The (De)Evolution of Google Plus and What It Means For You

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Google PlusBy Guest Blogger, Brittany Highland of Knektion

When Google rolled out its social network late last year, solopreneurs and small business owners everywhere heaved a big sigh. “Another social network to keep up with?” many of them asked.

Google has failed in the social network arena before. Google Buzz didn’t stick, and neither did Google Wave. But in less than two months, this new network called Google Plus had 25 million users. To put that stat into perspective, it took MySpace two years to hit that number, and Facebook three years.

As someone who keeps a close eye on the Internet marketing space, I knew within a very short period of time that Google Plus was going to stick. I started my account, familiarized myself with Google Plus’ features, and resolved to post regularly.

In November 2011, Google rolled out brand pages for Google Plus and welcomed businesses into the network, a big update that made Google Plus even more valuable for marketing.

What Sets Google Plus Apart?

Google Plus was important to me from the beginning because I knew that Google – the most popular site on the Internet and the world’s largest search engine – would give Google Plus updates a priority. In other words, updates I made to my Google Plus account would show up in Google search results more reliably and more often than updates I made to other social networks.

Let’s look at an example to see how this works. Pretend I own a landscaping company in Austin, TX. I post on my Google Plus brand page, “Landscaping discount in Austin, TX all week long!” Maybe your lawn needs some help after living under the hot Texas sun, so you go to Google and type in “landscaping discount austin tx.” And wow! You find my update on Google Plus, which leads you to my contact information and a happy business relationship.

The Piercing of the Veil

At first, it wasn’t entirely clear how Google would favor Google Plus updates. After all, Google shows my Facebook page feed when I do a search for “knektion facebook” and random Twitter updates show up as well.

But on January 10th, 2012, the extent to which Google would favor Google Plus in search results became a lot clearer. Google introduced “Search Plus Your World.” If you’re a Google Plus user, this means that when you’re logged in and searching on Google, your search results highlight updates from your Google Plus account and the Google Plus accounts of your friends.

If you don’t have an account or you’re not logged in, a “People and Pages on Google Plus” box appears on the right. Below the Google Plus accounts that are featured, there’s a link that says, “Learn how you could appear here too.”

Essentially, Google is forcing the hand of businesses who want to have prominence online. Google is saying, “Do you want to appear in search results? Then you’d better get on Google Plus.”

What Will You Do?

The reaction to this move by Google has been extremely mixed. As a solopreneur, you need to decide how you are going to respond. Some have accepted this change and started to focus more on their Google Plus presence. Others have become extremely angry at Google for monopolizing search results, and they have actually shut down their Google Plus accounts and switched to Bing!

Whatever your professional or moral take on the situation, I encourage you to be informed. Though it can be overwhelming to stay on top of the various social networks and the constant changes to these networks, they represent a valuable tool for you. Don’t get left behind!

Brittany Highland is the co-founder and Chief Operations Officer for Knektion, an Austin, TX startup dedicated to making social media and online marketing understandable for the “everyman.” Connect with Brittany on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

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Filed Under: blog, entrepreneur, home-based business, small business, social media marketing, social networking, solopreneur Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Looking Back at New Beginnings

December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m all about fresh starts when they don’t include lamenting over last year’s fresh start.

January might be anti-climactic for some, but if you like freshly painted surfaces, a newly cleaned house, the chalky smell of an open blackboard, then the beginning of a new year might evoke the blank canvas feeling in you, as well.

Let’s face it–evaluating a previous year can be freeing. After all, there is a good chance you hit some goals and not others, but dragging the unmet ones around like a ball and chain can hamper your enthusiasm and cripple your progress. Review and rework left-over goals, and allow yourself to celebrate your successes and build great vistas into your next year.

I hit some of my goals this year. I launched my website, retooled my priorities, worked toward a daily view of gratitude, and explored the open road of self-employment.

I didn’t launch my business, however. I could lament the massive weight of that potential ball and chain, but instead, I’m choosing to invite that goal back into the fold and see where it fits with 2012.

Timing is an important consideration when you consider goals. There are those who believe that the timing argument is a procrastinator’s tool, but having a holistic view of your life allows you to forgive yourself for the unmet goals, restyle them into the next year’s plans and have a genuine appreciation for your journey.

So release the lamenting. Celebrate your creativity, your passion, your spirit and your life in 2011. Begin 2012 with the vision that your blackboard is blank and anything is possible. Gather inspiration from those who are doing what they love and know you’re on your way, too.

