V.L. Thompson's Blog, page 10

The Problem with Problems

Article from GodBusinessLife.com

It’s early morning and I have been awake since 02:00 am, turning and tossing and thinking of all my problems. Why are there so many problems on the project that I am busy with? Why is everything going wrong? Why is it that there is a rock around every corner – literally and figurative?

That is when doubt sets in. Am I busy with my thing or God’s thing? Am I outside of God’s will? Is He saying something to me and I am not listening? Many hear, very few listen and even less do! Am I moving in my own power instead of walking in the Spirit? – as God commanded me in Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty…”you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak. Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel (me!) For it will flatten out before him!” (me!) 

Kneeling before God in prayer and asking for forgiveness in the early morning hours is a cleansing process … asking God to stop what I am busy with if it is not His will and pleading for guidance, insight and wisdom on the road ahead is part of one’s journey with God. This is a “character forming time” as we confess our sins, our individuality and own ideas rather than wanting to follow God’s ideas…His Spirit and His guidance.

My eye caught a note that I wrote which said, “See to it that you obey Him who is speaking to you… how terrible our danger if we refuse to listen to God who speaks to us from heaven…” Heb. 13:25

Then I read from Oswald Chambers, “Am I busy with the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested?” and I had to again look at how I understood God’s guidance to do what I am busy doing. It became clear that I lose power because I don’t focus on the right thing… that I need to focus on Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

Lord, you promised you are going to lead me …  For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with My victorious right hand! Isaiah 41:9b-10 

Why then all the troubles Lord?

I then read in Jesus Calling (27 Nov) “A life of praises and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing.” I immediately started thanking and praising God for what I am busy with, for His guidance, for the opportunity to change deaf children’s lives and for the opportunity to be able to build a high school one brick at a time and one classroom at a time. Slowly I started getting a new perspective on what was going on … not my perspective, but God’s perspective. Problems started diminishing as God started getting bigger and as Jesus Calling says, “This is the power of praise: centering your entire being on Me!”

I then picked up Spurgeon’s Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith (27 Nov) where he says, “God will march with us!”

Read full article on GodBusinessLife.com

No Blog Traffic? Here’s a Simple Strategy to Seduce Readers and Win Clients

Article by HENNEKE from CoppyBlogger.com

You sit down at your desk.

You start your computer.

You check Google Analytics and your email provider dashboard. A deep sigh escapes from your soul.

Why is your number of email subscribers still so low?

Why aren’t readers flocking to your blog?

And when will those business inquiries finally arrive?

We all know that blogging is hard work, but what should you do when your efforts don’t seem to pay off?

Should you cross your fingers and keep plugging away? Hope that your readership will snowball? Pray that business inquiries will soon flood your inbox?

You need a new blog strategy, not wishful thinking.

When your blog isn’t doing as well as you’d like, don’t simply step up your efforts. Don’t keep slaving away.

Instead, take a step back and review what you’ve done so far. Do you have the right building blocks in place to seduce readers and win clients?

If you want to create a simple blog plan that will help you win more readers, fans, and clients, answer the five critical questions below.

Sound good?

Let’s start with understanding your reader.

1. Who is your one fan?

You might be aiming to gain 100, 1,000, or even 10,000 blog readers.

But when you think about large numbers of readers, you turn people into a faceless crowd. And when you write for a faceless crowd, your writing becomes colorless, drab, and boring.

Do you think Stephen King focuses on millions of readers when writing his bestsellers?

In his book On Writing, King tells us he writes for one reader only — his wife. When he writes, he doesn’t wonder whether his millions of fans will enjoy his new book. He wonders, “What will Tabitha think about this section?”

When you write for one reader, your blog instantly becomes more engaging, personal, and persuasive. You’ll get more comments and shares, which will help you generate ideas for new blog posts.

Do you know your one fan?

Can you imagine picking up the phone, sharing a joke, and asking her view on your latest blog post?

Your ideal reader, your one fan, can be an imaginary person, your favorite customer, or a composite of various people you know.

To visualize your one fan, go beyond demographics. Understand her dreams and struggles. Empathize with her, and inspire her.

If you’d like a little help with creating your fan’s profile, download a free form here (no opt-in required).

