Aaron Parry's Blog, page 2
January 4, 2018
Protect yourself from your business partners
Whenever you get into business there's risk, it's unavoidable, but it's your responsibility as an entrepreneur and business owner to manage that risk. This is especially true if you're going into business with anyone, and I mean anyone!!If you go into business with your best friend or a family member, it is crucial that you protect yourself. Don't make the foolish mistake that I made, thinking because they're family they have your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, this is not the way of the business world, you will be discarded as quickly as you were promised the world.Don't put all your eggs in one basket just because you "trust" someone. It can be easy to get carried away and look at the positives at the beginning. Imagining all the good bits without appreciating the negatives is a sure-fire way to land yourself in disappointment central.Force yourself to be realistic, look at the negatives, expect the worst and manage your expectations.If like me going into business involves you quitting a career with multiple opportunities and a good wage, then don't do so lightly. I start 2018 with no support, having been made promises that were never kept. My family's wellbeing and the very home we live in is at stake.There are many ways you can protect yourself when it comes to business and I would suggest you take every single step to limit your exposure to risk.STEP 1 - DOCUMENT
Do not make any agreements without documenting them. A foolish mistake, and yes, you've guessed it, one that I made. In my book A Business Odyssey, I talk a little more about this and how you can protect your business and more importantly yourself from these pitfalls.Whenever you have a meeting relating to anything to do with setting up the business, record it at the very least. Make sure you get a contract drafted between you and your partners, that way they are contractually obliged to fulfil any obligations that have been agreed upon.When setting up my partnership we made multiple agreements which were of course a factor in me accepting the proposal in the first place. At this stage, not a single promise has been kept, I have truly been tossed aside like a used tissue.STEP 2 – BRAND YOURSELF
You guessed it, it’s exactly what I’m doing here on this site, personal branding. Personal branding doesn’t mean you should sell anything, and it 100% doesn’t mean create a fake you. It’s about being you and putting yourself and your ideas put in the world.You can do this anywhere, I like a website which is why I created this, but you could grow your personal brand on Facebook or any other social media site. But it is important you have a personal brand, why? Well when your business has come and gone, you’ll still be here.I know it’s a negative thing to say, but realistically, given the odds of businesses succeeding – chances are you will outlast your business and not create the empire you crave. So, it’s important that once you move on to the next business or chapter of your life that you can take people with you and not have to start completely from scratch. Your personal brand is that vehicle.STEP 3 – ASSETS
Create assets, lots and lots of assets. Digital, intellectual, physical or any other form of asset you can create, make sure you do it.The content you produce is an asset, because it lives in the digital world, and it’s ever available to people and yourself to draw upon it, repurpose it and reuse it. Sure, it takes an initial time investment, but it will repay you for years to come.Other assets such as property and (long lasting) equipment will also continue to bring you value so it’s crucial you use your head and methodically collect assets as you progress through your business and personal journey.
Do not make any agreements without documenting them. A foolish mistake, and yes, you've guessed it, one that I made. In my book A Business Odyssey, I talk a little more about this and how you can protect your business and more importantly yourself from these pitfalls.Whenever you have a meeting relating to anything to do with setting up the business, record it at the very least. Make sure you get a contract drafted between you and your partners, that way they are contractually obliged to fulfil any obligations that have been agreed upon.When setting up my partnership we made multiple agreements which were of course a factor in me accepting the proposal in the first place. At this stage, not a single promise has been kept, I have truly been tossed aside like a used tissue.STEP 2 – BRAND YOURSELFYou guessed it, it’s exactly what I’m doing here on this site, personal branding. Personal branding doesn’t mean you should sell anything, and it 100% doesn’t mean create a fake you. It’s about being you and putting yourself and your ideas put in the world.You can do this anywhere, I like a website which is why I created this, but you could grow your personal brand on Facebook or any other social media site. But it is important you have a personal brand, why? Well when your business has come and gone, you’ll still be here.I know it’s a negative thing to say, but realistically, given the odds of businesses succeeding – chances are you will outlast your business and not create the empire you crave. So, it’s important that once you move on to the next business or chapter of your life that you can take people with you and not have to start completely from scratch. Your personal brand is that vehicle.STEP 3 – ASSETSCreate assets, lots and lots of assets. Digital, intellectual, physical or any other form of asset you can create, make sure you do it.The content you produce is an asset, because it lives in the digital world, and it’s ever available to people and yourself to draw upon it, repurpose it and reuse it. Sure, it takes an initial time investment, but it will repay you for years to come.Other assets such as property and (long lasting) equipment will also continue to bring you value so it’s crucial you use your head and methodically collect assets as you progress through your business and personal journey.
December 22, 2017
#1 WAY TO BE GOOD AT BUSINESS
Everyone wants to be a superstar, but the truth is a) no one gives a shit and b) maybe you're not actually cut out for entrepreneurship. That may sound harsh, but it's so damn true.I know, because I myself wasn't ready for this crazy business world just a few years ago, but now I'm all in. The difference between then and now is self awareness and acceptance. I'm able to accept things for what they are and move passed them far easier than I ever could a few years ago.
