http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/category/2-indie-business-tutorials/ Thu, 17 May 2012 04:11:36 +0000 1800 Tips and tricks to make running a small business a little easier http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/24-advertising-payoff/
Here is what you are looking for:
Return on Investment (ROI)

Well, I could write a thesis about ROI, in fact many people do write their thesis about ROI and advertising case studies. But in simple terms. VERY simple terms...by no means is this ALL of it. WARNING...VERY READERS DIGEST VERSION....

Here is what you need to do to track your ROI-
1) ask how people found out about you on your website or on the phone.
2) track your sales according to media outlet
3) track your traffic from those media outlets-easier said than done! Personally I have a guestbook contest where i ask a referred by question
4) figure out your gross sales from those media outlets
5) figure out your net sales from those media outlets
6) figure out your advertising % is. (if you grossed $100 amount and your advertising cost $10, your advertising cost was 10% of your gross)


Sounding pretty hard to track...yep it is. Especially if you throw in there the intangible aspect of advertising. To give an analogy... with advertising, you have planted a seed. The example I like to give about advertising is the seeds in deserts or forests that require specific requirements for germination (to get the person to purchase). You might plant the seed now, but 1 year (or 2 years) from now they germinate (place their first order). After something happens to trigger them to grow(buy). But by advertising you have spread out a whole bunch of seeds just waiting to germinate (buy) given the right requirement.

How do you make sure those seeds will eventually grow?
1) Continue to advertise to the same magazines. Repetition is key. There are many marketing books written on the psychology of buying. Many books say it takes a person 3-5 times of seeing a marketing message to act on it. Which is the BIG reason we are trying to repeat ads in the same magazines for multiple insertions.
2) Market to them internally via newsletters. After they make it to your site. GRAB THEM. Get their info and put them on your monthly newsletter list. So if you don't already have a newsletter....consider it. Some of my best ROI comes from my monthly newsletter.
3) Continue to advertise within the same demographic. If a certain type of customer reads Bust and Unsigned. (which I think is the case, I'd love to see demographic overlap!) They will be seeing your message twice as often.


Then, make sure they continue to buy from you by:
1) Having a great product
2) innovations and new product introductions
3) great customer service
4) mark your products with your name, every piece of my jewelry has my logo clearly marked. So every time a customer wears my jewelry they are reminded of Amy Peters' Studio. My little advertising seeds out there!
Why are repeat customers so important? In general (again very basic and simple terms here...) it is said to be 5-10 times more expensive to gain a new customer as it is to sell AGAIN to an exising customer. So repeat customers are what you are looking for. Getting new customers is hard and expensive. Silly (and scary) example...but it makes sense....this is why drug dealers make the first high free...after they hook you, you WILL continue to buy.

A good advertising plan is well thought out and requires patience. MOST people don't buy the first time they see your ad. But, with repetition and the right requirements....they will. So look at advertising as a part of your overall marketing. If you are having to put your advertising on a credit card...think again. Set a % of overall sales that you are willing to put towards advertising. So say you gross $10,000 a year with your business and you are wanting to GROW your business. Then your advertising would be a larger %. If you are happy with your current volume...you could use a smaller %. And how to figure out a % would be a whole other thesis!

As far as case studies go....
1) I have had places where I have advertised and my ROI was actually a negative figure. I paid more for the advertising venue than I made. That tells me that the media outlet wasn't a good fit for me.
2) I have had places I have advertised for $100 and I made $1000 in profit from it.
3) I've had places where I invested $50 and made $8000 in profit from it.

So it can be ALL over the place. You can't just say if I invest X amount I will get X amount in return. BUT...you should set a % of gross sales that you want to spend on advertising and what you EXPECT to gain from it.
But DON'T forget the intangible aspect of advertising.......planting seeds. The more seeds, the more potential for future sales.


This article was originally published on Amy Peters' Studio Blog and had been republished here with full permission.]]> Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:02:34 +0000 24 Amy Peters 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/23-getting-started/ So you hate your 9-5 job and want to pursue your passion? You think that if you just made jewelry ( or insert your craft/art here) you life would be perfect. First realize that life is not PERFECT no matter what job you have. Start from there. Realize that life is about movement, change, ups and downs. OK....got that.
Now...starting from a realistic point. You love making your craft. You enjoy being in charge of your own destiny. Setting your own hours. If all of that sound great and you really have to do it...be realistic. Don't expect overnight success. It does happen sometimes, but more often than not it is a 5 year overnight success story! With a lot of hard work and setting your own hours doesn't mean that they are short hours. It all takes balance, hard work and a good business plan.

