Tag: small business

#EducationMatters – Really Connect with Your Power Partners

Another relevant aspect of education is getting to know the businesses that refer clients and customers to you. These power partners are essential in meeting the needs of your customers.
But what, exactly, is a power partner?
A power partner is a company that isn’t direct competition but has similar client bases. This allows you and the power partner to refer clients to one another.
I’ve mentioned before that social proof is important and explained how team building is essential in your business. Referrals from your power partners are essential aspects of social proof. Why? Their customers and clients trust that your partners wouldn’t steer them wrong. The same goes for your referrals. When you suggest a power partner to a customer or client, you’re giving those power partners your personal stamp of approval. Your reputation is on the line so educate yourself on what, exactly, your partners can provide to your clients.
Remember when I said you don’t need to do everything on your own? You don’t have to be perfect at everything. If you get swamped with projects, doesn’t it make sense to know where you can refer clients when things get overwhelming? Not all projects will fall under your scope of work, and that’s okay.
Take the time to get to know your power partners. Where do their strengths lie? Keep tabs on how they’re doing and how stacked their schedule becomes. Also, make sure your power partners know what you do. This helps in their referral process as well.
Most of all, when you refer a client, let the power partner know they’re coming. It would be a great idea to build a tracking system for referrals. I say this for two reasons: 1. You can ask the customer/client how the connection went and 2. You can find patterns of behavior and cycles of customer/client needs that can forge a direct relationship with a power partner.
What do I mean by that? What if you are a marketing/brand consultant and one of your power partners is a web developer who specializes in building WordPress websites? Let’s say 75% of your clientele require website overhauls and 5% need new ones created. You refer them, of course, to your web developer power partner, but less than 25% of them actually convert. You and your power partner put your heads together and come up with a referral discount. Or you create a package deal in which you contract your power partner to do the web-end of the service. There are many other options out there. You’d be surprised how often that tiny collaboration can make all the difference in a successful business transaction.

A relationship between you and your power partners can weather storms greater than you ever imagined. The support network you build today can last for generations and is a genuine path for being #BeAwesome at what you do!
Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

#TimeManagement- What Are You Worth and When Do You Outsource?



One of the most overlooked aspects of growing your own business is the amount of time you invest in ongoing projects, day-to-day processes, and promoting your business through social media and other resources.

You can’t expect others to value your time if you won’t. #TimeManagement is about managing your energy, not filling in the white space in your daily calendar. It’s important to know where your strengths lie and then choose others to fill in the gaps via outsourcing.

This requires an honest assessment of your abilities and accurate representation of your time spent. Here’s an easy way to get started. Make a to-do list for your week. Write down what’s supposed to get done, and make sure you include the marketing side of your business. Just for fun, predict how long it’s going to take you to accomplish each task. You can round it to the nearest half hour, if you like.

Each day, keep an accurate hourly record of what you’re doing. Make sure you include when you go through email, phone conversations, when you eat, updating reports, etc. Add any emergencies that occur to your original to-do list. If you find that you forgot something important that has to be done every week, make sure you add that too with a side note that you’d overlooked it.

At the end of the week, see what was done and what drifted to the side. Look at your to-do list. Did you get it all done? If not, what is left? And of those tasks, which are the ones you really don’t want to tackle?

Look at your hourly record for the week. Did the actual amount of time spent on each task match up with your original predictions? If you’re anything like me, probably not. I tend to underestimate the time it takes me to do the tasks I enjoy or tasks I do on a regular basis. It’s rare to overestimate time, by the way.

Try this for a few weeks and see if you have any underlying patterns. The things that are constantly being swept to the side still need to get done. Consider outsourcing for better performance in those areas. Choose people who are skilled in that particular aspect of your business. You don’t have to be great at everything. As a matter of fact, the key to success is surrounding yourself with the people who can get the job done so that your vision can be realized.

Phylecia Jones, amazing Budgetologist and owner of Keeping Up with Mrs. Jones, would tell you – you have to know what your time is actually worth. What are you worth per hour? If you know that number, you will have a better sense of whether certain tasks and responsibilities are even worth the time you are spending on them. If you can find a team member that can expertly accomplish that work for less than what your time is worth – then there is no better argument for the need to outsource some of what you do. Attempting to be an “Everything CEO” keeps you from being able to focus on the aspects of your business where you excel and where growth happens.

What many small businesses and entrepreneurs discover during this process is that outsourcing time-consuming tasks tends to free them up to win new work. This is an imperative part of business growth. It’s time to let go and invest in your own profitability and success. 

Your time is precious and you need to realize that. Know where your strengths lie and choose team members who can fill the gaps. We have a network of fantastic power partners and would love to give you an introduction to a company that can help you #BeAwesome at what you do!

