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Did you build a business on the side while still working full time?

Clare Lancaster - Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Clare says

A question I'm often asked is "How do I start building clients for my business while I'm still working full time elsewhere?"

Did you start your business while you were still employed? How did you manage it?

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Creative call to action ideas needed for mailout

Clare Lancaster - Monday, February 22, 2010

Cristina says

I'm about to do a mailout to generate more clients for my bookkeeping business and I'm looking for suggestions on creative calls to action to get businesses to respond.

My last call to action was a mailout with an offer of reduced fees for local businesses.

What do you think? Leave your comments below

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Vicki Sauvage commented on 10-Mar-2010 07:08 AM

I know that all the advice above is the traditional way to 'sell' your services but I do think we should think outside the box.

I personally HATE calls to action and particularly those that look like a MACK truck.

How about something that they can use like a calendar with a call to your website to get 12 helpful hints for preparing your shoebox for your accountant or some such. Or start thinking about your tax refund now - would an extra $250 dollars in your bank account rather than sitting in the ATO's coffers be useful for you? etc etc etc

Mount the calendar so it can sit on the desk or mount on a magnet so it is front of mind every time they go to the fridge.

Don't discount your services - you are probably operating on a shoestring too.

Find a demographic that you want to target and design your 12 helpful hints around that target.

My son gave me an interesting calendar - it was sheets of paper, sitting into a cd case that flipped out at the back so that it was the base of a display case. You can turn the sheets over and have hint number 2 for February or such - post out a different sheet to different people so they want to get the other month's and maybe have them come by your office, or mail / email you the other sheets??? Etc. Vicki

Sally B commented on 09-Mar-2010 07:48 PM

Try something that you can use to up-sell your services.

"For the month of April I am offering a free bookkeeping audit for all clients."

Draw up a template for the audit (it could be a checklist) so you implement it efficiently. Give them the results, then also have the opportunity to say "look you are doing this really well, but your xxx could really improve with this service I provide".

Mardi commented on 09-Mar-2010 01:42 PM

A referral offer is a good one as well do generate new leads from existing clients. A bottle of wine or discount on next service.

Julie Nelson commented on 08-Mar-2010 10:20 PM

I am actually about to do a call to action myself. My thoughts are as above. Package deal, discount, possibly-a contest. Good luck x Julie Nelson

Aprill Allen commented on 03-Mar-2010 10:03 AM

Offers are great.

Discounts! Time limited! E.g. "10% off -March ONLY! Call today to find out how I can make YOUR life easier."

Also: consider putting together a service package with a flat fee. For only $250 you will get this, this *and* this. It's easy for them, uncomplicated for you (as long as you offer the right sort of services). People love that.

Good luck with your next promotion!

Recommend an accountant for Melbourne based online business

Clare Lancaster - Monday, February 22, 2010

Katy asks

I'm looking for an accountant who understands online business models - preferably based in Melbourne. Can you recommend anyone?

Can you help? Leave your comment below.

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How did you handle income reduction while on maternity leave?

Clare Lancaster - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Elisa says

I am writing an e-book and want to hear from women who have had children and how they found the change from full time income to little or no personal income while they were on leave.

Can you help? Leave your comment below.

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Had tears at work and may need a mediation service. Help!

Clare Lancaster - Sunday, February 07, 2010

Anon says

My CEO has been telling people I work with that I am quitting after I had a small meltdown and became teary. This is very rare for me and so took all by surprise. I am also a very senior member of the organisation.

I will be meeting with him early next week and would like to know if there are any mediation services available in Adelaide if I need to go down that track.

Can you help? Leave your 2 cents in the comments below.

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Best Affiliate Programs For Retail Businesses

Clare Lancaster - Friday, February 05, 2010

Kirsty says:

We are an online retailer looking to establish an affiliate marketing program. Should we go inhouse or use a network?

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Can You Help Make One Great Night on Earth Happen?

Clare Lancaster - Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Lyndel asks

Dear Women in Business, I have just signed up via a recommendation from a very wise friend. I am in the midst of developing a LIVE music event (the first to be held in November 2011) to raise funds for Aussies affected by environmental crisis.

I'm currently looking for corporate funding and to connect with other members who may have great networks with solid fund individuals or company's. If anyone out there knows of any great leads, check out my website www.onegreatnightonearth.com.au and get in touch.

