7 Reasons to Hire A Marketing Consultant for a Small Business

By: Kayla McDonald 

Hiring a marketing consultant is a good choice whether your organization needs support with social media, website design, or advertising. To help companies in creating a solid foundation for business growth,  Marketing professionals combine their business skills, such as strategic thinking and problem-solving, with technical expertise. They can help you develop a marketing strategy to reach ideal customers.

What Is a Marketing Consultant?

Depending on their skill set (such as Event marketing or Web design) and industry  (such as consumer products or B2B services)  a marketing consultant may concentrate on a specific niche. Regardless of their area of expertise, these experts should be able to improve your marketing efforts! However the process of finding a suitable fit for your organization can be daunting, so here's a list 7 qualities to look for when hiring your next Marketing Consultant.

1. Accountability Partner - Entrepreneurship can get lonely. A whopping 86.4% of non-employer businesses are sole proprietorships. Hiring a marketing consultant is beneficial because they can serve as an accountability partner, ensuring that projects are completed and goals are reached.

1.  Personalized Coaching Experience - There's no one size fits all solution when it comes to marketing. A good marketing consultant honors each client's unique journey, giving you the opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills you already have.
   
   

1.  Develop a Clear Understanding of How the Internet Works - This allows you to stop throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks! Furthermore, a marketing consultant can help you to gain a clear understanding of how the internet works and how it can be leveraged to your advantage.
    

1. Gain a New member of your professional network - Having a marketing consultant who is knowledgeable and experienced in their field can give you peace of mind when it comes to applying strategies with proven results!

2. Uncover Your Blind Spots - It sounds obvious, but you can’t fix what you can’t see. You likely don’t realize what's holding you back. A marketing consultant can help you identify those problem areas that are unknown to you.

1.  Clarity - Many of us are dealing with "information overload" which means you’ve heard so many ideas, that you don't know where to start or what to choose. Marketing consultants help businesses evaluate their current situation and set clear plans of action.

1.  Flexible Scheduling - Since everyone is not full-time self-employed most Marketing agencies offer evening and weekend hours for clients to work around their work schedule. In addition, you can work remotely as marketing sessions are conducted through phone or video conference. 

In conclusion, small business owners can find the support and guidance they need in working with marketing consultants. These professionals can offer a fresh perspective on your brand and customer’s experience that may have been overlooked. Compact Digital Marketing has experts who are sensitive to your unique business needs. We want to teach you how the internet works, as well as provide you with key insights into current trends and technologies for business grow! Contact us today.

Startup companies

How To Find Profitable Products For Affiliate Marketing

In this day and age, any business that wants to thrive must go online.

With so many things going on around the world, and global changes that will forever impact the way people live and do business, going online is no longer just an option.

Not only to maintain their success, but even just to survive.

Sure, there are tools that are already available that any business can use to run their entire company and processes digitally.

However, any minimum amount of research will tell you that most of these products are expensive, complicated and limited in customization.

In other words, not very user-friendly, and definitely not suitable for all business owners, especially those who are less tech-savvy and might even be on a budget.

I mean, who can afford to invest thousands of dollars a month into a bunch of complicated tools, and on top of that, hire employees to manage the systems, right?

Well, if this sounds familiar in any way, I have some good news for you.

As an online marketer and blogger myself, I am always looking for new solutions for these everyday challenges we face as business owners.

Today, I am very excited to introduce you to my latest discovery.

Groove is, by far, the best way I have found to be able to build websites, sales funnels and sell digital products online.

The best part? It’s FREE.

But the free value does not end there…

You see, Groove is not just a website and sales funnel builder.

The co-founder of Groove, Mike Filsaime, is actually a veteran in the Internet marketing space, and has put all his experience and expertise into one of the best suite of marketing tools I have ever seen.

I’ve also signed myself up for an account (it’s free), and for the past few days, I’ve had the chance to play around with it.

And you know what?

I can definitely tell you that this 100% free tool is perfectly capable of running your entire business, maybe even better than some of the expensive complicated tools out there.

I’m not exaggerating by any means…

From what I’ve seen so far, Groove includes everything that I need to run my online business, all for absolutely free.

