Except for in one area (this is operating under the assumption that you’re inside – the outside world has wind as a variable).

Free throws.

It’s just you, the ball, the basket, and the free throw line. Basketball courts are of a regulation size. Unlike baseball diamonds, they have to conform perfectly to certain measurements. This includes court size, where the free throw line is, and the height of the basket. The ball stays the same (if you’re in an all-female league, the ball is smaller, but it’s the same size from game to game and from team to team).

Once you start making free throws, should you change your technique? Of course not. Just ask Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

Sales isn’t perfect. There are variables. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

#5. Generate More Likeable Social Media 

Grab this mind-blowing tip while it’s hot! 

More likeable social media is where it’s at.

Word Stream says treating every platform the same way is a mistake. And so is just tossing any old content out there.  Be intentional with your marketing.

Actually, that’s good advice no matter where you’re marketing, or how.

Treating Everyone and Everything the Same is SO 1956

We live in a world of personalized marketing and branding. So, hop on board that train. It’s not going away any time soon.

But what does that mean to your brand?

It means paying attention to your customers’ and prospects’ demographics – and knowing those might not match perfectly. And it means paying attention to what they are saying and doing. If they’re not clicking on and liking cat videos (not everyone does – shocking, I know!), then don’t use cat videos in your marketing.

Here’s a tip which truly stood out for us.

Match the Visual with Relevant Copy

How many times have you gotten a message on your feed from a business? Probably lots of times, whether that’s on Facebook, Twitter, or elsewhere. 

How many times did a cute puppy (awwww) accompany a message about buying brooms or taking a pottery class? Hopefully, not too often. And what did you do with those ads? 

You probably ignored them. And you may even have felt a nagging, unconscious feeling that those ads were weird, as were the companies serving them.

Likable Social Marketing Credit SuiteYour gut was trying to tell you something.

Getting attention for a social media post with a wholly unrelated image can leave your audience with a vague feeling of being cheated. Because you have cheated them, in a way. You promised one thing, yet you failed to deliver on that promise.

Don’t do that.

But what do you do if your product just isn’t that attention-grabbing? Or you sell a service that is maybe harder to visualize, like life coaching? 

Adding a Visual to a Concept Which Doesn’t Lend Itself to Visuals

Consider how the NBA team, the Miami Heat, does it. After all, heat is an amorphous concept. And they can’t go with the sun, as that visual goes along with another team, the Phoenix Suns.

So, the Heat did it with an image of flames. Even now, their name has a stylized flame tailing away from the T in Heat. And before, the image of flames was even more pronounced.

There is a team called the Calgary Flames. And they also use images of flames. The Heat can coexist in this space because the Flames are an NFL team. Hence, the Heat’s imagery won’t be confused with a rival’s.

So, consider related imagery and similar imagery. Maybe your life coaching visual can show pictures of the coach/coaches with clients or alone. Or maybe you can go with a more representational concept, like a ladder or a series of stairs, showing how a coach helps clients succeed. Experiment and play with the concept until you find what works.

We suggest reading the article in its entirety as there are plenty of other terrific tips in there.

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Create more likeable social media and win over more customers and prospects. Plus, nine other awesome tips to keep your business humming.

#4. Up Your More Likeable Social Media Game

So, check out this spectacular tip, all about better promoting your company on social media. The Self Employed notes that, for example, you should never, ever buy followers.

The article is actually an infographic, and we recommend checking it out.

However – here’s a caveat.

The infographic refers to Klout Score. Which hasn’t been around since 2018. So, take it with a grain of salt. This doesn’t mean the infographic is no longer useful. It is! But we recommend digging a bit deeper and not just accepting every bit of it without some further investigation.

#3. Up Your Website Traffic with Influencer Marketing (Talk About Getting More Likeable Social Media!)

So, it’s not your imagination: this winning tip can increase your website traffic with influencer marketing. Noobpreneur tells us there are a number of ways to bring influencers around to working with you and your brand.

And these don’t have to be influencers with enormous followings. But wait, back up a sec – what’s an influencer?

The Power of Recommendations x 1000

When was the last time you bought a new car, or at least a new-to-you car? 

Did you talk to your social circle about it? Maybe you wanted to find out if the new model you were looking at was really worth it. Or maybe you were trying to figure out if you could get a better deal on the other side of town. Perhaps you were asking about features you didn’t have and thought those options might be a good idea.

