Tag Archives: Business Tips

Google+ Local Listing

Posted on by March 7, 2013
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How to ignite your Google+ listing the simple way

Google+ has so far not been taken overly serious by businesses looking to promote their products and services. This is quickly changing! Google+ has positioned itself nicely to challenge Facebook as a primary social network for business. Websites using the +1 Button increase page traffic by 350%, and over 925,000 people join Google+ every day! Put together all of the functionality of your Google account, and massive search engine benefits, you’ve got something we can get serious about.

Seven Tips for Utilizing Your Google+ Page

Here are seven techniques for getting your Google+ page to help your small business.

  1. Your Google+ profile – Complete it. Do this with some thought. Be sure you use compelling photos and images, and link out to your other social media profiles.
  2. List your key information – Particularly hours of operation, contact details, as well as maps and directions.
  3. Link to your sites – be sure you link to your main business blog or site. This is a must!
  4. Create a business page – Showcase your small business where it counts. This has direct benefits for search engine results as well as for people who find you on Google+.
  5. Link out to your content –This will have a number of benefits, first of all getting them indexed nearly instantly, along with a several other search engine advantages. You can also use your Google+ page to create posts, including multimedia that can link out to your posts elsewhere.
  6. Utilize Direct Connect – Utilize this feature in Google+ to allow visitors to add you to circles when they find you in search. Think of this as a Facebook “Like”.
  7. Use video chat in Google+ Hangouts – This tool is incredibly useful. Any time you conduct a video chat, Google+ streams it, records it, and sends you the recording via email. Then you’re able to upload to YouTube, thus creating more useful content. One terrific method to use these is to make impromptu product demos.

This barely scratches the surface of what’s possible with Google+. To discover even more strategies along with a cool infographic on the subject see this post on CopyBlogger.

 

Mobile Marketing For Business

Posted on by March 5, 2013
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5 Big Business Marketing Tips that Won’t Bust a Small Business Budget

Mobile marking can be a goldmine!

But you wouldn’t know it looking at the marketing activities of many local businesses…

While it’s true that the mobile revolution is here, local business owners are still struggling to catch up with changing consumer behavior. In a Web.com survey of 500 small-business owners, only 26 percent of respondents said they’ve invested time and money in making sure their site was optimized for mobile devices. What does this mean to you? It means you’ve got a great chance to get noticed as a leader among local businesses—and poach competitors’ customers in the process!

More than half of all searches are being done on a mobile device and you being a small business owner can take advantage of that. Even a small business on a tight budget can use these five ways to market to mobile users.

  1. Optimize the website for Mobile Users – Google did a survey and found that 61 percent of consumers will leave a website if it is not properly optimized for mobile users. Without a mobile optimized site, everything else falls by the wayside. The site needs to be mobile friendly and available on all platforms.
  2. Look into Mobile Ads – Mobile ads are cheap and effective. This might sound surprising but at the moment lots of the inventory goes unsold every month and this keeps the prices down. This makes it a prime time to jump in and explore the concept of mobile advertising.
  3. SMS and Push Notifications – SMS messages have a number of advantages. First and foremost; they get opened. A lot. According to Frost and Sullivan, SMS messages offer an astounding 95 percent open rate! Push notifications are a terrific way to connect with your subscriber base.
  4. Combining Mobile and Your Social Media – Nothing says social media like real-time connections with your customer base. This is the latest trend and even the smallest of companies can get in on the trend by combining their social media site with a mobile devices. Combine specials, events, coupons or just link a YouTube video to create buzz. Then Tweets and traffic will soon start coming your way. Next thing you know your site’s search engine ranking will begin climbing and so will your Google . However, the best part is, you will be connecting with your client base in a real-time way and they will provide you with valuable feedback.
  5. Location Based Marketing and Passbook – Your small business has to be found on the web. Up to now, it meant Foursquare and Yelp. Although this still applies, you also have to begin looking into new technology like Passbook as well. Passbook is a great new app that enables its user to save all kinds of things like boarding passes, gift cards, coupons, store cards, coupons and all sorts of mobile payments.

Using mobile marketing in local business doesn’t have to be either complicated or expensive. The secret is to collect knowledge first, and add pieces as you go.

