Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Marketing your home based business online inexpensively is a real possibility. You can practically market your business for free if you know what to do. That’s why online marketing is so completely awesome and fun. The barriers to entry are low, and even the learning curve is small. So before you know it, you will bring your business to profit with free or cheap marketing.

1. Content Marketing

This is one of your most important marketing weapons in your arsenal. In fact, you’ll use content for all types of marketing including every inexpensive way mentioned below. Content is needed that sells, educates, engages, informs and excites. You need content for all aspects of marketing - up to and including customer relations.

2. Use Social Media

Social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ all have a place in your online marketing endeavors. Well, they might. You have to determine which social media networks will work for you and it will depend on your niche and your audience. Where do they hang out? Be there.

3. Blog Often

Blogging is a big source of traffic, and in some instances the only source of traffic for many website owners. It’s a great way to get the message out to your audience while not spending much money. You can write the posts yourself or you can outsource. Most people write them themselves when starting out. It can take time to get used to doing it, but writing a post a day can help gain momentum. But you also want to consider doing longer blog posts, less often, to get results.

4. Remember SEO

If you are not familiar with SEO (search engine optimization), it’s important to learn. SEO changes constantly and is how you optimize your website for search engines. There is both on-page and off-page SEO that you can do for your business. Learn all you can about it.

5. Send Out a Press Release

The good, old-fashioned press release is still a thing, believe it or not. You can still get a lot of value out of sending out free press rereleases if you know how to do it. The trick is to have contacts to which you send the press release directly and not just out to never-never land.

6. Perfect Your Website

Your website is your store front, and even if you have a bricks and mortar store front, your website is the store front your customers will likely see first. If it doesn’t look great, why would anyone purchase from you?

7. Join Relevant Communities

Communities are a great way to get your name out there. There are communities you can join on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as self-hosted and owned “inner circles” and mastermind clubs that you can join. They can help you get known as an expert, as well as help you get more links to your website.

8. Get Listed

There are directories that are free or inexpensive that you can join to help market your business. Ensure that the directory is niche oriented, and that it is run by a reputable person so that you are listed with other reputable business owners. You don’t want to be on a list that is associated with spam. Your local chamber of commerce is one such list that you can get on for the price of your membership.

Finding inexpensive ways to market your business online is a great way to get started. But even after you have a great business, you’ll want to keep using these inexpensive ways to market your business.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

White Papers: What Are They and Why Should I Use Them?

A white paper is a report that explains a problem in depth and then offers a solution. If you offer products and services to home based business owners, white papers are a great way to explain your solutions to your audience. They work especially well for complicated issues that require some measure of education for the buyer to understand.

The Purpose of a White Paper

A white paper is not an excuse to include tons of sales hype or puffery. Instead a white paper should be useful and valuable to the consumer by itself. The white paper should:

1. Identity a problem – Describe the problem the target audience has in great detail to demonstrate your understanding of the problem. Use case studies and other examples to get your points across.

2. Describe various solutions – Give examples of various solutions and their drawbacks, along with your solution and why it’s better. Give concrete examples and not sales puffery.

3. Back up your assertions – Using real data and research to back up your facts will make your white paper more impressive and give it credibility.

If you stick to that formula when you develop your white paper, you’ll do well. Insert case studies, images, graphs, and other points of interest to highlight the facts better. The white paper needs to focus on the problems and solutions and how your solution is the one that works the best. Show this by describing the drawbacks to the other solutions and how your product or service fills the gaps the other ones leave.

Advantages of White Papers

1. In addition to educating your audience, white papers have a lot of advantages such as:

2. Collects leads – Ask for an email address and other information in exchange for downloading the white paper and you’ll collect a lot of information from interested parties.

3. Establishes expertise – Writing a white paper is a process that helps you look like a real expert, as white papers are often used in education and government.

4. Proves credibility – Having a way to show all the facts about the problem and the solutions will make you look more credible.

5. It’s “evergreen” – Most content doesn’t have a very good shelf life. But, a well-researched and informative white paper can last for years with minor changes when your products or services are updated.

6. A good way to reuse content – If you already have a lot of informative blog posts, you can reuse it inside the white paper. Conversely, all the research you gather during the creation of the white paper can be used elsewhere too.

7. They’re cost effective – Word for word a white paper isn’t any more expensive to create or have created than other types of content. Plus the ROI is high.

8. They are good SEO – Long form content is good for search engine optimization. Even if this particular content is something that will be downloaded, it will help your website look more professional.

9. They’re great link bait – If your white paper is especially well written and has a lot of good information, other people will share the information.