Here’s just a quick list of what I’ve gathered so far:

FREE sales, page and funnel building platform

Ability to create full product funnels

Possible to build my own branded websites with full navigation

Can integrate with my own custom domain name

Able to sell my products with what they call a 1-click upsell

Capability to integrate upsells, downsells, and order bumps

Even has a way to create my own powerful affiliate program for my products!

And that’s just for starters, because there is so much more for me to explore!

I’m not even joking when I say that I am planning to change my ENTIRE online business over to Groove!

I mean, why wouldn’t I?

It’s FREE, and it’s probably the BEST suite of marketing tools I have ever seen in my life.

By the way, there’s more…

I didn’t even mention some of my favorite benefits of Groove.

As a member, I’ve also received a TON of community benefits.

I’ve been able to join their private Facebook group, connect with marketing experts inside, get help with all my problems, access private training within their own academy, ask questions through their helpdesk, and meet other like-minded entrepreneurs just like me to make the best use of these tools.

So, if you’re like me… Striving to grow your business, looking to learn more about marketing and getting to know some of the best in the industry at a more personal level, then you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Awesome deal, right?

It’s called being at the right place, at the right time.

And that’s where we’re at right now :)

Don’t wait any longer, because I’m honestly not sure when this free offer is going to go away.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for your free Groove account right now, and I will see you inside of the Facebook group.

https://groovepages.groovesell.com/a/0AHTxGHKLPtD

Gary Swanson

Sea Swami LLC

Sea Swami Says

website builder

How To Find Profitable Products For Affiliate Marketing

In this day and age, any business that wants to thrive must go online.

With so many things going on around the world, and global changes that will forever impact the way people live and do business, going online is no longer just an option.

Not only to maintain their success, but even just to survive.

Sure, there are tools that are already available that any business can use to run their entire company and processes digitally.

However, any minimum amount of research will tell you that most of these products are expensive, complicated and limited in customization.

In other words, not very user-friendly, and definitely not suitable for all business owners, especially those who are less tech-savvy and might even be on a budget.

I mean, who can afford to invest thousands of dollars a month into a bunch of complicated tools, and on top of that, hire employees to manage the systems, right?

Well, if this sounds familiar in any way, I have some good news for you.

As an online marketer and blogger myself, I am always looking for new solutions for these everyday challenges we face as business owners.

Today, I am very excited to introduce you to my latest discovery.

Groove is, by far, the best way I have found to be able to build websites, sales funnels and sell digital products online.

The best part? It’s FREE.

But the free value does not end there…

You see, Groove is not just a website and sales funnel builder.

The co-founder of Groove, Mike Filsaime, is actually a veteran in the Internet marketing space, and has put all his experience and expertise into one of the best suite of marketing tools I have ever seen.

I’ve also signed myself up for an account (it’s free), and for the past few days, I’ve had the chance to play around with it.

And you know what?

I can definitely tell you that this 100% free tool is perfectly capable of running your entire business, maybe even better than some of the expensive complicated tools out there.

I’m not exaggerating by any means…

From what I’ve seen so far, Groove includes everything that I need to run my online business, all for absolutely free.

Here’s just a quick list of what I’ve gathered so far:

FREE sales, page and funnel building platform

Ability to create full product funnels

Possible to build my own branded websites with full navigation

Can integrate with my own custom domain name

Able to sell my products with what they call a 1-click upsell

Capability to integrate upsells, downsells, and order bumps

Even has a way to create my own powerful affiliate program for my products!

And that’s just for starters, because there is so much more for me to explore!

I’m not even joking when I say that I am planning to change my ENTIRE online business over to Groove!

I mean, why wouldn’t I?

It’s FREE, and it’s probably the BEST suite of marketing tools I have ever seen in my life.

By the way, there’s more…

I didn’t even mention some of my favorite benefits of Groove.

As a member, I’ve also received a TON of community benefits.

I’ve been able to join their private Facebook group, connect with marketing experts inside, get help with all my problems, access private training within their own academy, ask questions through their helpdesk, and meet other like-minded entrepreneurs just like me to make the best use of these tools.

So, if you’re like me… Striving to grow your business, looking to learn more about marketing and getting to know some of the best in the industry at a more personal level, then you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Awesome deal, right?

It’s called being at the right place, at the right time.

