Entrepreneurs want to be of service to their community, but at the same time you need to be generating an income.  Have you considered getting some money rolling in quickly by creating an information product? Are you thinking about creating one of your own? How can you tell if your information product will truly appeal to your community and generate revenue?

Here’s a checklist of 6 things you need to ask yourself BEFORE creating your own information product:

Is your product excellent?

People become loyal, repeat customers if they like your product.  However, if they’re not happy, they won’t buy from you again, and they’ll discourage their network from doing so. Selling an inferior product may make you money in the short-term, but it will damage your online reputation and lose you customers in the long run.

Do people need it?  Is there enough demand?

You can have a superb quality product, but if there is no demand you still won’t make any sales.  If you can create a product that people really need, your sales effort will be much easier.

How will it generate sales?

Rather than selling a one-time information product, design one that is suitable for follow-up products and updates that you can offer to your existing customers for a reduced rate.  If the original product is of a high enough quality and really benefits your customers, they are almost guaranteed to buy the follow up product.

Does it look like a professional product?

Presentation is at least as important as content in establishing the credibility of your product, if not more so.  A great logo, clear graphics and a professional high impact front cover will all help to increase your sales and gain the loyalty of your customers.   A few well-chosen pictures can really lift your product and make it look more professional.  Photographs are available for reasonable prices from various image sites on the web.

Did you follow legal requirements?

Entrepreneurs want to avoid infringing copyright or trademark laws when creating an information product.  Online software is available to check your content for plagiarism, and your title and logo for trademark violations.  This will save you a lot of hassle and expense further down the line.

What can make your product stand out as different?

Including personal anecdotes and stories, if appropriate, can add a human-interest element that makes it easier to read or listen to your product.  You may also want to add a list of resources in your product – organizations, websites and other online resources that might be useful to your customers – that can really enhance its perceived value.

When you’re considering outsourcing in your online business, your goal is to create a more profitable company while streamlining your workload. As with any part of business, outsourcing has its good and bad points, however if you are aware of the potential problems beforehand, you’ll increase your chances of an enjoyable experience.

Here are some potential outsourcing mistakes every online business owner should be aware of so you can avoid making them:

Interview Thoroughly

Most business owners who outsource will tell you the biggest benefit of doing so is the fact that their assistants work remotely. The number one problem when it comes to outsourcing, though, is not thoroughly checking out the contractor or company who will be performing the work. Keep in mind that sometimes this independence can work in the opposite direction if not taken seriously. Make it a point to carefully interview the people you are considering working with before assigning a task or project to them. The person or company should be someone you can trust to represent your business.

Budget Wisely

In order for outsourcing to work properly, you’ll need to keep track of what you are spending for the work being done. While some projects will require single payments to your assistant, others may involve recurring or retainer payments and you will more than likely have some type of contract or agreement that binds you. Some of your assistants may charge by the hour while others may invoice by project or expect payment based on a commission of some sort. Take the time to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on certain tasks and budget appropriately.

Utilize Your Contractors & All Their Resources

When you choose to outsource certain tasks, make certain you are using your assistant to their fullest capabilities and not just outsourcing for the sake of outsourcing or splitting up work between two assistants when it makes more sense to have one handle both jobs. Sometimes you can find freelancers who are willing to work on a recurring basis or who will complete larger projects at a reduced rate in order to get and keep your business. Don’t be afraid to ask potential contractors if they have room for more than just one or two jobs.

Making yourself aware of possible problems that can occur in the outsourcing relationship can prevent problems down the road. Coming up, I’ll share some ideas on how to properly communicate with those you outsource to.

For more great information on creating your outsourcing dream team, check out Outsource Weekly.

I’ve been sharing a lot lately about the benefits of outsourcing for the bottom line of your business. Truth is when you let go of the certain tasks (that you’re not good at and aren’t fun for you) so you can focus on that which brings you joy and revenue, you will undoubtedly reap the rewards. The other day I spoke about how writing and blogging are two of those tasks that may well serve you and your business to let go of. Today I’m going to share a few others.

