Archive for January, 2011

10 Tips for Starting a New Business

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

10 Tips for Starting a New Business

One of the reasons I enjoy business so much is because it is evolving, constantly challenging the way you think, it keeps the creative juices flowing and adrenalin pumping! Take this week for example, we released the first of many professional promo videos for Tidy Design, you can view this on our Tidy Design YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/TidyDesign… Tidy Design also launched its first of many ‘Start-up Company Websites’, this package / template I created whilst eating mince pies and drinking wine over the festive vacation.

The start-up website design package has been something Tidy Design has wanted to offer new businesses for many years however never found enough time to implement it correctly… It really was a case of working on it as and when I could over Christmas to ensure it was completed in time for 2011. Business is all about these kinds of targets, goals and working really hard to ensure (no matter what) that you get things done! If this means waking up early on a Sunday, working a Friday night or as above over the festive holiday then so be it.

As well as the above activity, we had another new site confirmed for 2011; we worked on projects such as Luxury Guest Houses, Plot of Land for Sale and Business Networking Link. Ok, the 7am to 11pm shifts can sometimes test my sanity however it is such a buzz getting things done and working hard to grow your business, you truly get out what you put in!

Let’s face it; no one will work as hard as you do when it comes to growing your own business… I often find myself working for love not money, however the bigger picture is what I focus on, this is what motivates me, makes me work late and get into work early! It is not about clocking in then watching the hours tick by, it is more about wanting the weeks to go slower, finding more time in the day to spend developing new ideas, marketing your brand and improving the business! Anyway, this is the mental attitude I believe all business owners and start-ups should have; a negative and leisurely approach to business can not be good for staff or your customers… You need that hunger to survive!

Ok, that’s my rant over and done with; now let’s get back to the task at hand… Here are my top ten tips for those of you starting a new business. I hope they provide some value and inspiration.

1. Love what you do and do what you love – This is very important because unless you believe in re-incarnation we only live once! Don’t spend a lifetime doing things because they are easy! If you can find a career or setup a business that involves you doing what you love then it will no longer be a 9 to 5! Loosing that 9 to 5 mentality opens so many doors, and getting paid for doing what you love is not a job! It is pure awesomeness! What do you enjoy most in life?
2. Choose your friends / business partners well – I like many started my journey into self employment and business with a friend from University… I think so many of us choose this route (a business partnership) because it is less scary. It sort of takes the pressure off!

Having older friends in established businesses who are still today acting as my business mentors, I recall one or two saying, “Are you sure 50/50 is what you want to do?” Buzzing from the fact you are about to become a co-Director of a Limited company you may choose (like me) to ignore this question! But looking back, it is an important one!

I have no regrets about how things turned out, everything happens for a reason, when one door closes another soon opens. Sadly friendships often get tested in the world of business, you may find one person doing more work that the other, maybe one wants the big office and the other is happy to work from home, should we invest X or Y in marketing, should we charge X or Y per hour? In business you will find lots of questions with only one answer!

I know not all business partnerships end up with people flying solo, some partnerships work really well! Just think about it before you commit… If someone wants you as a business partner then ask yourself why they want you… Also ask do you need them? List both your strengths and weaknesses, this list is pretty important!

What ever you decide to do in terms of the structure of your business, having a loyal friend, family member or mentor you can bounce ideas off could really help… Two heads are better than one!

3. Re-invest all you can (money + time) – When I left home at 18, started University, travelled, started a business etc I never had ANY money! Ok, a few pounds for travel, food and accommodation… But that is seriously it! When I first arrived in Portsmouth all I had was a bag of clothes, my first night in rented accommodation was fun… The shops had all closed and I had no duvet or pillows! On that cold September night I emptied my bag of clothes onto a scabby mattress and made myself a nest out of jeans and jumpers!