It’s time for a fresh start, wouldn’t you say?

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Inspiration for the Solopreneur

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What inspires you?

I’ve always found inspiration in books, articles and stories about people who have created their own success. Some in ways I may not have considered and in others who have had difficult challenges that they’ve reframed into the path to ultimate victory.

Check out the latest Bee2Biz Spotlight on Gerald Grinter of The Twelfth Power Consulting. Gerald is an entrepreneur with heart—my favorite kind—who has traveled his own path to business success and shared some inspiring ideas for entrepereneurs just starting out.

Also check out my Inspiration page. I’ve listed a number of writers, bloggers and speakers who have inspired me over the years. I’d love to hear about your favorites–I may need to add them to my list!

No matter what it is that inspires you, engage frequently in those activities. Inspiration is what gives us renewed energy to keep working towards our dreams and to translate those dreams into reality.

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SEO, Social Network Marketing and Your Plan

November 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

Local and Global SEOMore than 800 million people are active users on Facebook. Statistics for Twitter are less clear-cut, but some sources put active users at 100 million. Google+ has made its debut and the list of online venues and channels continues to grow and demand attention from anyone who intends to make money online or offline.

The future of business has arrived, and, yes, that’s our playing field.

I happen to find the seemingly endless list of online tasks a bit daunting. Starting and growing a business can be a complex undertaking in itself, but having to understand and manage social networking and marketing can be, well, challenging.

SEO from the Pros

“Don’t get bogged down,” Brittany Highland counsels me. She’s the Chief Operations Officer of Knektion, a social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) company known for taking a complex web of online communications tools and simplifying it for small businesses just getting started. “You can plan month by month, set small goals, and we can help you create a map,” she explains.

Because knowing the bigger picture before all the details is critical, Highland and her husband, Eric, work with each client to understand what the end goal is and then design a path to that goal.

The Highlands began their online careers creating and growing a grassroots network for the film industry—an information hub of sorts. “We knew how powerful social media was, and at the time, the people within the industry didn’t know how to find each other. “We worked for a year without salary—talk about paying it forward,” she laughs. Over time, they nurtured a global network that eventually attracted over 10,000 users.

SEO, Patience and Vision

A word to the wise–you have to be patient with SEO. It’s not an overnight phenomenon, and according to Highland, can take months and months of careful monitoring and specific strategies to build an online presence. You can have the most incredible website or blog in the world, but if no one sees it, your efforts are fruitless.

Starting small is okay. “You have to ask the question, ‘What are my desired conversions? What do I want people to do?” says Highland. “For a person just starting out, that might just mean getting 10 people to like your Facebook page.”

Local SEO vs. Global SEO

A new emphasis is being placed on homegrown business, as well. “There’s a lot of talk lately about local SEO,” she says. Local SEO brings the focus from global to your physical community. That means optimizing your site to be found by people near you, and it’s especially important if your services or products are specifically offered to those in your area.

Consider using Google Maps on your site, adding your physical address on each of your pages, using local keywords and getting listed in local online directories. If you create one-of-a-kind necklaces and exhibit in local craft shows, you’re going to want your community to find you and your treasures. If you’re a plumber or an interior design professional, you need those people near you to know you exist and are ready for their business.

Networking, Schmoozing and Your Success

But online marketing and SEO alone will not complete the picture. Offline networking and connecting personally with your local community is essential. It’s not enough to build a great website and tweak your online numbers. You need to get out and meet and talk with people and build relationships. Those people, in turn, may become local fans, customers, or refer others to your website. And networking with solopreneur colleagues brings its own rewards.

“Join Biznik, go to seminars, volunteer with a nonprofit, create a local community of other business owners, ” she says. Brittany takes her own advice, as we actually met because she and Eric had volunteered to help StandUp For Kids Seattle, a local nonprofit, with its online social media presence and marketing. Experiences like that can introduce you to all kinds of new people, interesting opportunities and a wealth of information. So getting good SEO grades is important, but nothing replaces human interaction. And one enhances the other.

Can You Afford Help From the SEO Pros?

What if you’re a new solopreneur and want to get the social media and SEO stuff right, but aren’t sure if you can afford to work with a professional?

“Those are our favorite clients,” Highland says. “I like to ask what a person’s budget is. We can always do something for them, no matter the budget.” Having hired Knektion under just such a scenario, I can attest to getting good bang for the buck, even if the buck is in small denominations.

