Cherry Leaf: small business ideas

Showing posts with label small business ideas. Show all posts

"I pledge a commitment to My Success, My Family's Success and to the Successful Survival of the company I represent.
Success is not an option for me but something I insist!
Success is not something others can give to me, that the government or the economy can provide me.
Success is not determined by luck, chance, race, creed, color or religion but hard work, creativity, follow through and persistence.
I refuse to not have My Success. I refuse to quit prior to My Success and I will do everything ethical in claiming my right to My Success.

My Success is My Duty, My Obligation and My Responsibility."
- Grant Cardone

I first came across Grant Cardone at the start of my entrepreneurial journey. Sales has always been a natural skill of mine or more so persuasion. From a young age I knew how to create leverage and how to play on peoples emotions. Then couple that with a logical case behind it and there was not many I could not break, given enough time.

So naturally my first taste of the business world came in the form of sales; retail, technology, telephone - most low-end sales roles - I then came to a realization which would motivate me for a long time to come. Why am I selling products ranging from 29.99 - 2999.99 and yet I am only making 5.25 p/hr? I barely make 30.00 a day but I have made this company about 10x that amount.

This is where it all changed, my desire for success had always been there, now it was time to hit the ground running and to not stop. I accepted I would fall over sometimes but I would get back up just as quick as I fell and get back on the track. I wanted freedom and to create a better life for everyone around me.
I began to learn to sell. Myself, my products. I come from a musical background so I was the front man for bands and learnt to manage a team of people, I was taught about public perception, promotion, marketing, brand image, social media marketing. I then moved onto creating a company that could cater to the services of artists & bands (management, photography & design, promotion) It taught me a lot about how to deal with people and how to grow teams and who you can and can't trust.

The main lesson I learnt from 5 years of experience in that industry was this;

You can rely on nobody, but yourself.

I came out of university and jumped back on the entrepreneurial horse. I knew I could talk to people and I knew I had the passion and determination to not quit until I was a success. This is where I came across this quote by Grant Cardone.

Success Is Your Duty, Obligation & Responsibility.

Now, at the time I had no idea of the man's credentials, I didn't even know how much of a big player he was in the marketplace. Just from them simple words I respected the man and they resonated with me in such a way that I didn't even click on to his site/profile to look into him (I normally did at that point, any reason to procrastinate).
I went and bought myself an A4 hardback lined notepad and vowed I wouldn't look up from the pages until I had written every idea I could think of, planned and at a stage where I could start to execute it.

I wake up at 5:30am every morning, I go to the gym, I eat and shower to start working on something at 7:00am, sometimes I would get so excited and be so motivated that I would find myself working at 6:30am - No matter what it is! start the day off productively

Some ideas were bad, in fact some of them were down right terrible. But I filled up that book and it gave me a place to start, it trained me to think differently and view the world in a different way. As I wrote notes that turned into pages and pages turned into full sections, the self realization that you are worth so much more than you are raised to believe was such a strong motivation.

You need to commit to your success. Let is engulf you in its burning desire to be the best, You must hunt it down like an animal. There are people in the world that can happily live their lives working a 9-5, drinking and watching football on the weekends, rinse and repeat process for the next 50 years.

Then there are the people that realize there is more to life and they know they should make a change and start living for today, but still live day to day, 9-5, rinse and repeat.

Then there are the ones who don't take no for an answer, who will not allow someone to tell them how much their time is worth. Who will catch the ball and run for the touchline without ever looking behind them.

If you want it, GO & GET IT!

- Alex Grey

We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves via daily habits or making small changes every now and again. To be completely successful, happy and continue motivated, we must align all of our goals toward the same direction.

The problem is that you have filled your days already with your daily tasks. You want to implement changes and know almost which ones you should, but not how to actually implement them in your day, the prerequisites to set yourself up. This is where we would like to be different!

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Okay, so you have made the choice to be a better you, Well done! The first step of making the conscious decision to change is always the hardest part. Lets start from the beginning

By waking up between 4:30am- 5:30am you are putting yourself in the morning rituals of the elite.
Harvard biologist Christoph Randler discovered in 2008 that early risers are more proactive. They were more likely to agree with statements like "I feel in charge of making things happen."

