So I am going to talk to (and ask) you about how, as an entrepreneur, you can balance a full-time job without losing your clients, and still working toward building your business in the future. Oh yeah, and how to do that and STILL keep a relationship with a husband/wife, children, parents and friends in tact…  I’ve been thinking a lot about this because my present job is due to end in August, and I want to be ready to go “great guns” when I come back home to roost.

I have found many great things about working outside the home over these past months. I forgot how much I enjoy working with people face to face, and how much I love administrative work (I’m an Office Operations Supervisor for Administration).  But the really interesting thing for me is meeting so many different people, many of whom are in the exact same position as me – they’re doing this job because they or their spouse lost their job, so they’re having to take a break from what they really love and are trained to do.

I’ve tried to be open to what God wants me to learn from this experience, but also WHO he wants me to meet, because it doesn’t matter WHAT you know if nobody knows you.   I’ve realized that these are incredibly talented people in their own rights, forced into low-paying jobs due to the economy. I’m keeping my eyes open for potential partners and teachers as well as potential clients.

Also, being thrown together with a group of people from different backgrounds and experiences allows you to conduct “focus groups”, if you will, to get feedback on ideas from people outside of your normal “niche” or “industry”.  Sometimes they may have negative criticism which will help you get past hurdles you didn’t know existed.  Others may give you the neccessary encouragement you need to continue when your spirits are low.

So if you are someone in the same position as I am, I want to encourage you to make the most of your time out of your home and make as many contacts as possible.  Find people that you can rely upon as sounding boards for future ideas or even present products, and how they can be marketed or improved.  I challenge you to be less concerned with “selling”, and more concerned with “learning” during this brief hiatus (or less all-consuming period) of your business.

The other thing I have found is the challenge to continue to keep existing clients happy and satisfied, while still working 40 hours, and trying to still pay attention to my extended family of loved ones. My husband appreciates all of the work I do to take care of the family, and recognizes my need to make sure I don’t lose existing clientele so I still have a business to which I can return after this job ends. But honestly, I fluctuate between sheer exhaustion (from my work schedule) and my consuming obsession with making my business a success.  That leaves very little “together” time for family.

I am also trying to walk that thin line between trusting God to meet our needs and hold my future, and doing everything I can to be a faithful steward of what He has provided for me.  I don’t want to “make things happen” that aren’t meant to be (and will be unprofitable and unfruitful), but I don’t want to be one of those spiritual people who believes all I have to do is sit still and everything will be handed to me on a silver platter.

So as I navigate these treacherous, yet necessary, waters of life right now, I’m trying to stay clear of shipwrecking relationships, and of letting my business boat rust and possibly sink from lack of attention.  I’d love for you to tell me how YOU are handling this duality required of you at this time. 

• Are you trying to keep your original business afloat while you try to bring in a steady paycheck at an outside job?
• Are you continuing your blog, podcast, twitter or facebook updates?
• Are you taking this time to re-evaluate your business and think about ways of changing your products or marketing plans?
• Have you found that people presently around you outside of the house may possibly play key roles in the future of your business?

Please share your stories with me.  It will be such a great encouragement to me, as WELL as an encouragement to those who read your comments.

And when you comment, please make sure to put a link to your business.  After all, we’re all in this together, and I’d love to add one more link back to your business while you’re taking care of business elsewhere.

Penny Haynes, http://PennyHaynes.com

Subjects covered include:

• what is a podcast,
• what is the purpose of podcasting,
• step-by-step instructions for podcasting,
• audio book creation,
• password protected Wordpress posts,
• quick installation of WordPress,
• what is an RSS feed,
• how long should your podcast be,
• software to use,
• how to re-purpose and re-package your contact.

Links discussed:

• http://1stPod.com
• http://DigitalBusinessBooks.com
• http://CommercialCreationCenter.com
• http://RSSzine.com

So I asked the kind and smart people on LinkedIn to share their ideas on content creation. I’m going to start with this response, because it deals with a priority issue, which I call “psyching yourself out before you even begin”. Many people let their fear of failure, or fear of being less than perfect, paralyze them into not doing anything.