My point is this; you don’t need thousands of pounds to get shit done! All you need is motivation and to work with what you got! The same goes for business, if you invest what you can then you will see growth. Think of your time as money, your time is free, the more time you spend developing and promoting your business the more chance you have of your business making money! Don’t listen to people who say, “You can’t setup a business because you have no money.”… That’s just an excuse because they are probably lazy or not able to think outside the box! Keep re-investing what you can, if you don’t re-invest in your own business, then who will?

4. DIY marketing + accounts can cost you long term – In today’s economic climate we should not judge people who try to save money by doing there own accounts, websites or marketing etc… We tried it, but after a long meeting with our accountant we soon found out that we could save almost 1K a month in HM Rev bills! So if you think about it, the money you spend on a professional accountant, website or marketing should save you money long term! FACT!

One thing I have noticed in recent months is that everyone is becoming an expert on web design and SEO… It gets annoying when Joe public call up with 20 questions about SEO and marketing! A funny story (no names) was when an employee of a company we work with sat in on a meeting and said “The site is not working!” … I replied with confirmation of a 23% bounce rate and web stats showing traffic over 10K unique per month! The cherry on the cake was a revenue report, this soon shut them up!

The fact is SEO takes time, not only to study and learn but to implement correctly, a continual investment is needed. If you do not market your website then you should not be surprised if it generates minimal business. Likewise with your accounts, if you don’t know them inside out (this simply involves some daily book keeping, money in, money out); expect big headaches and bigger accountancy bills!

My advice is stick to what you do best, if it’s sales then sell, if its carpentry then build… Getting too involved in areas of your business that you are not familiar with may result in you taking your eye off the ball.

5. Be in control of your business – If you setup and run your own business then it is down to YOU to ensure everything is in order! I hate watching the news and seeing unions go on strike because of spending cuts, it seems everyone is playing the “Blame Game” and not seeing the bigger picture!

When Tidy Design first started up I remember personally helping various clients writing content and buying stock images for there websites… This was all part of developing our brand and building up a web design portfolio we could use to generate more business.

Being your own boss you are able to make these kind of decisions, and if later down the line you feel certain elements of your business are counter productive you can change them! Expect to make mistakes along the way and remember to make your business work for you, not you working for your business!

6. Knowing your business – As mentioned in point 4, accurate and up to date accounting gives you a better understanding of you business and the direction it is going. If you don’t know what money you made from X to Y dates within the few clicks of your mouse then something is wrong! I remember someone once said to me “It is ok to make a loss, but you need to know you are making a loss!”

It is also important to study your competitors and the industry you are in! What are your customers looking for, what will they be looking for six months from now, why will they choose you etc etc?

7. Repeat business is essential for growth – One of the best pieces of advice I received in regards to business is “repeat business is essential for growth”… Think about it, repeat business gives your company a regular income, money you can use to pay wages, bills and re-invest in to marketing. Here is an idea, why not sit down and plan what you are going to sell to your existing customers next? What other products or services do you think they might need?

It is important not to focus too much on new business, doing this you could possibly loose the business you already have! Think about how you can reward existing customers, what could you do to keep them loyal to your company?

8. Make your own path – Ok, books by Branson, Bannatyne, Sugar, Jones and other well known entrepreneurs can really help motivate a start-up; I have a shelf full of them! But I would say don’t try to emulate them too much… Putting your own twist or stamp on business will give your company its own unique identity… After all, you want your business to represent you and not some dude on Dragons Den!

Why not pencil out the next five to ten years on a piece of paper, work out what personal goals you have, targets and places you would like to visit. Living each day as it comes is cool however we all need some kind of guideline, especially if you are planning to create, expand and develop your own business in and around your family life.

9. Protect your personal assets – When you go into business for yourself you will have three options, sole trader, a partnership or a limited company. With sole traders and partnerships you are usually liable for any debts that the business may incur. Depending on your personal and financial situation you will need to decide which of these three options is best for you! Creditor can go after your personal assets if you are registered as a sole trader or partnership, so personal assets such as your car and house could be used to pay for company debts!

