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Monday, September 5, 2016

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http://www.createforcash.com Create Your Own Job Sun, 15 May 2016 14:46:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.5 http://www.createforcash.com/do-you-mix-business-with-pleasure/ http://www.createforcash.com/do-you-mix-business-with-pleasure/#respond Sun, 24 Apr 2016 23:17:27 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1231 As a business owner I spend about 95% of my time working. I’m sure I’m not the only one. It’s well known that business owners almost always put in more time than salaried workers. So, with all of that work, how does a business owner get a break? We’ve been told that you can’t mix business […]

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]]>As a business owner I spend about 95% of my time working. I’m sure I’m not the only one. It’s well known that business owners almost always put in more time than salaried workers. So, with all of that work, how does a business owner get a break? We’ve been told that you can’t mix business with pleasure. But is that true?

These days business owners are having to find more creative ways to sneek in some fun and relaxation, even if you don’t leave the office. Taking the family along on a business trip is becoming quite popular. There’s even a word for it. “Bleisure”.

Here are some examples of business owners who are combining business and pleasure:

“I own a small business designing, making, and selling chainmail jewelry. I have a booth and sell at a number of craft shows and conventions.  I?™m established enough to do well at shows, but not profitable enough to employ staff to help.   I always invite a few friends or my mother-in-law to help or even just to visit.  It?™s a great opportunity to chat between customers, they get to attend the show, and I have someone I can trust with the booth when I need to step away to powder my nose or check out the competition.”

Gwendolyn Kestrel

http://mythictreasure.com/

Promote a fun -but professional- environment. Example: At our office, we play ping pong religiously. Employees often partake in games two to three times per day. We have a professional style table, tournament brackets and a plethora of balls. The one thing that everybody owns is their own personal racquet. 

Find methods to detox: Work in stressful. What outlets are you providing for your employees to burn off some stress and relax? Sponsoring a group lunch? A nice 5à7? We?™ve done both of these every month.

Productivity and exercise: Have business meetings while on a light jog with your employees. This kills two birds with one stone. Why? An elevated heart rate moves you away from laziness, and the things that you see outside spark thinking and curiosity. More than that, you can actually iron out some major points without overthinking things. On Mondays, I run with my Marketing Director. Wednesdays it?™s two of the web developers. On Thursdays, the logistics people fill me in during the run about inventory and such. Guess what? We?™re all much fitter, happier and healthier…and we?™re being efficient while becoming those things!

Wes Warner and Troy Stark are the inventors of the first and only self-sealing balloon called Glooeys. Here is how they mix business with pleasure:

“As inventors of a new balloon product, we got to mix business with pleasure in the testing phase by working with our kids to figure out what worked and didn’t work. Now that the product is finished, we get the kids to star in our video productions, which often includes a party.”

Glooey’s is the first and only patented, self-sealing balloon.

www.glooeys.com

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/do-you-mix-business-with-pleasure/feed/ 0 http://www.createforcash.com/charismatic-leader/ http://www.createforcash.com/charismatic-leader/#respond Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:44:21 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1218 Charisma. It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Think of some of the most charismatic leaders you can remember throughout history. Many are probably politicians, successful business owners, religious leaders or activists. They have a combination of personality, power, charm, and many unique skills that make up the whole charismatic […]

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]]>Charisma. It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Think of some of the most charismatic leaders you can remember throughout history. Many are probably politicians, successful business owners, religious leaders or activists. They have a combination of personality, power, charm, and many unique skills that make up the whole charismatic persona as a leader. And we’re drawn to them like moths to a flame.

It isn’t a class that’s taught in college, but it’s one of the most important traits you can have as a leader. Some people are born with it, but many are not.

Some charismatic leaders, like Ghandi and Churchill, were just average students in school. Some, like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, prove that even introverts can transform themselves into leaders that people want to follow.

So, what if you aren’t a natural charismatic leader? How can you sharpen your skills and up your game?