I've learned a lot about myself, but that shit don't happen on accident. I've learned because I've been constantly pushing, questioning and adapting. I've been exercising more empathy and trying to flip long standing issues on their head.What I see is everyone wants to start a company, be the boss and enjoy a playboy lifestyle. Well those yachts, islands and mansions you want to buy are nothing but empty dreams if you can't even be arsed to learn about yourself.Self-awareness is the thing that enables us to realise what we do best so we can focus our energy on things that suit us, rather than trying to be good at everything. You have to accept your weaknesses and understand your failings.As I always say, context is everything which is why you can't go out copying other people. They have different strengths, weaknesses and experiences than you, learn how to be you, not someone else!!Sounds strange doesn't it, learn to be yourself, but you really have to!! I'm still learning to be myself and understand who I am, it's an ongoing process, but every step I take in the right direction is truly liberating. I find put more about myself everyday because I deploy honesty, empathy and adaptability.I used to think of myself as bit of a social chameleon, because I would adapt and change to the people I was with to almost extremes. That behaviour has lead me to me losing sight of who I really am, and definitely not brought me any success.If you want to be successful then that means being self aware. And being self aware means focusing your attention on your strengths and accepting your weaknesses. By accepting that you're shit at some stuff you can clear the way for your strengths to shine through.Being honest with yourself is the most important part of it, you're not going to be this amazingly self aware, perfect entrepreneur overnight. It'll be a long journey of asking yourself difficult questions, and accepting things about yourself you probably don't want to accept.Just keep plugging away, the time will pass anyway, so just take action now, look within and it will lead to greater success.Let me know what you think about the post. I would love to hear your thoughts.
I've learned a lot about myself, but that shit don't happen on accident. I've learned because I've been constantly pushing, questioning and adapting. I've been exercising more empathy and trying to flip long standing issues on their head.What I see is everyone wants to start a company, be the boss and enjoy a playboy lifestyle. Well those yachts, islands and mansions you want to buy are nothing but empty dreams if you can't even be arsed to learn about yourself.Self-awareness is the thing that enables us to realise what we do best so we can focus our energy on things that suit us, rather than trying to be good at everything. You have to accept your weaknesses and understand your failings.As I always say, context is everything which is why you can't go out copying other people. They have different strengths, weaknesses and experiences than you, learn how to be you, not someone else!!Sounds strange doesn't it, learn to be yourself, but you really have to!! I'm still learning to be myself and understand who I am, it's an ongoing process, but every step I take in the right direction is truly liberating. I find put more about myself everyday because I deploy honesty, empathy and adaptability.I used to think of myself as bit of a social chameleon, because I would adapt and change to the people I was with to almost extremes. That behaviour has lead me to me losing sight of who I really am, and definitely not brought me any success.If you want to be successful then that means being self aware. And being self aware means focusing your attention on your strengths and accepting your weaknesses. By accepting that you're shit at some stuff you can clear the way for your strengths to shine through.Being honest with yourself is the most important part of it, you're not going to be this amazingly self aware, perfect entrepreneur overnight. It'll be a long journey of asking yourself difficult questions, and accepting things about yourself you probably don't want to accept.Just keep plugging away, the time will pass anyway, so just take action now, look within and it will lead to greater success.Let me know what you think about the post. I would love to hear your thoughts.
December 21, 2017
Search Results Made Simple (SEO)
It's all about the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) baby! Not more acronyms?! I know, I'll try and keep it as simple as possible. Basically SEO is about getting found on search engines, and in order for that to happen you need to be high up on the search engine results page (SERP).If you're like every other person I know (me included) then you are probably searching online a good few times a day - if the Facebook feed doesn't suck you in to sum dumb videos and shit. Anyway, these searches we do for information lead us to websites, if the website hits the mark then google has done it's job.While we're staring at these results pages, we are often too interested in the thing we are searching for to actually take notice of the SERPs themselves. So, I'm going to help you understand them better so that you have a deeper understanding and then can go smash out the SEO.Here we go. When you type some random nonsense into google, like what's the record for eating dry crackers in 1 minute, the google will come back with a list of results. These results are aimed at being the most relevant to what you asked - the answer was 3 crackers which took the Ambrose Mendy 49.15 seconds. This list page is the 1st of many SERPs.Here's how these badgers are put together....Greys Anatomy of a SERPPaid Results (PPC)Like I mentioned in a previous post (see related posts) the sites you see at the very top of a SERP are straight up advertisements. You know how it is, money makes the world go around and google auction of their top spots to willing bidders. These are pay-per-click (PPC) adverts, so every time someone clicks on one of their links they pay google.Organic ResultsNext we have the ones that are worth their weight in gold, below those PPC whores we have the real, hard earned, long lasting results. These ones are the ones that google thinks are going to provide you with what you're looking for, and of course there is page after page available not just the first one. There are thousands if not millions of pages, but the reality of it is very few people go past the first page and of those who do, almost no-one goes past page 3.Local ResultsIf you're looking for a local business, good old google will bring up an interactive map so you can see the locations of the top ranked businesses matching your search criteria in your area. The businesses that are on the map will be listed within it also, and when you click on one it'll highlight the location.You'll get more info like business rating (if they've received any) and an idea of pricing. The information is all drawn from Google My Business where you can set up a profile for your own business.... anyone can do it.Google like to reward you for making their life easier, so creating a business profile on Google My Business and getting reviews there will bump you up the rankings.SEO Titles and DescriptionsEvery webpage that's listed on the results page, sorry... SERP (bloody marketers). You'll see the page title and a description of what the site is all about. Through your SEO you control what the title and description for each page is, when it's displayed on the SERP.You need to use the title and description to sum up what the content and focus is on each individual page of your website. You'll even want to toss in some keywords - without overdoing it of course. Your title can be up to around 60 characters long and description around 160 characters.
