Home Wealth Project
Extensive Research On How To Build Wealth From The Comfort Of Your Own Home.
Exploring New Territory: Baby Boomers, Foreign Cultures, Digital Influence
Oct 17th
Change is a constant in business today. What worked last month may need a tweak this month. Even though there are core elements to business that remain, change is constant. For example, we have to market our company, service or message to acquire more business–that’s a core element. But some of the things we do in order to market our business are things we didn’t do five years ago. And I’m curious to see what will join the mix in the next five years … because things change.
Replacing Baby Boomers
In “When Big Companies Go Back to School, Will Small Businesses Benefit?” Anita Campbell says:
“Despite widespread unemployment, U.S. companies seeking to hire are complaining of a shortage of qualified workers.”
As the Baby Boomers continue to retire, industry finds there are not enough trained and tenured Generation X and Y (yet) to take their place in certain fields. To address the issue, some corporations are proactive as they encourage “schools and colleges to provide job training for the next generation of employees” Anita says in reference to a Wall Street Journal report on the subject.
Replacing Baby Boomers is new territory because it’s not plug and play. The new generations don’t think the same, don’t stay on jobs as long and are often motivated by different goals and lifestyle choices.
Understanding Foreign Cultures
Foreign is relative. Who is speaking? Where are they from? What is their culture? The ability to recognize and adapt to these distinctions can be new territory for some. In “How Understanding Foreign Cultures Can Help You Advance,” John Mariotti provides “a crash course in culture politics” including the differences from one company to the next.
Being CEO material isn’t enough to succeed in a new environment; you need to understand and respect the culture of the company. John says:
“No matter how competent you are, no matter how experienced you are, until you understand the culture in which you are operating, living or simply participating, you are in many ways, a rank novice.”
Distinctions between businesses, languages, departments and histories change how we see and respond to things. Every time you encounter a culture difference it’s new territory. So before you clear the room by saying the wrong thing, listen and adjust. Learning to maximize these distinctions instead of aggravate them could be good for business.
Paying Attention to Digital Influence
Ivana Taylor says:
“Like it or not, influence indicators matter. Becoming an influencer is no longer reserved for celebrities and powerful political figures. YOU are currently becoming an influencer, or fading into the background, depending on your marketing presence online.”
Social media is here, and the tools to measure its impact are emerging and adapting. Ivana says:
“Reputation and influence rankings are here to stay regardless of what the measuring app or tool is called.”
Social media is a relatively new marketing medium with new measurement tools. It’s new territory. The question is, How do you adapt to change, to new territory, to difference?
Pay attention to the people around you — how they engage, communicate and adjust — and make plans only after you understand what you’re dealing with. But be quick to listen because ignoring the distinctions and the changes can cost you opportunities, relationships and influences.
Exploring New Territory: Baby Boomers, Foreign Cultures, Digital Influence
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Death By Digital Products – Returns, Merchants and Customers
Oct 9th
75% payout. This proudct will benefit Any internet marketer or anyone who wants to be an internet marketer. The product is about merchant accounts, returns, customer satisfaction and physical products. Happy customers buy again. Make them happy.
Death By Digital Products – Returns, Merchants and Customers
Digital Impact Will Raise Your Digital Marketing to New Heights
Oct 1st
A sobering tweet came across my Twitter feed a week ago before writing this review. TechCrunch reported that the first website, “a placeholder page written by Sir Berners-Lee,” is 20 years old.
That’s younger than MTV, below the legal age for a Jack Daniels if we were talking about a teenager, and an ultra-short period when compared to other industries such as automotive and modern steelmaking (both a product of the late 1800s).
So there’s valid justification for digital marketing still being experimental, right? Well, one book that takes the experiment out and puts results in is Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success by eMarketer CEO and co-founder Geoff Ramsey, and McCann Worldgroup marketing leader Vipin Mayar.
I received a free copy while attending an eMarketer Manhattan mixer celebrating the book’s publication. I really believe this book makes an excellent marketing guide for small businesses as much as it does for managers in a corporation.
