Before getting into tips and tricks, here is some background information about SEO for small business owners.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a strategy in web development or design that usually includes post-design promotional activity intended to enhance recognition of a site by search engines. The goal is having your small business website appear on or close to page one in Google, Yahoo, MSN, and the other major search engines. The result, especially being listed #1 on page one, may mean more traffic driven to your website with the ultimate goal of visitors converted to buying customers.

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With over 2 million real estate agents according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), becoming a successful real estate agent takes more than just a license and a knowledge of current laws and regulations.The first year drop out range estimated to be from 40% to 80% demonstrates that many real estate agents are not as successful as they could be and research suggests that 90% give up after 3 years. The following 7 tips may help you avoid becoming one of these statistics.

1. First and Foremost YOU are a business.
   Real estate agents work for a broker, but are independent, commissioned sales people. This means that you are a small business and must run your practice as a business. Again, remember you are a small business owner.
2. Embrace a Planning Attitude
   If you don’t have a plan, then you are on some else’s plan - usually the successful real estate agent’s. During the last 10 years, what I have learned as a performance improvement consultant or coach is that most people place more value in planning a trip to the grocery store or a vacation than planning their lives either professionally or personally.
3. Research Your Market Plan
   Since you, as the real estate agent, are responsible for your own expenses, do your research specific to your marketing plan within your strategic plan. Time spent in constructing your marketing plan is definitely well spent. NOTE: Remember a business plan usually is data driven, while a strategic plan identifies who does what by when.
4. Establish Sales Goals
   Using your strategic plan, establish sales goals. If you are new to this industry, it may take 6 months before the first sale. HINT: Use the W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. criteria for goal setting.
5. Create a Financial Budget
   Budgeting is critical given the up and down of this volatile market place. Your financial budget should plan for your marketing costs, any additional costs such as education and your forecasted income.
6. Make Managing Yourself a Priority
   Building a business is not easy. You must learn how to manage yourself especially in the area of time management, ongoing real estate business training coaching, continuing education units, and personal life balance. Real estate is said to be a 24/7 business much like any small business. However, it is important not to lose sight of your personal life including family, friends, physical health, etc.
7. Find a Mentor or a Real Estate Coach
   Going it alone is not easy. Take the time to find a mentor who can help you steer through some of the known obstacles and help you during the “peaks and valleys.” If you have the resources, you may wish to hire a real estate coach or an executive coach who specializes in small business help and sales.

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Buying a small business may seem an exciting thing to do, but it is fraught with danger. Here are my Ten Top Tips to bear in mind when acquiring a small business. It goes without saying that you should use a good lawyer, and have an accountant examine all the financial records before you enter into any contract.

1. Think very carefully before you proceed. For example, it may seem an exciting prospect to be running your own small hotel, but if the bookings were insufficient to employ suitable staff, you and your family will have to do all the work. Running guesthouses and small hotels are notorious for long hours. 6.30am until midnight is not unusual. Do you really want to do that? Are you fit enough? Do you have the hunger and desire? Think very clearly about it. The last thing you want is to fall out of love with your new baby within the first week of ownership.

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Nowadays, finding a dream partner is not as easy as it used to be a few years back. The reasons for this are hectic professional lives and unfamiliarity with dating services. Singles in the U.S. would be glad to know that there are several online dating services. Hence, there is no longer a necessity for them to go and hunt for partners to socialize. They can just go online and browse for such sites that will offer them a lot of options. These sites are of different types: Some of them are broad-based and have members from different backgrounds looking out for several kinds of relationships; others provide specific services for members considering their interest, location, and relationships sought after.

If you are planning to set up such a service in Los Angeles, it could be a wise business decision, given the popularity of such services in the city.

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Small business owners numbered over 5.5 million in 2001 and generated over one billion in annual payroll. Sam Walton was quoted as saying “There’s a lot more business out there in small town America than I ever dreamed of.” and looks like Sam was right.