Google's a SmartarseResults pages (SERPs), are different dependant on what you search for. Know before you jump all over me on that blindingly obvious sounding statement, I mean even when looking for the same thing. I mean if you search for the same thing, take these examples:These are the results for build my business:
And these are the results for grow my business:
I'm looking for the exact same thing, but I used different wording, so you can see how clever SEO can be effective here. Google will try to find the right results, and SEO done right can ensure you get found for the right things.An example of google turning in the right results is the "rich-snippets" which shows that google is trying to provide people with the right answers as often and as quickly as possible. Here's an example of a "rich snippet".
You can see that google have understood exactly what I was looking for when I searched for Man City, and hit me with a "rich snippet" of the football club (or soccer for my American cousins). To have your website become a "rich snippet" you'll have to have what's called a 'zero ranking' which means your site is more visible than even the #1 ranked site. The best chance for you to have a #0 rank is to be part of the local results as mentioned above. I'll go into more depth in an upcoming blog post means that I'm on an SEO rampage.
December 20, 2017
Does SEO Matter?
Frankly the stats are astonishing, every single second there are 40,000 searches for something or other on google. That’s 40,000-real people looking for a solution to a problem, or an answer to a question. That’s over 3 billion searches every single day, mind blowing!!So, if you have a website, actually hang on, you do have a website, right?! If you don’t have a website then you need one, it’s almost 2018, and there are over 3 billion searches everyday on the internet. What you don’t want more sales? Anyway, whether your website is to sell clothes, showcase your small business or just a blog, you want to show up on your share of those searches.You guessed it, that means good ol’ SEO comes to the rescue and should be a key part of your marketing strategy.If you were the online clothes store, or any eCommerce site for that matter, then SEO is where you live or die. The balance finally tipped in 2016 according to a survey done by UPS, claiming their customers did more of their shopping online than in stores, and a large amount of that was straight from their phones. It’s even been suggested that those purchases that are made in person are usually researched online prior to purchaseGet Found – Make SalesThe whole point of SEO is to allow search engines to understand what your website is all about so they can present you to searchers who will find the information useful. Google want to provide their customers with the best possible user experience, which is why it’s the premier search engine. They can use complex algorithms and based only on a few keywords, understand exactly what a searcher’s looking for. They want to display the websites that will best solve their problem, answer their question, or offer what they are looking for. It’s our job to help Google know when to display our sites in the results of someone’s search. We can do this by harnessing an SEO Strategy that let’s google know what you offer and why you are a reputable source of information. The key to this? Simple, create well-written content and add relevant links to your site which will help Google place your website with the search terms people use. If you do it right, Google will be able to match your site with your customers. In other words, they’ll push new leads directly to your door.For example, if someone is looking for a Graphic Designer in Corby — and I just so happen to have a Graphic Design Studio in Corby. Google wants to help that user find us, even if I were a 1 man band. You could think that I have no chance as there are a load of Graphic Designers in the area, but because I spend time writing fresh content and promoting our business online, I help google understand what our website is about and prove that our site is a quality one.This strategy takes tome, however eventually Google will start displaying our site higher up on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) — and this has enormous power! How Does It Affect You?As I eluded to earlier, if you want to progress your business, you simply must have an online presence. Creating a website is the first step, but if no one is visiting it, then it’s worthless. Shows up high on Google can boost your business, that’s what SEO is all about. The simple fact is, if you want new customers to find your website, you're going to have to invest time and/or money in SEO.Get RealBefore you set sail in an all-out assault on your SEO, planning global domination and all that jazz, it’s important to ground yourself. Following our tips and advice will increase your chances of success with your SEO strategy, but that doesn’t guarantee you top spot on Google.Unless you’re in a really niche and uncompetitive market, then getting up the rankings will take time, patience and often money. Many ambitious businesses hire a professional SEO expert to drive them forward. As the any business owner knows, time and money are limited resources, so you must plan which way you want to go.To figure out how much to invest in your SEO strategy, weigh up the potential rewards you can gain from having increased web traffic and how much time or money you will have to invest to get that traffic. Most clued up business owners will invest 10% of their revenue in their marketing strategy.Once you have a solid marketing strategy the next thing you must work out is where you’ll get the most bang for buck out of your budget. The online space is huge, easily tracked and growing daily. Other marketing channels have their values too, but are often more difficult to measure as far as ROI goes.The beauty of SEO is, that while it will require ongoing work, your ROI will increase over time with an effective SEO strategy. It is much more difficult to get yourself up the rankings when you’re a new or unknown site. But once you’ve gotten yourself up there, maintenance is relatively easy and the rewards keep coming.The Organic Search PowerhouseYou’ve seen this yourself, when you look for things on Google, they show you two kinds of results: organic and paid. The paid ads are results from companies who have paid to have their websites show up on the SERP for specific keywords. The organic results are determined by google. The organic ones are the sites that Google thinks best fit the searcher keywords.As I’ve already said, you won’t miraculously see result overnight, of course not. You’re playing the long game when you go organic, it can take months to show up for your desired keywords. When you do get there, you probably think you can sit back and enjoy the glory, right? Wrong. Even when you’re ranking well, you’ll have to continue investing in SEO to maintain your rank. But if you do stick with it, because the upside is glorious, the return on your invested time and/or money is incredible. Here’s the