Archive for November, 2009

How Blogging Helped Me to Build My Business

By Small Business Owner Jane Clapp, urbanFITT Inc.

Jane Clapp, Founder UrbanFITT Inc.

I’m a small business owner and spent several years as a single parent carrying a mortgage and business overhead by myself. I needed to grow my business with no advertising budget but with my fitness knowledge and time investment.

Social networking tools have made reaching a wider audience possible for people like me.

My first blog was Take Two With Jane Clapp. Blogging has been a great way for me to keep in touch with my clients. Sometimes when a client hasn’t been in in a while, they start to feel guilty and maybe a little afraid to come in. But when they read a new post, it’s a great way for me to motivate them to come back to the gym. They remember how much fun it is and what the feeling is like when the endorphins are coursing through their veins.

Blog posts are also a great way for me to support my clients with their long term weight loss and fitness goals, even when we’re apart. I use the blog space to introduce new exercises, new weight loss research and just to keep them focused on the target.

At their best social networking and more specifically blogging gives something back to the audience or reader in return for their time. Each business owner needs to identify what their target market values most from the business and many times that something is intangible and directly tied with the brand.

Since opening urbanfitt in June 2006 I fully appreciate how my community of amazing clientele is what has really been driving my biz. I also realize how my clients greatly value a fitness studio that is more than a space to sweat. It is also a community for them to meet and engage with other like minded individuals.

So I’ve turned my attention to social networking not for self-promotion, but to unify our community. I just launched ihearttosweat.blogspot.com where anyone connected to urbanfitt can post fitness related experiences, wisdom, ah ha moments or even spread some first hand inspiration.

Small business is all about serving people in our communities. And the urbanfitt community puts food on my table, pays my mortgage and keeps my life moving forward. I hope I can help this community of amazing people connect more and more and build its synergistic energy for some time to come.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz, Small Business Spotlight on November 30th, 2009

Blog, business/finance, internet, Jane Clapp, Online social networking, Social networking tools, Staples Canada, Technology/Internet

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Do you need a blog?

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

- Quote famously misattributed to former IBM Chairman Thomas Watson

Funny in hindsight. But to be fair, tons of innovations come and go. The ones that stand the test of time – which become part of what we call trends – do really transform the way we live our lives or do our work. (Think, for instance, about air travel, a mouse or mobile phones.)

I’ll go out on a limb and say social media in general and blogs in particular are here to stay. Proof (besides the fact you’re reading this one)?

· 133,000,000 – blogs indexed by Technorati since 2002

· 346,000,000 – people globally who read blogs (comScore March 2008)

That’s a lot of eyeballs with the potential to discover your small business and read your big ideas.

So why not a blog?

“Building business through social media is not something most small businesses are doing very well right now,” says Roger Pierce, co-founder of BizLaunch.ca. “Like a lot of new inventions, social media holds plenty of promise yet it is failing to deliver for small business owners.”

The problem? Unlike established forms of marketing like newspaper ads or TV commercials, small business owners don’t really yet understand how to use the new technology medium – which isn’t a complete surprise since the rules are only just being developed.

So, back to my question in the header: do you need a blog? The answer is a definite maybe. As with any new marketing tactic, learn all you can then decide if you want your business to dive in.

I’ll offer more thoughts and tips on developing a blog for your small business in the next few posts. Until then, here are two great resources to get you started – if you haven’t already:

· www.bizlaunch.ca, which conducts free seminars and webinars on using social media tools like blogs to market your business.

· John Moore’s blog offers some straight talk about your social media plan.

If you’ve already launched a blog, how has it helped your business? If you haven’t, what’s stopping you?

Posted by Lynnette in Marketing on November 27th, 2009

BizLaunch, Blogs, business/finance, John Moore, Roger Pierce, Social media, social media tools, Staples Canada, Technorati

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Catching on to identity theft

Each year businesses pay about $74 billion to handle identity theft and data loss crises – and that’s just in the US. The figure is more than $200 billion worldwide.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in North America,” says Frank Abagnale, an expert on identity theft and fraud and the subject of Steven Spielberg’s movie “Catch Me if You Can.”

Add to that the alarming fact that 70% of Canadians have had some personal data stolen, and Abagnale believes we have an epidemic on our hands.

For its part, the Canadian government is trying to stem the tide. In October, Bill S-4, which targets early stages of identity theft crimes, became law.

