So the following are 4 tools that when used properly can really build your business while allowing you to leverage your time:

Website

We are all in business to sell something, whether it’s our services or products.  Whatever you might be selling you are most likely going to be selling it through your website which makes your website a critical component to building your business.  When choosing your website platform, choose one that is user-friendly, not only for your customers, but for you as well.  Choose a website platform that can be easily updated by you, so that you can make changes to it whenever you want from wherever you are.

Based on my experience and research, WordPress is one of the best website platforms because not only does it allow you the flexibility of updating on your own but it also allows you to implant your blog into the website which will help you greatly with search engine optimization (we’ll discuss more on this later).  When designing your website, make sure that it is very easy for your customers to find the products or services you are selling.  You can’t buy something if you can’t find it QUICKLY!   When it comes to your website, think WordPress and think simple and creative.  From a time leveraging standpoint, a simple website will allow you to automate the sales process cutting down on the time you have to spend on sales!

Blog

Your website is important, however a blog can be much more important because it is a tool that you can use to drive people to your website.  For those of you still wondering what a blog is, Wikipedia defines a blog as a type of website <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website> , usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Sounds fairly innocent right?  Why are blogs so important?  All of the words that you put into your blog posts get picked up when people perform Google searches, therefore by blogging regularly you are putting more “pathways” out there for people to follow to your website.  You want to talk about leveraging time?  By posting one blog post to your site you can send anywhere from a dozen people to thousands of people to your website.  How much time and money would it take by using traditional marketing methods?

If you decide to start a blog, or if you already have one, remember to always do two things: 1) Provide HIGH VALUE content in your blog posts and 2) Post at least once a week and remember it doesn’t always have to be you, this article is a perfect example!

Social Media

OK social media….everyone’s doing it, right?  Social media is an important tool in growing your business and leveraging your time, because it allows you to send information to thousands, even millions of people with the click of a button.  The biggest challenge with social media is not getting sucked into a black hole and spending 4 hours a day responding to posts on Facebook or another 4 hours tweeting to everyone and their mother.

Here are some tips on how to use and not abuse social media for your business:

· Have a Plan – Talk to a social media consultant or do research online to come up with a plan of attack.  What social media outlets are right for you?  How active do you need to be?  Can you use one site (i.e. Tweetdeck) to manage all of your social media?

· Know Your Target Market – You must have a very focused target market and focus your social media efforts towards them, or else you’ll end up posting information to millions of people that don’t care about, wasting their time and your time!

· Let Go of Your Fear – Many people are afraid of social media.  They think it is going to swallow them whole. Social media is the wave of the future; you can embrace it or lose out big-time, that’s up to you.  Take it slow, learn a little each day and know your social media experience will be a journey and eventually you’ll be a superstar!


E-Newsletters

Similar to social media, an e-newsletter also provides you with a simple way to contact your customers and prospective customers whenever you want, at little cost.  Of course that doesn’t mean that you can just send out e-mails everyday, you  should do it in a respectful manner.  The following are some e-newsletter Do’s and Don’ts:

•DO provide high value content in your newsletter that your readers will benefit from,
•DO take the time to match the newsletter colors to your logo & website (or just go plain white),
•DO provide links in the newsletter back to your website & blog,
•DO provide links to relevant articles, applicable photos and coupons in your newsletter,
•DON’T add people to your mailing list without their permission,
•DON’T overwhelm your list with to many e-mails in a short period of time,
•DON’T change the template (colors, etc.) every time you e-mail, stay consistent,
•DON’T send out your e-mails without checking them for grammar and spelling, this can make you look very un-professional

The technology is there, embrace it and use it to start leveraging your time and spending your time on other areas of your business or even some recreation (yes you heard, start working a little less)!

Anthony Fasano is a professional coach, speaker and author who helps people take their careers wherever they want to take them! He is the author of A Daily Boost From Your Professional PartnerTM which is a popular daily e-mail that goes out to professionals worldwide Monday through Friday.  This is a free service that is available to all professionals with the intent of helping professionals stay focused and inspired in their career and leadership endeavors. He is very much enjoying his new website designed by Kathleen at http://www.powerfulpurpose.com.

Four Technological Tools that You Can Use to Build Your Business and Leverage Your Time by Anthony Fasano, Professional Coach, Speaker & Author

As business owners, the one thing we always need more of is time.  In this article I’m going to discuss four tools, given to us by modern technology, that you can use to build your business and leverage your time.  Technology is a beautiful thing, when we know how to use it!  It’s very important to know how and when to use technology in a way that will maximize your ROI.

