Can you part with THIRTY PERCENT of your business?

R U Automated – August 10, 2009

Thirty Percent of Your Business

          Can you part with thirty percent of your business? Didn’t think so. Could you stand to increase your business by thirty percent? Thought so. Business has changed so much in the last few years and lately I’ve been wondering how I could put the change in the context of real numbers.  Well the way I do business has changed about thirty percent. The way I came up with that number is actually pretty simple.  I’m 51 years old. That should tell you that I’ve been around since before online marketing. Yes, I know. I must have been a cave dweller.

          It was only a few years ago that most business was created by actually knocking on doors or dialing the phone and introducing yourself. Agh! Gasp! “Really?” inquired the young ones.  Really.  Of course if your product was good and your advertising better, you might even eek out some referrals. Ah the good old days.

          Well now there is the internet. We can actually meet someone on the other side of the planet via online ads, emails, or social networking without ever knocking on a door. So chances are you are taking part in the new ways of the business world or you are clinging to your old ways and hanging on by your nails, hard work, and true grit. Most of us are now doing some of everything to stay in the game.

          So what does all this mean in numbers? I added it all up and discovered that over the past few months, thirty percent of my new business came the old fashioned way, thirty percent came by way of referral, ten percent was oddball, and last but not least, exactly thirty percent came from online marketing. To be exact, Facebook and Twitter. That’s right. Thirty percent of my new business, in the last three months, came from people I had originally met via social networking through online sources.

          For all you holder onners, people that insist on not jumping into the new fangled ways of doing business, I can say emphatically that without that last thirty percent, I would be out of business. And what if you haven’t begun your online social networking yet? Can you wait before you add thirty percent to the top of your business? There are actually plenty of businesses now that do one hundred percent of their business via online social networking.  To many of you this is not news.  However, there  are still a   few that need to dive in. So here are the steps required:

1. You should have a Website that is accessible, easy to understand and follow, and is a good sales tool to refer your online contacts to.

      2.   Learn the new etiquette of online social network conversation, (how to build up your business without ever leading conversation with business.)    

      3.   Develop the right kind of online contacts for your type of business.

         No matter what kind of business you are in, adding online marketing, particularly social networking sites, to your plan will increase your business. But take your time and follow these three steps so you’re not spinning your wheels. As always, for more info or some help getting started, call me. I’d be happy to help.

John Abato, The Angel Valley Company

www.angelvalleyco.com

Company Slogan Contest

R U Automated – July 6, 2009

 

Company Slogan Contest

Win a Free Personalized “ii” Website designed for you by The Angel Valley Company by entering a catchy company slogan. (If you win, you may accept your prize or gift it. The recipient must be 18 or older.)

Rule 1: The slogan must be your new idea or a slogan previously created by your company. If it is an existing slogan it must be used by your company or a company you work for. Simply, someone else’s slogan is not acceptable.

Rule 2: You must be 18 or older to enter.

Rule 3: Three judges will be appointed to pick the best slogan based on the following three categories: A) Originality & Uniqueness, B) Suitability to it’s particular industry, & C) Automatic Remember Ability and Smooth Flow (catchiness). Judges cannot enter.

Rule 4: Officers, emplyoyees or family members of employees of The Angel Valley Company are not eligible to enter.

How to Enter

Click on the link provided below to the entry form and type in your name, email, etc..  In the “comments” text box, type your slogan and the industry it is promoting. For example:

Slogan: “So simple, even a caveman could do it.”  Industry: “Insurance”.

or

Success, in your business and in you life, begins here. – Website Design Company.

Submit entry.  The winner will be picked when we (The Angel Valley Company,) have received 25 entries or on Friday August 7th, 2009, whichever occurs first. The winner will be contacted by email or phone to begin process of personalizing Website. The Prize includes complete “ii” Website. It does not however include Website management or hosting or any other fees which may or may not be associated with the Website. The prize site will be hosted by “Hosting Revolution” through The Angel Valley Company Management exclusively.

