3 Styles of Small Business Owners

 

Christina Suter

I was sitting in a meeting one day talking about parenting styles and I realized that the topic was applicable for small businesses. Different types of managing styles are a lot like different parenting styles. The three styles they talked about, that want to talk about in terms of business are:

1 Love and Connection: Knowing what motivates your employees and ensuring that they have a sense of connection to you. We know these types of small business owners, and people who choose this style generally have a lack of discipline. They feel that if they’re loving and connected enough, provide enough days off, enough pay, recognize birthdays and anniversaries, then their employees will give them what they need. Sometimes it works and sometimes employees still walk away. Sometimes people take advantage of you or they are turning into being a needy and whiny person who is manipulating you to see what they can get away with.

2 Discipline & Punishment: Employees who show up on time, leave on time, do exactly what’s asked of them and they do so because you ask them to. They behave because you ask them to behave and the advantage of that is that the work gets done and things run like a well-oiled machine. The downside to that is that people don’t feel they have a personal investment in their work. There is no pride in their work because there’s no personal pride and they may also become a whiny employee who whines when they aren’t told exactly what to do. They may feel that you didn’t set them up for success because you didn’t give them every detail. This can lead to micromanaging and that’s not a position you want to find yourself in.

3 Avoidance & Neglect, which I like to call the overwhelmed owner. Their discipline style is inconsistent, they lack follow-through, and they avoid when they don’t know what to do. This style of management makes employees hyper compensate and take over everything, or employees who will be too relaxed. This is a common style for small business owners because of how much is on our plates at any given moment.

You may be one or more of these but once you recognize what your style is as a default. Are you avoiding being a particular style? Because if so, that might be leaving a void in the way you manage. Lift your head and connect with the business and the people you employee; you created the business because you had a plan and vision. Therefore, it’s vital that you take an active role in ensuring that the vision is stewarded into growth.

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The 5 best marketing channels for small businesses and startups

 

How to select the 5 best marketing channels from 30+ alternatives

Small businesses have particularly limited resources whether it is people or budget, so it's crucial to select the most cost-effective communications to invest in. That means, free and low-cost marketing channels. In this guide, we will help you identify the best channels using two simple frameworks, so that you're not starting with a blank piece of paper or screen and can work through the options.

We'll review both online and offline techniques starting with 30+ channels to consider and then at the end, as a summary we'll help you zoom in on the top 5 to make it more manageable.

Using the Marketing Bullseye to select marketing channels

The Bullseye was recommended by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Maiers in their book Traction, a nice hook to show the challenges of gaining visibility online to drive customer acquisition. Justin is founder of search engine Duck Duck Go and as an entrepreneur involved with this and other startups as a VC, it takes the perspective of startups who are looking to gain visibility at low cost.

The 19 marketing channels it covers includes both digital and traditional channels, many of which are free. We like the simple technique of selecting the best channels summarised in the top left of the visual.

We're less keen on the structure which is in no particular order and misses some key channels, still, it's quick to scan.  Our next framework focuses on digital marketing channels which are often free - the so-called organic channels.

18 digital marketing techniques to consider across 6 media channels

There are many online communications techniques that marketers must prioritize to include as part of their communications strategy. Marketers often use paid, owned and earned media to describe investments at a high-level, but it’s more common to refer to six specific digital media channels when selecting specific always-on and campaign investments.

To simplify prioritization, we recommend considering the paid, owned and earned techniques available within six digital media channels or communications tools shown in the next visual. Combining the techniques in this way gives 18 digital communications techniques for businesses to consider. Companies with limited budget for paid media can focus on Owned and Earned techniques.

The six main media channels available to any business and paid, owned and earned media options within these are:

1 Search engine marketing

Gaining visibility on a search engine to encourage click-through to a website when the user types a specific keyword phrase. Two key search marketing techniques are paid placements using pay-per-click via Google Ads or Bing, and placements in the natural or organic listings using search engine optimisation (SEO) where no charge is made for clicks from the search engine.

SEO can be considered owned media since it involves on-page optimisation by improving the relevance of content and technical improvements to the website to improve crawlability monitored through Google Search Console. SEO also has an Earned media component where visibility in the search engines can be improved by getting relevant ‘backlinks’ from websites which effectively count as a citation or vote.

2 Social media marketing

This includes both paid advertising on social networks and organic social media amplification where companies aim to gain visibility through content shared by social media feeds and pages which are owned media. Earned social media is where a brand or social update is shared by a publisher or partner.