• Exude confidence – Being confident means knowing your stuff. If you want people to follow you, you have to really know what you’re talking about. Become an expert in something. And know every single thing you can possibly know about it. If you’re a leader in a company you should know how the entire organization works, from top to bottom. Know as much as you can about every job in the company. Be ultra prepared and confidence will come naturally.
• Be a great listener – Charismatic leaders become that way because they understand people and what makes them tick. They can quickly size people up and adapt to what they need in a compassionate way. Richard Branson said “To be a great leader, you must be a great listener”.
• Be passionate about your vision – Again, think of all of the charismatic leaders you’ve known. What did they all have in common? They had a strong, unwavering vision and they were passionate about it. Being excited about a vision causes others to become excited about it too. Enthusiasm is contagious.
• Be an articulate speaker – Speak clearly and use concise language. Lose the words “like” and “um”. Say what you mean, and mean it from your heart. Charismatic people don’t analyze what they say. It comes from a place of being sure of what they’re doing. Also, adding a little humor goes a long way.
• Be curious – The day you lose your curiosity is the day you lose your zest for living. Being curious about the world around you opens you up to people and gives you something to talk about. The most creative and innovative people are also the most curious and are willing to take creative risks.
• Be positive – This should be common sense, but people are drawn to leaders who are positive. They seem to have an energy that you just want to get next to. You want it to rub off on you. If you aren’t feeling positive, think about something you can feel grateful for. Sometimes that’s enough to turn your mood around. Even faking it will sometimes get you in a better mood.

Charisma is a valuable trait in a leader. There’s a big difference between ordering people around and actually getting them to follow you and look up to you. A charismatic leader is able to command respect because they’ve earned it, not just because they have a title.

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/charismatic-leader/feed/ 0 http://www.createforcash.com/being-an-entrepreneur/ http://www.createforcash.com/being-an-entrepreneur/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2016 20:36:41 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1197 After watching the documentary “Burt’s Buzz” I was reminded about why I have to be an entrepreneur. Everyone talks about passion, but the real reason for being an entrepreneur is freedom. This was the running theme in the film about the unconventional life of entrepreneur Burt Shavitz, the icon and co-founder of Burt’s Bees. Before […]

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]]>After watching the documentary “Burt’s Buzz” I was reminded about why I have to be an entrepreneur. Everyone talks about passion, but the real reason for being an entrepreneur is freedom.

This was the running theme in the film about the unconventional life of entrepreneur Burt Shavitz, the icon and co-founder of Burt’s Bees. Before there was ever a billion dollar, all natural brand of personal care products, there was just Burt and his bees.

On the surface, Shavitz seems like an unlikely businessman. But if you trace his history, being an entrepreneur was really the only thing he was ever suited for. He had no interest in a 9 to 5 job, and ended up using his skills with a camera to pick up freelance photography work for publications like The New York Times and Life magazine. He was in the right place at the right time and capitalized on the turbulent times of the ’60’s in New York City. But as TV became more popular as a way of highlighting the emotion of the times, he saw that as his chance to move out of the city and reinvent himself in a small town in upstate New York.

Without any kind of long-term plan, he found odd jobs and lived in an abandoned house. The guy he bought honey from gave him all of the tools he would need to be a beekeeper except the bees. Then, in a total twist of serendipity, he found a hive of bees on a fencepost. Before he knew it he had 26 bee hives and enough honey to make a living. He was never an entrepreneur because he thought he could make millions of dollars and drive fancy cars. None of that ever mattered to him anyway. He was an entrepreneur because it gave him total freedom with no one telling him what to do.

A chance encounter with hitchhiker and single mom, Roxanne Quimby, was the turning point that changed Burt’s Bees into a brand. He had the bees and she had the business sense. Before long, the bee business started proving to be quite profitable. Ironically it wasn’t the honey, but the byproduct, beeswax, that would launch them to a multi-million dollar brand.

By the time the two split up, Roxanne had two thirds of the company and Burt had one third. He was forced out and ended up with a home worth $130,000. Years later Burt’s Bees was sold to the Clorox company for $970 million dollars. Roxanne got $173 million of that and Burt ended up with $4 million.

