I feel that way a lot about tools online (especially free ones!)  There are so many amazing tools that work great, but unless you know about them, and how to use them, you may find yourself sitting on the sidelines and watching other people make money online.

A lot of times it takes only a few minutes for someone to show you, but perhaps you don’t know who to ask.   I know, I’ve been there.  In fact, I wanted to learn how to design my own websites so bad, that I spent an entire week devoted to teach myself how to use Dreamweaver (a web design program).  It was exhausting, and yet now I’m so glad I know how to use this tool.

Talking to business owners and clients through the years, I’ve come to realize that there are many times where we end up at a computer and I’m showing them a resource that we talked about in a casual conversation. 

As fate would have it, I truly stumbled across the idea of creating video tutorials for my clients — whether to train themselves or bring their team members up to speed, it just makes sense that you can go to one location and get just what you need to know in under 5 minutes. 

I recently launched my latest website that combines my love of systems, figuring out the latest software or online tool, and sharing information with others who need it.  It’s called www.5MinuteMarketingMagic.com. 

One of my clients, after signing up for membership at this website wrote this email to me –

Tammy:

You know how busy I am.  When I am not homeschooling, I am juggling many other projects which include trying to run my businesses.  But I do not want to be too busy to stop and say thank you.  I must say I am completely blown away at your new website and concept.  Just today I was showing Jim the video on how to set up PayPal to accept payments and he said “Tammy is pretty smart to come up with such a great concept.”  I could not agree with him more.  Seriously, you know no matter how excited I am about my business I find myself stuck when it comes to the technology end.  Just the words shopping carts is enough to make me break out into a cold sweat.  And here you are walking me through the steps of setting up an account in simple to use terms and at a pace that is right for me.  On top of that, your voice actually had a calming effect on me.  I know that sounds strange, but this technology thing can be overwhelming for me and you just put me at ease.  Now I know I can do it, with you and your website in my back pocket.

I opened the website, played the video, paused it while I implemented it in another window.  It was that easy.  It was like having a tutor right here in my office.  I find myself thinking of all the things I can do as I go  through all the videos you have.  I feel like there is nothing that can stop me now as long as you keep on making videos.  So I say all this to say thank you, thank you and thank you.

Gratefully yours,
Lia Allen  (www.liaallen.com)

I have to admit that I’ve spent so many hours learning all of these things and never thought that I would be sharing this information with other business owners, but I’m humbled and grateful for people like Lia who are implementing and benefiting from my videos. 

I’ve been fortunate to have amazing mentors and friends who have shared resources with me, but there were many times where I spent hours or days figuring out how to use these tools.  The benefit of joining www.5minutemarketingmagic.com is that I know exactly what you want to do and I’ll show you only what you need to know for each tool. 

Don’t waste any more time and money on programs that won’t show you HOW to market your business, join www.5MinuteMarketingMagic.com.  You have my personal 30-day guarantee that you will love what you get out of your membership, if you don’t let me know and I’ll make sure you get a full refund. 

What are you waiting for?  You could be learning and implementing right now!!  www.5MinuteMarketingMagic.com

If you know a busy mom who is interested in getting more organized this year, and needs the motivation, this program is perfect.   Sign up for the free call Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. EST.  http://bit.ly/liaorganize

So, have you considered the power of collaborating with others in your business.  Always consider what you have to offer the other person.  Sure, you might know of someone who has a large list of prospects with your target audience, but what do you bring to the table?   Are you offering them an affiliate commission, does your service compliment their service? 

Don’t be afraid to approach a potential JV partner and ask them what they are looking for in a JV opportunity.  Then tailor your offer to fit their criteria. 

Some great JV partners for residential organizers are:

Coaches, Cleaning ladies, Computer repair companies, and Personal Chefs. 

Why?  They are all involved in helping make their clients lives better and can offer your service as an extension of their own (sometimes even billing for your service through their company).  So start partnering today!

Some would argue that it should be done in such a way to optimize your website and that you have to have the right keywords, blah, blah, blah! 