2. Why would your fan read your blog?

Your blog might help you achieve a number of goals — generate more traffic to your website, raise your profile, boost your authority, gain more clients, etc.

But have you thought about what’s in it for your favorite fan?

Why would he read your blog?

Your blog reader isn’t interested in your company objectives or your personal aims. He doesn’t want to hear your promotional messages, your sales pitches, or even your company story.

He simply wants to know what’s in it for him. How can you take away his problems? How can you make him happier or more successful?

Here’s a quick exercise:

1. Don’t think about your objectives.
2. Quit worrying about business and sales.
3. Finish this sentence: My favorite fan reads my blog because I help him …

A few examples:

- As a marketing coach, you might want to help freelance writers find

higher-paying clients.
- As a web developer, you could help small business marketers create websites that convert more web visitors into leads.
- As a premium social media app marketer, you could teach entrepreneurs how to network with influencers on Twitter.

Your blog purpose defines how you help your readers and keeps you focused on engaging and inspiring them.

That’s how your blog becomes a must-read resource in your niche.

3. Does each blog post help your fan?

Do you write for yourself or for your favorite fan?

To engage your readers and win business, you must write for your fans. You must write about the topics they crave.

Don’t wait until you have to write your next blog post to generate ideas. Spend 30 minutes this week brainstorming at least 30 ideas.

Here’s how you can generate 30 ideas in fewer than 30 minutes …

First, get away from your computer, and think about your favorite fan. Now, kickstart your brainstorming session with these questions, keeping in mind ways you can help:

- What are her dreams?
- What are her struggles?
- Which difficult decisions does she have to make?
- Which hot industry topics does she follow?
- Which mistakes does she make?
- Which buying decisions does she need to make?
- Which resources could educate her?
- What could experts teach her?
- What questions does she have?

Stop creating content for the sake of creating content.

Instead, create a business blog for your readers.

Inquiries will flood your inbox once your authority grows.

4. Can your fans find you?

As a Copyblogger reader, you know about content marketing. You know you need to create quality content and promote it.

But this is where many of us get stuck.

Promoting content feels like a giant time-suck — an endless list of must-dos that you’re never able to complete.

How can you promote your content without going crazy? Let’s add some sanity to your content distribution plan:

How can you make time for guest blogging?

Guest blogging is the quickest way to boost your authority, gain valuable links, and increase email subscribers. If you struggle to find time for guest blogging, consider reducing your publishing schedule. Write a guest post one week and a post for your own blog the next week.

Which social media channels do you currently enjoy the most?

Be active on the platforms where your fans hang out and where you enjoy hanging out. When you enjoy yourself, you gain a wider audience and create more engagement. To start, choose two or three channels.

How well-established is your site?

Driving SEO traffic to a totally new site isn’t easy. If your blog is new, and you don’t know much about SEO yet, focus on other traffic-generating activities first. You can plan for future traffic with some smart SEO fundamentals, but don’t expect SEO traffic to be significant in the early stages.

Can new fans find your blog?

A blog without a promotional strategy is like a restaurant that’s not listed on a map. The establishment lacks diners because nobody knows how to get there. Guide readers to your blog with simple tactics, and don’t spread yourself too thin.

 

Read full article on CoppyBlogger.com

Referral Links vs. Organic Search Results and How They Work for Your Website

Article by Kris Trudeau from SmallBusinessbc.ca

Have you launched a new website only to be underwhelmed by your traffic statistics? Fear not, you are not alone. Many new website owners struggle with low traffic numbers. Afraid their investment has failed, they comb the internet desperate for a solution, only to find an overwhelming amount of information on promoting through social media and achieving higher page ranks in Google. It can feel impossible to know where to start!

As with most problems, the best solution comes from planning and forethought. Look at your demographic, your competition and most importantly, your customers and their browsing habits. A solid understanding of how these interrelate will help you determine how best to drive customers to your site. There are many free ways you can increase your website traffic; most fall under one of two categories:

- Referral traffic: Driving traffic to your website from other online sources.
- Organic search results: Search results from a search engine like Google

It’s important to understand the difference between these two streams as many businesses only see a significant return through one. A business that sells to a small niche market over a wide geographic location may do better to optimize their website to increase their page rank in search results. On the flipside, how many plates of spaghetti would a restaurant owner need to sell to show up number one for the search term, ‘Vancouver restaurants’?