Burt could easily have been bitter about it, but for him, money was never the goal. Like many entrepreneurs, he had his freedom. And that…  was priceless.

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/being-an-entrepreneur/feed/ 1 http://www.createforcash.com/why-people-play-the-odds/ http://www.createforcash.com/why-people-play-the-odds/#respond Sun, 10 Jan 2016 19:08:42 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1186 It seems that everything is getting harder these days, including the lottery. The recent Powerball odds went from 1 in 175 to 1 in 292 million. More numbers have been added, which means the odds have gotten tougher. It’s also gotten twice as hard to win that second prize if you are lucky enough to […]

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]]>It seems that everything is getting harder these days, including the lottery. The recent Powerball odds went from 1 in 175 to 1 in 292 million. More numbers have been added, which means the odds have gotten tougher. It’s also gotten twice as hard to win that second prize if you are lucky enough to get all of the correct numbers except the Powerball number.

Even though we have a better chance of being killed by an asteroid strike, millions of Americans still play the lottery every week. Millions still play the odds. And it’s not just the lottery.

Every year eager young actors, writers, and directors flock to New York City and Hollywood for a chance to make it big. Even though the odds of actually getting on the A list are slim, there is never a shortage of talent that wants to prove everyone wrong.

According to Harvard Business School only 18% of entrepreneurs succeed in their first business venture. Yet every day new entrepreneurs enter the market.

97% of all patent holders never make money with their patents. Yet approximately 30,000 new products are launched each year.

In full disclosure, I’ve tried every one of these things. And I’ve made a decent amount of money on every single one of them, except the lottery. I’ve made a living as an actor, business owner, and inventor. And none of it came without an enormous amount of blood, sweat, and tears. I put years of hard work into all of them, but they all paid off eventually.

People play the lottery because of the hope of easy money falling from the sky. I play it myself for that reason. Investing a few dollars every now and then for the chance of winning big isn’t much of a price to pay, even though you have better odds of being hit by lightening.

The reason people play the odds is because someone is going to win. And as long as one person has won, there’s always the chance that you could too. As long as one person makes millions of dollars as an actor or a rock star, it’s possible.

I’ve beaten the odds myself, but I also know others who have too. I know several people on the A list who have made a fortune in the entertainment industry. I know several inventors who make a good living with their products, and a few who have made millions. I know a lot of business owners who have made great money and have created multiple businesses. I even know one person who has won pretty big money in the lottery, not once, but twice. Not enough to retire, but enough to buy several brand new cars and take some nice vacations.

I play the odds because it’s a challenge. Someone is going to win. And I like the game of beating the odds.

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/why-people-play-the-odds/feed/ 0 http://www.createforcash.com/can-industry-awards-help-small-business/ http://www.createforcash.com/can-industry-awards-help-small-business/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2015 20:07:50 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1165 Several years ago I entered my running product in an industry awards contest that was sponsored by NASDAQ and launched at a large, well-established fitness trade show. After a few rounds it finally ended up being one of the semi finalists. Before the trade show we were an unknown company with a brand new product, and […]

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industry awards

Several years ago I entered my running product in an industry awards contest that was sponsored by NASDAQ and launched at a large, well-established fitness trade show. After a few rounds it finally ended up being one of the semi finalists.

Before the trade show we were an unknown company with a brand new product, and we were struggling to get some traction and recognition with retail buyers.

Because of the contest we had buyers visiting our booth, which was hidden in the basement floor of the trade show. And at the end of the show NASDAQ had a party for the semi finalists, along with a lot of publicity.

This happened again when we won the Toyman award for innovation and quality, as voted on by consumers, and then became a product of the year in Creative Child Magazine. We got an extra boost in traffic and sales after both of them.

