bizthreads.net: Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

Some business books try to systematize a method of success, as if to say, “This is how I did it. Here’s how you can break it down into these 4 steps to do it yourself.”

Other books just lay it on the table as if to say, “This is how I did it. That’s all you need to know.”

Trump’s classic The Art of the Deal falls into that second category. It should be read by entrepreneurs … but not to learn anything about running a business; simply for a good read. In classic, unabashed “Donald” style, Trump lays out his successes for all the world to (in his opinion) admire and drool over. Surprisingly, I found the book almost inspiring in spite of the “look how amazing I am” attitude that threads through it.

I don’t want to be like Donald when it comes to self-proclamation or my hair, but I do admire his gutsy “I don’t care what the other guy thinks” approach to success.

In case you haven’t guessed yet, I’m a fan of blogs. They’re big now but I think they’re just on the verge of exploding into something bigger. What do I mean when I say “exploding”? Blogcount.com reports that MSN’s blog provider has 4.5 million blogs! What’s more, the “blogosphere” (the world of blogs and blogging on the Internet) doubles every 5 months.

In case you’ve had your head in the sand for the past couple years, blogs (shortened from “web logs”) are date/time stamped entries of opinion, images, and links. They’re a rest-stop on the information highway; each one providing its own audience with a relevant gathering of content.

If you’re someone who is looking to start a business, let me encourage you to start a blog. I don’t care what it’s about, just do it. It doesn’t take that long to set up or maintain, and here’s the potential results:

One business with a high Google Page Rank on their blog finds they get more business because their blog appears higher than their website.

Another business’s blog is full of useful information that’s updated constantly: customers return to the blog more often than they return to the e-commerce site.

Another entrepreneur blogs her experiences and plans to compile them in a few years as part of a “how I did it” autobiography of her success.

Get blogging!

My Blackberry helps me stay in business. It’s used in 40 countries with such increasing frequency and addictiveness that it has earned its nickname: “Crackberry.” I like it because, instead of juggling a laptop and cell phone, I have it all handy in one portable package. Other entrepreneurs I know use it for Internet activities and SMS (Short Message Service, a form of text messaging on cell phones) I primarily use it as an organizer and for its email and telephone functions.

When Blackberry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) got caught up in a patent dispute, there was talk that the service would be shut down in the US. RIM said they had a “workaround” just in case the service was shut down… but I was skeptical.

I don’t know about you, but I’m breathing a sigh of relief right now that they settled the dispute. Service will remain uninterrupted.

Honestly, I don’t know much about the litigation itself (I know there’s more stuff than the press actually prints). All I was doing was counting the potential dollars lost from my business. But I and many other entrepreneurs around the country are getting back to business as usual.

I’m back in Black(berry)!

Just recently I saw a “best commercials of 2005″ show that showcased commercials from all around the world. Many of the commercials were surprising, shocking, or hilarious.

I love daring advertisements. Whether print, online, or television-based, a business that chooses to be daring and different will win my attention and my business every single time.

My advice to every business owner out there:

• Be memorable
• Be different
• Be bold

As long as you choose those decisions over the bland content produced for most media today, you’ll get your advertising dollar’s worth.

There are millions of blogs online right now and many more popping up each day. But for every blog that starts, several more are forgotten about and left behind to gather dust. The bloggers may have started strong out of the gate with half a dozen blog ideas, but then they faltered over time, perhaps drowning in their regular workload…and their once great dreams for a world-changing blog are put on hold for good.

But blogging doesn’t have to take a lot of your time. Here are 3 smart ways to make sure that your blog doesn’t eat away at your time.

ABB: Always be blogging! Blogs are strong because they have an off-the-cuff appeal to them… as if this is late-breaking news. So whether you use a PDA or a piece of paper, jot notes to yourself continuously about blogging topics.

Eliminate a step or two. Download a blogging program that lets you blog at the touch of a button.

Blogger.com for example, lets you write a blog in word, press a button and the blog appears on your site. It’s easy!

Blog habits. Before your day starts, while you eat your cereal on your home office, write a paragraph. Make it a habit.

That’s how this blog is written. I’m a busy business owner, like you, but this blog needs to be produced and I’ve simply made it a habit.

I’m excited about reviewing some resources in this space each week. I’m interested in helping you grow your business and part of that is rooting through the myriad of resources available to see what’s good and what’s not so good. I promise not to sugar coat anything. You’ll get the straight
goods from me!

I’m a big fan of the …For Dummies series of books. They are easy to read and easy to implement. And I’ve been an entrepreneur long enough to know that “easy to read” and “easy to implement” are the only ways that a small business owner will ever learn something and integrate that learning
into their business.

Business Plans for Dummies is a good, easy read that is incredibly practical. Of course it comes with the usual tips and icons throughout that sets the whole series apart. In fact, I’m such a fan of the series, that you can call me a consummate dummy!

I know a thing or two about running businesses… and I know two or three things about running a business on a budget! Although I enjoy a bigger budget now, there was a time when I had to tighten my belt to run my business… and even hock my belt to keep my business going.

Things are different now, of course. My business is booming. But the Internet is around. (That’s right, kids: the Internet hasn’t always been around… and there were small business owners who were around before the Internet was ever invented!)

The Internet has made available all kinds of great business shareware and freeware products for businesses on a budget. Check out:

MoreBusiness.com
Tucows.com
Download.com

Whether you’re an entrepreneur with a big belt, a tightened belt, or no belt at all, shareware and freeware are great solutions to running a business.

This book was given to me by a friend. To be perfectly honest, it’s an unusual book and I wouldn’t have picked it up on my own if it hadn’t been suggested. And when I closed the book at the end I had to admit that it wasn’t what I expected.

But…

It was a good book.

When I picked up the book, I was reading several books about marketing all at once and many of them were filled with “useful, practical ideas” blah blah blah. This one was different: It is like the marketer’s Chicken Soup for the Soul only the chicken soup is a hearty chicken gumbo (and the chicken it’s made from was on steroids during its life). The book combines inspiration, wit, ancient wisdom, philosophy, and even biology and mixes it all together to give really good marketing advice in a package that is unusual.

If you want a marketing book that’s not like any other and filled with marketing advice, then check out Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads by Roy H. Williams.

I like blogs because they really are changing the face of the Internet. I think blogs are one of the things that make the Internet strong: it’s a combination of links and dated personal expression that makes them so captivating to audiences.

But if you’re running a business, what do you write about? I see a lot of businesses flounder when it comes to their blogs. They simply don’t know what they should put on their blog … and how different the blog content should be from content on their site. The end result is: prospects see the same sales messages on the company’s blog that they could see on the company’s site … so they don’t bother reading the blog.

A blog should take advantage of the fact that people will turn to it day in and day out for new and fresh information. Write about a new Frequently Asked Question each day. Post experiences your consumers have with your product. Interact with industry news. Create a diary and put in your personal views as you work to develop the “new and improved” version of the product.

There are lots of ideas out there for businesses to use blogs … just keep it fresh and interesting!

One of the things I'm excited about sharing with you in this blog are productivity and time management techniques. As business owners, it's really easy to let other things eat into our time and if we're not careful, we find ourselves with no time to do any of the important things.

Since it is closer to the beginning of the year, it's timely to keep talking about business plans for a moment. Rather than sitting down and creating one from scratch (which you probably won't do anyway because there are a million other things to be doing) you can use a sample, like the ones you'll find here, Sample Business Plans and adjust it to suit your needs. It's so easy you can do it in your sleep!

I can't stress it enough, a good business plan is the foundation to help your business grow. To save time, find an applicable sample and use it as a guide!