Social media marketing is an important category of digital marketing that involves encouraging customer communications on a company’s own site, or social presences such as Facebook or Twitter or in specialist publisher sites, blogs and forums. It can be applied as a traditional broadcast medium – for example, companies can use Facebook or Twitter to send messages to customers or partners who have opted in.

3 Display advertising

Use of online ad formats such as banners and videos on publisher sites to achieve brand awareness and encourage click-through to a target site. These are usually considered as separate investments from paid search and paid social ads since ads are typically displayed on publisher sites.

Programmatic display refers to where media and target audiences are selected by trading or bidding against other advertisers. Whereas native advertising involves paying to publish content that appears on a media site rather than a banner ad. It’s similar to when companies pay for features on pages in newspapers.

Display advertising is similar to sponsorship and in both cases, there may be a long-term relationship where a brand pays for its name to be associated with a publisher or event.

4 Digital PR

Involves maximizing favourable ‘offsite’ mentions of your company, brands, and products by other organizations and people, especially media sites or influencers such as celebrities.

Mentions may create name awareness, but have the benefit that they can also drive visits through links and support SEO through backlinks. These mentions may occur on publisher websites, blogs or social networks, and podcasts accessed by your target audience.

Guest-blogging involves writing an article for which no fee is typically charged on another business's website. It’s often a reciprocal arrangement.

Influencer outreach is used in both B2B and B2C communications. It usually refers to working with individuals rather than publishers to gain mentions through their social media, blogs or podcasts.

Digital PR also includes responding to negative or positive online brand mentions and conducting public relations via a site through a social media news centre or blog, for example.

5 Digital partnerships

Creating and managing long-term arrangements to promote your online services on third-party websites or through website content and messaging. Affiliate marketing involves a commission-based arrangement where the advertiser only pays when a sale occurs. It’s most applicable to the retail, travel, and financial services sector where an affiliate website will get paid for traffic when an online sale occurs.

Co-branding is a paid or owned media technique where two brands are featured within email marketing or native advertising. Co-marketing is similar, but it is a ‘contra’ arrangement for which no fee is usually paid when companies collaborate to share content with the aim of raising awareness and leads amongst the pooled audiences.

For example, we set up a co-marketing arrangement for publisher Smart Insights with martech vendor HubSpot where joint research reports were created to raise awareness and generate leads for both brands. HubSpot has dedicated co-marketing managers in different regions to manage this activity since they see it as important.

6 Digital messaging

Traditionally digital messaging to individuals who have subscribed to updates has focused on Email marketing, which is still a commonly used digital media channel since it is cost-effective. However, email is used less by younger audiences who are more likely to subscribe to mobile push notifications from websites and apps.

Digital messaging options include placing ads in third-party e-newsletters (paid media) or most commonly the use of an in-house list for customer activation and retention (owned media) or co-marketing techniques using other companies newsletters. Buying or renting lists of email addresses is considered as a spamming technique and not permitted under the privacy legislation described.

Your top-five marketing channels?

From reviewing the two frameworks above, you should be able to rank your top 5, but, as a summary, here is our guidance on the top 5 free channels every small business and startup should consider. It's based on published research on the best online acquisition channels and our own experience in data-driven marketing using Google Analytics to review the most effective channels.

1. Organic search 

Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to taps into the search intent of people looking for your types of products and services. If there are people searching for your service and you get your SEO techniques right, this will be your number one source of visitors to your website. But it is competitive, so you will have to follow the best practices and put time into it. If you can't get cut-through, you may need to consider targeted use of Google Ads to get visibility.

2. Public relations

PR is particularly important if there aren't so many people searching for your type of services and you're looking to build awareness and generate demand for your services. You can using free digital PR techniques like guest blogging

3. Co-marketing

This isn't one channel, instead it's looking at opportunities to collaborate with businesses that you may share an audience with, but aren't direct competitors. Guest blogging is one example of this.

4. Organic social

This is sharing to social networks like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. It's free and there is an amplification effect if your posts are sufficiently engaging to share.

However, social networks favour promoted ads within their feeds to monetise their audience, so as with organic search, if you can't get cut-through, you may need to consider targeted use of paid social ads to get visibility.

5. Email marketing

Another free channel for low volumes of emails, this isn't so much about gaining awareness, rather it's about supporting conversion by reminding subscribers about the benefits of your brand products and services.

Remember that all of these rely on content, so before looking to improve these channels, we recommend you also look at your content marketing strategy  and how it can best differentiate your brand from competitors.

By Dave Chaffey

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A Guide to Growth Hacking for Small Businesses

 Growth hacking sounds great in theory for a small business. But what does it actually mean and how can it help you scale efficiently?