kind of badass stat I’m on about: for every click on a paid search result, the organic results generate 8.5 clicks. Better still, the higher you rank, the greater the impact.According to research - 71% of searches result in an organic click on the first page. Page two and three get only 6% of the clicks. On the first page alone, the top five results account for 68% of all the clicks and the results from 6 to 10 account for only 4%.AdWords (PPC)If much like my wife, patience isn’t your strong point, you may also want to consider investing in a PPC campaign (pay-per-click). With this method the results are immediate, you simply pay google however much the going rate is for your selected keyword and you’ll be placed right up top.Thing is with PPC there’s no long-term benefit like there is with organic SEO, as soon as you stop paying you’ll be bumped out, and the price keeps on being driven up. So PPC is great for short term campaigns or while you’re waiting for your organic SEO strategy to kick in, but it isn’t a long-term solution.Patience is a VirtueI’ve drummed this into you a few times already but I’m going for it again… Organic SEO is a marathon and not a sprint, it will take time for it to be affective. Google are clever sausages and not even the best SEO experts in the world have been able to figure out their algorithms to magically make your site show up first for your keywords.It takes time for google to index sites, note new links and increase traffic, and put a website higher up in the pecking order.SEO rewards the patient player, like Daniel Larusso in the Karate Kid, you got to wax a lot of cars and paint a lot of fences as it were. This work behind the scenes that doesn’t seem to reap any immediate rewards can, in time, get you to that elusive first page – if you can find the right keywords of course.Many small business websites can outrank major competitors if they’re willing to dedicate their time, energy and/or money to it.If you want to learn more about search engines and how they work then keep posted for future upcoming blogs.
December 19, 2017
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEO
S.E.O. — Search Engine OptimisationIt’s been thrown around so much that the term has lost meaning to many, to others it seems a little intimidating. It’s yet another acronym that Marketers use to confuse and bewilder you, I know, marketers ruin everything. Most of us don’t know where to start when we delve into SEO for the very first time, but have no fear because we’ve got you covered. It’s our aim to remove much of the mystery from SEO, putting it in plain English for you to understand. Through my blog posts we’re going to cover basic and complex elements of SEO, providing you with great tips and easy to implement SEO strategies.Ok, well what exactly is SEO?SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s basically a strategy that helps you get ranked higher on search engines, such as google. People rarely go past the first few options of search results so it is a crucial part of generating business. An SEO strategy broken down further is merely a set of actions, these actions include using profitable keywords in your website’s text, giving your web pages a title and description, and much more.Now you may be thinking this stuff doesn’t matter. But it’s been proven in many a study that showing up higher in search engine results means more people will find your website, however this doesn’t guarantee you sales, your website then must be efficient in capturing data and producing leads. Either way, if your website doesn’t completely suck, you should be converting 5-10 percent of visitors into sales, this is if you’re using the right keywords of course.The competition on Google and other search engines to rank on the first page can be tough (depending on the keywords). If you want people to find your website, you simply must invest time on your SEO and digital marketing strategy.What can you do?It’s easy, you can follow our blog and over the next series of posts I'm going to provide you with a comprehensive guide, including easy to follow, actionable steps to get your website generating more leads.In my upcoming posts, I'm going to cover the following:Does SEO Matter and Why?Getting to Grips with Search ResultsHow Do Search Engines Work?Keyword Research and Implementing an SEO StrategyHow to Use Your Keywords on Your WebsiteSmall Businesses SEOAdvanced SEO
December 18, 2017
HOW TO FIND PROFITABLE KEYWORDS AND BOOST YOUR WEB TRAFFIC
Are you the top hit for google? Are you even on the first page of google? Academic research indicates that 91% of searchers do not go past page 1 of the search results. Worse still is that over 50% don't go past the first 3 results on page 1.Kind of puts the importance of ranking on google in perspective doesn't it! Now as I always say, context is everything and while it's important to rank on google, it's more important that you rank for the right things.You've probably had it drummed into you many times before, from multiple sources and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that it's super important to be on page 1 for google. The thing is you have to rank for the right keywords, and by right I mean profitable keywords.Keywords are a crucial part of any business’ online presence, as they drive web traffic to your site for free, that’s £0. If you do it right, using the correct keywords then you can Fast Track your business sales and be ultra-successful online. Now, some of you at this stage may even be thinking, “what’s a keyword?” Or worse, you may think you know what they are, but be mistaken. Well keywords are not only individual words, but phrases that search engines use to identify what people are looking for. For instance, if you typed in Graphic Design Corby, on that list you would find Highstreet Media along with other graphic designers. In this instance, google has identified what you’re searching for and provided a list of results it thinks best matches your need. Now there are some keywords that get thousands and thousands of searches per day, while others get a couple of hundred… or less. A great deal of these high traffic keywords are competitive because many businesses are trying to get traffic and referrals through search engines for those keywords. When you’re choosing keywords for your business, it is very important to put some time and effort into research, and not just guessing what you think will work. There are some good free tools that you can use online, like Wordtracker or Google Keyword Research which can help you find the right ones for you and your business. By using these you can get useful insights about how many users are searching for keywords, and how much competition there is around them. This method will give you a good sense of what keywords you should be using on our website, and most importantly how effective they will be in marketing your site. Researching your keywords can be time consuming of course and should you value your time more than money, as arguably we all should, then I can help. From simple keyword research to a full bespoke SEO package for you. 