Whatever the reason, you were talking to influencers. Your personal influencers probably don’t have a million Instagram followers. But you trust them. So, their follower count most likely doesn’t matter to you.

That’s what influencers are. Except these are folks who you don’t know well, if at all. Hence, your degree of trust is different.

Divulge Any Commercial Relationships

In the article, they say you should be paying your influencers. And that makes sense – they’re offering a valuable service which you need. But at the same time, an influencer is supposed to be a trusted recommender. Doesn’t that feel like a paradox?

It doesn’t have to. By disclosing all commercial relationships (you disclose, and so does your influencer), then your audience is respected. They know – or at least they should know – that your influencer isn’t motivated by love, like your Aunt Sally. 

Any savvy consumer will understand your influencer would be compensated for their services. But you will attain and retain their trust if you make it clear that your influencer gets some cash for saying your widget is better than your competitors’.

This does beg the question, though – what about when your customers are very young children? If this applies to your business, then I would advice you to use an overabundance of caution when working with influencers.

After all, you probably wouldn’t like it if your kids were overly influenced by someone – or manipulated by them.

#2. Prevent Facebook Ad Mistakes!

Our second to last unbeatable tip can give you a new perspective on avoiding Facebook advertising errors. Main Street ROI reveals all about the kinds of blunders which so many fall prey to on the world’s largest social media platform.

By the way, some of the errors involved not properly targeting an audience and not writing the right kind of ad – talk about needing to create more likeable social media!

But beyond that, here’s our favorite tip because we think a lot of people ignore it at their peril.

Don’t Ignore Custom Audiences

It is in Facebook’s best interests for your advertising on their platform to succeed. After all, if your company makes money, then you’ve got more money to spend on advertising on their platform.

And if you do well, you’ll tell others, etc.

They provide a ton of tools to help you succeed. Those tools are free.

So, why the heck aren’t you using them?

The Wonderful World of Custom Audiences

The idea behind custom audiences is to best target the people who will receive your sales messages. There probably aren’t any real universal products out there (I’m not talking about oxygen, which is technically not a product. And I’m not talking about health care, either, which is more like a galaxy of several products and services). So, because there are likely no truly universal products, your audience needs to be tailored in some fashion or another.

Even if you don’t have a perfect handle on the demographics of your audience, Facebook knows the demographics of the people who like your page. 

So, target your Gen Xer customers, or your customers of color, or your female customers. Giving people the content they want means, to them, you’ve got more likeable social media content. That means engagement. And it can mean sales.

Think laser-like pinpointing, not blanketing.

#1. SEO, Like Politics, is Local

We saved the best for last. For our favorite remarkable tip, we focused on local SEO. Succeed as Your Own Boss says it all starts with Google My Business. Google gives you a ton of free real estate to provide detail about your business. And the search behemoth pulls from GMB when people search for services like yours in your area.

So, why are there blanks in your profile?

Fill ‘em.

You have space to tell Google what you are and what you do – and where you do it.

This means well-defined service areas. Let’s say you’re in Brooklyn. Your service area might be Queens. Or Bushwick (a part or Brooklyn). Yes, neighborhoods count. Make this information painfully clear. Because when someone is searching for your product or service in Park Slope (another part of Brooklyn), you want them to be able to find you!

So, which one of our brilliant business tips was your favorite? And which one will you be implementing now? 

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Create more likeable social media and win over more customers and prospects. Plus, nine other awesome tips to keep your business humming.

The post Write More Likeable Social Media and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week appeared first on Credit Suite.

Beating Imposter Syndrome and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

Have you ever struggled with not thinking you or your business was good enough? Then you’ll want to read on and scoop up our tips for beating imposter syndrome. The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – You Could Be Beating Imposter Syndrome and More Our research ninjas at Credit Suite smuggled out … Continue reading Beating Imposter Syndrome and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

Beating Imposter Syndrome and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

Have you ever struggled with not thinking you or your business was good enough? Then you’ll want to read on and scoop up our tips for beating imposter syndrome.

The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – You Could Be Beating Imposter Syndrome and More

Our research ninjas at Credit Suite smuggled out ten amazing business tips for you! Be fierce and score in business with the best tips around the web. You can use them today and see fast results. You can take that to the bank – these are foolproof! Beating imposter syndrome is in your future.

Stop making stupid decisions and start powering up your business. Demolish your business nightmares and start celebrating as your business fulfills its promise.

And these brilliant business tips are all here for free! So, settle in and scoop up these tantalizing goodies before your competition does!