Traffic Driven by Referral Links

Referral traffic is driven to your website from third party websites. Creating referral links involves promoting your business with existing websites. By increasing the ways people can find your business, you are widening the mouth of the funnel that leads traffic to your site.

Referral links also add value that paid ads or a search engine results do not. Referral links exist on pages containing information on your business so when users arrive at your site, your brand is being reinforced and not introduced. Social media the perfect example of this. By engaging people in Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites, you are building a relationship with clients before they arrive at your website.

Writing articles for other websites or organizations is another great way to capture your viewers’ attention, as are press releases which link to your website. Online directories like Urbanspoon.com, Tripadvisor.com or 411.ca allow you to create profiles about your business. Websites like TripAdvisor have a tremendous following and creating profiles with these tools are additional avenues users can take back to your site.

There are many free online tools available to set-up referral links. Research will reveal which are appropriate for your business. Want to hear the best news yet? A happy by-product of referral links is an increased page rank in search engine results pages, or SERP’s.

Traffic from Organic Search Results

Many business owners think being number one in Google is a magic bullet and with the buzz around search engine optimization, it is logical for a business owner to perceive this as the nextstep. That top rank in Google is not always feasible and many business owners pour time and money into this effort only to be disappointed by the low return on the investment.

Most website owners are familiar with the term search engine optimization (SEO), which is when you optimize the construction of your website, (on-page factors) and use third-party websites, (off-page factors) to increase your rank in search engine results pages. For many businesses, being found in Google is key, especially for those whose products or services may not lend themselves as well to social media. People searching, “emergency hot water tank replacement” are likely not in a shopping mood and the first resource most people turn to, phone in hand, is Google.

Read full article on SmallBusinessbc.ca

Building Your Nonprofit’s Board

Article by Peri Pakroo from Nolo.com

Select qualified and enthusiastic board members to help your nonprofit flourish.

One of the fundamental tasks facing the founders of any nonprofit is establishing a board of directors to oversee the organization. The board plays an essential legal and practical role in any nonprofit, even if others (such as an executive director, paid staff, or volunteers) handle the organization’s everyday affairs.

The Board’s Role

Nonprofits receive favorable tax treatment and other benefits precisely because they are created to serve the public interest. And the nonprofit’s board shoulders the legal duty to keep the organization true to its public service mission, so that it continues to deserve its tax-favored status. (This “public trust” role explains why nonprofit directors are sometimes called trustees.)

In addition to setting policies and maintaining the nonprofit’s overall direction, a good board also serves an immensely practical role. The board of directors:

- defines the nonprofit’s mission
- establishes priorities
- crafts strategies, and
- ensures that plans and programs are implemented.

Without a committed board to tackle these tasks, a nonprofit can quickly run adrift, without clear goals or any specific plans to achieve them.

Board members are also involved in a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. You should be able to count on your board members to spread the word about your good work, use their connections to gain access to potential donors, actively participate in fundraising campaigns, and — when financially feasible — make their own donations. Whether a board member is more comfortable working behind the scenes or asking for money directly, there should be a way for the whole board to get involved.

Nonprofit board members often go beyond the traditional directorial tasks of setting policy and defining a nonprofit’s goals. Especially in small all-volunteer nonprofits (and even in those with a small paid staff), board members often roll up their sleeves and do much of the nonprofit’s actual work, be it feeding the hungry, helping the unemployed, or cleaning the forests. (See “How Board Members Are Different From Staff,” below.)

What Makes a Good Board

Most great boards share some common traits and qualities that enable them to lead their groups creatively and effectively. The members of an ideal board of directors:

- share a passion for and commitment to the nonprofit’s mission
- are willing to roll up their sleeves when necessary to help with the practical work
- have strong ties to their communities
- are diverse — in age, gender, race, religion, occupation, skills, and background, and
- are willing to support efforts to raise money.

How Board Members Are Different From Staff

Generally speaking, the board is not in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the nonprofit. Taking care of the many details involved in running the organization is the responsibility of the nonprofit’s staff, including the executive director, paid workers, and volunteers.

