Knee Deep Blog

Get Sparked Cafe and Following Your Dream

This morning my girlfriend Lisa Fox sent an email announcing her first CD release right here in Seattle at Tula's Jazz Club on September 22nd - which by the way if you're around I hope you can make it.  It reminds me that we all have a dream that's deep inside and both how powerful it is to witness a friend follow their dream.

Lisa is the first person I met when I moved to Seattle 15 years ago and is the person that introduced me to Tim, my always adoring husband.  We often call her the songbird because she's always singing in choirs, at events, spontaneously, etc - including at our wedding which made me cry like a baby.  More importantly she's continued to follow her dream to have a professional singing career that's both gone smoothly and had bumps at other times.

I believe...

Following your dream takes knowing what you want, believing it, taking actions (both big and small) and asking for help because we can't do it alone. 

I've also been following my dream to connect women in deep, engaging conversation that makes a difference everyday - hence the birth of Get Sparked Cafe.  The next cafe is September 16th and I hope you can make it.  Join the list to get more details and upcoming cafe dates. The Cafe is free because I want to give back to my community.   Come join some amazing women!

Hope to see you at both events!

Here's Lisa live.

Regards, Michele

My Client: With A Little Helps Wins The Mayor's Small Business Award

Last night was exciting...a long time client of mine, Marcia Ives of With A Little Help, Inc. was one of ten small business in the Greater Seattle Area to win the Mayor's Seattle Small Business Award. Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols hosted the event along with Susan Shannon, Director of the Office of Economic Development and Jan Hildebrand, the Business Banking Manager from Wells Fargo.

Marcia was of course glowing during the evening and had the adoring eyes of her office staff, friends and me - Business Coach and friend. 

Mayor, Greg Nichols shared a few stats that really helped what this award meant sink in....in the greater Seattle area there are 79,000 small businesses which employ just over 400,000 people and bring in $15 Billion dollars of gross revenue.  That is no small potatoes when you really look at the numbers, and this is just one city in the US.  Small business play such an important role and are the backbone to most communities.

Marcia is a walking billboard for many hopeful entrepreneurs, her business has tripled in income during our time together and she will be breaking that $1 Million small business glass ceiling.  She also employs more than 60 full and part time staff and works with over 100 clients.

30 Seconds Of Fame: Leveraging Opportunity

This morning I spoke with a potential client whose name shall remain anonymous for the benefit of both of us right now.    She has wonderful energy and has already had an opportunity most home based entrepreneurs want...30 seconds of fame on your local TV station within your niche. 

How was it leveraged?  What's next?  Those are questions I wanted and want to know if and when we have the opportunity to work together. 

That brings me to the reason for today's post, recognizing opportunity when it stands up and is swinging it's hands in front of your face...or in this case it is a short and demur blog post appropriately named "Be In Ted's Next Book" which is asking for bloggers with expertise in blogging to take action.

Who's asking you to take action and toot your own horn?  Blogging For Business Book and Blog writer Ted Demopoulous.  What kind of action does he want you to take?  Well if you're interested click on the link and find out some more information. 

How will this benefit you?

Using Feedburner to Create An Animated Blog Signature

If you haven't already upgraded to Feedburner Pro I highly recommend that you do. There are a lot of fun tips and tricks that can help you easily promote your blog and connect with current and potential readers.

I've written a post at WordStreamz Blog that shares some of the ways Feedburner helps optimize your blog and traffic - click here to read it.

Gone are the days of copying and pasting recent posts into your email signature. The headline animator does it for you - woo hoo for one more time saving tip that can help with marketing your blog!

I won't get into all of the specifics, other than to say feed burner provides you step by step directions to add an annimated headline that rotates your most recent blog posts. 

The only step that I found missing was the creation of your "signature.html" file that you will use as the "signature.html" template.  I will admit that I'm not the most technical person and after searching on the feedburner forum I couldn't find any information. So I tried a couple of different ways of making it work and after feeling a bit defeated I figured it out...my typepad blog with it's HTML interface saved the day! 

CopyBlogger and Free Link Love

What a great idea...ask for what you want and then spread the love and gratitude.