No matter how you get you keywords, once you have them you’ll need to develop a plan for implementing them on your site. After all, knowing the keywords and using them once isn’t going to cut the mustard. For example, if you’re a plumber with a website covering your broad services, who during your research came up with these keywords to target:Boiler fitterBoiler installationEco Boiler installationEco Boilers Then it would make sense to have pages on your website (live or hidden) that target those keywords by providing enough content and information for the search engines relating to these keywords. My agency, Highstreet Media have a vast knowledge of SEO as we’ve been doing it with great effect for the past 5 years. If you need to develop content which is targeted at specific keywords to optimise your site, then we can help. For more information on SEO checkout our blog posts: How long does SEO take to work? And Want to get found on google?. Businesses even go as far as choosing a domain name that has relevant keywords in it, which is a good strategy if it doesn’t negatively affect your brand. An example of this is excessively using hyphens in your title, I know my company Highstreet Media has one of course, but any more than one really makes your site appear… dodgy shall we say. I personally would avoid a site that was called www.get-eco-boiler-installed-now.com but www.eco-boilerinstallations.com doesn’t seem so bad does it? If you don’t have a domain name or website yet, then start considering ways you can use your keywords in there.Spend some time and put thought into keywords for your website, or pay someone to do it for you (me wink, wink). Either way, whether it’s time or money you spend on keyword research, it is well worth the investment. There are free tools and resources you can use as I highlighted earlier, so you can get thinking about ways to use profitable keywords to get leads and sales from your website.For more information get in touch, I will be happy to help you
December 12, 2017
What I learned by writing a book
You may have thought about it yourself, writing a book, sharing some knowledge and potentially making a bit of money. We I for one have always wanted to write a book, for as long as I can remember, mainly because I love books and am very opinionated, it seemed to be a good fit.But when I wrote my book, I wasn't concerning .myself with money, instead I was writing it for myself as much as anyone else. You see, by writing and exploring experiences, feelings and ideas you learn so much. I took myself on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery where I considered so many things I otherwise would've ignored.
I'd recommend it to any entrepreneur in order to find what makes them tick, even if you never publish it, the process of research, deep thought and idea generation is priceless. Now of course you can make money writing books, but unless you're a quality writer creating masterpieces then you're not going to be making enough to sustain you. Writing books for money takes the love out of it anyway, write because you enjoy it and want to share. That's what I do, now I know my blog is rough around the edges because I just spit it out in one draft...bam there it is, like it or leave it. But when doing my book I go through it time and again because I want to produce a piece of work I can really be proud of.If you are going to write one then makes sure you set aside enough time to get it done. I spent 4-5 hours a night on mine for a month not including weekends, and that's to produce a book that is no more than 117 pages long. So, as you can see it's not for the faint hearted. While diving straight into writing a book may be a little much and overwhelming, just start small, write blogs or little articles that you can share on social media. By doing this you can experiment and find your voice. But whatever you do, make sure it's authentic. Don't try to be someone you're not.The only way to get anywhere in life is to start doing!!
I'd recommend it to any entrepreneur in order to find what makes them tick, even if you never publish it, the process of research, deep thought and idea generation is priceless. Now of course you can make money writing books, but unless you're a quality writer creating masterpieces then you're not going to be making enough to sustain you. Writing books for money takes the love out of it anyway, write because you enjoy it and want to share. That's what I do, now I know my blog is rough around the edges because I just spit it out in one draft...bam there it is, like it or leave it. But when doing my book I go through it time and again because I want to produce a piece of work I can really be proud of.If you are going to write one then makes sure you set aside enough time to get it done. I spent 4-5 hours a night on mine for a month not including weekends, and that's to produce a book that is no more than 117 pages long. So, as you can see it's not for the faint hearted. While diving straight into writing a book may be a little much and overwhelming, just start small, write blogs or little articles that you can share on social media. By doing this you can experiment and find your voice. But whatever you do, make sure it's authentic. Don't try to be someone you're not.The only way to get anywhere in life is to start doing!!
Where to start if you want to make money!