It’s clear that using white papers to market your business is beneficial. It’s time to get started on creating your white paper to improve your subscriptions and establish your expertise.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Studying your competition is necessary for many reasons; one of those is to enable your products and/or services to be different from theirs. If you don’t know for sure what they are offering then you won’t be able to be very different. Product differentiation is an essential component in being competitive today.

1.       Identify Gaps in Products or Services – Line up your products with theirs to make gaps in either their offerings or yours apparent. Fill the gaps, improve the similarities, and you’ll differentiate your products in a clear way.

2.       Deliver More and Better Quality – Try out your competition’s products and services; see what you think about them. Figure out how you can make yours better than theirs. If you can also add more information, more features, better design and so forth to your products and services, that is a great way to differentiate your products from theirs.

3.       Create Different or Easier Delivery Methods – Is anything clunky or off about how your competition delivers their products or services? That is a great place to differentiate yourself and your business.

4.       Provide Free or Low-Cost Companion Products – Offer a “how to” manual or product guide with purchase. Offer a low-cost or free app along with the product purchase. Alternatively, offer something only customers get from you, such as a forum or special phone number for customer service.

5.       Get Famous Endorsements – Fame is in the eye of the beholder, so find movers and shakers within your niche and ask them to try your product for free in exchange for an endorsement. Be sure you are ready for the truth before doing this.

6.       Make Your Cover/Website/Product Design More Special – They say not to judge a book by its cover but the truth is, everyone does. Make your covers super special by hiring professionals to design exceptional graphics for you.

7.       Donate a Portion of Proceeds to a Charity – People love feeling as if they are doing a good thing when they buy something they already want. This can be risky if you choose the wrong charity, though. You can be general with the notice or you can choose a number of charities to let your customer pick.

8.       Offer Exceptional Customer Service – Boost your customer service up a notch over your competitors' and you will win over more people than you think. People talk about bad customer service more than good, but since your customers travel in the same circles, if one complains, the other will recommend you.

9.       Create Better Calls to Action – Many businesses fail, not due to bad products, or poor packaging, or even due to high prices but rather from not asking for the sale. Be sure your CTAs are more effective than your competition’s.

To differentiate your products and/or services from your competitors' it will require that you try out and study your competition so that you know what needs to be done to make your business stand out. 

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Networking is great for business, and it’s great for you. It can get you out of your comfort zone and into a new more confident frame of mind. More confidence will lead to more business, and more business will lead to more networking opportunities. It’s a circle of success that can bring in a never-ending stream of new business. With the right type of networking you can have a long line of people waiting in line for your next offerings.

1.       Build Confidence – Attending networking events, while frightening at first, can help you build your self-confidence to a new level. Being around other professional people will help you get used to talking about yourself and your business. In addition, it will improve your listening skills, which will also help your build your confidence.

2.       Increase Market Awareness – As you network with others you’ll learn more about your market, which will help you create more products and services for your audience that truly resonates with them in a new way.

3.       Develop Problem-Solving Skills – When you are at networking events you’ll be in situations where you have to think on your feet. You’ll need to solve problems quickly, which will require you to become more knowledgeable and study your niche so that you’re ready for anything.

4.       Share Knowledge – At networking events you can share knowledge with your peers and with your audience. The joint knowledge of all those in attendance is priceless, especially when the networking continues after the event. 

5.       Improve Opportunities – Networking can make for improved opportunities, because the word-of-mouth connections that you’ll receive will cause a circle of buzz that will explode your business and take it to the next level.

6.       Make More Friends – Believe it or not, going to networking events will increase your circle of close friends. After all, who will you have most in common with? Your business owner peers or those who do not own businesses?

7.       Raise Your Expert Quotient – As you get more accustomed to attending, speaking at, and even hosting your own networking events, the people who perceive you as an expert will increase. This increased profile will make you even more sought out.

8.       Get Awesome Advice – Who better to seek advice from than those who have been there and done that? You’ll take home a lot more than connections; you’ll also take home advice that cannot be beat. Because of the fact that the people you network with have experienced a lot, you’ll learn faster than going it alone.

Networking comes with more surprise than expectation. You just have to leave your comfort zone and give networking a try. You’ll get far more out of if than you might think at first. You’ll soon see that networking is a must for your business and your life.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

I am someone who spending a lot of time and money going to a variety of networking events.  While you must network to take your business to the next level, there are some things you can to do ensure that you attend the right networking events. After all, most events cost a lot of time and money. Therefore, it’s imperative to choose the right type of event so that you can make the most of the money and time you are spending.