Brian over at Copyblogger  has made an offer many of his readers just can't refuse called free link love.

To quote his own words:

I need to do my part. A lot of very cool people linked to Copyblogger in the last week (and the last 3.5 months, for that matter), so I’m itching to return the favor and point out some stuff that has caught my eye recently.

I also want to link to any of my readers who wants one.  So here’s the plan.

Drop the link you want promoted in the comments of this post, along with a short description of what makes it interesting. Give me a post you’re proud of.

His post came out earlier this week and within a couple days he had 31 readers wanting to take him up on the offer.  This is a great marketing idea and one that is really a win/win for all involved.

Brian, thanks for tooting your horn with confidence and reminding myself and others to do the same.

Regards,

Michele Corey, Advanced Approach, Knee Deep:  A dose of insight from your not always average home based entrepreneur

PS.  Had I read Brian's post earlier this week, I would have loved to have a free report I put together for part of my own journey to building and online business receive some love.  For now, people can receive it through a squeeze page:  5 Reasons Your Real Estate Business Needs A Blog that also includes an easy to understand introduction to real estate blogs from my soon to be launched site, and already launched WordStreamz Blog - simple real estate blog solutions

More details about Wordstreamz are soon to follow.

PPS.  I've written about Brian and his Copyblogger - copywriting 101 series which is well written and sure to help you discover a few thing that will help your own writing.  I know I did.

Copywriting 101 for your Blog

Truth be told I was both educating myself and procrastinating just a bit...yes me the information junkie and avid "teach me some more"....although I don't remember, I'm sure I was one of the kids that said, "just read me one more story...then I'll go to bed."

I've been spending a chunk of time over the past few months learning more about copywriting.  A big take away point for myself has been...just pick one (mentor and system)  and stick with it until you are at a point to learn and tweak some more.  Cause if you keep learning, storing and jumping...you end up in perpetual action of "not done yet" and "not quite perfect" and my favorite "it's almost ready to be reviewed."

One of my RSS feeds is for Copyblogger which wants to help you make some thing of your blog.  Author Brian Clark has also created a wonderful series called Copywriting101. You're bound to find both some great tips and tricks if you already know some thing, about copywriting and blog marketing.  And if you're in the start up page, you'll be offered a good foundation.

Here's a sneak peak into one of Brian's articles:

The 80/20 Rule of Headlines

Here are some interesting statistics.

On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This is the secret to the power of the headline, and why it so highly determines the effectiveness of the entire piece.

The better the headline, the better your odds of beating the averages and getting what you’ve written read by a larger percentage of people.

Writing a great headline doesn’t guarantee the success of your writing. The benefit conveyed in the headline still needs to be properly satisfied in the body copy, either with your content or your offer.

But great body content with a bad or even marginal headline is doomed to go largely unread.

Happy Blogging, and here's to some kick butt writing!

Regards,

Michele Corey, Advanced Approach, Knee Deep:  A dose of insight from your not always average entrepreneur

Celebrating One Year of Blogging

Aim for success, not perfection.  Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.  Success Quote by Dr. David M. Burns

This marks a full year that I have been blogging...and with 96 posts and over a few thousand unique visitors according to Sitemeter I have accomplished what I wanted which was to write and give voice to some of those thoughts and ideas that I kept thinking and talking about, but just didn't get on paper and/or share with my clients and friends.  Cause you all know that working at home day after day and looking at the same mug in the mirror during potty breaks can get a bit monotonous for any home based entrepreneur.

I have appreciated both the direct comments to my blog as well as those sent directly to me via email from the aka blog comment phobic types.  I have also appreciated knowing that I have spoken my truth, helped a few people find some resources that didn't know they needed - until they found them, and touched a few hearts with cheer.

I look forward to launching The Blogger's Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals later this spring as part of my Journey to an online Business as well as maintain a blend of insight, resources and personal expression on Knee Deep.

Here's to an incredible 2006 for all of us!

Regards, Michele Corey, Knee Deep:  A dose of insight from your not always average entrepreneur

Instant Niche Email Software is a Dream Come True

I recently found an inexpensive software product called Instant Niche Emails by Lisa Preston which is knocking my socks off...literally.