A good business plan requires that you ask yourself a lot of questions and make some hard decisions.

How do you want to sell your craft?

To individuals via craft shows or fashion events?
How will you find the best events to target? Are there some in your area or are you going to have to travel to attend them? How will you finance these shows? And what if they are a flop?
To individuals via your website?
How will you get the traffic to your website. It is not as easy as if you build it they will come. You need a plan of how to get people to stop by. Adwords? Offline advertising? Links with other crafty related artist's sites? Paid advertising online at Ezines or other sites?
Do you want to sell to stores?
Are you going to take your work into each store yourself or are you going to sell to stores through reps? How are you going to find the reps?
To stores through trade shows?
How are you going to finance your trade shows? Which shows are the right fit for you? How will you get the trade show attendees to stop into your booth? Can you handle the volume if you product is a huge success? Can you handle it if you show is a complete flop?
All of the answers to these questions are some of the basics to a business plan. You need to first create your product and then figure out how to sell it. Then you need to figure out how much it is going to cost to make your product and market it....
Do you have a husband or partner that can cover the bills until your company is making money? Or do you need to go for a loan? Or can you do your craft part time until you can afford to really take the leap into a full time career.
All of the questions are are ones that only you can answer, but when you do you will have more information so you can take the next step...or should I say LEAP!

This article was originally published on Amy Peters' Studio Blog and had been republished here with full permission.]]> Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:42:36 +0000 23 Amy Peters 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/22-creating-a-line-sheet/ When I was first starting out and I could not afford to make a 4 color printed catalog I hand drew my images. My jewelry lends itself to that style since they are basically flat with an image and wording on them. Not a lot of texture so the words and the images are the most important design elements.

Here are the basics that a line sheet has to have:
1) All of your contact information-This is simple, your address, phone number, fax number, web page and email address.
2) Images of your designs-Make sure that if you are doing color photographs of your designs that they are professional quality.
3) Prices for each of your designs-Make sure you are noting wholesale prices on a wholesale line sheet.
4) Your terms of sale-This includes: how you accept payment, how long you will take to produce and ship the orders, shipping charges, return policy, if you will offer Net 30 on repeat orders.
5) Some added information that is helpful, but not necessary are; Artist Bio, Description of how your craft is made, history of your company and any press you have received.
That's all, it doesn't have to be a confusing thing. Really it is quite straigtforward.

This article was originally published on Amy Peters' Studio Blog and had been republished here with full permission.]]> Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:27:42 +0000 22 Amy Peters 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/21-how-to-get-celebrities-to-wear-your-jewelry/
a) You can use a service like contact any celebrity to find celebrity addresses for agents and managers. You can to send your work directly to the agent for the celebrity you are interested in contacting. These are not home addresses for the celebrities. That would just be kinda creepy in a stalker kinda way. If the celebrity is nice they might even send a Thank you note. I have been amazed by some of the thank you notes that I have received.

b ) You can send your work to costume designers for televisions shows. Then, hope that they use the designs on the show.

c) You can get lucky and just see someone wearing your work in a magazine or on tv.

d) If you have any friends in the entertainment industry, ask them if they have any connections with celebrities that could wear your work.

e) Put your designs into gift bags. This can get really expensive! There is usually a fee for placement into the really big gift bags. You just have to consider if the payoff will be worth the expense.
f) Donate your work to high profile charities that have celebrity ties. I actually get requests for donations on a regular basis for this now. But, I pick and choose only charities that I would normally support with cash donation. The causes that I support are: Cancer support centers, Ovarian Cancer, Parkinson's disease, Art in Schools, Science in Schools. All of these causes are near and dear to my heart, so in lieu of volunteering time (which I don't have extra of...) I donate my jewelry. And for many of the donations I also get some PR...this makes it possible for me to donate more, since I can write it off in both the donation and PR columns of my Profit and Loss statements.

