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Increasing Resources
October 23, 2009
Good News!
Since we have upgraded ours servers with the latest technology, and cause you deserve it, we have increased all the quotas for all the plans as crazy, sure, all the resources have been increased by 1000% (yeah, a thousand), this is the deal for the Free Accounts:
Invoices from 3 to 30 per month (one per day) if you use that you have to be billing a lot and you are a very busy business man so this application is written for you (Good for you!.)
Payments from 6 to 90 per month that means you can do 3 payments per Invoice per day.
Customers from 3 to 50 then you don’t have to write down on paper what your Contacts are, just storage it in your system and they will be available in any place any time.
Products and Services have grow up to 150 (I know that is a crazy amount but you deserve it) so you can safely keep your real Items as well your prospect Items.
Vendors from 5 to 50 so don’t care about the Vendors and I will put in there all I have 
Staff from 5 to 50, well, no comment, do you have more than 50 employees or independent contracts? I don’t think so but if that the case just contact us to fit that value.
Accounts from 4 to 12 but, do you know what an Account is? Well, an Account is a Staff or Administrator that has a Login and Password and can access the system (you, as Administrator, can restrain what he/she can do.)
Documents Space has been increased to 50MB from just 10 MB. Ok, what that’s mean? The Holy Bible needs 1 MB in plain text so you can save in the server 50 Holy Bibles then you can keep your business management information and your documents all together in one place.
Important Note: These values will never ever be downgraded, you can safely use this type of Free Account forever this is our commitment with you but perhaps these resources will be increased even more in a close future.
Are Entrepreneurs Crazy?
July 23, 2009
Discussing business and life issues with my productivity partner this morning for our daily call, I had the thought that only crazy people set up in business. Being an employee is so much easier.
But then later in the day I realized that most of the craziness we inflict on ourselves, and we get so many more benefits than downsides.
There are many reasons people start their own business, here are just a few:
- You can start a business in your spare time, giving you more financial security than just relying on your only employer to not fire you
- Being your own boss means you work how you want to, when you want to
- If you work hard you get the rewards, rather than the layers of management above you
- The satisfaction of creating something and seeing other people get value from it
We also asked on this very blog, and here are some additional thoughts from readers:
- I started my own business to be able to do what I was passionate about
- I’m very creative, and cubicle jobs tend to stifle
- The only limit to my income is how much I can bring in
- I love to feel like I’m making a difference
- Insulating my self from risk
- A great learning experience.
- I release software all the time. One might really take off one day and when that happens I have a vehicle ready for it.
- Tax reasons
- Do what makes you happy and everything else will follow.
- To avoid politics and other non-productive activities so that I can focus on getting the job done
As you can see, the reasons are varied but in general business owners feel
- more fulfilled,
- more rewarded
- and freer to do what they enjoy and think will be valuable to others.
Does this seem crazy … or like something you would like?
Your Small Gestures Make a Big Impact
July 18, 2009
I used to think being called “nice” was a curse.
“Nice” does not get the ladies, does not get respect from the guys. “Nice” is a pushover, a doormat, every angry person’s chew toy.
But in business I found out that “nice” could be a competitive advantage.
We want to work with nice people. It makes us feel good to be around positive, polite, compassionate folks who care. While many people in business think they need to be sharks, where they will willingly climb over their colleagues carcass to make a sale, being nice actually stands out as special and attractive.
You do not need to do much to be this person.
A simple thank you can make all the difference. Send hand written notes for even better results. Buy gifts. Do not talk about the gestures you do, just do them. See how surprised people are, and how much more likely they are to remember and come back to you.
In many businesses how you make your customers feel is paramount. They will not tell you so, and in fact will have many rational reasons why they work with you, but human relationships have a much stronger impact on vendor choice than people credit.
For any job there are usually a good number of people competing for the same work, all with the ability to do it well.
Who would you rather work with? The competitive, abrasive jerk with the wall full of awards, or the pleasant and polite competent person who quietly gets the job done with a smile?
Send a note today. Tell someone you appreciate them. Even if nothing comes from it, it will make you feel good!