If you on an average have not been waking up in this optimal time, it will sometimes prove difficult to haul yourself out of bed. This is natural and nothing to get annoyed about, you simply need to train yourself.

Good Nights Sleep - To wake up at 5:00am you will need to hit the hay at 10:00pm. Some say they are more awake on 6 hours of sleep. While some lifestyles may not allow that. In further articles we will talk about how you can optimize your evenings to achieve your goals and spend time with the family.

Do Not Eat After 9:00pm - This will allow your body to properly digest and be ready to go in the morning. Eating late or before you go to sleep, will leave you waking up feeling heavy and bloated. Which does not help when you want to bounce out of bed with a spring in your step.

Sit Up Correctly - Ever heard of 'wrong side of the bed'? Well here it is 'wrong side of you!' Roll onto your side, slowly lift yourself up with your arm, sit up and gently raise your head taking a deep breath. When you get this into habit, getting out of bed will never have been so easy!

Where Is My Phone? : Keep It That Way For 60 Minutes.

We are constantly looking at computer screens throughout the day and reacting to someone else schedule. Not in your mornings you aren't! This is your time, a time to center yourself and work out what is important for you.

Apart from switching off your alarm, all mobile phones, laptops even the TV should not come in to view until you have been awake for 60+ minutes. This allows you to have dedicated time for yourself with no interruptions. Trust us, you will feel so much better for it! You will start to feel like you have control of your days.

Leave your mobile on the bedside table or kitchen counter until you have completed your routine, you will be tempted to check your emails or social media when you first start trying to change your habits, but do resist. You come first, not someone who wants a re-tweet.

You may be tempted to listen to podcast, radio interview or news stations to fill this gap, try not too. The goal here is to have 60 minutes of uninterrupted peace, We don't want to be filling our heads with information until we tell ourselves 'Okay I am ready, lets do this.' Soft music in the background is good if you can't handle the silence, like myself.

This forces you out of bed, If you aren't allowed to check your notifications until you are fed, showered & dressed.. what are you going to go do?

Fill The Tank, Wash The Car

With the proper starting fuel (and regular pit-stops) you will start your day stronger than ever. Drink a glass of luke-warm water with fresh lemon 30 minutes before you eat. The lemon aids your metabolism and opens the stomach, the time gap also allows you to develop an appetite.

Breakfast is the best meal of the day and if done correctly it should be your biggest. You will want to eat either a wholewheat cereal or oats, some fresh fruit (grapefruit or raspberry/blueberries are the best). A cup of coffee or fresh juice is a great addition to the meal.

Once you have eaten and put away the dishes, go wash yourself down. Some people prefer to shower in the evenings, others in the morning. Waking up between 4:00am & 5:00am gives you the ability to fit a shower in the morning. This wakes you up and properly stimulates your senses and gets the blood pumping.

You are not going to be able to eat in the morning as well as you should be if you fill up the night before. DO NOT consumer caffeine 4-6 hours before you go to bed! You don't need it so cut it out.

Never skip breakfast. You will only regret it later on in the day.

Exercising in the morning is a great way to fit in that morning shower ritual

Push, Pull & Lift

Exercise is a great morning motivator. It gets the blood pumping and makes you more present. The ability to work on a project (ie. yourself in the case) consistently allows you to see improvement on a daily basis. This is more motivational juice than anyone can handle.

Showing yourself a progression or results is the best way to get you fired up. We as people like to see that our efforts matter, it makes us feel good about ourselves that we are making an impact. No matter how small it may seem to someone else. If you run an extra 0.5 of a mile instead of yesterday, you have improved! You are better than you were yesterday! Never stop telling yourself you are getting better.

Eat right for breakfast to fuel your morning work-out and you will be feeling great!

45 - 60 Minutes of exercise per day 4/5 days week will keep you in shape and motivated

Daily exercise teaches you traits you can apply to all aspects of your life; patience, hard-work, dedication

Keep Your Head Up.

We sometimes take ourselves for granted, take a step back and appreciate your hard work.

