Did you know?
- There are more than 350 million active users.
- 50% of those active users log on to Facebook in any given day.
- More than 3.5 million events are created each month.
- More than 3.5 billion web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos are shared each week.
- More than 1.6 million active Pages on Facebook.
- More than 700,000 local business have active Business Pages on Facebook.
- Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans.

Let me just repeat myself, there are 350 million active users, more than 700,000 local business have active Business Pages and all types of pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans.

Those statistics are phenomenal!

A Facebook Business Page offers a range of benefits that would excite any small business owner:

1. Connections: With the ability to customise your Business Page, you can encourage discussions with your fans, create and upload videos, profile your products or services and have a welcoming page that introduces new people to your business.  Your fans can submit testimonials, comment on your notes and keep up-to-date via blog posts or tweets.

2. Search Engine Optimization: Besides creating a “vanity” URL name (eg: facebook.com/wahmbizsuccess) you can add keyword-rich descriptive text in certain areas of your Business Page, add backlinks to your website, link your blog posts to Facebook, upload photos, current events and other content.  All this and more helps you with your search engine optimisation.

3. Communication: Besides connecting, you can keep your fans up-to-date by sending an ‘update’ that appears in their inbox, post your business status updates, add notes and link to your blog.  These communications automatically appear on your fan’s personal pages therefore reminding them of your business and encouraging the to reconnect with you.

4. Insights: These tools show you how users are interacting with your page, broken down by Wall posts, likes and comments.  It also provides you with statistics on where your fans are located and which languages they speak.  You can even explore your reports.  This information is invaluable for target marketing.

5. Budget: The best thing for the budget conscious business owner is that a Business Page is free.  Yes, that’s right, you can set up a basic Business Page yourself and it won’t cost you a penny.  Actually, it won’t take much of your time either.  If you want to customise your page with additional features such as landing pages, newsletter subscriptions and the like, that too can be within your budget.

If your business doesn’t have a Business Page yet, I suggest you put it on your to-do-list and mark it as a high priority.  You’ll be delighted with the connections you make and soon recognise the unlimited possibilities of promoting your business.

Biography: Nicole is the founder and owner of Bauhinia Solutions.  Bauhinia Solutions offers virtual assistance in business planning, copywriting, graphic design, web development, WordPress design and customisation, Facebook customisation, blog management and social media management.

Website: www.bauhiniasolutions.com

However there will unfortunately come a time when this enthusiasm will wane, you will tire of your business or you run out of ideas to increase the size of your business. This is one of the hardest aspects of running your own business and one which is sometimes rarely spoken of, as no-one wants to admit defeat particularly when so much time and effort has been spent on building your business.

If this feeling lasts a short period of time then usually it is not too difficult a problem to overcome. Sometimes by just taking a step back from your business and giving yourself some time to breathe can clear your head and allow you to refocus. Small business owners or WAHMs often spend 99% of their time thinking about and running their business. But at some point, they are likely to burnout.

If however this burnout period lasts for a long period of time, weeks or even months, then there are some things you can do to help rekindle that zest you once had for your business. Having a break is always a good first step however if this does not help, you may need to focus on why you started working on your business in the first instance. If it was to earn an income to support your family, are you finding that the income you are bringing in does not meet your original expectations? Sitting down and analysing your income and expenditure can often highlight issues that you might be unaware of.

Are you finding that you are not moving as many products as you thought you would? Maybe it’s time to do some customer research on your business – maybe the items you like are just too niche a product to do well and you might have to add some new spark into your business by way of new products.

Facing any issues head-on is the best way to gain a greater understanding of your business and yourself. It might be worth hiring a business consultant to help you identify any underlying issues which may be contributing to your lack of enthusiasm or you may just need an assistant, even temporarily, to assist you with the business allowing you to focus on the more creative and fun aspects that may inspire you.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated; “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” and it is true up to a point. You can continue working as you are: minus the enthusiasm – however, there will come a time when you need to put the zing back into your swing to allow your business to grow and prosper as it should.

Biography: Michelle’s career spans 20 years in various administrative and marketing roles. She has owned and sold a successful online store, written articles for a number of online magazines and now focuses her energies on writing – proofreading and editing, ghost and copy writing and blog management.

Visit Michelle’s Website

What does a Business Coach do?  Like a coach of a sporting team or individual the Business Coach enables the one being coached to use more of their innate talents, achieve more in less time and reach greater heights.

It is natural to wonder how a coach might help; what a coach might do; and how one might help.  All valid questions and all deserving of answers.

Some more questions;
?    Are you a new business; or
?    Does your existing business lack clear goals or direction
?    Are your staff disorganised; or do they lack motivation
?    Do you wonder where your ‘bottom line’ went

As your Business Coach my experience in various businesses from all sorts of ‘start’ positions can help you;
*  Explore your potential;
*  Gain clarity on what you really want;
*  Determine the options available;
*  Establish plans which can then be worked through; &
*  Then help you celebrate achieving your growth and your goals.

The first thing you need in business is a Business Plan.  Have you got one?  Seen it lately?  Without a clear vision of where you are going and the appropriate mechanisms, procedures and policies to ensure you can achieve your objectives, you risk losing control.

As part of your Business Plan identify:
*  Key skills – from which you will identify key strategies;
*  Weaknesses and strengths within your organisation;
*  Opportunities for you to grow your sphere of influence
Knowing these things helps you arrive at where you want to be more quickly, with the least amount of stress and hardship.

Every minute spent in planning saves ten minutes in execution. The purpose of planning is to increase your returns; the return on the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual capital you have invested in your life, your career, your business.

Wondering why various unhelpful things are happening in your life or your business?  Get a real plan and have real control of your business and your life!  Eliminate errors and negative unhelpful activities; take charge of your success.  Surround yourself with someone who will concentrate ‘with’ you on ‘your’ success.

As a mentor to small businesses across Australia, Clive has over 20 years experience in Business & mentoring and enjoys helping businesses to grow, develop and diversify. Your helping hand in Business, Clive is here to help you understand your business and its unique needs and how to gain your success through it.  www.eneverconsulting.com.au clive@eneverconsulting.com.au