by Elle Ray | Feb 27, 2016 | Small Business Advice
February 29 Provides You a Rare Opportunity
Kids play leap frog, while adults take a leap of faith. And everyone gets an extra day every four years on February 29. That makes 2016 a leap year. So is this just a passing fancy in your eyes or an opportunity? We tend to believe that every extra minute counts — so leap year to us is 24 extra hours to do something extraordinary or just treat ourselves to an extra piece of pie.
To that end, we offer a list of ideas for filling that extra day with value. Below are just a few examples of how you could pass the extra time in a worthwhile fashion, followed by some suggestions for goofing off. And remember, even treating yourself to a day off has benefits that may be difficult to record but are completely relevant and perfectly appropriate.
Do One More Thing
It may be just another work day for you and your staff. Business as usual is going to be the theme for most people on Monday, February 29, 2016. But if you remember that it’s a bonus day, go ahead and:
- Write an extra blog post for your website
- Make one more sales call
- Create another graphic
- Put one more idea on the table
- Publish an extra LinkedIn post
- Give Facebook one more link to your site
- Add one more line item to your marketing budget
Very often, growth of any kind requires just one more little push, one extra day to get it all done, one more addition to your To-Do list. And February 29 is a perfect excuse to get in another swing toward your success. Make leap year count!
Take It Down Easy
If you were born on February 29, you may want to take the day off since you have to wait so long for an actual birthday. Even if it’s not your birthday, claim it. Name it and claim it to do one little extra thing just for you. For example:
- Eat ice cream, especially if you normally don’t
- Sleep in an extra day
- Play hooky to do something you’ve been putting off
- Get a massage, manicure, pedicure or spa treatment
- Buy an unneeded, but wanted item
- Throw a party, just because
- Finish reading a book or start a new one
- Go off your diet just for the day
New Year’s Resolution Boost
In actuality, February 29 comes at the perfect time to get us off our collective butts and think — think about how we’re spending our days and our energy. Time, as they say, is not a renewable resource. February typically is the time that resolutions fall by the wayside. Gym visits get off track, diets plummet and budgets snap shut.
In 2016, instead of letting your resolution to pump up your abs or your business get sidetracked, switch it up, change the record and start over. Leap into the rest of the year with the zest and enthusiasm you held on January 1. A new year, a new you and another chance to make a difference. Change the world, or change your world, and live a happy, joyous, fulfilling life — this leap year and every year.
And ladies, don’t forget to ask your guy for a date or a dance. It’s tradition.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Feb 13, 2016 | Small Business Advice
A Brief Diversion on the Road to Success
Whether you call it karma, God, fate, a higher power or just dumb luck, you most likely have some kind of connection with a power that holds your future in its hand. Most people do. In Asheville, we know that there is some kind of mojo working that draws creativity forth, that attracts creative people and serves as a sort of muse in inexplicable situations.
In good times, we are thankful to that power. “Yes!” we exclaim. “Everything is going my way!” But when times look dark or a situation turns in an unexpected direction, we often wonder where we went wrong. “What did I do to deserve this?” we cry. “Why did this happen to me?” Instead, perhaps we should continue to be grateful.
New Beginnings
Change is difficult. It’s more comfortable to stick with what’s in front of you — even when it’s delusional or even harmful. At Ray Access, for example, we sometimes lose a client for any number of reasons, none of which have anything to do with our work. Yet we still wonder where we went wrong or what we could have done differently.
Then, as if by magic, along comes a client who needs our full attention. We’re “magically” free to give that client our best because we’re no longer bogged down by the client who seemed to drain our resources as much as fill our coffers. All of a sudden, the diversion is over and we’re happy in our work again. We’re busy researching, writing and editing. We get to see our work enhance our new client’s business.
But it often doesn’t stop there. We end up getting more calls because of the high quality of work we’ve produced.
Short Memories
While we’re riding our newfound joy — happy to see our resources flourishing once again — we quickly forget that not too long ago, we felt bogged down. At the time, we didn’t even realize that the client who decided to stop our services actually cost us more than they paid us; the time, energy and frustration drained our accounts in more ways than one.
