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Twitter: Life And Business 140 Characters At A Time
(2010/09/03)

This is a guest post by Sue Cooper

If you are familiar with the Internet at all, then most surely you know about Twitter. Twitter is the most widely used microblogging platform and one of the most renowned social networking websites in the world. However, the difference here is marked by the word "microblogging", a short message system that is the source of Twitter's popularity.

Hence, Twitter appeals to the most basic social need of all of us when we interact with each other: Our need to know what the people we care for are doing. And this is exactly the question Twitter users answer every time they post a 140 character-long message on their profile page. The reason for this message length is to keep information flowing and "conversations" active, which makes people feel connected and more involved in each other's lives.

The system itself if quite easy to use, requiring nothing other than a small message to be written, no video uploading, audio embedding or any other kind of media that can cut the flow of the messages. You can share these as well of course, but it has to be done by linking to them.

The advantages of such a platform are big and clear: The possibility to know as much about what other people are doing in real time. This becomes even more enticing if we consider Twitter is not only available through web browsers, but also through computer instant messaging software, and even mobile phones like Blackberries or the iPhone. This enables people to be in contact with the ones they care for and share their thoughts no matter where they are.

Now, even if this unconventional service started as no more than a way for people to share short messages about their day-to-day lives, it soon became apparent to marketers and small business owners that this way of communicating could be used to their benefit as well. Here are some examples that can give you a basic idea of how Twitter can be applied to any small business or organisation.

Competition: That's right, Twitter is so widely known nowadays that very likely your competition is already using it. What is more, if you get on board the Twitter wagon you will be able to follow them and keep track of any special promotion or offer that might show up on their Twitter page.

Connecting in new ways: Depending on your kind of business and your target market, most of your current customers might already have a Twitter account. So, by offering them another way to know about your business, you are providing a deeper and more personal experience while projecting a tech-savvy image to them.

Finding new customers: Imagine word of mouth but on a viral level. When your current customers start following you on Twitter, the people they are connected with may also know about you and your business.

Alert customers to new products, services or special sales: With a platform that offers instant communication at all times, it will become second nature for you to alert your customers every time you will hold a special event. Some companies like Dell even offer special coupons only available for their Twitter followers.

To conclude, the Internet era has brought a tremendous variety of products and services like Twitter, which can not only keep us connected with the people we care for, but that can also help our businesses to grow and expand in ways previously not imaginable. It is now our turn to take advantage of these new opportunities and leverage them to grow in our personal or professional lives.

About The Author

As an SEO Consultant, Sue provides clients with genuine top ranking strategies that are designed to eliminate wasted time on tweaking to achieve the desired outcomes for search engine optimisation and marketing campaigns. The author invites you to visit: http://www.homepagedevelopment.com.au

Building a Self Storage Facility
(2010/09/01)

This is a guest post by Scott Meyers

All Across the United States, entrepreneurs are talking about the self storage business. The word is out that investing in the mini storage business can be very profitable. And it’s not just the experienced investors that have their eye on the Self Storage Business prize. With lower building and management costs than virtually all other real estate investments and a failure rate of around 7 percent, the self storage industry is drawing first-time business owners and investors alike.

The advantages are obvious, easy start up, easy maintenance, low risk, but what's the catch? Can it really be that easy? There is no catch, but it does require work. An investment in the mini storage business has a lot of potential, but it is an investment and not a hobby. One needs to be prepared to devote time, resources and of course, capital to a self storage enterprise. So when you decide you're ready to commit to investing in an existing self storage facility, or developing one from the ground up, there are a few things to consider before moving forward:

MYTH: Build it and they will come.

Before you invest in the land or buildings you will need to do some research into the market in which you desire to buy or build. I also strongly suggest you hire an industry consultant to perform a feasibility study on the project to determine if the project will fly. Even if you have experience in real estate or the self storage industry, an unbiased opinion is invaluable when considering an acquisition or development project.

Location, location, location.

Those three words ring true for all facets of Real Estate Investing -- and Self Storage is no different. Many investors have tried to build on a piece of land they already own, or buy the lowest priced piece of land they could find in a given market - but you should never sacrifice a prime location for price. An ideal site is one that has a high traffic count and is highly visible.

How Does the Competition stack up? How about the # of competitors? Could the market be somewhat saturated? If there is more than 7 s.f. of self storage per person, you may have a more difficult time stabilizing your facility.