#10. Please Don’t Hurt Me, Customer!

Our first jaw-dropping tip is all about the bane of ever businessperson’s existence – handling angry customers. Last week, we looked at turning complainers into promoters. Here’s more on that topic. 

The Self Employed says for every brand promoter, you’ll have some 26 brand detractors. Ouch.

As you would probably expect, there’s a lot of harm which detractors can do. And it can be tough to get over that.

One idea is to continue to build as many positive experiences as possible. While you’re not going to be able to please everyone all the time, you can please more people than not. Well done, you could drown out some of the negatives.

But that doesn’t solve them. So, here are some tips for getting to the heart of the matter.

Find Your Complainers and Address Them

What happens when your brand isn’t tagged by the complainer? What if they get really coy, and refer to your business as ‘the company that shall not be named’? Is all lost, in terms of trying to find the complaints and properly handle them?

One idea is to use software such as Daylite, or some other CRM software. The idea is to locate any mentioning of your brand online, and sometimes those aren’t perfect. 

Listen to the Complainers

Now, if you’ve been on the internet for more than five minutes, you’re well aware that there are plenty of people who troll. And there are a ton of folks who just complain for the sake of complaining.

But what about the legit complainers? In such instances, your task is to acknowledge that hey, they’re right. And then tell them what you’re going to do about it. It doesn’t have to be anything detailed. Rather, you can say you’re going to review the matter. That’s good enough. But don’t forget to follow up and do just that.

#9. Run the Customer Journey Smoothly

The next awesome tip is about avoiding problems in your customer relations. Main Street ROI notes there are several ways to, well, mess things up.

We’ve covered a lot of similar territory before, so we won’t repeat ourselves. Rather, we’ll concentrate on what we think is the biggest issue.

Don’t Let Leads Slip Through Your Fingers

Have you ever been to a website which you wanted to be at, but somehow you lost the connection? Maybe you got a phone call and clicked away. Or you restarted. Another possibility is you were there for a while and meant to save the information, but something distracted you. And then, oops, it’s gone.

Imagine being on the other side of this. Heck, you probably don’t have to imagine. You’re probably living it. And you may not even know you are.

The Big Net

Those lost prospects are a bit like fish falling through a bigger than normal hole in a fisherman’s net when he’s failed to repair a tear. That fisherman needs a second net. And so, do you.

But how?

Consider adding a lead capture form to your website. You want contact information. So, in return, provide something for free. In exchange for a name and an email address, try providing a white paper to download. Or maybe access to a webinar not found anywhere else.

Not every lost prospect will fall into your secondary net. But it’s senseless to not put out that net and at least try to catch a few of them.

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Start beating imposter syndrome today.

#8. Get a Marketing Network Going

Our following life-changing tip concerns networking for marketers. Wordstream lays it all out for us. Connecting to similar businesspeople doesn’t have to mean just going to a networking event and collecting a bunch of business cards. And then promptly tossing those cards into a drawer and not finding them for a year.

We felt the article had good ideas and recommend checking it out in its entirety. So, we’ll showcase just one of their tips.

Be Our Guest

Contact people and ask them to be your guest bloggers! And do the opposite – ask if you can write a guest post for them. 

The best part of this tip was to do the legwork in advance, including crafting good headlines. Make it painfully easy for the host to say yes.

A Few Extra Words on Blog Guest Posting, From Us

We’ve taken a few guest posts over the years, and here are a few things we’ve learned.

First, craft guest posting guidelines and refer people to them. Second, craft standard responses to people who suggest guest posts. These should cover instances like an acceptance, an acceptance with reservations, a denial with a chance to resubmit, and a flat-out denial.

Ask for a relevant sample. So, here at Credit Suite, it would be a blog post or article about business funding, business credit, or maybe banking. We’ve accepted some posts about related topics, like business insurance. But the idea is to match our theme as closely as possible.

And determine what your standards are going to be. One thing I have found is that, if the pitch letter has grammatical and spelling errors in it, then the pitch sample probably will as well.

Make your life easier and have the guest poster write up a short bio. And give them a chance to give input on topic, title, etc. 

Most importantly, don’t ever be afraid to say no. We’ve only accepted about 5% (if that) of all of the pitches we’ve ever received. 

#7. Social Media + Sales = Results

So, for our next sensational tip, we looked at integrating social media with sales. HubSpot says that you can use social media to, for example, prospect for customers. How? Check places like LinkedIn, and find out their location, work history, and any mutual connections you may have.