Consider the Goals for the Event:  What is the event about and how do your goals match up with the event? What are the goals for the event that the leaders of the event have envisioned? If your goals and their goals align and are within the same niche or serve the same audience, then this is an event that might be for you.

Know Who the Audience Is for the Event:  Who will be attending this event? If this event will be serving an audience that you serve or an event full of your peers, how can this help you? Either type of event can be helpful for your business, but you’ll play different roles based on the event.

Think about the Products and Services That You Offer:  How do the products and/or services that you offer align with the event? Will people at the event want to know about your products and services? How will that work out for your goals and plans for the future?

Know Your Personality and What You Can Handle:  Is the event large, small, or medium? Will you be required to speak at the event in any manner? Will you feel comfortable socializing at the event? If you’re an introvert, consider whether or not the event is too loud for you. If you’re an extrovert, will the event be active enough for you to blow off some energy and meet people?

Figure Out Your Budget:  Can you afford to go to the event? Conversely, do you feel as if you can afford to miss the event? Many events can pay off multiple times over due to the education you receive and the connections you can make. Don’t discount events just due to the expense. If you understand what you can get out of an event, you might consider that the expense is really an investment.

What Is the Size of the Event?  Going to a very large event first might be overwhelming, so consider a smaller event to wet your feet unless you are super extroverted. Consider how the event will progress; for instance, will you be sitting listening to speakers, or will you be going to smaller groups for power sessions? It depends on what you feel will work for your business.

Consider What You Can Learn from the Event:  If the event offers learning and lectures, what will you learn? Is there a chance for you to teach at the event? Do you want to teach anyone? What can you learn from people at the event outside of the lessons? Make a list of things you want to learn and decide whether or not this event will lead you toward those lessons.

Imagine What the Results Will Be of Your Attendance:  If you could design the results of attending the event, what would the outcome be? Would you give out a certain amount of business cards? Will you learn a specific skill that you can implement back home? If you can understand what the event is about and how it will improve your business, it might be the right event for you.

As you go over the different points about any event, start making a cursory plan about how you’ll handle the event. If you find yourself having issues creating a cohesive plan toward some goals at the event, it’s possible that particular event is not right for you. But, also consider that you may just be nervous. Events, especially public events, can take you out of your comfort zone. But, it’ll be worth it if you plan it right.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Interns, while coming to you for experience and education, can also teach you a thing or two. Anytime you bring new blood into your organization you can learn something new. You just have to be open to learning from someone new to your business who might be a lot younger than you.

1.       How to Live and Breathe Social Media:   Young people seem to be tethered to their mobile devices and social media. They know better than anyone how people are using their smartphone along with the internet to get things done. They’re a lot more likely to be using technology, apps and more to get things done. If you pay attention, you can learn a lot from them about social media and what it can do for your audience.

2.       Better Collaboration:  Young people today are a lot savvier about communicating with people of all ages, sexes and cultures. They are not shocked by differences like we might be. We can learn from them by watching how they work things out and collaborate with others using technology in ways we may not have ever considered.

3.       More about Online Communication:  Communicating via email, text, social media, Skype and other types of online communication is second nature to younger people. They grew up with it and don’t know much different. It’s probably like you with TV; you don’t know anything different and neither do they. If you pay attention to how they communicate you can learn a lot.

4.       Being Authentic :  Most young people aren’t as terrified of people knowing who they really are. They are themselves around everyone, good, bad and ugly. They don’t worry about other people knowing things about them. But, while you can maybe learn to let go a bit, they can learn to protect themselves more with your help.

5.       Enthusiasm for New Challenges:  Young people are a lot more excited about the challenges ahead of them than you probably are. You can learn to look at situations from new, fresh eyes by borrowing their view for the time they are with you. They have excitement about each task they take on and it can remind you of how you felt when you first started, jump-starting your own renewed energy to boost your business.

6.       Less Fear of Change:  It’s more than likely that your new intern didn’t live in the same small town their entire lives. Most people switch jobs a lot more today. Due to feeling more of a connection with the entire world, young people adapt to change faster and easier. They can go from one task to another without too much confusion. Seeing this again can put a spark in you too.

7.       Renewed Idealism:  Face it; after years of being beat down you may not be as idealistic as you used to be. If you’ve written down someplace your big dreams and plans for the future, or you can remember what they were when you first started, you might laugh at your idealism. But, what if you had kept up the same amount of energy and idealism - where would you be now?

8.       Relationship Building and Networking:  Young people are being taught in high school how important it is to build relationships and maintain contact with those whom you meet at networking events. You’ve likely been so busy with your business that you may have forgotten how easy it is to keep in touch, especially with the new technology available.