A limited company on the other hand will offer you much more protection, so if you have any personal assets then this maybe the best route for you. I would suggest you speak with an accountant about this as they will have a better idea of your personal finances… It is also worth getting business insurance to cover any unexpected events!

10. Be a good all rounder – In business I believe it is good to know a little about a lot, rather than a lot about one particular thing! I know I will never win Worlds best coder award for my work at Tidy Design, maybe a design award or two if I’m lucky! What I am saying is being a business owner is different to being an employee of a company. You will need to be able to multi task and juggle many ideas at once, especially when starting out… After a few years in business my job role still includes cleaning the office, designer and coder, developer of new ideas, marketing, customer relations, sales, blogger, postman delivering flyers and more! Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty from time to time, if the world of business was easy then everyone would be doing it!

So there you have it, ten tips for starting a new business… Please feel free to post your thoughts and feedback on my ten tips for starting a new business; I would also love to hear your own tips and thoughts on this topic… What ever you decide to do, have an amazing journey, be awesome to others and make sure every day excites you!

Posted in Business, Economy, Entrepreneurs, Personal Development, Self Help | 1 Comment »

Businesses for Sale in Hampshire

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Businesses for Sale in Hampshire

Let’s face it; setting up a new business in today’s economic climate is not going to be easy! My wife and I have not long got back from a brisk walk through Southsea, Portsmouth… It is sad to see a couple of new shops boarded up, likely closed down due to poor trade over the snowy winter months, job losses, poor marketing or spending cuts… I think all business owners would agree that obstacles and challenging times are all part of being in business!

If you are seriously considering a change of career or entering the world of business then one option could be to buy a business already established in your local area, this way the company name and some form of brand awareness / reputation should already be in place, making a little less work for you!

If on the other hand you choose to setup your own business from scratch, then having a finish line in place is very important! I mean it is all well and good working hard, establishing a new brand and growing your company… However, what about when enough is enough or when you choose to retire? Will a family member take over or will you decide to sell your business, maybe to a competitor or business investor?

Today I searched Google for “Businesses for Sale in Hampshire” to see what kind of websites, prices and businesses I’d come across. I found most business listings contained similar data such as the asking price, turnover, net profit, descriptions and keywords etc… I also found several banners and links that said buying a franchise is another great way to take on an established business identity, something you may wish to consider before starting or buying a business.

So, it would seem that there is no shortage of businesses for sale in Hampshire and the surrounding areas. However, unlike the start-up route some serious capital will be needed if you are buying into a franchise or taking over a business.

If you are selling a business in Hampshire then I would love to hear from you, maybe you could post some info about your company below. The same goes for those of you looking for businesses for sale in Hampshire, what things will you be looking for in terms of a business investment?

Posted in Business, Economy, Hampshire, Investments, Money | 1 Comment »

Ten Tips for Business Blogging & Writing Blog Posts

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Ten Tips for Business Blogging and Writing Blog Posts

Over the last X6 months I have really enjoyed blogging and learning all about the benefits of blogs for businesses. Although Global Warming Today was my first ever blog, this I setup to educate myself on climate change and also blogging itself, I guess you could say my heart lies with this blog. I mean, although it is titled a “Business & Investment Blog” it is also a means for me to ramble about life and promote new ideas, businesses and projects that I am involved with.

Something I have realised since starting to blog is you need to be disciplined not to ‘find’ the time, but to ‘make’ the time to post new and exciting articles! And during these tough economic times, if you are running a small business, paying staff wages and working hard to keep ALL customers happy then finding this time can be difficult.

If the above sounds like you then I can personally relate to it! Almost all my own blog posts are written before or after work hours, over the weekends etc… I push myself constantly to ensure new content is added as often as possible, because I want my own sites / business ideas to develop and evolve… If I can find time, then so can you!

Another great thing about blogging for businesses is how quick content can be indexed by Google, unlike new web pages that may take months to be indexed; a new blog post could appear in Google’s search results in a matter of hours!

So what are my top ten tips for writing a blog post?

