Archive for September, 2008
Marketing Monday - Photographs
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a little tip I have found comes in handy for publicity - have a range of print quality photographs of you and your business that you can use for publicity.
There have been a number of times I’ve had a phone interview with the media. The journalist ends the conversation asking if I have a photo they can use. There have been a couple of times when having a photo has made all the difference.
A couple of years ago I had a photo shoot with Kelly of by Kelly. She took a range of different poses and photos both with me only and of me and the boys. This meant I had a number of different photos to choose from and they have been well worth it.
So, this weeks Monday Marketing tip is to invest in professional photographs of you and your business so you are ready for when the media comes calling.
Friday Five - things to blog about
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s early on Friday morning in the middle of the school holidays and I’m gearing up to go away on camp tonight - and was stuck for a Friday Five - then inspiration hit! What are 5 things you can blog about? So, here are 5 not so obvious things you could blog about on your business blog.
- The story behind a product or service - many people don’t think about this, however the story behind why you created a particular product or service is interesting. You may have a hot pink teddy bear in your range because your three year old went with you to the suppliers and fell in love with it, you may have started a service due to clients asking if you offered it because they couldn’t find it anywhere else. Don’t forget to link to where readers can find out more about this product or service so they can purchase it - and link back to your blog post from the information page too.
- What have you been up to? - people, especially women, like to know what’s going on behind the scenes. You may not want to share all your secrets, however you can start to create a buzz on your blog for a new product or service, upcoming event, or… You may also want to share tips of life. Are you having a baby, is your 16 year old starting to work in the business with you, have you gone out and bought a fabulous new outfit for an upcoming presetation? All these things can provide information for your blog.
- Photographs - pictures can say a thousand words. You could post photographs of your workspace, an event you’ve attended, your market stall, and so on. You could also find an interesting picture, post it and ask your readers for captions. There are some blogs that have a day of the week that consists solely of a photo asking for captions!
- Words and definitions - do you have words that are especially for your industry? Post some definitions from time to time. Common abreviations can also be posted about, for example, some people don’t realise that WAHM stands for Work at Home Mum.
- Testimonials - have you received a lovely email from a customer about your service? Ask permission to post this on your blog. It’s a great way to share testimonials, as well as giving you a post when you really have no idea what to say!
I hope these five ideas are useful to you, and I’m making sure I take a notebook and pen this weekend for when inspiration strikes for next weeks Friday Five 
Thursday Tips - meaning of words
Posted by: | CommentsDo you ever struggle with the meaning of words, or the difference between dessert and desert? Then Tash over at the Word Constructions blog has come to your rescue! Every Monday she shares her Monday Meanings. She looks at many different words, talks about their meanings and how they can be used. If you have any problems with the meanings of any word, I’m sure she’ll be happy for you to email her for future blog posts.
Marketing Monday - Look for opportunities
Posted by: | CommentsThere is a trend toward celebrity marketing - this is where businesses send products to celebrities in the hope of seeing them photographed wearing their items or getting an endorsement. While this is a great way to promote your business, celebrities often get inundated with items.
So, what can you do that’s different?
It’s simple - look for others who may be happy to receive items and may promote your products to people. These could include:
- Radio presenters, don’t forget community radio. For example, Susie Holt from Light FM recently announced she’s expecting her first baby.
- Information site owners. For example, Amanda from RealMums.com.au has just had a baby and Tash from Save Time Online is due any day. Both these Mums have large email lists and blogs.
- Website owners. For example, Elizabeth from La Toriana just celebrated the first birthday of her business.
Really it’s anyone who may not be on the A List, however they still contact a large number of people.
This is something Justine from Oli B Designs did well a couple of years ago. Reading my newsletter, she discovered it was my son’s birthday and he was keen on pirates. She sent him a gift of one of her pirate sets of clothing. I have been raving about Oli B pants ever since and have bought extra pairs of pants for my boys.
So, how do you find out about these opportunities? Simple, subscribe to their email newsletters and read them. Join forums where these people hang out. Listen to the radio, and read blogs. There are many opportunites out there if you look around. And you have a good chance of being publicly thanked for your gift and even get a link to your site! It’s all the more effective if it doesn’t look like you’re wanting publicity - send the gift with a card and include your business card. Don’t include a media release or anything like that as it is too pushy and less likely to get you anything.
So, keep your eyes open for opportunities, and good luck.
Nerida Gill - AdminBandit
Posted by: | CommentsNumber of children & their ages:
2 great boys aged 12 and 13
How people can contact you?
02 61760030 or 1300 725 697
When did you start your business?
Incorporated the company in 2006 to bring the new version to the market but introduced the first version of our software in 2000.
Where are you based?
Canberra
Background information:
My passion for helping volunteer treasurers began when I took on the role with my local Canberra preschool parent association. I learned first-hand the exact accounting requirements of the role, including its difficulties and how these could be improved. With 22 years experience as a software designer, I thought “There’s got to be an easier way” if we can provide software tailored for the role. This resulted in introducing our software in the preschool sector and establishing a strong ongoing partnership with the Canberra Preschool Society.
What products/services do you sell?
Web-based (on subscription) software tailored to the needs of volunteer treasurers.
What are some of your achievements?