We didn’t start Ray Access to become frustrated. We didn’t go into business for ourselves to be miserable. We could be proofing technical manuals if we wanted that.
We forget, much too easily, that we’re Asheville writers in the midst of a mountain mojo that won’t let us down — that continues to provide for us. We forget that the last time we got dropped, we didn’t hit bottom; in fact, we ended up higher than ever.
In Every Area of Our Lives
This belief in a higher power can transform every area of our lives. If we truly hang on to the belief that there is a God, karma, luck or powers beyond our understanding that keep the universe in balance, then we know that “rejection is protection.” We know that sometimes the only way to find our footing or continue in a good orderly direction is if we let go of what’s holding us back.
Even when a new client isn’t readily apparent, a new job isn’t already offered or a new partner business isn’t on our radar, we need to hang on to the belief that all is right with the world. The only reason that one door was closed is because there is another door on which we should be knocking. A diversion can be change in direction, not a roadblock. The only way to make room for more good is to let go of that which is holding us back. Even when we don’t know it.
So keep climbing. We’ll see you at the top!
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Dec 31, 2015 | Small Business Advice
Trends & Targets for Internet Businesses Now!
You got them to notice you; now give them more value.
Happy New Year to all! At Ray Access, we are pleased to report that we nearly doubled our sales in 2015 — not bad for a small Asheville-based start-up. We appreciate the business our clients brought us, and we’re looking forward to continuing to provide quality content for small, medium and big businesses.
We want to emphasize “big,” because those are the clients we’re targeting in the coming year. We’re not alone in thinking big. As a matter of fact, according to investment powerhouse Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers (KPBC), consumer and small business Internet use skyrocketed in 2015, while big companies in the fields of education, government and healthcare experienced little or no growth. So those are big markets all small Internet-based business providers should put on their radars for 2016.
Go Mobile
Another target we (and you) should add to your list for this coming year is to make sure your blogs and websites are mobile-friendly. At Ray Access, we’re currently in the process of tweaking our new website for ease of use on mobile devices. All Asheville Internet businesses should do the same.
It’s a big deal in 2015 because more and more people are getting online through their mobile devices. Check out KPBC’s account of mobile users:
- In 2008, Internet users spent about 80 percent of their online time from a desktop or laptop and only 12 percent of their time from mobile devices.
- By 2015, only 42 percent of online time was hard-wired, while 51 percent was mobile.
And this trend is going to continue, as more and more users buy and learn to use mobile devices. At the same time, the 2015 trends don’t mean that desktop and laptop use is going to disappear; it just means that mobile devices are increasing the amount of time consumers and business leaders spend online.
Follow the Money
Small Asheville Internet companies can reach an international audience as more and more citizens around the world get connected. The brick-and-mortar stores, door-to-door sales calls and personal networking will remain a stronghold of bottom-line business growth. But we’ll do more and more sales through our website.
Which brings us to the reason for the season: how can we all double our sales in 2016? According to Cyber Alert, “blogs have emerged as an influential new media outlet for PR stories.” They also report that close to 85 percent of consumers have made a buying decision based on a blog they read. Third-party blogs that include reviews and product/service descriptions are the most popular buying influencers.
Options for Change
A few ways that all of us in the Asheville market and beyond might take advantage of some of these trends and targets include:
- Write guest blogs for others’ sites
- Get industry-expert, entertaining and enlightening guests to write for your site
- Spend some time blogging about trends and new products
- Target your blogs to industry sidelines (like this one, for example)
In other words, don’t just write about your company and your business in your blogs. Use your valuable Internet space and position to bring attention to healthcare issues, government policies and educational institutions. Write about topics that interest your target market. As always, refrain from getting too political (you don’t want to alienate potential customers just because of their politics).