Of course, many nonprofits — especially new and small ones — are run almost entirely by the board and other volunteers. Plenty of micro-nonprofits operate this way, which can make the distinction between the board role and the staff role quite confusing. But it’s key to understand that the same person may sometimes play a board member’s role, and sometimes an activist or volunteer staff role. Board members should be clear on this: Although they may take care of all the nonprofit’s day-to-day details, they are not doing so in their capacity as board members.

Some examples of a board member wearing a “staff hat” –not a “board hat” — include:

- donning galoshes to help with a Clean Up the Wetlands day
- stuffing envelopes
- picking up chairs for an event, and
- teaching a seminar.

On the other hand, when a board member is discussing whether certain programs fit into the nonprofit’s overall mission, that member is wearing a “board hat.” Keeping this distinction in mind will help you understand the board/staff relationship and the breakdown of roles that is so important to the effective functioning of a nonprofit.

Recruiting Board Members

Most new nonprofits appoint their very first board members as part of the process of incorporating. Nonprofit corporations (and for-profit ones, too) are created at the state level, most commonly by filing papers known as articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State’s office. Those articles generally ask for the names of the nonprofit’sinitial board of directors. If your state requires a minimum number of directors (many do and three is a common minimum), you’ll need to name at least that many in your articles. (To learn more about articles of incorporation, read Nolo’s article Nonprofit Formation Documents: Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and Organizational Minutes.)

In established nonprofits, appointing board members is generally a more formal process. Often, a nominating committee of existing board members evaluates the current board situation and its needs, gathers names of prospective new members, and recommends candidates to the full board, which then votes on whether to elect the new members. In nonprofits that give members the legal right to elect directors, the members vote, rather than the board.

 

Read full article on Nolo.com

HOW TO: Write a Standout Job Description

Article by Erica Swallow from Mashable.com

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

There’s a lot of competition for top talent in the tech space. Writing a standout job description is an essential step toward attracting the right individuals to join your company.

As the demand for highly specialized digital talent increases in coming years, it will be even more important for companies to convey their wants, needs and culture via their websites and other digital touchpoints — job descriptions are no exception.

Here are our top tips for writing job descriptions that effectively communicate your company’s available positions and the requirements for applicants. We also searched the web for some examples of well-written job listings, which you’ll find below.

Essential Details

General guidelines on what to include in job descriptions have evolved over the years, making it simpler for employers to write them and for potential applicants to read them. Here are nine essential details to include in your company’s job descriptions:

- Job Title & Summary: Develop a job title for the position you’re looking to fill — the title and level (assistant, senior, lead, etc.) should accurately reflect the work that the employee will perform. Be sure to choose a job title that reflects your industry’s standards and organization’s culture. Once you’ve defined the position, write a brief description of the purpose of the position and an overview of the position’s main responsibilities. This summary should be short and to the point — one to three sentences should suffice.
- Key Responsibilities: List all of the essential functions of the position at hand. Generally, this includes between five and 10 responsibilities. Begin each responsibility with a present-tense, action verb — “research social media trends” or “mock up new UI graphics” are good examples. Be transparent about how frequently a task will be performed or what percentage of the employee’s time will be spent with each task. This helps applicants form an idea of what a typical day may look like.
- Department & Supervisor: Include details on who the person would report to and where that person falls within the company’s structure.
- Skills & Qualifications: List all qualifications that are mandatory, along with those that are preferred. Such qualifications should include skills, years of experience, certifications, licenses, education level and necessary technical proficiencies.
- Company Overview: While it is ideal that a candidate would already know essential details about the hiring company, it is helpful for potential applicants to have a description of the company (as written by the company) at hand. Include information about the company’s mission, goals, industry and headquarters location. Other useful details could include the number of states and countries where the company is present, number of employees, annual sales and so on.
- Location: Include details on where the position is located. If travel is necessary, note what percentage of time the employee will spend traveling and where he or she will be traveling.
- Type of Employment: Be very clear about whether the position is full-time or part-time. If the position is an internship, note whether it will be paid or unpaid — be sure that the internship follows the six federal legal criteria if it is unpaid.
- Salary Range & Benefits: If your company is open to publicizing the position’s salary range and benefits (such as 401(k), vacation days, or medical and dental insurance), include those details within the job description.
Recruiter Contact Information: While it may seem obvious, there are plenty of job listings on the web without contact information. Include contact information so that potential applicants can apply and ask questions.