And that’s where we’re at right now :)

Don’t wait any longer, because I’m honestly not sure when this free offer is going to go away.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for your free Groove account right now, and I will see you inside of the Facebook group.

https://groovepages.groovesell.com/a/0AHTxGHKLPtD

Gary Swanson

Sea Swami LLC

Sea Swami Says

website builder

The Employee Retention Credit

 It's a credit associated with employment taxes, but it's based on wages you paid to your employees, so it's essentially rewarding you as an employer for keeping your people paid throughout the pandemic.  Established by the CARES Act, the ERC is a refundable tax credit – a grant, not a loan – that a business can claim even if they had to shut down business permanently. The Employee Retention Credit Tax is readily available to both small and mid-sized businesses and is based on qualified incomes and healthcare paid to employees.

  Qualifying businesses can make the most of the following offerings:

- Approximately $26,000 per employee

- Available for 2020 and the very first 3 quarters of 2021

- Qualify with decreased profits or COVID event

- No limit on funding

- Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a refundable tax credit

  The ERC has actually gone through a number of changes and has many technical details, consisting of how to determine qualified wages, which employees can qualify and more.

  “The employer retention credit tax is an extremely valuable and exceptionally under-utilized monetary aid opportunity for small business owners to receive from the federal government, describes Business Warrior CEO, Rhett Doolittle".

  After recognizing this opportunity to help more small companies, developing a partnership with Bottom Line Savings was a no-brainer. Since 2008, they've recuperated over $2.2 billion dollars for more than 7,000 customers including American Express, Uber, and Rolex.  To qualify as a business, business owners must meet the following:

  Experience modifications to your operations due to an Executive Order during 2020 or 2021; or your gross receipts for 2020 fell below 50% for the very same quarter in 2019 and fell below 80% for 2021.

  Another reason why the employee retention credit is more attractive now than it was last year, and that is that it's easier to qualify for the employer retention credit in 2021. I didn't qualify for the 2020 employee retention credit initially, because I got first round of PPP cash and second due to the fact that my business didn't suffer that big 50% decline needed to qualify for the employer retention credit last year. But for 2021, at least for Q1, yeah, my service qualifies. Not only are more services qualified for the employee retention credit thanks to these brand-new laws, making PPP recipients eligible for the employer retention credit though not on the exact same wages and making more services eligible through the 20% decrease threshold rather than the 50% decline limit, however the 2021 credit is likewise more profitable than the 2020 credit. If you received PPP funds you are still able to get the employee retention credit, you aren't able to double dip wages with ERC, but that does not mean that you can't use both programs to make the most of both credits. For instance if somebody makes twenty thousand dollars per quarter or eighty thousand dollars a year for that quarter, you can use ten thousand dollars of salaries toward the ERC credit and 10 thousand dollars toward PPP forgiveness plan. The program started on March 13th, 2020 and also finishes on September 30, 2021, for eligible companies.

 Not bad, however that's nothing compared to the 2021 credit due to the fact that for 2021, the credit is equivalent to 70% of certified incomes per employee paid from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, limited to $10,000 in salaries per employee ... for that entire time period?

The program started on March 13th, 2020 and also finishes on September 30, 2021, for eligible companies. You can look for refunds for 2020 as well as 2021 after December 31st of this year, right into 2022 and 2023. And possibly past then as well.

Many organizations have received refunds, and others, along with reimbursements, likewise certified to proceed receiving ERC in every pay-roll they refine to December 31, 2021, at about 30% of their payroll expense.  Some businesses have received reimbursements from $100,000 to $6 million.

It underwent a number of modifications as well as numerous technical changes to the program, including just how to determine professional earnings, which workers are qualified, as examples. Your business specific case might require even more intensive requirements and analysis. The program is complicated and and time consuming potentially leaving you with unanswered questions.

For more information related to your business click the link provided and schedule an appointment at your convenience before the opportunity is no longer available.  

The Employee Retention Credit

 It's a credit associated with employment taxes, but it's based on wages you paid to your employees, so it's essentially rewarding you as an employer for keeping your people paid throughout the pandemic.  Established by the CARES Act, the ERC is a refundable tax credit – a grant, not a loan – that a business can claim even if they had to shut down business permanently. The Employee Retention Credit Tax is readily available to both small and mid-sized businesses and is based on qualified incomes and healthcare paid to employees.

