I love that Gen Z always finds a way to make things fun.
Small-biz tech advice: How to make more money
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I’ve run a broadcast business for over 25 years. I joke I’m an overnight success, but the truth is it took a long time to get here. In the beginning, it was like any new small biz, shoved into a small, crappy workspace with bills piling up.
Whether you already run a small business or you’re thinking about starting one, I can help. By popular demand, I’m launching a small-business edition of this newsletter, packed with tech tips, smart strategies and insider tricks to help you grow and make money.
✅ Hit this link to get on the list so you don’t miss issue No. 1 when it drops.
Now, let’s dive into some must-know tips for every business owner.
How to get your business and website listed in AI answers
This one is all over my inbox. The funny thing is your website and online search reputation are the big drivers to getting your company and your content to display in AI results. Yep, AI is fed by the thing it is killing. A few pro tips:
✅ Keep your website fresh. AI is looking for clear, helpful content about your products, services or whatever. The algorithms value reliable sources, so make sure your “About” page boasts all about your qualifications and your FAQ page answers common questions.
✅ Use natural language. Chatbots are trained to prioritize real-world phrasing. Write how you’d talk to a customer.
✅ Ask your loyal customers to pitch in. AI looks for signs people are talking about you. Reviews get the most weight, then social media comments and mentions, too.
Write better CTAs: That’s a call to action, and no matter what you do or sell, yours should be clear, compelling and action-oriented. Skip “Click here” and try something that speaks directly to your audience’s needs. Instead of “Sign up,” try “Get your free guide.” Instead of “Learn more,” play with something like “See how it works.” Struggling? Paste your CTAs into a chatbot and ask it for help making them more clickable.
“Where am I leaving money on the table?” Ask ChatGPT. Never feed in your finances or exact reporting, but you can tell it about your company, what you do and how you make your money, and see if it has any bright ideas to get revenues up.
📈 Cheaper, more effective Facebook ads: Use engagement custom audiences to target people who’ve already interacted with your content, like someone who’s liked one of your posts or watched a video. This cuts the cost of getting a qualified lead. Love that! To get started, go to Ads Manager > Audiences > Create a custom audience.
Fix your website! 4 ways to get more people to your site using SEO
A savvy business owner knows the value of website optimization. In today’s cutthroat digital marketplace, an SEO-friendly website with solid keyword research, meta tags, good page speed and backlinks helps you stand out. If you want to know how to improve search engine rankings for small business websites, you’ve come to the right place.
Run a business account on Facebook or Instagram? Apply for Meta’s AI for a 24/7 support pilot program. It’s free right now. Customers will be able to chat with your ads or send DMs to get more info. I’m going to try this out myself.
📈 What’s hot? Google Trends knows. If you run a business, search for keywords related to what you do to see what’s popular. Use the filters at the top to search by region, time and category to make your content or products match the buzz.
5 hidden fees costing your small business money
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Starting your own business can be exciting, but it often comes with a rocky road ahead. Those rocks will cut into your wallet through several expenses. Miscalculating the daily costs of running a company can hurt you in the long run.
Small-biz tip: Don't overlook this digital danger
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Are you the type of business owner who forgets about ex-employees as soon as they’re gone? Failing to remove former employees’ access to your systems and data could lead to security breaches. Don’t let poor offboarding practices be the weak link in your cybersecurity chain.
Want to make money podcasting?
Trying to start a podcast? Kim chats with the guy who started the very first podcast about podcasts. Now he’s helping creators grow their shows and make money.
💸 Create a logo with AI: Don’t have the money to spend on a professional designer? Tools like ChatGPT can help in the meantime. Tell the bot your business name, color combo and style, and let it come up with something. Who knows, you might just like it. If not, it was free.
📈 Have a Business or Creator Instagram account? See when your audience is most active aka when you should post. Go to: Profile > ☰ Menu > Insights > Total Followers, then scroll to Most Active Times to see peak hours.
Secrets to growing your business quickly
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I’m proud to say that I built my multimillion-dollar enterprise with no debt and no investors. It’s rewarding for me to help the many small business owners who call and need a hand getting their company off the ground or breaking past a big hurdle. I’ve been there myself.
Small-biz tip: How to onboard a remote employee
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If you’re a small business owner, onboarding a new employee virtually can be a huge undertaking. Taking a new hire out to lunch, giving them a tour of the office and introducing them to coworkers is often an integral part of the experience, but that might not be possible if you hire remote employees.
3 security steps every small business needs to take right now
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Business accounts can be hacked as easily as personal accounts. Imagine all your hard work being held at ransom by a hacker or your data falling into the hands of someone who can sell it to the competition.
You need to secure your business as best you can, and here are three crucial tips to get started. This tip is brought to you by our sponsor, NetSuite.
Small business owners: Simplify your life with one financial tool that does it all
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Are your finances as organized as you’d like them to be? Come on, be honest. For most business owners, the answer is a reluctant no.
As your company grows, you will have more expenses, contractors, KPIs and hands managing it all. If your communication happens through email, over the phone, in messages, and via spreadsheets, you will hit a wall sooner or later.
The web is dying ☠️
Remember where you heard it first. With AI saving a click over to a website, it’s only a matter of time until we say RIP to surfing the web.
Get a FREE job post: Do you need to hire at your business? It’s tough. I’ve had great success finding really wonderful, hardworking people on LinkedIn. You can post a job for free right now using my link.
Small biz or side hustle tip: Manage appointments and rentals with these tips and tech tools
Running multiple small businesses can be overwhelming. You have to juggle scheduling, accounting and countless other duties. Talk about stressful.
Luckily, you can streamline your operations with a small business scheduling app like Google Calendar, Calendly or Acuity Scheduling.
Small biz tip: How to set up an authenticator to protect your work accounts
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Your business accounts have tons of private data you don’t want hackers to see. Although two-step verification (2FA) keeps hackers out, you can’t rely on texts to prove your identity. Hackers can intercept your messages.
Small biz tip: Ways to make 2023 your best year yet
Prepare your business for the new year with these five small business resolutions for 2023. We’ll help you cut costs, gain new skills and find ways to optimize your work life. It’s time to be more strategic with your marketing goals, develop your online presence and whip your finances into shape.
How long should you keep records for your business, freelance job or side hustles?
So you decided to be on top of your paperwork and organize your business records. That’s a great start for small business owners, freelance workers and anyone with a side hustle. Over time, though, all those records can pile up, cluttering your file cabinet or digital cloud.