g) You can send it to stylists that dress the celebrities.

h) You can host a promo party during awards season and invite celebrities and the press hoping that they will come and fall in love with your designs.
I have done or had almost all of these happen with my designs. However you get your work into the hands of the celebrities isn't as important as what you do after it is in their hands. No one is going to come knocking down your door after they see your work on TV or in a magazine on a celebrity....You have to promote it and make sure that everyone knows it was yours! Put the thank you notes on your site, put up pictures of them wearing it on your website and at trade shows and send out press releases to anyone that will listen...and hopefully publish an article about your successes. I just recently had my jewlery on 4 episodes of "the OC" and now I have had multiple articles written about it....But it doesn't just come easy it takes work!


A note on celebrity gift bags.

You have to decide if it will bring you as much PR as it is going to cost you to do the event. Say if it costs you $3000, is it going to translate into the same amount of PR as if you sent out $3000 worth of samples to magazines. Probably not. So I recommend not all eggs in one basket. If this is the avenue you want to pursue...then go for it. It can be good and heck also lots of fun especially if you get invited to attend the events. But make it part of your PR campaign not the entire PR campaign or you will be disappointed. Every once in a while a designer will hit it big from one event or one great placement...But there are hundreds of events out there with celebrities....I get about 1-2 a week in my email box.
Visit my celebrity pages now


This article was originally published on Amy Peters' Studio Blog and had been republished here with full permission.]]> Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:21:02 +0000 21 Amy Peters 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/20-how-to-increase-business-by-increasing-traffic-to-your-blog/
Much of my blog traffic comes from google - which is great. But I've recently increased by readership to over 20K unique visitors a month - that's over 400 unique visitors a day - with a few tricks and submissions. I've been playing around with a lot of different options like kaboodle, craftstylish and blogher blogs to pull traffic back to my own blog. I also share my posts on facebook and twitter. Additionally I have added several options for following my blog - google friend connect, networked blogs, email subscription, and blog lovin'. My top traffic sources, however, for http://www.soapdelinews.com come from the following:

Google - make sure you've submitted your blog and use lots of keywords in your content and your title.

Stumbleupon - Stumble your posts. Have others stumble your posts. It works.

Pinterest - They're still new, but when you pin something crafty and fabulous a lot of repinning goes on and your work gets shared over and over.

Craftgawker - They're picky about photos, but if they like what you've got, they will send you a good amount of traffic. Don't just share posts about your products, share other content as well. Your blog should have an obvious link back to your shop so you shouldn't feel you just need to promote your stuff with them. If you have wedding lovelies, check out weddinggawker.

IShareCrafts - Very similar to craftgawker. Less picky about photos. But it must be a craft project of some kind. They also have spin offs like craftgawker does for food but also for printables.

OnePrettyThing blog - If you have craft tutorials this is a great place to submit them. They'll link to your project and send traffic your way. It must be your own original project though - not a link through to a tutorial on another blog.

Blog Lovin' - A blog directory that also lets you follow your favorite blogs and check out the daily feed of your favorites in one handy location.

Giveaway sites - If you run a giveaway and submit it to giveaway sites, your traffic will soar. You can also use giveaways to grow your social networks and blog followers.

Tumblr - I don't use tumblr as my main blog and I was VERY reluctant to give it a go. But now that it's established I've found it can work. I often blog a photo from my main blog with a short description and a link back to my blog. Be sure to TAG with keywords. I've gotten a lot of hits to specific articles through tumblr from people doing a key word search ie. DIY While it's not consistent, if your article gets featured in a keyword search the traffic surge is obvious.

Hopefully you will find these sites as useful tools as well. Also, if anyone else has had success in bringing traffic to their blogs using specific sites or techniques, I'd love if you would share them here!

If you don't blog and are reluctant to blog on a consistent basis, I would recommend starting with tumblr. You can simply reblog content on days you are not feeling motivated. I read an article not long ago that says blogging increases inbound links for businesses by 55% or something like that. And I believe it based on my own personal experience.]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:00:48 +0000 20 soapdeli 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/9-are-you-new-to-selling-online-marketing-tips-to-get-you-started/
First, however, here are a few other tips for making sure your shop is in tip top shape before putting your time and effort into marketing.

