Did you ever consider that the reason your website is failing is you? Consider training a puppy. The puppy has no idea what you want him to do. It is imperative that you guide and direct the puppy to meet your expectations. It make take several attempts and multiple coaching sessions in order to achieve the desired results. The same is true of your web designer.

Now hold on! I am not comparing you or your potential web designer to a puppy, I am only suggesting that communication and direction are essential and neither the puppy or the web designer are able to discern your desired results in advance.

Greg Bright has penned a new ebook on getting ranked on google and where websites fall short.

Most web designers fail because the business owner did not lead them properly. Business owners know their businesses best and need to guide their website designers in creating websites that rank well.

This book not only teaches business owners how to get high visibility on the search engines, it teaches them what to do once visitors land on their websites to convert those visitors into paying customers, phone calls, or walk-in traffic.

The best news? Natural search engine ranking is more effective than advertisements and, better yet, free. Book author Greg Bright uses an up-to-date, non-technical approach to motivate small business owners to get proactive in their internet marketing – written in layman’s terms. “Most books on Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing are written by techies for techies, in daunting technical jargon." Grow Your Business Online - Fall 2008.

So if you are ready to design your own website or have someone design one for you READ THIS BOOK!

Marketing is one of the single largest problems facing entrepreneurs today. Now that we know you can win an election based on strategic use of the internet we must only harness the power to gain clients and referrals to keep your business up and running, dare I say thriving.

Due to marketing the campaigners were able to raise tens of millions of dollars in today's economy without any guarantees or tangible return on investiment. So what is an entrepreneur to do?

A good place to find marketing help is MarketPower.com, a free Web site produced by the American Marketing Association. The site offers information on various topics including advertising, Internet marketing and research, strategy, public relations and items specific to small businesses. Here are some additional resources:

http://www.marketing-mentor.com/html/tips.html

http://www.mikes-marketing-tools.com/marketing-tips/

http://www.bizwaremagic.com/

Marketing is an important tool that because of the complex nature of the beast is often overlooked. It is best to invest the time into developing a marketing plan and utilizing free resources to expand your marketing footprint and drive traffic to your site.

November 4th is a day that will go down in history for many reasons. If you are skeptical about the power of the internet and wonder why you should even consider using the web as a business marketing or full scale networking tool...DON'T BE!

CNN had a host of reporters and personalities reporting on the election and since historic numbers of first time and under forty voters were reported the question was raised about how these demographics were penetrated and motivated to turn out as never before. In part the answer was the candidate's charisma the rest of the turn out was attributed to the internet.

You heard The Diva correctly...The Internet. The candidates both utilized the internet to contact and connect with over 3 million people from every demographic.

There were blogs and forums, internet chats, papers, articles, broadcasts and messages. By using the internet to effectively secure potential support these businessmen sealed their future.

In the days to come The Diva will be discussing in detail the opportunities to capitalize on the post election internet traffic to create buzz and generate traffic.

The Diva is always looking for an angle. By now I am probably preaching to the choir but when someone restates my thoughts more eloquently and with additional data it bears repeating.

Www.marketwatch.com is an excellent source of news and information all the time but all the more so as the economy continues to falter. As I trolled Marketwatch, I found this excellent piece on how articles and article placement are maintaining the spotlight.

"HOPKINS, Minn., Oct 30, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Turbulence in the global economy may be resulting in the perfect opportunity for marketers striving to control advertising costs while increasing efficiency in reaching potential customers.

"Virtually every advertiser I know has been tightening their belts, reevaluating spending and trying to drive costs out of their marketing programs," says Scott Severson, president of ARAnet, a marketing services provider based in Minneapolis.
Severson says that online advertising has continued its march to capture a greater share of marketing spending even during this period of historic economic uncertainty. He notes that several sources, including Forrester, Jupiter Communications Inc., Zenith Optimedia and

European Information Technology Observatory all predict continued, significant growth of online advertising in 2008 and beyond. And ARAnet's online advertising solution, Adfusion, has increased revenue tenfold over a year ago.

Adfusion is an online service that delivers brand and marketing messages via articles appearing on top Web sites, resulting in qualified consumers who click on clever headlines, read the articles, and then click their way onto Adfusion clients' Web landing pages.
"An economic downturn can actually turn into opportunity because companies are putting their spending under a microscope and figuring out where they can get the best return on investment," Severson says. "It's all about value," he points out. "We see our clients reducing spending on other types of advertising in favor of services where they can measure ROI and accurately track consumer behavior."

Many business analysts are advising that recessionary periods are actually times to punch up advertising to snare market share from competitors. An example is respected Harvard Business School Professor John A. Quelch, who noted in a recent blog: "This is not the time to cut advertising. It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times."

