Home Wealth Project
Extensive Research On How To Build Wealth From The Comfort Of Your Own Home.
Want Clean Energy: Try Your Utility
Jan 10th
Not ready to install solar panels or put a wind turbine out back? You might have another option: purchasing renewable energy from your electric company. Many electric utilities let commercial and residential customers pay extra to have more electricity sourced from renewables, such as solar, wind, biomass or hydropower. As utilities face mounting pressure to wean off fossil fuels, such programs help them pay for large-scale renewable energy projects. It can also help them meet and exceed state or local government mandates that require utilities produce a certain percentage of their electricity from renewables.
Of course, you’re essentially paying your utility to generate more of its electricity from renewables – You aren’t necessarily getting that clean electricity piped into your business. But it can be a great way to support the expansion of renewable energy without the big investment costs of producing it yourself. It can also be a good way to show your commitment to clean energy to your customers and help your business achieve green certifications, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”).
Xcel Energy, (full disclosure, my electric provider) offers its Windsource program to business and residential customers in Minnesota, Colorado and other states. For an additional monthly charge ranging from under $1 to more than $10, businesses can pay to have part or all of their electricity usage generated through wind power. (Xcel has more than 60 wind turbines devoted to the program.) PSEG, a New Jersey utility, says that customers who participate in its CleanPower Choice program, which sources electricity from a variety of renewables, “can avoid over 10,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to planting 1.35 acres of trees!”
Customers of FirstEnergy Corp., which has utilities in several northeastern states, can choose among electric suppliers that are licensed with the state’s public utility commission to sell electricity in their area. So a business can select a supplier that sources most or all of its electricity from renewables.
A useful tool for finding utility green power programs is available on the EPA’s web site, as well as the EPA’s Guide to Purchasing Green Power.
Do some research before you spend extra money on your utility’s green power program. It’s good to know how your money is being spent (and your customers might care, too). There are other ways to support green energy production, such as buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) through a company like NativeEnergy. It’s a similar concept to utility-based programs, but you get more choice over which clean energy projects to support.
Renewable Energy Photo via Shutterstock
Want Clean Energy: Try Your Utility
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
5 Questions and 5 Reasons Your Customers Want the Answers
Jan 6th
Where are you online?
What’s your domain name and what are your keywords? If you don’t choose keywords relevant to your product or service, then your people (your customers and prospects) can’t find you.
It’s all about the keywords. When people search for your subject, the way they discover you is by the words that are in your domain name, article titles, article descriptions and the body of your content.
Your website should have a theme that connects to your product or service, and your keywords should relate to that theme. You can use Google Keyword Search to find out how many people search for the phrases that you come up with. This way you can choose relevant words and phrases that people are actually looking for. It’s not enough to rank on the front page of Google; you have to rank for the language that your people are using.
What does working with you feel like?
Don’t just tell your potential clients; show them through testimonials and case studies so that they can hear what other people say about you.
Show them through your website design and in-store or website experience. If you say you believe in simplicity but your design is overcrowded and your first point of contact is scattered and confused, it tells your prospects something. Are you sending out the message that you want them to hear?
Who are you and who cares?
Identify your target market and then do the research—by asking questions and listening to the answers—to understand them. Once you know who your audience is, then you can tell them who you are in a language that matters to them.
The better you know your audience, the easier it is to write a relevant and personable bio or product page. And if you choose to hire a copywriter, then you’re in a better position to edit what your writing team crafts for you. Remember, you have to actively participate in the message creation surrounding your business.
How do they get started with you?
If your prospects want what you have, make it easy for them to say “yes,” pay and get started. Don’t just drop your new client after you get the money. Make the next steps as clear and simple as possible. After all, you want a long-term relationship, not just a one-time purchase, so take care of your client.
For example, if they order from you, then ship the item as quickly as possible. And if you cannot (because it’s custom-made after each order is placed), then include automatic communication that lets them know that you have not forgotten about them.
You can share the creation journey with them. Is it still in the design phase? Is it being hand drawn or carved? Is it being prepared to ship? Is it en route? Let them know, because good communication makes every situation a little better.
