Interesting heads up for you guys.

You know I like experimenting with making money online and so on.

Well, last week I bought some traffic.

This is the cardinal sin for all bloggers across the globe. Do this, and you will rot in Hell, or something like that.

I did it for one clear reason though. I wanted to see what it was like.

Seth Godin says you should always test everything out before you ditch it, and I believe that. So I bought traffic, even though I know two things that should have put me off.

First of all, any bought traffic is untargetted. This means anyone who is pushed to your site by traffic merchants does not have the foggiest idea as regards who you are or what you do. It’s like taking  a wrong turn on the road. Means nothing.

Secondly, I knew it was potentially unethical. You are disrupting someone’s life when you shove them to an unwanted website.

But I wanted to try it. And you know what? It stinks.

You waste your money, and on top of that, you waste any chance of connecting with any of those people who come your way.

So, as a cautionary tale, as another lesson from The Smart Home Worker, don’t buy traffic.

Suppose that means I just saved you some money…

Until next time, work smart.

Tweet This Post

Get the basics of your plan right

Okay, so you have decided to start a business. You’ve chosen something you want to do and it looks like it’s going to fly. What next? Well, it’s time you thought about developing a business plan.

These things are either ridiculously hard to write or very easy. It all depends on how you approach them, to be honest. Treat your business plan like the exciting, useful document that it’s meant to be, in other words, and you should be fine.

The basic business plan is very simple. But just jumping in and writing one without thinking about it is pretty nuts. Best thing you can do is jot down some ideas first of all. Take a piece of paper and write down the details about your company, the products and/or services you are going to offer, and some basic information about the customers you are going to target. Then make a quick note about the finances, what you expect to make over the next few years. If this fills a side of paper that’s pretty good. It gets you thinking, and it will provide the framework for your plan.

Once you have this framework for your business plan structure, describe your company in detail. Do this on a separate piece of paper and go for broke. Imagine you are writing this description for a top banker who has a sack of cash that he wants to give you. But he will only do it if he thinks your company is worth investing in. Go into detail about your amazing company. Tell a story. Make it obvious that your company has a reason for existing. Two out of three businesses fail so yours has to be pretty special. Then write about other staff you have, if this is relevant, highlighting their stellar credentials.

Once you have described your company, go into detail about your product or service. It’s amazing, right? Exactly. This is your baby, so describe how you’re going to make it happen. Think of that captive, powerful audience again and describe what you are going to sell. Cover the costs of production. If you have suppliers, make sure you explain who they are.

Then it’s time to describe the market you are going to compete in. If your plan is to bring in investors, they want to know about the arena you are going to dominate. You should know the industry very well because you’ve been researching it, so convey the details about the market you are going to be playing in. Talk about the industry trends, the typical customer, and the niche you are going to make your own. Basically, if you can get across a strong understanding of the market and the customer you are targeting, you’ll be fine.

Once you have the market explained, you have to show how you are going to reach it. So discuss the marketing plan you have. How are you going to reach this market? What advertising are you going to do? Will it cost? If so, how much? Keep this aspect, which is called a marketing plan, as realistic as possible. Outline all costs as regards your marketing and publicity.

Then it’s time for the executive summary. This is a synopsis of the business plan. A couple of pages explaining what the reader will encounter when they read the plan. This part of the business plan sells it.

Once all of this stuff is down on paper, you will want to start giving it some shape. Go here for a basic template and get the boxes ticked. Once you have the basic business plan, share it with friends and family. If they can understand how you are going to make money with your business, the plan works.

The basic business plan is simple to write

Tweet This Post

How to find customers for your business...

In the last post we looked at how we all know a ton of people who we can tap into as regards creating interest (and sales) in the early stages of our business.   Everyone has to start somewhere, and using the people we know to get confident about our product and/or service is an excellent way to do this.   Some may buy from you.   Some will not.   But you will gain confidence in what you do, and that all important feedback about how you do it.

So how do we start the process of reaching out to these people?   Well, you can try writing them a letter…

The Sales Letter.

It is one of the most important parts of business prospecting, and writing a letter to a customer is something you should be getting used to.   So start by writing a professional, non-threatening letter to some of those people on that list we looked at in Part One.

Start warmly.   They know you, and don’t want a letter that sells them something in the first line.   Instead, say ‘hello’ and enquire about how they are doing (it helps if you do this), and then mention, in the second paragraph, that you are starting a new company.