P.S. Another fabulous woman in business, Ms. Oprah Winfrey has just recognised my project and charity and published my story on her web site - very chuffed about that. Cheers - LJM

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Should I Separate Business and Pleasure on Twitter?

Clare Lancaster - Monday, January 18, 2010

Meike asks

I've been tweeting now for about a year - generally all personal stuff. I'm now in the process of developing a website for my own business tweeting for the business is definitely on the agenda.

My question is, do I create a different Twitter account so I've got one for 'business' and one that's personal?

While I don't think my friends will mind hearing about my work related Tweets, I'm not sure that those I'm targeting for business will really be interested to know important details such as I love Fruit Tingles! But then, I'm a firm believerthat social media should be social and therefore personal, so would I be losing the personal touch if I created a separate Twitter just for business? Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

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Comments

Kim Cockburn commented on 16-Feb-2010 10:41 AM

I have been reading profusely about social media and buiding your personal brand. The general consensus (from what I have read) is to combine both. As many have said already in this thread, people like to do business with people that they feel they can trust and know.

I have just started to tweet @Kim_Cockburn and intend to mix the two.

Jennifer Frahm commented on 19-Jan-2010 06:13 PM

Ah, yes, this is a very good question and a topic I spent a lot of time worrying about initially.

What I have come to love about Twitter is the sheer authenticity of the medium. You simply cannot manage your public impression in a particular way for long if it is at odds with your personal 'persona'. This has pros and cons.

I have come to work out that there are many people I wouldn't chose to work with after observing what they say of a personal nature. But the converse is true as well - the stellar folk just shine on, and are consistent. If your product requires a personal connection, or trust, or thought leadership, then I think tweeting under a personal name is fine, in fact preferred. The 10 second rule still applies though - think twice, tweet once, regret never! Good luck

Kirsty Wilson commented on 19-Jan-2010 06:58 AM

People definitely like to connect with 'real' people. All my tweeting is done through one account @kirsty_wilson but I did grab my business Twitter ID, so no one else could get it!!

In saying that, I'm on Twitter for business and networking purposes largely. So most of my tweets are business orientated with the odd little personal one thrown into the mix. Of all my friends and family members, only my brother 'gets' the space.

Sam Mutimer commented on 18-Jan-2010 07:57 PM

Hi Meike,

Great question! and there is no right or wrong way to tackle this.

I work at Thinktank Media as a social media strategist and we have found that it really depends on how you want your brand to be portrayed, plus how much time you want to invest in this space. I think many of the comments above ring true with sound advice, so great going Women in Business community - woop woop! I will add my 2 cents worth now ;-)

Thinktank Media has an account as do I - @sammutimer. I only focus on my account and tweet business mixed in with personal tweets each day. I believe a few personal tweets a day only adds to your brand AND personal brand plus the interaction is GOLD - it's much easier to build relationships here also.

We have had more leads from my personal account than from the Thinktank media account, so that must say something. If you want to get into some juicy convo then you can always take it off the live stream and resort to DMs - that's what I do, as I love a good natter yet don't want to piss off my followers with stuff that's not relevant ;-)

If you choose to open two accounts you can easily manage these via tweetdeck or Hoote Suite http://hootsuite.com/ - yet I'm guessing you already know that darl.

I believe the difference that makes the difference when marketing your brand is openness, quality content and honesty - the personal touch works as it builds trust and that's the no.1 reason people buy.

You GO GO with your brand and I look forward to connecting with you on twitter Meike - woohowww!!! @sammutimer

High fives

Sam ;-)

Shandel Burns commented on 18-Jan-2010 07:51 PM

I firmly believe that people do business with people that they like. In saying that, I think you can mix personal and business on Twitter, but remember not to put anything too personal - nothing you wouldn't want a client to know.

This may make the overall account less personal but will be a happy medium between personal and business. (That's a lot of 'personal' in one sentence, sorry!)

Meike Suggars commented on 18-Jan-2010 02:19 PM

Hi all!

Thanks so much for your comments. Your responses are much appreciated.

As my business is life insurance, its based soley on personal relationships - if my clients don't like me personally, they're not going to share the personal information required for me to organise their insurance. So I like your suggestions to keep the one account and develop my personal brand.

Feel free to follow me on twitter and let me know how you think i'm doing! @meikejean

Cheers Meike

Cat Matson commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:21 AM

I have one Twitter account and use a philosophy similar to Clare's - social networking is just that - social.