  Qualifying businesses can make the most of the following offerings:

- Approximately $26,000 per employee

- Available for 2020 and the very first 3 quarters of 2021

- Qualify with decreased profits or COVID event

- No limit on funding

- Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a refundable tax credit

  The ERC has actually gone through a number of changes and has many technical details, consisting of how to determine qualified wages, which employees can qualify and more.

  “The employer retention credit tax is an extremely valuable and exceptionally under-utilized monetary aid opportunity for small business owners to receive from the federal government, describes Business Warrior CEO, Rhett Doolittle".

  After recognizing this opportunity to help more small companies, developing a partnership with Bottom Line Savings was a no-brainer. Since 2008, they've recuperated over $2.2 billion dollars for more than 7,000 customers including American Express, Uber, and Rolex.  To qualify as a business, business owners must meet the following:

  Experience modifications to your operations due to an Executive Order during 2020 or 2021; or your gross receipts for 2020 fell below 50% for the very same quarter in 2019 and fell below 80% for 2021.

  Another reason why the employee retention credit is more attractive now than it was last year, and that is that it's easier to qualify for the employer retention credit in 2021. I didn't qualify for the 2020 employee retention credit initially, because I got first round of PPP cash and second due to the fact that my business didn't suffer that big 50% decline needed to qualify for the employer retention credit last year. But for 2021, at least for Q1, yeah, my service qualifies. Not only are more services qualified for the employee retention credit thanks to these brand-new laws, making PPP recipients eligible for the employer retention credit though not on the exact same wages and making more services eligible through the 20% decrease threshold rather than the 50% decline limit, however the 2021 credit is likewise more profitable than the 2020 credit. If you received PPP funds you are still able to get the employee retention credit, you aren't able to double dip wages with ERC, but that does not mean that you can't use both programs to make the most of both credits. For instance if somebody makes twenty thousand dollars per quarter or eighty thousand dollars a year for that quarter, you can use ten thousand dollars of salaries toward the ERC credit and 10 thousand dollars toward PPP forgiveness plan. The program started on March 13th, 2020 and also finishes on September 30, 2021, for eligible companies.

 Not bad, however that's nothing compared to the 2021 credit due to the fact that for 2021, the credit is equivalent to 70% of certified incomes per employee paid from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, limited to $10,000 in salaries per employee ... for that entire time period?

The program started on March 13th, 2020 and also finishes on September 30, 2021, for eligible companies. You can look for refunds for 2020 as well as 2021 after December 31st of this year, right into 2022 and 2023. And possibly past then as well.

Many organizations have received refunds, and others, along with reimbursements, likewise certified to proceed receiving ERC in every pay-roll they refine to December 31, 2021, at about 30% of their payroll expense.  Some businesses have received reimbursements from $100,000 to $6 million.

It underwent a number of modifications as well as numerous technical changes to the program, including just how to determine professional earnings, which workers are qualified, as examples. Your business specific case might require even more intensive requirements and analysis. The program is complicated and and time consuming potentially leaving you with unanswered questions.

For more information related to your business click the link provided and schedule an appointment at your convenience before the opportunity is no longer available.  

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME AND MONETIZE IT!TM

Have you ever met someone who just always seems lucky? The person who blinks or snaps his fingers and miraculously has everything he wants in his life and business. You know, the person that just seems to have it ALL?  Yes, that’s one, the person who just flashed in your mind. That’s whom we are talking about.

So what does this person do that enables him to achieve his goals and create a life that 98% of the world can only dream of?  There is a secret. Well, actually it’s not really a secret at all. People who live the life of their dreams just followed the step-by-step proven formula for success that works. They harness the 80% power within all of us that remains dormant in most others.  Yes, if you haven’t guessed it yet, they harness the power of their mind.

When I was in college, I enjoyed running track. Sometimes I would win, sometimes I would lose and I started to wonder, “What is the key to winning?” So one day, I decided to go to the library and read more about top athletes to discover the secret to their success. I picked up a book that talked about Eastern European athletes. It explained how they used the power of visualization to achieve greater results. I was fascinated and intrigued. How could someone “train” to win by simply thinking about it? I devoured several books on the subject and started to test it out for myself.