Construction Types

So what type of building should you build? Pole barn style, all steel, split block, convert an old building? Since your storage buildings will BE the business, a great deal of planning and consulting with the general contractors should be undertaken. In addition, the unit mix and amenities of your site can have a direct correlation to the success of the site. A developer must also plan for driveway space, unit size and placement of the individual doors, lighting, percentage of temperature controlled units and security to name a few. I Strongly Recommend Choosing a builder with experience in the self storage industry who can advise you in all facets of the construction or conversion process. The right building plan will improve your occupancy rate and help you avoid costly renovations.

Financing

The next aspect to consider is financing. Construction loans are dramatically different and at times can be a bit more difficult to navigate than other forms of permanent commercial real estate financing. Before meeting with your lender, one might want to do some phone work to learn more about the size and scope of loans they are able to make and if they make unique loans for Self Storage businesses.

Marketing

Advertising, staffing, and the day to day maintenance of your new self storage site should not be afterthoughts. In addition, a great deal of attention should be spent on developing a marketing plan. A simple listing in the yellow pages and a big sign out front won’t fill, or keep your storage units full. Decide on a marketing strategy before you build and pay close attention to altering your strategy through out the course of the year -- with continual tweaks and new messages being tried at all times.

Management

The success of the business post construction lies in your ability to hire and maintain quality managers. Be cautious about hiring friends and family. It's hard to treat loved ones like employees and hard for them to treat you like the boss. Also, don't assume that you can do it all yourself. If you want your mini storage business to be a success you'll probably need to be open a lot more hours than you'll want to be standing behind the counter. ?

About The Author

Scott Meyers, CSSM(c) is the President and Owner of Indianapolis Based Alcatraz Storage(tm). He is also the nation’s leading speaker and educator in the field of Self Storage Investing through his company SelfStorageInvesting.com. To reach him, or to invite him to speak, call 877-366-5773; or visit http://www.SelfStorageInvesting.com .

Finding Profits In a Down Turn Economy
(2010/08/30)

This is a guest post by Anne Warfield

Sharks hunt for prey by finding movement in the water or blood. In today's economy you can often find people mistakenly adopt a "shark" sales mentality. They feel they need to circle out there and surround customers by getting to them first. First smell of blood in the water and they go for it.

You can see this in the way traditional sales is set up for questioning. Think back to the last three sales calls you either gave or received. If you are like most of our clients, they describe an "awkward period" where questions were volleyed out left and right as the sales person tried to make a connection and to find out a need they could solve. During this process both parties sit back and warily circle each other. Much like the shark in the water.

It doesn't need to be that way. There is a way to sell and service clients that doesn't require the leery circling of each other. There is a way to become a trusted partner. It requires a different way of thinking, listening, and speaking though. You can't be transactional and just pound with questions. The prospect knows where you are going with this and they don't appreciate being the worm on the hook to lure the shark. Oh, wait, to them you are the shark!

There is another bad point to the pounding of questions- it has been proven that when clients become confused or upset, they choose to stay "status quo." That means even though you may have a better deal they will stay with their present deal or pain because it seems easier to them.

Your job is not to sell. Your job is to help them make a choice that will propel their company forward. This means you need to know how to build rapport, threadline your questions and facts, and focus the energy in the room by excavating in a whole new way.

Try this, write out the questions you usually ask clients. Then play Devil's Advocate. Change the product or service you are selling and then ask the questions out loud to yourself. Do they make you feel cornered, pressured, or dumb? Or do they focus on driving the customer to your solution versus digging to find out what their problem is? If so, you are asking attack "solution" questions. You want to ask ProbeQs(tm) that draw people in, give them control, and bring out their wisdom and insight at the same time they enlighten them.

Think of it this way, imagine you go to see a doctor about a heart problem. Would you want a doctor that had a treatment in mind and they just asked you questions to draw you toward doing that solution or would you prefer a doctor that listened, and then asked probing questions to first determine if you even have a heart problem before they even talked to you about a solution? So if we prefer, the second scenario, why do companies keep equipping their sales people with sales strategies that teach them how to find how their solution can fit a client but not the deeper pain that could lead to a lasting partnership? We just got a call the other day from a client that reduced their sales cycle by 70% by flipping to the Outcome Focus(r) Approach to Sales Excavation(tm). The best part she said was that she never felt like she was selling; she was just helping the client.

TAKE ACTION: Try changing your list to make it more inviting, intriguing and more centered on the clients problem, not your solution.