Plus, people put all sorts of stuff into their LinkedIn profiles. They might be the member of a surfing club. Or maybe they identify themselves as a graduate of Quinnipiac University. Getting talking points and ways to relate to your prospects can only help you.

Here’s our fave tip of them all.

Social Proof on Social Media

What’s social proof? It’s reviews, mainly. What do other people say about your product or service – or your company? Why not share that with sales. Most people love social proof, as it can often feel more authentic than what a pitchman would say.

Consider Amazon. If there are any reviews for a product at all, people read them. And sometimes those reviews make the difference between a sale… and no sale.

‘The sleeves are too short.’ ‘It didn’t fit my window but the company could not have been nicer. They quickly replaced my purchase with the right size and didn’t charge me for shipping.’ ‘It says it’s chew-proof, but my dog took it apart in less than half an hour.’ ‘The coffee comes with a neat little surprise – a small bracelet with stone beads! I’ll give it to my daughter. What a fun little extra!’

For the positive reviews, give them to sales to make the most of them. And as for the negative reviews, see tip #10 – and address them! 

#6. Cold Emails, Hot Leads

This tip is so cool, and it works! Mail Shake tells us all about how to best cold email prospects. 

We recommend checking out the entire article so instead we’re going to concentrate on one thing.

It’s Not All About You

‘I am writing because …’ ‘You’re on my contact list because I …’ ‘I wanted to tell you…’ ‘Please help me…’

Are you guilty of any of these?

<Raises hand.>

Why should your prospect buy from you when all you can talk about is yourself? Start with them. ‘First off, thank you for …’ ‘You’ve got a great… and I was hoping to…’ See what I mean?

Now, if you could please, go back and reread the first sentence in this article.

Yeah. That’s why it looks the way it does.

Oh and by the way, better cold emailing might just give you the confidence to start beating imposter syndrome – see tip #5.

#5. Start Beating Imposter Syndrome Today

Grab this mind-blowing tip while it’s hot! 

It’s all about beating imposter syndrome.

Freelancers Union says imposter is all too common in the world. And we would venture to say that it’s likely to be more common for new business owners. It’s easy to feel you’re not good enough.

Imposter syndrome takes a number of forms, and that includes resisting raising your rates or asking for extra money for scope creep. It also includes taking guff from clients because you feel you need them. Or maybe, deep down, you feel you somehow deserve it.

I know it all too well. Let me tell you my story.

The Storyteller’s Story

I’ve mentioned this before, that I’m a fiction author. And this came from a number of choices I made and actions I took. Of course.

But it wasn’t overnight. It happened after a number of years of writing. This meant putting thoughts on paper and then, later, realizing how cliché or tired they were. It meant throwing prose against a wall, seeing if it would stick.

I belong to a ton of writing groups, particularly on Facebook and Twitter. These groups are filled with folks who lie about how much money they are making. Some are, yes, telling the truth. But a bunch aren’t. They’re also filled with people who claim you can’t use the term ‘author’ unless you’ve been published. That instead, you must say ‘writer’, as if it were a lesser title.

That’s a load of malarkey.

Beating Imposter Syndrome in the Book

You're Not An Impostor! Credit SuiteSo, how did I first get published? I actually won a contest. Normally, I would have been terrified of entering one. Yep, I would have felt I wasn’t good enough. How could I possibly be good enough, with so many awesome authors out there? I had no experience and no portfolio. There was nothing I could point to and say, ‘I’ve been published at ___’.

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

So, for me, beating imposter syndrome meant putting myself out there and saying ‘oh, to hell with it! Let’s see what happens.’ I hesitated before I sent the email. How could I possibly measure up? I didn’t deserve that sort of success. But I sent the email anyway.

And, once I sent it, I second-guessed myself for a few months.

Some Solutions for Beating Imposter Syndrome

Our favorite tip was to surround yourself with people who are further along than you are. This is for the purpose of mentoring, yes. But I like to think it’s also for the purpose of seeing that it’s possible. Know that person was once in your position. And they made it – or at least they’ve made it further than you have. 

It’s very encouraging.

And, I might add, ignore the folks who claim you need to satisfy some nebulous, weird ideal which, bottom line, means nothing for your success or your career or industry. Of course, CPAs have to pass exams, and a long haul trucker must have the proper driver’s license. But if someone tells you the equivalent of you can’t be a real ___ without a totally unnecessary ___, then smile sweetly. And ignore them.