It’s important for solopreneurs to learn as much as they can and to be armed with the knowledge that can take their online presence to the next level. “I love to teach,” shares Highland, “and I love when the light bulb comes on.”

Take a step back, think about what you want for your business, and consider calling in the pros if you want to expedite your results. Sometimes just a little help goes a long way in getting your foot out the door and into that great, big online playing field.

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Great Business Ideas – Who Cares?

October 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How to Avoid Being Killed in a War ZoneThird Place Books in Lake Forest Park is one of my favorite places. It’s an indie bookstore that has character and carries great titles. I was cruising down an aisle yesterday rather quickly, and a book title leaped out at me: How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone: The Essential Survival Guide for Dangerous Places. The fire-engine-red-covered book, written by Rosie Garthwaite, reeled me back and had me staring for a good 20 seconds.

Incredible. I could only think—there truly is a place for every great idea in this world. Consider it for a minute—this book is timely, unique and has a compelling title. There is likely a certain group of people who have a driving, specific need for this information. And now they have a product to fill that need.

What do I know and what of it?

What if Rosie Garthwaite had said, “Why would anyone care that I’ve traveled to dangerous places?”

Certainly, there are other authors that have written about their hair-raising adventures traveling. Then, what’s unique about Rosie Garthwaite’s book?

Instead of just writing memoirs about dodging life-threatening situations and sleepless nights spent in volatile areas, she has created a product with more than one purpose. It’s a how-to book that will appeal not only to its main target audience, journalists, but to others who find the subject matter riveting.

Business basics

Creating a business isn’t about recreating the wheel. It’s about taking an idea and putting your own spin on it—and addressing a current need. It’s also about recognizing what unique experience or knowledge you have that is of interest to others.

Marketing comes into play when you think about how to present that idea to your target audience. Rosie (and/or her publisher) chose a bright red cover and a stark font to pull attention in. It certainly grabbed me while I sped down the aisle.

Here are some questions I gleaned from being sidetracked in Third Place Books.

  • What experiences have I had that might be interesting or useful to someone else?
  • How might it be parlayed into multiple uses?
  • Who is the target market(s) for this idea?
  • How can I leverage what others before me have done?

Sometimes we forget how much we know, or how much we have done in our lives. We might ask who would care, really. But hidden in there, potentially, is a great idea for a service or product.

The world could be ready for your great idea. You just need to be the one to share it.

Red might be a great color on you.

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Filed Under: blog, entrepreneur, home-based business, journey, small business, solopreneur, work-at-home moms

Writing and the Entreprenuer–Blog or No Blog?

October 3, 2011 By 2 Comments

To blog or not to blog?I had the pleasure recently of meeting up with Deborah Drake, a local writer, writing and publishing coach, and business and marketing consultant. We spent a little time talking about blogging, writing in general, and how all of that fits in with small business.

Deborah facilitates a weekly group, “A Writer’s Support Group for Reticent Bloggers,” which provides “creative writing intervention”, Drake smiles, to people who are wanting to put something on paper, but need encouragement to take the first steps, or to keep moving on an existing project. “I actually started the group for myself,” she said, “because I wanted and needed the community.” As it turns out, the group has been steadily running now since March 2010, with consistent attendance weekly and a growing camaraderie of experienced and fledgling writers. It has become more than just a writing group and a number of self-published books have emerged, taking their authors to new places in their careers.

Just what can writing do for your business and how do you know how or what to write? What if writing doesn’t come “naturally” to you? The conventional wisdom nowadays is that a blog is important, if not essential, for every business wanting to develop and maintain relationships with what will hopefully be a growing customer base. Drake agrees that a blog can be a wonderful way to connect with people about your business. But she also takes a firm stand on decrees from other business “experts” that insist everyone should have a blog.

“Don’t feel obligated,” she states. “The experts will tell you to do things a certain way because it worked for them, so they preach that it will work for you. What do we do when we don’t like something?” she asks. “We quit.”

Now, before you do a happy dance and declare you’ll never write again, you need to understand that writing is a tool that can indeed make a significant impact on your business. “Think of a blog as a magazine or newspaper,” Drake suggests. You have “evergreen” material that will always be of interest to your customers, and topical items that can intrigue and attract new people to your business. “Be strategic about what you write and when,” she adds. “And sometimes you just need to work with someone for a while who can bring all that out in you.” If you haven’t considered a writing coach, that might be a great first step. She offers that creative and honest feedback can be priceless in getting the process moving in the right direction. Even established writers can benefit from an objective assessment.