Illustrate issues in new ways. Give both sides of an issue equal treatment and coverage (much like an unbiased journalist). 2015 was the year of steady growth for Asheville businesses; let’s make 2016 a year of explosive growth and put Asheville on the map for more than just its breweries and hiking trails. If you don’t know how to get started, let Ray Access know. Go Asheville tech companies!
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Jul 12, 2015 | Small Business Advice
Instilling a Sense of Urgency Makes Better Copy
“Biggest blow-out of the year!”
“Don’t wait, buy today while prices are at their lowest ever!”
“We’ll never slash prices like this ever again!”
“Hurry! Sale ends Monday at 5:00 PM!”
You don’t believe these ads. Or do you? You are bombarded with these “sales” messages every day — on TV, on the radio and on most Internet ads. The sense of urgency produced probably tends to get tiresome. You stop hearing the repetitious phrases and block out the so-called call to action they imply. Or do you?
Buy Now! It Works
A sense of urgency in your marketing copy can help to double, triple or even quadruple your conversion rates. Why? Because it works.
Groupon has made excellent use of the urgent call to action by limiting not only time that its deals are available, but also the number of people who can claim them. The Asheville, NC-based Rug & Home advertises on television with an obnoxious young blond who tells viewers that the big sales always end on “Monday” or after a big holiday sale when, in fact, the sales never end. Prices rarely change.
But buyers keep coming in. And the company thrives. The sales manager at the North Carolina rug outlet once said that the commercials work because: “The ads shake the trees, and then we rake up the leaves.”
Psyched Up
While it may seem unproductive and illogical, the fear of missing out drives many buying decisions. John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism in America, worked for one of the biggest ad agencies in New York City. He believed that consumers make buying decision based on one or more basic human emotions — fear, love or rage.
A sense of urgency in your marketing copy appeals to the innate fears most people possess — the fear of missing out. And the ubiquitous nature of social media only confirms this idea. People fear missing out on something more than they fear anything else.
Consider the enormous risks people take texting while driving just to ensure they don’t miss a thing. Mediums like Facebook allow users to get notified about every move made by anyone who means anything, whether or not it is important.
Just in Case
So you may not actually believe the advertised sale is for a limited time. You may know instinctively that if you don’t act within the next 24 hours, you will lose your sole chance to buy that cool thing. Nevertheless, if you’re like most people, you think, “Maybe it’s true this time.” It’s kind of like the agnostic who won’t go all the way to embrace atheism “just in case.”
So build a sense of urgency into your copy. Make your sales last for just the weekend. Set time limits on your special offers. Tell consumers that if they don’t want to miss the biggest deal in town, they should act today. Because otherwise your message will get lost in the fog of all the other “sales” messages.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Mark Bloom | Feb 18, 2015 | Small Business Advice
10 New Ways to Improve Your Networking Skills
If you network in your town, you likely go to Chamber of Commerce events. You attend weekly after-hours, before-hours and during-hours networking meet-ups. You drink cups of coffee. You drink mugs of beer. You smile and nod. All in the hopes of making more sales.
You’ve got it all wrong, baby.
Instead, here’s a networking tip: try a different approach. Attend only those networking events that give you the best opportunities to meet new people. Make small talk with more people and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. In the end, this approach will pay off in more sales.
Leave the Pitch at Home
Networking is not the place to pitch prospects. If that’s what you’re doing, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Eventually, you’ll join the ranks of naysayers who eschew shoulder-rubbing events for a cold beer and a ham sandwich at home — alone — where no one can get under your skin.
Networking is the place to meet interesting business people, learn what they do and who they do it with. It’s the place to see your peers and be seen as a helpful presence. With this approach, eventually you’ll start getting the calls asking for your professional help. People do business with those they like.
10 Tips to Take to the Bank
Get the most out of your networking by following this advice:
- Arrive early
- Make friends
- Keep your cards handy
- Leave a positive impression
- Learn something new
- Remember names
- Tell a good joke
- Laugh at a bad joke
- Make introductions
- Leave late
Intrigued? Remember networking tip #5 above and keep reading.