They’re only projecting their own insecurities on you.

And, here’s one more thing. When you’ve made it, or at least made it further – do the same for those not so far along as you. Don’t pull the ladder of success up behind you. Throw a rope down and help the next person up.

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Start beating imposter syndrome today.

#4. Businessperson, Motivate Thyself!

So, check out this spectacular tip, all about motivating yourself. Addicted 2 Success notes that daily motivation starts the night before. And we could not agree more!

So, here are a few tips, together.

The Night Before

Get to bed early. Yeah, really. That means, binge watch Netflix some other time. We would also add that sleep deficits can be downright dangerous. Try to get more sleep and try to get it early.

But before you turn out the light, plan the following day the night before. This means making a list, and it also means visualizing how to get each task accomplished.

By the way, this should help with insomnia. After all, if your tasks are already written down, and you’ve already considered how to get them accomplished, you might spend less time in bed, worrying.

Here’s one tip, just from us.

Batch What You Can

What the heck does that mean? It means getting your lunches together on Sunday, rather than every morning. It means choosing your clothes for the week, or at least the night before. It may also mean cooking something which will work for you for much of the week, like plain drumsticks, which can be served with mashed potatoes and gravy one night, and with buffalo sauce on another night. 

You’re going to need to get dressed on Thursday and make dinner on Wednesday. You’ll have to carry your lunch (or at least snacks) on Friday. And you’ll need to, say, pay for coffee with exactish change on Monday. 

Since you already know this stuff is happening in advance, stop behaving as if it’s blindsiding you! It isn’t. So, be prepared, and you’ll be a far happier person. And that will translate into improved motivation.

#3. You Don’t Have a Big Budget; But You Can Still Have Big Motivation in Your Business

So, it’s not your imagination: this winning tip can help you motivate your employees – even when the Benjamins just aren’t there. Effortless HR tells us flexibility can be an excellent motivator for people. In fact, parents tend to value it more than a higher salary! So, if you can allow an employee to work from home or later or earlier in the day, do it.

Here’s our fave tip from the pack.

Tradition!

So, this is a neat idea, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. What can your business do together which won’t break the bank? I once worked for a company which did a potluck lunch once per quarter. People either made something or brought paper plates or soda or the other trappings. Or they contributed a little cash. 

Sitting down together was fun and relaxing. It took us all out of our everyday lives for a few hours, every three months. It’s easy to do something like this. And – bonus – how about asking your employees what they want to do?

#2. What’s in a Business Name?

Our second to last unbeatable tip can give you a new perspective on naming your business. Crowd Spring reveals all about naming your business properly. We’ve covered similar ground on our blog. There are ways to name your business which can lock you out of financing. 

Don’t do that.

This article provides a few other reasons why one name or another could be a pitfall for your business. We suggest you check out the article in its entirety for examples and advice on how to avoid issues.

So, here’s one issue they outlined.

Guilt by Association

Disney recently bought 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures. And they promptly dropped the ‘Fox’ from both acquisitions.

Never mind that these properties aren’t owned by Murdoch (the folks who own Fox News). Disney didn’t want to alienate any potential customers. By dropping the term, they neatly sidestepped that.

For Disney, it was also convenient, as they would have likely been renaming those properties anyway. So, they changed the names to better associate them with the Disney brand. At the same time, they dropped a term which could have turned off some customers.

Smart folks, those Disney people.

#1. Clean Office, Organized Mind

We saved the best for last. For our favorite remarkable tip, we focused on neatening up your office. Noobpreneur says too much clutter can make your job harder. After all, what was the last time you just knew you had a piece of paper on your desk, but now you’ll be damned if you can find it?

This is not good, and you know it! So, getting organized makes sense not just to keep your work area germ-free (ish – we all know there are going to be germs) – it can potentially help you keep clients. 

Here’s the best tip, we felt.

Paper 1, 2, 3

Your paper should have three potential homes. This can, by the way, work for virtual documents as well.

  1. You haven’t gotten to it yet.
  2. It’s a work in progress.
  3. You’re done – so you file the paper. Or you toss it, if appropriate.

We would argue that you may need to make #2 a little more granular. One idea could be a separate folder or the like for a work in progress where you’re waiting for something from someone else. Or you might want to separate time-sensitive items in pile #1. 

You do you. But please, get organized!

So, which one of our brilliant business tips was your favorite? And which one will you be implementing now? 