TIP #5

“If you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you can, you’re right.” Pithy, but so true. Your negativity can kill your projects before you even begin. Here’s what Sid Smith shares:

“I’ve found that the problem isn’t that there isn’t enough content, but that they think THEY can’t continuously write killer content. In other words, they don’t want to be embarrassed by what they write.

It’s a very similar experience as stage fright or fear of public speaking. The fear is that their blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, or whatever

• won’t be read;
• will receive negative comments;
• will make them look stupid or illiterate;
• will be taken the wrong way; or
• any one of a hundred different fears.

The key to success is this: simplicity. The best approach is to simply brainstorm a long list of topics related to their niche market. The easiest way to do this is

• to do a search and find other blogs in that niche.
• Make a note of all the CATEGORIES.
• Then, for each category, note 5 to 10 questions people are asking related to that category.
• For example, take the category “Homemade Dog Treats” for a dog or pet owner niche. What are recipes you can cite or questions people are asking?
• Then, and here comes the hard part, just make ONE major point or statement that summarizes what you want to say to answer the question.
• Make it simple. Example: Homemade dog treats are less expensive than store-bought treats.
• Next, just write about 400-600 words expanding on that one statement.
• Forget about grammar and spelling (use Word). Write like you’re having a conversation with the person. Don’t worry about how it sounds. You’re not writing a novel. Just write. Writers know that the first draft will be garbage. That’s OK.
• Do a second pass at it, then post. Get it done.

The ONLY way to get past the fear is to dive into the fear. You and I know that once they get past the fear of putting themselves out there – virtually naked for all the world to see – and that they don’t die or get hung by their thumbs, the writing will come much easier. So, address the fear of public exposure first. The rest of it is easy.”

– Sid Smith Web Copywriting, B2B and B2C internet marketing, social media and SEO strategist

So start with a positive, can-do attitude. Once you remove that obstacle, you will be surprised how much you can think of. Stay tuned to the next tips in this series for even more ideas on how to create a continual stream of content for your blog, podcast, magazine or ebook series.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

I am an advocate for breaking up your videos into smaller, more manageable (and less stressful) chunks. Talk for a little while on a subject, then stop, save it, and record the next section. You don’t have to script it if you are talking on a subject you know well.

The only issue is the transition between the clips – you will not start the next video in the exact same position as you ended the last video, and that can look jarring. One solution is to create single-slide videos to place in between each web cam clip. Type outline points on your slide (and make sure to put the web site address of your business at the bottom of each slide). Then, when you mix your videos together, you alternate between slides and web cam video.

Another solution is to use transitions between your slides, if your program allows for that. An alternative would be to vary your shots – do a close up, and then a full shot. You don’t want to do too many different shots, though – it will end up looking like you couldn’t remember where you positioned the camera in your last shot.

Another thing I recommend (but did not discuss in this video) is to place a caption throughout your video. If someone likes it and re-posts it, you want your contact information to be visible all the time. If you don’t brand your video, other people can actually take credit for it in some fashion.

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In a recent PermissionTV survey of over 400 “decision makers” in various industries, they found out what entrepreneurs expected video to do for them.

71% simply expect to reap increased brand awareness.
47% expect more lead generation.
44% think it will enhance loyalty/retention programs.
41% believe it will actually convert customers.
39% think it will improve service and support.

I am always asked one question when I teach on multimedia marketing: how much money can I make? I always tell them that the main reason for multimedia marketing is brand recognition, not sales.

Some people don’t recognize the difference between sales and marketing. Marketing helps increase visibility and awareness in general, whereas sales means someone reaching into their pocket and giving you their money. Sales results are much easier to quantify than marketing results.

How do videos increase brand awareness? If they are good, viral videos, they invite discussion and sharing. The more people that see and talk about the video, the better it is for the company who is branded on that video.

So what are you expecting your online audio and video to do for you? Have you experienced any direct results on your business? Have you heard more people talking about you? Have you had more sales?

I’d love for you to share your answer with me, so I can include it in my upcoming book, “101 Things To Do With Audio And Video (To Promote Your Business)”. So please feel free to comment on this article.

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