Image: sxc.hu

  Have you been organizing your business so that you fit an image or brand?  Do you have an image that will linger over time?

• Make a list of words that describe you or your business. 
• What are the best ones that bring vivid images of what you want people to think of you?
• Find or take photos that describe you/your business? 
• How can you develop promotional material that will reflect this idea to your public?

Study other businesses.  What do you think of when you hear their name?  Does their name create an image?  How have they achieved this effect?

At a business conference I attended recently, the idea of branding came up as a strategy the parent company is using to become a household word with the public.  So…how can you organize your marketing to do this, too?

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How do you organize or keep track of your promotions

• Some business people like to use the computer calendars that pop up when they open their screen.
• Others find programs they where they can develop something like a spread sheet for the year, one which carries over into coming years.
• Still others put these occasions into a Blackberry or iPhone type of planning program.  One friend has everything at her fingertips on her iPhone.
• You also can utilize a notebook planner or schedule book, something like a  Franklin Planner.
• Some of us still like the paper calendar, usually on the way, sometimes on the desk or in a file.  I can tell at a glance or by flipping the pages. 

Have you organized a promotional system for special events and holidays?  Of course, our plans can be continually evolving as we learn about new methods or incorporate them into our system.  I’m somewhat wary of having everything completely on electronics.  What if your system goes down or you can’t access the information?  I like to have a back-up.  What about you?

(Image: sxc.hu)

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Jen: Welcome, Alyson!

Alyson: Jennifer, thanks so much for inviting me to your blog! I just love what you do.

Jen: As we’ve been preparing to feature you on my blog, I’ve been consistently impressed with your follow-up – with even the smallest details. And I bring this up because, in the book, you talk about the importance of following up with contacts. You and your assistants are practicing what you preach!

Would you share your own internal systems for following that provide such outstanding communication? How do you stay on top of it all? Inquiring minds want to know!

Alyson: First, let me say how happy I am that you feel we have it all together. One of my secrets is given the nod in your question: I have good people working with me! My virtual assistant that was in touch with your for the blog tour is extremely organized. I trust her more than I trust myself! And after a few projects with her, I quickly realized that I could turn stuff over to her. This is key and was hard to do at first.

I am a do-it-yourselfer by nature, but as my business grows–as my home office and online business grow–it became more and more clear that it’s silly to try to do everything myself. I realize (thanks to the insight of my husband and many personal growth gurus) that I can make much more money doing what my genius is and turning over the rest of the business to those who can support it in a way that helps it grow even more.

Jen: Brilliant. I agree that turning things over can be hard for small business owners. How did you do it?

Alyson: I started with one VA, then got help with my weekly Art Marketing Action newsletter, then added another VA, and am about to hire a bookkeeper. I have so much I want to do and the details are better left to those more adept at handling them.

Having said that, I am still the boss. I am still responsible for making sure things get done.

Jen: Will you tell us how you do that?

Alyson: The single most important routine I have are my daily check-ins. Before leaving the office at night, I go over my task list. I go through my emails and make sure any new tasks are on the list. Then I prioritize against my calendar. What do I absolutely have to do the following day? I write these tasks (usually 3-5 of them) on a small piece of paper with the date at the top. I can’t leave the office until these items are taken care of. Having this list gives me peace of mind and helps me sleep better because I know I’ve got a handle on things.

Then, before checking email the next morning–before doing anything else except for dressing for the day and warming my tea–I go over the task list I wrote out the night before. I double check everything and make sure I’m clear on what needs to be done. Then I tackle the hardest one first. What a great way to start the day!

Jen: It sounds like it! I think the important thing is to create a balance – once you know what you need to do, it’s easier to schedule it all in.

Alyson: Things will always slip through the cracks or not be executed as well as I had intended, but I do the best I can. And I am at the point right now where my office needs a big cleaning. I’m one of those people who don’t function with a messy office, so I’m really excited to be working with you on the Office Spa Day. I think it’s a great idea!

Jen: I do, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts on staying organized and following through.

**********

Alyson’s running a contest during the blog tour where you can win a free copy of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion (which is great for small businesses, too).

Visit this site, read the instructions, and enter. Odds are good as she’s giving away a free copy on most of the blog tour stops. You can increase your odds by visiting the other blog tour stops and entering on those sites as well.

I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is for artists of all kinds. Painters, sculptors, ceramist, jewelers, photographers, and others will benefit from the easy-to-follow self-promotion practices in this book.

Author and art-marketing consultant Alyson B. Stanfield, of ArtBizCoach.com, focuses on sharing the artwork directly with potential buyers through electronic and traditional communication outlets—in a manner that is comfortable, not artificial. Artists match Internet marketing strategies with sincere personal skills to take charge of their art careers.

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I subscribe to Hallowell’s CrazyBusy tips feed and was notified of a free conference call – happening today! – featuring Dr. Hallowell and others, including Joe Polish of Piranha Marketing.