So the following are 4 tools that when used properly can really build your business while allowing you to leverage your time:

Website

We are all in business to sell something, whether it’s our services or products.  Whatever you might be selling you are most likely going to be selling it through your website which makes your website a critical component to building your business.  When choosing your website platform, choose one that is user-friendly, not only for your customers, but for you as well.  Choose a website platform that can be easily updated by you, so that you can make changes to it whenever you want from wherever you are.

Based on my experience and research, WordPress is one of the best website platforms because not only does it allow you the flexibility of updating on your own but it also allows you to implant your blog into the website which will help you greatly with search engine optimization (we’ll discuss more on this later).  When designing your website, make sure that it is very easy for your customers to find the products or services you are selling.  You can’t buy something if you can’t find it QUICKLY!   When it comes to your website, think WordPress and think simple and creative.  From a time leveraging standpoint, a simple website will allow you to automate the sales process cutting down on the time you have to spend on sales!

Blog

Your website is important, however a blog can be much more important because it is a tool that you can use to drive people to your website.  For those of you still wondering what a blog is, Wikipedia defines a blog as a type of website <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website> , usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Sounds fairly innocent right?  Why are blogs so important?  All of the words that you put into your blog posts get picked up when people perform Google searches, therefore by blogging regularly you are putting more “pathways” out there for people to follow to your website.  You want to talk about leveraging time?  By posting one blog post to your site you can send anywhere from a dozen people to thousands of people to your website.  How much time and money would it take by using traditional marketing methods?

If you decide to start a blog, or if you already have one, remember to always do two things: 1) Provide HIGH VALUE content in your blog posts and 2) Post at least once a week and remember it doesn’t always have to be you, this article is a perfect example!

Social Media

OK social media….everyone’s doing it, right?  Social media is an important tool in growing your business and leveraging your time, because it allows you to send information to thousands, even millions of people with the click of a button.  The biggest challenge with social media is not getting sucked into a black hole and spending 4 hours a day responding to posts on Facebook or another 4 hours tweeting to everyone and their mother.

Here are some tips on how to use and not abuse social media for your business:

·     Have a Plan – Talk to a social media consultant or do research online to come up with a plan of attack.  What social media outlets are right for you?  How active do you need to be?  Can you use one site (i.e. Tweetdeck) to manage all of your social media?

·     Know Your Target Market – You must have a very focused target market and focus your social media efforts towards them, or else you’ll end up posting information to millions of people that don’t care about, wasting their time and your time!

·     Let Go of Your Fear – Many people are afraid of social media.  They think it is going to swallow them whole. Social media is the wave of the future; you can embrace it or lose out big-time, that’s up to you.  Take it slow, learn a little each day and know your social media experience will be a journey and eventually you’ll be a superstar!

E-Newsletters

Similar to social media, an e-newsletter also provides you with a simple way to contact your customers and prospective customers whenever you want, at little cost.  Of course that doesn’t mean that you can just send out e-mails everyday, you  should do it in a respectful manner.  The following are some e-newsletter Do’s and Don’ts:

•DO provide high value content in your newsletter that your readers will benefit from,
•DO take the time to match the newsletter colors to your logo & website (or just go plain white),
•DO provide links in the newsletter back to your website & blog,
•DO provide links to relevant articles, applicable photos and coupons in your newsletter,
•DON’T add people to your mailing list without their permission,
•DON’T overwhelm your list with to many e-mails in a short period of time,
•DON’T change the template (colors, etc.) every time you e-mail, stay consistent,
•DON’T send out your e-mails without checking them for grammar and spelling, this can make you look very un-professional

The technology is there, embrace it and use it to start leveraging your time and spending your time on other areas of your business or even some recreation (yes you heard, start working a little less)!

Anthony Fasano is a professional coach, speaker and author who helps people take their careers wherever they want to take them! He is the author of A Daily Boost From Your Professional PartnerTM which is a popular daily e-mail that goes out to professionals worldwide Monday through Friday.  This is a free service that is available to all professionals with the intent of helping professionals stay focused and inspired in their career and leadership endeavors. He is very much enjoying his new website designed by Kathleen at http://www.powerfulpurpose.com.