Five Essential Steps for Small Business Marketing

Posted on by February 28, 2013
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5 Essentials of Small Business Marketing to Keep You Ahead of the Competition

Small business marketing isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’ve been in marketing for more than two seconds, you already know that. Marketing your business is dependent upon doing some key factors well and these things will make or break a small business in this dog eat dog world we live in. Competition is fierce and understanding how to get the most from your web pages is tricky.

Here are five crucial steps to get ahead of the game!

  1. Create a Marketing Plan – Don’t leave anything to chance. Create a well-thought out, to the point plan that maps out each of your marketing elements and what you need to do to accomplish it. Make it as detailed as possible. At the very least fill in the broad strokes.
  2. Social Media Marketing – 91 percent of experiences social marketers generate improved website traffic and 79 percent generate more quality leads according to MediaBistro.com. Just how do they do this? They do not waste time with their social media marketing. Map out a strategy for social media and stick to it.
  3. Build a Mailing List – Countless businesses make the mistake of not collecting client and prospect emails from the start. Email is far from dead. MarketingProfs.com tells us that email averages a return on investment of $40 for every $1 spent, far outstripping banner ads ($2) and keyword ads ($17). If you decide to neglect it, you’re leaving a big part of your potential profits up for grabs!
  4. Video Marketing – Connect with all the local traffic that’s out there trying to find your business. Video marketing in this space is a relatively untapped vein, and having a quick video advertising your wares on page one of Google can result in tons of traffic and authority coming to your web site! According to the research company Forrester, any given video stands about a 50x better chance of appearing on the first page of Google than any given text page.
  5. Have a Mobile Presence – Be sure your website is optimized for mobile, as more than half of all searches now are emanating from some sort of mobile device. Microsoft reports that mobile browsing is projected to overtake desktop browsing by 2014. Having your pages mobile optimized can help improve your reach, and also corral impulse buyers.

Don’t Make the Mistake of Going It Alone!

None of us can do it all, especially when it comes to the constantly changing world of online marketing. Find out what’s working now, learn from the best you can afford, and hire the best outsourcing you can find. It’ll pay off handsomely in the long run!

 

Show Your Company A Little LOVE This Month

Posted on by February 4, 2013
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As this month is Valentine’s day, a holiday dedicated to showing the ones you care about how much you love them, why not show a little to your company?

It’s been more than a month since the holidays ended, and now that we are in the second month of the new year, and some of us may be starting to lag behind on the resolutions we made at the beginning of January. Don’t let yourself get caught in the lull of winter, stay engaged and continue working on your goals and resolutions you made for yourself.

Why not take this holiday to show a little love for yourself, and for your business?? Take this time to keep your Minutes current so that you don’t have to catch up later in the year. You’ll save lots of time that you can spend with the most important people in your life, your family and friends. It will also save you stress, so you can have peace of mind all year knowing you are caught up.

Need Minutes service? Get it HERE, and let us take care of them for you! Then you can spend even more time with the ones you love the most, knowing that your business is taken care of and on top of things, and always protected.

 

 

 

 

Gratitude to a Successful Year

Posted on by December 18, 2012
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The Power of Gratitude…

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” –Sarah Ban Breathnach, inspirational author

 

 

 

This is the best time of the year, and the most hectic time of year for most small business owners. It is easy to fall into the anxiety and rush of the season.

But when you pause to reflect on what you are thankful for, it can put you in a positive mood; Last month we talked about gratitude journaling, and the great way it brought meaning to the season of Thanksgiving. We have continued this feeling of gratitude through to this month, focusing on what we have accomplished this year with our business. And isn’t that the greatest way to end the year? Take a look at how far YOU have come this year, and use this to remind yourself to be grateful and positive.

One tradition we have at our business, is to take time to list all of the major (and some of the minor) accomplishments for the entire year. We write them all down and schedule an entire morning to review them with everyone in our office. It becomes an energetic time to share and reminisce about the year! And if I left anything off of the lengthy list, someone is sure to let me know. We love to celebrate how far we have come and reward those who have done an outstanding job.