I admit that I both love to write and I also often procrastinate to the point that my creative juices refuse to flow on command.  So my style works well when I have time and not so well when I have a dead line looming and I can see the clock ticking down to leave the office to go pick up my toddler Eli and knowing that I won't have an opportunity to be back in the office until tomorrow.

Of course I am human and not a simple machine so I suppose that a device like the "clapper" which is used to turn lights on and off wouldn't be appropriate to get my marketing, creative juices and deep thoughts flowing for the numerous follow up emails, newsletters or the many drip mail campaigns I am starting to work on for my journey to building an online business written.

I have done and continue to do what other home based entrepreneurs do...obtain a balance between dreaming for some thing better, some times feeling a bit stressed, and doing what it takes to both complete projects on time or to step back and change the date. 

A couple months ago  Lisa's Product Instant Niche Emails showed up as a referred product by one of the internet marketers I follow.  I signed up for the free ebook, immediately got sucked in while I reading it. Then bought her product - I figured if it did half of what she said it was well worth $97. 

And I took one more step, I immediately contacted some of my clients and peers and recommended the product.  You know what...every one that has jumped on the Instant Niche Bandwagon is singing its praise. I simply suggest checking it out.

According to Lisa this is what it does:

Wouldn't it be incredible to have a piece of software
that actually "wrote" all your follow-up-marketing
emails for you? And wouldn't it be extra cool if the
messages looked "handwritten" and had your personality
stamped all over them?

Ahhh. All you would have to do is enter information about
your website or niche and click a button. Voila!
A year's worth of emails (52 messages!)...
all ready for your promotions and affiliate recommendations!

Imagine! You could capture names and emails of your website
visitors and set up an entire year's worth of follow-up
without ever having to write one email message!

And according to me, Michele Corey, that exactly what it does.  It feels like I have won the lottery, am in pig heaven and am able to allow the ease I've been asking for to show up. I don't expect it to every thing for me, but if you're looking for some help in getting a newsletter off the ground or a drip follow up campaign going...try Instant Niche Emails.

Also if you don't have an autoresponder program yet...try out Aweber unless of course you are looking for a whole ecommerce system...and then I would recommend 1 Shopping Cart

They both do a great job and offer a lot of support at a reasonable price...and you'll be two steps ahead of where you started before you knew about both of these.  Because I can tell you, I have spent A LOT of time reading and trying to decide which programs would be the best programs for my journey to an online business.

...and I've learned a huge lesson...

There are a lot of great programs out there....ask for referrals - find out what others are successfully using...and just sign up and do it...you can always change your mind and use some thing else later...and if you don't know what you want and building an online business is new to you...you'll end up like me...months of wondering...hours of surfing and searching...to end up right where you could have been almost immediately.  And although I'm a likable kind of gal...this isn't the most efficient or easiest way to go.

Best of luck on building your online business.

Michele Corey, Advanced Approach and Knee Deep - A dose of insight from your not so average entrepreneur

A Different Perspective on Promoting Your Business: Using the Good Timing Guide

One of the million dollar questions seems to be, how can I effectively promote and grow my business? Here's an approach that is a bit out of the box.  I have to admit that the more people I share it with, the more people seem sold on the idea - that is after they notice the results.

It's about using business astrology to help you promote, grow and manage your home based entrepreneurial endeavors, as well as any corporate endeavors.  I have to admit that the most skeptical person was my husband and business partner.  I had shared The Good Timing Guide with him on numerous occasions, only to have him smile, give me an "OK, any thing you say, but I don't believe you look" time after time.  And simply wanting to know when we would send out the promotion, submit an RFP (request for proposal) or sign a contract.

What changed his mind? 

The funny thing, was that it wasn't me. Of course at the time I didn't think it was so funny, in fact I was quite frustrated.   The universe was conspiring with me, because one day he came home with a tape and said, you've just got to listen to this.  I looked at the tape and laughed, because it was from Madeline Gerwick-Brodeur of Polaris Business Guides.  Madeline is a well known and very accurate business astrologer. 

