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1. BRAND - Decide on a brand and use it consistently on the web and in your social media spaces so it’s easy for you and your target audience to remember.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA EMAIL ADDRESS – so when you go on holidays manning the social media storefront can be delegated, and so you can filter it into a special email folder, so you can look only once per day. Perhaps a gmail account as you’ll need one to
3. BLOGS / RSS NEWS FEEDS — so social media spaces can automatically syndicate it.
4. SCHEDULE TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE – get it done
5. PROFILE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE – to watch your pages, those you manage and your competitors
6. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN — what do your customers want? what will they share?
7. RESOURCES – what do you have now, what is available for free on the net
8. ALLIANCES – who do you know, win/wins?
9. EDUCATE YOURSELF – fast track your success and avoid fatal errors.
10. GOOGLE ALERTS & ANALYTICS — on your website so you can identify what works and repeat it, as well as what does not, so you can eliminate it and focus on true success

One of the categories SMBs ask for the most help with is social media. You need to quickly and easily keep an eye on what people are saying about you; more importantly, you need to participate in the social media conversation yourself, without drowning hours upon endless hours bouncing around various websites.

There are three great tools we’d recommend for pushing out updates to a variety of sites at once. All three have free, web-based services, and they’re great for working with teams, too. Depending on your specific needs and tastes, you could try out Hootsuite, Seesmic and TweetDeck.

If you want to see what people are saying about your company, your product, your location or your vertical in real time, try searching for relevant terms on Collecta or SocialMention.

You also have options for network-specific monitoring tools. To see how your tweets are performing, tryCrowdBooster. And remember, Twitter’s official analytics product is coming soon, too. For Facebook, use that social network’s Insights dashboard for your business’s Facebook Page.

via 23 Free, Web-Based Tools SMBs Are Asking for Now.

By SHERRY HINMAN Special to Sun Media

“The key to a growing a small business? Have a plan! For a business of any size, it’s important to know what you’re about and where you’re going,” says Mark Drager, president of Phanta Media, a corporate video production company in Markham, Ont. He sees his company’s plan as being like something a general would use before a war, to rally the troops.

A traditional business plan begins with an executive summary to allow the reader a quick look without delving into details. The company overview follows, outlining the mission statement, goals and objectives, corporate values or philosophy and vision statement. Following is a description of the business environment, which looks at the market trends for the particular industry, as well as the company’s competition; then, a description of the company and company strategy, which outlines strategies about the industry, markets and competition.

Finally is the financial plan, which covers the position at the start of business and where the financial position is expected to be in the future. It includes an income statement (revenues less costs to show profits), balance sheet (record of the financial position at a given time) and cash-flow statement (cash in and out as it’s received and spent). A good business plan also includes an action plan, showing how the business plan will be carried out.

A business plan doesn’t have to fit the traditional model to be valuable, though. Drager says he would write a full plan if he needed it for bank financing, but instead he develops what he calls an annual vision statement. “This concentrates mostly on what the company will be like in the future. Where will we be in one year? Three years? Five years? It’s a two-page document that outlines aspects like the company’s vision, mission, positioning in the market, objectives and corporate values.”

It also gives staff and prospective employees a sense of the culture of the company, something that Drager feels is critical. “We use it as a recruitment tool.” Once they’re close to hiring someone, they share the document with prospective employees. “This is what we’re about. And this is where we’re going. If the person is not on board with it, then they’re not a good fit with the company culture.”

It can be difficult to write a business plan as you launch your business, because there’s a lot you still don’t know about where you’re heading. But it’s worthwhile. “If you don’t write it down, you can’t articulate what you’re doing as a company,” Drager says. “And you need to articulate your plan for staff, investors and clients. That gives you the confidence and allows other people to buy into your plan.”

Once the plan is up and running, it needs to be maintained. Sue Sutcliffe, owner/manager of aWEBthatWORKS, an Internet marketing company, feels one of the most important aspects of working with a business plan is a system to track your goals and objectives. “I look at my plan once a month and update it two or three times a year. I do this whenever we have a new project or new product, to see what’s working, and tweak it. Action items have to have a date associated with them, for example, achieving this much in revenue by a certain time. But we track a lot of other aspects, too, such as where customers come from.”

Drager does the same. “I do quarterly goal-setting, and the action items are specific, for example, to systems, marketing or accounting. Our quarterly goals are only for one or two of those, so that they’re achievable.” Goals may be related to revenue or about next steps for growth, for example hiring staff or opening a new office.