An infographic (below) from OnDeck provides a guide to getting started with growth hacking.

It starts by looking at what the term means and its history.

Next, the infographic explores seven growth-hacking strategies that have been proven to work for small businesses.

https://cutt.ly/Q4H9hbW

50 Profitable Side Hustle Ideas

 

Rawpixel | Getty Images

You know how to do something people would hire you for, but only if they know you are available.

By R.L. Adams

If you're looking for ways you can earn a few extra bucks with a side hustle, you'd likely encounter hundreds of strategies for make some money. However, depending on your unique needs and your skills, earning a respectable amount of cash, and doing it quickly, might be well within your reach. 

No matter where you're from or what you do for a living, thanks to the conveniences afforded to us by the internet, making money is no longer a constant and never-ending struggle. With the proverbial world at our fingertips, as long as you know how to tap into the vast amount of opportunities found in the digital ether of cyberspace, you can earn some extra income, even if you're in a tight bind. 

Some of the strategies listed below offer a quick fix for making some money, others will take a sizable investment of your time. Either way, select a method that fits within your skill set and ensure that you deliver a serious amount of value. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about.

1. Sell items on Ebay or Craigslist.

One of the surest ways you can make cash if you're in a bind is to sell items on Ebay or Craigslist. Any used items like furniture, household appliances, collectibles or anything else that you're just not using or is collecting dust, can be sold online to make some money. If you're serious about this, you can even do it professionally for others and collect a small commission for each sale. Take quality photos and write a good description and you'll be in great shape. 

2. Recycle used smartphones on Gazelle.

I've sold a few used smartphones on Gazelle and it's a no-hassle way of making some cash if you have an old iPhone or Samsung smartphone or another device sitting around. While you won't get top-dollar for it, you will be able to get a little bit of cash that might just help you out depending on your financial situation.

3. Drive for Uber or Lyft.

One of the most widely available ways for making money is to drive for Uber or Lyft. The sharing economy has quite literally exploded, and both Uber and Lyft are at the forefront. The best part? You can turn on and off your availability through these networks with the simple click of a button, effectively allowing you to make money no matter what time of day or night it is.

4. Deliver for PostMates.

Another option for earning a side income is to deliver for PostMates. Similar to working for Uber and Lyft, you can work whenever you want. While the pay might not be enormous, you do have the ability to earn tips. If you're in a highly-trafficked area such as Los Angeles or New York City, this is a great way to earn some cash and you don't even need a car.

5. Rent your spare room on Airbnb.

AirBnB offers a great resource for people that are willing to rent out a spare room or even their entire home. If you're in a bind for some fast cash, AirBnB offers you an avenue for creating an income. You'll get paid 24 hours after a guest checks in, which is to avoid any problems or potential scams that might arrive. Some people earn their primary income just by renting out rooms or homes on AirBnB.

6. Manage social media for small businesses. 

Many small businesses need a social media manager and simply don't have the time nor the expertise to be constantly posting on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter. Take it upon yourself to contact local businesses and offer up your services for a contracted monthly fee. This is an easy way to make money no matter where you live.

7. Answer questions on JustAnswer.

Websites like JustAnswer pay you to answer professional questions. If you have a high-level skill such, as experience in law, medicine or information technology, you could get paid to help others navigate certain topics or areas of contention that they might be faced with in life.

8. Sell services on Fiverr.

Fiverr helped give birth to the Gig Economy. Although services start out at $5, some Fiverr sellers are earning six-figure-plus revenues annually. You can sell just about anything on this platform, but to succeed and become a Super Seller, you need to deliver massive amounts of value, even at those lower price-points.

9. Do micro-jobs on Mechanical Turk.

Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform is one way you can earn money, though it won't make you rich by any measure. However, if you're looking to take on micro-jobs that can be done in a few minutes each, by stringing them together, you could earn some cash that might help you out if you're in a bind.

10. Tutor over Skype.

You can tutor people over Skype, no matter where you might live. This is great, especially if you're a digital nomad and you're looking to earn more money than the local job market can potentially provide. Tutor people from the U.S. or U.K. if you're traveling through Asia or another low-cost-of-living country around the world.

11. Get a part-time job.

Okay, so maybe you need some cash and you already have a full-time job and you're just not comfortable making money online or trying to hustle with some web-based project. You could get a part-time job. You can kiss your social life goodbye, but it's certainly a more guaranteed additional stream of income.

12. Start a blog.

Okay, so you won't make money that fast with a blog. But, if you start a blog and deliver enormous amounts of value, you could set yourself up with a platform for ending a tremendous amount of passive income. This is something you can easily build on the side with just a few hours of work per week, but you need to stay consistent and post great content regularly.