If you are someone who is trying to make a positive change in your life, it could be personal or financial, you will always have someone trying to bring you down. It is your job to know you are worth more than that.

When someone see's you doing something that they don't understand or know they themselves could not do, the first thing they will do is tell you that it is wrong or that you are wasting your time. That is jealousy, they see you going above and beyond the normal conventions of life and trying to be something more and they can't handle it.

If they are trying to pull you down to their level, they must have been below you in the first place. Don't let others negative and uneducated comments deter you from your goals, you are doing great and keep reminding yourself of that fact!

If you have taken the path to self improvement and committed to the idea you have in your head. You are doing great! Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Sometimes you will miss that alarm, run past a deadline on a project that is fine. It is all in the name of progress and as long as you are better than you were yesterday, you have accomplished more than most.

We will be writing more of these articles for Daily, Evenings & Weekend routines and how to implement them into your life, if you have any suggestions or would like to get involved in the discussion please comment below, We love to connect with you all!

1. Build Your Audience With Valuable Content

They say content is king, but content for the sake of content can be obvious to readers. Quality, engaging, useful, shareable content is king! Quality over quantity applies again (as usual). Would you prefer 100 posts with 200 average page views or 10 posts with 20,000 average page views?

The easiest and most effective way to boost your website traffic is through blogging. Most of the web is still largely text based and the majority of media consumed by users are articles and blogs. Websites that have over 50+ pages gain the most traffic, especially from search engines, and the easiest way to attain this amount of pages is with a blog. Writing in depth content on niche topics is more effective than short, general, plagiarized posts. Blog posts give you an opportunity to write about a spectrum of different things targeted a range of relevant keywords. Just be sure not to go overboard with keywords and start 'stuffing' your posts with them. It may keep the search engines happy but your readers wont appreciate it.

Your content must remain relevant, engaging and beneficial to the person reading. Remember the goal here, you want to attract a targeted audience that consumes, engages and shares your content. A quality piece of content is more likely to be referred back to and shared with friends.

2. Don't Be Broad, Find A Niche

Don't be vague with your blogging topics. If you're a designer, you might think it would be a great idea to blog about everything to do with designing as a broad topic, but it may be worth your while to find a smaller niche to target a more specific audience. For example, 'web design for small businesses' is more specific, and you can guarantee you'll attract better targeted audience.

Keep an authoritative tone, you want to be influential and educational with your topic. Use the Google Keyword Planner to research the keywords most search in your niche.

3. Do Your Research, Competitors and Keywords

You need to know what keywords are being searched relevant to your niche.

Think like a person who's searching for your type of business on Google. What would they search exactly? Those words they will use are the key words and phrases you want to target.

Keep track of these important keywords in a spreadsheet and build content around it. You want to keep in mind that 'head terms' may be tricky to rank with if you have a lot of competition. It can be easier to rank for specific terms known as 'long tail' phrases such as 'How to improve your SEO' rather than just simply 'Search Engine Optimisation'. Think about both the head terms and the long tail phrases that relate to them.

Its important to always focus on the language your customers tend to use when searching for a business like yours.

4. Name Image Files and Add ALT Tags using Keywords

This is one of the most neglected yet simple aspect of SEO. The images you post on a blog are likely to be relevant to the written content. Google Search Spiders can't analyse images (yet) but they do consider the ALT tag and the image file name. Instead of 'blogpostbanner.jpeg' consider something descriptive 'bar-in-leigh-picture.jpeg'. Do the same with the ALT tag, (you'll need ALT tags anyway if the user's browser wont allow them to view the images).

5. Get Local!

If you're a local business with a physical location, its time to get local online. If you can use your physical address, Google can list your actual location with various business tools. If you own a pub in 'Leigh On Sea' then 'pubs in Leigh' will be an important keyphrase for you to use.

Google Places For Business is a tool which controls the information displayed in Google search and Google maps which shows information based on where you are located, opening hours and contact information. It will link to your website and there is a option to add your Google plus account.

A local Google+ page will help communicate with customers and create an engaging experience for them.

Make sure your Facebook page type is a local business/place so people can check in and leave reviews. This is another place where your location and map will show.