When you started your business, was your goal to provide a great product or service to our community? That was certainly my goal.  But, who knew there would be so many technical tasks involved in running an online business? Maybe you’re not comfortable doing all of them or maybe you just don’t know how to do all of them.

A few other tasks to consider outsourcing are:

Website Design

If you are running an online business, you need to put as much time and effort into your website as you would a brick and mortar store. Getting an attractive, easy-to-use website takes skill. This is something that is well worth the money spent. When left in the hands of an expert, you’ll be able to trust that your website design is attractive and easy to navigate, which is always a plus for converting visitors into buyers.

Search Engine Optimization

As a website owner, you want organic traffic to come to your site. That is those people that don’t know you but are drawn to you because of your content. There is a whole behind-the-scenes world of Google analytics, algorithms and keywords that allows that to happen. And,  that world is constantly changing. Optimizing your site for the search engines is one key to generating additional website traffic. In order to rank high for your keywords and phrases, hiring a search engine optimization expert can increase the traffic to your website and open what you do up to a new market of people.

Customer Support

Our customers are the reason we’re in business, and it’s imperative that they’re treated well. This goes for both those that are paying and those that are prospective customers. When you’re selling a product or service it’s likely that there will be questions to answer or payment issues to deal with. Having a third party support you with this task will make the most out of your time and ensure that your customers get the most out of their products.

As you put together your team of one or your team of many, I’ll be sharing some of the mistakes you can avoid making.

Do you think outsourcing is only for those businesses that are already making a lot of money? I find that the sooner the small business owner gets started outsourcing, the more potential there is for profit. I recently shared  how outsourcing will save you a huge amount of valuable time as well as make sure that your online business is running to the best of its ability because you’re utilizing the expertise of others.

Because online business calls for a wide variety of skills and talents, it only makes sense that no one person can or should tackle them all on their own. There are several tasks that can easily and, more importantly, beneficially be outsourced elsewhere.

Here are just two of them (I’ll be sharing more later on):

Writing

For many people, writing is not a strong point in their business. Therefore, putting well written, action-provoking content on their website is a difficult task. However, this is NOT an area to be skimped on when it comes to online business. The content you share on your website affects how people view you and what you do as well as your search engine rankings. Neglected copy will affect your bottom line. If you find it difficult to get the results you want with your writing, consider hiring a copywriter. There are many freelancers who can help you create the content you want, so you can generate more sales.

Blogging

If you’ve been online for any amount of time, you already know that Web 2.0 and all that goes with it are important parts of your business. One way to add value to your business is to create a blog. You can easily find a qualified contractor to help you update your blog and provide ghostwritten blog posts for you. Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with customers, clients and others interested in your business. Outsourcing your blog tasks will keep you from overextending yourself.

Outsourcing can help any business to be more successful. Put the work in the hands of the experts and you can focus on the things that you enjoy and come easier to you.

Communication is vital to successful outsourcing. If you don’t let them know exactly what you have in mind, and if you don’t listen to their questions and concerns, your business will suffer. However when there’s excellent communication, your business will thrive.

Here are some areas of concern:

Communication between Owner and Assistant

Whether you are outsourcing tech support, writing, web design or something else, there is a great deal of effort needed in order to keep the lines of communication open. If you allow your workers to do work for you without communicating your goals and what it is that you need, you will find that the work will not be done as you’d hoped. Everyone will be frustrated.

Assistants are not mind-readers and do need guidance. Take some time to make sure that you and your team clearly understand your expectations. Give them plenty of examples so that they can do the work in a manner that reflects your style, personality and work ethic. This is an important part of making sure that you get what you need.

Understanding Your Role as the Outsourcer

As the one doing the outsourcing, you need to understand your role. In order for the relationship between business owner and assistant to flourish, you’ll want to keep the lines of communication not only open, but clear as well. Be detailed in what you expect from your help. Also keep in mind that you are probably not their only client and as much as you would love to have them all to yourself, that probably isn’t the case. Be respectful of their time and give feedback on their work. This will help them do a better job and respect your time in return.

Outsourcing is vital for the growth of your business. To “get it done” you really need to learn how to reach out to people with the right resources. Did you know that Tapping into Your Resourcefulness and the Power of Delegation is Step 3 of my Ready Set Resultz System? Watch this video where I explain why knowing WHAT needs to be done, is more important than HOW to get it done.