A Great, Easy Source of Freelancing Clients
July 1, 2009
When I asked “What is holding you back from online freelancing” I got two comments, several tweets and a bunch of emails saying the same thing.
People are struggling to get new freelancing clients.
Now I know this is a challenge, especially in the current economy, and especially when starting out. A few people said that they had emailed me because they were in fact embarrassed about not having enough work “Freelancers live and die by their reputation, you need to look busy and successful otherwise people think you are low quality” was the typical response to my inquiry.
Well I am here to tell you something about that. In fact, I have three things to tell you.
First though you need to get your house (website) in order. This covers the first two points.
- If you need more work then tell people you are available. You do NOT have to admit you are short of work, just say
- you are available,
- what you do,
- why someone should be interested,
- how much you cost,
- how to find out more, contact or book you.
- “Acting busy” is often used as a tactic by folks, it is the classic “scarcity” play, but as the folks who contacted me found out, it can also backfire. The way around it is often recommended to say that you have had a last minute cancellation, blah blah. In my view honesty is the best policy. People can smell these sales tactics a mile away. Instead you should actually GET busy. Provide a bonus, add a killer guarantee, do some free work for a local charity, offer to help someone who is popular and you admire, and get them to refer you to their friends. If you get really desperate, discount.
The third point is the real subject of this article.
Today you have an unrecedented access to all the prospects you need. This is because in the past you needed physical access to people, their address, or at least their telephone number if you wanted to sell your services to them.
Now people are opening up to networking on a global scale, the gatekeepers are neutralized, and we are nearly all connected via degrees of separation.
Use the tools!
- Search on Twitter for people talking about your market. Help people, give tips, make friends, put out offers.
- Answer questions and make connections on LinkedIn.
- Write compelling articles that demonstrate your expertise and share them on social bookmarking sites.
- Find forums where people ask questions that you can answer, spend time supplying solutions, with a great signature link back to your blog/website.
- When you get a client and you do a wonderful job for them that makes them super impressed, ask for referrals and testimonials.
If you are willing to show off what you can do, in a way that interests and helps others, you will have no shortage of leads. Once you get a customer, thrill them by going the extra mile (or ten!) so that they come back for more, and tell everyone how great you are.
Pretty soon you will have a full order book, and your problem will go from not enough work to how the heck you are going to fit it all into a 24 hour day 
Got any more tips or experiences to share? Please let us know in the comments …
Make More Sales With Your Billing Process
June 17, 2009
Every small business needs to make sales. You want a steady flow of customers to keep that cash coming in and your business afloat.
What you might not realize is putting in place a good billing approach can not only help make sure you get paid, it can actually help you make more sales.
Yes, by billing people you can actually get new and repeat orders.
How?
You might have started thinking of the answer already.
What happens when you invoice a customer? You send them communication. And do they read it? You bet they do, if they are an honest and organized business anyway. So you are sending communication that is almost guaranteed to get read by the people most likely to be good customers! It automatically filters out dead beats, because if they do not read invoices then you do not really want them as customers
Of course when dealing with some companies you will have to deal with a different department for billing than your main customer. In those cases you need to modify your approach somewhat, maybe with courtesy copies to your main client contact (which I do anyway).
Now we have established your invoices are valuable real estate, what can we do with that information?
Well obviously we do not want to get in the way of getting bills paid, and we certainly do not want to annoy our happy customers.
Keeping it subtle, you could do a couple of things.
- To get repeat custom from the same customer, make an offer. If you post invoices manually, add to your covering letter or drop on a post-it note saying “as a valued customer we would like to offer you …”. If you send electronic invoices then you can add something in the curtesy email or right into the invoice template.
- Get referrals by first just asking for them (”If you know anyone else who could benefit from …”), or if you want to increase your chances consider some kind of incentive, such as a bonus. If you offer a discount on future purchases for referrals, it could kill two birds with one stone, a referral AND a repeat purchase.
You might not want to follow this idea exactly, but do think about how your correspondance can do dual duty. It could be your next sale opportunity is sitting right under your customers nose!
What is Holding You Back from Online Freelancing?
May 27, 2009
Do you wish you could work from home and have more freedom and independence? Have you got a yearning to quit your job and become an online freelancer? Is there anything holding you back from taking the plunge?
