Learn to tweak your topic seems to be Darlene McDaniel’s motto as she enters carnivals that seem, at first, to have no relation to her Interview Chatter blog.
I’ve mentioned previously, in Participating in Showcases & Carnivals for Home Business Promotion, that carnivals can aid you in developing a blogging presence and promoting your business while you have fun. However, sometimes it’s not easy to find many carnivals that relate to your topic.
Darlene has developed a knack for thinking “outside the box” to find how her blog, Interview Chatter, can relate to other blogs.  When I let her know about the All …read more

 One way to promote your home business, particularly an online business,  involves participating in showcases and blog carnivals.  However, you can do this, too, if you have a walk-in business in your home.  You probably have a web site and may be writing a blog. 
Utilize your blog by becoming involved in the online round-ups of similar businesses. This month, in the United States and Canada (and in some other countries), many businesses are focusing on Halloween sales and celebrations.  
An example of a showcase featuring Halloween as the theme is the one recently conducted by b5media’s Arts and Design channel.  Some of the participants have online …read more

Many business owners have tasks to perform, especially if they’re producing items, that become very repetitive, and thus boring.  We may tend to put them off, thus getting behind with deadlines.  We may find ourselves doing them mindlessly, so that we make mistakes.  We may be so glad when the task is over that we rush them off to our customer, without checking for any possible errors.
Rico, at Contract Worker, gives us 4 Ways to Deal With Repetitive Tasks.  These are common sense tips, yet ones we may overlook.  Take a look.  I’m sure you’ll find reminders that will help …read more

You’ve heard about the “Jump Start Your Business” contest…with more than $2,000 in prizes…right?  Have you started preparing your entry?  Or you’re wondering whether you should.
  Here are 10 reasons for entering….
*1. You might win the Grand Prize.
*2. If not the grand prize, you might qualify for one of the two runner up places.
*3. You’ll take stock of your business or business idea as you prepare an entry.
*4. You’ll learn how to develop a business plan.
*5. This may be just what you need to spur you into developing your business.
*6. You may find this fun.
*7. Your name will be out there…which means …read more

Home business owners, whether online or offline, need customers/clients.  How does one get them?  In general the methods vary depending on which type of business you’re operating.  However, with more businesses having some type of online presence, online methods are of great interest.
Online business owners often get caught up with buying lists of guaranteed visitors to their site.  Cynthia Minnaar, in an article in American Chronicle, How to Drive Targeted Website Traffic to Your Internet Home Business, differentiates between building versus buying home business traffic.  Even though buying traffic may seem to be the quicker way, it doesn’t work, Ms …read more

If you’re in business, you need customers or clients…those are your lifeline to existence.  In several posts, I’ve discussed getting and keeping customers.  The comments I’ve received often expand upon the information and give additional hints.
For instance, in response to my post, Taking Care of Your Home Business Customers, Yvonne Russell of Grow Your Writing Business, related an anecdote about a hairdresser she knows.  The woman told Yvonne that her “trade skyrocketed  just by sending out a personalized note every five weeks that the next haircut was due.”  She found her customers appreciated the reminder.  She had asked if they …read more