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Start beating imposter syndrome today.

The post Beating Imposter Syndrome and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week appeared first on Credit Suite.

Stop Being Lonely Leaders and More –10 Brilliant Business Tips of the Week

A lot of entrepreneurs are lonely leaders. Are you one of them? Then read on, for tips on how to assuage your loneliness and improve your business.

The Hottest and Most Brilliant Business Tips for YOU – Advice for Lonely Leaders and More

Our research ninjas at Credit Suite smuggled out ten amazing business tips for you! Be fierce and score in business with the best tips around the web. You can use them today and see fast results. You can take that to the bank – these are foolproof! Help and advice for lonely leaders, and more!

Stop making stupid decisions and start powering up your business. Demolish your business nightmares and start celebrating as your business fulfills its promise.

And these brilliant business tips are all here for free! So, settle in and scoop up these tantalizing goodies before your competition does!

#10. Bring Generation Z into the Fold

Our first jaw-dropping tip is all about attracting Gen Z to the workplace. You know, millennials. Effortless HR says work is changing and hiring managers need to change with it. This means, among other things, adapting to the millennial way of life. It means political correctness (you know, courtesy) and even safe spaces.

It also means multitasking and digital nativism. What sort of technology did you use in high school and college? Millennials used PCs, laptops, and smartphones. Tech is in their DNA.

Your intrepid blog writer, heh, used pen and paper. Computers were found in a lab and printed on green and white paper with sprocket holes. 

Here’s one tip we really liked.

Guided Career Choices

The truth is millennials aren’t necessarily the only people who are having issues with their career choices. Heck, I had no idea what I wanted to do for years. It’s not so easy to figure out what will make you happy for decades. It’s rather like a marriage.

For me, my ideal career hadn’t been invented when I graduated from college or even law school (1986). So, don’t be 100% shocked if Generation Z doesn’t know what will gladden their hearts forever and ever (or at least until retirement). This is also, in part, a function of our gig/specialized/personalized economy. We all want our own choices in this area. And why not? We’re getting our choices in every other aspect of our lives.

So, don’t be surprised if your interviewees aren’t certain of what they want to do with themselves. They might not know what they want to be when they ‘grow up’. And that’s okay.

How do you work with these people? Acknowledge the difficulty in knowing the future. And embrace the unknown. At the same time, don’t treat them just like a bunch of interchangeable parts. They’re people, not widgets. Giving your Gen Z (and all other) employees a measure of autonomy will empower them and give them an emotional investment in your business’s success.

It’ll also take some of the decision-making burden off you. You might even stop being lonely leaders (more on that later).

#9. Lights, Camera, Marketing!

The next awesome tip is about borrowing from the world of media for promotional ideas. Wistia notes we’re already preparing and releasing long form content. It’s a lot like a short form film. You know, the kind that gets Oscar nominations and wins while you’re getting more popcorn?

Er, sorry documentary and short subject film makers. But you know it’s true.

Getting back to the point (and I do have one), the idea is to promote your media like the big media companies do.

So, this may or may not work for your small business. You might not see this as being a viable strategy for a long haul trucking company or a nail salon.

But there was one strategy which should work for any business.

Share Your Positive Feedback, Awards, and Nominations – Everywhere 

Chances are incredibly high that you’ve seen film reviews at some point in your life. Of course you have!

Did you mind the filmmakers tooting their own horn this way? Probably not.

So why do you have trouble tooting your business’s horn? Or, if you don’t, then why are you having trouble finding this positive feedback? And why aren’t you sharing it?

Positive feedback can come in all sorts of formats. There are reviews on Google or Yelp. Maybe you’ve got Sotellus or Better Business Bureau feedback. 

There is no reason why you can’t share this positive feedback on social media. And if it’s not perfectly tailored to social (maybe it’s way over Twitter’s limits, for example), why not talk to your top customers? Ask them if you’re okay with paraphrasing. Or maybe you can ask them for something short specially for the platform.

Be nice, always. Say please and thank you like you learned as a child. And ask! 

Lonely Leaders Credit Suite

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Help for lonely leaders, and more!

#8. Speed Out of the Starting Gate

Our following life-changing tip concerns growing your business during its first year. Entrepreneurship Life lays it all out for us. 

Starting a business is an exhilarating, fun, scary, difficult, risky, fascinating wild ride. Fast growth isn’t guaranteed from the get-go. This article has some great ideas for kickstarting growth from the very beginning.

