A moving Brag Basket | SmallBizSurvival.com |
- A moving Brag Basket
- Finding photos to use online
- 2 Key Questions to Change Your Thinking
- Share some sunshine in the Brag Basket
- Why You Should Stop Giving It Away
- How to start a Main Street stroll or Art Walk
- New Program Helps Market Agritourism
- Find a niche, fill the niche and kill the niche
- A Brag Basket full of snow
- 9 Reasons to blog even if no one subscribes
| Posted: 15 Mar 2013 11:34 AM PDT The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one March 15-17, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket?  It took a pretty big basket to move the whole Small Biz Survival site. Photo (CC) by blmurch Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others. Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it’s not really about bragging. It’s about sharing. What can you do in the Brag Basket?
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others’ stories brings us a bit closer to being a community. How does it work? You write a comment on this post. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) If you talk more about the people involved than the things, you’ll be fine. It’s a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.       | ||
| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 01:30 AM PDT Photos are key for tourism promotion, so you can never have too many great photos to use online. However, most photos you find online are NOT public domain, so you do not have the right to use them. There are some enthusiastic photographers who are posting photos that they’d love to have you use. Here’s how to find some of them.
Creative Commons licenses are a popular way for photographers to give open permission for anyone, including tourism groups, to use their photos, with certain restrictions. You may see the phrase “Creative Commons,” the (CC) abbreviation, or one of the Creative Commons badges, or the phrase, “Some rights reserved.” So, what are the “certain restrictions” I mentioned? The photographer can choose to require any or all of these limits:
A full description of each of these restrictions is on the Creative Commons license page. To know which limits are required, you have to look at the license where the photo is posted. On Flickr, there is a “License” to the right of every photo. If it says “All rights reserved,” you have to ask for permission before using the photo in any way. If it says “Some rights reserved,” that is a link you can click to read the full license and restrictions. The best place to look for Creative Commons licensed photos is Flickr. Here are two ways to do that. 1. Use the Flickr Advanced Search, and scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll see the Creative Commons logo. You can search only for photos you can use commercially, or only ones that allow you to edit them. If you check all three boxes, the search will return only photos that require attribution only. You can use these photos for commercial purposes and you can modify them as needed. This is how I find my Brag Basket photos each week. I give the photographer credit by including “Photo (CC) by (photographer)” and link back to their photo page on Flickr. The (CC) indicates its a Creative Commons licensed photo. 2. Use Photopin. Photopin gives you a graphical search of photos with Creative Commons licenses at Flickr. Then it makes it easy to use the photo by giving easy download links and a pre-written photo credit to include in your story. You do have to be careful because after the search results load, after a pause, new results load at the top of the page that are “sponsored images.” These are stock photos that require payment to be used. You’ll know when you click one of these because it will take you to a stock photo site instead of Flickr. The “free to use” Creative Commons images that you want will move down the page, below a dashed line in the search results. I used Photopin to find this terrific biking photo for this article. Here’s their suggested tag line: photo credit: jimmyhere via photopin cc Notice how Photopin gave themselves a link there? Yeah, that’s not my favorite way to do it. I think I’ll stick with Flickr’s own search. Bonus points for tourism: PS – We are making some behind-the-scenes changes at Small Biz Survival this week. Please pardon any temporary problems with access or formatting errors. Thanks for being understanding! –Becky New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| 2 Key Questions to Change Your Thinking Posted: 11 Mar 2013 01:00 AM PDT If you’re trying to make something better, I have two questions for you to ask everyone who is involved.
These great questions are from Norfolk County, Ontario, Mayor Dennis Travale. Dennis is serious about improving the way their county government works. So as he looks at each project, each paperwork requirement, each point of contact with the public, he first asks, “Why are we doing this?” Frequently, he said, there is an excellent reason for doing it. But if not, then that item is a prime candidate to eliminate. The follow up question is where the real progress is made. Now that you know the reason or purpose for what you are doing, look at how it’s being done. Asking, “Why are we doing it this way?” opens up the possibility of finding new ways to do it better. This also brings up perspective. Do we do it this way because it’s easy for us, or do we consider the customers’ point of view? You can adapt these questions to anything you do, whether you are a:
Try these questions out this week, and let me know how they work for you. PS – We are making some behind-the-scenes changes at Small Biz Survival this week. Please pardon any temporary problems with access or formatting errors. Thanks for being understanding! –Becky New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| Share some sunshine in the Brag Basket Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:00 AM PST The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one March 8-11, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket?
Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others. Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it’s not really about bragging. It’s about sharing. What can you do in the Brag Basket?
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others’ stories brings us a bit closer to being a community. How does it work? You write a comment on this post. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) If you talk more about the people involved than the things, you’ll be fine. It’s a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| Why You Should Stop Giving It Away Posted: 07 Mar 2013 02:30 AM PST [Stephanie Ward is a fellow Oklahoman, who happens to now reside in The Netherlands. She's been a good friend and coach, and I'm proud to offer this guest post from her. - Becky] Recently at a networking event I was talking with two friends and the subject of doing work for free versus paid came up. We all had strong opinions about it.
It seems this is an issue that all business owners face and one that needs a lot of attention. I mentioned that I would send them this fabulous article, No, You Can't Pick My Brain, It Costs Too Much. They both encouraged me to write about this topic myself. I felt like I already had but realized that I although I have covered several aspects of this issue in separate posts, I had not tied it all together, which is my aim here. You spend time and money to market your business and attract potential clients. Don't throw your hard work out the window by giving away your time, your expertise, and your money. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being generous and giving loads of helpful information away. I do it all the time with my free special report, ezines, blog posts, how-to videos, and tips on social media. But you have to draw the line somewhere. And if you don't set the limit, others will set it for you. It's your business, it's up to you to set the rules and decide how it works. Furthermore in my experience, people who want things for free aren't that serious or motivated to take action. People who are willing to invest are much more committed to the process. Here are three reasons why you need to stop giving away your time, your expertise, and your money. 1. Your TimeTime is money as a business owner. Just because someone else wants your time doesn't mean it's always a fit for you. Before you agree to meet up with someone in person make sure that it's even necessary. Sometimes if you first ask for more information via email, that will tell you everything you need to know to make a decision about how to move forward. And if you determine you would like to talk with the person, go for a phone call or video Skype first. You can always meet later if things progress. For more on setting boundaries and saying no, check out my posts: Grow Your Business By Saying No and Do You Have a "To Don't" List? 2. Your ExpertiseI hope it goes without saying that you should not give away your expertise for free. It is valuable and if you don't value it why would your clients? Awareness is the first step to changing any habit so when you're clear about the things you do not want to do, it will be easier to make that happen. This is about being proactive and setting boundaries in advance about what you are willing, and not willing, to do for free. That way you will be prepared when someone asks you for your help. You will be able to confidently direct them to your paid products and services. 3. Your MoneyStop discounting in your business. Don't fool yourself; although it's only a portion of the total, discounting is still just another form of giving your knowledge away for free. Here are five reasons not to discount your prices: 1. It's no fun 2. It requires a time and energy you can use elsewhere 3. It creates a standard for other clients 4. You're not getting paid what you're worth 5. It can lower confidence in your business I also think it's a smart move to post your prices on your website. It's transparent and it saves you time and energy on people who are not willing to invest. Plus it provides a concrete structure that does not invite negotiation. For more about discounting read my post: Why Discounting is Hazardous to Your Business. You can also spell out the way you work in your Frequently Asked Questions, have a look at my FAQ's as an example. Now having said all that, be sure you exceed expectations and provide remarkable experiences for your clients. That way they are satisfied with their investment and they will be enthusiastic about recommending you to others. Experiment to find the right balance between free and paid that works for you. Then clearly communicate the expectations and boundaries so people know how you work and what they can expect from you. If you take action on this you will be happier, more confident, and more profitable. Now who doesn't want more of all that? Make the decision today to be courageous and take a stand to value what you offer. © Stephanie Ward, used by permission. P.S.Becky’s Toolkit for How to Draw the Line Between Free and PaidLike Stephanie, I think about this subject quite often. It’s an ongoing theme for many of us. Especially when you’re in a small town, and everyone thinks that because they know you, you ought to do things for them for free. That’s no way to run a railroad. After writing about it often enough, I put together the system that works for me. Not just words and phrases, but an actual system. I put it in a toolkit: an ebook, worksheets, webinar and audio.