But it comes down to your business marketing strategy - does it add value to your business to build such a close relationship with you the person vs your business, the brand.

If you go with one account, remember to be sufficiently interesting to generate business connections... .if you go with two, remember to add a dash of you, personally, so people can connect with you and see that your a person.

Nadine commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:13 AM

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you will get more following to your business account if it is separate vs together with your personal one?

I generally find that unless you have a recognisable strong brand (e.g. CNN) or have membership that follow you (e.g. an association) or 100s of clients that benefit from focused tweets you might as well keep it personal.

Knowing that you like fruit tingles would not put me off your professional tweets but rather humanise them.

Debbie Alford commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:12 AM

Hi Mieke,

I must agree with Clare. I have one account for business and pleasure - it seems to work well. If I want to say something a little too personal, I tend to DM the other person. My business is based on the relationship and trust I build with my clients so I think they appreciate reading about any quirky traits I may have.

Amanda Griscti commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:09 AM

Yes - I think personal and business should be seperated as much as possible. Of course it's nice to show clients/prospects that you are also human, sometimes there may be a case where people might not appreciate it.

Facebook is another tricky one. I have Facebook friends, alot of which are clients who have found me and want to "become a friend". The only way i can make them a fan of my business page(s) IS to be their friend. So therefore my Facebook page is very mellow as a result.

Hannah DeMilta commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:07 AM

I think they should stay combined. A friend once shared an analogy with me that your personal brand is a football player and your work or company is the ball you carry. You will switch companies or careers but if your brand is strong enough that will remain and be able to support changes.

I'd say keep them together and be adaptable - good luck figuring it out!

Friendly Savage commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:07 AM

I agree with Clare - as long as you don't get too personal, I think it you include tweets that give an insight into your personality, your ethics, and in turn your business. It would probably even increase business!

It also depends on your business though. Take the food industry, for example; heaps of followers enjoy reading about what's cooking etc, but you still have to inject than certain proportion of your own personality into your tweets.

Go with your gut feeling and you'll come to the right answer

Good luck Mieke! @FriendlySavage

Kathryn Hardy commented on 18-Jan-2010 11:06 AM

I think separation is a great idea, but only if you have the time to post 2 accounts.

I think while you are in the planning/ startup phase of your business, it would be great to hear both sides of the story from the one account. But as your business grows and specialises, you could start a new twitter account. Your loyal followers would probably join both.

Anonymous commented on 18-Jan-2010 10:44 AM

Hi Meike,

The first thing I'd ask is - how personal do you get on your personal Twitter account? If it's for conversations with friends or mainly talking about life outside of work you might want to separate them.

It's important to remember that Twitter as a platform is social - its purpose is to reveal your personality and make personal connections - and frankly accounts that are used solely for business info can be a bit dry and boring. I think it's a good thing that your clients see you as a whole person.

Personally - I use one account for business and pleasure because I talk a lot about online business in my daily life and my philosophy is about merging business and life.

Holiday reading

Clare Lancaster - Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Clare asks

What books/websites are you planning on reading over the holiday break? Will it be for business or pleasure or a bit of both?

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Joel commented on 06-Jan-2010 02:23 PM

I got lucky a few months ago, I came across a box of books someone was throwing out on their nature strip.

Had many of the classic entrepreneur books: E myth, Paul Clithroe etc

Lucy Burns commented on 26-Dec-2009 12:18 PM

Hi Clare, I'm a member of Australia's biggest book group where all the books bought raise money for charity.

I will be reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Winds of Dune for all the sci-fi fans, I have read The Brightest Star in the Sky which I felt was not one of Marion's better works.

I am really looking forward to Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Amanda Griscti commented on 23-Dec-2009 03:33 PM

More business books for me including another read of the E Myth revisted.

Anonymous commented on 23-Dec-2009 01:53 PM

Good to see that I'm not the only one with a stack of books to read!

@Pamela - I've got a couple of books that I got halfway through that I want to finish - The Whuffie Factor by Tara Hunt, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes.

Pamela Wilson commented on 23-Dec-2009 11:40 AM

I am reading, Once In A House On Fire, which is a memoir by Andrea Ashworth. So far... very sad.

I will also then tuck into The House Across The Road, by Ann Whitehead (due for release in January) before I interview the author in the New Year.

How about you Clare - what will you be reading?