- Arrive early
Sponsors, event coordinators and energetic networking nuts get to networking events early. As part of the “inner circle,” they often volunteer to do some task during the event. They know the benefits, and now you can too. Imagine how many more people you’d meet in an evening if you were the one pouring the beer. Think how popular you’d be if you got to hand out the door prizes. Networking is a participatory activity. Get involved. Get there early, and offer your assistance. You’ll come to be known for your generosity and willingness to help.
- Make friends
People like to do business with people they trust — like their friends. Once you’ve seen someone around the local business circuit long enough, you realize they aren’t going anywhere. Introduce yourself. When you take time to get to know people — how many kids they have, for example, or what they do in their free time — you naturally feel a little closer to them. You develop a rapport. When they need something you offer, they’ll call a friend quicker than they would call a networking associate.
- Keep your cards handy
While all the feel-good schmoozing is great for your reputation and friend status, your ultimate networking goal is to grow your business. We get that. So bring plenty of business cards to pass around. As a matter of fact, don’t leave home without them. Keep cards in easy-to-reach pockets or in the side pocket of your handbag where you can reach for them with ease and grace. Nothing blows an exit like making someone wait while you try to fish out a card from a messy handbag or a pocket stuffed with swag. For the best impression, always present your card so that it’s facing the person you’re handing it to.
- Leave a positive impression
One of the best ways to impress people is to listen. When you meet someone new, apply a firm handshake and look the person in the eyes. Make a connection. Pretend the two of you are the only ones in the room. No one feels good talking to someone who constantly looks around the room. That merely says, “I’ll ditch you if someone more important comes along.” Hold eye contact and respond appropriately to the speaker. When in the middle of a group, nod and laugh when everyone else does, they’ll think you’re one of them — and like you for it.
- Learn something new
Time is precious for everyone. Salespeople, small business owners and CEOs all have a million things they need to do. You’re not the only one using up your valuable hours in the local beer hall or event facility trying to network. Use your time wisely and make it a priority to learn about a new product, discover a new way to use your smartphone, find out who just moved into town or how many seeds it takes to grow a watermelon. Leaving networking events with newfound knowledge makes you smarter and makes the best use of your time. (Little secret: people like people who ask questions.)
- Remember names
Remembering names can be tough, especially when you meet a dozen or more new people at a single event. But don’t give up. Instead, consider it a challenge. A good exercise for your brain health is to try to remember at least 10 names during each networking event. The impression you’ll make the next time you see one of them and remember the name is priceless. You can’t buy that kind of marketing for any amount of money. This is one of the little secrets of networking that can build your business tremendously. And while you’re at it, you’re giving your brain a little workout.
- Tell a good joke
Laughter is like glue; it bonds people together. Laughter tells others in the room that you have a sense of humor and don’t take yourself too seriously — major personality pluses. If you feel uncomfortable telling a joke, practice. Keep your joke clean and free of cultural references. And find something relevant like: “Last week at this after-hours, I asked a guy why he left his last job. He told me it was illness-related. His old boss got sick of him.”
- Laugh at a bad joke
Almost all people think they’re funny. Some are not. But a networking event is not the time embarrass anyone. Show good manners and laugh if someone tells a joke you’ve heard 17 times that week. Never make people feel uncomfortable. It will reflect poorly on you. If you’re kind and gracious, they’ll remember your kindness. They’ll know they can trust you. And you can be sure that they’ll call you when they need your product or service.
- Make introductions
Of all the networking tips, this one is our favorite. It feels powerful when you’re the one in the know. Be the good guy or gal and introduce people you meet to people you know, especially when it may help either or both of them. Give a positive testimonial of their business or talk up their favorite hobbies or the big promotion they recently got. You’ll be remembered as the one who made the connection. You’ll be known as the one who has a finger in all the pies. You’ll gain a reputation as the one to get to know in business networking circles.