I began visualizing my own races. In my mind, I ran and re-ran the race the night before and again on race day. It was so real!  I could hear the gunfire, the out of the blocks running down the track. I could see the seconds tick off the stopwatch. I saw ahead every hurdle as it approached and then easily cleared the hurdles and perfected my form, shaving precious fractions of a second off the clock as my mind raced through the event–feeling, seeing, and experiencing every nuance of the race as if it was actually occurring.

So what was the result of all this mind training? It was amazing! I would finish every race within fractions of a second of what I had visualized and mentally recorded in my pre-race rehearsals.

What does this show? The mind is a powerful tool – more powerful than most of us give it credit. Are you using this most powerful tool to your advantage? Are you ‘training’ in your mind to win every day or are you one of the many people who actually prepare themselves by programming their mind to fail?

Harnessing your mind for success is the first step on the path to extreme success in your business during this new economy. Unless you address your mindset, belief and commitment first, you won’t successfully implement one single proven strategy that we talk about.

Does this sound a bit harsh? Good!

Which do you prefer? An easy coach who sugarcoats things and bring you to a land of milk and honey that will quickly disappear? Or would you prefer a coach that sits you down for a delicious seven course meal of proven strategies that will have you bursting at the seams with ready-to-buy customers and profits, as well as the added benefit of showing you how to digest and implement all of the strategies?

Here’s the bottom line: No matter how great these marketing strategies are, you will not see profits unless you are ready, willing, and able to get your head in the game and take the direct, committed, and consistent efforts that only the most successful take. You must be prepared to do what the 2% uber-successful entrepreneurs do.  The kind of success we are talking about requires guts, boldness, the ability to move rapidly, and the willingness to change your approach so that you create a tsunami of clients and prospects that want to do business with you.

By the way, if you are ready to monetize your business more effectively and accelerate your business results, let’s connect. (Make the lets connect a hyperlink to a discovery page in a new tab) I know we can help.

clickfunnels certified consultant

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME AND MONETIZE IT!TM

Have you ever met someone who just always seems lucky? The person who blinks or snaps his fingers and miraculously has everything he wants in his life and business. You know, the person that just seems to have it ALL?  Yes, that’s one, the person who just flashed in your mind. That’s whom we are talking about.

So what does this person do that enables him to achieve his goals and create a life that 98% of the world can only dream of?  There is a secret. Well, actually it’s not really a secret at all. People who live the life of their dreams just followed the step-by-step proven formula for success that works. They harness the 80% power within all of us that remains dormant in most others.  Yes, if you haven’t guessed it yet, they harness the power of their mind.

When I was in college, I enjoyed running track. Sometimes I would win, sometimes I would lose and I started to wonder, “What is the key to winning?” So one day, I decided to go to the library and read more about top athletes to discover the secret to their success. I picked up a book that talked about Eastern European athletes. It explained how they used the power of visualization to achieve greater results. I was fascinated and intrigued. How could someone “train” to win by simply thinking about it? I devoured several books on the subject and started to test it out for myself.

I began visualizing my own races. In my mind, I ran and re-ran the race the night before and again on race day. It was so real!  I could hear the gunfire, the out of the blocks running down the track. I could see the seconds tick off the stopwatch. I saw ahead every hurdle as it approached and then easily cleared the hurdles and perfected my form, shaving precious fractions of a second off the clock as my mind raced through the event–feeling, seeing, and experiencing every nuance of the race as if it was actually occurring.

So what was the result of all this mind training? It was amazing! I would finish every race within fractions of a second of what I had visualized and mentally recorded in my pre-race rehearsals.

What does this show? The mind is a powerful tool – more powerful than most of us give it credit. Are you using this most powerful tool to your advantage? Are you ‘training’ in your mind to win every day or are you one of the many people who actually prepare themselves by programming their mind to fail?

Harnessing your mind for success is the first step on the path to extreme success in your business during this new economy. Unless you address your mindset, belief and commitment first, you won’t successfully implement one single proven strategy that we talk about.

Does this sound a bit harsh? Good!

Which do you prefer? An easy coach who sugarcoats things and bring you to a land of milk and honey that will quickly disappear? Or would you prefer a coach that sits you down for a delicious seven course meal of proven strategies that will have you bursting at the seams with ready-to-buy customers and profits, as well as the added benefit of showing you how to digest and implement all of the strategies?