The process of updating the business plan is one Drager does himself, as president. “You’re driving it,” he says. “But you’re not in it alone.” So he shares the plan with staff and gets feedback. “Then everyone will make sure it happens.”

Drager’s advice about business plans is to “just do it. You won’t see the benefits if you don’t do it. And, unless you’re taking it to the bank, don’t struggle to make it perfect.”

— Sherry Hinman is a freelance writer/editor and owner of The Write Angle. info@thewriteangle.ca.

Toronto Sun | Last Updated: October 19, 2010 4:20pm

Elance, the world’s leading platform for online work recently published the Freelance Talent Report, which states that…

71% of independent professionals polled are finding
1/2 of their clients and work online.

but they don’t get into how freelancers, or for that matter other businesses find the new customers and work which is something I’m often asked to train people on.  My workshop SOCIAL MEDIA 101 shows people how to use popular social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn to grow their businesses in 1/2 hour a day or less by meeting/building relationships with key people they need to succeed. I teach people how to turn their time into money with individual coaching as well and would be happy to help you.

I’m writing an article now on the many ways people are finding new customers and new business online and would love your feedback. How do YOU find new customers and new deals online?

O Canada!

Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

via Canadian Heritage – National Anthem: O Canada.

Local business owners invited to learn about accessibility

As part of the Durham Region Accessibility Expo, The Regional Municipality of Durham, Economic Development and Tourism Department, will be hosting a breakfast session to educate local business owners on accessibility compliance requirements.

WHEN: Thursday, June 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

WHERE: Durham College/UOIT Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, 2000 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa

WHY: The Business Breakfast event is open to business owners who want to learn more about the requirements contained in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Under this legislation, all businesses within the Province of Ontario must take measures to provide accessible customer service to those with disabilities by Jan. 1, 2012.

NOTE: Limited seating is available. Two representatives from each business will be accommodated Kerri King Tourism Manager The Regional Municipality of Durham Economic Development and Tourism 605 Rossland Road East Level 5 PO Box 623 Whitby, ON L1N 6A3

Direct Line: 905.668.4113 ext. 2606
Fax: 905.666.6228
Toll Free: 800.413.0017

via THE ART OF TRANSITION.

You’ll find out what social media is, who’s using it, and how to automate your communication to social media spaces such as like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.  You’ll learn:

• nine essential steps to social media success
• how to manage your social media profile efficiently
• pitfalls to avoid
• tricks to make it as easy as sending an email

Seating is limited, so reserve your seat today and details you require to sit in on this webinar e.g. phone number to call and link to see presentation will be emailed to you.

Webinar lasts from 7:00pm – 8:00pm, followed by a free 30 minute question and answer session.

Imagine being able to give your family the gift of a great cottage vacation this summer! Well, I want to help you give it to them as part of our Cottage Contest, exclusively for our customers.

If you are an existing customer of aWEBthatWORKS, you already know that we are one of the very few full service internet providers with real people and real solutions for real business opportunities! Our personalized service is the heart of our reputation in Southern Ontario, and that’s why our customers stay with us year after year! All you have to do is help us spread the word about how we can help your friends and associates, and we’ll put your name down to win this great cottage vacation for this summer!

This is a great way to help your friends, help us and get a chance to win a great family vacation for you and your family! With each referral you provide, you’ll automatically get a free ballot entry and one chance to win! And should your referral buy hosting from us, you’ll get another free ballot entry, doubling your chances!

Hurry, summer’s almost here!  Click now to enter and for complete contest details: www.aWEBthatWORKS.com/CottageContest

It is with regret that I must share Ning’s intention to phase out their free offering. They have announced that all network creators will receive a letter in July giving Ning network owners 30 days to convert their communities into one of three paid packages ($2.95-49.95/month) completely changing the offerings/pricing structure they marketed to us originally.  Am I reading this right????

In their announcement, they say…

Our shift to a paid service model will enable us to focus to a greater degree on enhancing the features, performance and services we offer to our paying Network Creators. You’ll immediately see greater control over your network branding, design and member experience.

Shame on you NING!  In as much as I’d planned on upgrading the two NING networks I have not done so far, I do NOT like dealing with companies who change the rules to suit them or having my hands forced. I will not be promoting you moving forward!

What do you think of their approach?  Will you continue using Ning or look for another solution?  Please click on the link and tell me what you’re thinking!