Our favorite tip was strategic planning. It can be tempting to just take any work you can get at the start. And maybe you should, at least at times. At the same time, planning strategy means having an idea of the kind of customers you want, and how much you want to make. Maybe your first clients are, shall we say, problematic at times. Planning means working directly toward easier to work with clients. It may even, eventually, being in a position to fire the clients who are more trouble than they’re worth. 

But you still need to plan. Business is a place where you need to be intentional pretty much all the time. And that means here, too.

#7. Digital Marketing to the Max

So for our next sensational tip, we looked at squeezing the most out of your digital marketing budget. The Self-Employed says that your first moves may be a touch counterintuitive. You need to have updated content and a good website which loads quickly. Pay attention to SEO and SEM (search engine marketing – this tends to mean paid search). And connect to a well filled-out Google My Business Profile.

Consider this. A lot of these are free or close to free activities (of course, labor isn’t free). And a faster website or better SEO aren’t just good for digital marketing. They’re also good for sales, potentially pulling prospects down the sales funnel more quickly. 

And that never hurts!

Here’s the tip which really stood out for us.

Up the Customer Experience to Infinity

Okay, well, maybe not exactly infinity. But generating and promoting and continuing an excellent customer experience is a valuable form of advertising. One reason is because you can stimulate word of mouth, a very valuable form of marketing. And another is that a fantastic customer experience can give you a reason to suggest customers review your business online.

By the way, even bad reviews link back to your site and can help with SEO.

Just sayin’.

#6. A Business Proposal (Engagement Ring not Included)

This tip is so helpful, and it works! HubSpot tells us all about writing a business proposal. There is a rather specific sequence of operations for this task.  While it’s not identical to a business plan, there are some places where the two documents overlap.

The article goes into significant detail, and it adds a template for free which anyone can use. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Business proposals are terrific professional documents. They set expectations and they get deliverables in writing. Are they contracts? Not necessarily – they’re just you proposing what you’re going to do for someone else. But if there’s no contract in writing, they might be reviewed and referred to. 

Clear communications are always a good idea. And covering your company in case things go south is an even better idea.

#5. Lonely Leaders – You Are Not Alone

Grab this mind-blowing tip while it’s hot! 

You know what they say about the top. There are a lot of lonely leaders out there. Are you one of them?

Young Upstarts says leaders can shut themselves off from others when they become leaders. This is especially the case when they are promoted from within. And that makes sense – after all, now the dynamic with coworkers has changed. If you’ve become your colleagues’ boss, then you probably can’t go out for a beer with them anymore and complain about your boss.

Ewps.

We really liked their idea to bat back questions from the people who report to you with more questions. As in, ask them what they think. And do so rather than spending your nights just looking for solutions. Talk about lonely leaders! And, let’s face it, you’re not being paid for that time. Not to be solely mercenary about it but burning the midnight oil isn’t making you a better leader much of the time. It’s not even helping your bottom line.

An Extra Tip and a True Story

So, there’s one tip which this article didn’t cover. Gather ‘round the electronic hearth, ‘cause it’s time for a true story.

Lonely Leaders Credit SuiteI love channeling my best managers. I’ve had great managers and I’ve had horrible ones. Very rarely, they fell into the middle. But usually, they were in one camp or another. 

I also love channeling the opposite of my worst managers.

Back in the day, I had managers who sat in their little ivory tower. They rarely emerged to do anything beyond commuting or getting lunch – which they always got alone or with the other top level managers. This was a law firm and these were the partners. I was fresh out of law school, waiting to hear if I had passed the bar (I did; my coworker who was also waiting didn’t. Sorry, Joe).

The ivory tower guys didn’t know how anything was going unless it was making them money, or not. Did I feel seen? My God, no. Did I feel appreciated? Not even close. Spoiler alert – I was gone in six months.

Connection

Lonely leaders, at least in the case of that law firm, brought it all upon themselves. It would have been easy to open the office door and say hi. This is what small talk is for. Yeah, you might not care about the local sports team or the weather. But it’s a way to connect with others. We spend far too much time at work in our lives to shut ourselves off from all human contact.

And one more thing, although no one wants to think about it. Lonely leaders, you may be working yourselves into an early grave. You may love your business. And you may need the money. But please don’t do this.

It’s not worth it.

Lonely Leaders Credit Suite

If you are as passionate about succeeding in business as we are, please help us spread the word about how to take the plunge and save time and money – and your sanity! Help for lonely leaders, and more!

