As many of your have probably noticed, a beautiful BlogWorld expo logo has been sitting pretty on the right sidebar for weeks now and I am thrilled about heading to Las Vegas this Wednesday. I have a full roster of sessions that I will be attending from Wednesday to Friday. This means a lot of information! In total, I will be attending about 15 sessions-not including key note speeches. And, of course I want to communicate all this information to you guys. Here is where I need your advice! How would you like me to present this information to you? Here are some options I was considering: a) Do video posts! It would be faster for you and more dynamic.  I may be able to cover more material. The downside is that I have never done a video post before and hence I am a little nervous. b) Just blog… read more

There is a common misconception that to be a good marketer you have to be loud and brazen. Although this may work for some industries (selling cars for example), it falls flat when it comes to selling professional services. Most clients don’t want to be "dazzled" by slick routines or by a knocking down of price. When it comes to selling professional services, substance is the name of the game. And luckily, most introverts are experts when it comes to delivering substance. Here are 5 steps to market and sell your services like a pro.  1) Research – Introverts feel most comfortable when they are prepared. While extroverts can be great at winging it, introverts are very likely to stumble when they are unsure of how to respond. The best way to handle this is to be prepared. Do your research before you meet a potential client. A google search… read more

A lack of vision? No. Not knowing how to market? No. A lack of employees? No A lack of organization? BINGO! Most small business owners possess vision and skill. If they lack marketing know how-they can always learn. If they need more help, they can find that as well. What they really lack is an organizational system which can cut costs, save time, and streamline their business operations. One place to store their invoices, create cash ledgers, host documents, and basically-run their business! I always thought about how cool it would be if some company actually came up with something to help keep small businesses organized. The ideal small business office online! (Big franchises always provide all their franchisees with this type of infrastructure. They want them to have an edge in their individual businesses and they know that this type of a system is key.) I didn’t think anything… read more

I remember being terrified of Halloween when I was very young. I didn’t care if it was my cousin in a stupid gorilla mask. It was the mask that scared me!  I couldn’t see beyond the surface. However as I got a little older, I started enjoying the holiday. I looked forward to dressing up as a princess or a princess bride (what else was there?). I imagined the hordes of candy my sister and I would collect before it was ever in our little pumpkin shaped baskets. My father joked that only America could make a holiday out of begging children, but I didn’t care. The same holiday that had caused me so much agony just a few years ago had turned into one of my favorite days of the year. I could now see beyond the gorilla mask. Non-entrepreneurs are often like very young children-they are scared by… read more

Abraham Lincoln said "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four sharpening the ax." That’s also the key to smart small business marketing! You can do absolutely everything to attract attention, but if what you are attracting attention to is not worth people’s time and money-the marketing won’t matter. So here are three tips to make sure your marketing ax stays sharp! 1) Provide the RIGHT Value- Provide something of value and people will be attracted to it. It doesn’t have to be valuable to everyone (and practically speaking it can’t be). Your service has to provide the RIGHT value to the RIGHT people. And by right value, I mean it has to matter to your clients. For example, you can make yourself available to clients on holidays. This may work well if you clients need constant support, but it may not… read more

Reality vs. Theory in a high growth, bootstrapping business – Pam Slim looks at what becomes of high minded youthful ideals when reality comes to play. Teaching Sells (FREE REPORT) – Tony Clark of Success from the nest and Copyblogger Brian Clark teamed up to provide this free report on how to ignore Google and still make a profit online. Must read for any independent service professional! Eye Contact – Kavit Haria discusses the powers of making eye contact. Halloween Promotion Ideas to Generate Publicity – The Publicity Hound shows you how to use Halloween to promote your business! A Definition of Leadership- Jay Hargis presents us with a succinct but touching definition of a leader. Learn about Customer Focus from Big Business- Stefan reminds us to always focus on our clients! Want your Own Crystal Ball? – Heather Juma talks openly about her own personal vision for her business-empowering… read more

In my line of work, I meet lots of entrepreneurs and business owners. Some are very successful, and others are still getting there. I can always spot a savvy entrepreneur thanks to these three signs. 1) They are proud of what they do …and it shows- Savvy entrepreneurs never cover their mouth and mumble when someone asks "What do you do?" Instead, they smile real big and tell them! They always use their business name in their email signatures and jump at the chance of sharing their expertise. They realize that providing a service that is valuable to people is not enough-you have to market that service! 2) They are focused-Even serial entrepreneurs share this characteristic. Savvy entrepreneurs take one project at a time and carry it out to its full extent. They are focused on their business and are willing to give it their 100%. They don’t scatter their… read more

1) Use quotations. When looking for an explicit phrase, put it in quotations. Instead of typing small business marketing, try enclosing the phrase within double quotes. Example- "Small Business Marketing"  2) Search a Specific Site:  Want to search a particular site for a phrase but the site doesn’t have a built-in search box? You can use Google by simply typing in "site:somesite.com." Example: "how to manage a business" site:www.AfterTheLaunch.com  3) Searching Specific Document Types: Looking for just images or power point presentations? Anytime you are searching for a specific document type, use "filetype:" to modify your search results. Example: "small business marketing" filetype:ppt 4) Check Local Time- To check the local time of a city, simple type in time in x city Example: Time in London 5) Search Patents- Have an idea for an invention but no clue if someone already had it first? Search Google Patents.

  Email marketing used to be a marketer’s dream, but thanks to spammers and viagra ads, click through rates are at an all time low. But don’t despair if your business uses newsletters or eZines to get information across to your clients. Here are five tips to keep in mind when sending emails. 1) In that initial moment, when one decides whether to hit "open" or "delete," the two largest components are 1) your subject line and 2) the "from" address. It is the first thing people notice and if it reads like spam-they will spam it. So keep your subject line short and use the recipient’s name whenever possible. The "from" address should always show your name. If you ever receive an email from After The Launch-it will be from me, "Shama Hyder." 2) Use alt-text tags to improve clickthroughs for recipients who have HTML images automatically disabled. Gmail… read more

Every noticed how some coaches and consultants naturally have a full client roster, while other stumble around trying to find their first client? It happens all the time, and it has very little to do with luck. Here are five steps to becoming a client magnet and starting that wait list of your own. 1) Create a Strong Platform- This is the very first step to becoming a client magnet, and it involves creating a strong platform for yourself. There are thousands of coaches and consultants out there-what makes you different? Creating a strong platform is about finding what makes you different  from everyone else and then conveying that with enthusiasm to the world. The stronger your platform, the stronger your "magnetic" attraction power. 2) Be a Connector- If you can serve as a connector for others, you (and your services!) will be valued. Know someone who needs an accountant?… read more