All of this can be important, but if you’ve been holding off getting online because you want things to be perfect or if you have an old outdated website that needs changed badly and don’t have the resources to do it, then do one yourself today!

Check out this free tool — here’s the video!

http://www.screencast.com/t/YWNjZWJkZDUt

The other challenge that organizers can have is that the raving fan doesn’t want to admit that they needed an organizer.  So, they’re just not willing to put there name up there and tell everyone how bad it was before and the amazing difference. 

Nevertheless, find those brave clients and get started on compiling powerful testimonials today with the following points to keep in mind:

1.  Describe the problem.

In order for the testimonial to be effective, you can’t just have “Diane did a fabulous job when organizing my kitchen”, rather you want the client to describe the problem in detail, explain how you solved it for them, and why they are so happy.  (ie.  “I was struggling to get a meal on the table with cluttered counter tops that I had to constantly clean off, Diane helped me purge out appliances I was no longer using in my cupboards to make room for the kitchen tools I used regularly, she also set up action files for the family’s paperwork, now my counter tops are clean and tidy and I know where the kids field trip form is to return to school, she was professional and knowledgeable and actually made it fun!”)

As you can see from the two examples the reader of the testimonials can put themselves in the position of the client.  This ability to relate is very powerful and they will desire the same result for themselves.

2.   Write it for them

Many of your clients may not be used to writing anything.  So, the idea of having them writing a testimonial is overwhelming.  Just ask them to describe their experience, write it up for them using the format mentioned above and email it to them to review and approve.  

3.   Pictures are powerful.

If you work with business owners, you may even be able to get a picture of the client and post a link to their website.  Pictures add even more personality to your testimonial and can add more credibility to the testimonial.

4.  Audio is amazing.

Audio adds personality to the testimonial.  Many of you have worked with clients who feel so amazing after your session, they are jumping out of their skin.  Imagine capturing their excitement on a digital voice recorder at that moment.  Digital recorders can be purchased at places like Radio Shack, or even Walmart.  You then take it home, plug it into your computer with a USB cord and you can upload it to your blog.  If you want to add it to your website, you’ll need someone who knows how to put play buttons on your page, or you can use a service like BYO Audio which is a great service that I use that provides access to phone numbers that allow people to call in and leave a testimonial, and the ability to put audio and video on your website easily.  If using an audio testimonial, type some of what they say below the recording to the audio, so if they click on the play button they will know a little about it.  Otherwise, they may not click at all.

Regardless whether you use audio or written, take the time to make them count and help the reader know if you are the person they need to work with!

Think of it as organizing your marketing — well, now there’s an idea.  Imagine putting together a systemized way of structuring your business which forces you to make decisions and then follow a structure based on those decisions that you made — hmmm, sounds a lot like organizing.

So, I developed the system, and here’s the best part, I’m just going to share it here with my readers.  Just know that this is GOOD stuff.  It’s the kind of system that has the potential to add a zero or two to the end of your yearly income.

1.  Discover what makes you exceptional

Look, everyone has a story (like Oprah says) and everyone has something that they do better than anyone.  So, you need to find out what that is.  What’s my exceptional talent you ask?  Encouraging.  I could do it all day long and not get paid!

2.  Who is your target market and/or specialty?

Okay, you know what you’re really good at, now who do you want to work with, and what do you want to do for them.  (At this point, you may discover that you don’t want to organize anymore.  That’s why these steps can be really hard — just be sure to be true to yourself or you won’t see the success you hope for.)

3.  What is your marketing personality?

Do you like to speak or write?  Chances are you prefer one much more than the other.  Once you know what you are better at, adapt your lifestyle to coordinate with your preference.  (ie.  dictate your articles rather than write them and have them transcribed)

4. What is your biggest business goal this year?

Once you know what direction you want to go in, it’s important you have a laser beam focus.  This will help you to avoid the dart board approach to marketing.  It’s all about making the big decision.   Just like you help your clients focus on a room or project until it’s finished, think of deciding on your biggest goal the same way.  Be realistic if you want to increase your income goal.  If you made 10,000 the year before, goal to make 4 times that the following year. What to do after you accomplish this goal?  Set another one!

