Karen Skidmore's Kick-Ass Blog | CanDoCanBe

Another great gadget - Xobni for your outlook

For those of you who use MS Outlook, like I do, then you will love this little widget you can download for free.

If you are anything like me, you rarely take the time to keep emails filed neatly.  I find I have got in the habit of dumping emails that I want to keep in to a folder called “KOF” which has just expanded to enormous proportions over the past year.  I also find it difficult to track previous email communications with people, finding the search facility on Outlook just too slow and cumbersome.

I was a bit nervous about downloading some software to work along side my Outlook, to be honest.  But Xobni is worth its little weight in gold.  It has saved me hours of frustrated email searching, finding attachments, phone numbers and tracking. Go check it out now.

Video that is "flip"ping easy to do

I was speaking at the CanDoCanBe guildford business network last night about blogging and we got on to mentioning podcasting and video blogs. 

I have been recommended a little gadget called Flip, which is available here in the UK in the next few weeks, I believe.  It is an “idiot-proof” digital camcorder which automatically converts your video footage in to files ready for use on UTube, your video blog or just about any online application.

Just insert the USB stick in to your computer (no matter whether you have PC or Mac) and hey presto, instant videos to upload. 

And I thought I would blog about it as Anne Crotty emailed me a link on the Telegraph today who have just been reviewing it.  But get in line – I’m first!!

Cancel your advertising and throw away your leaflets

When people decide to give up on their business and go back to corporate life it's not because they prefer PAYE world. It's usually because they have just run out money.  They aren't able to make enough income to cover their day-to-day costs, let along make a profit.

But these businesses don't go out of business because of bad service or poor quality products.  These businesses are usually run by people who are passionate about what they do and genuinely care about their customers.

So why is it that many home based businesses come and go?

Is it because they had a bad business idea?

Sometimes, yes but more often the real reason is that they have no idea on how marketing works and what are the easiest and simplest ways of attracting customers.

Let me give you an example.

Jane is an ex-accountant who got fed up with the commute in to work every day and because of her passion for colours and interiors, she decided to re-train and start up an interiors business.  She now offers a range of services from one-off consultations and personal home styling to project managing big decorating jobs.

Jane is based in a fairly affluent area.  The credit crunch is not yet affecting the local spending patterns but the high housing prices has meant that more people are extending and modifying their property to get more space rather than move.  There is a market place for Jane's service, especially when Jane has worked out that she only needs to be working with a maximum of 10 clients at any given time.

She has sensibly got a 6 month financial buffer, but four months in and Jane is finding it difficult attracting enough clients to her business.  She rarely has more than the odd appointment in her diary each week.

She advertises once a month in her local newspaper because she felt she ought to have a presence and get her name out there.  And she has also just signed up for one year advertising in her parish magazine as well with a local online business directory.  She has even gone round and put a leaflet in every door in her local neighbourhood offering a free consultation, but not one person has called her about the offer.

Selling her business is becoming hard work.  It is demoralising and the passion is starting to dwindle.  If it carries on like this, Jane will be forced to give up on her dreams and return to her accountancy career to pay the bills.

It's not fair is it?  Especially when Jane is offering a quality and professional service which is backed up by study and training.  There is a local market for what she offers and she knows that her knowledge can help increase the value of people's homes and save them endless of hours of research. 

But what she doesn't know is how to market herself.  All her money is going in to advertising that obviously is not working for her and on leaflets that are obviously aren't compelling enough to make people call.

Jane needs to stop and take the time out to really get to know her target customers.

Targeting the right customers with the right messages is really the secret to great marketing.  The better you know the people you want to attract, the more likely it is that you will know where to find them, how to communicate with them and how to make yourself attractive enough for these people to call you.

Jane needs to stop her advertising and go back to basics.

Who are her target customers?  What are their worries and concerns?  When it comes to home decorating and creating more space, what are their real problems and challenges?

By focusing on some simple questions such as these, Jane's answers will help her work out what her special uniqueness could be to make her marketing activities and offers compelling and attractive. 

So, for those of you out there who feeling like Jane, take a long hard look at how you are telling people about your business.  If your advertising isn't working, cancel it.  If those leaflets cluttering up your office aren't working, get rid of them.

Cleanse your business of stuff that you are doing because you think it is the right thing to do.  Stop second guessing and start understanding your customers.

Can you get to Guildford, Surrey on June the 5th?

If you live in or around the South East of England and you can get to Guildford on June the 5th, you want to make sure you are at the next Women's Business Forum. 

This is the last one before we take our summer break, and the topic is very relevant if you feel like Jane.

"Marketing a Home Business: The Easy Way!"

Early Bird booking is only open for a few more days, so if you want to save £20 off your registration, book today.

Click here for more information

Passive Income for Home Businesses? Is it really possible?

I have always found the phrase “passive income” misleading.  If you believe all the info-products that you can “invest” in telling you the short-cuts to making money in your sleep, then passive income seems to be a valid dream to chase.