During the last five years as THE small business coach in the Chicago area, I have discovered 7 mistakes that small business owners consistently make. These small business help tips should guide you as the small business owner, entrepreneur or executive around these pitfalls as you work to dramatically improve your business results. continue reading »

Persistence Marketing Efforts:

How to avoid frustration while marketing is a real problem for a small business. A small business always looks for ways and means to attract customers for their products or services. Fear of failure because of past marketing experiences and other confusions become big barriers in the road to success for these businesses. The only way to avoid frustration while marketing is persistence with marketing efforts.

By persistent marketing efforts, we are not underestimating the importance of good quality products or services, good knowledge of the business, and strategic planning. However, only persistent marketing helps you to go through the tougher times. Marketing persistence teaches you many effective marketing principles that you cannot learn otherwise. Persistent marketing makes you the master of the art of attracting customers consistently helping you to avoid the frustration while marketing.

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Small businesses have to be careful when it comes to their finances because one small error, like ordering too much inventory, could spell financial disaster. That’s why budgeting and forecasting tips for the small business are incredibly important for the small business owner. Knowing how much money can be spent and on what is the most important thing for a small business to stay afloat. Two things that can help small businesses with this include forecasting software and budgeting software. Installing this information on your computer will allow you to keep track of the business’s past, present, and future and forecast different trends not to mention manage the budget. The following information will show you just how important budgeting and forecasting are for small businesses.

First of all, any time the business needs a loan a budget will be required before any financing is offered. The reason this is important is because lenders want to see where money is spent and overall where money is being made. Also, when you use a budget you will always know how much you can spend, what risks you can take, and how your business is doing at a particular time. When you create a budget for your business you will need to sit down with last months’ bills to include them in the expense portion of your report. You don’t want to just throw out random numbers. Instead, you want to know for sure the number you are using are ones that correspond to your business. In your budget you will also want to include expectations, or a forecast, of your business’ growth. If you don’t know how to do this on your own then the forecasting software will really help you. Make sure you include the individuals in your business who know the information you are looking for. Sales managers, accountants, and the like can offer you information on your business’ growth that you can include in your budget.

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Marketing is what 99% of businesses fail to do correctly. Many small business owners recognize this deficiency and hire marketing firm. Yet, the results are not what are promised after these small business owners have spent their limited resources of time, money and energy. From my experiences as a business coach to help my clients with their process improvement plans to their strategic plans, I have identified these 7 marketing tips to help any business increase sales.

1. What are the clients’ results from their marketing solutions?The first question you should ask: “What are the results that your marketing firm has delivered to your clients within my industry? All marketing efforts should be directly tied to specific results and measured on a regular basis. If the marketing firm cannot answer this question, quickly and positively, then you may be talking with the wrong marketing firm.
2. Talk to at least 2 to 5 of the potential marketing firm’s clients

By talking to existing or past clients will help you determine if this marketing firm is the right fit for you. This is much like asking and checking references on a potential employee.

3. Determine if you want branding, name recognition or actual clients

Before you meet with the firm, you need to determine if you want name recognition, name branding or actual clients. Each of these determinations will deliver a different marketing strategy. For example, name recognition can be delivered by television, radio, print or billboard advertising. Name branding may require more expenditures using this media or from other marketing strategies such as article writing or speaking. Actual clients is really want you want and may involve trade shows where you have greater access to potential clients.

4. Set a time frame for the marketing firm’s performance

Establish a time frame for the marketing campaign. A marketing campaign is very similar to a goal. All goals should include a target date or time frame as should your marketing.

5. Measure all results of the marketing firm’s efforts

Marketing needs to deliver results. Let me repeat this: These results which should have already been identified can be increased marketing awareness through surveys to actual increase in number of incoming phone calls, Internet visitors, etc.

6. Ask about the percentage of direct mail versus television, print, or other media?

Marketing employs various delivery vehicle. Television, radio, print and billboard deliver impressions. Direct marketing focuses on ctual contacts. Marketing research still supports that direct mail is the most successful form as it secures the most consistent measurable outcomes. For example, 1000 piece direct professional mail campaign will deliver 1% to 2% rate.

7. Look for a call to action in current marketing samples

The existing marketing samples should show a call to action. Many marketing firms fail to include this simple action that will generate you more sales.

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