This “meeting” gets us in the frame of gratitude for all who have helped to move the business forward, and becomes a time of recognition (which everyone loves).

We also take time to recognize the feedback we receive from our clients and how those suggestions have made us a better company.

It is amazing to see this “Year in Review” and spend the time to show our employees our appreciation.

Here’s a few questions to ask yourself that will put you in that grateful perspective, and get you ready to think about your direction for 2012:

1) Who has made a difference in your life this year? What did they do? Have you thanked them for it? (It’s not too late to send a card of thanks!)

2) What has created the biggest impact on your business this year? Was it an event, an employee, a new marketing strategy? Who has helped you to implement and create positive change in your business?

3) What are some of your unique talents and gifts? What are some talents of your employees? What outstanding trait could you recognize for each employee?

4) Name five new things you learned this year related to the business. Is something working well…not working…does something need to change? Write them down and use this as a starting point for the new year.

We Love doing this! It leads us into a new year with a feeling of great accomplishment and gratitude, as well as preparing us for a great year ahead! What are your biggest accomplishments that you are grateful for this year?

 

 

Making the Most of JAM, Part Two

Posted on by October 3, 2012
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Remember when we gave you some great ways to get the most from you Just A Minute account here? Want more ways to make sure you are making the most of your account with us, making sure you are completely covered when it comes to your minutes? Here are some more tips from us, your minute experts, to make sure you get the best service possible!

Completing Monthly Minutes

Use the “Reminder Sheet” you’ve filled out during the previous month to help you remember all of your business activities.

Gather any receipts & documents from the previous month for details.

Set aside 15 minutes of time to complete the Monthly Questionnaire.

After you’ve submitted your minutes to JAM, keep your eyes peeled for emails regarding your minutes. It will probably have to do with:

  • clarifications on the information sent to us, or
  • Your completed Minutes!

Keep In Touch With JAM

We love communicating with our clients!

Emails

    • Add us to your “safe Senders List” so that you can be sure to receive all of our important emails regarding Contests, Updates, or Questions for clients

Facebook

    • We’re on Facebook and we would love to be your friend. Look for us as Just A Minute, LLC.
    • Read about: Business Tips, Tools for keeping your minutes up to date, and bits of advice from our JAM Team!
    • Comment! WE would love to know what you think, and we would love to answer any of your questions!

Blog!  Here, we share:

      • Our weekly inspirations (straight from our weekly JAM sessions)
      • Tips, for you business, and for your Minutes
      • Online Tools from Linda, our computer whiz
      • What is JAM reading? Our latest paperback obsessions
      • All our favorite JAM minute recipes! Everything with jam or else just takes a couple minutes to make!

Now you know how to make sure you are covered when it comes to your minutes, and keeping yourself protected! and make sure to utilize us to get the best bang for your buck, that’s why we are here after all!!

 

Tax Free Back to School Days in August

Posted on by July 26, 2012
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Mark your calendars, it’s that time again! Select States’ Local governments are offering TAX FREE shopping days in August to help out with back to school shoppers. Eligible items include school supplies and some include computers and computer software. We talked about it last year, and here is an updated list of dates for your state for this year.

Check the list below to see if your state qualifies.

Sorry, Arizona, we are not on the list!

Alabama
Eligible Items: Clothing (up to $100), computers (up to $750), school supplies (up to $50), books (up to $30).
Dates: August 3-5

Arkansas
Eligible Items: Clothing (up to $100 per item), accessories (up to $50 per item), items normally sold as school supplies.
Dates: August 4-5

Connecticut
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $300).
Dates: August 19-25

Florida
Eligible Items: Clothing (up to $75 per item), accessories (up to $75 per item), footwear (up to $75 per item), school supplies (up to $15 per item).
Dates: August 3-5

Georgia
Eligible Items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item), computer (up to $1,000), school supplies (up to $20).
Dates: August 10-11

Iowa
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item).
Dates: August 3-4

Louisiana
Eligible Items: Items not used for business purposes (up to $2,500 per item).
Dates: August 3-4

Maryland
Eligible Items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item).
Dates: August 12-18

Mississippi
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item).
Dates: July 27-28

