Some may consider press or news releases a relic of the past.  But, according to Dorothy Thompson, of Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR (an online promotion service), You Can Double Your Profits With Free Press Releases.  She has some suggestions for formatting your press releases so they’re picked up by major search engines.  Dorothy also gives ideas about where you can send the news releases.
Since Dorothy is a writer, publisher, and publicist, she addresses the needs of the writer.  However, many of the techniques about writing press releases and keying them for success can be used by businesses.  She also suggests a …read more

Authors find virtual blog tours a popular way to reach readers all around the world…and to appear on blogs internationally.  They will take questions from readers in the comments sections of blogs and communicate with them there and on their own blogs.
To generate even more interest in the blog tour, as well as make an appearance and leave a cocmment, authors and tour coordinators now have come up with contests.  These will vary depending on the author and publisher. 
*Carol O’Dell, author of Mothering Mother, visited my Alzheimer’s Notes blog and shared  information about her experiences as caregiver for her mother.   Carol …read more

We generally like to learn about other’s success stories that give us the feeling…
“Ah! If she/he can do that, I can be successful with my business” 
Or…“What a great tip!  I’ll have to try that with my home business.”
Over the existence of Home Biz Notes, I’ve interviewed and mentioned numerous home business.  I’ll round up some of these in case you missed them…or are at a point in your business where some of these tips now will inspire you.
*Mark Allen operates an online business through the utilization of CafePress as his “store.”
*Dorothy Thompson has discovered that the Internet offers her the opportunity to …read more

Most youngsters are back to school and you may find this affects your home business, either because you’re a parent or your customers are.  Have you noticed any changes in your business?
 *You can keep on a stricter schedule, working at your business while your children are at school.  Or if your business depends on customers stopping in, you’ll probably find more of them do so during school hours.
*You may have visits from youngsters on fund raising projects.  For instance, our granddaughter joined the year book committee at her school and has the task of visiting ten businesses to see if they will purchase an …read more

I was asked to write a guest post, Virtual Blog Tours – The Latest Innovation for Promoting Your Writing,  for Yvonne Russell’s Grow Your Writing Business.  Going on a virtual blog tour has become a popular technique for promoting one’s writing business and books.  I’ve hosted a number of writers at my author blog, Mary Emma’s Potpourri of Writing and encourage writers to try this method of promotion.
I’ve also interviewed blog tour coordinator Dorothy Thompson on this blog, as she developed this as a home business.  If you’d like to learn more about blog touring or hosting, check out my post at Yvonne’s blog.

It was exciting to see Yvonne Russell’s article, The Web – Your Partner in Promotion, at Grow Your Writing Business and discover it included an interview of me, with mention of Home Biz Notes.  She also referred to my interview of Dorothy Thompson and her author blog tour business.
Although Yvonne writes for writers, many of the promotion ideas she discusses, while interviewing me and other writer/bloggers, are applicable to other businesses.
Yvonne comments: “Bloggers and online writers [also businesses]  need to become e-marketers and look for opportunities on the web.  Our potential clients are not around the corner anymore.  If you’re …read more

“What’s a blog tour like?” I’m often asked, when I write about them, interview tour coordinators like Dorothy Thompson, or host authors on my blog. 
Today, I’m hosting author Pamela S. Thibodeaux at my Potpourri of Writing blog.  The majority of authors work basically from home, at least to the point where they’re considered as operating a home based business.  Many publicize their books by giving talks and signing at bookstores.  Now the blog tour or virtual book signing had become a popular way of reaching one’s audience.
Other business owners might consider utilizing blog tours, appearing on other people’s blogs, as a way to get …read more

When developing a home business in today’s Internet world, keeping aware of the latest trends is important.  Dorothy Thompson, whom I interviewed about her e-specialist and virtual blog tour business, is an example. 
She’s utilizing blogging and the desire of authors to reach the world without having to travel from bookstore to bookstore for book signings.  These are two growing trends in today’s world.  Other businesses could take a look at blogging  and determine whether this trend will help them increase their business or keep it going in an increasingly Internet world.
Since I interviewed Dorothy, so many authors have contacted her …read more

Dorothy Thompson, whom I interviewed about her e-marketing specialiast business, mentioned this on one of her blogs, Boomer Chick.  She also relates here  more about the author side of her life.
We discover that the Internet opens up so many business possibilities and puts us in contact with people we never would have met otherwise. 

 
In the previous post, Part 1, I discussed with Dorothy how she changed her focus from writer to e-marketing specialist to develop this type of home business, Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours.  Today, we’ll continue the discussion and learn the advice Dorothy has for those interested in becoming a home business owner.
As Dorothy said, she’s still a writer, but she’s learned to change with the times and focus her expertise on areas that are in demand and will help others.
MEA: How does one decide when to make changes in focus?
Dorothy: I think that when you land on …read more