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How to prepare your blog for Q4 2017

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My Girl Scout training taught me to “be prepared.”

Back then, it meant gathering enough kindling to build a proper fire, or carrying a canteen with extra water.

Now, it means periodically reviewing and reflecting on what’s ahead for my business. At the end of Q3, it’s good to look way back to January to see what your goals were.

Don’t beat yourself up if your current self hasn’t lived up to the hype of your January self. You’ve still got three months to pull out a victory (or two) if you don’t get distracted.

Here’s a handy checklist that will help you do a quick check-in and reset as we move into Q4 2017.

Review How Your Marketing Campaigns Worked So Far

Look through your key metrics for campaigns you ran the first two thirds of the year. How did they do? Do the results mean you need to shift priorities through the end of the year? If something isn’t working, stop doing it.

Prepare Your Content Calendar

If you’re blogging and/or sharing on social media (and hopefully you are), take some time to stockpile some content ideas and schedule them on your content calendar of choice. When the holidays start approaching, you’ll be able to have a pumpkin spice latte instead of scrambling for topics.

Make Sure You’re Up To Date with SEO Shifts

Google changes its algorithm a few hundred times a year; have you changed your SEO strategy this year? Of course you always want to keep your customers’ needs in the forefront of your content planning, but you should also be aware of shifting search priorities. Moz is my go-to resource for SEO.

Leverage End-of-Year Spending

Yes, it feels as though the end of the year is “looming,” but there’s some silver lining in there. Consider offering a special discount or bonus for new customers in Q4. Some organizations end up with budget to spend at the end of the year. You might be able to nudge indecisive prospects with a special deal.

Don’t Coast

It’s tempting to ditch accountability if you haven’t achieved your lofty goals for 2017 yet. Don’t do it! If it’s been a lackluster year, choose just one of your goals and hit it hard now. Set your mind on how great you’ll feel as you put your feet up in December by the fire. Break it down into weekly tasks, and get after it.

If you want to share your “one goal” with us here in the comments, we will cheer you on!

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via: Jessica Ruscello

Is It Smart to Start a Business Past Age 50?

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Business Man Walking To 2016 NumberStarting a small business at any age is a daunting task.

But beginning one after the age of 50 comes with its own set of unique challenges. Fortunately that’s not stopping many of America’s older entrepreneurs.

According to U.S. News & World Report, a 2015 survey found that nearly 26% of businesses started that year were from people age 55 to 64.

For many, their own business provides a means of making the money they’ll need to get through retirement.

Others choose this path because of a passion for work, to explore a second career path, or simply to have more control over their hours and schedule.

But what are some of the specific challenges facing those over 50?

Choosing the Right Type of Business

Younger entrepreneurs, for better or worse, have ample time to fail in terms of choosing the right business to start. Those over 50 have more at stake given looming retirement and need to make more calculated, smart choices.

While you may be deeply passionate about something, if your business doesn’t solve an already existing problem or fill some gap in the marketplace, it may not be viable in the long run. Prospective business owners need to take that into account in addition to assessing what unique skills they bring to the table for a new business.

As AARP suggests, you can get started by making a chart of your skills, past projects, and outcomes to get a comprehensive inventory of your own capabilities.

Getting Caught Up on Tech

In the article “Starting a Business After Age 50, Chief Coach of Bizstarters, Jeff Williams puts a strong emphasis on older entrepreneurs catching up on how to use the newest technology.

Williams suggests reading reputable business-oriented websites and publications to find technology how-to’s or even check out your local library for software classes or learning how to use specific equipment.

As technology is constantly changing, there’s no shame in not being up to date but prospective business owners need to be proactive with this education.

Consider Your Unique Limitations

For many entrepreneurs, the ultimate goal in starting a business is the chance to eventually sell it for a profit. Your age may expedite that need for an exit strategy. The upside here is that you’re forced to make added bigger picture plans early on in the life of your business.

Older business owners also need to be honest and reasonable when it comes to their level of physical stamina.

For example, if you’re nearing retirement age, it may not be the most sustainable idea to start a labor intensive, one-man landscaping business.

Starting your own dog-walking service, doing independent consulting, or making jewelry on the other hand, may have more longevity.

Putting Ego Aside

When you start a business after age 50, you’re likely coming into this venture with a wealth of knowledge and experience. However, as is the case with all successful entrepreneurs, you need to put ego aside and make choices that are in the best interest of your company.