Local directories and review websites are a great way to gain more traffic and get your business listed where it will be found.

6. Ask for genuine reviews

Ask your customers to leave you a review on your Google+ Local page, Facebook, Yelp, or other directories you're listed on. Make it easy for them, give them a choice to review on the site they already know and use.

Don't feel pressured to offer an incentive for a review. This may affect their response, they could writing something plain and generic just to get the reward rather than writing something truthful and genuinely helpful for your business.

7. Integrate Social Media Sites and Add Share Options

Install buttons for all of your major social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, onto your website. If you have a blog, make sure each blog post can be easily shared using social sharing buttons at the top and bottom on the post. When readers start spreading the word about your content onto other websites, it will lead to quality backlinks and help with your SEO.

For anyone that has watched the Netflix original series House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey & Robyn Wright, You will have grown attached to a particular character throughout the two series. Perhaps you were drawn to Doug's loyalty or maybe Peter's struggles and his redemption. My one focus point throughout both series was the man himself, Frank Underwood.

Your Right Hand

Doug Stamper is Frank's right hand man. He is loyal, quick on his feet and has aligned his goals with his superior. Even though there is the obvious boss / employee relationship between the pair, they work together as equals. You have to trust your right hand in any situation, for you to get your job done and drive 100% towards your own success, having complete trust in their abilities will give you the chance to excel in your own areas.

Giving 2nd chances... and even a 3rd in Doug's case, is something all successful people have to learn. We are all human and we will sometimes make mistakes. But to show compassion and empathy when the time is right, will show such a strong character to your subordinate that their loyalty will only grow and your relationship is stronger than ever.

A partner you are completely honest with.

There are many reasons as to why I love the series, however Kevin and Robyn's chemistry on screen was perfect and how their characters were written, truly a lesson to be learnt. You need someone you can 100%, unequivocally trust, the whole 9 yards. As success driven people we can sometimes lose our ways with relationships, either implementing analytically thinking or not finding the time in the day. You both need to understand each others goals and work towards succeeding together. Even through the hard times, if you can remain honest and open you will be able to move past situations and become stronger as a unit than you ever could as a singularity

Ruthless Determination

Never give up. A simple mantra we hear nearly every day and it should always be the first words on our lips as we face adversity. You don't stop until you have won, even when the cards are not in your hand and the chips are stacked against you, keep moving forward and find another route your goal. Frank faced many challenges as he climbed his way up the political ladders from hometown tragedy's too annoying reporters. But through it all he never once broke his stride, He did not throw a tantrum (except when Mrs Underwood almost demands him to have one)

He assessed his position and acted with full force in another direction , always finding a way to come out on top. Always remaining humble in the public eye, not showing all his cards at once and especially not letting them see the aces up his sleeve.

Social Media Is A Powerful Tool

With 140 characters Frank changed party leaders, brought in his own to set up his future take over. Having Zoe working at the Herald, Slugline & freelancer, Frank had his means to get his words out and sway public opinion. HE kept his hands clean of it all and through the means of someone else the world listened. Social Media is a powerful tool, the ability to share information at the click of a button, the power of a photo - 'Mutual admiration society' can bring people together and set you off on a new path you never even imagined. Utilize the tools we have, we want to get our voices heard? have something worth listening too and then find the right mouth peace to speak over the crowd. You may not end up as president, but I can guarantee you will feel more of a dominant player in your industry.

*Knock, Knock*

Social media has progressed from its infancy stage, with most companies realizing that to truly engage with their audience effectively, they need to have a social media strategy.

According to an eMarketer report, Worldwide Social Network Users: 2013 Forecast and Comparative Estimates" that nearly one in four people are using social networks with a predicted 13% rise in 2014. Social Media is an effective way to drive traffic to your business, if done correctly, equally it can hinder your progress and put of your customers if done incorrectly. We hear stories everyday of horrific blunders on companies social media profiles, make sure you are not one of them!

Here are a few tips you can implement right now and change the way you look at your companies social media;

Social Media: Brands Voice

Your social accounts are an extension of your brand, customers no longer pick up the phone or write a strongly worded letter to your head office. Their first port of call is your social media profiles, they are both the bulletin board and your customer feedback sheet.