1 ) Don’t publish what you can tweet
2 ) Try keeping blog posts over 450 words
3 ) Make titles interesting and incorporate (not spam) keywords about your business
4 ) A blog post should be informative and offer something of value
5 ) Get a friend, colleague or partner to read your blog, check grammar, spelling etc
6 ) Try to be consistent in your style of writing, layout and opinions
7 ) Try to encourage visitors to interact with your site and post comments
8 ) Don’t forget to blog. Regular posts will attract not only readers but search engines
9 ) Research competitors, what are they blogging about?
10 ) When you publish a new blog post tell the world via sites such as twitter & digg.

Before we continue and look at the above points in more detail, please note that your blog will not become a massive success overnight! I have done lots of research online and everyone seems to say allow X6 months or more for a blog to take off… Also, don’t expect to make money from a blog, but expect to make money because you blog!

Think of your blog as like a long term investment, you put up the initial outlay, you invest your time and money into it, then in the back of your mind you may one day think will I ever see a return on this investment? Do people actually like what I write? Is blogging really helping boost my search results and new business generated online? Yes, X6 months of blogging is a big commitment, however building a solid foundation for your business and organic search engine results is going to be hard work! We live in a competitive world, and competition is good for business!

For now let’s step back and look at the ten tips for blogging I listed above. Below I have made some notes on each; I hope you find them of some use.

1. Don’t publish what you can tweet

By this I mean don’t blog for the sake of blogging, if you have 5mins to spare after a busy day at the office then you suddenly think shit I haven’t blogged in months, don’t do it for the sake of it! It really does bug me when I stumble across blog posts with catchy titles but no real content or value.

If you are looking to say “Hi guys, I’ve just created this amazing new tool for your business!” then why not setup a twitter account and use that? I would say keep your business blog for awesome content, write a glowing report on that new tool for businesses you created, then tweet a link directing people to that blog post!

2. Try keeping blog posts over 450 words

The long and short of it is search engines like to find and index unique content on the web, content is king! When it comes to writing blog posts for your company website try to make sure they offer the search engines some good old data for them to take away.

Sometime ago I found a report that said high ranking blogs such as SEOmoz.org had an average of 740 words per blog post. I guess the correct number of words for any blog post is the number it takes to complete it, so if you need to write 2000+ then write 2000+, however if top ranking blogs average 740 then that should be telling you something.

So why have I said try keeping blog posts over 450 and not 740? Well, this is just a guideline, for me 450 is enough to include some real value… And 450 is a number that all of us can set and achieve! Not all business owners will be avid bloggers and enjoying writing pages and pages of content, also they will have a business to run! My point is to set a minimal number of words for your blog post, anything over that number will then be a bonus!

3. Make titles interesting and incorporate (not spam) keywords about your business

If you haven’t already then please make sure the URL’s generated by your blogging software include keywords relevant to your blog post and title. It is much more difficult to achieve tidy search results if a blog post you have titled “X10 tips for writing blog posts” is visible on a page named yourbusiness.com/yourblog/?p=54 … What you want it to be called is yourbusiness.com/yourblog/10-tips-for-writing-blog-posts because this contains those all important keywords!

Try to incorporate keywords relevant to your business and the products or services mentioned in that particular blog post. Why not search for “google adwords keyword tool” on the web and research some of the more commonly searched phrases related to your blog post. Finding out what words are popular could really influence the page name, page title and content of your blog post.

4. A blog post should be informative and offer something of value!

Research on blogging and successful bloggers has showed me that educating the reader is a highly effective way of generating business and loyal followers. Before starting any new blog posts I think it is important to define your goals and identify why you are writing it? Are you simply trying to say “buy my product now” or are you telling people about you, your plans for the future etc? How personal are you prepared to make each blog post, and what can you offer within each blog post that is unique to all others?