- 2008 ACT Office of Women Directors Scholarships Program winner;
- 2008 Canberra BusinessPoint Business Plan Award winner;
- 2008 Chamber of Women in Business Outstanding Community Spirit Award – Highly Commended;
- 2006 and 2007 Prime Ministers Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnership – ACT Small Business Category winner;
- 2006 Australian Business Award for Community Contribution winner;
What advice would you give to other Mums who wanted to start their own business?
- Choose a business which you are passionate about – keeps you going when it gets hard;
- Build a strong network around you – gives a place to celebrate wins and work through issues;
- Ensure you have a business model to make a profit – distinguishes it as a business rather than a hobby;
- Play to your strengths and outsource the rest – makes your time count because it is valuable;
- Find a mentor or coach and an accountability buddy – provides focus.
What has been your biggest challenge so far, and how have you overcome it?
Securing an investor to develop the new version of the software has been the biggest challenge. The preparation for the investor process began in June 2006 and we found a company to do the coding for equity in March 2007, who then pulled out in Nov 2007 - two weeks before a conference to market the impending product.
Perseverence is how I overcame it (that and a lot of prayer!). At that point it would have been easy to say “that’s it then, I give up it is too hard” but instead I truly believed my product would make a difference in the community and kept talking about the project in a positive light. This led to another person committing to the coding shortly afterwards and the new product for the community sector introduced late in 2008.
What is the best thing about being a Business Mum?
The best thing about being a busines mum is that as my boys are getting older, I have the flexibility to be available when they come home from school and they need to de-brief about the day. It also means I identify with my target market, who are mostly time-poor parents juggling many responsibilities as volunteer treasurers.
Friday Five - When email fails
Posted by: | CommentsEmail is not infallible. Unfortunately there are so many of us who rely on email to get our message across, we forget this. It is unfortunate, but not all emails get through.
There are a number of reasons emails don’t get through, or get answered as quickly as you may like. Here are 5 possible reasons you don’t get a reply.
- The email has not arrived - this could be due to a number of reasons. You may have entered the address wrong, there may be issues with the ISP, or it could be something to do with the phase of the moon! Sometimes there is no reason anyone can pinpoint, sometimes emails just don’t arrive.
- It went to junk email - some computers have amazing amounts of security that puts emails into junk if they think it’s spam. While people aim to check regularly for real emails in junk, sometimes there are so many messages in junk email, this isn’t possible, or an email simply slips through the cracks.
- Too many emails - this is also common with many small businesses, they receive so many emails that they can’t all be responded to in a day. Often people will sort emails and prioritise them and answer as quickly as they can. This doesn’t mean your message isn’t important, it could mean there are more urgent enquiries and you may need to wait an extra day for a response.
- Other methods of support - there are some businesses who use a support ticket system for enquiries, especially for businesses that do technical support. When this is in place, they may not respond to email enquiries. If this is the case, submit your enquiry again via their support ticket system. Often this will give you a faster response.
- They replied and you didn’t get the reply - email fails both ways. The person you emailed may have sent a reply and it didn’t arrive at your computer. This is possible.
So, when email fails, what should you do? First thing is stay calm. Because someone hasn’t responded doesn’t mean they are ignoring you. Kathie Thomas over at the Virtual Assistant blog recently did a great post called “Pick up the phone!”. If email fails and you don’t get a response, then pick up the phone and call the person you are emailing. Often enquiries can be sorted out right away, and you will get an explanation why your email wasn’t responded to.
For business owners, if you send an email, it is a good idea to schedule a follow up phone call after sending emails, especially quotes. The person you emailed may not have received your reply.
Thursday Tips - More shortcuts
Posted by: | CommentsShe’s done it again! Donna Marie over at Small Business Diva has done my post for me this week So, once again, instead of reinventing the wheel, check out her post - Handy Computer Shortcuts part 2 for this weeks Thursday Tips.
Marketing Monday - Blog Whammy
Posted by: | CommentsIf you have a blog, getting traffic and comments can sometimes be an issue. Depending on your blog, you may want to join Blog Whammy.
The way this site works is to feature a blog each week. During the week, members of the site post a comment on the featured blog, and do a post that links to one of the posts on the featured blog. You are also required to include links to all other members in your BlogRoll.
I have just joined this program for my Business Mums Magazine blog and am definately getting more comments already. I haven’t checked my traffic as yet - it’s something I really must do. I have been a member for only 2 weeks, so haven’t been featured yet, however I will let you all know how it goes when I am featured.
So, if you have a blog for your business, then you may want to consider joining Blog Whammy for some extra traffic.
Sending birthday wishes
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone likes to feel special, and one way you can keep in touch with your customers and make them feel special is to send them birthday wishes on their birthday.
So, how do you find out when their birthday is? The simple way is to ask them.
I use a service called Birthday Alarm. This is an online birthday reminder service and I post on our forums asking for members birthdays. The site sends me an email the week before their birthday so I can schedule an ecard to be sent to them. This often gives my members a surprise because they forgot they entered their birthday!
If you mostly deal with people offline, then set up a reminder in Outlook or a similar program. You can schedule appointment reminders in advance, so you can send a card in time for your customers birthday.
Sending birthday wishes is a simple way to keep in touch and help your customers feel good, especially if you send something through the mail as well.