Passive income is about making money whilst you sleep -absolutely – but it certainly doesn’t involve passive activity to get you to that point.  It can take months (sometimes years!) of hard work, long hours and creating the systems and processes so when clients buy from you through the web, it does work automatically and, well, passively!

The reason I am posting this today, is that I had a 1–2–1 consultation with a fab lady today who is going to “Make it Happen” with me over the next 3 or 4 months and she asked me about affiliate marketing and passive income.

Yes, moving your business forward towards the passive income model is certainly the way to go (and I know I am starting to enjoy the benefits at last!) but remember it doesn’t involve you being passive to get you there

What are your experiences?  Are you working towards the passive income business model?

How to write press releases effectively for home businesses

It’s one thing knowing that getting a press release published in a magazine or newspaper can create an enormous amount of publicity for your home business, but it’s another thing entirely knowing how to do it so you get the results that you want.

Melissa Talago runs Peekaboo, a communications and marketing consultancy specialising in the mother & baby market.  She has kindly shared with me some great tips on how to write an effective press release, which I just know many of you would love to read and take action on.

Over to you, Melissa:

Press releases are the most basic tool for getting your news out to journalists. They follow a very specific format and written well, can secure press interest with very little follow up or selling in by you. However, I keep seeing 'press releases' that are nothing more than product fact sheets or advertorials.

 So here is a quick overview on how to write a good press release:

1. Make sure you are writing it for the audience. A journalist isn't interested in helping you to promote your business. They're interested in things that will be of interest to their readers.
   
2. The headline. This needs to capture the journalist's attention yet still say what the release is about - and it needs to be short. This can be a challenge! Lots of people rely on clever puns, but leave that to the red top papers. If your headline alone can't fully explain what the release is about, use a sub-head underneath it (I normally do this in italics). This will give a bit more information to encourage the journalist to read on.
   
3. The intro paragraph or press release lead. This is the MOST critical paragraph and if the journalist reads nothing else, he should know what your story is about from the information contained in this vital paragraph. It should cover the four Ws and H - Who, What, When, Where and How. There's no space for hype - just facts. You should include the date and ideally the city where the release is generated from. 
   
   Here are two examples of made up intro paragraphs that show the difference between a good and poor intro:
   
   Poor intro: Reading, 9 May 2008 - Mummysonline, the leading website for parents committed to helping parents do their best, has conducted a poll with its 50,000 members. The aim was to determine what mums really want and the findings made for interesting reading with some surprising results.
    
   Good intro: Reading, 9 May 2008 - British mums want a full night's sleep - and more sex. That's according to a recent poll conducted with more than 50,000 members of Mummysonline.co.uk, a parenting website. The survey asked mums to spill the beans and reveal what they really desired.
    
   Notice that it's the news that comes first, not the bit about the company.
   
4. You now get into the body of the release. The second and third paragraphs add more detail to the introduction, explaining why the reader should care, more findings, more colour - and usually include a quote or insights from either a company spokesperson, a third party expert or customer to add human interest.
   
5. The final paragraph should contain details of pricing, where products can be bought or additional information found. Then write ENDS to signal that it's the end of the release. 
   
6. You then add a sentence or two about the company and what you do. This paragraph is known as the "boilerplate" - an old newspaper term meaning a block of standard text that's used over and over again. It's text that you might use at the bottom of all your releases. 
   
7. You then add a Notes for Editors section offering them further information, images or interviews. Remember to always include your contact details.

Some key things to remember:

• Don't use hype phrases - like innovative, unique, state of the art or breakthrough
• Don't use too many adjectives
• Always write from a journalist's perspective. Never use 'I' or 'We' unless it's in a quote
• Shorter is better - if you can say it in two pages, good. If you can say it in one, even better.
• Make your quotes sound like something a normal person would say and make sure they add something new - not just repeating what the release has already said
• Remember to hyperlink key words and phrases back to your website. This makes them more suitable for online news sites and helps get them picked up by search engines.

If you'd like to see samples of press releases, look at the news section of Melissa’s website.
 
For more information about Peekaboo Communications, visit www.peekaboocoms.co.uk

Is your bookkeeper a registered ASP?

Many people starting out in business find themselves using friends of friends to “do their books”.  Bookkeeping, although a relatively simple process for most businesses, can be a huge headache and has usually been one of the first business administration tasks to be delegated and out-sourced.

And quite rightly too!  But do you know if your bookkeeper is a registered ASP?

ASP stands for Accountancy Service Provider and as of 1^st October, all bookkeepers providing a bookkeeping service need to be registered with an accountancy body such as ICAEW, ACCA or AAT, the Institute of Certifies Bookkeepers or the HM Revenue & Customs.  They will need to apply before the 1^st July as this has come about from the new money laundering legislation last year.

After 1^st October, it will be illegal for your bookkeeper to trade.  If you require further information click here. 

How do you juggle life AND grow a home business?