If you open your mind and your eyes, you can learn from your interns as much as they’ll learn from you. They can breathe new life into your business as well as you if you give them a chance.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Unpaid internships used to be very popular with employers and students. But, in the last few years there have been several high profile lawsuits that have not gone the way of the business. In fact, they were ordered to pay the interns back pay. 

Of course, in the case of these lawsuits, the interns were not doing work in the field they were contracted to work in the internship; instead the firms were using them to do other types of work such as food runs, cleaning, and things that gave them zero experience in their field. However, it is still worth paying your interns and this is why.

1. Most People Can’t Afford to Work Free – In the case of a lot of internships, if you only offer unpaid internships you may miss out on some really exceptional labor. You’ll only be able to take on the people who have support from someone else such as a spouse or parent. There are many talented individuals who need to have at least their basic needs met to be able to even do the internship.

2. You’ll Get More Applicants – With paid internships you’ll get many more applications of a higher quality than you will if you offer only unpaid internships. Even if all you can pay is a small stipend, you’ll still get more high quality applicants.

3. Paid Interns Are More Likely to Work Hard - People are more willing to work harder, and do everything they can if they are also going to be paid during that time. Plus, you won’t have to worry about if you occasionally ask them to do things that aren’t in their field. 

4. Paying Lowers Risk of Lawsuits – Due to the recent legal climate, it is best if you pay a small amount (even minimum wage) to interns in order to lower your risk of lawsuits by interns. This is really an important reason to consider paying your interns.

5. Improves Your Brand's Reputation – When others find out you offer paid internships over unpaid internships, your street cred will go up and your reputation will improve immediately. Unpaid internships are often looked down upon and even can be seen as scams.

6. Improve the Value of Your Program – Interns who are paid are more likely to be of higher caliber than unpaid interns, not to mention more diverse. Paying allows you to be more choosey about whom you let into the program and have higher standards of success.

7. You Can Gain from Your Interns' Work – Legally speaking, you can still get free interns, but one of the criteria is that you cannot gain anything from their work if you don’t pay them. By paying a small stipend you open up many possibilities because anything they create on the job belongs to you.

8. Paid Interns Become Fans – When you pay an intern, they’re very happy to be doing the work they’re doing and happy they were given that chance to gain real work experience. When it’s over they will likely talk about your company in a good way, thus improving your reputation in many ways.

While ultimately it’s up to you on whether you pay your interns or not, keep in mind that the law states that you must not increase your revenue by whatever the interns do. Plus, the internship must benefit the intern and not you. By paying them, you change the entire dynamic so that the internship becomes a win-win for everyone. 

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

The hardest thing about an internship opportunity is finding it. But, with these tips you’ll find plenty of opportunities that you can apply for. Remember to send in your best resume, follow their instructions to the letter and then follow through on what you say you’ll do.

1. LinkedIn – Fill out your completed profile on LinkedIn and let people know that you’re open to internship opportunities in certain fields. Include your resume, examples of your work, and a video introduction that explains exactly what you want in an intern opportunity.

2. Online Communities – Join online communities that consist of the type of businesses that you want to work with. Talk to and make connections with people answering questions, offering help and so forth. Use your profile and signature to let people know you want an internship. If you’ve been part of the community a long time, create a post asking for an internship opportunity.

3. Professional Organizations – Find the professional organizations within your industry and join them. They will often list intern opportunities and if they have a message board for members you can inquire.

4. Colleges and Universities – Any college you have graduated from will help you locate internships if you go to their career offices and ask them about them. Sometimes they will help people who did not graduate there. Just call any local college or university and ask.

5. Intern Websites – Websites like Intern Match work to match you to an internship program that you want within your field. Join and fill out a profile and then start finding matches.

Link - https://www.internmatch.com/

6. Write the Company Directly – If you know what company you want to work with, send them a letter asking them about internship opportunities. Send them your portfolio if applicable, give them your LinkedIn information and explain in a cover letter why you will make a great intern in the department you desire.

7. USAJOBS.gov – Believe it or not, they don’t just list jobs on this website; they also list intern opportunities for college students. When you join you’ll need to fill out a profile and state which types of positions you’re willing to take.

8. Search Google – If you are looking for a particular type of internship opportunity, it’s important to leave no stone unturned. Do a Google search using the job title you want, and the word internship in the search.

Finding great internship opportunities might be right under your nose. If you are part of any group or organization, they may offer just what you need. You can also let everyone you know in on the fact that you want an internship in a certain area, and due to the power of social media you may get connected with someone who can offer the right connections.

 

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Over 90 percent of consumers now search online before buying something. Approximately 40 percent of searches result in offline purchases locally. These are important facts to realize if you’re a business owner. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have - you can benefit from online marketing.

