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Building a Blog can be a daunting task that truly must be kept current with useful information in order for it to be successful and draw readership.  This is something that I have fallen down on,  keeping my Blog more current.  I came across these articles below that have really helped me to turn my attention back to the basics of building a Blog.

Anyway, I was reading through my email, other blogs and forums as I do as part of my daily routine and I came across this article from Inc., posted by Peter Vanden Bos on April 29, 2010: How to Build a Loyal Blog Following.  This thoughtful post, has really helped me to realize how I have not committed myself to this Blog.  It really has been a matter of time and lack of focus, but I do realize the importance of posting frequently with useful information.

This Blog post by Beth Hrusch, 10 Tips for Launching your Business Blog has a “to the point” list of considerations and things to do in developing, maintaining and promoting a Blog.  Beth identifies several platforms one can use such as WordPress, Blogger, TypePad and others.  I would like to add one more to that list Quick Blogcast™ which also includes the ability to Videocast or Podcast.

Anyway, I hope you find these links useful,  you should check them all out as I believe  it will enlightened you!

I came across this nice video and article about “Giving Your Business A Dose of Passion” by Abby Johnson:

She discusses, Accountability, Sharpening Skills and Becoming an Expert as ways to revive the passion for your business.  I would agree and add a couple of things to provide yourself some additional power:

1. Accountability - Ask yourself: Are you promoting your business daily?  If not, you should by attending business/community events such as your local Chamber events where you can network.  You should Blog, use Twitter and other Social Media tools to promote your products, services and just simply yourself as an Expert.
2. Sharpen Your Skills - Ask yourself:  Are you educating yourself daily?  If not, you should be following your industry journals, checking on your competitors to see what they are up to or taking an online course or two.  CPA’s, Teachers and many professionals are required to take Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) in order to stay informed about current trends and to remain certified.  If you want to stay ahead of the game, you should be educating yourself daily!
3. Become An Expert - Part of educating yourself will lead you to this point of Becoming An Expert, but I would add, you need your current and future customers or clients to know that you have become an expert in your field.  Use Enewsletters, Blogs, Twitter, Social Media and Articles to write about subjects in your industry.  Not to brag about how great your are as an individual, but to provide useful information about your industry or areas of your business.  In your postings, provide links back to your Website or other articles you have made which will not only help in creating additional traffic for you,  but to really promote your business.  You want to become an Authority Figure in your industry which creates respect and return business or following.

Abby’s article got me thinking again and helped to provide some juice to recover from a slow Holiday season for me, so I would recommend viewing her video and reading the article.

Are you using Google Voice for your business?  If not, you should be!  I use it to create a second number that clients can use from an area that would otherwise be a Toll call for them.  The nice part is, it is totally FREE!  One of the many nice features of the service is that the Google Number will forward and ring on multiple devices like your cellphone, business number and home number all at the same time if you want.  You can also send SMS/Text messages from your PC to any number that will accept them.  The features are numerous, check it out and watch this video about the services from WebProNews with Abby Johnson:

If you are believing all the Media or are taking all the negative in about how bad things are in the economy, you are doing yourself an injustice.  Many a business has gone through the cyclical flow of our economy without a hitch.  While it is true that some have failed, many have survived to become more efficient and solid.  Some businesses have been started in an economic downturn with some being a great success!  Why can’t this be you, the successful story?  Well it can!  We don’t know the whole story of the financials of failing companies and I imagine if you did, the reasons would be clear.  I spent over 25 years in the corporate world in Accounting and watched companies come and go.  Businesses and the population as a whole were more than worried during the 1980’s when double digit inflation was taxing our world.  Look at what came out of that later, the DOW at 14,000 points!  Did it burst, yes, as we all know and have experienced! Will it recover again, heck yes!

Any way, watch this video I found at Small Business News on “Marketing Opportunities In A Down Economy”:

Then check out the blog post at Small Business Newz for further information. It is a great video and article!

One thing that I have noticed in our local community where I live is that some business owners seem to be just treating their business like a job and not the freedom from one!

I look at the storefronts and I really wonder sometimes whether they care about their business.  It does not appear that way with chipping paint and in some cases structure.  You would think that, with that as the first thing a customer sees, that they would care about how it looks?  Would you select a box of cereal that was damaged or  purchase something that was old and dusty, probably not!  I would select something else, wouldn’t you?  Look at the packaging inside and out for your business, be honest with yourself and ask the question:  Would I shop here if I had another choice?

I worked in retail for many years, whether as a clerk or in management and I worked both Saturday and Sunday.  Through the Holidays, my store was open expanded hours and I worked even more hours.  Well, you drive through our town on the Weekend, and many businesses are closed or have very limited hours on Saturday and most are closed on Sunday!  Surprise, surprise that people shop at our local Walmart or go to a neighboring town to shop where the stores are open! Most these businesses will use some form of local marketing to promote their businesses whether it be the newspaper or the local radio. Too bad that many of them close at 5:00pm during the week and are closed or have limited hours on the weekend.  Hmmmm, I guess consumers don’t work a regular job and they just want the retirees on fixed incomes to shop in their stores.  I doubt that any business here has ever done a “Busy Hour” study to determine their scheduling.  Maybe, just maybe, being closed Monday and Tuesday would be better than Saturday and Sunday.  Just maybe, being open 11:00am to 7:00pm might be better business week hours.  During the Holidays, if you are not open evenings and weekends, you should just close your business now.

Only a few of our local business owners take advantage of the variety of the local chamber functions we have where they have the opportunity to meet people and promote their businesses.  Instead, when they do show up, it is more about visiting with who they have not seen in awhile and not creating business.

Oh they do their share of blaming the folks that live here for not shopping local, but when you look at the packaging, the lack of open hours, and in some cases the crazy pricing, do you really blame them?  Do you just expect people to shop locally just because they should be loyal?  Customers have the freedom to make choices, and if you are a business owner, I would be concerned about how you can steer that choice to your business.  I believe the business owner needs to provide the first push to customer loyalty, not the other way around.

It not only takes the business owners doing right by the customer, but the customers to let the businesses know what they really want.  It takes the business owner believing in their business, caring about their business, caring about their customers to be successful, especially when consumer spending is at a 65 year low!

This post may not win me any friends and I may lose a few, but the bottom line is, if nobody speaks up about what they expect or see, nothing will ever change.  Change is hard, but with one voice, it can begin!

The first step before you even begin your business is to develop a Business Plan.  Without a plan, you plan to fail!  If you are starting a business in a rural community, like Yreka in Northern California, you need to seek out assistance from the many development avenues availble to you such as Chamber of Commerce’s and Economic Development organizations.  You can also purchase one of many books on the subject, but always, seek professional advice if you don’t have the background yourself.

Included in your Business Plan, will be things like your Mission Statement (What are you going to do), business targets and projected financial information.  It forces you to think about everything that could or could not happen.  You will need the plan if you expect to apply for any loans.

Basically, this is a whole course in and of itself, and this blog is not the avenue to provide all the information you require, but just to get you thinking about it.  A great organization to assist you in Siskiyou County is the Jefferson Economic Development Institue JEDI.