Tumblr and Your Online Business

Make it Your SEO Pal!

Because of being indexed, Tumblr is a hot social sharing hub and as such, it can serve SEO proposes for bringing heavy traffic to your website.

The Micro-blogging Phenomenon

Tumblr is an ideal spot for microblogging, meaning that posts can be shared very quickly as well as easily within the confines of social communities.

Marketing Your Business with Shorter Posts

Tumblr gives you the opportunity to use small posts for promoting your business and sharing interesting details about it with the world. It’s in fact, an ideal platform for use if you prefer using short blog posts.

 Using Tumblr as Your Research Buddy!

Another great thing about Tumblr is the fact that it serves as an awesome tool of research, where finding great content is as simple as pie. After all, browsing through the blogs in your select category is not some rocket-science.

Ever thought about Content Curation?

Content curation is yet another benefit of Tumblr. By reposting on targeted pages, you can drive more traffic to your online business website.

It’s Free Man!

As compared to WordPress, Tumblr is 100% free, which makes it a popular choice for online businesses.

Tracking Progress on Tumblr

Your Tumblr account can be connected to Google Analytics for tracking your progress, which can play an important role in enhancing your blog, SEO as well as the visibility of your brand.

Building Strong Interactive Communities

Tumblr aims at encouraging interaction just as other social networking sites do. In fact, getting responses to your posts is quite easy with Tumblr.

Tumblr is the Tonic to Strengthen Your Business Network

No doubt, Tumblr is a great way of connecting with other businesses in your niche and strengthening your social network.

Cost-Saving Business Start-Up Practices

Home Office Set-up, Shared Office Space, or Rented office

 

For starting a business, it is not necessary to purchase an office space; other cost saving alternatives can be utilized. One option is to set-up a home office which is cost effective as well as saves time and travel expenses. Another big advantage is savings on tax.

 

If you are not comfortable with the idea of an office at home, find a shared office space. Such premises where multiple companies or businesses share the office space are available in almost all cities. Here you can also benefit from the advice, ideas, and experiences of fellow businessmen which will help in the initial stages of your business.

 

If you want to have an office of your own, broach upon the idea of a rented office space. These office spaces are usually found in busy business areas and have all necessary facilities. The rental terms are easy and you can move out any time you like.

 

Save Cost by Buying Used or Surplus Equipment and Supplies, or by Bartering

 

A lot of saving can be done by buying used or surplus equipment and office supplies. Barter method is also useful and saves cost by offering your products or services in return of the same from another business.

 

Use Low-cost Marketing Strategies in a Limited Budget

 

Plan your marketing and promotional strategy wisely without indulging in over expenditure. Work out your plan and then follow it, taking care that the targets are achieved as planned and the expenses remain within the budgetary limits. A change or amendment can be made when you feel that it will prove more effective than the original plan. During the course of your marketing strategy the main focus should be on the “Return on Investments”.

 

Avoid hiring Employees until you actually need them

 

In the early phase of your business do not hire any employees; instead try to involve family or friends to work on task or hourly basis.

 

Save your Personal Possessions  

 

If you are borrowing finances for business, it is necessary that you protect your personal possessions like home, car, other finances etc. This can be done by creating “Limited Liability Company or LLC”, which means that you are not personally responsible for any debt or legal judgment in case of a lawsuit against your company or business.

 

Develop Negotiating Skills

 

The skill to negotiate is extremely important and always helps whether you are dealing with a businessman or a customer. If properly utilized, it can immensely benefit your business.

 

 

 

 

The 6 Sizes of Wholesale Marketing!

Overall Market

Start your mission to set a marketing plan for your wholesale business by analyzing the market’s size you are entering. Think about the scope of the overall market. For example, if you do a business of wholesale cosmetic products, think if the market is the whole cosmetic industry, particularly cosmetic products?