1. Brand your shop. Branding is very important. It shows you are serious about your business and helps to promote familiarity. It also adds cohesiveness to your business and your shop and makes you appear professional.

2. Make sure you have the following for your shop, especially for handmade venues: a shop banner, avatar, logo, and business cards. Related or matching labels and tags, etc. for your items. A description of what you are offering that tells consumers why your products are top notch. Clear policies on shipping and refunds. Also be sure you have clear pictures to give consumers the best perception of your products as you possibly can. Always carefully consider which photo will be displayed in thumbnails for online venues. I've seen lots of photos that I often simply skim over because it's hard to tell what is being sold in the photo due to the size of the thumbnail and a busy background. I've found that photos that highlight the item in detail or the most interesting feature of their item as the first thumbnail draw the most attention and encourage click throughs. If you are selling clothing, include a shot of the product on a person or mannequin if possible so the shopper can see how the clothing is going to fit. I've seen clothing online and in stores that I thought looked horrid in the photo or on the rack, but when seen on a model looked fabulous. Consider how you shop and how others shop.

3. Create a central location for your shop by purchasing your own domain. There's no need to pay for hosting. You can have your domain point to a free blog such as blogger. This .com can then be placed on all of your business cards and on product labeling. On your .com be sure to list all venues that you sell on along with dates and locations where you will be selling in person. This makes it easy for your customers to find you even if you change venues and sell at different markets and fairs. They can't buy from you if they don't know where to go.

Now, on to marketing:

1. If possible, establish yourself locally or at craft fairs. It really is in your best interest to sell in person if you can. Consumers enjoy touching products and looking them over in person despite how clear your photos are. It gives them a better sense of the quality and it gives you an opportunity to tell them more about your work. Bath and body is especially important to sell in person because people not only like to see and touch, but they really want to smell as well. Buying scented products online is difficult as everyone has different ideas of what things should smell like and describing scents is difficult and subjective.

Put your best foot forward when selling in person. Consider your display and make it as attractive as possible. Use a business sign if possible as well. We have bars above the tables at my city market for hanging signs so I had one painted to match my branding. A local artist was willing to do it for $100 and I thought that was a deal. It was a great investment. It makes finding my booth easier in addition to attracting attention.

Always have business cards with you. If someone walks away without buying, ask if they'd like a business card for future reference and let them know you are available online as well. I also include business cards in the bag with every purchase. Not everyone keeps business cards, but that's okay. You're doing this for the few that will keep that card for later when they are looking for a specific gift or want an additional product from you. And if some of your customers are not local to your area - I know we get a lot of out of town visitors to my market - if they love your product, that business card makes it simple and easy to order from you again online.

2. Get your product into the hands of buyers on the internet. You can do this by creating "promo" items. Generally promotional items are samples of your product or a useful item that represents you shop - such as a magnet - and reminds a consumer that you are there and where to find you. Always include your .com on any promotional material as business cards are often lost or thrown out.

So, how do you get your promo items into the hands of buyers? Distribute samples or promos when you sell at craft shows. Pass them out to anyone who stops to look at your work. In the case of samples, sometimes "try before you buy" can make a huge difference! Include samples or promos in bags with buyer purchases. Swap promo items with other sellers online who sell complimentary but different items from yourself. These swapped items can then be included in online purchases or distributed at fairs and markets. This does work, and I have had a fantastic response from good sample and promo items.

Including a coupon code for a discount or free shipping helps to entice buyers even more and can tell you how effective your marketing is when you use different codes for different venues.

That said, I have tried sample boxes on multiple occasions from various sites, but never noticed sales from doing so. However, everyone's products are different and reach different audiences. I would never discount sample sites without first trying them as others have reported success.

3. The amazing thing about the handmade community is that there are many talented people who love other talented people and are happy to help by offering them a little free exposure. Look for opportunities to get your business published online. Lots of artists have blogs and will ask for people who'd like to be interviewed about their shops. Request an interview and be sure to follow up in a timely manner if possible. You may also be able to "swap" interviews or shop write ups as a form of cross promotion with other sellers. Many artists are very happy to cross promote especially if they like your work. But you don't know what additional opportunites are out there unless you ask. The worst they can do is say, "no." And if that happens, it happens. Don't take it personally.