ENTER

Thank you for participating and good luck,

John Abato, The Angel Valley Company

Speed Socializing

R U Automated – June 20, 2009

Speed Socializing

          I actually heard myself say it. I was having dinner with my wife and some friends. Here is how the conversation went:

          Me: So Wayne, What are you doing to market your services?

          Friend: Sending some emails, knocking on some doors.

          Me: Are you on Twitter and Facebook?

         Friend: No. I don’t really do anything like that.

          That’s when I said it.

          Me: Whoa Wayne! That’s where it’s at now. You have to be on Twitter. It’s a lot more powerful than anything else you could be doing.

          Why did I say that? Is it true? Is Online Social Networking becoming so powerful that the net tangible results should motivate me to spend all my time tweeting? Not quite. But, for me, it has actually become the fastest way to make direct contact with a mass audience full of potentially great contacts. So I have been spending a large chunk of my time socializing online, and I’m over fifty.

          Here’s the actual order of business as usual for me on any given day: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Work on Current Projects, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Work on Projects, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc., with a few other networking sites thrown in now and then. And the results?

          Every day my reach is growing. I have regularly incoming contacts from people whom, seconds earlier, were total strangers. They inquire about my services and often ask about referrals for other services. I listen to or read questions about marketing products and services. Often, the discussion turns to completely unrelated topics, but a connection is made that will probably lead to a significant business connection down the road. All this is happening at a much quicker rate than with any type of sales or marketing techniques I’ve used in the past. We should stop referring to it as “Social Networking,” and start calling it “Speed Socializing,” or “Rapid Mass Response.”

Why should you care? Whether or not you have a product, service, or non-profit to get out to the masses, you need to understand that this is so powerful, it may- sooner than you think- largely take the place of current news & entertainment platforms. People are already referring to the protests in Iran as the Vehicle that brought news to Twitter, like the first Gulf War was for CNN. Yes, it’s that powerful. If it hasn’t already, sooner or later, Online Social Networking will change your world.

As always, if you have questions about how to participate in this or other marketing or design matters, feel free to contact me via email or phone (443-266-7171). Or you can even tweet me  at http://twitter.com/JohnAbato or www.FaceBook.com/jabato or just visit http://www.angelvalleyco.com/

John Abato, The Angel Valley Company

A Horse Drawn Fruit Cart

R U Automated – May 21, 2009

A Horse Drawn Fruit Cart

Is it still possible to run a business without a Website? I have looked at this from every angle. I have even thought of a few businesses you could operate without one; a horse drawn fruit cart for instance. But then again, if you added a Website to your horse drawn fruit cart business, could you go global? How about a Palm Reader? Maybe you could supply each of your clients with a computer camera, thereby enabling you to view their palms via the internet. OK, one more; a spying LLC. Think about it.

Just about every realistic type of business that I can think of would benefit from having a Website. In fact, it probably would not be wise to try to stay in business without one. But, there is a catch. A Website is worthless, no matter how wonderful, if all you do is set it up and look at it. You have to get people to come to your site. I actually know lots of people who have great Websites that no one has ever seen. And, I actually know of some businesses that still operate without a Website. But they have not grown in a while and will soon be extinct.

So what is the point? If you are ready to dive in and go beyond the fruit cart, palm reading, stuck in the neighborhood, spying on your competitor to steal a customer or two way of business life, don’t just buy a Website. Get a Website from someone who wants to help you use it to grow your business, like The Angel Valley Company, www.angelvalleyco.net. Yes, a shameless plug. But if your business is stagnant, like so many in America right now, don’t you need an edge? Is time getting shorter while debts get longer? Make it a priority to do something different, and wise.

www.angelvalleyco.net

Market Domination

R U Automated – April 29, 2009

Market Domination

Even small businesses can dominate a market. Your success will be determined by how well you do this.

There are many ways to effectively market your product when you can’t afford to buy expensive advertising. Besides, buying expensive ads is not necessarily the most productive form of marketing, especially if you have a small business with little cash flow. Some of the best advice I ever got came from Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra. In this book Spoelstra explains how to pick a small area and DOMINATE!