13. Create an online course. 

Create an online course with a platform like Udemy or Teachable and leverage some of your skills to create a healthy income. Depending upon how much time you invest in your course, you could make a substantial side revenue stream by creating courses that deliver tremendous amounts of value.

14. Build a sales funnel with ClickFunnels.

As an online marketer and a software engineer, I am obsessed with sales funnels. However, many people struggle with creating the proper funnel that converts. It takes a high degree of technical and marketing knowledge. However, ClickFunnels, a SaaS business with over 40,000 customers, which was started by Russell Brunson, takes all the guesswork out of that. Build a sales funnel and automate your selling with a platform like this.

15. Write an ebook.

I've long been drawn to the passive income supplied by creating an ebook and publishing an accompanied print-on-demand paperback. By using platforms like KDP and CreateSpace, both by Amazon, you can create an easily create and sell an ebook that costs nothing to produce, and a paperback that earns you money only when it sells, removing much of the prior friction it took to get published.

16. Produce an audiobook.

Use a platform like ACX to create and sell audiobooks on platforms like Audible and iTunes. If you have a great idea for a non-fiction audiobook where you can teach a difficult skill like stock trading, foreign currency investing, accounting, online marketing or others, you can easily create a five-figure monthly income with the right volume of audiobooks.

17. Become a personal chef.

Are you a good cook? You could become a personal chef and prepare meals for other people. You could easily market your services on social media or even go all out and build yourself a website. There are also plenty of websites you can use to market your services such as HireAChef.

18. Do mystery shopping.

Companies of all kinds are looking for mystery shoppers. Mystery shoppers buy in secret, documenting their experiences with the retailer. This can be done at a physical store or an online store. If you do a simple search on becoming a mystery shopper, you can likely locate several services that will assist you. Or, you can simply contact companies directly to pitch your mystery shopping services to them.

19. Walk dogs.

Almost anyone can walk dogs. If you live in a dog-filled neighborhood, create a few flyers on your computer and slip them into mailboxes. Identify yourself as a dog walker and pitch your price. Build up a steady stream of clients and your dog-walking service will grow over time.

20. Babysit or become a nanny.

If you need to make some quick cash, you could always start babysitting or even become a part-time nanny. You use a variety of sites to do this like Care.com or SitterCity or even post your services on social media sites. You'll get vetted and rated for your services, so be sure to provide a top-notch experience.

21. Clean houses.

Housekeeping is always an option. There are loads of private families and home owners that are renting out their homes on a short-term basis that need housekeeping or house cleaning services. You can list your services on a site like HouseKeeper.com and many others to promote yourself.

22. Participate in marketing focus groups.

Marketing companies are always holding focus groups to study the consumer's response to products, services and advertisements across a variety of mediums. I used to participate in these studies often in college, and so can you. You don't need any special training to do it.

23. Have a garage sale.

You could always hold a garage sale to make some money by getting rid of excess clutter in your house. This is great if you have children that have outgrown toys or you simply have a large number of items that you're looking to part ways with. Post up some signs around town or advertise on Craigslist.

24. Create YouTube tutorials.

Although this isn't the quickest way you can make money with a side income, creating YouTube tutorials can help you earn a respectable amount of income as long as what you deliver is engaging and keeps people interested for long enough. You could also use free tutorials to upsell viewers on products and services you might be offering.

25. Sell technical services on Upwork.

I've used Upwork as a platform to hire graphic and web designers for a long time. But Upwork also provides a platform for accountants, lawyers and other professionals to earn money. Keep in mind that you're keeping with thousands of other service providers so getting this off the ground will take you some time.

26. Design logos on 99Designs.

If you're graphically inclined and you're get a programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, you could potentially compete for design work on 99Designs. However, you won't get paid unless your design is chosen as the winning design, meaning you need to be a very good designer to make income that's worthwhile here.

27. Become a personal shopper.

Want to shop for others? You could effectively become a personal shopper. If you live in an urban metropolis with concentrated wealth, then personal shopping services are in high demand in your area. Scour the web and other online resources such as ThumbTack to find people looking for personal shoppers.

28. Use TaskRabbit.

TaskRabbit links you up with people that are looking to complete specific tasks in your area. Tasks include things like lifting heavy furniture, assembling furniture and so on. You'll need to register and get vetted but it's a simple way you can make a bit of extra income.