4. There are a number of high traffic handmade targeted shopping blogs happy to take suggestions about the products they feature on their blogs.Review the guidelines for submission and then send a brief email highlighting your best work. It's easy to find blogs more specific to your market with a simple google search.

5. Social networking or marketing seems to be something a lot of people don't understand or give up on too quickly. I've seen time and again where people have said they don't "get" facebook or twitter. The thing is, it doesn't matter if you don't understand it right away because millions of others do. The key is to build your network. The larger it is the more effective it becomes. The bigger it gets the better the chance your posts and tweets and updates will make rounds not just within your network, but within your follower and fan networks as well. That is where you start to see the effectiveness of social marketing. So take the time to get to understand social networks and pick at least two to get started on. It takes some time to build a good network, but your hard work will be worth it in the end.

6. Social communities can be effective. There are lot of communities for artists and crafters on the internet. There are many general and specific communities with a number of tools to help you market your product and get seen. One such growing community is ning. Ning offers users the ability to create communities around specific topics and offer resources such as blogs, picture uploads, forums, etc. to discuss similar interests with others. Ning recently reached 1M communities created through their software. One of the ning communities you may be familiar with is Indie Public.

Not all communities are for everyone and not all communities work for marketing. My advice is to pick the ones you are interested in. Participate as much as possible. Then go back after a month's time and look at your site statistics to see where your traffic is coming from. You can then start to weed out communities that aren't working and put more focus into those that are.

I hope you all find these ideas helpful in getting started, and I encourage you to post to this thread sharing marketing techniques that you have found effective. I will also be happy to answer any questions you may have about the marketing techniques I've mentioned in this thread. love]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:55:24 +0000 9 soapdeli 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/7-taking-the-plunge/
So I started out slowly. I did some selling on Ebay to explore my grounds and see if people would really want to buy my items on a regular basis. Selling on Ebay also wasn't as much of a commitment as a website because I could make a few things whenever I had the time. I did very well and eventually I had many repeat customers who would purchase items regularly. Although you never make the same profit on Ebay as owning your own website, I feel it was a great stepping stone for me because it gave me the knowledge about customer relations online, but on a small scale level. Ebay felt like a small training course for what was to come next.



My next step was to learn the basics of html. I recommend Lissa Explains and Html Goodies to start learning with. When I got the basics of html all figured out I decided to take it one step further. I also found out my current ISP had already allotted me some web space so I used it to start hosting my site to keep start-up costs low.


Even then I still contemplated about opening my own website at this point. I worked at my current position for 5 years already and I was very afraid to resign and become self employed. But with all my worries aside, I finally started listening to what my heart felt and I knew this is what I had to do. I remember on my last day at work I walked out the door and noticed a picture on the wall I hadn't noticed before. It was a photo of a long road and under the picture it said "SUCCESS" in big letters. I felt that was a major sign for me, that I was closing one chapter in my life to take a whole different road of possibilities through owning my own online business. I remember leaving that day so proud of myself and at that moment all my fears vanished. I had no more time to be afraid. It was time to get to working!


So if you are debating on opening an online shop it might help to take small baby steps and get your feet wet first. Try a few craft shows in your local area, or sell a few things on Ebay. Don't give up on your mission. If things don't work out right away, examine the situation and revise whatever need be. Being a small business owner means the sky is the limit to your creativity! As long as you keep focused and work hard on your dreams - you are for sure to succeed!


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By Alexandria
See more of Alexandria's work and compassion for fashion at her online consignment shop: Fashion Compassion.]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:15:30 +0000 7 fashioncompassion 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/6-im-a-mom-first/

Textile Fetish began around the time my first daughter Chloe was nine months old. I experimented making placements from leftover fabric bits, the majority of which I had used in making clothing for a friends' daughter the previous year. The placemats turned into flat purses which then sold on eBay.


Parents of young children know that up until about six to eight months of age, a baby is dependant and mostly immobile. She cries and indicates basic needs, but has little interest in toys much less cords and electrical outlets. Relatively speaking, the greatest frustration involves sleeping, feeding, and that stuff that results from feeding. But if you are a stay-at-home mom (or SaHM) that baby is your life, day in and day out.