But, says Severson, a recession is also a time to be more efficient about advertising by reducing cost per lead and closely measuring results. "Advertisers on our network tell us they appreciate that they can measure the click-through they're getting and quantify the consumer conversions to the desired action -- and that's appealing during these tough economic times. Because they can prove results, they're buying more Adfusion and less of other alternatives," he says..."
 
There is more to the story and it is available on the Marketwatch site. Articles and article placement are an important and appealing area to consider. You can't draw negative traffic so by creating web content, even if you start out on your own, you are headed in the right direction.

If you Google the term Entrepreneur in the news section you will see many fascinating entries. The unique thread that pulls these stories together is that they all seem to be pointing, no eluding to the high points of being an entrepreneur.

It is a general assumption that very few people are paid what they are actually worth, the interesting twist that is coupled with solo professionals or entrepreneurs is they set their worth. That is not to say that they can charge more than the market will bear, however it does mean that if they create a niche and fill a need where there was once a vacancy they or their product become invaluable or actually priceless.

Many employees are faced with the possibilities of lay-offs or even complete unemployment, what employees have not been trained to do is consider what unique value they add to the company they work for.

Now is a great time to take stock and discover what your strengths are, what you like and dislike about your current employment, and most of all each and every way you add value. No matter how small of a value it might be, write it down. Once you have completed the list decide how these assets might help you fill a need wither at another company or working for yourself.

The economy is growing more uncertain and although money is tight for most people, they are still spending but they are reallocating how they spend. Watch the trends, look for the holes, and put on your thinking cap.

 

 

The Diva has found an opportunity that can not be missed if you will be or can be in Tempe, Arizona in mid- November. Rarely, is there a chance for such a low fee to hear from experts in so many fields talking about the growth of entrepreneurs. Treat yourself to and end of the year bonus that will affect your bottom line going forward. The following news is straight from Marketwatch.com but it is timely and important.

The Diva found this fabulous question on Google it was posted in the Los Angeles Times among other hot spots on the web.

Dear Karen: What is the fastest way to boost sales in this tough economy?

Answer: If you are working with a tight budget, one of the fastest ways to boost sales, awareness and credibility is to do guerrilla-style public relations and get some local media attention for your company.

"Develop a unique story angle relevant to your products or services that is specific to a targeted media venue. Then, contact a reporter directly and give your pitch. Also offer yourself as an expert for future stories," said Melanie Rembrandt, a small-business publicist at Rembrandt Communications in Redondo Beach.

To be successful, you'll need to read local publications and regional business media, keeping track of what kinds of stories they feature and which reporters cover which topics. You can also work with bigger organizations and businesses on joint events and promotions. "This way, you share resources, expenses and efforts."

Here are a few additional tips from The Diva:

The key to PR is consistency over time. Announce anything that is truly newsworthy. Examples are new clients, new executive hires, new contract wins, new partners or sponsors, new goods, services, or technology. It may also be an expanded product or service, some type of upgrade or even new feature.

Since PR is ongoing but not repetitive Placement is the key, use the media kits and editorial calendars of the publications that are in sync with your company, news or offering. Keep up on the media and trade publications that are relevant to your industry on a local and national level.

Contact the reporters or obtain a professional to do so with the following intent:

To compliment the reporter on the last piece they wrote that pertains to the reason for call

To provide valuable information to the reporter and its readers

To educate not advertise your expertise

Remember that persistence breaks down resistance, always has always will.  Make sure you ask if the reporter is on deadline and if so when they will be free. There is a fine line between persistent and pest-like.

If for some reason the reporter will not speak with you, follow Dale Carnegie's advice "Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours!"

The Star out of Canada had an interesting article today about signs an entrepreneur is in trouble. Here is an excerpt but as always The Diva will save her thoughts for the end.

"Sometimes there are clear signs a business is failing. University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management entrepreneurship professor Becky Reuber lists three different types of signals entrepreneurs should watch for.

Financial: Are you struggling to make payments like rent? Is it hard to buy inventory? Are you taking on more debt than you're comfortable with just to keep the business going? Is your banker worried when he reviews your statements?

Customers: Is there a decrease in repeat business? Is there an increase in customer complaints? Are their lawsuits from customers?

Employees: Is employee morale diminishing? Are key employees leaving? Are departments fighting with each other? This may be because "employees can often sense businesses that are going bad," Reuber said.

If an entrepreneur spots these signals, it's time to ask a tough question. Does it make sense to close down the business? The hard part is there isn't always a right or wrong answer."

While all of these signs are good indicators of the business as a whole it doesn't account for the portions that may be working. It is good to examine the parts of the enterprise that do work and see if they are still viable

Can the product or service be marketed alone on or off the web?

Can the producer or service be restructured or revamped to fit a niche market that is not being served?