5. Get a friend, colleague or partner to read your blog, check grammar, spelling etc before posting it!

This is sooo important, especially if like me you don’t read a lot or didn’t pay that much attention in school. Although it is good practice to read and re-read all new blog posts, do several spell checks etc, sometimes typos do find there way onto a website or blog, if this happens don’t loose sleep over it, I know I wont! However, the less typos you do end up publishing the better, a sloppy blog post on a company website could do more harm than good!

Like all things in life, the more you do the better you become! My first few blogs posts took ages to write, and my wife found lots of silly typos! However, after lots of practice I now find blogging much easier and it has become part of my day to day business!

6. Try to be consistent in your style of writing, layout and opinions

When it comes to writing a blog post try and keep some consistency in all posts, by this I mean the layout of photos, bullets, banners, font, colours etc… It is amazing how many people want one webpage to look like X and another webpage to look like Y… When it comes to website design and blogging remember to keep things consistent, this keeps things simple, not only for you but for the user! Also, don’t write for someone else’s approval, make sure the blog represents you and reflects your business.

7. Try to encourage visitors to interact with your site and post comments

Although our own blogs are still pretty young in the grand scheme of things, I do end each post with a question or two directed at you the reader, however I am finding decent comments few and far between! Ok, if I wanted a Rolex or to improve my sex life then I would have thousands of comments! Let’s face it; automated spam sent to your blog is not worth publishing for actual readers / customers to view… Although decent comments are hard to come by, when you do finally receive one it feels awesome!

8. Don’t forget to blog. Regular posts will attract not only readers but search engines

In my opinion a blog (or website) that has its news last updated 3 or more months ago gives the impression of an unloved business / website. I mean come on; if you are asking people to buy a product or service from you then this does not create a good impression! Think of your website as your shop window, and think of your blog as your own News station keeping the world up-to-date on what’s new and happening at your business.

Updating a blog with regular posts will give your readers a reason to check back more often, more content will also create opportunities for inbound links to your blog! Blog maintenance really is a win win situation for the blogger and reader!

9. Research competitors, what are they blogging about?

In business it is important not to re-invent the wheel too often; by this I mean almost all new businesses will have some form of competition out their already established! This head start could be seen as a hurdle or challenge, but in terms of website development and blogging it should be seen as a form of research… Take the time to look at others in your sector. Do they blog? Do they tweet? Do they have a site? Then look at what they blog, how often they blog, what they tweet, how often they tweet etc!

10. When you publish a new blog post tell the world via sites such as twitter & digg.

If you are actively using social sites to promote your business then your friends or followers are the perfect people to notify about new blog posts. You may also want to search users and network with other bloggers, ask people for inspiration, feedback, comments or simply say “please forward this new blog post to your friends”.

It is no secret that so many bloggers have embraced social networking sites such as twitter, using them as a means to promote new blog posts, attract visitors and speed up the indexing process. If you have not already then please register your company name with twitter, digg, facebook, youtube etc… Even if you don’t end up using them just yet, it is better to have and not need than to need and not have!

So there you have it, X10 tips for writing a blog post… Whether you are a small business, large business or simply a dude who blogs for fun, I hope the above information was of some value to you? If you would like to add your own tips and tricks on how to become a successful blogger then below is the perfect place to do it!

Please stay tuned for some more mega informative blog posts coming soon, I have several ideas / projects that I aim to document in great detail throughout 2011. A lot of these are directly linked to Tidy Design and web marketing so I hope the information I share will assist others out there.

Thanks for reading, Michael Jon Ward.

Posted in Business, Investments, Marketing, Networking, News, Self Help, Writing | No Comments »

Keeping a Positive Mental Attitude

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

Keeping a Positive Mental Attitude

The other morning I decided to watch some You Tube whilst drinking my first super strong coffee of the day, it was just before 7am and I was pencilling down my to-do list for the day… The usual mixture of Tidy Design work, small updates to personal sites, some blogging for SEO etc… Anyway, I was recommended by YouTube this video by ‘Morning Coach’ that asked ‘What is Positive Mental Attitude’ so I decided to listen to it in the background whilst writing away.