You want to start a business, but don't really know where to start. You're a entrepreneur at heart but still haven't quite figured out what or how you should be doing it, sound familiar?Well like you I have always fancied myself as an entrepreneur, but I never really knew what I wanted to do. I tried a few businesses in the past, but none of them worked out, actually to be honest they downright sucked!!! I thought it was because they were all time consuming and I personally value my time above all else. It's the only commodity you can't get back, you can earn more money, but you can't earn more time.I'm not saying I'm not willing to put the time in, I love to hustle, work and get shit done. I spend a vast amount of time working away late at night when my family and kids are in bed because I straight up enjoy it. But this has only been since I found something I enjoy doing. In fact I spend more time doing things like writing blogs and books all for enjoyment than I did working on them businesses. The difference is, it doesn't feel like it, actually it feels like I haven't got enough time in the day to spend on these things now. What's the difference between these things? It's straight up attitude, if you enjoy something you'll invest the time in it. These other ventures I tried, including selling supplements, were all retail based and I hated doing them, I don't like selling things, I like helping people. Of course I need money to support my family so there has to be a trade off somewhere, but I don't think the answer lays in retail.
So what's the takeaway lesson for you? Simple, find out what you enjoy and do that, do it well. Develop your expertise in that area, share content and connect with people. Do not concern yourself with money initially, do it as a side hustle and explore where it can take you.As entrepreneurs we are looking to make money of course as we want to be financially free to do what we enjoy. However try not to jump straight on the money train, if you focus on money then what you bring to the table will turn to shit. Money should be a byproduct of the value and quality you bring to people, they will decide when you're ready to start earning from it. And when they're ready you'll know. If you want to go down the route of opening a small business then you can get some good insights here.Find what you enjoy, do it well. Share with the world, explore what you have to offer and what need you can fill. This takes patience, so don't rush it. GOOD LUCK.
So what's the takeaway lesson for you? Simple, find out what you enjoy and do that, do it well. Develop your expertise in that area, share content and connect with people. Do not concern yourself with money initially, do it as a side hustle and explore where it can take you.As entrepreneurs we are looking to make money of course as we want to be financially free to do what we enjoy. However try not to jump straight on the money train, if you focus on money then what you bring to the table will turn to shit. Money should be a byproduct of the value and quality you bring to people, they will decide when you're ready to start earning from it. And when they're ready you'll know. If you want to go down the route of opening a small business then you can get some good insights here.Find what you enjoy, do it well. Share with the world, explore what you have to offer and what need you can fill. This takes patience, so don't rush it. GOOD LUCK.
December 7, 2017
Find what you stand for and you'll be guaranteed more sales
So lets face it you started a business, you do what you think you think you should do by posting and social media and trying to attract people to your business. But what's that? Nobody cares or is interested in what you have to say? Well I can't say I'm shocked because most people haven't figured out what they stand for, they have no purpose and just want to make money. If this is the case, whats sets you apart from your competitors? No one is interested in the product benefits, you need to make it about more than thats. You need a clear purpose.Having purpose makes life more fulfilling, you'll enjoy what you do more, people will buy into what you're doing and you'll get more sales. People like buy Rolex watches for the status and feeling it gives them, not for the damn watch. There are a million watches out there and many that offer better value, so why don't people just buy a cheaper watch?Rolex don't sell a product, they sell a feeling, a belonging. We need to do the same thing to sell ourselves and your business. I'm sure you've heard this before by now, loads of people, especially in marketing have touted this way of targeting peoples emotions and give people purpose in order to get sales. But very few of them can actually tell you how to do it.
One of the best ways to find your purpose is to look at your past. Why? Well because the past has shaped who we are today. If we look at stories from our past, articulate them and write them down we can then study them for a particular theme that keeps reoccurring. But if you go over these and still can't find your purpose then it's time to bring in outside help.When we're close to things, it's difficult to be objective and fully explore what we feel. Bring in someone who is a good listener and who will ask really probing questions to get to the route of your past. Ideally get them to take notes, and as they probe and document common themes are likely to appear. Stories that may appear unrelated, can possibly be related, maybe you just don't see it. An outsider with a keen eye (or just plain nosey) may see what you cannot.Once you find your purpose then things become easier. By knowing what you stand for and staying true to it, you'll be better positioned to attract customers and make sales. How? Well by truly standing for something rather than just being "another company" you'll attract people with the same beliefs and values to your company.When you have people who support what you do and how you do it, you'll begin to create a loyal following and get far more engagement. That's half the battle, soon as you have engagement you're actually building relationships, and through cultivating these relationships you will be able to give value and receive financial reward.You see, too many people focus on money and not their purpose. By focusing on money you though you don't stand out, well maybe as an arsehole, but not as a business enterprise. If you're just another company then the only point of difference you'll be left with is price, and being stuck in a price war with your competitors will crush your soul and drive you out of business.Be the more like Apple and sell values, feelings and beliefs, not products. Most people come out and say my product can store 4gb of data, 32gb of ram, blah blah blah. When Apple released the iPod they gave you none of that shit, they said 1,000 songs in your pocket. Now that's something people can feel, understand and appreciate.Dig deep, find you purpose and sell feelings not ptoducts.