Then suddenly there is mobility and curiosity all at the same time. It is draining, physically, but more than that it is mentally exhausting, trying to predict that little booger's next move. Will she be dining on doodle bugs today or dirt?


Enter the need for a creative outlet. It is constant. It is extreme. Daily self-analysis has told me that my business was born out of the need to live in my own mind. I was an introvert before this family gig. I keep trying to go back inside. Not long before I had my first child, I asked my doctor about Paxil, just like the commercial told me I should do. He opened a book and explained my symptoms did not fit the description of social anxiety disorder. "Wait until you have children," he said (or maybe that was his prescription?).


Textile Fetish is now three years old. My youngest daughter is ten months now. She is often into my wastebasket and under the sewing table. It is comforting having her so near, except for the cords in the same proximity, but all this serves to remind me that I am a mom first. I can sew while the children are sleeping or occupied. I even put an art easel in my studio for my three year old, you know, so we could be creative together, that is, while I am not cleaning up her supplies, tying her apron, washing her hands, or asking that she please watch out for her sister.


Yes, running this business at home with two children presents challenges, but without those challenges, I would go nuts. I would be on prescription medication. Most likely I would go back to full-time employment, making a moderate wage. I would complain about my job and my co-workers, the traffic and how I had to eat lunch (of a certain cheese-flavored snack) at my desk. I would shell out more than half my wages for childcare and presentable work clothes, and suffer through commuting in and out of the city. And who is to say if I would be the one to get the promotion?


For all of the above-listed reasons, and the fact that I actually enjoy what I do, I would not trade my situation for all the tea in China. I set my own hours and I have control over the pace at which I choose to grow my business. Some see children that as detrimental to the growth of a business, expressing that this holds them back from doing craft shows, from approaching shops. Personally, I think it sets controls based on what I can handle in this position, in my life that is.


It is all about the balance. If I took the time and energy required for shows, would I be able to handle an increase in business? Slow growth is what has made my business stronger, giving me a chance to learn new skills and improve my products. It is a lot like the trees we used to have in our backyard. Huge hackberries, also known as "junk trees" sprout up all over the place and grow very quickly. You have to watch them, because when the wind picks up, they'll break and fall on your house. Oak trees, on the other hand, grow slowly. They are strong, good for climbing, and unless somebody poisons them, they stay around a good long time.

by Jennifer Ramos, Textile Fetish.
Jennifer and her "Handmade Goods for Mom and Tots" can be found at www.textilefetish.com!]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:41:26 +0000 6 textile fetish 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/4-youre-the-boss/ 5 Remedies for relief when the pressure's on


Victoria Nuttall is a graphic-arts consultant with skills that should have been appreciated. "I was working 50 to 55 hours a week, feeling like a real hero to the company because I was putting out work no one else could do at that time," she says. "They had me train people and expand the department, but never consulted me on new equipment purchases and procedures. Add to this a bad relationship with an operator I trained and management that didn't care if people trashed one another, and you get 'work hell.' " Nuttall burned out.


You've heard the story a thousand times. In fact, maybe you started your own company because the pressures of working for someone else got to you. Well, with burnout, there's not much of a difference between entrepreneurs and 9-to-5 employees, according to Dr. Beverly Potter, author of a number of books on burnout, including Overcoming Job Burnout., How to Renew Enthusiasm for Work. "Job burnout is something like job depression," she says. "It's a motivational problem where your ability to get yourself moving and keep moving is impaired. It is caused by feelings of powerlessness such as the 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' feeling like you're being caught in the middle."


After her brush with burnout, Nuttall started Renaissance Interactive in Baltimore, which offers multimedia consulting and training. She acknowledges the potential for burnout still exists, even though she's her own boss. Money concerns have replaced anxieties over office politics, but she's happier where she is; "I don't have financial security," Nuttall admits, "but at least I have a buffer zone away from negative people, and that means a lot."


The Ins and Outs of Entrepreneurial Burnout


If you find yourself exhausted, ridden by anxiety, suffering physical problems such as headaches, stomach aches, or sore muscles, it's time to consider whether you're on the verge of burnout. Start by asking yourself a few questions:


What must I do to regain the happiness and feelings of fulfillment I used to enjoy in my business?

What is the number-one problem I'm experiencing, and what can I do about it?