Of course, it’s not free. I want you to be serious about changing how you do business and getting paid more often. That’s why it’s $37. That’s not too expensive, and here’s what you get:
$37
 If it doesn’t help you turn around at least one “can I pick your brain?” moment, then I’ll give you your money back. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| How to start a Main Street stroll or Art Walk Posted: 06 Mar 2013 02:00 AM PST Any advice on how to conduct a Main Street stroll?
Around here, I hear more often about “Art Walks” than “Main Street strolls,” but the concept seems to be the same: putting the focus on downtown or a shopping or arts district for a special evening event. Businesses stay open late. Artists display their works. Musicians perform. Some businesses put out refreshments. Some run specials or offer other incentives to make a purchase. The emphasis is on community and fun. I have a couple of video interviews that might help with establishing a walk or stroll, one is from an established art walk in Hutchinson, Kansas, and one from a just-getting-started art walk in Alva, Oklahoma. In an unrelated, but possibly helpful topic, here’s how one merchant started something that really packs downtown for shopping. What ideas do you have and what have you tried to get people downtown? Also, what do you call an event like this? New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| New Program Helps Market Agritourism Posted: 05 Mar 2013 02:30 AM PST Courtesy of Glenn Muske: The North Dakota State University Extension Service and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service have teamed up to release a new self-directed program, "Marketing Agritourism Online," to help agritourism enterprises attract business. The program is FREE and available at http://go.unl.edu/agritourism
Agritourism is defined as any agriculture-based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Examples are:
Individuals today are looking to experience some part of the rural life. Whether going out to pick berries, getting lost in a corn maze, taking a trail ride, going hunting or just experiencing what one's parents or grandparents did, consumers are turning to rural attractions as tourist destinations. Marketing Agritourism Online offers agritourism businesses a tool to reach a targeted audience with a focused message about what they have to offer. (This program will actually be of use to any business looking at its online presence.) It covers:
Three North Dakota businesses are highlighted in the program: Papa's Pumpkin Patch, Bismarck; Red Trail Vineyard, Buffalo; and Rolling Plains Adventures, McKenzie. A free weekly newsletter supplements the information by keeping up with changes in online marketing tools and trends – Direct Marketing – http://paper.li/UNLeShip/1319999929 The program was made possible through the support of NDSU and UNL Extension, and funding from the Southern Rural Development Center's National eCommerce Initiative. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| Find a niche, fill the niche and kill the niche Posted: 04 Mar 2013 03:30 AM PST The sharpest marketing advice I’ve heard came not from some marketing guru but from a small town photographer, one who built a global business from a home base in a small town.
Mike Klemme is a professional photographer from Enid, Oklahoma (population 47,000). He said he built his business on the Red Adair model: be the one to call. That niche marketing has taken him around the world to do what he does best: photograph golf courses. I heard his marketing advice at a photography event back in 2010. Find a niche, fill the niche and kill the niche, Klemme said. Here’s how he outlined the process:
Klemme may have been thinking about photographers when he put together his points, but I’m thinking about how many different small-town professionals could use these ideas to build their own global business and kill their niche. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| Posted: 01 Mar 2013 02:30 AM PST The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one March 1-3, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket?
Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others. Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it’s not really about bragging. It’s about sharing. What can you do in the Brag Basket?
Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others’ stories brings us a bit closer to being a community. How does it work? You write a comment on this post. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) If you talk more about the people involved than the things, you’ll be fine. It’s a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   | ||
| 9 Reasons to blog even if no one subscribes Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST Some small town business people tell me no one would subscribe to their blog. Some bloggers tell me no on subscribes anymore; RSS readers are dead. To me, that’s all the more reason to blog now. Here are nine reasons to blog even if no one ever subscribes.
I bet you can add some more reasons of your own. New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.   |
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