 

Formatting Tips

Not all job descriptions are created equal. The perfect job description is neither too descriptive nor too vague, uses clear language and represents the ethos of the company. Here are a few formatting tips for improving your company’s job descriptions:

- Bullet Point When Possible: Make your job description easier to skim by using bullet points within the responsibilities and qualifications sections and anywhere else that makes sense.

Read full article on Mashable.com

10 Ways to Green Your Business and Save Money

Article by Kate Harrison from Forbes.com

With so many products and services to choose from, it has never been more important to differentiate yourself from the competition. Going green is a great way to stand out, but even if your actions don’t land you on Newsweek’s Greenest Companies list, going green can help your bottom line. The following are some simple steps you and your company can take today to save money and decrease its impact on the planet.

1. Switch to post-consumer waste (PCW) paper, paper products, and packaging.

Whenever possible, skip paper entirely, but if you have to print, make sure you are using eco-friendly paper. Well-intentioned businesses may look for a recycling symbol on a box of paper, but this is an unregulated designation. Only PCW paper is made entirely from the paper we place in our recycling bins each day. Making PCW recycled paper uses 45% less energy and creates half the waste of the traditional papermaking process. Purchasing products labeled as 100% PCW ensures you are using papers with the least impact. If 100% is not available, look for options with as much PCW content as possible, and don’t forget to recycle all your paper scraps instead of sending them to the landfill.

2. Use biodegradable cleaners.  

Using natural, biodegradable cleaning products reduces your exposure to harsh toxins and other chemicals, and reduces the introduction of these substances into the environment. The next time you run out of soap, shampoo or laundry detergent, swap in a greener option. Many stores sell green products in bulk.

3. Green Your Beauty Routine. 

The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database is an amazing resource for finding non-toxic options for ever part of your personal routine. Most green products cost the same or less than their toxic counterparts and are better for your health and the environment.

4. Use compact-fluorescent (CFL) or LED lights.  

Though CFL and LED lights both have a higher purchase price than standard incandescent bulbs, theylast significantly longer and use much less energy. CFL and LED bulbs can replace standard bulbs in most fixtures and can save you up to $200 per bulb over time. This calculator is a great way to see how quickly simply changing out your bulbs can add up!

5. Replace outdated appliances with their greener counterparts. 

Energy Star applianceshave labels helping you asses their energy (and cash) requirements over time. Look for the yellow tags when you buy your next appliance, and splurge up front for the long term economic and environmental savings.

6. Get an energy audit and make simple changes around your office and house.  

According to he department of energy, sealing leaks and cracks in your home can cut up to 20% off the costs of your heating and cooling bills. Many states will perform free energy audits, and will pay for some or all of the repairs! (Google free energy audit and the name of your state for leads).

7. Power your office with alternative energy.  

In many areas of the country you can sign up to purchase “green power” from your current utility provider. Green power is generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower and plant matter.  Purchasing green power increases your electric bill by a small percentage, which is used to purchase clean energy that is fed into the electrical grid. To see if this is possible in your state visit Is my business in the Green Power Network?

Read entire article on Forbes.com

How to Select Business Insurance

Article from BizFilings.com

As you start a business, be sure to protect your new venture and the time and money you’ve invested in it. By simply incorporating a business or forming a limited liability company (LLC), you help protect your personal assets from business debts and liabilities. But purchasing the correct type and amount of business insurance is another key layer of protection. This article helps you understand the different types of business insurance policies available.
What are the policy types?

There are different types of business insurance that provide different types of coverage. There’s coverage against damages to your business’s location (office, factory, etc.), vehicles, and equipment and inventory. There’s business insurance to protect against losses resulting from crimes, such as theft or even employee fraud. There are many types of business liability insurance, protecting your company in the event of a lawsuit. There is also business insurance to provide coverage for extended leaves of absence due to illness.

What are the general categories?

Business insurance can be divided into four broad categories:

- Business property insurance. Reimburses any insured party who has suffered a financial loss because property (land, buildings, personal property, etc.) has been damaged or destroyed.
- Business liability insurance. Delivers protection to pay for bodily injury or property damages when the insured is legally responsible.
- Business automobile insurance. Provides protection against damages caused by the vehicles used for business purposes. Similar to personal auto insurance, comprehensive coverage provides compensation for vehicle damages resulting from fire or theft; collision covers losses due to an accident; and liability coverage protects you if you are sued for an accident involving a company vehicle.
- Business umbrella insurance. Extends coverage for losses above the limit of another policy or policies. An umbrella policy may also extend coverage for losses not normally covered in the other policy.