Here’s the bottom line: No matter how great these marketing strategies are, you will not see profits unless you are ready, willing, and able to get your head in the game and take the direct, committed, and consistent efforts that only the most successful take. You must be prepared to do what the 2% uber-successful entrepreneurs do.  The kind of success we are talking about requires guts, boldness, the ability to move rapidly, and the willingness to change your approach so that you create a tsunami of clients and prospects that want to do business with you.

By the way, if you are ready to monetize your business more effectively and accelerate your business results, let’s connect. (Make the lets connect a hyperlink to a discovery page in a new tab) I know we can help.

clickfunnels certified consultant

The 2nd MOST important asset (next to your list)…

As Entrepreneurs, our list is one of our most important assets. 

The second most important asset is one that I find missing in 9 out of 10 Entrepreneurial businesses.  

Yet, it’s a vital piece to not only sustaining a business, but in growing and scaling it too... 

Standard Operating Procedures (a.k.a. SOP)

I’m sure you’ve heard this term before. A SOP is a detailed documentation of instructions (written or visual) that describe each step of a process or task. 

The purpose of SOPs are to increase efficiency and deliver consistent outcomes each and every time. 

In many cases SOPs are used to ensure compliance with operational practices.  

Why are these so important? 

Processes that aren’t documented leave room for errors and mistakes. 

Clear enough, right? 

Now consider these reasons that may not be so obvious…

When people on your team have a SOP to follow, they are more productive, as they have exactly what they need to complete the task at hand. 

Without clear instructions, oftentimes, time is wasted searching or looking for instruction and guidance. 

Again, also pretty straightforward. 

The truth is, everyone who works for you wants to do a good job. They want to succeed as much as you want them to succeed, so why not give them all the tools and resources they need to do their job to their best ability? 

I call it setting them up for success. When they win, you win. 

Everyone is happy. 

Now when you don’t set your team up for success, negative consequences start to build, including: frustration, disappointment, delays, mistakes, etc.

And as we already know, unclear instructions and lack of direction long term not only causes all of the above, disconnection and resentment start to fester. After that happens, shortly down the road, either that team member moves on, or you end up letting them go. 

Not many Entrepreneurs are aware of this, but the total cost of losing an employee or team member can range from tens of thousands of dollars to 1.5 to 3 times their annual salary (equating to hundreds of thousands of dollars).  

Don’t believe me? 

Let’s break it down… 

• Cost of hiring and onboarding a new person (hiring, training, management, time). Note: If you don’t have SOPs in place, training will take even longer. 
• Lost productivity (a new person may take 1-2 years to reach the productivity of that previous person), especially if the previous person was super efficient and productive. 
• Lost engagement (other employees who see high turnover WILL disengage and their productivity decreases. Especially when they know the change was not performance-based).  
• More errors and mistakes (new team members take longer to acclimate, and are often less adept at solving your company's problems because they aren’t familiar with your company yet). 

Here again is where SOPs can help to speed up the learning curve AND decrease the chances of mistakes and errors. 

• Training cost (over 2-3 years you likely invest 10-20% of a team member's payroll or more in training, so they can become more invested in your business and learn how to do new things, etc). When that person leaves, they take that investment with them.  
• Cultural impact (whenever someone leaves, others question "why?"). We have to remember that people are what we call an "appreciating asset." The longer they stay with an organization the more productive they get. They learn the systems, know the products/services inside and out, and they’ve learned how to work with the rest of the team very effectively and efficiently.

In a mass destruction scenario, what if the team member who leaves is responsible for things you don’t know how to do, but must do? 

What if what they were responsible for was directly related to your revenue stream? 

Or operations to keep the business running? 

Quite a predicament you’d be facing. 

Bottom Line: Standard operating procedures are crucial, so start making them for your business. 

Yes, they take time, and I think that is the biggest deterrent. Most likely why 9 out of 10 businesses are without them. But in the long run, can you see now how invaluable they really are?

 Not only when it comes to protecting your business; but for growing and scaling it too. 

Taking the time to create SOPs will help you build a solid foundation for your company. Solid foundations allow companies to grow and scale at accelerated rates. 