Learn the best techniques to integrate your digital marketing for the best returns
The ideas Mayar and Ramsey reveal to address digital marketing weaknesses center on two key frameworks: performance management (identifying the right metrics based on exposure, strategic and financial concerns) and magnetic content (essentially, the “content is king” message, but with five criteria that help frame how valuable the content truly is for the receiver):
- Is the content unique?
- Is the content useful?
- Is the content well executed?
- Is the content fun?
- Does the content make good use of the channel in which it appears?
These frameworks are applied to current digital media available to big marketers and small businesses alike – search, display, email marketing, social media, online video and mobile – each medium treated in distinct chapters explaining subtleties of its application. I really liked this approach, which creates a serviceable workbook great for anyone just entering digital marketing and operating with a specific budget. ROI calculations are shown in each chapter, where appropriate, along with education regarding qualified reach and other metrics.
I give a huge thumbs up to the two ending chapters, one on integrating offline and online marketing, the other on dashboard creation tips. There’s no deep discussion on organizational challenges, but that topic would take another book to cover (I personally recommend Avinash Kaushik’s Web Analytics 2.0).
Bring the right data to ask the right questions and get the right answers for business
The authors explain in a straightforward manner why a book like Digital Impact is needed. After quoting a 2006 statement from former Proctor & Gamble marketing exec Jim Stengel on how consumer engagement has necessitated changes in capabilities and skills, the authors note the troubles that plague marketers today.
“We have less savvy marketers using new tools in bad old-fashioned ways. Tweeting out a random message about product feature or a two-for-one offer is as scattershot a strategy today as many mass-market network television ads were 30 years ago.”
The book is peppered with the latest eMarketer stats, as well as cases and references from other resources. All of this rightly speaks to marketers and in many ways small businesses that still believe a website, let alone any digital effort, is separate from their business strategy. One section, for example, explains why mobile is often overlooked.
“According to Forrester, about half of all retail sales in the United States are influenced by online researching and browsing, a growing portion of which is taking place on the mobile phone. Make no mistake: The bulk of these digitally influenced sales will actually take place in a store, but the impact from shopping via handheld devices is huge and growing.”
The six middle chapters may come across to a novice as if everything is essential, but the authors show how the combinations are best deployed. The search chapter wisely blends SEO and social media, while a chapter on display ads includes tips that aid SMBs making a first attempt on a limited budget:
“While you may have budget limitations, many of the larger-size banner units, like skyscrapers, leader boards and supersized rectangles, have been proven with the right creative to move the needle higher for brand marketers. Larger, more impactful ads consistently perform better than smaller ones, on average.”
If you are using information in a battle to convince colleagues of what marketing to choose, Mayar and Ramsey are the marketing marines you’d want saying “Semper Fi” to you.
A must-have for any business that is serious about marketing
eMarketer has proven itself to be top-notch asset for marketing research; Digital Impact is similarly useful as an excellent small business aid. This awesome read imparts an understandable blend of utility and information for anyone who needs to get into the basics of measurement without a discussion of analytic solution features.
Digital Impact Will Raise Your Digital Marketing to New Heights
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Digital Products for Healing, Self Improvement and Success
Sep 29th
Bill Austin has placed some of his most powerful products for healing, personal growth and abundance on the CB network!
Digital Products for Healing, Self Improvement and Success
Improve Your Digital Home With SBA Widgets
Sep 26th
Your website is your digital home. You may have several social network pages from one end of the Web to the next, but at the day’s end, you need a home to return to, a website of your own. Your digital house, just like your condo, flat, townhouse, house or apartment, needs constant improvement as well as the occasional upgrade.
At least that’s how I feel about my website – and I hope you feel that way about yours.
It looks like the U.S. Small Business Administration feels the same way, as they have been on a campaign to improve their online presence as well. They have redesigned their website to be more engaging and they have also added the SBA Community. The SBA has been “social” for a while with their Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel.