If you’re an entrepreneur building a business and you want to utilize the internet in your marketing, you may wonder if your business needs a blog and the short answer is of course – no. Your business doesn’t need anything.

But if you want your business to grow, if you want to build relationships that lead to customers who love and buy what you have to offer, and if you want to start generating the revenue that you’ve always dreamed of then the answer is yes – you do need a blog.

A blog is uniquely able to do these things for your business:

• Connect with your readers
• Optimize your website
• Profit from affiliate or ad sales
• Embrace personality marketing
• Establish yourself as an expert
• Increase awareness and exposure
• Educate, inform, and provide value to your target audience

In fact a blog can be used quite easily instead of a website. WordPress blog templates can be made to look like a ‘regular’ website with static pages, forms, advertising, and a customizable header and so on. An entrepreneur can get a blog up and running easily in just one day with Wordpress.

And because blogs are so much easier to use, they’re often the best option for someone who’s a new entrepreneur. That being said, experienced entrepreneurs also use blogs as their main website because the search engines love them. I love the way that my blog so easily connects me with my community. It’s what’s helped me to grow my business so much faster and larger than I had envisioned.

So do you need a blog?  No, not really. Will a blog help you grow your business faster?  Most definitely. Download my brand new free video, “7 Most Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” to get a jump ahead in the game. It’s always best to learn from others mistakes and I’m happy to spare you from some I’ve made.

Blogs are magnets, especially when they’re written with the consideration of keyword content. A blog is naturally attractive to search engines since they are content-rich web pages that have many links and are regularly updated.  Techniques for optimizing blogs are similar to optimizing content websites, but they can actually rank much higher than a static website.

Let me share a few simple rules:

1.    Naming for success.  How to choose your blog domain name.

If you can choose a separate URL for your blog.  The domain name should include the primary keyword you want to optimize your blog to.  If you can’t get your keyword in a domain name, you can include it in a sub domain.

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Example:

Keyword = babynames

Main Domain – www.babynames.com

Sub Domain – www.parenting.com/babynames

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2.    Navigating for success.

Make your blog easy to navigate.  Set your blog up so that it is easy for search engine spiders to navigate.  Your navigation bar should be displayed on all pages, and your archives and previous posts should be accessible from each page so that the spiders can read them easily.

Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this week I shared three reasons to outsource the tasks that you just don’t have time for or that are beyond your area of expertise. While you’re probably capable of figuring out how to do most things in your business, wouldn’t it be better to put your resourcefulness to use in moving your business forward like only you can do?

Outsourcing benefits your business in two very important ways:

It Makes Expansion Possible

When you outsource, you are in a place to get more involved in the parts of your business that bring you joy and money. Outsourcing frees you up to learn more as well as try new things with your business. If you’re like me you have tons of ideas to get out to your clients but just don’t have the time for all of them. Outsourcing gives you the space to get done what matters to you.

It Provides Accountability, Keeping You on Track

When you outsource, you have a commitment with the person you’re working with. By having someone else who is depending on work from you, you are more apt to stay ahead of the game by planning better and making sure that you’re tasks are getting completed as well.

When you first begin implementing outsourcing techniques within your business, you’ll find out those boring or repetitive tasks can easily be handed off to someone who enjoys doing them. This will allow you, as the business owner, to free up more time to concentrate on more important aspects of your business such as product creation, advertising, networking and other marketing so you can profitably growing your business.

Have you heard about the Tina Forsyth’s Thrive Hiring system? She’s committed to giving business owners the tools and connections to get their projects done.

Which specific tasks do you wish you could get off your plate?

When I’ve run my business completely solo, the stress I felt was palpable. I’d wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the small details of my business, and wondering how I’d get through them to make a dent in the more meaningful fun and revenue-generating projects .

One of the biggest reasons that entrepreneurs don’t get done all they want, is that they feel they have to do everything themselves in order for things to go smoothly in their business. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Outsourcing can save you time and make you money.

Here are 3 ways outsourcing can help your business grow.