Then go on to write about what the company does.   After you have gone through this preamble (remember, practise makes perfect) then offer an initial discount or free consultation.   This is positive, and shows that you value their input and custom in your exciting new venture.   They are making an investment, and you value that.

Then say that you hope to see them soon.

And that’s it.   

If you would like help writing that first prospecting letter, then go here to find my email address.

The Sales Call.

Once you have sent a letter, follow it up with a quick call to the person you have contacted.   They will know you, so it is not cold calling.   There is no threat, for you or the prospect.   Have a nice chat, and then just drop a little reminder into the conversation, as to whether or not they got the letter.   This is a perfectly acceptable (and pleasant) way of building up prospects.

The Rest of Your Life.

The flow will come from there.   Take it slowly, and patiently, and you will be able to build up a solid base of customers in a few months.   The best businesses hardly ever have to pitch to customers.   This takes time.   By believing in your product, knowing who to talk to, and how to talk to them, the natural process of sales growth will happen.  

Pretty soon, you will be receiving referrals…

Until next time, work smart.

Tweet This Post

Get customers through your door.

No matter how great your business idea is, and no matter how excited you are, without customers you are nothing.   And right at the very start of your business, when everything is brand spanking new, it can become very scary very quick if you have no one paying you money for your amazing idea.   So it is important that you get people through the door (virtual or otherwise) as quick as you can.   However, knowing how to do this is another matter.  

What you need to do is get busy talking to the people that you know.   Using your established list of contacts now is vital, if you are going to get any leverage.

Your Current Contacts.

Who are they?   Well, they are the people that you know now.   Your friends and family.   They will probably buy from you, and they will provide you with those all important testimonials that give you credibility and make you feel legitimate.   If you tap into this bank of people and start talking to them, all sorts of great things will happen.

You will become more confident talking about your business.   You will get used to talking about your business as a legitimate enterprise that offers benefits to customers.   And you will create sales, and thus cash flow.

• So you should be contacting your friends, and their friends too.   They will be interested in your venture.   Talk to them about it.
• Go back to school and think about your old schoolfriends.   They are potential customers.   There are hundreds of websites and services out there now that offer a connection service.   
• Remember your real job?   The one you just left?   Think about your old colleagues.   Better yet, think about the old customers you had, especially those that you had a great relationship with.
• You should consider the people that you pay for services, like your lawyer, your plumber.   And how about your dentist?  
• Give your neighbours a shout.   You will have at least one person or family in the street where you live who you can talk to about what you are doing right now.
• How about the hobbies and sports that you indulge in?   Bet there are at least three people who enjoy the same interests as you who you can talk to about your new business.

All of the people listed above are potential customers.   They can give you those sales and those testimonials.

We will look at how to approach them in the next post.   It isn’t a simple marketing hit, this is all about relationships.   There are a few things you need to know before you start discussing your business with people who could quite possibly be your first customers.

Until next time, work smart.

Tweet This Post

New business idea: repair bikes for a living.

Now and then at The Smart Homeworker we will look at ideas for a small business.   So many people are switching careers, and they are doing this in a radical way.   The first small business idea we will look at is setting up a bicycle repair business.

Anyone can do this if they have the right attitude.   You do not have to be an expert.   If you need to learn, buy a cheap bicycle and spend a few days pulling it to pieces.   Use this website to train yourself on how to fix bikes. 

You can clean out your garage and set up shop there.   Dead simple.   If you don’t have a garage or you do but want to keep it for other purposes, then rent a storage unit and utilise this as your workshop.   You can even offer to store bicycles for people in this unit over the winter and give them a tune-up while the snow is falling.   Once you are established, this could be a major selling point for your business.   Even serious cyclists appreciate the maintenance side being done for them.

So let’s see, you purchase a cheap bike to practise on and perhaps some tools, and maybe a storage unit.   Training is taken care of by the excellent website I linked to earlier.   With storage units starting at around ten dollars per month on average, you are looking at start-up costs for the first year at under $500.

There is something really cool about this business idea, and when I get more time on my hands, I can see myself trying it.   Get yourself a good website to market it with, and you have a business that will just grow and grow.   Work on a Saturday, and you can start serving coffee to the guys who ride by.   Within two years you could find yourself hiring staff.   This guy has taken the idea to the optimum level.

One to think about.   The costs are low, and the training is all on the Internet.   Pretty sound business model, if you ask me.  

Until next time, work smart.

Tweet This Post