Their latest change includes a series of widgets that makes it easier for small business owners to access a wealth of information directly from SBA.gov. The site was one of my most frequented websites when I first started my small business. We’ve been using the SBADirect widget in the sidebar here on Small Business Trends and we invite you to check it out. It’s a way to give your visitors access to more content without having to write it yourself.
The 5 widgets being offered by SBA.gov are:
- SBA Direct: This widget supplies small business information and local services via your ZIP code.
- Small Business InfoTool: This widget is a non-branded version of the SBA Direct widget.
- Tools for Small Business: This widget supplies tools and resources for running a small business.
- Small Business Tax Tool: This widget supplies current tax information.
- SBA.gov Community: This widget displays issues concerning small business owners from the community.
Here’s the lesson that stands out to me. The changes at SBA.gov highlight a few areas that all small business owners can address:
Get Social
Have you been holding back on getting involved with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube? It’s time to get social because if your website is your home, then these social networks are how you meet new people and make new friends. Think about it: When you have a party at your “place,” you want people to show up. Well, it’s time to meet people.
Upgrade It
Look at the home page of your website. It may be time for an upgrade. It doesn’t have to be a major overhaul (although it can be). Maybe a fresh home page is enough for now. Constant improvement is a part of our modern landscape – so embrace the process.
Simple Access
The SBA Direct widget gives your target audience an easier way to engage with SBA.gov content. Are there some changes you can make to streamline your information and give your visitors easier access to what they need?
I appreciate the SBA.gov upgrade, the new widgets and the fact that I feel encouraged to continue to improve my own “house.”
Improve Your Digital Home With SBA Widgets
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Super Mega Pack Digital Todo en 1
Sep 3rd
Gana mas de $15 con la colección más grande de productos digitales: ebooks de calidad, software, plantillas y herramientas relacionadas al Marketing y SEO en Internet. Todos estos productos son los mas vendidos y venden miles de copias todos los días.
Super Mega Pack Digital Todo en 1
Digital Media Solution
Aug 26th
Make The eBay® Digital Download Restriction Work To Your Advantage! Get All The Knowledge And Tools You Need To Go From Digital Download To Digital Disc.
Digital Media Solution
Everything You Need To Start Your Own Digital Label
Aug 3rd
The number one book for starting and operating a digital record company – from licensing, distribution, promotion, marketing, webcasting, global podcasting – plus how to build international recording and music publishing catalogues and much much more!
Everything You Need To Start Your Own Digital Label
1 Day Product Creator – Create Hot Digital Products That Sell!
Jul 21st
New Home Study Course Takes You Through The Step-By-Step Proceedure To Cranking Out High-Value In-Demand Digital Products Within 24 Hours Or Less! Affiliates Earn A Generous 75% Commission On 2x OTOs! Go To http://www.TipTopAffiliates.com For Tools
1 Day Product Creator – Create Hot Digital Products That Sell!
The Evolution of Productivity: Paper to Digital
Jun 30th
The invention of paper did wonders for mankind’s organizational skills. With the invention of papyrus, a thousand things became possible for the Egyptians: hieroglyphic shopping lists (goats, bread, and charcoal eyeliner), ‘Things-to-Avoid’ lists (asps, crocodiles, and King Tut on a bad day) and even ‘Things-to-Be-Buried-With’ lists (gold, wives, and servants for the afterlife).
Thanks to the modern digital age, our old pen-and-paper ways have become a thing of the past. Technology has made everything quicker, simpler and more streamlined. From smartphones to iPads, software to apps, we humans have upgraded our antiquated Post-It and notepad ways and upgraded to digital solutions like Metrofax online faxing services google calendar. Here are some of the best digital evolutions that surpass pen-and-paper solutions.
Post-It Notes
The Old Way: 30 yellow sticky notes with scribbled reminders stuck to your wall…not to mention the additional 20 fallen sticky notes on the floor.
The Digital Way: StickyNote
Take those sticky notes from your physical desktop and put them on your virtual one. StickyNote lets you create 3D virtual stickies, perfect for quick notes or information you want to keep easily accessible. You can also attach files or links and send your stickies in emails. Attach a note to one particular window or give your notes expiration dates to prevent clutter.