29. Sell products on Etsy.

Use Etsy to sell crafts or other home-made items. Etsy is one of the largest resources for selling handmade goods on the internet. You could also sell digital items such as digital posters that can be printed out.

30. Teach a language.

If you know a second language, and you're well-versed enough in it, you could teach it to others. You can even teach English to students, or if you're traveling as a digital nomad, you could teach English as a second language in your country of choice.

31. Wash and detail cars.

Wash and detail cars in your area. Hand out fliers in your neighborhood or post on social media offering your services. Mobile car washing and detailing has become a relatively lucrative business in more upscale neighborhoods.

32. Open a Mobile Pet Grooming Service

Try your hand at pet grooming. Purchase and outfit a mobile van so that you can groom pets on the go. This does require a small investment, but it's a side job you could enjoy when you have spare time.

33. Start a food truck.

Purchasing a food truck requires a substantial investment, but the food truck business is growing significantly. Location and cuisine choice is important. Be sure to do ample research before getting started.

34. Become a freelance article writer.

Write articles for other people. If you have a passion for writing, you could help out other bloggers or even become a ghost writer for a well-known author. Use sites like Freelancer, Upwork and others to advertise your services.

35. Personal training.

Find clients that you can help out to achieve their weight loss or fitness goals. Create meal plans or construct workout routines and you could make an admirable income for your efforts.

36. Give music lessons.

If you play the piano, guitar or another instrument, consider teaching others in your local area. Advertise online through social media or through your personal or professional networks.

36. Become an affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is an extremely alluring industry. However, many affiliate marketers don't make much money. If you have the skills it takes to succeed in this arena, you could quite literally make a small fortune. But be careful not to get drawn into pie-in-the-sky hopes or dreams of making money without putting in much effort.

37. Do email marketing.

Email marketing is one of the most profitable forms of marketing that exists online. However, attracting subscribers and making a personal connection with them takes a good deal of work. Use platforms like LeadPages, Aweber, Constant Contact, MailChimp and ConvertKit to get things off the ground.

38. Write resumes. 

Good at writing resumes? Use sites like LinkedIn and other professional sites to advertise your resume writing services. Do a few for free and grab some raving reviews, then watch your sales skyrocket.

39. Be an extra in movies.

If you're looking to make a few extra bucks without a major investment of your, try your hand at being an extra in a movie. There's a lot of sitting around and waiting, but the pay is good if you're in a production city like Los Angeles, New York, London or Vancouver.

40. Reduce your expenses.

Sometimes, making some extra cash can be done by cutting expenses. When was the last time you audited all your monthly expenses? How much is going out the door for that gym membership you don't use or those pricey lunches you have every day?

41. Start a GoFundMe Page.

Try raising some personal funds using GoFundMe. You can advertise your page to your network through social media, and if you can create a compelling enough story, you might just have enough takers that decide to help you out.

42. Sell your hair.

Have long hair? Why not sell it to make a few extra bucks? Advertise your hair for sale on a site like HairSellOn or any number of others that are out there.

43. Become a house sitter.

Become a professional house sitter and watch homes for people that go on vacation or have a second home and don't spend much time there. HouseSitter.com and Care.com both offer house-sitting jobs.

44. Teach driving lessons to students.

Are you a great driver? Why not get licensed as a driving instructor? You can advertise your services both online and offline, or use a site like Indeed.com to search for part-time driving instructor jobs.

45. Become a local tour guide.

If you live in a vacation destination, consider becoming a local tour guide. You could even offer your services for free and then ask for a tip at the end, drawing more people into touring with you.

46. Become a virtual assistant.

Virtual assistants are in high demand, but it only makes sense from an income standpoint if you have lots of free time and you're very organized. It also doesn't hurt to live in an area with a lower cost of living.

47. Do interior decorating.

If you have an eye for design, consider doing interior decorating for clients. Use a site like Houzz to advertise your services to the masses.

48. Sell on CafePress.

CafePress allows you to sell items that feature a digital design. If you're a great graphic designer, you could create a number of designs that would fit different formats such as shirts, hats and cups, and earn a commission when they sell.

49. Invest with LendingClub.

LendingClub is a peer-to-peer lending service that you can invest in. If you have some extra cash and you're looking to put it to use, you can leverage this platform to invest in businesses from a wide range of industries. Risk is cacluated for you using algorithms, and the more risk in an investment, the more potential for reward.

50. Create a smartphone app.

If you have some app development skills and you're proficient at Swift or Android-based development platforms, you could try your hand at creating a smartphone app. Obviously, this isn't a quick or easy way to make money, but could pay off big with the right idea.

https://bit.ly/3jA2RQ3