One of the best ways to find your purpose is to look at your past. Why? Well because the past has shaped who we are today. If we look at stories from our past, articulate them and write them down we can then study them for a particular theme that keeps reoccurring. But if you go over these and still can't find your purpose then it's time to bring in outside help.When we're close to things, it's difficult to be objective and fully explore what we feel. Bring in someone who is a good listener and who will ask really probing questions to get to the route of your past. Ideally get them to take notes, and as they probe and document common themes are likely to appear. Stories that may appear unrelated, can possibly be related, maybe you just don't see it. An outsider with a keen eye (or just plain nosey) may see what you cannot.Once you find your purpose then things become easier. By knowing what you stand for and staying true to it, you'll be better positioned to attract customers and make sales. How? Well by truly standing for something rather than just being "another company" you'll attract people with the same beliefs and values to your company.When you have people who support what you do and how you do it, you'll begin to create a loyal following and get far more engagement. That's half the battle, soon as you have engagement you're actually building relationships, and through cultivating these relationships you will be able to give value and receive financial reward.You see, too many people focus on money and not their purpose. By focusing on money you though you don't stand out, well maybe as an arsehole, but not as a business enterprise. If you're just another company then the only point of difference you'll be left with is price, and being stuck in a price war with your competitors will crush your soul and drive you out of business.Be the more like Apple and sell values, feelings and beliefs, not products. Most people come out and say my product can store 4gb of data, 32gb of ram, blah blah blah. When Apple released the iPod they gave you none of that shit, they said 1,000 songs in your pocket. Now that's something people can feel, understand and appreciate.Dig deep, find you purpose and sell feelings not ptoducts.
December 6, 2017
How to create an awesome online business
It's the thing to do at the moment, open a business. Everyone seems to want to be an entrepreneur start a business and live life by their own terms. But with so many small business failures how can you get on the path to success?Well I'm about to layout some steps for you to follow which will supercharge your chances for success when starting an online business. By observing thousands of people start and grow successful businesses, I've narrowed it down to these key factors:Give people what they wantWrite kickass copy (that sells)Create an easy-to-use website (probably wise to use a professional)Drive traffic to your siteBecome the go to guyAlways follow up with email.Upsell like a madman.Following these steps can boost your existing business or rocket your new one to the moon.
Step 1: Give people what they wantSounds obvious right? But most people when starting worry about creating or looking for a product before they look for the market. You gotta revers engineer this shit man, find the market first!! Find a group of people with a shared problem who can't seem to find the solution. use the internet to find these people and give them what they want/need.Use stuff like online forums, Facebook groups and the likes to see what questions people ask and what problems they need to solve. Then do research to find what a lot of people are looking for, but with the added twist that not many sites come up that offer the solution.When you do find competitors check them out by visiting their sites and see what they're trying to do in order to fulfil the need. Then you can use what you've learned to do it better than the competition.Step 2: Write kickass copy (that sells)With sales copy there seems to be a bit of a formula at work that takes people through a journey. At the end of that journey (if it's done correctly) they will end up making a purchase, here's the process:Get them interested with a title that draws them inSpend some time highlighting their problem (the one you're about to offer a solution to)Get your credentials out; here you show them why you're the man for the jobUse past experiences, use testimonials of people you've helpedTell them about the product and how it'll solve their problemMake them an offer (one that is equal to the value you can bring them)Make a solid guaranteeMake it limited supply, or a time dependant offer in order to create urgencyStraight up ask for the saleAll through your copy you need to be looking at it through their eyes, showing how you understand their problems and how your product (or services) can solve them. They will be constantly weighing up what's in it for them and whether there is enough value in your offering, it's your job to keep batting away their objections.Step 3: Create an easy-to-use websiteNow you know where you're going, your going to need a platform to sell from. You cause Facebook and the like of course, but you'll need a website to add credibility if nothing else. When it comes to a website then I'd strongly recommend using a web designer such as Highstreet Media, But if you're going to go it alone, make sure you keep it simple. You have next to no time to grab someone's attention so make it appealing. Here's some helpful tips:Choose plain fonts on a white background (no more than 2)Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every pageUse graphics, audio or video if they enhance your messageInclude an opt-in offer so you can collect an e-mail addresses (build that list)Make it easy to buyYour website is your shopfront, so make it customer-friendlyStep 4: Drive traffic to your siteA website is all well and great but you're probably going to need some visitors if you're actually going to make any money. Use social media to drive people to your site putting links everywhere you can or use good old fashioned pay-per-click advertising on Google. This is probably the easiest way to get traffic to a new site. The other joy of pay per click is that you can test different keywords to find out which ones bring most bang for buck. When you identify them you can litter your site and blog with them in order to improve your organic reach and keep your advertising costs down.Step 5: Become the go to guyEveryone uses the internet to find any and all information nowadays. By providing that information for free to other sites, you can get more traffic and better search engine rankings. The trick is to include a link to your site with each bit of information. Spread your free content anywhere and everywhere. Create blog articles, videos or any other content that may be useful. Smash that content out by using online directories and/or social media sites.Become active in forums and social networking sites where your target market hang out, dropping knowledge bombs on them daily.You'll get new readers using this approach as well .as having more and more links back to your site. A little SEO bonus as search engines love links from relevant sites and your reward will be improved rankings.Step 6: Always follow up with emailYou hear people banging on about building a list all the time, and there's good reason for that. When you have an opt-in list, you have one of the most valuable assets of any online business. These customers/subscribers have given you permission to send them email. That means:They like what you're offeringYou're developing relationshipsYou can measure the response rate (accurately)Email marketing is the cheapest and most targeted form of marketingAnyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a qualified lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those leads.Step 7: Up-sell like a madmanIf some one buys from you then there's over a 35 percent chance that they'll buy from you again, that's good odds. Getting a new sale is therefore more difficult than following up with a pre-existing customer and up-selling. How to do it:Offer things that tie in nicely to what they already bought (amazon are great at this)Send out loyalty coupons they can redeem online. (Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.)Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase.The internet isn't the Wild West it used to be, and this system has proven itself time and again in many different situations for many different people. So, if you're just starting a small business online, stick to this system. If you've been online awhile, check if there's a step you're missing, and get it sorted. The basics aren't sexy, but they work like a charm.For more useful insights, get your hands on my latest book...