I was talking to a client the other night who has those exact thoughts. They have considered everything from opening a market stall through to network marketing (Amway etc).
My advice of course was to look online.
There are many opportunities, and the most popular right now range from blogging, affiiate marketing and creating your own digital products.
But there are so many outlets for service oriented people, people with creativity and skills to spare:
There are hundreds of different roles an online freelancer can take:
• Writer
• Virtual Assistant
• Programmer
• Designer
• Consultant
• Project Manager
• Webmaster
• Technical Support
• Presenter/Voice Over Artist
• Transcriptions
• Sales lead generator
• Coaching
The great thing about these opportunities is they can be started alongside your main gig, and are mostly flexible hours and so can be started even around child care responsibilites.
You might already have all the equipment you need!
Tell me, what is holding you back from becoming an online freelancer? Please share in the comments …
Why Web Based Invoicing Rocks for Small Business Billing
May 18, 2009
Have you experienced the stress and dissarray of having your business paperwork surround you in piles as you desperately try to get all your invoicing in order for your accountant?
We just had this experience. In fact, in dribs and drabs it is still going on.
The problem is when you are reporting what happened a year ago, lots of little things can slip away into the black hole that is your filing system.
- Did they pay that bill?
- What ever happened to that client?
- Who was that again?
- Why did we charge that for this?
With an online invoicing system, because it is web-based, you can simply give your accountant a login. They can sort it all out for you.
No piles of paper, no stress, and you don’t have to worry about your own lack of organization!
I tell you, I wish I had been using a web based invoicing system.
Share the Work, Share the Love
April 27, 2009
I used to be one of those people who thought if you want a job doing right, do it yourself.
Of course I know now this is the road to burn out, and if not, a miserable, lonely existence. When you try to do everything with no help then you end up trying to do too much and break yourself in the process. You become a bore at best, and a grumpy wreck at worst.
On the other hand when you are ready to share your workload then you do not just become more productive, there are other benefits too:
- You have access to other’s creativity and experience, making your output so much better
- Deadlines and objectives become more achievable
- Sharing tasks gives other people valuable work which is a good thing for you both
- Business stops being linear and limited by your hours and becomes more parallel and scalable
- Your own tasks are more likely to be achieved as you have team members prodding you into action
- Human interaction keeps your day from becoming a never ending line of task items
The greatest benefits for me though were realizing that I didn’t have to shoulder the whole burden myself and that in fact my family could get to see me occasionally.
We are not simply talking about offloading your work onto outsourced contractors. I am also not talking about taking on the burden of employees (unless you are ready for that). You can not just give someone work and wash your hands of it. Even if you refer the work in whole to someone else, if you still have a client relationship then you need to keep some level of responsibility and have an active involvement in the outcome.
My approach now is to bring in skilled partners who have assets to offer over and above my own experience and skillset, and who are fun to work with.
Sharing the work becomes way more than a simple 1+1=2 equation, in fact the results exceed the sum of the parts - try it!
What is the World’s Best Advertising?
April 13, 2009
A client asked me the other day what type of advertising was the best.
I think they meant should they use Google Adwords, banner advertising, or should they advertise offline, such as in a magazine or on the radio.
My answer surprised them. It was none of those things.
Instead I told them the best source of advertising is their existing customer. This is called a “referral” and you can’t beat it for price or effectiveness.
All a referral will usually cost you is doing a really good job of providing benefits and customer service. That is, what you should do anyway. Oh, and you need to ask them to refer you of course.
When your customers tell other people how good you are they are waaaay more likely to believe that than any advertising you can possibly create. Even more persuasive is if they know you didn’t pay for that endorsement.
Talk to your customers, make sure they are happy, and if they are, ask if there is anyone they know who could use your services that they could talk to on your behalf.
It works like magic, you only need to ask!
Why Some Businesses Are Growing in this Recession
March 14, 2009
Some business owners I speak to are LOVING this recession. They are having the best time of their business life.
Yes, some products and services increase in demand during a recession, and you knew that. But these folks are not bailiffs, debt collectors or bankruptcy lawyers.