This may mean that you need to be patient when it comes to a slow-growing client base. It may also mean that you’ll be getting advice or mentorship from professionals that are many years younger than you but have specific expertise to offer.

From putting ego aside to choosing the right business in the first place, those over age 50 can start their new company feeling prepared.

Additionally, hopeful entrepreneurs can use the internet as a tech education resource, making prospective business owners equipped with the tools they need.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Kristin Livingstone writes on a variety of topics including entrepreneurship and starting businesses.

Four steps to your best day ever

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“Make 2015 your best year ever!”

All of the confetti has landed on the ground. January is in the rear view mirror, and if you aren’t paying attention, the first week of February is almost done.

confetti on the ground

Did you have big planning sessions the week before New Years? Did you set up your new calendar, your new systems, new routines?

Many of us do that, and by the first week of February, some of it has begun to crumble already.

But let’s not sit around being depressed. Let’s switch our thinking up a bit.

What if we applied the “best year ever” thought process to a single day?

What if we decided to wake up tomorrow and focus on making it a success?

Here are some typical planning steps for an “annual planning” session:

  1. Set aside time to dream and visualize.
  2. Decide what you intend to do and why you intend to do it.
  3. Break the goal down into manageable steps with a timeframe.
  4. Take action immediately.

That looks a lot like a perfect day, doesn’t it? Let’s re-frame:

  1. Use your first 30 minutes to visualize the day and let creative juices flow, without external interruption.
  2. Decide what you intend to accomplish that day, and think about why you intend to do it.
  3. Choose which steps you want to advance on that day, and schedule them in.
  4. Take action immediately.

It’s still necessary to do the annual and quarterly planning. However, those longer-term plans are much more likely to happen if you get in the habit of a daily refocus.

Don’t forget to include all aspects of your day in the plan.

When you set your intentions for the day, you should incorporate your afternoon run, your manicure, your visit with a sick friend alongside the business luncheon, the copywriting, and the pitch meeting.

How do you make sure that your days are moving you toward a successful year?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: AndrewButl3r via Compfight cc

Budget Your Business Better in 2015

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abudgeterBudgeting makes the world go around, especially if you’re a business owner.

With the New Year right off and running, there’s no better time than now to get your budget on the right track.

When it comes to better budgeting for your business, here are just a few ways you can improve your financial plan for 2015:

Make and Follow a Spreadsheet

If you don’t run the numbers as the come, it could spell trouble for your budgeting endeavors. Spreadsheets are a business’s best friend, so if you haven’t already, the New Year is the perfect time to create and follow and budgeting spreadsheet.

You’ll want to make sure your spreadsheet updates are part of your daily routine, so put aside a little time each day for your budget.

If you wait until the end of the week or month to update your spreadsheet, it’ll make finding budgeting errors complicated.

Cut Costs Wherever Possible

Just because your business isn’t over budget doesn’t mean you can’t use the New Year as an opportunity to cut costs. No matter how small your budget is, there’s always room to reduce business costs.

Whether you change suppliers to reduce delivery charges or you simply use less paper in the office, every little bit counts.

If your business has unnecessary costs, chances are they’ll quickly pop up in your budget breakdown.

Assess Regularly

Having a budget is one thing, but following it is something else entirely. Assessing your budget regularly is the best way to stay on top of your business’s finances.

As the following article shows, you can keep track of your finances with a free budget template, which will take the guesswork out of the budgetary process.

Budget templates are great tools for easily tracking your daily, weekly, and monthly spending habits.

The best part is budget templates are available for all of your mobile devices, so you can check your business’s finances on the go.

Leave a Little Wiggle Room

Your business should never live above its means, which is why it’s so important to leave a little wiggle room in your budget.

You never know what’s around the corner for your business. Some extra financial cushion will ensure you don’t have budgeting issues during slow periods or when unexpected costs arise.

In terms of wiggle room, you don’t need a massive amount. A good rule of thumb is to keep 3 to 5 percent of your overall budget open each month.

If you find you don’t need that much cushion or you need to allocate those expenses elsewhere, you can adjust your wiggle room accordingly.

Set Realistic Goals

As your business bid farewell to 2014 and entered 2015, it’s important to set realistic budgetary goals.

Numbers change all the time, so keep this in mind when setting up your budget, be it for employee costs, advertising, marketing, supplies and whatever else you need to efficiently and effectively run your company.