Here is the email text in its entirety:

What I want to share with you are the secrets to keeping your life simple and keeping your business profitable. And, you can find them here –> www.SuccessWith Sanity.com

Joe Polish of Piranha Marketing, is hosting a teleseminar on Thursday, this week, March 27th. The experts on this call are great fun to listen to but this call is really an incredible gift because these guys are going to deliver over 90 minutes of valuable strategies you can use right now to get control – “CrazyBusy No More!” – quit “working” when you’re out of your office or on vacation, or when you’re trying to spend quality time with your family.

Please – join us on the call this Thursday – just listening can change (and maybe even save) your life. Here are the call in details:

Date: Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Time: 3pm Pacific / 6pm Eastern
Phone: 1-507-726-3343
Passcode: 32708#

(For those of you who really are insanely busy there’s a replay at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern – same phone number and passcode.)

Not sure? Check out LifeHacker’s eval of Dr. Hallowell’s book: CrazyBusy: Overstretched, overbooked, and about to snap.

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Ahh… but life keeps moving and speed isn’t always a bad thing. So, the b5 business channel bloggers put their heads together and wrote about how to live simply and work in a technological age.

The concepts are diverse, but there’s a common theme: simplicity. Is slow the new fast? Read on to find out.

Simplicity can be a powerful thing. Eric Eggertson points to a very basic, very engaging series of how-to videos.

At Home Biz Notes, Yvonne Russell shares a low tech tip to create better connections with clients.

Miki over at Leadership Turn believes that the most simple and elegant everyday solution to the speed trap is communications that are clear, concise and, especially, sticky.

In these times investing seems complicated and risky. But if you use dollar cost averaging, Miranda Marquit at Yielding Wealth shows how you can simplify the investment process AND make money.

Jean Murray over at Small Business Boomers says that the KISS Principle (Keep it short and simple) is best for small businesses.

Celine Roque at Pimp Your Work warns us against over-information, with tips on how to cut back so you can focus on what’s essential.

Tom at The 501(c) Files advises stepping away from your keyboard and using old-fashioned communications to reach your key constituencies in a more personal way.

Bob Turek from ProjectManagement411 shares the simplest sales approach to expand a project.

Darlene at Interview Chatter discusses Shameless Marketing: understanding that you are the product and your ability to sell yourself differentiates you from the competition.

Anne at the Golden Pencil, a blog for writers, shares how simple life choices can decrease stress.

Liz at Business and Blogging talks about marketing strategies that build connections between people and clear, specific ebook templates on how to write a short book out of blog entries.

I wrote a post here at My Organized Biz about how to take a whole day off (in honor of my birthday).

In the skeptics corner:

Susan from Brandcurve questions whether a simple commercial concept for Louis Vuitton will work.

“Sometimes a business idea is so simple, elegant and obvious that it’s thought to be a stupid idea.” Says Sean Kelly at FranchisePick.Com, “Other times it truly is a really stupid idea.”

And, lastly, in the Worst Case Scenario Department:

Ren Garcia at Accounting Solver takes a unique look at accounting for the future with the Doomsday Vault.

Rico Mossesgeld at ContractWorker talks about how revealing the simple details of our lives can bring us big trouble.

Contribute your thoughts to the conversation! Share with us how you incorporate simplicity into your own life and business – or how you wish you did.

Post from: My Organized Biz

MoveOn is a great example of an organized biz. In a short amount of time, they mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to spread the word in less than 24 hours – and probably received thousands in donations as well. Not a bad return for a quick email.

How’d they do it?

If you want to inspire 100,000 people to take action on behalf of your business – or even just 1000 – your business need systems.

In MoveOn’s case, they have a sophisticated database that manages the collection of their members email addresses. Systems like this are available for the small business owner too – programs like aweber, Constant Contact, and 1-2-all creates a platform for you to connect with subscribers efficiently.

The MoveOn system is so finely tuned that when a momentus event happens, like Obama’s rousing speech, they’re can respond quickly and be a part of the action. This allows them to spread the word, extend their reach, and increase membership and contributions.

Your business has systems that communicate with your clients. What are you doing that works?

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Visit often for the latest ideas and insights into the world of buzz, advertising, marketing, and virtual networks!

Check out a recent post about web designers vs. web developers from Behind the Buzz blogger, Rachel Clarke.

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Kathy is a brilliant coach, a gracious mentor, and the owner/founder of SpiritSpring and The Inspired Market-Her. The insights she shares with her coaches and colleagues are laser-clear, articulately explained, and immediately applicable to the situation I’m in at any given time.

Another thing I love about Kathy is her generosity. Every time I ask a question, Kathy shares the kind of information I need in a way that is easy to digest and utilize. She’s really puts time and thought into her responses, rather than shooting off trite tidbits.

Kathy’s also got a sparkling sense of humor which she sprinkles liberally through everything she does.

Most of all, though, if I had to pick an attribute I like most about Kathy, it would be the deep heart and passion she brings to her work with business owners and coaches. Her knowledge, generosity and humor all spring up from her commitment to bring out the best in others.

My life, and my blog, are better for her contributions in them. So thanks, Kathy. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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