Lastly, a friend of mine shared a great idea with me after we had discussed everything I have just conveyed to you about creating these for his business. 

Instead of typing up written SOPs, he decided to record video SOPs. Whenever a team member asked him how to do something, instead of just showing them, he decided to record a video and then shared it with them. He kept a library of all his videos, and within a year, he had every single SOP completed within his organization. Pretty smart!

To your success, 

David

Business Nitrogen

The 2nd MOST important asset (next to your list)…

As Entrepreneurs, our list is one of our most important assets. 

The second most important asset is one that I find missing in 9 out of 10 Entrepreneurial businesses.  

Yet, it’s a vital piece to not only sustaining a business, but in growing and scaling it too... 

Standard Operating Procedures (a.k.a. SOP)

I’m sure you’ve heard this term before. A SOP is a detailed documentation of instructions (written or visual) that describe each step of a process or task. 

The purpose of SOPs are to increase efficiency and deliver consistent outcomes each and every time. 

In many cases SOPs are used to ensure compliance with operational practices.  

Why are these so important? 

Processes that aren’t documented leave room for errors and mistakes. 

Clear enough, right? 

Now consider these reasons that may not be so obvious…

When people on your team have a SOP to follow, they are more productive, as they have exactly what they need to complete the task at hand. 

Without clear instructions, oftentimes, time is wasted searching or looking for instruction and guidance. 

Again, also pretty straightforward. 

The truth is, everyone who works for you wants to do a good job. They want to succeed as much as you want them to succeed, so why not give them all the tools and resources they need to do their job to their best ability? 

I call it setting them up for success. When they win, you win. 

Everyone is happy. 

Now when you don’t set your team up for success, negative consequences start to build, including: frustration, disappointment, delays, mistakes, etc.

And as we already know, unclear instructions and lack of direction long term not only causes all of the above, disconnection and resentment start to fester. After that happens, shortly down the road, either that team member moves on, or you end up letting them go. 

Not many Entrepreneurs are aware of this, but the total cost of losing an employee or team member can range from tens of thousands of dollars to 1.5 to 3 times their annual salary (equating to hundreds of thousands of dollars).  

Don’t believe me? 

Let’s break it down… 

• Cost of hiring and onboarding a new person (hiring, training, management, time). Note: If you don’t have SOPs in place, training will take even longer. 
• Lost productivity (a new person may take 1-2 years to reach the productivity of that previous person), especially if the previous person was super efficient and productive. 
• Lost engagement (other employees who see high turnover WILL disengage and their productivity decreases. Especially when they know the change was not performance-based).  
• More errors and mistakes (new team members take longer to acclimate, and are often less adept at solving your company's problems because they aren’t familiar with your company yet). 

Here again is where SOPs can help to speed up the learning curve AND decrease the chances of mistakes and errors. 

• Training cost (over 2-3 years you likely invest 10-20% of a team member's payroll or more in training, so they can become more invested in your business and learn how to do new things, etc). When that person leaves, they take that investment with them.  
• Cultural impact (whenever someone leaves, others question "why?"). We have to remember that people are what we call an "appreciating asset." The longer they stay with an organization the more productive they get. They learn the systems, know the products/services inside and out, and they’ve learned how to work with the rest of the team very effectively and efficiently.

In a mass destruction scenario, what if the team member who leaves is responsible for things you don’t know how to do, but must do? 

What if what they were responsible for was directly related to your revenue stream? 

Or operations to keep the business running? 

Quite a predicament you’d be facing. 

Bottom Line: Standard operating procedures are crucial, so start making them for your business. 

Yes, they take time, and I think that is the biggest deterrent. Most likely why 9 out of 10 businesses are without them. But in the long run, can you see now how invaluable they really are?

 Not only when it comes to protecting your business; but for growing and scaling it too. 

Taking the time to create SOPs will help you build a solid foundation for your company. Solid foundations allow companies to grow and scale at accelerated rates. 

Lastly, a friend of mine shared a great idea with me after we had discussed everything I have just conveyed to you about creating these for his business. 

Instead of typing up written SOPs, he decided to record video SOPs. Whenever a team member asked him how to do something, instead of just showing them, he decided to record a video and then shared it with them. He kept a library of all his videos, and within a year, he had every single SOP completed within his organization. Pretty smart!