The following phrase jumped out at me ‘Your Attitude Equals Altitude’, these words made me stop and think, not just about the day ahead but about the bigger picture and what makes one person get a job and another become self employed? Why do we connect with some people but find others annoying? Why am I up working at silly o’clock, when I could be in bed with my wifey?

I’m not sure about you but I believe ‘Your Attitude Equals Altitude’, for example how you feel when you wake up in the morning really can determine how good or bad the day will be! If you answer the phone with a ‘what now’ attitude, will the reaction be the same as a positive, ‘how can I help’ attitude?

You could say a Positive Mental Attitude simply refers to the glass being half full, or maybe a spiritual way of life that attracts good things to you. Think of it like this… Two magnets, they can repel or attract depending on how they are positioned. I guess for me the law of attraction is something you can help create, like the positioning of the two magnets! If I wanted to create a popular business and investment blog, I first need to think about it, I then need to do it! So, in this case it is the creating that attracts success!

Ok, maybe I am going all mumbo-jumbo here and I need to step back! Think of it like this, do you or someone you know complain about life day in day out? Are you ever negative towards others or life? What happens when you meet up with this negative person, do you find yourself feeling more negative? Who else do you see hanging round with them; do people who complain associate themselves with others who complain?

My theory on ‘Your Attitude Equals Altitude’ relies on who you look up to, who are your friends and who would you most like to emulate? By surrounding yourself with positive people and thoughts you are creating a positive environment, one that will provide for you. A Positive Mental Attitude can not be purchased from Amazon or in your local supermarket; everything positive starts from inside, it is the frame of mind (your attitude) that will create altitude in your life and business.

One of the greatest questions I have heard is, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” I believe it was in a Paul Mckenna book my wife gave me one birthday… If you really think about this question, then you should also start thinking:

What job (if any) would you do?
Where would you live?
What would be your typical breakfast?
What kind of lifestyle would you live?
Where would you take your partner on your anniversary?
What would you drink?
What would you do to better the world we live?

So what can we all do today to ensure our goals are reached and we retain a consistent Positive Mental Attitude throughout 2011 and beyond? Well, first I guess we all need to accept that over a long enough time line, we will all face challenging times! Not being afraid to fail is important, lets face it we all make mistakes in life and business and it is these mistakes that make us stronger, often developing our own character / identity!

To ensure these tough days don’t result in us straying from a positive path, giving up on our goals or calling it a day, I have come up with X4 golden rules for keeping a positive mental attitude.

Tips for Keeping a Positive Mental Attitude

1. What you think you become
2. Active body active mind
3. Recognize your accomplishments
4. Dedication to your direction

I feel the above four points sum up the basic foundations of a positive attitude, I mean if you regularly think about your finish line and who you aim to become then it should happen. Keeping your body healthy and mind active should also keep you feeling young and energetic, increased mental and physical energy equals increased productivity!

When working hard towards your goals it is important not to forget where you came from and how far you have come! Each new accomplishment in life should be noted and rewarded, life long targets can take (like it says on the tin) a lifetime to achieve! Take time to review your progress in life.

Being dedicated to the task at hand is easy when it is fresh in your mind, so keep reminding yourself what you want out of life (long term) and where you started your journey! Keeping direction is vital, it will make others around you stand up and acknowledge your passion to succeed.

It is really sad that only a small percentage of people ever achieve their full potential, I mean life is so short! So many of us have dreams and great ideas that get pushed to one side for one reason or another! The question you have to ask is how can you break the norm, step out of that comfort zone and start working towards them?

Is a Positive Mental Attitude really all you need to start that journey towards your goals? Or is it something more? Maybe it is “all in the mind” however if a Positive Mental Attitude makes just one person feel better or gives them the edge or courage to start something new, then it is something we can not dismiss.