When do they start?
You have to give your prospect a reason to care right now; otherwise they’ll put it off indefinitely. Is there a special bonus for purchasing right now? Is there a benefit that you can highlight that they can not and will not live, without once they know about it?
Business is about communication. Connect, and stay connected.
Questions Photo via Shutterstock
5 Questions and 5 Reasons Your Customers Want the Answers
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Want More? Get More – Love, Affection, Romance, Happiness, Sex
Dec 26th
Make Money Helping People Have The Relationship Of Their Dreams. Direct From One Of The Most Read Relationship Writers Comes The Ebook That Will Change People Forever. Informative And Easy To Sell, You Will Feel Good While Profiting Promoting This Ebook!
Want More? Get More – Love, Affection, Romance, Happiness, Sex
Your Still The One I Want (get Your Ex Back
Nov 23rd
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Your Still The One I Want (get Your Ex Back
What Do Your Millennial Employees Really Want?
Nov 23rd
What do Millennials in the work force really want? One thing is loud and clear: They want their Facebook, Twitter and smartphones—and if your business doesn’t give them what they want, they’ll find an employer that will.
That’s a major finding from the second annual “Cisco Connected World Technology Report” which surveyed 1,400 college students and 1,400 young professionals under age of 30. The report states:
“The growing use of the Internet and mobile devices in the workplace is creating a significant impact on job decisions, hiring and work-life balance. The ability to use social media, mobile devices, and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence job choice, sometimes more than salary.”
Here’s what you need to know:
For 33 percent of the respondents the abilities to use social media, bring their own technology devices for use at work, and work remotely are more important to them than salary when it comes to accepting a job. In fact, 40 percent of college students and 45 percent of young employees were actually more likely to accept a lower-paying job with more flexibility about device choice, social media access and remote work, than a higher-paying job with less flexibility.
Millennials aren’t shy about making their technology demands known. Nearly two-thirds say they ask about social media policies during job interviews. And companies are listening: 41 percent of the employed respondents say their companies promoted a flexible device and social media policy specifically to recruit them.
For businesses struggling with IT security, allowing workers to access company networks on their personal devices, or use company devices for personal use, are crucial issues. But attempting to separate the two is a losing battle: More than 70 percent of respondents say they should be allowed to use company-issued devices for both personal and business use. Mixing business and personal is part of their lifestyle. What’s more, 81 percent would like to choose the devices they use at work, either by bringing a personal device or by getting money from the company to buy their own work device.
If you’re banning personal social media use at work, you probably already know it’s not working, but this study confirms it: More than half of respondents say if a company prohibits social media access on the job, they either wouldn’t work there, or would figure out a way to get around the policy.
What can a small business owner do? As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Of course you need to set policies that ensure your company’s devices, networks and data are secure. And you need to make sure all employees (of all ages) understand and follow them. But as this survey shows, if your policies are too draconian, they’re going to backfire.
Instead, harness the social media and tech savvy that Millennials bring to the table. Enlist them to use social media on behalf of your company. Smart businesses are already doing so: Nearly 33 percent of the respondents who had jobs say their familiarity with social media and ability to use devices contributed to their hiring.
Image from wrangler/Shutterstock
What Do Your Millennial Employees Really Want?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Answering the Lifestyle Question: How Do You Want To Live?
Nov 21st
Every small business owner has to address this question: How do you want to live?
For some, it’s enough to own your own jobs. But for others, freedom means passive income and creating something they can pass on to their children (without making the children pass out from overwhelm and exhaustion). And for another set of small business owners, the preferred lifestyle is working in a business that they love and having a reliable team that allows them to take one or two worry-free vacations a year.
The goals are personal.
What is your long-term goal? Small business retirement:
For example, do you plan to retire? If so, when? And who will run the business at that point? In “Why Retirement Isn’t in the Cards for Many SBOs,” Anita Campbell, founder of Small Business Trends, highlights a survey, Small Business Owners’ Perspectives on Retirement, conducted in December 2010, which “polled 1,433 small business owners of companies with two to 99 employees.” In the survey, only 4 percent said they plan to retire while just 33 percent have a succession plan.