Still insist you have nothing to say or write about? “People tell stories about themselves and their businesses all the time,” she says. “Give your story a better half-life. Put it in writing.”

Deborah Drake can be found at www.authenticwritingprovokes.com  or contacted at deb@deborahdrake.com. You can also check out A Writer’s Support Group for Reticent Bloggers for more information.

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Filed Under: blog, entrepreneur, home-based business, intention, job, journey, passion, small business, solopreneur, work, work-at-home moms, writer, writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Transformative Moments

September 24, 2011 By 2 Comments

I got my new glasses today. I’ve never had progressive lenses before, and when I put them on for the first time my view was distinctly different.

That started me thinking about the times and events in my life that have completely changed my view—instantly. It’s funny how we can be going along in our lives, wrapped up in our thoughts and routines and viewpoints until something transformational happens to us and everything looks different. Suddenly, we’re forced into a clarifying moment that immediately prioritizes who we are and what matters—really.

A few things came to mind that forced me into a clarifying and prioritizing mode in my life:

• Being present when my dad died. As far as I’m concerned, nothing can readjust priorities faster and more efficiently than death. It doesn’t get much more real than that.

• When the Snohomish River, near my home, flooded beyond imagination in the early nineties. I had never seen—with my own two eyes—a river  suddenly without borders consuming people’s homes and livelihoods.

• A close call in a crosswalk. If it hadn’t been for the woman who magically appeared and yelled, “Car! A car is coming!” I would have left this wonderful life early.

So, what does all this have to do with having your own business and being an entrepreneur?

Everything.

What are we waiting for? It’s easy to let life tick away minute-by-minute as we plod along, feeling frustrated and stuck in a rut, bemoaning our seemingly prescribed lives, our hopeless dilemma of bills and mortgages and boredom. We can wish things were different and hope it all works out, or we can take action and begin now to put the pieces into place for a more fulfilling life with joyful activities and the pursuit of passion.

How cool would it be to get your ideal business up and running in your spare time?

How much does living life with passion mean to you? What would you do if you knew in a year you had to leave this life? How would you spend your last months? Would you complain that you only had twelve months and spend it wishing you had followed your heart?

You can wait for a transformative moment. Or you can get going.

One step forward can transform your life. Take the step!

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Filed Under: entrepreneur, home-based business, intention, job, small business, work Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Balance–Life, Day Job, Entrepreneur

September 5, 2011 By

Time and the Entrepreneur and Small Business

I just found out that my 3-day a week job is expanding to four days a week. Soon it will turn into four 10-hour days. How does one manage a job, nuture the creativity and guard the time needed to grow a business and be an expanding entrepreneur?

Succinctly—you have to build a routine of working on your business into your life. For me, that means creating a writing schedule that doesn’t vary. Whether it’s Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesdays and Thursdays, it just needs to be part of what I do every week and I need to get creative to find the time in which to do it.

All the other stuff—reading other blogs, active marketing of my website, writing articles for my newsletter–those need to be fit in, as well. And I can think of at least fifty other bullet points on my action item list that include less-than-thrilling administrative tasks. 

Time = Value = Your Entrepreneurial Journey

Who has the time for that? How do you have a social life? Are you going to be haggard and turn into a raving lunatic no one wants to be around?

I was thinking—day-dreaming actually—about what it would feel like if my business had hit the big time. For me, the big time is when my business has parlayed into all the components I want: traveling, speaking at conferences, giving workshops, having website traffic in six figures, creating an income stream that provides me the cushion and freedom to create and orchestrate my life the way I want.

There’s no doubt I would feel pretty darn good about that. In fact, I would be ecstatic, thrilled, exhilarated, and blissfully happy. What will you feel like when your business gets off the ground and your dream begins its ascent?

Carve more time out to work on that dream:

  • Cut out time blocks of dubious value.
    Is your hour or two of television really recharging you? A walk would be a better way to relax and visualize your success.
  • Elminate acquiescence and participate instead.
    Have you agreed to go somewhere or do something you really don’t want to? Find meaningful ways to fulfill obligations and reclaim this time.
  • Recapture dead space.
    Do you commute into work? Take the bus? Get a lunch break? Wait in line at the DMV? Every minute of that time can be used for brainstorming, reading or dreaming of your success. Use it! 

But all work and no play makes Jack and Jill dullsters, right?

It depends on how you view your business. Does the work enliven you or make you tired? I feel like I’m playing right now while I’m writing. A spark happens when I hit a flow and my blog article spills onto the page. It’s not even 11:00 a.m. and I feel lifted and excited about what I’m doing.  That’s not something to undervalue or label as dull. It’s the part of me I’m working to grow.