Missouri (check your city, only some cities participate)
Eligible items: Clothing (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $50 per item), computer software (up to $350 per item), computers (up to $3,500 per item).
Dates: August 3-5

New Mexico
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $15 per item), computers (up to $1,000 per item), computer equipment (up to $500 per item).
Dates: August 5-7

North Carolina
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $100 per item), sports and recreation equipment (up to $50 per item), computers (up to $3,500 per item), computer equipment (up to $250 per item).
Dates: August 3-5

Oklahoma
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item).
Dates: August 3-5

South Carolina
Eligible items: Clothing, school supplies, computers (no limit).
Dates: August 3-5

Tennessee
Eligible items: Clothing (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $100 per item), computers (up to $1,500).
Dates: August 3-5

Texas
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $100 per item).
Dates: August 17-19

Virginia
Eligible items: Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item), school supplies (up to $20 per item).
Dates: August 3-5

For more informattion visit: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html

Are Small Businesses Being Targeted?

Posted on by May 3, 2011
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I was reading the Kansas City News Blog this morning and I came across an interesting post.

It’s title is “New IRS Agents Hired by Obama Auditing Small Businesses”

They say, “This is becoming an epidemic as over 3,000 local Kansas City small businesses
reported that they are currently being audited.  The audits mysteriously started in
October of 2010, and seem to be continuing with no end in site.  Businesses that are
being targeted are small “mom and pop” stores and small companies.”

Read the full article. It’s very interesting.

Don’t want to pay the IRS extra money?

What can you do to protect yourself from having your business deductions disallowed?

It’s the same thing that will protect you from having everything taken away in a lawsuit…..

You need to make sure your company minute book up to date with the latest minutes and resolutions.

It doesn’t have to be hard. Just have us do it for you.  That leaves you to do what you do best…..and that is running your company.

We have over 30 years experience in keeping your minutes legal.

Check us out at  Just A Minute LLC.com

Top 5 Reasons Company Minutes are Important for Small Business Owners

Posted on by September 29, 2010
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  1. Find More Deductions! – When you follow our memory-jogging questionnaire, you may just find some more deductions you didn’t think about. Be sure to share these with your CPA for maximum savings!
  2. Save Your Sanity By Keeping Current! – It is so much harder to catchup than to keep up! When you use our simple online system each month, you actually save yourself time and energy, no need to search back through old documents and bank statements to find what needs to be documented. It will all be fresh in your mind! That’s why we created this system: to Save Small Business Owners Time and Money, while still getting the paperwork done right!
  3. To Protect Your Business and Personal Assets in Case of Lawsuit! – the first things and opposing attorney will ask for is business records. If you don’t have any, or you don’t have the correct documents done, forget about saving your personal assets too from scrutiny and the prosecutor. It’s too late!
  4. Save Your Deductions from an IRS Audit! – One of the great things about documenting all business decisions and expenses is that you have PROOF. Proof not only that your expenses were really expenses, but that your business is actually running as a business and not just a hobby.
  5. Save YOU Time! – This may be similar to #2 , but saving time is so important to a small business owner (it is to me!) that it bears mentioning in its own spot. All you have to do each month is take a few minutes to do your reporting, that’s all you have to do.. and we do the rest! You don’t have to worry about when to hold your Annual Meeting (we do that for you), you don’t have to worry about which form, out of the 600+ to choose or how to correctly word your business actions… We do that for you, too!

To find out more about Minutes for your company Click Here.

Comment below and tell us how important minutes have been to your company? Have they saved your personal or business assets? Have you found more deductions?

News Flash

Posted on by September 17, 2010
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Just A Minute, LLC is featured in the Arizona Republic!

Linda, co-owner of JAM was asked to read and review, Conquer the Chaos, a book about overcoming the struggles of developing a business from the ground up, written by the founders of Infusionsoft.

Infusionsoft is an email marketing 2.0 and CRM Company created for entrepreneurs.       We’ve been using the program for over a year and love it!

Just A Minute, LLC takes part in “extra-curriculars” provided by their company (mastermind calls, success courses, and conferences).

We were so pleased when we were asked to be a part of their AZ Republic interview.  Check out Linda’s wise words here!

Let us know what you think about the book.  Leave your comments below.