So, is it a good idea for small businesses to apply for awards? Do they help? Here are a few responses from small business owners:

“In the early days of our company, we won several Golden Phone Awards and
Alex Awards (named for Alexander Graham Bell). Those awards really gave us
credibility and drove additional business to the company. An industry
award is a lot more than just winning a glass trophy!”

Bob Bentz

AdvancedTele.com

“I won the award for best comedian at a contest at the DC Improv comedy
club. This led to many, many opportunities, including performing in 28
countries on five continents, starring in an Apple commercial, doing a
voiceover for Family Guy, and performing for the president of the United
States!”

Dan Nainan – Comedian

Nainan.com

“Packable Pails, full sized collapsible beach pails invented by mom Melissa Reed, won the 2015 Creative Child Magazine Toy of the Year. We saw doors open in the retail industry from winning this award.”

Melissa Reed

Packable Pails.com

If you think your small business would benefit from winning an industry award, here are some tips to get you started:

• Target general awards – You can start by looking for awards in small business or entrepreneurship. You’ll have more competition, but if you can land some big small business awards it’ll help your business jump ahead nationally.
• Target industry specific awards – Winning an industry award will help you become respected in your own industry, whether you’re looking for buyers for a retail product, customers for a service business or just industry recognition. You’ll have less competition and more chances of being a big fish in a small pond.
• Target most important awards– Not all awards will help your business. I won four TV and film writing awards, but only two of them were really recognized by the industry. It may not hurt you to get those lesser awards, but it also may not help you that much either. Most organizations giving the awards charge money to enter, so don’t waste your money on the ones that don’t matter.

Once you have your award, promote it everywhere you can, in your newsletter, press releases, social media, and your website. A well-known and respected industry award can do wonders for your small business.

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/can-industry-awards-help-small-business/feed/ 1 http://www.createforcash.com/book-smarts-or-street-smarts/ http://www.createforcash.com/book-smarts-or-street-smarts/#respond Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:43:39 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1107 A recent debate at the Eastern Correctional Facility in New York between prison inmates and the Harvard debate team had me questioning whether it’s better to have street smarts or book smarts. In the end the “book smart” Harvard debate team was defeated by the “street smart” prisoners. But the street smart prisoners didn’t win […]

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]]>A recent debate at the Eastern Correctional Facility in New York between prison inmates and the Harvard debate team had me questioning whether it’s better to have street smarts or book smarts. In the end the “book smart” Harvard debate team was defeated by the “street smart” prisoners.

But the street smart prisoners didn’t win simply by their street smarts alone. They had a lot of help…from books. Through the Bard Prison Initiative, which gives incarcerated men and women the opportunity to pursue a college degree while serving their time, the prison debate team put themselves through a grueling educational boot camp to prepare. They had no access to the Internet and had to wait for weeks sometimes for a book to be cleared by security.

And this wasn’t a one time fluke. They’ve beaten multiple college debate teams in the past.

Simply having a formal college degree isn’t the answer to everything. Yes, you need it if you want to practice law or medicine, but to succeed in life you need something else that the prison debate team had a lot of… intellectual curiosity AND street smarts.

I put out a request to hear from others about which skill was better. Here’s what I heard:

“I have a sixth grade education and I’ve owned/co-owned three successful businesses over the last 20+ years. I have college graduates wanting to come work for me at $10.00 an hour and they are struggling to pay of $60,000.00+ in student loans. I got my education at the local library for free. I’ve never had to worry about paying back a student loan. I did have a couple of late fees at the library over the course of the years but the amount of money I paid in late fees has never been more than $5.00 all of these years later.”

Gary Moon

Instant Negotiator

“I’m a counselor and author. In my professional and personal life I have seen how street smarts are more valuable than book smarts in most situations. I am considered to have a deep practical knowledge in my field; I believe this comes from the experiences with job and life challenges that need to be overcome. Textbook theory and learning without doing are wonderful and useful background information for a basic education.