I will give you a clue. In a recent survey 28% of respondents said they would be looking at ways to “Re-engineer/find less expensive ways to do business“.
Any light bulbs going off for you? Can you help others do things more efficiently or less expensively?
Even better, can you demonstrate in simple math that your product or service pays for itself?
One of the core propositions of Easy Billing.com is that you can spend less time billing and more time earning, plus with the free account you do not even need to pay anything for this brilliant web-based software. Easy Billing.com saves you money from day one!
Find a way to communicate your product or service in a way that resonates with your customers current and pressing need. Do their math for them. Show that not only will you save them money NOW, but well into the future. Demonstrate with clarity that your product is like found money to them. Plus of course your product or service is the best on the market!
Who wouldn’t want to save money while gaining increased quality service?
Why You Are Probably Undercharging and How to Increase Your Price
February 20, 2009
When we are told the economy is suffering, nervous businesses often do two things:
- Discount
- Cut advertising
The second might not be out of cutting costs, it could be a direct result of the first. When you cut prices you cut your margin, and when you cut your margin you have fewer spending options.
Discounting works for companies like Walmart because they have access to huge cash reserves and because they can clean up when all the competition has gone. You probably can’t.
Another cause of low prices is lack of confidence. The “We’re not worthy” effect.
I see this all the time with freelancers, especially writers for some reason. They struggle to justify their work in their own mind, so can not communicate value to prospects, and therefore end up with a low hourly rate.
Of course hourly rates are not an ideal way of pricing but in many cases this is what customers demand, and it is easier price to work out. Many people recommend you divide your required income by your available work hours to arrive at an hourly rate. Instead I recommend you charge what you are worth, preferably as a project fee rather than an hourly, but if you must do hourly charge more of a premium than bargain basement.
If you have a low price because you want to increase volume, then fair enough, providing you are still bringing in more revenue than the business is costing you, and providing you can manage your overhead to the level where you can still market. A low launch price can work, but don’t get addicted to that low price if the market can sustain higher prices!
Fact is low prices put you at a disadvantage:
- Your per-order value is lower therefore you need more orders to make the same amount
- You become perceived as lower quality
- Small prices can bring the most difficult “bargain-seeker” customers
- Without high margins you can not afford to advertise or effectively market
- By focusing on price you do not establish effective differentiation or brand
I was talking on the phone last night with a guy who is working with a log home developer. He has a competitive advantage in his area because of his high quality coupled with low prices. Whenever I hear this it always makes me smile - if the quality is there, all he needs is better marketing and he can raise his prices and not lose any custom. Any time people are surprised how cheap you are while delighted with your work you know you are not charging enough. When you increase your margin you have options in the market, you can reinvest that difference in your advertising, your brand or other parts of your business.
There are three ways you can raise your prices today:
- Just raise them - If nobody complains you are too expensive then you are too cheap! Put prices up until people stop ordering.
- Compare - Where are your competitors? If you are toward the bottom then you can happily raise your prices within their range. While I don’t recommend being guided by your competition, this is a low risk route.
- Boost price along with value - Work out the true value of your offer and raise prices accordingly, while articulating how exactly your offer is worth far more than you are charging. You probably throw some things in for free without thinking about it that you do not describe that have real benefits.
- Bundle - If you have products or services that go together, bundle them together into a nice package and sell it as an all encompassing option.
- Split - The alternative to option 4 is to break apart existing offers and sell the pieces. This can have two benefits, you can sell the parts individually, and as cross-sells, and make the bundle more attractive as an up-sell.
My recommendation is that you increase your prices and use options 4 and 5. Get your customer in the door by showing exactly how much value they are receiving then up-sell and cross-sell to increase your average order value.
Do you know if your prices are too high, too low or just right? Better find out!
Do You Need Investment For Business Software?
February 16, 2009
I am not that into politics, but some of the stuff that is on the news today just makes me laugh.
As a cure for a world economic downturn rather than innovation, consumer confidence and better infrastructure, apparently small businesses need banks to give us more loans.
Maybe you are looking for a loan, but before you go snapping up that new top-end Sony with MS office and all the trimmings, first ask around your tamest and most friendly geek friends.
