Building Trust Through Email Marketing

Most any business--home-based or otherwise--uses email marketing to some extent. Here are a few tips on how you can build trust with your clients or customers with email marketing.

Tailor content to your audience. Find out what your list wants to know and then create a e-newsletter or other communication to fulfill that need.

Schedule regular communications with your readers. Whether it's monthly, weekly or daily, develop a schedule you can handle and then stick with it.

Keep your information exclusive. Provide specific information only to your list--in other words, don't send out to your list what you have posted on your website for all to read. Or, if you do, make sure your list has it first. For example, I post the previous month's issue of At Home News online, but my subscribers get it a month before the posting.

Use your email marketing to provide free service to your customers. Sure, we all want to sell whatever product or service, but to build trust and loyalty with your clients, give them content that is worthwhile.

Read more about how to build trust with email marketing in "The Power of Permission."

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Vending Machine Servicer

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A vending machine servicer stocks the machines, records sales numbers and products, and collects money from the machines.

Education: None necessary.

Skills: The ability to drive and service vending machines, which generally means the ability to move merchandise and restock machines.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that job prospects “will be fair for servicers, or route drivers,” while overall employment for coin, vending and amusement machine servicers and repairers will be average with a growth rate of around 7 percent. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Investigate potential leads from clearinghouse websites such as http://www.vendorsequipment.com/foundations/store/storepage.asp?page=Vend+Org and http://www.vendingconnection.com/ypassoc.html. Remember to always vet the company with the Better Business Bureau before handing over any cash, and have a lawyer review any contract before you sign.

Preparation: Join the National Automatic Merchandising Association or your state’s vending machine organization for networking and education opportunities.

Get your foot in the door: Contact National Automatic Merchandising Association to ask about shadowing a vending machine servicer to see if this career would be a good fit for you.

Testimony: Betty of Morgan City, La., started her business with 35 vending machines, and grew it to 50 machines within a few years. She placed the machines at businesses, such as beauty shops, bank lobbies, tire stores and hotels. “These machines are the ones you see with bubble gum in them for 25 cents,” she says. “They are so easy to carry and to service—this is a great job for a woman.” The machines quickly paid for themselves and she makes a tidy profit on them each year. “I just think I have a great job!,” says Betty.

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

Don't be a Tigger

Do viewers tend to bounce away from your website quickly? Here are a few tips on how to entice your visitors to be more like Eeyore than Tigger and stick around for a while on your site.

Figure out from where your visitor's come. Google Antalytics is great for finding what keywords are used to get to your site. You might need to tweak some of the keywords on your site.

Make sure your website is not cluttered and has a strong message. Too much information can make a viewer skip away quicker than if your site is streamlined and clean.

Keep pages simple. If you're selling a product, make the product page about the product, with photos, details and ordering information. If you're talking about a specific subject, then make sure the page is dedicated to that topic and keep irrelevant data off the page.

For more tips, check out "Do your website visitors come...and quickly go?"

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Editor

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.

Job Description: An editor review, edit and rewrite the work of writers.

Education: Most jobs require a college education, such as a degree in communications, English or journalism.

Skills: An excellent grasp of grammar and punctuation, knowledge of copyediting stylebooks, such as AP (Associated Press) and Chicago.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “online publications and services are growing in number and sophistication, spurring the demand for writers and editors with Web or multimedia experience. … Employment of authors, writers, and editors is expected to grow 8 percent, about as fast as the average for all occupations, from 2008 to 2018.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Associations related to this field and general job websites such as Craig’sList  and elance.com provide leads on editing jobs.

Preparation: Join professional associations, such as the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, Editorial Freelancers Association and the American Copy Editors Society for job leads, networking and professional courses.

Get your foot in the door: Contact former employers to see if they are hiring freelance editors for specific projects.

Testimony: “Editors need to have a sharp eye for details and the ability to edit another’s work while retaining that person’s voice,” says Ellen. “If you can focus on the little things yet keep the big picture in mind when editing, you’ll go far in this business.” Ellen recommends taking refresher courses in editing, copyediting and writing to brush up on your skills.