Me personally, I am far from reaching all my goals and targets in life. Since graduating University in 2005 so much has happened, both in life and business! I reflect back on my past almost daily, having worked many shitty jobs in meat, mushroom, metal and smoke alarm factories etc, being here right now with my amazing wife, own business, several side projects / investments etc is absolutely amazing! For me it is these past experiences (Working hard, looking after myself and having many horrible jobs) that motivate me to do better each day, they keep me focused, on my feet and developing new ideas… I guess once you take that leap of faith (leaving a 9 to 5 job which offers some security) you can either sink or swim, which one is ultimately down to you!

Perseverance and determination can affect all our lives in many different ways, what we want and how bad we want it will ultimately determine our rate of success. If you are looking to achieve new goals then why not invest in some good books, research the lives of those who have already achieved what you set out to… I mean, how did others do it? How long did it take them? What do they have in common with you and others? What mistakes did they make that you could learn from? These are just a few questions you could be asking, the answers helping you to create that all important positive mental attitude.

Throughout 2011 I aim to really develop / market the ‘Personal Development’ area on this site offering a selection of unique business tools, self help articles, investment ideas, marketing tips, tricks and more… The finish line for this particular project is to have many thousands of members all over the globe, people who register for a one off fee and then re-visit each month to find new and beneficial information added for members only to read and download… I fully understand that for me to succeed doing this, along with all other projects / targets I have for the year, I will need to keep a positive mental attitude. I guess this is all part of my own personal development quest, so please stay tuned to this blog to see how things progress!

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings about positive mental attitudes… Remember that whenever you’re faced with difficulty, either in life or business, it is best to focus on a solution rather than on the problem… Stay positive and great things will happen!

Posted in Business, Entrepreneurs, Personal Development, Positive Mental Attitude, Self Help | No Comments »

The Smart Approach to Making Money Online

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

The Smart Approach to Making Money Online

So, our first week back in business of 2011 and I must say it has been very productive! Several to-do’s that have been on my list for some time now (you know the ones, the kind you should to do but put off because they are not as important as others!) got done! Our accounts are up to date thanks to Wifey, and we touched base with pretty much all clients / projects following the festive vacation! All in all a great first week back in the office!

Running and owning primarily a service based business (Tidy Design) our money is made by charging clients for the time we spend doing work for them! Ok, this is great because our growing client base allows us to work a 9 to 5 week, thus generating enough income to pay wages etc, however we are still limited to the physical hours we can work!

Having worked some shitty jobs in my past I am truly grateful to be where I am right now! Ok, you could argue I am working yet another weekend / evening or I am unable to switch off sometimes, however this high-octane life we call ‘business’ is something I personally enjoy! If you do something you enjoy then you could argue is it really work?

I know typing this blog post on a Saturday evening will not make me a millionaire over night! However, spread regular blog posts out over 12 to 24 months and they will really boost a sites search results with Google, Yahoo and Bing… The knock on effect being overall improved SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) and lots more lovely readers!

It is no secret; throughout 2011 I aim to blog a lot! As well as this I will be focusing my time and energy on increasing the number of products we sell in comparison to services… As much as I love web design and the bond Tidy Design has with several of our clients, the fact is we can all only work so many hours a day! A service based business is often limited to the man hours you have available! My plan is to create several high ranking blogs that charge companies for add space (or offer sellable products we develop), in theory allowing us to make money whilst we sleep! If you want to be successful then don’t sell your time by the hour, instead do an hour’s work and make sure that work continues to earn you money!

So what is the smart approach to making money, and can you really put this into a sentence or paragraph for all to read? I personally avoid all ‘Get Rich Quick’ schemes like the plague! What I have learnt in the very short time I have been in business (about 4 years now!) is that there is no such thing as a free lunch! Everything in life and business involves some kind of long term planning, detailed preparation and lots of hard work!

My theory on a smart approach to making money is to find a comfortable balance between products and services… Don’t rely completely on say ‘new business’ or ‘selling your time’… Why not incorporate repeat business into your company so you can re-sell a service / product to your existing clients… Offering value is also VERY important for any business, make sure what you give customers is worth every penny!