Outside of these four primary categories, other types of business insurance coverage include: workers compensation insurance, business interruption insurance, group health insurance, group life insurance and disability insurance.

Choosing the right limits and deductibles

Once you select the right type of coverage for your business, you’ll also need to choose the appropriate limits and deductibles to suit your needs. These factors can greatly influence the premiums you pay:

- Get the best coverage at the best price. Obtain and compare multiple quotes from reputable carriers and independent insurance agents. You can get quotes online or in person. If you are a member of an industry organization, check to see if they have a recommended insurance provider. It’s also often beneficial to talk to other business owners to see who provides their insurance and whether they’re satisfied.
- Compare the details. Policies from different carriers may have the same name, but not the same coverage. Be very clear on what is and is not covered in each policy.
- Considerations for home-based businesses. Owners of small home-based businesses can often add a rider to their homeowner’s policy instead of needing a separate business insurance policy. Discuss your particular situation with an insurance agent to determine what is best for you.

Understanding common elements and exclusions

Before deciding the type of coverage for your business, be sure you know what various policies will cover. Here are some common elements and exclusions:

- Endorsements. Specialized coverage types are more restricted in scope and cover situations excluded in a comprehensive general liability insurance policy. Sometimes you can pay an additional premium for an “endorsement”—an amendment to a comprehensive that will cover a standard exclusion. When liability relates to a unique risk (e.g., professional services by an accountant), a specialized policy will be required (e.g., an errors and omissions or E&O policy), in addition to a comprehensive general liability insurance policy.
- Coverage of occurrences. A comprehensive policy covers liability for any “occurrence” during the period—that is, the policy will cover liability for personal injuries or property damage that the insured caused to another party while the policy was in effect. A lapse in insurance coverage opens a window of vulnerability.

 

Read full article on BizFilings.com

AdWords vs SEO

Article by Tony Gattari from achieversgroup.com.au via InspiredBusinessMag.com

As the time and difficulty in achieving Google the internet. The goal is to create content that is so rankings increases, many webmasters are moving away from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to focus on Google Adwords. Google Adwords enables you to list your website in Google searches immediately, for as many keywords as you wish. With adverts appearing above and to the right of search results in highly visible positions, Google Adwords is a clear alternative to SEO. Let’s compare the two.

What is Adwords?

Adwords is a pay-per-click advertising service in Google search results. Most clicks on adverts cost from a few cents up to several dollars. The cost-per- click depends on the competition for the keyword and the quality of your advert. Over 90 per cent of Google’s profits come from Google Adwords, so they are heavily invested in ensuring the Adwords platform works well for business. This is in contrast to their free search results, where Google rank websites based on unknown and changing criteria, with little recourse for a business to question a change in their ranking. Adwords provides:

• A marketplace where you can instantly list your advert in front of potential customers for any  search term you choose.

• A way to exactly measure your ROI.

• Ability to control your spend to a daily budget.

The downside to Adwords:

• The cost is increasing as more people use the service to advertise.

• The ability to target locations is limited to cities, not at the suburb level.

• Adwords adverts have a lower click through rate than free search results, so there are many users you may miss out on.

• You must continually spend to achieve rankings. A competitor can choose to out-rank you anytime they are willing to spend more than you.

 

What is SEO?

The goal of SEO is to get listings in the free search results for competitive search terms. Most modern SEO strategies are based on creation of interesting and relevant content, which is then shared across interesting and important, that internet users share and link to it. Google measures any created links to your content and ranks the content to match.

If a ranking in the free organic search results can be achieved for an important keyword for your business, the value of SEO is potentially very high as there is no cost associated with traffic Google sends to your website. If you have high quality, unique and interesting content on your website, SEO has to be part of your online strategy.

But SEO can be hard. Creating content that ranks is difficult and not something that can be automated or predicted in advance. A content producer would be very lucky to have one in 10 pieces of content to be shared widely across the internet. As such, achieving a high ranking for multiple keywords is a very difficult task, especially for a business that is not social or a producer of content. Achieving rankings can also take a lot of time, waiting for your content to gain the trust of the search engines.