The Interested Market

Within the scope of the entire market’s definition, think of the particular market segment that will be really interested in the product you are selling. This is a very important step, especially when you want to devise a marketing plan that has promising results.

Market Accessible By Distribution Channels

The next step involves analyzing the level of market you can reach through the chosen mode of distribution. If most of your customers make retail store purchases, how about reaching the market through direct mail? If the competitors are only depending on a sales force, analyze the size of the market that can be reached with the help of telemarketing.

Market Segment Purchasing Competitors’ Items

Once the direct competitors have been identified, the size of the market investing in the competitor’s products should be gauged. Do you think you’ll be able to gain more profits by making changes to your marketing plan based on this analysis? Think about it...

Market That Can be Served

Think about the limit of production that can be realistically served by your company. If your supply capacity is limited to a few hundred in an overall market of millions of customers, you’ll have to work on your marketing plan accordingly.

Market That Can Be Reached Through Advertising

Another aspect to consider is the size of the market that can be reached through advertising. Analyze the size of market that you can reach by gauging your marketing goals as well as budget.

Using MySpace to Market Your Business

Myspace is a popular network and its membership is continuously increasing. Many people are using it for the promotion of their businesses. When you become a member of Myspace and start using it, your interaction and network with other members will increase and it will greatly benefit your business. Whether it is an existing business or you are starting a new one, Myspace will help in propagating your business, products and services; and a large number of people will get informed.

Suppose your company sells cameras, other photographic equipment, and supplies; you can log on to your Myspace account and see that how many of its users have mentioned photography or travel as their interest or hobby. Now your next step should be to send requests on your Myspace page to add you as a friend. When they will visit your page and know about your business, they may become your potential customers. This is a useful way of increasing the number of clients for your business.  

You can use your Myspace page for promoting your business by posting bulletins to other users of MySpace to inform them about your business in general and some new offers, deals, or product promotions in particular. Whenever you leave a comment or message on a user’s page, always remember to include a link to your website so that those visiting that page can also get informed about your business.

The good thing about using Myspace for the promotion of your business is the fact that it is free and does not cost you a penny besides your time and effort. Myspace accounts are easy to use and are free with the advantage that other users can easily be contacted and made friends. Other useful features which are offered by Myspace are the use of blogs and bulletins. Writing blogs about the business and the introduction of new services or products is a great tool for advertising. The link of your page on the blog enables the visitors on the blog to read and know all about your business.

After reading about Myspace and the different features it offers for helping in the promotion of your business, it is evident that Myspace is one of the best and necessary tool for your business and you can greatly benefit by making full use of it.

How can blogs help your business?

For promoting your business a blog can prove to be an effective means. With the help of a blog you can make a connection in the community to endorse your business and the various products and services being offered. The feedback you receive will help in improving your services.

Some helpful uses of a blog for the promotion of business are listed below:

Product Tutorials

Write details and how to use instructions about your products and services in the form of a blog, post it on your website and maintain good search engine interchange. It will prove to be a great help for your clients in the community and will promote your business. On the down side, your competitors may steal your ideas.

Start a question-answer section

You can allot a section of the blog for answering questions on your blog. This will allow more web traffic and your clients will get what they asked for. In due time you will have a compiled resource base about your products and services, which will be available for queries by customers in future.

Information about new product or service

The blog can be used to introduce a new product or service of your business and details about it. Your existing customers may get interested and some new clients may find the new addition useful for them.

Post stories about your good customers

Include stories of your loyal and good customers, who have been with you for a long time, on your blog. Write a little about them, their businesses, and their views about your business. It will create a personal link with your customers and they will feel that you care about them.

Include reviews and customer feedback

If a satisfied customer sends a good review, post it on your blog so that others can share it and post more reviews. Similarly the feedback you receive from your customers may identify a problem or a suggestion for improvement which can also be shared. You can post ways to correct the problem to benefit other customers.

Extend your network

Contact other bloggers and exchange information about your products and services. They can write about your products and business on their blogs and you can reciprocate on your blog; this mutual arrangement will benefit both the parties.