5.  What’s your system to accomplish this goal?

When developing your system to reach your goal, I highly recommend mindmapping first.  Once you have your mindmap done, you will only need to organize the information and put it in order.  After putting your steps in order, I highly recommend setting deadlines for all the tasks that you need to complete.  One of the best ways to do that is to purchase a year wall calendar and map out what you want to accomplish by certain dates and times.  This is a tip from highly successful internet marketers and I found it to be magic when it came to getting things done.  It helps you to put your year into perspective.    The only step left is accountability, support and help with direction.   If you’re feeling lost in the direction of your business and need someone to guide you through fill out a business breakthrough planning session form and return to me via the email listed on the form.

Wishing you the best as you grow your organizing business!

Whether or not you’re a fan of the Secret, I believe this video can inspire and encourage you.  Getting into business is exciting and most people do it to create freedom and enjoy life.  Unfortunately, it’s possible to stop living when you are running your business because you get so busy with all the details.  This video reminds me that life is truly about the simple pleasures of embracing everyday.  Develop your business around your life, not your life around your business!

It’s funny actually.  I was an organizer for 4 1/2 years and I had glimpses of it in the process of helping them get out of overwhelm, but I believe my heart is with marketing.  I love helping my clients discover who they want to work with and how to get their message out there in a personal way in this very tech savvy world.

So, have you found your sweet spot?  If not, keep looking.  Pay attention to everything you do.  When you are doing something and it doesn’t feel like work, that’s it!!  You may notice it when you are with your family or friends too!

When you are passionate about what you do, and do it with ease, that is when you can contribute the most to your clients, family and friends.

Live fully!

One of the things that business owners fail to do is plan out who they want to market to specifically.  Who really do you want to attract?  Think about it from the perspective of dating.  People usually have a picture in their mind of the type of person they want to meet, what they might look like, how tall they are, etc. 

The same must be true for the business owner.  Do you have an ideal client in mind?  Do you know who you want to attract? 

Knowing this is crucial for your marketing.  By understanding who your ideal client is, you can “hang” out where they do.  If your ideal client is always on the internet, then it’s a good place to market to them, but if not, then you’ll need to find them other places. 

While it may seem controversial to tell you that not EVERYONE is your ideal client, it’s true.  If you attract people to you who you can help, you’re much more likely to close the sale, work with the client and end up with satisfied customers that will continue to use your services and refer you to others.

The same applies to getting your name out on the web.  It’s essential that you  can be found.  Here’s how to drum up the traffic you want.

- post articles (at least one a day when you’re getting started) on EzineArticles.com or IdeaMarketers.com.  Put tag word such as the city and state that you live in along with organizer, organizing consultant, professional organizer, and list any specialities such as kitchen organizer.

- start visiting networking groups.  You should be attending at least one group a week.  Build up relationships by using their services and spend at least a year in each referral group that you join.

- partner with networking buddies to see how they can promote your services and how you can help them.  Perhaps you can declutter for 3 hours in exchange for advertising a workshop in their store or office. 

- get on Facebook.  Post before and after photos of jobs.  Give great organizing tips and strategies and make sure to find all those networking buddies that you know to connect to.

- Start a blog and put the name of your city and state as well as organizer in the title.  This is searchable so when people are looking for an organizer in your area, you will make it to the first or second page (of course, depending on how populated your area is).

- Offer a Newsletter on your site and keep in touch with your clients and prospects monthly via email.  Use a newsletter service like Constant Contact to start.  If you don’t want to have to come up with content every month yourself, check out Organizer News.

Just remember to stay visible.  Do something everyday to get in front of your target market.  Give this strategy 3 to 6 months and you should start to have results from your efforts that will last for years.

This clip helps me understand what business is all about. We need to keep going regardless of how hard it seems. We are so much stronger than we want to admit. So, who’s coaching you? check out http://pomastermind.com for an opportunity to build a supportive team to get “your very best!”