To your success, 

David

Business Nitrogen

What A "Domain Name" Means For Your Business

By: Kayla McDonald

 At first glance, many houses may look identical on the same street. Someone new to that neighborhood  probably would mistake one home from the next. Similarly it's just as easy for business owners to confuse the meaning of a domain and website - however they are quite different. While both are equally important in building your online reputation, knowing what a “domain name” is can go a long way in controlling your web presence  - especially if you want to sell things on the website!  A domain name and website have a close relationship because they work together to display information on the internet. Here's what you need to know...

A domain name (web address) is the combination of letters, numbers or symbols that you type into an address bar to view a website. Once you press enter or select the domain, the website appears. This is what people usually see after the page loads. For instance, think of a domain name like your home address and the website as the physical building. An address is how someone finds your home, but the style, size and layout of your home might vary from other houses nearby. The domain tells online shoppers where to find your information on the web!

• Are people searching for your idea, product or service online?

• Have you developed a website?

• Do you own a domain name?

Consumers are searching the internet to make buying decisions — from what to eat for dinner to which school is best for their kids. If you operate a business, you need a domain name and website.

Nowadays there are free and paid ways to build websites. Regardless of which option you choose, you cannot have a website without a domain name.  I recommend buying a custom domain name to establish your brand, protect your intellectual property and make a name for yourself on the web. So don’t delay, I’ve partnered with one of the world’s largest web hosting companies to help you find or manage domain names for your website! * Schedule  A Discovery Call to Get Started!

computer literacy

10 Marketing Ideas For StartUp Businesses

 Starting a business is an exciting way to launch a new career. Entrepreneurship presents us with unlimited opportunities to share our passion with like-minded communities. That's why branding is so important because it reminds people Who you are, What you do and Why it matters.

 

 Before moving forward in the brand development process, make sure you've selected the business name, colors, fonts, company logo, slogan, mission statement and targeted audience for your idea, product or service. Canva is a great software if you’re interested in creating them yourself. These items build a strong foundation for your promotional efforts. The next step in building your brand is Promotion.

 

A variety of marketing materials can be used to promote your brand. Keeping your business memorable in the minds of consumers requires consistency. No matter what business name, colors, fonts, company logo, slogan, mission statement or targeted audience you choose, all the company's marketing materials should match. For example: Amazon.com is a good example of brand consistency! They started out as an online bookstore and continue to add new products & services while keeping brand elements the same. Amazon includes company logos and colors for each product line on packaging, websites, mobile apps, company uniforms and more!

 

 Here's a list of 10 ways to promote your brand. 

 

1. Contact Number  - A contact phone number used exclusively for business is a great way for potential customers to reach you.
   
   

2. Professional Voicemail - Having a professional business message recorded on your phone helps build credibility with customers.
   
   

3. Business E-mail address -  A standard email address is acceptable but having an email address that matches your business name is a bonus!
   
   

4. Marketing Plan - Businesses that plan methods of promotion overtime, have the advantage of effectively measuring their results which can save them time and money (Return on Investments).
   
   

5. Domain Name & Company Website - Buying a domain name (web address) gives online shoppers a description to find your information online! While your website is a visual display of your business on the internet and often required to qualify for grants & business loans.
   
   

6. Promotional Materials - Often displayed as printed or physical products to market your brand. Examples: Custom apparel, office supplies and company vehicles!
   
   

7. Social Media Accounts - Allow you to build relationships, advertise and publish information across various online media channels. Examples: Blogs, video conferences, niche websites, business directory listings etc.
   
   

8. Public Relations - Creating the opportunity to reach a broader audience by sharing your business with press releases, news articles, magazines and more!
   
   

9. Special Events - Inviting groups of people to visit your booth, participate in sponsorships or attend events is a great way to promote your business.
   
   

10.  Paid Advertising - Whether it’s printed, digital, TV commercial or a radio ad, this form of marketing is one of the fastest  ways to reach your targeted audience.

 Every organization has a brand identity that consumers use to make buying decisions. Business owners who develop their brand attract new business, gain supporters and satisfy repeat customers.

For more information on how we can help your business, Schedule a 123 Info Session 

Small business Retirees