For me this has always been about both a niche and a geographical area. For example, let’s say you want to start a cleaning service. Who is your niche? Wealthy neighborhoods? Proffessional offices? Industrial offices? The list goes on but pick one. Then pick ten ways to let that particular group of prospects know you are the best cleaning service available, you are affordable to your particular niche, and that you are reliable and convenient. How you let your group know you are available and how many times you let them know will be the keys to your success. You will have many competitors wanting to clean in the very same area. Think of the area you picked as yours. Take it personally and dominate.

This is good advice whether you are cleaning offices or selling an online service or any other widget. Pick an area and dominate. You can sell your online service anywhere. But can you dominate everywhere? Can you dominate in every industry? Be specific and dominate.

I am about to list some marketing techniques. Some old, some new. Some will be appropriate for your business and some will not. Reading them may help you think of some of your own ideas. Most importantly, whichever techniques you choose, DO THEM WELL! Don’t waste your time doing anything in which you are not particularly good. If you would like to learn specifically how to do any of these techniques well, sign up for one of the programs on www.fullyautomated1.com. Sign up for the #1 Business Program (which is Free) and you will begin to learn rapidly. Or contact me personally and I will help you get started or direct you to the proper source.

Whatever products or services you want to sell, dominate. Pick a niche, pick an area, pick ten marketing techniques, and DOMINATE! Here is a list of techniques. Read these. Then start listing your own ideas.

Email ads
Business Card collection
Web 2.0 / Social Media
Blogs
Fliers
Mailers
Networking
Seminars
Dinner Meetings

Give Aways
Billboards
Print Ads
Internet Ads
Newsletters
E-Newsletters
Database Building
Website Marketing
Craig’s List
Telemarketing

Want more?

John Abato
www.FullyAutomated1.com

http://FullyAutomated1.wordpress.com

443-266-7171, jabato@angelvalleyco.com

http://twitter.com/JohnAbato

Website Marketing

R U Automated
The out of the Box and in the Zone Newsletter
(For people who want to stay ahead of the pack.)

April 20, 2009

Your Website as a Marketing Tool

Is your Website your best marketing tool? It should be. It still drives me nuts when people tell me they have a Website but have no idea how many people visit. “So, let me guess,” I say. “You have a Website, and you hand the address to people all the time because it’s on your business card. Well, that should get the word out to a few people every day who already know about you. Now they know you have a Website too.” Don’t feel bad. An easy ninety-five percent of everyone I talk to about this has a very expensive piece of art that no one ever sees.

But what about the other three hundred million Americans that have never heard of you? They are what your Website should be all about if you are trying to grow your business. If not, why do you need a Website? You can literally get hundreds, even thousands of new prospects to your Website every day if you know just a few techniques. And, once they visit, you can retain important information about them that will help grow your business – like their name, number, email address, what interests them about your company, etc. And most of this can be done very inexpensively.

So why isn’t your Web Designer sitting down with you on a regular basis, going over your marketing plan with you, and helping you apply internet techniques to your prospecting when this is clearly the fastest, most productive, and least expensive way to grow your business? Because he or she is busy growing his or hers. Their job is over when the Website is up. Now you need a Website manager (someone who can make simple changes to your Website occasionally when necessary,) and you need an internet marketing manager. He/She is the one who can grow your business exponentially.

I know this all sounds complicated. Pssst, it’s not. Once you understand your options and make some decisions about where to begin, the rest is……… automated. That’s right. Your marketing manager should explain how to set up a simple system that will send people to your Website automatically.

Your Website makes a presentation and collects their information automatically. You just close the deal. It really should be that simple. Your budget for this kind of marketing will be far less than the amount you would spend on conventional advertising.

Once you have a Website, it’s time to learn some very productive techniques. Even better, learn and make some decisions before your Website is designed. What techniques you ask? Ask your internet marketing manager or call or email me for more information. If you don’t have a site yet, we can take care of that too.

John Abato
www.fullyautomated1.com

443-266-7171
jabato@angelvalleyco.com