People engage with a brand that has personality. You need to personify your brand on social media, give yourself a clear voice that your customers can get behind. People are bombarded with offers and products in their face for quite a large portion of the day, they pick up their phones to be entertained, so entertain them. Don't be a faceless company that keeps talking about their "AMAZING DEALS!!!"

What & When?

Timing is everything, if your audience isn't online then you wont get your maximum engagement. Content is the all important factor, your content needs to be relevant, engaging and where applicable it needs to give your customers a call to action. There are many ways to measure when your audience is online and what content they engage with.
Remember people love pictures and videos! tweets and Facebook posts have been reported to receive 70% more engagement when a picture or video is attached.
It is time to expand, with a content strategy plan and the right tools you will be able to spread your message across a variety of platforms to maximize your reaches potential; Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, Pintrest.

Keep It Relevant

We understand this may seem like an obvious one, however with the amount of non-followers to this rule, we feel we should talk about this. Lets get one thing straight, your audience are following your social media profile for a few reasons; They have bought your product/service before, have a desire for your product/service or find your profiles to be engaging & entertaining. Don't ruin that by posting irrelevant 'hot-topic' stories just to try to draw an audience.
Be engaging - people like to know that there are real people behind the curtains. Post exciting photos, funny stories and make your customer feel like they are a part of your company. With consistent content you audience will feel they know you as a personality, that is how you win their loyalty.

Think Before You Post

There have been some quite humorous cases of companies not thinking before they post something, however keeping on top of this can save you a few embarrassments while showing your sensitivity to a situation.
For example if a major event happens, make sure to go and check your schedule and edit any upcoming posts that may conflict with the event. There is nothing worse for a brand than appearing insensitive to a current event, this is where relevancy also comes in. Give your condolences where relevant, but try to stay out of unrelated topics. When unsure of what to say, silence is the best policy.

DiGiorno clearly tried to riff on a Twitter trending topic without taking the extra 30 seconds to research what that trending topic was about: domestic violence. Needless to say, this tweet did not go over well and the brand was forced to apologize.Ref

Honesty

Finally, honesty is the best policy. Privacy is slowly decreasing is this online world of ours and sometimes a digital mistake can be blown out of proportion. If you make a mistake, act human. Apologies and be sincere, if you try to palm off the mistake as 'hacked' or another excuse, there will always be someone there to call you on it. Act with integrity and people will respect your brand.

So you've decided on starting your own business and becoming an entrepreneur but don't know where to begin?

You know you want more control over your life, your work, your wealth and job satisfaction. You want the excitement of new opportunities, challenging your skills, abilities and determination. You want the flexibility and freedom to work your own hours, be your own boss and spend more time at home with your family.

Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind our economy. Small businesses drive wealth and new jobs into our economy and as a result, many big business leaders, economists, politicians and educators believe that encouraging an entrepreneurial culture is paramount to collective economic and social success on a local, national and global scale.

University courses are becoming more an more inaccessible to low income families, and many students are simply not seeing the value of a degree, especially to those who are determined to run their own business. Whilst its true that you don't need a formal education to be an entrepreneur, its important to keep learning new and relevant skills that can be applied to power your entrepreneurial ventures.

Thanks to the rise of online learning platforms such as Udemy.com, learning new skills on the internet has never been easier and more accessible. There is a plethora of free courses which will equip you with everything you need to think like an entrepreneur, how to start your first business, how to find funding and so much more!

So here are 12 of the best free online courses for new entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners that you can take today!

Basics Of Entrepreneurship:

1. An Entrepreneur's Checklist

"In this course, you will learn how to be an entrepreneur from Steve Blank. No matter what business vertical you're entering, serial entrepreneur Steve Blank outlines a few points of necessary focus for the emerging business start-up, including market opportunity, market regulations and distribution, competitors and complimentors, and technology breakthroughs. He notes that the customer is not always the same thing as the payer, and that this bifurcation is creating interesting new business models. Take this course and start learning about becoming an entrepreneur."