1. It allows for better use of your valuable time

When you own an online business, one of the most important things to remember is how much your time is really worth. When you think about the dull or repetitive tasks that you are doing, you’ll find this work is not worth your high per hour price tag! When you outsource, you’ll pay someone else to take care of those responsibilities, which frees you up for the more important revenue generating projects.

2. It saves your resources

Think about everything that goes into the tasks that you would outsource. Not only is it your time, but there’s the cost of  internet and software. After awhile all of these costs add up. For instance, if you were to purchase graphics software(and teach yourself to do what a graphic designer can do) that can get quite expensive. When you outsource, you get someone who specializes in areas of your business that you don’t know how to do or have no desire to learn. More than likely these people already have the tools needed to complete their assignment. Depending on the project, this might save you money and learning time.

3. It connects you with the experts

The tasks you are outsourcing might be ones that you have no desire to learn about, whether they are troubleshooting, manufacturing, taking orders, website design and maintenance, or something else. By handing the work over to an expert who enjoys and makes it their business to know the latest details, you’ll be able to take advantage of their knowledge in the area without having to learn it yourself. Their expertise will save you time and also will give your customers or clients more than you could possibly give them yourself.

Are you tired of doing it all yourself and do you feel like a slave to your online business? (I know I have when I don’t have the right people in place) Check out a great resource I discovered called Outsourcing Weekly, I love this step-by-step guide to outsourcing. Stay tuned this week, I’ll be sharing some more info about outsourcing.

People are naturally interested in what other people are up to, which is why TV soaps and reality TV shows are so popular.  When writing your blog posts, you want to write in such a way that reading just one of your blog posts should be enough to hook your readers and get them logging in regularly for updates.

Here are some proven tips that work for writing popular blog posts.

Be yourself and try to find your own style. Your posts will be much more appealing if they come from your heart rather than your head. Trying to express views or opinions that you don’t believe yourself will make your blog confusing and difficult for your readers to relate to.  Don’t be afraid to be different, some of the best blogs are individual, eccentric and very personal.

Start a conversation.  A blog is a great way for entrepreneurs to connect with their community.  You want to invite comments on your posts and spend some time replying to them.  Engaging your readers in your blog conversations can make them feel a part of the blog, and introducing new characters can make the blog more appealing to other readers.

Include your photo. A photo next to your blog posts will help your readers to connect with you as a person.  People connect more with those they see and can relate to. Remember that you’re developing a relationship.

Add imagery.  A written blog without illustrations, pictures, graphics or photos can appear very dull.  Look out for interesting images that support the content you’ve written.  Cartoons can be effective if that works with your style and there are many image galleries on the internet where you can download high quality pictures.

Pay attention to grammar.  The great thing about a blog is that there are no rules about how you write.  Online writing, particularly for a blog, can be casual and informal.  Just write like you speak but make sure your posts  make sense and are free of typos.

Read through your posts several times before you publish them.  Nothing destroys your credibility quicker than bad writing.  If you’re copying and pasting phrases pay particular attention to whether your completed post makes sense.

Use appropriate vocabulary. You can establish a reputation as an expert if you know the correct and up-to-date words and terms that relate to your business.  Don’t however confuse your reader with too much jargon if you’re not sure they’ll understand you.  Avoid long and complex words when a simple one will serve the same purpose.

Practice makes perfect.  Publishing your first couple of blog posts can be quite daunting.  When I began I noodled over mine for hours. I read them over and over trying to improve them. I was concerned were they any good? Would my readers enjoy them? Like anything, practice and commitment, makes it much easier. Continually practicing to write your blog helps you to develop your style, makes your words flow more easily, and improves the quality of your posts.

Keep an eye on your stats. Most internet businesses will use their stats to help with search engine optimization. How many visitors are you getting? How did they find your site? What keyword did they use? However, they can also be used to ensure you are writing posts that appeal to your readers.  Which posts caused the greatest volume of traffic and which generated the most return visits?  You can use this information to build a better site for your readers.  I’m now using a simple tool called Scribe that allows me to optimize my posts for search engine traffic.
Have you checked out Blogging ABCs yet? I’ve included a really helpful blogging planner to support you to schedule your blogs easily.