I bet they will tell you the same thing I would tell you; there is a lot of life in old hardware if you are just smart about the software you use.
- You don’t need to upgrade to every version of windows
- If all you use is Office, web and email, check out Linux and Open Office
- Refurbished computers are usually more than adequate for office use in fact
- Even better, check out pure web based applications like Google Docs and Easy Billing.com
While I would never say everything can be done this way, it might well cut your costs by a huge amount.
Rather than looking to banks, we can instead take our own balance sheet as a guide!
Add Value by Having Fun
February 9, 2009
Think back to when you were a child. Did you want to be the one to open up the cereal box? I did, because I wanted to get the free gift before my brother. Of course I wanted to eat the super-sweet cereal, but very often the choice of which particular brand we asked for depended on the promotion they were running at the time.
Same with comics. I had my favorites, Spider-Man usually, but if there was a gift taped to the front of a competitor, my loyalties about the B and C-List comics could be swayed.
Now, I am not saying your customers are going to choose you because of a tiny water pistol or plastic kazoo, but in a way we are all looking for that extra “something” that will tip the balance in our choice of merchant or service provider.
People like to work with people they like.
Read that twice, it is a bit of a tongue twister, but it is true. Think about the companies you would return to. Which were instantly persuasive? Who is memorable? Are there people you would jump at working with again?
How you approach your work can make all the difference. People pick up the signals without you explicitly saying “we are nice people, fun to work with”. If you make it a priority to both deliver well and have fun doing it, then not only will your business dealings be less stressful, you will find you get more work into the bargain.
You know what the absolute best part is? When you have fun, you exceed expectations, just because. For your customer that is kind of like finding a gold dabloon at the bottom of her cereal box.
Do you have fun while working hard? Or am I wrong, do you hire service providers you don’t like all the time? Please share your thoughts in the comments …
Do you know where your time goes?
January 13, 2009
When you are an employee it seems “time on the clock” is paramount.
Frustratingly, what you actually achieve with that time seems less of a priority.
- Be here at a certain time.
- Lunches are this long.
- Don’t take too many washroom breaks.
Even as a contractor, time sheets can prevail over results.
When you work for yourself though, time takes on new meaning.
What you achieve is more important than how long you take, but time becomes ever more precious.
If I did one thing last year that added to my bottom line it was I watched where my time was spent. And “Spent” is a very good word for it.
I am sure you will be surprised.
Use a whiteboard, notepad, spreadsheet, or even a billing system like Easy Billing.com, however you choose to do it, watch where you spend your time for a while.
Then after you have recovered from the shock … slash the fat.
Do you know where your time goes? Please share your thoughts in the comments …
Protecting Your Brand Online
December 17, 2008
Many companies it seems get to a size where they don’t think they have to worry about pesky customers.
They grow through a reputation of customer service and innovation, then “make it” and think they are too big to care about the individuals who buy their stuff. This is where the word “consumer” becomes almost an insult; “We produce, they consume”, like they think of us as a herd of cattle, mindlessly lapping up whatever they throw out to the market.
Of course it is short-sighted thinking. Especially in this day of social media.
Consider American Express. They are closing down accounts of people in good standing, in one case gaining a lot of attention, stranding a man thousands of miles away from home. This, mind you, was one of their better customers. I wonder how badly he would have been treated had he been on their naughty list!
Just a mere misunderstanding, right? Yes, probably, but they want to see his tax returns first, and in the meantime he is going to be stranded with no money for days. Can’t be too careful.
You might be thinking this is just a drop in the ocean. And it probably is, but there is already backlash. People are pulling in their belts, cutting costs, and withdrawing to safe havens. Nobody wants to take a risk. This means that trust premium is at an all time high when it comes to financial products. If American Express gets the reputation of an abusive company people will not hesitate to jump ship.
Bad news travels at light speed. I know because was notified a few times by different people of this story because I co-own a credit card search site so people think I will be interested. Funny, but nobody tells me about the good stories.
Mistakes and problems happen. I have to deal with a lot of bad press for the clients and startups I work with. It is part and parcel of being visible online.
What does it mean for you? Treat customers as you would like to be treated and act fast to put things right when they go wrong.