- Leave late
On days when you don’t have to rush off to another meeting or return to the pile of work waiting for you, stick around to the very end of the networking event. There are always a few stragglers who still want to talk — or boast or rant. You never know whom you’ll run into when the room starts to clear. It’s very often after the last shrimp has been gobbled up and the tables are coming down that the really big, meaningful (and profitable) relationships are forged. Don’t miss it.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
by Elle Ray | Jan 20, 2015 | Small Business Advice
Some Useful Tips for Business Partners
Business partnerships, as a rule, have a tough time making it. When Mark and Linda of Ray Access first considered creating a formal partnership, we were warned by many:
- Be careful, it’s tough to really trust someone like that.
- Make sure you have exit strategies.
- Protect your ass(ets)!
The business landscape is littered with big busts where business partners bumped heads so often that their businesses ended up with irreparable concussions:
- News Tilt
- Cryptine Networks
- NASA and Lockheed Martin
- Quaker and Snapple
- Fashion Café
Never heard of these partnerships? No wonder, they failed for a variety of reasons. Partners need to learning these lessons before pledging fidelity.
Pick Your Partners Carefully
A business partnership is more like a marriage than a one-night stand. You expect more than just chemistry and instant gratification. You’ve got to know that your partner is in it for the long haul with you and won’t jump at the first sign of trouble.
Partners need to each bring invaluable contributions to the business, creating a paradigm that one person couldn’t recreate. Each partner needs to contribute to the success of the business; otherwise, resentments form, followed by mistrust, misunderstandings and dissolution.
Live Together First
Go through a year or more of working together before you even consider going legitimate. Over a long haul, you’ll encounter a vast number of situations where you can evaluate your partner’s ability to cope, decision-making skills and communication style. In a year, you’ll most likely have at least one disagreement; wait to see how that plays out before moving forward.
What you see is what you get. Don’t expect a business partner to change just because you are a good influence or you believe he will mature with some experience. Get into business with the person right in front of you, and you won’t set yourself up for disappointment.
Talk, Talk, Talk
Talk so much that you find you can finish each other’s sentences when you’re in front of clients. Get to know your partner, his thoughts, feelings, ideas and concerns so that you can work out solutions together. Just like in a solid marriage, communication is key to success.
You can’t be afraid to confront your partner or point out problems. When you trust that your partner is thinking only of what’s best for the company, maintains consistent respect for you and praises your efforts when appropriate, you can take a little criticism when needed.
Take Time Out
While successful business partners share many of the same goals and values (and usually share a common sense of humor), you need to have very separate lives. It’s best not to socialize too much with your business partner and muddy the professional waters.
It’s OK if you have different friends and different interests outside of work. It’s healthy actually to prefer to spend time with your family on the weekend instead of with your business partner. And though our spouses get along really well, it’s not required. (Although we will say that mutual support from the home front doesn’t hurt.)
And on that note, here’s a related tip. We’ve heard ugly stories of husband-and-wife business partnerships that turned sour. Few marriages can stand up to the pressures of a business relationship, so it may be best not to start down that path if you can help it. If you do enter into business with your spouse, pay extra attention to communication and trust issues that may arise.
Trust Is Earned
Earn your partner’s trust by doing what you say you’re going to do. Once you build trust, many sins can be forgiven. If you are with the right partner, little can come between you. With little effort and the right partner, you too could end up in a happy business relationship like these successful partners:
- Orville and Wilbur Wright
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin
- Coco Chanel and Pierre Wertheimer
- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
- Bill Hewlett and David Packard
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen
- Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
Maybe you’ll see Mark Bloom and Linda Ray on this list of successful partnerships someday. For now, we believe that we are successful after finishing up our first official year in business as a strong partnership. We’ve got each other’s backs and know it. We’ve had our differences and learned valuable lessons about compromise. We listen to each other and value the other’s opinions. We talk — and email — a lot. And through all that, we even like each other.
We’d love to hear about your partnership — what works or what didn’t work. Please email us at info at rayaccess.com or use our online contact form to send us your story. We’ll include responses in a future blog.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.