Filing Cabinet
The Old Way: Messy files crammed in a cabinet that you really, truly, honestly plan to alphabetize. One of these days.
The Digital Way: Evernote
Here’s the perfect digital way to store all your information. Type notes directly into Evernote or clip web pages to save for later. Take a picture of your handwritten notes or a boardroom whiteboard. Evernote can search through any text – even the handwritten text from your pictures.
Leave a voice memo or snap a photo of your confirmation numbers and boarding information. Then sort all your saved info for easy searching and categorization, so you can take your digital filing cabinet anywhere you go.
The Bulletin Board
The Old Way: You’ve got too many clippings – wine labels, upcoming movies, delivery takeout menus – and not enough thumb tacks.
The Digital Way: Springpad
Like Evernote, Springpad provides a way to sort through your information, only Springpad acts like an active organizer for all the things you’re interested in. Save a movie you want to see and Springpad will let you add it to your Netflix queue, buy it on Amazon, see its page on IMBD or buy movie tickets.
Add a favorite wine or a brand you’d like to try and you can see nearby prices, based on the web and your location. Search for a recipe and instantly add the ingredients to your Springpad shopping list.
The Calendar
The Old Way: You need one calendar. You receive four calendars for Christmas. You use none.
The Digital Way: Google Calendar
It’s hard to beat Google’s calendar offering. It’s easy to use, it lets you send emailed or text reminders and it syncs with something you use every day: your email. Easily share your calendar with your family so you and your spouse are always on the same page – or so you always know about your teen’s upcoming practices or rehearsals.
To-Do List
The Old Way: A never-ending list of scattered chores, errands, tasks and obligations…and you keep having to add “Find To-Do List” to the list.
The Digital Way: Zadachi
Zadachi lets you categorize your obligations with three easy time lines: incomplete, complete and overdue. Separate your tasks by folders or labels; for example, you can organize your list by type (chores, errands, work tasks) or by grouping (home, work, school etc.).
Got a whole list of tasks associated with one project? No problem: Zadachi lets you group tasks by project, so you can see how close you are to completion. Best of all, this app lets your phone do some of the work for you.
If one of your to-do items is ‘call Jill’, Zadachi searches your contacts for people named Jill. If you’ve got something like ‘find an office supply store’ on your list, you can use Yelp to find a local store via Zadachi.
Faxing
The Old Way: Cover sheets, faxes gone missing and frustrating machines that seem to be eternally out of toner.
The Digital Way: Metrofax
Why do businesses still ask you to fax things? Does anyone even have a fax machine anymore? Well, with Metrofax, all you need is an email account and internet access. Just email your document to your intended fax number (with Metrofax’s @ extension) and you’re all set.
Bills
The Old Way: A bill box stuffed with bills you can’t remember if you’ve paid…until the late payment charge comes in.
The Digital Way: Mint.com
This multi-award winning application is widely regarded as the best financial app out there. Mint.com lets you access all of your accounts (both bank and loan) so you’ve got all your financial information in one place – no more trying to remember multiple login information.
Mint automatically updates and categorizes your spending history so you can see exactly what you’ve spent on things like fast food, clothes, coffee shop purchases or gas. Budgeting is a snap, since Mint averages your spending habits and breaks down how much you spend on each category. Easily track your spending and see how much you’ve got left in your budget – or how much you’ve gone over.
Digitized Productivity
It’s incredible how far we’ve come since the days of the hieroglyphics. The way technology’s moving, we’ll soon have an app for even menial tasks like organizing your underwear drawer. It’s too bad the digital age didn’t come sooner. Adam could’ve text Eve about that apple.
Image Sources:
- http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sOwqhSLXo4g/TSJIXIfPygI/AAAAAAAAAcI/PfuF3DWerk8/s1600/to+do+list.jpg
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/r-butler/5363022308/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/kheelcenter/5279251361/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/24oranges/2814122833/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/5309672184/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/koalazymonkey/3596829214/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/reallynuts/3429125430/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/60881556@N05/5566653522/
View full post on Business Pundit