Who can I call on to help get relief from the constant pressures I'm under?



While every individual is different, many people who eventually burn out share some common traits:



1. Inability to set boundaries.


During the start-up phase, it can be especially hard to know when to say "no,' according to Mark Gorkin, a Washington, DC, consultant also known as "The Stress Doc." "Entrepreneurs sometimes work 24 hours a day," he says. "They feel they have to do that to make the business work." Gorkin asserts that entrepreneurs, as risk takers, target very ambitious goals. That's not a bad thing, he says, "but sometimes their expectations are out of whack with reality. They give themselves very difficult tasks which, sometimes, they can't realistically meet." Developing "detached concern" can help you set those boundaries, says Gorkin. "With detached concern, you're genuinely involved with people and projects," he explains, "but you weigh how much you give and how much you take, or expect, from yourself and others. Detached concern means not being all things to all people."


2. Lack of balance.


Gorkin points out that many entrepreneurs get little sleep, working almost around the clock, mostly on adrenaline. He points to exercise as a vital ingredient in burnout prevention. "Partially, it's just getting away from your work that's helpful," he says. "But when you're feeling vulnerable and overworked, a sense of control is important. Exercise, such as running, can give you a mental lift. If you go for a run, there's a beginning and end point and a sense of control. You've accomplished something tangible."


Lisa Roberts, a marketing and communications consultant in Fairfield, Connecticut, and the author of How to Raise a Family and a Career Under One Roof (Bookhaven Press, $15.95, 800-782-7424), says, 'When you're working at home and running your own business, you're constantly shuffling to accommodate the needs of your clients, your children and your spouse. Your 'self 'gets buried at the very bottom." But even people who don't work from home face the self-management problems that can bring on burnout. "Learn to take the big picture and break it into specific tasks," she says. "If you don't get on top of it, you'll get buried underneath." Treat yourself as well as you do your business, advises Nuttall. "When I'm tired, I rest. When I'm hungry, I stop and eat,' she says. "Sound simple? When you're driven by work, you put off eating and resting to get this one thing done, and the next, and so on. Now, even in the middle of a very busy spate, I will take off one day during the week and go hiking or do something totally nontechnical. I might get a massage when things get stressful. I think a lot more about balancing all aspects of myself with work."


Victoria Siegel, owner ofThe Perfect Gift, a personalized gift-basket and gifts company in St. Louis, tries to leave her home office by 6 p.m. and avoids working weekends. "Since I tend to lose my determination to stick to this regimen, I make plans 'with friends to either be out of my house or at least entertain them here," says Siegel. "When I'm done working for the day, I close and lock the door and pretend I just left an office building and can't wait to get home."


3. Inability to prioritize.


With so much to do, many entrepreneurs slip when they can't decide what's really important. Siegel explains why it's so difficult for her to prioritize: "As an entrepreneur, I'm the stock clerk, receptionist, shipping-and-receiving department, inventory department, order department, accounts receivable, accounts payable, customer service person, designer, marketer, saleswoman, writer, buyer, janitor, file clerk, data entry person, secretary and purchasing department. Sometimes I get to be the owner, too! There's so much to be done that there's no way anything can ever be totally completed."



Another entrepreneur who has seen his employees bum Out, Steve Thomson, president of Avenida Travel Services in Irvine, California says, "In my opinion, burnout occurs when someone just continues wrestling with their to-do list without asking some key questions: Is this vital to the client or my company? Is this urgent? What will happen if I don't do it now?" The key to avoiding the problem, according to Thomson, is to "organize your day, every day, before you start."


4. Perfectionistic tendencies.


Thomson believes perfectionists are the most likely to bum out. "Among people who've left our company due to burnout, I see a pattern of perfectionism in their overall approach to life, and that they have trouble adapting to the fact that this is just not a perfect world."


Perfectionists believe they are superhumans who can have it all and do it all - perfectly. "They can range from the overbearing taskmaster to the self-sacrificing martyr," says Gorkin. Putting constant pressure on yourself day after day when you're growing a business is an invitation for disaster. To prevent total collapse, perfectionists need to learn to give up some control. Delegating can be exceedingly difficult for perfectionists, but it may be the only way they can avoid total burnout.