Any way, back to Tim finding the tape.  Tim shared a few stories about Paula and her successful business.  Tim does some subcontracting through her.  The bottom line is that she attributes much of her success to using The Good Timing Guide. 

The Good Timing Guide is an inauspicious month by month book that tells you the best days to send promotions, the best time for planning and reworking your strategy and plan (by the way that is right now through the first week of December 2005), the best time to sign a contract to get the best results, etc. 

It's set up so that every day people like you and me can easily figure it out. 

Three quick success stories from my clients and a friend are: 

1. One uses it to send the initial and follow up promotions for her workshops.  She immediately noticed that when she sent it on the days I recommended (before buying her own copy) her classes filled up.  When the promotions were sent on not so good days either they didn't fill up or people would sign up and cancel before the class.
2. A Realtor uses it to both list houses (which sell faster and have less complications) and to help him know which days to begin working with new buyers. 
3. Another friend which happens to be a Realtor that uses it religiously said, that she won't begin a relationship with any client or vendor unless it is on a good day.  What she immediately noticed is that clients that started on the good days were dream clients, and clients that started during not so good days took a lot of time and energy, and finally, clients that started during what is known as a red day, generally didn't find a house, took a lot of time and energy and eventually stopped working with her.

Of course, it's up to you to decide how to promote and grow your business.  I'm here to simply help you perhaps  look at things a little differently than usual and simply notice - what works, and what doesn't work. You can check out the daily guide at Madeline's other site Astro Cycles.

Plus, my clients and friends keep urging me to let my hair down and my fun and woo woo side out a bit more.

I'd love to hear your successes and what you think.

Regards, Michele Corey, Advanced Approach and Knee Deep, A dose of insight from your not so average entrepreneur

Creating Value: Don't Forget Your Blog

The word value consistently shows up in most of the conversations I have surrounding business. I remember reading some where, and since I can't remember exactly where I'm not going to quote anyone, and feel free to let me know  the origination. 

Success in business comes from giving more use value than actual cash value.

I would further add that use value is really the perceived value, and as we know, perception does become reality.  People later added that the use value should be 10X greater than the cash value, hence we now see many Internet marketers and others giving away a whole bunch of bonus items and letting you know that their product is only $97 and the total package with the bonus items is worth  $1247.

Unfortunately, my gut tells me some individuals really don't understand the whole principle of use value and are more interested in creating hype to sell more products.  And if the bonus items have no real perceived use, they do not add use value rather they add to your growing file of perhaps some day when I have nothing better to do I'll open this PDF or some item that will end up tossed into a closet until it is finally thrown away.

To me the principle of greater use value means that your customer not only likes what they receive, they are delighted.  They become raving fans. And what you have provided, is more than they expected.

What does this mean to your blog?

What does use value look like for your blog since you're not charging any one to read it?

Steven Rubel's blog Micro Persuasion  in a recent post states the "secret sauce" for Corporate blogs being that Corporations interested in blogging need to add value to people’s lives...Give us something we can't find anywhere else.

What's your secret sauce?  What can't people find any where else? What is the additional use value your blog is providing? Darren Rowse of ProBlogger ends a post on Value Added Blogging with, so here’s the question to be asking - ‘what value does your blog add to your reader’s life?’

The answer is simple:  Your unique expression, ideas and spin.  In business many of us would call this our brand.  Communicating this uniqueness is your bottom line use value. 

We all know that you or I could go on the Internet and read about adding value to a blog, yet Steven Rubel added value by giving it a label - "secret sauce".  Darren Rowse added value by bringing it to the attention of his readers and making it more personal with, "what value does your blog add?"  I am adding more use value by bringing in the context of a part of "giving more use value" and helping an individual or business understand that part of it comes from your unique expression, ideas and spin.

So before you begin your next post think...what is my secret sauce and what is my unique expression? What is it I want to say? How do I say it?  And sit back and take time to notice your pointed difference whether you are a corporate blogger or an every day Joe or Jane.  This is what attracts and keeps your readers coming back.

And once you figure it out, toot your horn with confidence.

Regards,  Michele Corey, Knee Deep, A dose of insight from your not so average entrepreneur.

PS note to self, remember to keep this in context as I continue to work on new online business.