For entrepreneurs whose personal identities often overlap with their business’s, the risks can be even more disturbing and devastating. Having company data fall into the wrong hands can’t just lead to financial losses, but to lost time repairing the damage.

Be smart. Be prepared.

The key, of course, is a little common sense. And a lot of homework.

More than ever, security threats exist in the most unexpected places, creating opportunities for identities to be stolen from carelessly discarded mail and unauthorized access to computers.

What can you do to protect yourself and your business?

1. Protect your identity. Shredders are a smart way to eliminate documents or mail that have your name, personal or business information on it.

2. Protect your PC. Security software like Norton 360 and Webroot Spy Sweeper can provide protection from viruses and spyware, fraudulent websites, phishing scams, hackers and more.

3. Protect against cheque washing. That’s when criminals erase details from cheques to allow them to be rewritten. Special pens like the Uni-ball 207 lock down ink, helping what you write stay permanent.

4. Protect your home or office. Fifty percent of identity thefts are committed by people you know. An electronic safe can keep your papers and other valuables off-limits.

Abagnale offers some more great suggestions here.

What are you doing to protect your identity and business data from being stolen?

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 26th, 2009

Canadian government, Frank Abagnale, Fraud, Identity, Identity theft, Personal identification, Security software, Theft

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How to make your home office a space you can actually work in

With nearly 70% of us doing some work these days from where we live, finding a small space where we can be productive is key.

Designer Jodi Vautrin offers up a few practical tips to help you set up a home office you can work in:

1. Create a space where you really want to be. This sounds pretty intuitive, but a lot of people lose sight of it: if you can’t imagine spending an entire workday, say, in your basement, don’t set up your home office there.

2. Be organized. Spend time upfront removing distracting clutter. Then fill up your environment as efficiently as possible. For instance, if your job requires that you handle and collect a lot of documents, invest in folders and a filing cabinet – instead of piling up papers on the floor or all over your desk. You can also save a ton of space by investing in furniture and equipment that serve multiple purposes – for example, an all-in-one, instead of a separate fax, copier, scanner and printer.

3. Put up a pinup board. It’s another simple but smart idea that can help you put aside projects and spur-of-the-moment ideas for later and focus on your more immediate tasks at hand.

Another useful tip to improve your home office workspace:

4. Surround yourself with good lighting. It can improve your mood and elevate productivity. Natural light is ideal but, especially if you’re using a closet or basement for your home office, shop around for high-quality energy-efficient task lighting.

Tell us about the one thing you have in your home work space that shouldn’t be there. Send us your photos and we’ll publish them.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 25th, 2009

Home office, Human Interest, Jodi Vautrin, Organization, Staples Canada, Workspace

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Tech Tuesdays: Increase productivity, use two monitors

Want to be more productive? Try using dual monitors.

Studies have shown that you can gain between a 20%- 30% increase in your productivity (New York Times) by using two screens. Just think about all the time you waste opening and closing your email every time you hear the new mail chime. Now think about having that email window always open on a second monitor, and just glancing to the right to check status. One benefit: never losing focus on the document on your main screen.

PC World has a video guide on how to set-up dual monitors. Once you’ve got it up and running, head over to this Lifehacker article to see how you can make the most of your dual monitor experience.

For a listing of dual monitors you can find at our store, head over to our online store.

Posted by Lynnette in Technology on November 24th, 2009

Computer monitor, computers, Display technology, monitors, PC World, Technology, The New York Times Co

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The battle begins: Starting to think about a business plan

Every year, universities and MBA programs in Canada, the US and around the world hold business plan competitions. There’s even an inspiring new movie about them. For entrepreneurs with big dreams, the business world’s version of Battle of the Blades brings together competitors who aren’t just out for the cash prizes, seed financing or pro bono business services. They’re looking for feedback from experienced and successful businesspeople who were once in their shoes. Because if you’re serious about making your business dream a reality, a creative original business plan can make the difference between success and failure.

Not that a plan is the be-all and end-all.

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight Eisenhower, US President, 1953-1961.

As General – and then President – Eisenhower understood, you want to write a business plan not because you expect everything to go according to plan, but because the process of planning helps you:

1.    Organize your thoughts and ideas
2.    Be realistic about the financial future of your business
3.    Understand the life/work implications of your choices
4.    Anticipate problems and develop proactive solutions
5.    Discover the real value of your offering
6.    Communicate better with your partners, staff and suppliers
7.    Focus your efforts

Whether you want to meet with potential investors or a property manager about leasing office space, a good business plan is a necessity. It shows that you’re serious about your business, and that you have a vision and roadmap to make it succeed.

