Social Distancing Solutions for Small Businesses

Social Distancing Solutions for Small Businesses

Social Distancing for Small Businesses

Social Distancing is affecting small businesses in a bad way, especially those that rely on customer traffic in a physical location. The hardest hit are those like restaurants, cafes and concerts where cancellations or lack of attendees can cause major issues for businesses that have small margins, but all small businesses are being affected as consumers focus shifts to the current atmosphere during the Corona Pandemic. It can be hard to get people’s attention right now with everything going on and it can be very difficult for small businesses to make ends meet with consumer traffic downshifting with the recommendations for social distancing. It can be difficult to figure out how to continue to reach your audience when recommendations for social distancing, flattening the curve and laying low are continuing to come out.



I did a quick recording this morning talking about how to combat this for small businesses. It’s important right now to come up with new ways to reach your audience. In this video I talked about a few of my recommendations to continue reaching your audience, including:
    • Zoom Webinars
    • Facebook Lives
    • Recorded Videos
    • Online Facebook Events
    • Skype or Zoom Coaching, Consulting, Sessions
I encourage everyone who runs a small business to take a little time today and think about who you teach or reach with your business. There are platforms that are easy to get setup and be active on and with a little time invested, you can create a different track for your business where you deliver your product or service virtually. Some of the platforms I recommend in this video are:
      • Udemy – Great for teaching adult learners, can leverage video courses
      • Outschool – Great for teaching young/child learners, does require a background check.
      • Thinkific/Teachable – Great for setting up an online course, mini course, digital downloads. Handles all payment processing and can be branded like a mini website.
Do you sell a physical product? If so is there a way to make part of it virtual? Every day searches are made for those looking to become an entrepreneur. I’ve included quick recommendations below for the Top 20 Entrepreneur Search Categories:
          • Clothing Line: Can you offer personal styling advice online, capsule wardrobes, Closet teardown – show people how to mix and match what they already have.
          • Restaurants: can you offer online cooking classes, Make our meal at home, Gift certificate with delivery order offers?
          • Food Trucks: This is one the top searches. Can you create a mini course on how to start a food truck business, How to layout your food truck, Ways to market your food truck. Create a simple course that will help others and sell it to help yourself.
          • Record Label: If you’re in the music business can you offer bonus buys, virtual recording prep, if people can’t come to the studio what can the prep to get ready. Can you make a mini course on recording your first album?
          • Daycare: Can you create a download of the best schedule for preschoolers, Offer short learning videos for preschoolers, or activities to keep them engaged at home.
          • Coffee Shop: Disclosure I’m a coffee fanatic. I would be all over a short mini course on how to brew the perfect Latte at home.
          • Farm: Mini course or ebook on urban gardening tactics, Grow your own garden bundle, How to start seeds tutorials.
          • Catering Business: Meal plan downloads usually sell well, Recipe ebooks, Freezer meals plans and shopping lists
          • Landscaping Business: DIY Landscaping plans, Mini course on landscape a bed, or xeriscape your yard.
          • Trucking Company: Mini course on how to start your own trucking company.
          • Bakery: Signature Recipe ebook, How to Tutorials or mini course, how to decorate a cake, online cookie decorating classes for kids
          • Brewery: Getting started with Home Brewing Mini course, E-book on Brewing at Home
          • Construction Company: DIY video on how to build projects, Skill building Video course
          • Bar: Mix your own drinks course, Ebook of Cocktail Recipes
          • Property Management Company: Style your apartment like the Pros Course, Everything you need to know about the lease agreement…before you sign ebook or course.
          • T-Shirt company: Getting started with T-shirt Business Mini Course, T-shirt designs – create designs and sell the rights to use them
          • Group Home: Activities to do with the Elderly, Activities for Seniors with Dementia
          • Real Estate Agency: Strategies for Selling High E-course, Ebooks for those Listing, Styling Your Home for Maximum Sales course
          • Dog Walking Business: Recipe book for home made dog treats
          • Gym: Personal training via Zoom, Workout videos on demand
          • Author:  Can you sell your book online, or convert it to a Kindle book. Hold an online book tour via Facebook events,
  • Links to Tools to get you started
The Importance of Technology and Automation for Entrepreneurs

The Importance of Technology and Automation for Entrepreneurs

The Importance of Technology in Small Business…that’s a concept we could spend all week on!

We’re two weeks out from opening the doors to Marketing Content Wizard! This has been a long time coming, and except for a super soft launch last year when I rolled it out briefly and got some awesome feedback (THANK YOU GUYS), this has been a tool I built for myself and my clients. I’ve used this strategy for years because when I first started my business I was on maternity leave from corporate work and not too sure what kind of work life balance I would be going back to. (Check out the whole story in my book Chasing Balance, available on Amazon).