Offer discount coupons and contests for free giveaways

The interaction with the customers can be increased by offering discount coupons, polls for winning prizes, or some contests for free gifts, etc. Make this an occasional practice because if you continue it on a regular basis, the customers will lose interest.

Benefits of a Garage Sale

When it comes to selling old stuff, overstocks and surplus goods, a lot of people get confused if they should go for a yard sale or a garage sale. Although the two types of sales are almost the same, garage sales are more popular because of a number of reasons:

No Effects on the Look of Your House

If you are ready to hold your sale in the garage, it is barely visible by the neighbors and passersby. There can be a big number of cars and people around your place, but no one will spot tables or old furniture spread out in the driveway or on the front lawn, which actually protects the appearance of your house from the outside while avoiding complaints from neighbors. By checking on community laws as well as HOA regulations, if needed, you can always make sure that the look of the house isn’t compromised.

The Perfect Spot

The garage is an ideal spot for holding sales as you will not have to brood about weather conditions or unexpected problems as long as the sale is in the garage. Shoppers have the freedom of coming in as well as browsing without thinking about rains, storms or bad weather. In fact, your garage is an ideal spot for escaping from the heat during warmer months. Another advantage is that you will not have to tape, tie or do extra work on your sale stuff in case of rainy or windy weather. Besides, there won’t be any need of gathering all the stuff and moving it indoors as soon as the sale ends.

Neatness Matters More!

Unnecessary clutter in your garage sale can have a negative impact on your potential to make sales. Therefore, it is important that you have a neat and clean garage to display your merchandise in a presentable manner. Removing your cars for space, cleaning the floor, organizing the garden tools and making room for your merchandise are a few of the many simple steps that you should be taking.

No Need to Fear Crowds

Enclosed garage sales are easy to handle. A popular sale that catches the attention of almost everyone can result in crowd control problems. To make things easier at your end, you may consider limiting admittance to the garage for limiting the individuals. When people start leaving, others waiting outside will certainly be willing to come in. For the purpose of maintaining order, numbered tickets should be given to people who are coming in to buy your merchandise.

Reasons You Should Be Having a Business Plan!

Business plan helps in getting capital funds


The business plan is necessary when you are trying to obtain funds from investors or banks because it will provide them answers for all the queries or concerns they have about your existing or planned business. A well thought out business plan contains all information about the legal, financial, and organizational matters. It also conveys your knowledge about the marketing and matters relating to human resources.


Getting advice becomes easier

When you consult business professionals and seek their advice, the presence of a business plan helps in getting free advice. You will also get free advice for how to launch the business and suggestions for how to improve it. Some organizations may assign an executive specifically for your business.

Potential problems can be identified

When you are in the process of creating the business plan, you have to take into account various considerations and to make estimates of funds required for different stages of the business. These things need thorough research and knowledge about material costs, official licenses or permits, initial budget estimation, labor costs, zoning, leases and real estate matters, etc. You may commit mistakes in your estimates but a good business plan allows you to correct or amend according to the situation. Another important aspect of running a business is managing cash flow; a complete business plan includes budgetary allocations for this concern.

Takes care of the legal problems

There are various legal as well as financial matters which arise from time to time while operating a business. The list of such matters includes timely payment of taxes according to the requisite procedures and by filling the specific forms; the obtaining of the necessary licenses and/or permits issued by the authorities at local, provincial, or country level. Some other rules and regulations governed by Internal Revenue or Business Federations also need to be followed. Your business plan will tackle all these issues and will provide protection from penalties, surcharges, fines, etc.

Offers ways to close a non-sustainable business

The basic purpose of a good business plan is to suggest tactics and measures which pave the way for success of your business, but at the same time it has the provisions for closing down a business venture if the business is failing or not doing well. This precautionary step prevents the loss of money on something which is not fruitful.