2. 21 Critical Lessons For Entrepreneurs

"Whether you aspire to start your own business or are a serial entrepreneur, this entrepreneurship training offers real-world insights that can be put into action. Jason Nazar, CEO of Docstoc, shares important lessons learned over his career, first by working with new companies then on to starting his own successful business. From the early stages of vetting your idea and raising money to hiring the best team and continuing to grow your business, this training offers poignant insights from a real entrepreneur that can be applied to any business."

3. Entrepreneurship - From Idea To Launch

"Successful entrepreneurs understand that entrepreneurship is a process that can be learned and improved upon with experience. This Entrepreneurship course provides a series of lectures that can guide an aspiring entrepreneur through the steps that will greatly increase their chances for successfully turning their idea into a successful business. The Entrepreneurship Course is designed to be viewed as an overview for those who want to learn what entrepreneurship is really all about."

Starting A Business:

4. Build. Measure. Learn. Lean Startup SXSW

"Build: Lessons learned in agile, continuous development.
Measure: Case studies on pivots & minimum viable product (MVP).
Learn: Best practices in customer development.
Recorded at SXSW Interactive 2012, this course is the only place where you can find all presentations and videos for the entire Lean Startup event and learn lean methodology for startups from the leading experts."

5. Basics of Starting an Online Business

"Learn everything you need to know to start your online business! From business plans to marketing to inventory management to time considerations, Chris Benjamin the Rogue CFO helps guide you through the steps to start your business."

6. Start up or grow your business: From employee to entrepreneur

"Are thinking & acting like an 'Employee' or an 'Entrepreneur'?
Discover if you have all THREE core foundations rock solid so you can really grow your business!"

Funding, Financial & Investment For Your Business

7. Financial Basics For The Savvy Startup

"This course is for startup entrepreneurs who need a simple understanding of bookkeeping and accounting basics and who don't have a lot of time.
It consists of 9 very short videos (they average under 3 minutes) that cover:
• creating invoices and getting paid
• receiving and paying bills
• doing a bank reconciliation, and
• how these things lead to your financial statements.
If you're just starting out and you want to manage your business more effectively then you need to understand financial basics. This course is for you."

8. Rasing Startup Capital

"One of the most critical issues facing entrepreneurs is deciding if and when it makes sense to raise outside capital. In today's entrepreneurial environment, there are many funding options and competitive pressures to grow rapidly. Access to capital cannot only help accelerate product development and sales, but in many cases, partnering with the right investors can influence the trajectory of a business."

9. Angel Investor Supercharger: Speed Up Your Investor Funding

"Ready for angel funding?
This course will give you some tried and tested tips and techniques for speeding up your angel investor funding.
I would write a lot more justifications but really...that second bolded sentence is exactly what this is all about so enough with the copywriting 'fluff' already....
And for a short time, its free, so what are you waiting for?"

Marketing Fundamentals:

10. Effective Small Business Marketing

"How would you like to never have to worry about getting new customers in your business ever again?
Some people don't think its possible...
But successful business people are doing it right now...
Everyone else, though, are struggling just to get 1 or 2 people to say yes to buy their product or service - and it takes them 3, 4, even 6 months to do it!
This class will teach you the exact step-by-step system that you need to follow - in order to get you to a place where you can get customers any time and anywhere.
Once there, you'll never have to worry about getting new customers ever again..."

11. How to Write The Ultimate 1 Page Marketing Plan

"Do you have your Marketing Plan yet?
If not, your'e not alone.
The truth is that most business owners do not have one.
But boy, they sure would make a lot of money if they did!
If you didn't know, statistically, business owners who have a marketing plan are 80% more successful than those without one."

12. Creating A Social Media Strategy

"Social media is not a passing trend, and today every business is expected to have an active presence online. But if you’re new to it, or you’re the only one managing social media for your business, how do you know where to get started with your social media plan?
HootSuite University is pleased to deliver tactical courseware on Creating a Social Media Strategy."

Can you recommend any other free online courses for entrepreneurs? Let us know in the comments below!

Success Is Your Duty, Obligation & Responsibility.