I wanted a way to market my business using only a few hours, once in a while, so I could spend the rest of the time with my new baby and enjoying my maternity leave. Once I went back to work, it was even more important that I could batch my marketing in a weekend and know that the next three months were set to roll on autopilot, building income around the clock, while I did my corporate work during the day.

 

Sound familiar?

I work with so many women who are juggling a passion project, a side hustle, or are working on launching a dream…all while working a regular job, juggling demanding children and home responsibilities and trying to find a little time left over for themselves. Ladies, let me tell you… it is possible, but you have to be strategic. The same way you plan a birthday party weeks in advance, or plan a vacation, you have to have planned marketing. You have to have a guiding roadmap to get you and your products to a profitable destination. If you are building content and not marketing it…you’re your own worst obstacle to success.

Get out of your own way!

Let me show you how to devote four weekends A YEAR to creating great content and setting your business up for success! I am passionate about this system because I have seen the value. I have seen how sales roll in while I’m on the couch with sick kids, volunteering at the school, out at girls night, or even on vacation! This isn’t a magic, instant solution, but it is a solid strategy that with a few days of intentional work…you can build out your marketing for the entire quarter!

Can you even imagine what that would feel like? Sitting back and relaxing on Thanksgiving day, knowing that your Black Friday promotions are set and have been for weeks? Or knowing that you can enjoy New Year’s Eve, with the comforting knowledge that your Jan 1st motivational challenge will kick off right on time and run on autopilot?

Here are FOUR reasons why you can not wait any longer to invest in Marketing Content Wizard!

REASON NUMBER ONE: You can stop running from solution to solution, guru to guru, one fake promise to the next and finally start seeing results. When you invest in Marketing Content Wizard, you get instant access to everything, you can start using it within the next 30 seconds and start seeing results in as little as one day How’s that for motivation?

REASON NUMBER TWO: Marketing Content Wizard is THE ONLY system that allows you to create 30 days of content in just one day That fills your feed in less than a day. That eliminates the mad, frantic, chaotic rush to find content that makes sense for your marketing. And that makes your marketing on topic and targeted for your audience

REASON NUMBER THREE: Marketing Content Wizard is THE most comprehensive, system out there. Here are just some of the things you get when you decide to invest in Marketing Content Wizard: Video tutorials on how to brainstorm, write, illustrate, and schedule your content Customizable template for your annual plan and monthly marketing content Step by step instructions on how to use productivity strategies to create piles of content in just 8 hours You also get some mind-boggling bonuses (that are frankly worth more than the product itself) Free tools to fill your feed mini-course Graphic Design Batching Strategies Productivity for Procrastinators – Strategies for Success I challenge you to find something that has ALL of these goodies…at this price point…at any price point… but seriously for $47, what are you waiting for?

REASON NUMBER FOUR: One day is all it takes to get started – perfect for procrastinators and those seeking instant gratification. Just $.12 cents per day to go from struggling to fill your feed with engaging marketing to relaxing and watching the Likes, the Love and the Comments roll in on the marketing you had done and posted weeks ahead of time.

When you really think about it, how much is your time worth? Is it worth $.12 cents/day to create 30 days of content at a time and save yourself up to 20 hours per week? Yep, the average small business spends 20 hours or more per week working on marketing! Who has that time?

Within the next few months, you can either save this tiny amount of $.12 cents per day, or you can invest in Marketing Content Wizard. Invest in YOURSELF!

Get the forever solution that…

Fills your feed in less than a day AND eliminates the mad, frantic, chaotic rush to find content that makes sense for your marketing
AND
makes your marketing on topic and targeted for your audience!

I rest my case, hop off my soapbox, and sincerely hope you’ll join me in becoming a Marketing Content Wizard!

Cheers, Traci

MentoringU Skills Lab offers E-Learning for Entrepreneurs

MentoringU Skills Lab offers E-Learning for Entrepreneurs

I am so excited to debut the MentoringU Skills Lab!

I’m sitting here in front of the Christmas tree reflecting on all that 2015 has brought me. It’s been a fast and furious year as Mentoring Mompreneurs and MentoringU grew and then merged into the launching pad for my E-Learning for Entrepreneurs efforts. Starting a business and watching it grow over the first few years is a little like figuring out your major in college. You have an idea when you got there and by the time you graduate you’ve changed it 9 times, but along the way you found yourself, developed your ideas and came out experienced and educated. I knew when I started on this path that I wanted to support entrepreneurs in launching their dreams and generating an income that helped them affort a lifestyle of their choice. I’ve supported that with small business services like web design, social media guidance and mentoring sessions, but the common thread always seemed to be a foucs on education. And like a college junior at the moment of officially deciding what path to take, I’ve spent the last quarter of 2015 redefining what MentoringU has to offer.

 I’ve never been a patient person, and I just couldn’t wait two more weeks to share an exciting new addition to MentoringU! I had planned to kick off 2016 with the announcement, but I just can’t wait!!!
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