In reality, retirees often to choose to stay active; it seems to keep them young. But the key is the choice—the freedom to choose to work at 70 because you want to, instead of having to work because there’s not enough money or passive income for your lifetime.
But that’s not the only lifestyle decision to consider.
Where do you want to live? Best cities for minorities:
In “The 52 Best Cities for Minority Entrepreneurs,” Anita mentions a survey released by Forbes. In this survey, Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox and Erika Ozuna “studied minority and immigrant entrepreneurs,” and found the top three cities for them are Atlanta, Baltimore and Nashville, because of affordable housing and the cost of commercial space.
But regardless of where we live, what we look like and when we choose to retire, small business owners share a common reality:
The better we position our businesses, the more clients, income and freedom we have.
For a few practical tips on positioning yourself, you may want to check out Ivana Taylor’s article, “5 Big Reasons Your Ideal Customer Isn’t Choosing You.” According to Ivana, one issue you may encounter is that your audience is too big. She writes:
“Saying that ‘everyone’ is your customer actually reduces the number of customers who are interested in your product.”
And she suggests a little research to help you find your niche. Getting clear about how you want to live, both today and in retirement, determines your goals and your sacrifices. Answering the lifestyle question determines your future.
Choose well.
Image from grafvision/Shutterstock
Answering the Lifestyle Question: How Do You Want To Live?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Must Have Book On Referral Marketing That All Businesses Need And Want
Nov 2nd
Nearly All Companies Get Most Of Their Businesses From Word Of Mouth. The Power Of Referral Marketing Book Is Packed With Powerful Referral Strategies That Will Double Any Companys Word Of Mouth Business, Making It A Highly Saleable And Desired Product
Must Have Book On Referral Marketing That All Businesses Need And Want
Want to Start a Business? Get NASE’s Startup Kit
Oct 1st
Any business owner knows there’s a lot involved in starting a business. There’s choosing what kind of business entity you should be; renting commercial property; paying payroll taxes; setting up a business bank account; marketing…The list goes on, and it seems like every time you master one thing, something else pops up. And while you certainly could spend years online researching everything a small business owner needs to know, you want the information now.
The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) has released its Startup Kit to help its business owner members quickly access a wealth of information in a single resource. “The NASE decided we would amass our 30 years of knowledge on starting a business into an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow resource, and that’s how our Startup Kit was born,” said Kristie Arslan, President and CEO of NASE.
The result is a substantial document covering 10 things new business owners need to know, such as:
- Choosing the right business structure
- Setting up a DBA (Doing Business As)
- Paying self-employment tax
- Funding a business
There’s a thorough checklist at the end of the kit that helps users make sure they manage all of the tasks necessary to get a business up and running.
Creating New Jobs, One at a Time
While the self-employed numbers aren’t climbing as much as you might expect, given the unemployment rate, Arslan feels confident that starting new businesses is the key to economic prosperity:
“We firmly believe that encouraging self-employment and nurturing startups will help us out of this economic downturn. We like to stress over and over again that someone who is self-employed does create a job – their own.”
Where to Get the Kit
Currently the Startup Kit is available only to NASE members (and everyone is invited to join), although NASE is offering a free preview chapter to people who like its Facebook Page.
Want to Start a Business? Get NASE’s Startup Kit
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Everything You Want To Know About How To Compost Everything
Sep 30th
A plain English guide to helping you make your own decisions about composting – what system to choose, what you really can put in rather than what they tell you can be put in the compost!
Everything You Want To Know About How To Compost Everything
Ultimate Software Bundle – Want To Make Large Commissions?
Sep 23rd
Promote the Ultimate Software Bundle and receive large commissions! $41 commission for you. Extreme Value for customer too. We continually test our copy to ensure the highest conversion rates possible. We want to work with you!
Ultimate Software Bundle – Want To Make Large Commissions?