So how can you generate income from delivering value? Well, if you can truly create and deliver value to your clients then opportunities will literally jump out at you! Real value is something we all search for, recession or no recession! If you can incorporate this value into your brand, then you should find your brand selling itself through word of mouth and reputation!

So to conclude… Although money opens many doors and creates opportunity, if you focus all your energy into making money, you may find a long and lonely road ahead of you! For me, the smart approach to making money is doing something you truly enjoy, something that inspires others and offers real value to all involved! This way, even if you don’t become the next Warren Buffett, at least you had a fun journey!

I would say create the brand, incorporate some real value, work hard, develop your services V products and then the money should come to you! I hope you found some value within this article? You will find lots more information on business, investments and internet marketing in our ‘Personal Development’ area… Membership to is a one off fee of just £20!

Please feel free to post your comments and feedback below as I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Posted in Business, Entrepreneurs, Marketing, Money, News, Writing | 1 Comment »

The stock market and my 2011 share predictions

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

The stock market and my 2011 share predictions

So here we are 2011! Another year of digging deep, working extremely hard and watching the pennies! Owning my own business 2010 was pretty much dedicated to developing our brand; re-investing what money I could into marketing, and monitoring the company’s cash flow. If you have a business then these things are vital, I mean if you don’t re-invest then who will? The long and short of it is 2010 was not a stock market kind of year for me, due to the economic climate I thought my time / money better spent on other things.

You will see from the ‘Our Business’ tab on this website that we are involved with several different sites / projects… As well as these I am really interested in all kinds of investments! Like everyone, my investments are dictated by how much money I have available at any given time… I did not receive a cash handout in order to setup my business; I worked for someone whilst establishing the company in the evenings / weekends… Likewise, with personal investments I saved / used credit cards (and lots of them) to buy various assets to date such as land, stocks, Bulgarian real estate etc… These cards got paid off ASAP, but sadly money makes money! And if like me you start off with nil, then you do have many challenges ahead… But these are exciting ones, I mean it is better if YOU personally save up or work hard towards something!

Anyway, I have decided that 2011 is going to be my year for stocks and shares… Having a diverse investment portfolio is so important when thinking ‘long term’. Rather than putting all your money into say gold or silver, why not invest in different assets such as stocks and shares, land, property, websites, bonds, art, business, currency etc

Over the festive period I spent a few evenings sipping a glass or two of red wine, laptop on, browsing stocks and shares that interest me on the web… I thought early Jan would be a good time to post my 2011 stock market predications for the year! Please note I am no expert on stocks and shares, also my goal is not to make a quick buck buying and selling! Like land investment, I aim to buy and hold onto as many shares as possible over the years, building up a larger and larger stock portfolio that can be sold or passed on later in my life. I do not have massive capital to invest so who, when and what I invest in will be a well calculated gamble. Let’s face it, all stocks and shares you invest in do come with some risk!

So who will I be investing in this year? What companies stand out to me as possible sound long term investments? Please note I am not suggesting that you go out and invest in these companies, however if you do, then this will be at your own risk!

Here are my top 5 companies to invest in 2011

1. Royal Bank Of Scotland Group PLC (RBS.L)
2. Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LLOY.L)
3. BowLeven PLC (BLVN.L)
4. Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.L)
5. Goldcorp, Inc. (G.TO)

I selected the above companies by reading various reviews, news and reports on the web, looking at past share prices and taking into account our current economic climate and needs… As well as these X5 companies I have pencilled down several others that I will be keeping my eye on in 2011. My plan is to wait for a good share price, invest what I can afford to loose, and then forget about them for 12 months or so… Maybe posting another blog this time next year with a summary of how well (or bad) I did!

And on that note, I hope you enjoyed this blog post and my predictions for 2011. I would love to hear your thoughts on the stock market and how you see things going this year… Let’s end this post with a quote by Mr Warren Buffett “I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.”

Posted in Business, Economy, Investments, Shares, Stock Market | 2 Comments »