About The Author

As the leading Outcome Strategist, Anne Warfield shows people how to present their ideas, products and services so people WANT to listen to you. Her communication formula is easy to apply and produces proven results. Fortune 500 companies around the world have utilized her expertise and her work is published around the world. She has been published in Business Week, Good Housekeeping, Forbes publications and has been featured on ABC, NBC and CBS. Anne speaks around the world about Outcome Focus(tm) Communication. To book Anne, contact her at 888-imp-9421 or check out her web site at http://www.ImpressionManagement.com . Check out her website to take the communication quiz for yourself!

What Motivates the Typical Online Entrepreneur?
(2010/08/27)

This is a guest post by TJ Philpott

The typical online entrepreneur is a different species insofar as they generally work alone and within an industry that can be very stressful and demanding. Being your own boss is great however many are prone to second thoughts about this when they find that everything' is their responsibility! Without physical, or often times, moral support, people working online have to reach deep within themselves for the strength or motivation to get the job done. Obviously those who succeed on the internet have mastered the 'art form' of learning how to motivate themselves! Learning how to get motivated however always has its roots in a very strong reason as to 'why' it is people are working online! It is the 'why' of every entrepreneur that ultimately keeps them moving forward!

Here are the 3 biggest 'whys' entrepreneurs use when learning how to motivate themselves in order to maintain the drive necessary to succeed on the internet.

Money

Always a big motivator, money is one of the most 'popular' reasons people market on the internet. Whether it is for need or perhaps to expand an already existent 'offline' business earning or increasing an income is a powerful and popular force for people to be working online.

Passion

Some people have taken advantage of the easy to use and inexpensive internet platform to pursue a personal passion. Whether it is a cause, hobby or perhaps a business idea, if it is fueled by passion there is little doubt that these people will lack motivation.

Lifestyle

Most internet businesses involve working online from home or actually anywhere one may choose and this is a very attractive option. In addition, the potential for earning a significant income is very real due to the access you have to a global audience, on a 24/7 basis no less! A lifestyle like this is hard to ignore and even harder to not strongly desire! Even working longer hours is not an issue since you can pick and choose where and when you work!

As we have spoken about here today the typical online entrepreneur must absolutely posses some strong motivations in order to be successful working online. Due to the 'isolated' nature of internet marketing, individuals must learn how to get motivated and stay that way without the help or support of others. For this reason their motivations need to be strong and lasting and 3 of the most common motivations people have for working online are reviewed above. As you can see any of these 3 factors that drive people to succeed on the internet are very strong. It is an absolute must however that the individual has the great 'desire' or 'need' first or they will not be able to sustain their efforts and achieve success.

About The Author

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina. To learn more about how to succeed as an online entrepreneur and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques simply visit:http://blogbrawn.com

Are you focusing on customer retention?
(2010/08/25)

This is a guest post from Jake Thomas of http://www.itsjakethomas.com

Are you focusing on customer retention?

Think of the effort it takes to acquire a new customer, whether it’s from a cold call, a mail out you recently executed or simply a referral. A lot of effort goes into securing that new job, getting to know the new customer, understanding their needs, explaining your services & how you operate etc etc.

No business will succeed without acquiring new customers, but are you focusing enough on retaining your existing customers? If not, I have a few tips for you.

Existing customers are much easier to do business with – They know how you operate, they know what to expect and most importantly, you’ve dealt with them before so you know what they expect of you in return.

Stay in connect

Whether it’s a phone call out of the blue to simply “check in”, an email or a tweet - Let your past customers know you haven’t forgotten about them.

Become a resource

If you hear through the grapevine (or social media as it’s currently known) that a past client is looking for assistance or a referral and you know someone who might fit the bill, let them know about it.

Ask for feedback

Regularly throughout your working relationship ask for feedback on ways you can tailor your services to better suit your clients needs.

Share

Have you read a good book your client may be interested in? Are you attending a seminar in the near future that you think may help your client? Have you stumbled upon a great website (such as this one) that your past customers may find interesting? Share it with them.

Reward loyalty

Consider implementing a loyalty plan for existing customers, whether it be a special offer, a value add or simply a bottle of wine. Let them know you appreciate their business.

Follow through

If you discuss a new idea, resource or topic with a past or existing client, follow through. Nothing is worse than someone who “said they would”.

Keep learning

If you regularly focus on attaining new knowledge and insights, you have more to offer your existing customers.

It’s much cheaper to retain existing customers than it is to acquire new ones,spending a little effort in customer retention not only improves your bottom line and saves you time in the long run – It helps foster a relationship which if nurtured correctly, has the possibility to turn into referrals in the long run.

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