Glenn Murray commented on 23-Dec-2009 10:50 AM

Hey Clare. I'll (hopefully) be reading:
1) Dragon Keeper - by Robin Hobb
2) Wise Man's Fear - by Patrick Rothfuss
3) True Blood Omnibus - by Charlaine Harris

What's the story behind your business name?

Clare Lancaster - Saturday, December 12, 2009

Clare says

We started talking about this in the Linkedin group and I thought it was really interesting. How did you come up with your business name?

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Desolie Page commented on 19-Feb-2010 03:29 PM

With the surname Page, I found it a small step to name my editing practice Perfect Pages - especially when one of my editing lecturers said, 'Your aim is for perfect pages every time you edit.'

While I no longer use the tag line 'Perfect pages every time' (because I didn't want to open myself up to legal action if my work was not perfect in the client's eyes), it's still my aim. My tag line is now 'Sharpening your writing'.

Cath Langman commented on 16-Dec-2009 03:28 PM

From reading previous comments posted, it sounds like naming a business that sells a service may be a little more difficult than a product.

Our babies' nappies are so plush and adorable, that 'Cushie Tushies' easily came to mind. We love the name, it looks good in our logo and it's something people seem to remember!

Sha-mayne Chan commented on 15-Dec-2009 09:07 AM

When choosing a name for a business, it's important that it covers a few criteria: distinctive, brief, easy to spell and pronounce, likable and appropriate. One other criteria I like to add is that it should have a memorable story behind it.

When my business partner and I started our design consultancy 7 years ago, we wanted a name for the business that would cover the criteria as well as reflect who we are and the values of our business.

We came up with 2birds - we were the 2 women who started the business. Our clients never forget our name and we have a lot of fun with it!

jocelyn Hunter commented on 14-Dec-2009 12:00 PM

I wanted a simple name that people could spell for my PR business.

It gets frustrating for both parties having to spell out or repeat the name of a business both over the phone and at events etc. I also wanted a name that explained what we did.

The fact that the URL was available was also important!

BENCH PR is a no nonsense name which reflects a down to earth PR company that is passionate about what it does: results focused PR.

Paige Breen commented on 14-Dec-2009 11:59 AM

Respect: It's a very powerful word, but an even more powerful concept. Respect, for oneself and for others, is core to human decency and the nobler traits of humanity.

Respect is something that I always felt was lacking in the recruitment industry and this feeling was backed up by a multitude of personal and contacts related experiences.

I have seen the ugly side of the industry from all perspectives, as a jobseeker, an employer and as a service provider. Something had to be done to address the gap - hence Respect - Search & Selection, and the Respect - Business Services Group was born. Taking a chance on using such a powerful noun could have backfired drastically in a mire of irony, but we have navigated these dangerous waters with few mishaps.

Believing in the philosophy of Respect, and acting accordingly, is the foundation of our business. It's a slow and rutted road on the journey to change an industry, with a lot of learnings on the way. Respect is fragile, open to abuse, but it is also beautiful.

Amanda Griscti commented on 14-Dec-2009 11:49 AM

Northridge is my maiden name - I knew that one day i would marry and change my last name and if my business had "northridge" in the name, it would be with me forever!

Well now im married and glad i made that decision 6 years ago :)

Leona Skene commented on 14-Dec-2009 11:49 AM

Its still early days but the name is now registered. I was having drinks with my mentor and she was quizzing me on my motivations. I replied that I 'lurve' marketing, which when said Kath & Kim style sounds like Olive Marketing - and the name was born.

I love the concept of adding that final touch to businesses ie. the olive in the martini as well.

Jan Tallent commented on 14-Dec-2009 11:45 AM

13 years ago I started a home based office services business and as a play on my name, Tallent, I named it the Tallent Agency.

I have since moved it forward to become a Virtual Assistance business and the play on my name gets lots of comments.

Of course, occasionally, I get phone calls from my yellow pages listing from people who want a Talent Agent for their modeling or acting or other artistic endeavors but for the most part, people "get it" that it is a play on both my name and a business with many talents.

Lindy Asimus commented on 14-Dec-2009 11:30 AM

A bit cheeky, but a variation on a theme of a well-known proponent of human change.

Design - that is, create on purpose
Business - that's what I work with
Engineering - the practical side of design and implementation to make things work!

Sal commented on 14-Dec-2009 08:12 AM

I have developed a career in recrutiment and would often give candidates advice around their jobs, their career progression etc. Over the years I found myself saying 'you need to nourish your career - its like watering a plant you have to feed it' I then developed my career in coaching, business coaching, life coaching..