With online marketing you can:

Control the Buzz:  Whether you like it or not, people are talking about you. If you’re not online monitoring the buzz about your business, you won’t be able to know how to control it. You can control the buzz by providing a continuous stream of positive information about your business via your website, blog, social media and other methods.

Expand Your Market:  When you engage in online marketing, as long as you can ship it or deliver your product digitally, you can expand your market across the country and even across borders. Your market is now international.

Get the Word Out about Your Business:  No one will know about your business if you don’t tell them about it. Since so many people first search online rather than look in the phone book for a business, you can get the word out about your business easier with an online presence.

Market Inexpensively:  Once you have a good online infrastructure, you can start marketing your business. All you need to get started is a Facebook page for your business and you can now market at least to people who are on Facebook. If you want to go further, just create an easy Website with a blog and you’ll soon be known near and far.

Do Business 24/7 Online:  Unlike a bricks and mortar store, your online location is open 24/7. You can collect orders and make money while you’re sleeping, at your child’s soccer game, or while you’re on vacation. Being online is suddenly like having a 24-hour store open and ready for business.

Get Started Fast:  It’s not hard to get started; you simply need to make a presence on social media, create an easy website with a blog, and start promoting your online presence. You may need a shopping cart if you want to make sales while you’re sleeping.

Target Locally:  By using the right geographical keywords and tools, you can target your local area. Sign up on local review sites; ensure that your location is mentioned on social media and on websites so that when someone searches for your business on their smartphone they will find it.

Stop Your Competitors from Winning:  If you’re not marketing online, you can be sure that your competitors are doing it. If they are and you’re not, it won’t be long before you notice a huge difference in your own traffic and sales. Start marketing online to stop your competitors from beating you with innovative marketing techniques.

You can market online without having a lot of knowledge, but you can also hire a professional to help you. Before hiring any service, ensure that they really do understand the online market before you choose them. Most marketing companies that place their focus doing online marketing usually use online exclusively because it works so well.

Written by Doreen Dilger, The Home Based Business Coach

Interns, while coming to you for experience and education, can also teach you a thing or two. Anytime you bring new blood into your organization you can learn something new. You just have to be open to learning from someone new to your business who might be a lot younger than you.

1.       How to Live and Breathe Social Media:   Young people seem to be tethered to their mobile devices and social media. They know better than anyone how people are using their smartphone along with the internet to get things done. They’re a lot more likely to be using technology, apps and more to get things done. If you pay attention, you can learn a lot from them about social media and what it can do for your audience.

2.       Better Collaboration:  Young people today are a lot savvier about communicating with people of all ages, sexes and cultures. They are not shocked by differences like we might be. We can learn from them by watching how they work things out and collaborate with others using technology in ways we may not have ever considered.

3.       More about Online Communication:  Communicating via email, text, social media, Skype and other types of online communication is second nature to younger people. They grew up with it and don’t know much different. It’s probably like you with TV; you don’t know anything different and neither do they. If you pay attention to how they communicate you can learn a lot.

4.       Being Authentic :  Most young people aren’t as terrified of people knowing who they really are. They are themselves around everyone, good, bad and ugly. They don’t worry about other people knowing things about them. But, while you can maybe learn to let go a bit, they can learn to protect themselves more with your help.

5.       Enthusiasm for New Challenges:  Young people are a lot more excited about the challenges ahead of them than you probably are. You can learn to look at situations from new, fresh eyes by borrowing their view for the time they are with you. They have excitement about each task they take on and it can remind you of how you felt when you first started, jump-starting your own renewed energy to boost your business.

6.       Less Fear of Change:  It’s more than likely that your new intern didn’t live in the same small town their entire lives. Most people switch jobs a lot more today. Due to feeling more of a connection with the entire world, young people adapt to change faster and easier. They can go from one task to another without too much confusion. Seeing this again can put a spark in you too.

7.       Renewed Idealism:  Face it; after years of being beat down you may not be as idealistic as you used to be. If you’ve written down someplace your big dreams and plans for the future, or you can remember what they were when you first started, you might laugh at your idealism. But, what if you had kept up the same amount of energy and idealism - where would you be now?

8.       Relationship Building and Networking:  Young people are being taught in high school how important it is to build relationships and maintain contact with those whom you meet at networking events. You’ve likely been so busy with your business that you may have forgotten how easy it is to keep in touch, especially with the new technology available.

If you open your mind and your eyes, you can learn from your interns as much as they’ll learn from you. They can breathe new life into your business as well as you if you give them a chance.