SEO is a high risk, high reward strategy. Replicating success across multiple keywords requires tremendous effort and a measure of good fortune. Measurement of ROI is very difficult with SEO and in most cases won’t be known for many months.

So what should you do?

 

Read full article on achieversgroup.com.au

10 Tips to Break the Cash-Flow Drought

Article from InspiredBusinessMag.com

When economic hard-times hit, one measure more than any other separates the business survivors from those that fall by the way – cash-flow.

In boom times, many business owners naturally turn their focus to measurements like sales and profit, but when things slow down it is cash-flow that is the key test of business health.

The good news is there is plenty that business owners can do to turn a cash-flow trickle into a flood.

Here are 10 best tips for boosting cash-flow.

 

1. Put together a good cash-flow forecast

A cash-flow forecast is a key diagnostic tool for the health of a business. Without one, getting your business’s cash-flow right is almost impossible.

Many businesses operating without a cash-flow forecast, don’t even realise their margins are coming under pressure.

Small business owners in particular often shy away from putting together a forecast because they find it hard to gauge the affect different factors will have on cash-flow – events like the introduction of a new product line, marketing venture or extra staff member can have an uncertain impact.

 

2. Communicate from day one

Once you understand how cash moves through your business, you can start taking action to increase cash-flow.

In the current economic and credit climate, there is one key challenge most business owners are likely to face in bringing more cash in the door; getting customers to pay on time.

Constant communication is the crucial first step to improving debtor days.

Communication with clients has to start from day one, with new clients receiving a notice clearly setting out how long they have to pay bills – and the consequences if they don’t.

 

3. Check the credentials of new customers

New customers are great, but new customers that actually pay are even better. The problem is it can be difficult to tell one from the other until it is too late.

 

4. Give your customers a reason to pay

Reminders and checks may get the debtors paying in good times, but when things are tight a little something more will often be necessary to bring in the cash.

A tool many cash-flow advisors believe is effective, if costly, is the discount for early payment.

If a discount doesn’t make financial sense, consider offering other benefits for prompt payment such as a higher level of post-purchase service or priority access to new stock.

You can also make paying your bills less painful for your clients by allowing them to pay in instalments, helping them smooth out their cash-flow and giving you some increased security.

 

5. Spend more time ensuring your big clients pay

Small businesses that rely heavily on dealing with a few, big clients, often find themselves in a bind when it comes to cash-flow – desperate to be paid, but petrified of losing a key customer.

Managing big clients requires a careful approach, with plenty of care and attention backed by a firm commitment to being paid.

 

6. Encourage staff to bring in the cash

Many businesses reward staff for boosting sales. During a downturn, cash-flow management is arguably more important, so why not give staff a real incentive to help make it happen?

This can mean introducing a performance-based component for accounts receivable staff, but often improving cash-flow requires an organisation-wide effort.

It can often be worthwhile to direct at least a portion of your sales team’s commission structure towards ensuring the customers they sell to actually pay.

What to Do When You’re Waiting on God

Article by Joyce Meyer from JoyceMeyer.com

Have you been praying about a situation in your life and found yourself waiting for a breakthrough? Are you wondering why the answer hasn’t come yet? Do you feel as though victory is passing you by?

 

Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. Our situation can change suddenly—quickly without warning!

But one thing is certain: Before God moves suddenly, we will wait. Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we’ll wait, but rather how we’ll wait. And I believe how will determine how long.

Two Ways to Wait

All of us will wait passively, or we’ll wait expectantly. A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, “That’s it! I’ve waited and waited and nothing’s happened.” The passive person has a lot of wishbone but not much backbone!

The expectant person, on the other hand, is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for happens.

Expect It to Happen

It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it’s said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it’s there. The moment she learns of her pregnancy, she begins to plan for her baby’s arrival. She starts collecting items she’ll need and busily gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it’s just a matter of time. She is expectant and she’ll wait as long as it takes.

We know the word wait means “to expect” or “to look for.” But remember, it also means “to serve” — just like a waiter waits on your table at a restaurant. Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon.

Read full article on JoyceMeyer.com