A typical day for me is to hang out the washing while my children eat breakfast before shouting at them to get their shoes on and get in the car to get to school.  Get my morning run in (as long as it is not raining!) and then be ready for work at 10am.  Work like crazy either speaking to one of my 1-2-1 clients, bash away at the keyboard writing copy for a website or an article or dash out to a networking event before skidding in to the car park for 3.15pm to do the pick-up.

On goes mum hat and its time to do homework, cook tea, put plasters on cut knees and play diplomat for any arguments.  Time for bath, chuck another load of washing in and sit down with a cup of coffee with husband before heading back up to the PC to "tinker" on my web-gadgets and social networking profiles.

Phew!  But would I ever change this routine? 

Absolutely not.  Like many of you reading this, I started my business to create a new, flexible career.  My reasons were my family but I know others of you have decided to become your own boss to fit around ski seasons, partner's careers and, let's be honest, to get out of the rat race.

But a question that I asked a lot is "How on earth can you grow a business and still have a life?"  Is it possible to juggle it all and still move a business forward?

Well, yes it is and this week I thought I would share some practical advice and tips that have helped me and other home business owners have a life AND a successful business.

1.  Remind yourself regularly of your reasons for starting up in business.  When times get hard and more and more projects tumble around you, it is easy to scream and ask yourself why it seemed such a good idea to set up in business.  I remember my first Easter holiday, trying to keep my work momentum going whilst my 2 children where home from school.  After 2 weeks of unsuccessful TV watching and several shouting matches later, I had to remind myself that it was my children that motivated me to become self-employed.  I needed to take my foot of the pedal during the holidays and fire it up during term-time.  OK, it did take me a couple of years of hard juggling to really enjoy the ebb and flow of a term-time business and still have a 12 month income - but it is possible! 

2.  Just say NO!  In the early months, it is tempting to take on as much work as is offered to you.  But just because it pays, it doesn't mean it is always the right work to do.  Accept the projects that you do "just for the money" or take on clients because they have a cheque book, and you will not allow you or your diary to be open to the opportunities you really want.

3.  Create opportunities to fit around you.  If you are designing a business to fit in to your rules (which is always a good idea!) then having the ability to create the right opportunities to fit around your diary and your priorities is a great skill to have.  Networking events is good example of this. I hear many women say that they can't find networking events to fit around school hours but to be honest, if you start digging around it is amazing how many networking groups operate at all times of the day.  Lunches, mid-morning, evenings.  It's a case of asking around your network and if you can't find one that suits - start one yourself at a time that suits you!

4.  Take on one project at a time.  I saw Nicola Cairncross of the www.themoneygym.com present again the other week and she demonstrated this point exceptionally well.  If one project takes one month to complete and you take on a new project each week that month, each project is going to take four times longer and results from your first project will take at least four months.  Focus on the first project and by the end of your first month, the results and income will start to happen to help spur you on for the next new one. Make sense?

5.  Do less and achieve more.  This principle is particularly useful when it comes to marketing.  It is easy to feel that you have to have lots of irons in lots of fires to attract as many clients as possible.  But advertising one week, posting furiously on social networking sites the next, followed by a leaflet drop in your local neighbourhood and finishing off with random visits to various networking events is just going to make you dizzy!  Do one thing well, measure your results and then work out whether you carry on or adjust your marketing strategy.

6.  Know that you can't achieve success by yourself.  "No man is an island" is a famous quote by John Donne (I googled that - didn't think I knew that, did you?) and when you start up in business, the sooner you realise this, the stronger and more successful you will be.  This doesn't mean that you need to recruit business partners and start offering a percentage of your company, but it does mean that you can seek out business buddies to share ideas with, virtual assistants to delegate work out to, associates to share the work load and networking contacts to help and support you. 

7.  Make time for you in your diary.  You put clients meetings and telephone appointments in your diary.  But when was the last time you actually dedicated a few hours to yourself in your diary.  Make a commitment to join an exercise class, meet a friend for a dog walk or book a table for one at the local coffee shop.  It's amazing how more effective you can become by having some time away from your business. 

I am sure there are some other great suggestions and practical advice out there and I know there are others who would love to read them.  So add your comments, along with your web link if you have one, below and share your thoughts.

The importance of a site map on your website

“Can you just remind me the importance of having a site map on your web page, is it the spiders impact?”

As I answered this question today for someone on email, I thought I would share my comments on my blog just in case there are a few of you out there with the same question

The importance of having a site map is so that the search engines can “trawl” through your site easily.  It is like giving someone a map of the local town centre so that they know where all the shops are and can visit them all without missing any out.

It’s not essential as the search engines will certainly find your site eventually through external links to your site and be able to get their way round a site with simple and easy navigation but as it is free to submit, it doesn’t harm to possibly speed up the process.

Google’s site map facility can be found here and Yahoo’s can be found here.  You can do more but to be honest, these 2 are the main ones and spend the time on the others focusing on writing compelling copy for your website!

Hope that helps.