So, Worker Bees—think about your time as wealth and each hour as a coin. How are you spending your time? Sometimes a day out with friends and family is the wisest coin to spend. Sometimes alone time with your dreams and actions is bankable cash.

 It’s always yours to spend and decide.

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Filed Under: entrepreneur, home-based business, intention, job, jouney, passion, small business, solopreneur, work, work-at-home moms Tagged With: , , ,

The Part-time Entrepreneur

August 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Part-time_entrepreneurThere is no place for the whole it-is-or-it-isn’t, black-or-white, something-or-nothing mentality when it comes to life as an entrepreneur. In the best scenario, the shades of gray become your friends and the journey trumps the destination.

So why should you dwell in ultimate frustration because you work for The Man and that’s not what you want? Why does the definition of entrepreneur have to imply a full-time gig?

The obvious answers—you don’t and it doesn’t.

Job Frustration = Segue into Entrepreneur Land

Your job frustration can open the door to options that include spending free time in the pursuit of a passion. That passion can translate into additional income to buy you more life options. In the last couple of years, especially, many people are including a part-time business as a piece of their financial plan. I ran into a video on PBS’ Nightly News Report that suggests creating your part-time business is one of the best ways to hedge your financial security bets. For us worker bees, it also signifies an opportunity to begin the entrepreneurial journey and not to keep waiting until the “perfect” moment arrives and there isn’t any risk.

I’m a part-time entrepreneur. Three days a week, I’m an office manager at a little biotechnology company. My time spent grappling with IT issues, doing payroll and fielding HR questions brings me benefits and a good hourly wage. My other days are spent working on my business and with a nonprofit I support. I happen to think it’s a pretty ideal situation right now, but I walked away from a full-time job before I could orchestrate what I have now. You’ll have to decide what you can live with financially and what makes sense for you.

How Do I Become a Part-Time Entrepreneur?

What business should you start? I always go back to this, but it’s at the core of what I believe–you have to know what will keep you jazzed even when the going gets tough. After all, if you have a full-time job, it’s going to be challenging (I didn’t say impossible) to utilize your spare time to the fullest. It makes sense that you choose something you would probably do for free because you enjoy it so much.

I’ll explore that idea in future articles—what that thing might be—but for now, just know your homework is to begin the brainstorm. Ideas into options into business.

The good news—you can have any option you can imagine.

Entrepreneurs, here’s your call to action. Think about a part-time business that would be a labor of love.

And dream BIG.

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Filed Under: entrepreneur, home-based business, intention, job, passion, small business, solopreneur, work, work-at-home moms Tagged With: , , , , ,

Entrepreneurial Space – A Garage Mentality

August 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

home-based business office space

I heard a new term today. Garage Entrepreneur. The image it evoked? Carving out office space between my red Hyundai Elantra and a spider-webby workbench.

This morning I happened upon an article on Entrepreneur.com exploring the options tiny startups have in finding working space to create their dreams. How do you bootstrap a fledgling business and not get too depressed with your surroundings while preserving some semblance of home life? Spare bedrooms, kitchen tables, closets and garages can be productive areas for your at-home business if you look at them with a garage entrepreneur perspective.

Closet Entrepreneur

I used a bedroom walk-in closet for my first office. I lived in an 1100 square foot rambler with a husband and two little kids and the quiet space among work shirts and winter coats housed my dream to write. Hey, as an entrepreneur, you take what you can get in the beginning and run with it, right? I was lucky—it had a window at the back of it, so it afforded some natural light, but I would have gladly dragged a lamp and 20-foot extension cord in there if I had to.

Budding Entrepreneurial Nooks

Agreed—carbon monoxide and moths balls make for a less than desirable environment. Get creative! Park the car outside, give the old clothes to Goodwill, sweep the spider webs and paint one wall a serene green to get started. Comb garage sales for used furniture, buy a space heater, and throw an area rug over the oil spill. You’d be amazed what a little ingenuity can do to make a space your own. The bottom line is beginning with what you have and making the most of it. I have an actual home office now, but I think my scrappy beginnings in a closet made me more resourceful in the long run.

I bet some of you have conjured up unique and creative offices to work in, as well. Is the formal dining room your new conference room? Have you converted the garden shed to a peaceful retreat for writing a novel? I’d love to hear about your innovative spaces. Send a picture and I’ll share it!

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