5 Habits to Improve Your Business and Your Life Part 1
We are by nature, creatures of habit. When you look back on your life, and closely examine the things you do it’s a sure bet you will notice quite a few habits…
Biz and Marketing
Copy and Messaging
The Care and Feeding of Copywriters
This letter is courtesy of fellow copywriter Rick Duris who is also a fellow Warrior on the Warrior Forum. I think he has some great points in this letter than a lot of marketers need to hear, and he gave me permission to share it. Warning: Somewhat long, but a great read regardless. Thoughts and comments are welcome!
Dear Fellow Marketer,
Like you, I am a marketer.
But at my core, in my heart, I am a copywriter. I get paid thousands per sales letter and email. Frankly, even more than the late, revered Gary Halbert, the Prince of Print.
Many online marketers frequent this forum to find that one, special, gifted copywriter who has what it takes to write copy for them.
It’s to *YOU*, this post is directed.
Biz and Marketing
12 Important Goals to Set For Yourself and Your Business This Year
Everyone should have goals for their business, whether personal or professional. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that without planning you plan to fail. That said, here are 12 things I think are important goals to set for yourself and your biz. These are 12 things I strive for myself, and feel could be a good fit for you as well.
I am sure there are plenty of other important things I’m just not thinking of at the moment, so if you have ideas of your own, please leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear them and I’m sure the rest of BGB’s readers would love to hear them as well!
1. Map out a business plan. Even if it’s a loose one, you need SOME sort of plan this year to keep your business on track, measure your goals, and reach milestones. Make your businesses milestones specific, attainable, and set a deadline to reach them. Use a mindmap, write it down on paper, or go ‘whole hog’ and create an honest to goodness business plan. (With a little help from a professional if you need it!)
Biz and Marketing
8 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
So in the last post, Self-Employment: Do You Have What It Takes? I introduced the topic and discussed a bit about what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Now here are 8 traits that many of those who are successfully self-employed share in common… let’s see how you rank. Make sure to leave your comments in the box below and subscribe to my RSS feed to keep up with new posts.
8 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs:
Biz and Marketing
Self-Employed: Do You Have What It Takes?
Sure, self-employment sounds glamorous. You envision working for yourself, ditching the grind of a J.O.B., making oodles of cash, and doing it all in just one day a week! But the reality isn’t quite so glamorous, nor is it achieved in working just one day a week. At least not when you start out at any rate! Unless you’ve had a different experience than me? If so do share! 🙂
The reality is that being self-employed really takes a special kind of person. It takes someone who is dedicated, motivated, and disciplined or is at least is all three of those things the majority of the time.
Biz and Marketing
31 Relatively Cheap and Easy Ways to Advertise Your Business Locally
Pass out flyers at your local mall.
3. Place your biz cards under windshield wipers at your local Walmart.
4. Pass out business ‘buttons’ to everyone you meet.
5. Hand out pens to people you meet.
6. Create simple welcome gifts to give to newcomers with your
Mindset and Inspiration
Dear Twitterheads- Ya’ll Are Awesome!
Coffee and Convo… Let’s Chat!
I created this post because, let’s face it… you really can’t get to know someone in a 140 characters or less. And that’s kind of crappy because the point of Twitter is to connect, get to know people, and build relationships! So to that end, I thought I’d post a little about me so that you can dig around and see a bit of what makes me tic.
Biz and Marketing
Guest Post:Alpha Freelancers Seek Out and Accept Only High-Value Engagements – You Can Do the Same
Your next freelance copywriting client could be worth $1,000 to you. Or it could be worth $10,000 or more.
It’s up to you.
No, it isn’t the luck of the draw. No, it isn’t about the economy. No it isn’t about competition from other freelancers.
If you think the value of your next freelance assignment is determined by external factors, you’re just making excuses. It is determined by you.
Alpha freelancers have a plan. They know where they are going. They have a goal and a set of waypoints to reach between where they are now, and where they want to get to.
Having a plan, and a goal in mind, means that every action they take is considered and deliberate. They don’t accept assignments that happen to come along. They seek out assignments that will help them achieve their goals.
Biz and Marketing
Guest Post: Who Knew “Porn Review Writer” Was A Real Job Description?
’m pretty new to this entrepreneurial stuff. Last August I left my position as the marketing director of an accounting firm and went out of my own to create BBR Marketing, where I provide marketing strategy and services to professional services firms. However, since my company is new, I often find myself perusing freelance writing gigs with the goal of keeping my writing skills sharp and supplementing the income from my fledging enterprise. Keep in mind, many of these project descriptions are pretty vague, but when one looks interesting, I throw my hat in the ring. Because these jobs are so competitive – and so many writers are looking for work these days – I rarely hear back from these posts.
With this in mind, I was excited last week when I got a return email from someone who wanted to hire me. Then I read the email and laughed so hard I spit coffee out of my nose. The email came from an innocuous sounding group like “the writing guild.” The exciting project they had in mind for me was to write reviews for…wait for it…porn sites. Yes, you read that right, reviews of porn sites.
After I cleaned up the coffee, I read further. It seems there is a lot of work to be done in this category. She wanted me to review 12 sites a week, for which she’d pay me $350. After six months of work, there would be a raise too.
Okay, first of all, who knew there was a demand for porn site reviews written by 40-year-old married women. I’m not a connoisseur, but I just figured this was an area where you Googled what you were looking for until you found the right site. But what do you know, many people out there are reading reviews on the sites before they go check them out. You learn something new every day.
Biz and Marketing
How Can A Small Business Compete? Part 2
If you’re a small business or providing a service, then in reality Wal-Mart is the antithesis of what you should be doing. Think about it. Wal-Mart doesn’t stay in business by providing quality services or even by keeping the customer happy.