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

#TeamBuilding – Finding the Right Web Designer

Web design is an intricate part of your growing business. Your site must adapt to the needs of your clients whether that be through shopping cart integration, a portfolio of past work, smooth mobile transitions, or a variety of other requirements.
Having a dependable and reliable designer on your team is key to a successful customer experience. You may find that you require someone else to take care of this aspect of your growing business, but how do you determine what type will fit your needs?

Much like the SEO professionals mentioned in the previous article, there are three types of web designers: Independent Contractors, Design Firms, and Salary Employees. 

Unless your site sees close to one million hits a month, it’s not cost effective to keep a web designer on the payroll. 

Whether you go with an independent contractor or design firm, there are a few things you need to consider before choosing the web design guru that’s right for you.

  • Know what you want before you begin your search. Would you tell a roofing contractor to do whatever design he wants? What about a building contractor on your new home? Do you give her license to do as she pleases and trust that she’ll see right into your mind for the perfect home? The answer to those questions are probably no, and yet many inexperienced individuals will approach a web designer with a ‘do what you want, I trust you’ type of attitude. Take some time to research the type of site you want, have examples, be prepared. Your web designer needs a place to start. Remember: a designer isn’t responsible for your vision…they’re responsible for implementing it. 
  • Know their expertise. Look at their portfolio (if they don’t have one, you should move on to another designer). How are the sites? Check on both your desktop and all mobile devices to ensure clear and concise viewing. Do they understand SEO? This is very important. A movie intro or flash-based splash page may seem really awesome, but it’s not tracked by search engines. Remember, this is for your business. Are there customer reviews? Not just on their site. Check Yelp, Angie’s List, LinkedIn, their Facebook page (or other social media), or your favorite review site to see how they actually operate.
  • Most important of all, know exactly what work you will require of your web designer. When you design a contract (or sign theirs), ensure the following items, at a minimum, are spelled out: a) The exact work you will require of the designer and what they’ll require of you, b) cost per hour of work to include off hour pay (weekend panic, holidays, etc.) and payment options such as half up front/half upon delivery, and most important of all c) a break off clause in case your visions clash.


Keeping these three things in mind will go a long way toward finding a successful web designer for your growing team. I know some great web designers if you are looking for referrals or just advice on the best direction to head in. As always, I want you to be successful and #BeAwesome at what you do!


~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 


Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.


#TeamBuilding – Invite Your Village



Our business coach, Sabina Claus asks, “How do you eat an elephant? It’s not one bite at a time. You invite the village and have a feast.”
How does this relate to your small business? Often running a company can be overwhelming. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. It would be nice, as the owner, to be able to focus all your energy on the things you are good at – after all, that is why you started your own business to begin with. However, you need to market, balance your books, maintain your online presence, network, and various other tasks that you may or may not be talented at or have the time to accomplish.
Being an entrepreneur or small business owner does not mean you need to take on the roll of doing everything. In fact, many people discover that they are not only more productive, but also more profitable, when they hire out certain segments of their work. If you are not ready to hire on employees and build your team internally, the wonders of modern day technology allow you to access qualified help right from your desktop.
Before you begin looking into online sites such as Craigslist, Fiverr or Upwork to find assistance – consider reaching out to your network first. Your network is your village of clients, power partnersand brand advocates who are eager to see you succeed. Each one of these people has a village of their own. Invite your village in to feast and see if they are able to support you or can recommend someone that would be a perfect fit for the role you need to fill.
What types of team members could you invite into your business? Here are just a few ideas of tasks you can outsource in order to free up your time. Bring them on board as independent contractors and pay per project instead of hiring on an employee.
  • –       Virtual Assistant
  • –       Bookkeeper
  • –       Web Designer
  • –       IT Specialist
  • –       Social Media Manager
  • –       Graphic Designer
  • –       SEO Expert

Your village is an essential resource and not only for finding contracted support. Your village is the people who support you, have your back, and are invested in your own success. Be good to them and they will be good to you.

Find out more about investing in Your Village by following our business coach, Sabina Claus. Sabina helps small businesses focus on their goals, dreams, time and getting back to enjoying the company they created. She gives business owners systems so that they are running their business instead of the other way around. Find out more at www.sabinaclaus.comor my joining her Meetup Group – Your Village.



~ Social Media is changing the way people do business.  Don’t get left behind ~ 

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them. 

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.
  • 1
  • 2

Learn how to use social media to grow your business online with our video series!

  • Learn the fundamentals of social media
  • Learn how to build better brand engagement
  • Learn how to enhance your visitors' experience
  • Learn how to grow your business using social media strategies.

If you want someone to break down aspects of social media to get more clients and build your business using social media, this is the program for you.

Start Learning Today!

Follow me

Categories

Latest Articles

©2008-2023 Clere Communications / The Social Media Advisor