Is there a way to lower costs and not diminish quality?

Is there a new product or service that can be added to infuse financial life into the existing business?

At the end of the day entrepreneurs need to make decisions that they can live with but it is best not to utilize long term solutions to rectify short term problems.

As The Diva scrolled through the electronic news this week an interesting piece came up on WWW.MSNBC.COM. I have lefted part of the piece that covers additional things that home based businesses can do to survive and flourish on minimal spending. There is full credit at the end of the piece and a few interesting links about additional opportunities and further reading. The Diva has covered some of the points in previous posts but Lesley is eloquent and insightful.

Bartering--This is also an excellent way to save on costs while obtaining a quality product or service. Think outside the box for creative ways you can swap services in exchange for what you need. If you need a web designer, could you exchange your product or service to reduce or eliminate the expense? Or could you offer to provide a link to their site on yours (which may appeal to them especially if you have a lot of traffic on your site)?

College Students--Another option to finding low-cost resources may be as close as your local college(s). There are many students eager for an opportunity to utilize their skills and possibly intern to build experience they can put on their resume.

Advertising--Buying ads can eat up much of your profits. But the internet provides many options for free advertising. Posting on forums, writing blogs and writing articles are excellent ways to draw attention to your company as well as bring traffic to your website, all at no cost.

Networking--Getting involved in local networking groups is an excellent way to sell yourself and your business.Meetups.comprovides a list of networking groups in your area. Many of the groups are free of charge to attend.

Printing--Costs also add up here, but taking advantage of free offers can help.Vistaprint.comfrequently sends out free offers once you place your first order. You can get free business cards, post cards, note cards, etc., as long as you pay the shipping fee.

Accountant fees--Hiring an accountant is a good idea, but there are steps you can take to reduce their fees at the end of the year. Using software such as QuickBooks can track your revenue and expenses throughout the year, and with just a few clicks, transfer that information to your accountant. Because this saves your accountant time, you may experience a lower bill.

There are many ways to go about saving money, but the biggest impact on your business's finances is made by creating a solid and reasonable budget--and sticking to it. Comparing actual accounts to budgeted amounts quarterly will help you stay on track. It will also help you plan accordingly for the following year when trying to identify areas in which you need to reduce expenses.

Lesley Spencer Pyle is the founder and president ofHomeBasedWorkingMoms.comandHireMyMom.com, and she is the author of The Work-at-Home Workbook: Your Step-by-Step Guide on Selecting and Starting the Perfect Home Business for You. Pyle has been working from home for more than 13 years.

There is a growing trend among seasoned and serial entrepreneurs to give back. Around the country there are incubator programs that aid new, stuck, financially challenged and just about every other type of entrepreneur. Some programs offer low or no cost mentoring and training, others offer work space and collaboration tools. Incubation programs are to entrepreneurs what financial aid and other services are to college students.

The Chamber of Commerce, Local entrepreneur organizations, Women in Business, and industry specific organizations generally have information about such programs and often can help you contact and even qualify for such offerings.

Philadelphia is no exception.  This upcoming event for designers is exactly the type of springboard that leads to opportunity.

Innovation Philadelphia to Host Creative Entrepreneur Expo ’08 at DesignPhiladelphia 2008

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Innovation Philadelphia will host Creative Entrepreneur Expo ’08 at the closing reception of DesignPhiladelphia 2008, the largest annual celebration of design in the U.S. Twenty-five of the region’s top entrepreneurs in the fields of industrial, web, graphic and interior design will showcase their talent and portfolios. The event will be held October 22, 2008 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for Architecture.

Creative Entrepreneur Expo ’08 is part of Innovation Philadelphia’s mission to grow the for-profit creative economy in the Philadelphia region by linking local talent to potential business opportunities in the area.

“We hand picked a small, diverse group of design entrepreneurs and are giving them the opportunity to show off their work,” said Kelly Lee, Executive Vice President of Innovation Philadelphia. “Too often, local entrepreneurs and freelancers are finding work outside of the region. Our goal is to connect creative talent to creative opportunities here in the Delaware Valley.”

The AIA Center for Architecture is located at 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Individuals interested in attending must pre-register at www.innovationphiladelphia.com.

“There is a growing, vibrant design community here,” Lee added. “We are going back to basics, helping these designers make personal contacts to grow their businesses.”

About Innovation Philadelphia

Innovation Philadelphia is committed to supporting technology-driven economic growth in the Philadelphia region through growing the region’s for-profit creative industries, attracting and retaining young professionals vital to economic growth, and fostering entrepreneurism and new ideas. For more information about Innovation Philadelphia and its initiatives, please visit www.innovationphiladelphia.com."

Do not let geography stop your growth or creativity. COntact organizations in your area or industry and discover the opportunities that await you.