So nourish was born.

nourish coaching - feed your career cravings : satisfy life's appetite

The name goes down well with everyone (pardon the pun!)

Sally B commented on 13-Dec-2009 07:26 PM

My business name - Snappy Sentences - just came to me one day. I'd been freelancing for years, and felt it was time to take my writing to the next level (to make a living out of it).

As a web writer, I'd been telling clients that short, snappy sentences were best for online content. Then I thought, hey - that could work as a business name.

It's been great. People remember it, and it does sum up nicely what I do. I was lucky that a good friend of mine is a talented graphic designer, and she really developed good branding for the business.

I love saying 'I'm Sally from Snappy Sentences'.

Monique Beedles commented on 12-Dec-2009 12:59 PM

My company, Teak Yew, is a strategy consulting business. The name comes from two trees, the Teak and the Yew.

These trees are both long living and resilient, reflecting the outcomes of strong strategy. The yew tree has special significance because, not only can it live for over 2000 years, but it's wood was used in medieval times to make the long bow, a key part of the strategic armoury of the time.

Yew wood was chosen because it had properties of both strength and flexibility. Again, this reflects the characteristics of good strategy for a successful business.

The Teak Yew logo consists of a teak leaf, with a yew longbow, symbolising growth, strength, and direction.

You can read more about the Teak Yew story on the website.

Angela Coulter commented on 12-Dec-2009 12:50 PM

Originally, I was formalizing my business when a former colleague of mine (who's also a friend) got laid off from her job. 10 years ago, when we had originally worked together, we'd always said we should start a marketing company together... so when she found out what I was doing after she was laid off, we had lunch and talked about the decade-old possibility.

This is how our creativity worked together so stupendously: We were eating lunch, and start talking about what we'd call the company.

We didn't want to use our names - how AVERAGE - so we starting talking about what we really had a forte in - branding, messaging, and everything along with it. Plus, we wanted to try to be at the beginning of the alphabet, for listing purposes - ;-)

We thought about the word "about," and then we looked at each other w/in 30 seconds, and said, almost simultaneously, "About Face!" We thought about it, and the more we turned it over in our minds, the more perfect it seemed - branding, positioning, messaging is all "about face," we could help a company do an "about face," I could visualize the Rorscach (sp?) test, w/the 2 faces, and we'd be partners... it was PERFECT!

We registered the company, developed the brand... and then she chickened out (tough economy, single mom paying the mortgage on her own) and took a FT job. I was never mad at her; I just figured that situation was presented to me to find the PERFECT name for my company! :-)

Joshua Monge commented on 12-Dec-2009 12:14 PM

My wife and I where talking over names and one of the biggest frustrations is people mispronouncing my last name. Second we wanted to have a concept that people could feel was "comfortable" and "personable".

So Hey, Monge! (Moan-hay) was born.

One of Our tagline is: For all your marketing and design needs, Give us a Shout!

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Questions and Answers

A question I'm often asked is "How do I start building clients for my business while I'm still working full time elsewhere?" Did you start your business while you were still employed? How did you manage it?

Comments

Post a Comment

I'm about to do a mailout to generate more clients for my bookkeeping business and I'm looking for suggestions on creative calls to action to get businesses to respond.

My last call to action was a mailout with an offer of reduced fees for local businesses.

Comments

Post a Comment

I'm looking for an accountant who understands online business models - preferably based in Melbourne. Can you recommend anyone?

Comments

Post a Comment

I am writing an e-book and want to hear from women who have had children and how they found the change from full time income to little or no personal income while they were on leave.

Comments

Post a Comment

My CEO has been telling people I work with that I am quitting after I had a small meltdown and became teary. This is very rare for me and so took all by surprise. I am also a very senior member of the organisation.

I will be meeting with him early next week and would like to know if there are any mediation services available in Adelaide if I need to go down that track.

Comments

Post a Comment

We are an online retailer looking to establish an affiliate marketing program. Should we go inhouse or use a network?

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments

Post a Comment

What books/websites are you planning on reading over the holiday break? Will it be for business or pleasure or a bit of both?

Comments

Post a Comment

We started talking about this in the Linkedin group and I thought it was really interesting. How did you come up with your business name?

Comments

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A question I'm often asked is "How do I start building clients for my business while I'm still working full time elsewhere?"

Did you start your business while you were still employed? How did you manage it?