#4. Top Off Your Productivity Tank

So check out this spectacular tip, all about maintaining optimal productivity. Noobpreneur notes that people work in all sorts of ways. We have differing energy levels at different times of day. Your early bird colleague might conk out at five. Your night owl coworker could be awesome at 4 PM. As a result, and it’s a good bit of advice for pretty much anything in life – know your strengths and play to them.

The best tip in this article was perhaps and obvious one – to plan. How often do you stare at your wardrobe in the morning and are uninspired? Or it’s time for supper and you have no idea what you’re making? Wouldn’t it be easier to plan those sorts of activities in one block?

The same is true for work. Got a bunch of tasks to do? Then figure out priority (or ask). Determine who can help you or who might wait for something from you. Or vice versa. While you’re waiting for something on Task #1, there’s no reason you can’t start Task #2. You get the idea. Mapping this all out in advance makes it considerably easier.

#3. Convert Complainers to Brand Champions

So it’s not your imagination: this winning tip can help you convert detractors into promoters. SCORE tells us a score of 6 or less (out of 10) is seen as being the rating of a detractor.

Say what?

Seriously, how often do you fill out a survey and hit 5 or 6 out of 10? How often do you feel such a rating is neutral, rather than negative? Raise your hand if that’s 100% of the time.

(raises hand)

But I digress – back to the action.

The article is great, and it goes into depth about how to find detractors online, even when they don’t tag you or your products. We highly recommend reading it in its entirety so let’s concentrate on one tip in particular.

Fix the Problem or Offer Incentives

We’ve probably all seen this in action at one point or another. You complain about, say, your stay at a hotel. And the hotel responds. They offer you a coupon for a free meal for your next stay. If you don’t want it and say you’ll never darken their door again, they may offer a minor discount instead. Or they might offer to have you join a task force or fill out a survey so as to try to improve future service.

These are great ways to pull a detractor into the promoter camp (or, at least, into neutral territory). Often the value of these incentives isn’t too high. Even if your free meal runs $1000, your detractor spreading all sorts of negatives about you online is often worth a lot more.

It’s a simple cost-benefit analysis. 

And the task force or survey idea is pure genius. Give people a say in your future operations. Will you take every suggestion to heart? Of course not. But providing a soapbox can be very empowering to people. Because even your detractors want to feel listened to.

And they might just have something valuable to say.

#2. Cool Down Your Burnout

Our second to last unbeatable tip can give you a new perspective on getting over burnout. Entrepreneur reveals all about getting your mojo back. The slideshow is worth looking at in its entirety.

Our biggest takeaway from it was that people – surprise – find different ways to get their motivation back. One thread which ran through all of the methods was to do things for yourself and to focus inwardly. Whatever form that takes, then do that. 

So, what do I mean? 

It may take the form of getting away or getting exercise. Or it can be getting more education. Another fascinating tip was to talk to people who are different from you. The contrariness can be stimulating.

And through it all, the same message is on repeat. You do so much for others when you run a business. And that can understandably be draining.

So, do something for yourself to get your spark back.

#1. Be Intentional with SEO, Always

We saved the best for last. For our favorite remarkable tip, we focused on easy SEO. Copy Blogger says there are a few areas where you might forget – at times – to improve the SEO on a post or page.

Don’t.

We love the Yoast plugin, and we strongly suspect the Yoast plugin is the star of this highly informative article. We urge you to check out the article as there are subtle details and nuances which you should not miss.

So, let’s concentrate on one tip.

301 Redirects

Don’t know what they are? They’re detours for when a post or page is no longer working. But it doesn’t have to be the entire page that isn’t working. And that’s why this tip is so brilliant. 

Welcome to the land of the limited-time offer. What happens when your Valentine’s Day (for example) promotion is over? Do you take the page the offer was on down?

Nope! You redirect people.

So, where should you redirect people? The best place is probably somewhere on the site where you have a more evergreen offer. Technically, you could just point people to your next limited-time offer. But you’d be creating far more future work for yourself when the second limited-time offer expires and now you’re left with two pages to redirect, versus just one.

Redirects are also great because your older limited-time offer page might still have SEO traction and even backlinks directing to it. Unpublishing it will lose all of that. Redirecting preserves all that lovely link authority.

Keep. Your. Posts and Pages.

So, which one of our brilliant business tips was your favorite? And which one will you be implementing now? 

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