Step 1: Give people what they wantSounds obvious right? But most people when starting worry about creating or looking for a product before they look for the market. You gotta revers engineer this shit man, find the market first!! Find a group of people with a shared problem who can't seem to find the solution. use the internet to find these people and give them what they want/need.Use stuff like online forums, Facebook groups and the likes to see what questions people ask and what problems they need to solve. Then do research to find what a lot of people are looking for, but with the added twist that not many sites come up that offer the solution.When you do find competitors check them out by visiting their sites and see what they're trying to do in order to fulfil the need. Then you can use what you've learned to do it better than the competition.Step 2: Write kickass copy (that sells)With sales copy there seems to be a bit of a formula at work that takes people through a journey. At the end of that journey (if it's done correctly) they will end up making a purchase, here's the process:Get them interested with a title that draws them inSpend some time highlighting their problem (the one you're about to offer a solution to)Get your credentials out; here you show them why you're the man for the jobUse past experiences, use testimonials of people you've helpedTell them about the product and how it'll solve their problemMake them an offer (one that is equal to the value you can bring them)Make a solid guaranteeMake it limited supply, or a time dependant offer in order to create urgencyStraight up ask for the saleAll through your copy you need to be looking at it through their eyes, showing how you understand their problems and how your product (or services) can solve them. They will be constantly weighing up what's in it for them and whether there is enough value in your offering, it's your job to keep batting away their objections.Step 3: Create an easy-to-use websiteNow you know where you're going, your going to need a platform to sell from. You cause Facebook and the like of course, but you'll need a website to add credibility if nothing else. When it comes to a website then I'd strongly recommend using a web designer such as Highstreet Media, But if you're going to go it alone, make sure you keep it simple. You have next to no time to grab someone's attention so make it appealing. Here's some helpful tips:Choose plain fonts on a white background (no more than 2)Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every pageUse graphics, audio or video if they enhance your messageInclude an opt-in offer so you can collect an e-mail addresses (build that list)Make it easy to buyYour website is your shopfront, so make it customer-friendlyStep 4: Drive traffic to your siteA website is all well and great but you're probably going to need some visitors if you're actually going to make any money. Use social media to drive people to your site putting links everywhere you can or use good old fashioned pay-per-click advertising on Google. This is probably the easiest way to get traffic to a new site. The other joy of pay per click is that you can test different keywords to find out which ones bring most bang for buck. When you identify them you can litter your site and blog with them in order to improve your organic reach and keep your advertising costs down.Step 5: Become the go to guyEveryone uses the internet to find any and all information nowadays. By providing that information for free to other sites, you can get more traffic and better search engine rankings. The trick is to include a link to your site with each bit of information. Spread your free content anywhere and everywhere. Create blog articles, videos or any other content that may be useful. Smash that content out by using online directories and/or social media sites.Become active in forums and social networking sites where your target market hang out, dropping knowledge bombs on them daily.You'll get new readers using this approach as well .as having more and more links back to your site. A little SEO bonus as search engines love links from relevant sites and your reward will be improved rankings.Step 6: Always follow up with emailYou hear people banging on about building a list all the time, and there's good reason for that. When you have an opt-in list, you have one of the most valuable assets of any online business. These customers/subscribers have given you permission to send them email. That means:They like what you're offeringYou're developing relationshipsYou can measure the response rate (accurately)Email marketing is the cheapest and most targeted form of marketingAnyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a qualified lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those leads.Step 7: Up-sell like a madmanIf some one buys from you then there's over a 35 percent chance that they'll buy from you again, that's good odds. Getting a new sale is therefore more difficult than following up with a pre-existing customer and up-selling. How to do it:Offer things that tie in nicely to what they already bought (amazon are great at this)Send out loyalty coupons they can redeem online. (Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even more loyal.)Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after they purchase.The internet isn't the Wild West it used to be, and this system has proven itself time and again in many different situations for many different people. So, if you're just starting a small business online, stick to this system. If you've been online awhile, check if there's a step you're missing, and get it sorted. The basics aren't sexy, but they work like a charm.For more useful insights, get your hands on my latest book...
