How does your business make a difference in the world? In 2006 I began an intensive coaching process with Rob Seidenspinner of Sage Circle Coaching. Rob is a personal and professional coach and I was looking for specific insights into how my personal "story" was influencing my business outcomes. The benefits I’ve seen are as follows. Not all of these are directly … [Read more...]
Your Product or Service: How to Price it Right
I've always believed that you must price your particular product or service at a level that provides value for others at a price they're willing to pay. There are two parts of a price tag: one is the actual sale price of the item. The other is the value that the purchaser finds in buying that item. The actual sales price is just a number. However, the item is essentially … [Read more...]
Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, or Custom Content Management?
Having built over 250 websites in the last ten years, I have a good sense of what tools would be a good fit for a particular project. If you're thinking of building a website for your own business, you'll want to identify some key needs around the following: 1) your budget -- how much can you realistically spend 2) your timeline to get the website up -- when do you need a … [Read more...]
Asking the Right Questions for your Website Process
When you're doing any new process, it can be difficult to understand the correct questions to ask. We are often called to give estimates on website development, including web design, customization, functionality, social networking integration, ongoing maintenance, and search engine optimization. There is so much information in this field -- as I'm sure there is in yours --- … [Read more...]
Five Principles for your Project’s Success
Having done my Malcolm-Gladwell-esque "10,000 hours of experience" (in his book Outliers, Gladwell suggests that it takes 10,000 hours for someone to become an experienced professional, in any field), I feel like there are some fixed principles that apply to all of our clients, who run the gamut from nonprofit to small business to public agency. We've found that the individuals … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Build your Web Effectiveness
Introduction: Maintaining content-rich web profiles are the most efficient way to market your specific services to your niche audience. I recommend you devote the bulk of your marketing budget to developing excellent content and lots of it, with some additional funds set aside for design, production, and maintenance. Your web properties include: websites, blogs, wikis, … [Read more...]
10 Ways to be a Resource for your Customers
Here are ten ways to adopt a "resource provider" perspective when working with your existing customers. 1. Make Connections. If your client is lacking people to help get a job done, find those people and connect with them. Your partners in your endeavors will form a strong team. As a group, you'll provide more variety, creativity, and problem-solving know-how to your … [Read more...]
Security and your Social Networks: Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter
In three separate incidences, three of my friends were infected by a computer virus which sends fake messages from their Facebook account. Because most social networks are built on a trust environment (if a link comes from your friend Angie or Ben or Juanita, you typically trust it) -- the spread of viruses is particularly exploitative. The most important thing for you to … [Read more...]
Why you want to consider a Facebook strategy
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Do you have a Facebook and Twitter strategy? Now is the time to start implementing your plan. Send me a tweet @monicadear if you'd like me to review your Facebook strategy. … [Read more...]
Your Personal Mission Statement
Now is the time to dust off those New Year's Resolutions (unless you constantly have them in front of you) and reassess where you are in terms of your overall sense of purpose and mission, especially how it relates to your business. I believe each of us has a mission to accomplish in life, and we're not basically "done" until we fulfill that mission to the best of our … [Read more...]