5. Lack of motivation.


Potter targets lack of motivation as a symptom of burnout. To fight it, own your life, not just your business. 'Managing your own motivation involves setting magnetic goals that attract you," says Potter, 'and regarding yourself for small steps on the way to those goals."

Nuttall is dedicated to attending conferences and trade shows to keep up with a quickly evolving industry, widen her circle of contacts, and keep her life and business interesting. "Now that I work for myself, I pay a lot of attention to learning new things, not just rehashing the same ground professionally," says Nuttall. Gorkin agrees. "Get new training. Learn new skills," he says. "As I like to say, 'Variety in the day keeps burnout away.'

By Lynn H. Colwell,
BUSINESS START - UPS, JUNE 1997]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:34:36 +0000 4 coachwriter 2 http://community.theswitchboards.com/tutorials/article/3-the-relationship-between-colour-sales/
Not convinced? Have you noticed that a lot of restaurants are decorated in/heavily feature reds and/or oranges? Still not convinced?

Pizza Hut
Frankie & Bennys
Burger King
Little Chef
TGI Friday
Bella Pasta (one of the few to focus on Orange rather than red)

These major players understand the psychology behind colour and its relationship to marketing which dictates that red and orange specifically encourage restaurant patrons to eat faster; thus yes you guessed it - increasing sales within the same period of time.

Red is known as an emotionally intense colour, stimulating a faster heartbeat and breathing. Orange is also an emotional stimulant.

It's entirely possible you are suddenly frantically realizing that you haven't considered this at all when choosing your brand design and associated marketing materials and are now wondering whether you are maximizing your sales through the use of colour psychology.

Luckily there's no need to panic and start planning a complete (and potentially expensive) re-branding exercise.

Even if you didn't initially consider this, it's not too late to do something about it, there's no reason why you can't work with your existing brand colours and perhaps work new colours into your scheme
that will work harder to encourage those sales - infiltrating the correct colours through your brochures, web site, stationery and so on.

This way you use colour psychology to strengthen your message yet whilst keeping the same brand that customers may have already become accustomed to seeing and have already 'bought into'.

Now that you are aware that you can do something about your glaring error ;-)) - here are some tips:

1. Culture - If you trade globally, remember that colours can have a different interpretation in different cultures - for example in Chinese culture, white is the colour of death.

2. Shopper Habits - Apparently impulse buyers lean towards red-orange, black and royal blue, and those who plan ahead prefer pink, teal, light blue and navy.

3. Status - Colour preference is influenced by our standard of living; brighter bolder colours appear to attract those on a lower income, whilst those targeting higher income brackets should use more subtle colours.

4. Geography - The geographical location of your target market should be considered when making colour choices; those in Latin America for example will prefer stronger colours, whilst those in colder regions are attracted to neutrals.

Finally, in many cultures the following colours have the following marketing potential:

Red - The colour the eye perceives the quickest (although apparently research has indicated that middle aged and older people can find it hard to see this colour). Red can represent energy, speed, anger, danger (blood), excitement, strength, sex.

Blue - A cool colour preferred by most Europeans, especially men, it can hint at trust, and reliability.

Yellow - Warm and stimulating like the sun, and encourages feelings of happiness, especially preferred by young people if not used in excess. Can also be associated with betrayal however.

Orange - A warm vibrant shade without being reminiscent of danger or aggression as in red, good for encouraging impulse purchases.

Green - Fresh and cool; associated with nature, growth, and hope, but also with illness and superstition.

Purple - Has links with religion (Cardinals), and can also be seen as a royal colour and therefore is often linked with spirituality and dignity.

Pink - Soft, nurturing, and security and is used a symbol of love and sweetness. Too much pink can be seen as childish.

White - Purity, cleanliness, and is associated with nature and light. Take care; in Asia this colour is connected with mourning.

Black - Can see seen as sophisticated, and elegant, or mysterious but does symbolize death and the occult also, however if used in the right way (as it is often used with prestige/luxury products), such as when combined with gold, it can create a chic exclusive feel.

Gold - Prestigious and royal colour; expensive.

Silver - Can also be prestigious if used correctly, or to impart a 'scientific' association.

By Amanda Vlahakis, Trulyace.com]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:29:12 +0000 3 VLAHAKISA 2