In terms of the job world, one might need a certain degree to meet minimum requirements for an occupation. For a different kind of career, practical knowledge may be required or desired over strictly book smarts. I don?™t need my plumber to have a doctoral degree, but I do need them to know what will fix my pipes. I don?™t need my doctor to be a published researcher, but I would like to know that she or he has seen my symptoms before and knows a reliable cure. In daily life, problem solving usually comes from trial and error. This may be most evident in parenting, where a book gives suggestions, but parents must fine tune interventions to fit the personality and specifics of their baby.

Other than the people with social privilege, we all must learn some amount of street smarts to navigate our world. Book smarts can help us understand the things we can not see or do not have access to, but once it is time to apply the knowledge, an experienced person will outshine the book smart person faster and brighter. I currently work in university guidance, and I am seeing that companies are looking to hire graduates with those 21st century soft skills like communication and teamwork abilities. For jobs that require skill, someone can refine their skills online through practical courses and free education that rivals that of university programs. What can you do is becoming equally or more important than what you know to employers in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.”

Dr. Ethan Gregory

http://www.drethangregory.com

“Generally, I’d say it’s a mix of both. But I’ll state my experience. I don’t read too many books, and in my area of business it’s not that necessary. I do focus on obtaining knowledge and applying it to real world situations.

Books provide information on different matters, but if you don’t understand the information in a sense that you can use it and apply it, reading a book doesn’t completely help.

And a book can provide you an overview, but in order to learn how to apply the knowledge, a person has to do practical learning, viewing a situation and acting upon it. That’s where street smarts really helps – you learn to assess the situation and act in the best way possible, and learn from the situation as much as possible.

A potential downside of street smarts is not seeing the bigger picture. If you’re focused to get an overview, that does help a lot. Books do help here as you learn info grabbed from situations without actually being in those situations.

Ratko Ivanovi?‡, manager at EnCoCreative
http://www.encocreative.com

“I’m a co-founder of a sustainable coatings company and have helped launch
100+ products. Both skills are valuable, but if you had to choose only one, then it would
be street smarts every time. Street smarts will allow you to thrive in a
world that doesn’t always go as planned.

Tatsuya Nakagawa

Castagra

 
“I think street smarts are more valuable to get you through life. I’ve been
able to do so much more because of street smarts rather than book smarts
(even though I have that too – I hold and Ivy League engineering degree
which I don’t use).

With street smarts, I was able to run different businesses and bounce back
from the ones that didn’t work. I’ve done everything from importing Anime
to the US in the 90s to exporting video games and memorabilia to Brazil to
traveling around the world collecting and selling free collectible postcards to reinventing the chicken saddle and being an indie author and publisher.”

Jill Bong
Chicken Armor

“I think it helps to have an equal amount of both street smarts and book
smarts. I have an associate’s degree in computer networking, but it hasn’t
really helped me land a job, but I’ve been around the block a few times
when it comes to freelance writing. Any time you shop for wedding rings
online or read an article about how to clean out a fireplace, you could be
looking at my work and clients tend to look for the real world experience
when hiring a freelancer. That means you have to learn skills that you
might not learn in college and build up a portfolio that can impress the
employers that don’t care as much about whether you have a college degree.”

Heidi Hecht
Freelance Writer

http://ablogaboutnothinginparticular.com/?page_id=3655

It seems the trick is to never stop learning, whether you get your knowledge from a book or from real life experience. If you have both you can shorten your learning curve, become skilled in pattern recognition, and learn first hand from your own and other people’s mistakes.

What do you think? Which one is better to help you get through life, book smarts or street smarts?

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/book-smarts-or-street-smarts/feed/ 0 http://www.createforcash.com/the-future-of-work-freelance/ http://www.createforcash.com/the-future-of-work-freelance/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2015 22:52:42 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1091 A recent study commissioned by the Freelancers Union and elance-oDesk found that at least one third of the workforce in the United States are freelancers. This number is anticipated to increase in the coming years, and will change the future of work as we know it. In fact, by 2020 it’s estimated that one in three workers will […]

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A recent study commissioned by the Freelancers Union and elance-oDesk found that at least one third of the workforce in the United States are freelancers. This number is anticipated to increase in the coming years, and will change the future of work as we know it. In fact, by 2020 it’s estimated that one in three workers will be freelance.