In other words, don’t create a budget that’s so hard to follow that your business struggles just to meet its financial objectives.

If you’re ready to revamp your business’s budget for 2015, keep in mind the financial pointers above.

As a business owner, how do you stay within your budget each year?

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including finance and small business.

How to do 2015

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Happy New Year!

crystal clear beach day

This is not a roundup, best-of, lessons-learned post.

This is not about setting goals, making resolutions, or dieting.

This is just a simple reminder that there’s nothing magic about January 1.

So yes, come out of the gates today full of hope and energy, full of plans and fresh ideas.

And on March 13 or so, or when that starts to flag, remind yourself that any old day can be January 1. Get back up on the horse, go back and re-read your goals, dream board, marketing plan, business strategy, all the things you wrote on January 1.

Heck, it could even be next Wednesday.

The most successful people are the ones who can create their own January 1 whenever they need it.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

The Secret to a Successful Marketing Strategy

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acres of farmland

The ambitious farmer, fresh out of agricultural college, wrote up a detailed plan for his farm.

He designated which crops he was going to grow, how he was going to rotate them, what equipment he would need, and how many farm hands he was going to hire.

After gathering all of his resources, he and his farm hands went out and planted acres of crops. It was laborious work, but when he looked out over his acres of fertile land, he was very proud.

Then he and his farm crew got into their shiny pickup trucks and drove away.

The young farmer took continuing education classes in pest control, irrigation, and hydroponics.

He went to some conferences.

He started writing an e-book about farming.

He and his farm hands finally returned to the fields the next year to find acres of weedy, rotting crops, half-eaten by wildlife. No corn. No potatoes. Nothing to harvest at all.

You will get no potatoes from your detailed marketing plan unless you have a system in place between January and December.

The secret to a successful marketing strategy is follow-through. Do it, measure it, adjust, and do it again.

Set Your 2015 Marketing Up For Success

Analytics and measurement – For tactics that support your key strategies, decide how you will measure success. This should be a number or a concrete result. Set up a spreadsheet and track the results from each tactic.

Did you send out a direct mail piece? Track how many people called the phone number or visited the special landing page. Did you create an infographic? How often was it shared? How many people downloaded it? Don’t include any activities in your marketing plan that can’t be measured in some way.

Decide in advance how often you will look at the numbers. Is it weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Once you look at the numbers, be prepared to take action based on them.

After-action reports – At the end of every campaign, schedule time to review it. Not just the statistics and analytics, but also budget, resources, how the campaign resonated with customers. What could you have done better, more efficiently? Is it worth doing again? If it failed, why did it fail? Record this information and save it where you can refer back to it in the future (perhaps a Dropbox folder, shared with your team).

Budget updates – Hopefully you included budget projections with your plan. Those projections need to be tied to real-time numbers on a regular basis. The more you do this exercise, the smarter your estimates will be next year. You do have to spend money to make money, but you want to spend it intelligently. If you have your finger on the pulse of your budget routinely, you can reallocate funds if necessary. You will know whether you have the cash to invest in that sponsorship opportunity that pops up in April.

Focus your efforts – Unless you’re a Fortune 500 company, you probably can’t move forward on five big marketing campaigns at once. When you’re writing your marketing plan, don’t assume that you’re going to do it all in January. In fact, you may not want to plan out your entire year up-front. Consider going quarter by quarter. Plan your first quarter’s efforts in detail, and then have possible campaigns outlined and ready to be slotted into the next quarter.

There’s a sweet spot between completely unplanned and rigidly scheduled…you want to go there. Give yourself the gift of flexibility, but don’t wait until the last minute to prepare the next quarter’s actions.

Accountability and reporting – Even in a solo entrepreneurship, you need to have accountability to the business. It’s not a waste of time to put your marketing plan down in writing, even if you’re the only one reading it. It’s not a waste of time to do a weekly review of your numbers and prepare a written summary. When your business grows, you will be happy to have records! In a small shop, grab that extra set of eyeballs for your campaign reviews and budgeting. It doesn’t have to be an all-day event, just make sure you’re not stuck inside your own head. It’s important to relate your marketing activities with the sales person, the customer service person, and the rest of the team. You’re all working toward the same corporate strategic goals anyway, right?

So while you’re preparing your 2015 marketing plan, don’t forget the systems. And we’ll be harvesting lots of potatoes next year!

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: Ian Sane via Compfight cc