Small Businesses - Big Marketing

Rethinking Your Workspace

Whether you currently work from home or are looking into work-at-home options like the SearchMarketMe Agency Owner Program, it's important to create an inspiring and productive environment for yourself.  And let's face it, working and living in the same space can be draining at times.  Perhaps it's time to rethink your workspace and switch things up!

Go to just about any Starbucks or Panera Bread during normal business hours and you'll be amazed at the number of people working from these locations!  So why not try it out for yourself?  Here's 3 reasons it might be worth a shot:

Meet new people.  If you're in the business of lead generation, you're bound to have more luck finding leads at a busy coffee shop than within the confines of your home office.  Not to mention the networking opportunities that abound at these places!  Quick tip: Put 5 business cards in your pocket in the morning and don't go home until you've handed them all out.

Get inspired.  If your work is creative, public places can offer amazing inspiration.  Quick tip: Bring along an observation journal.  Each time you hit a creative block, spend a few minutes writing in your journal.  Sights, sounds, smells, and emotions are all fair game!

Give the sweats a day off.  If it's been awhile since you buttoned a pair of pants, you owe it to yourself to stop the cycle.  Quick tip: Casual wear is okay as long as it's pulled together.  Dress in a way that makes you feel confident to take on your day!

Want more tips on social networking, online marketing, and business development?  Connect with SearchMarketMe on Facebook (www.facebook.com/searchmarketme) and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/searchmarketme)

3 Tips for Turning Your Failures into Successes

"The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure" -Chinese proverb

Entrepreneurs know that failure is a part of life.  Hopefully these failures are insignificant in comparison to your successes, but even larger failures can be turned around.  Like your mother said, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Here are 3 quick tips for turning set-backs around:

1.  Analyze where things went wrong

2.  Outline what you did right (and capitalize on that!)

3.  Measure your goals and results constantly as you go forward

Here's to a tall, refreshing glass of lemonade!

Want more tips on social networking, online marketing, and business development?  Connect with SearchMarketMe on Facebook (www.facebook.com/searchmarketme) and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/searchmarketme)

How Strong is Your Call to Action?

If you've spent the time, money, and energy into securing your space on the web, you owe it to yourself to make sure your website is working for you.  Hopefully when you designed your website it was with a purpose in mind.  Whether you are looking to generate leads, sell products, or promote a service, you should know what it is you want your website to do and then ASK YOUR VISITORS TO DO IT.

Sounds simple enough, right?  But you'd be amazed at how many websites lack a strong call to action.  Take some time this week to evaluate your website's call to action.  Here's a few ideas for doing just that:

Ask friends (whom you trust to give their honest opinion) to visit your site.  Ask them about their experience. Were they prompted to act?  Did they know where to go?  Were they confused?  Use this feedback as an insight into your average visitor.

Review your website analytics.  What pages are your visitors viewing most?  What is the average progression through your site?  What page(s) are your visitors exiting from the most?

Simplify.  If you know your website has numerous calls to action, try to simplify it for your visitors.  Realize that one strong call to action will be more effective than several competing against each other. 

Remember, it's not just about having a website.  It's about having an effective website that works for you!

Agency Owner Videocast: Diverse Backgrounds to AO Success!

SearchMarketMe has a track record of training individuals with varied backgrounds and helping them build successful Agency Owner businesses. Dave Maxey joins us this week to discuss his business and the success he has seen. With a past life as a stand up comedian to a stint at a technology start-up firm, Dave proves prior online marketing experience isn't necessary to be a successful Agency Owner! Watch his videocast now for the full details:

Ready to explore entrepreneurship yourself as a SM2 Agency Owner? You can see our Online Marketing 2.0 software and system at work this evening in a short one-hour webinar. One of our trainers will walk you, and other prospective Agency Owners, through a live web demonstration of what we do for client companies to drive their sales.

Tonight's webinar is at 8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific) and to attend simply call us at 866-326-5480 as soon as possible, as seats are limited, or send an email to demo@searchmarketme.com.