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

At Home News Profiles Direct Sales Representative

Traci Kuhn has been with Votre Vu as a star director and brand ambassador for three years. She shares the ins and outs of direct sales in the February issue of At Home News. Sign up for the free monthly e-newsletter by clicking on the Newsletter tab.
Traci gave some wonderful advice on how to figure out of direct sales is for you. Here are some additional thoughts she had:

Do your research on the company. Find a good sponsor for the business because they will be your mentor. “Do not test market the idea of starting a business on your friends and family who have never done anything like this or someone who's done it and it hasn't worked,” she says. “It's better to get advice (for anything really) from those who have achieved the success you are looking for.”

Run from anyone who pressures you to make a decision. “Approach this business just like any other business, with a curious mind and get all your questions answered,” says Traci.

You are the CEO of you. “You determine your outcome,” she says. “Your sponsor can lay out everything you need to do to achieve success but they can't do your pushup for you. Like the saying goes ‘If it's meant to be, it's up to me.’”

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Caterer

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A caterer provides food for events, parties, weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, conferences and much more.

Education: No formal education necessary, but cooking classes from reputable universities and programs a plus.

Skills: The ability to juggle scheduling, cooking and meeting deadlines for a variety of clients at many different locations.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “Employment of chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors [of which caterers are part] is expected to increase by 6 percent over the 2008-2018 decade, which is more slowly than the average for all occupations. Growth will be generated by increases in population, a growing variety of dining venues, and continued demand for convenience. As more people opt for the time-saving ease of letting others do the cooking, the need for workers to oversee food preparation and serving will increase.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details

Possible employers: Who could employee you depends on what kind of catering you’ll specialize in (weddings, children’s parties, business events, etc.). Join your local Chamber of Commerce to help make connections and to get the word out about your business.

Preparation: Join a catering association, such as the International Caterers Association, Convenience Caterers and Food Manufacturers Association or the Sustainable Catering Association for training, networking and other resources. .

Get your foot in the door: Offer to caterer a few events for friends and family at a discount rate. Talk to similar businesses to see about cross promotion, such as a florist or photographer.

Testimony: Vegetarian and vegan caterer Mary of Wichita, Kan., said that she “felt instantly at home and was surprised I hadn’t done more of it before. I always let my busy schedule be an excuse for not cooking often.” To prepare to run her own food business, Mary took food-safety classes, a business plan course and marketing classes. For now, she promotes her service via Facebook and networking groups. “The rest has been word of mouth. I have had great responses and the majority of my business is repeat customers,” she said.

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

How to Avoid Your Emails Landing in Spam Filters

Many businesses use email to communicate with potential clients and current customers, generally sending out missives to lists of email addresses at the same time. With email spam a concern for us all, here are some things to keep in mind so that your communication doesn't end up in someone's spam filter.

Avoid using one of the 200 most common trigger words and phrases. Craig Klein lists those words on his blog, but here are some of them: free anything, no purchase necessary, this isn't junk, this isn't spam, while supplies last.

Make it useful and personal. Be as specific as possible and don't use generic examples or terms when describing your business.

Keep your focus on the customer and the product. Don't be too broad in your emails.

Don't overuse your email list. Make sure that what you're sending is important, and don't send too often.

By following these tips, you can help to keep your emails from the spam filter and into the inboxes of your customers.

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More

Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Home Inspector

Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.


Job Description: A home inspector inspects homes for potential buyers and reports on the home’s condition, including exterior and interior, and writes reports for her clients.

Education: Courses in home inspection are helpful, as well as certification through one of the home inspection associations. Some states require home inspectors to be licensed.

Skills: The ability to understand construction and the various technical aspects of a home. Being people-oriented and organized are keys to success in this field.

Job outlook: According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, 77 percent of U.S. and Canadian homes sold today are inspected prior to purchase. “The market is still underserved and the remaining growth potential is considerable. This trend leaves room for many to become home inspectors, build a career, even establish a home inspection company,” the society says on its website.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that “the routine practice of obtaining home inspections is a relatively recent development, causing employment of home inspectors to increase rapidly.” Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Check out the American Society of Home Inspectors for leads. Consider starting your own consulting business or joining with another home inspector in your area.

Preparation: Join the American Society of Home Inspectors. Take home inspecting course through the society, Allied Schools or Kaplan Professional Schools.

Get your foot in the door: Ask a home inspector in your area or a nearby area if you could shadow her on a client visit to make sure this is a good fit for you. Talk to local real estate brokers on working with them on home inspections.

Until next time,

Sarah

Read More