In an upcoming post, I’ll offer more details about getting your business plan started. In the meantime, you can learn more by clicking “Your Small Business Plan” from our partners at BizLaunch.

What questions and concerns do you have about writing a business plan?

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 23rd, 2009

BizLaunch, Business plan, business/finance, Dwight D. Eisenhower, proactive solutions, Project management, Staples Canada

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Don't be afraid to fail

You’ve failed many times, although you may not remember.
You fell down the first time you tried to walk.
You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn’t you?
Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat?
Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot.
R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.
English novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books.
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he also hit 714 home runs.
Don’t worry about failure.
Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.

– As published in the Wall Street Journal
by United Technologies Corp, 1981

At some level, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re all afraid to fail. Failure can be stressful, painful, embarrassing. But if there’s one common theme I hear from those at the top, it’s how success could have never been achieved without failures along the way.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
– Henry Ford

Jim Treliving, Chairman and owner of Boston Pizza International Inc.

So if you’re toying with starting a business, don’t look at the current economic downturn as a deterrent or excuse or reason to be afraid of failure. Instead, think of it as a golden opportunity. Because that’s what today’s successful entrepreneurs did when everyone told them how crazy their idea was, when naysayers told them “now is not the time.”

“I left a great job and pension with the RCMP to run a pizza restaurant. There are just times when entrepreneurs have to roll the dice to be successful.”
– Jim Treliving, Chairman, Boston Pizza

And if you think you need more than just a pep talk, here are some real-world reasons why getting started is a great idea right now:

1.    Reduced costs. The recession has kept pricing down on practically everything – from land and equipment to loans and office space and labour. Some of the best deals are out there right now.
2.    Cooperative wheeling and dealing. The near-death of many businesses has created an incentive to play fair with partners and suppliers. Now’s the time to hatch some great deals.
3.    Takeovers. Why start from scratch if someone’s done a lot of the heavy lifting for you? Some business owners want out any cost, so think of acquiring an entire business – along with property, leases, equipment and personnel – and run it more successfully in the growth period ahead.

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” – Peter Drucker

What startup stories inspire you?

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 20th, 2009

entrepreneur, Henry Ford, Jim Treliving, Peter Drucker, Staples Canda, United Technologies Corp., Wall Street Journal

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Top 5 Startup Myths

By Small Business Expert Roger Pierce, www.BizLaunch.com

There are many misconceptions about running a small business. We’ve all heard stories about overnight successes, horrible failures and just plain luck.

It’s difficult to know what to believe about self-employment. Tell anyone you’re considering starting your own small business and you’ll receive plenty of conflicting advice and opinions.

To help you better understand what exactly you’re getting into, read these Top 5 Startup Myths.

Entrepreneurs make a lot of money. During the first few years of your new small business, you will earn less than you did as an employee. However, you’ll enjoy much larger income potential – in North America, 75 percent of millionaires are self-employed.
A great invention makes entrepreneurs rich. It’s not what your small business does, but how it does it. Successful companies simply brand, market and serve clients better or differently than their competitors. Look for opportunities to improve on an existing product or service rather than invent something completely new. Inventions are risky, expensive and can take years to return a profit. Start a service instead.
It takes money to start a small business. Some very successful businesses are launched with just a few hundred dollars. Others may cost millions yet still fail. A little company called Apple was born in a garage. Start small, think big, seek advice and get going.
Running a business is easy. It just looks that way! In reality, Canadian entrepreneurs work 59 hours per week. As a micro-company, small business owners must endure considerable stress associated with getting, doing and managing all of the work. Be prepared to multitask.
It’s lonely. True, you may feel some isolation if you choose to operate your business from home. However, with over 2.7 Million self-employed Canadians, you’ll find a robust small business community available to help you network, learn and interact. Look up local entrepreneur groups in your community and get involved.

Learn more about running your own business by attending a free BizLaunch Seminar or Webinar, found at www.staples.ca/bizlaunch.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 19th, 2009

BizLaunch, business/finance, Employment, Entrepreneurs, Labour, Staples Canada

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« Older Entries

Archive for November, 2009

Catching on to identity theft

How to make your home office a space you can actually work in

Tech Tuesdays: Increase productivity, use two monitors

The battle begins: Starting to think about a business plan

Don't be afraid to fail

Top 5 Startup Myths

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