The job market of the past was pretty straight forward. You go to college (or not), pick a career path, and stick with it for life. When someone asked you what you did for a living, you would pick one title. But these days it’s not unusual to have several titles. Publicist/marketer/writer/photographer, etc.

The idea of freelancing is nothing new. It’s been going on since the 1800’s. What is new is the number of jobs and industries that are now included in the freelancing realm. With the advent of the Internet the number of jobs and industries has increased dramatically. You can now easily hire a freelancer from anywhere in the world, and the opportunities for freelancers is only going to get bigger.

But freelancing isn’t exactly for the faint of heart. Unlike a conventional job, a freelancer is constantly hustling for their next gig. As an actor, I’ve been doing that my entire life. You spend most of your time looking for work. Interviewing, auditioning, callbacks. And when the job is over, you start the hustle all over again. It’s never-ending. The life of a freelancer, like that of an actor, can be feast or famine. Not everyone is comfortable with that level of risk and uncertainty. But if you want to chart your own path as an independent contractor, there are some ways to make the journey a little smoother:

1. Learn how to network – In my course “The Street Smart Job Search” I talk about how the best way to connect with anyone is face to face. You can show your sparkling personality, and it’s harder to say no to someone when you’re face to face. The next best way is by phone. Sending out blanket emails rarely works because it’s too easy to delete them and there’s no human connection. Join an association in your particular industry and get out and meet people. Even if they aren’t in the position of hiring you, they may know someone who could. Ask for a referral.
2. Seek out prospects – Trade publications are a great place to start looking for freelance jobs. If a company is advertising that probably means they’re doing well, and may be open to hiring freelancers. A database company like Hoovers, not only provides contacts, but valuable corporate insider information that can help you find companies who would need freelancers. They also include financial informational to help you determine which companies are doing well and what their current needs are. This information is constantly updated to give you a picture of their inner workings and financial stability.
3. Learn to use social media – Sites like Linked In, Facebook, and Twitter allow you to keep up with companies and what they’re doing in real time. Connect with and follow them to find out if they’re using freelancers or will be planning to in the near future.
4. Search Google – You can also set a Google alert to find out more info on what the company is doing, and search through Google with keywords to find your best prospects.
5. Have prospects come to you – Sign up at every freelancer site you can. Here is a list of some of them:

• Upwork
• Elance
• Freelancer
• ifreelance
• Project for hire
• Demand Media

If you want to earn a living as a freelancer you have to be able to generate leads, turn them into customers, and then get repeat business and referrals from them. You have to feel comfortable with selling, outgoing with people, and be able to deliver as promised and on time.

If you can do that then the world of freelancing is right for you. The future of work is changing and those who have the skills to be independent contractors have the potential to be successful.

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/the-future-of-work-freelance/feed/ 1 http://www.createforcash.com/facebook-marketing-tips/ http://www.createforcash.com/facebook-marketing-tips/#respond Thu, 05 Mar 2015 03:23:18 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1059 Guest post by Ivan Serrano As an entrepreneur, you have limited resources. Not only do […]

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]]>                                                                                Guest post by Ivan Serrano

As an entrepreneur, you have limited resources. Not only do you have to make sure you have enough room in your budget to produce your product or service, but you also have to determine how you?™ll build awareness of your business.

When it comes to implementing a social media strategy for your startup or small business, utilize the platforms that will give you the most results. Believe it or not, Facebook is still an extremely powerful tool for building awareness of your business and generating leads. In fact, Hubspot?™s State of Inbound Marketing report found 77 percent of B2C and 43 percent of businesses acquired customers from Facebook.

If you?™re currently planning your social media strategy, make sure Facebook is a part of your plan. Here are four facebook marketing tips for entrepreneurs:

1. Set a clear goal. 

A huge mistake many entrepreneurs and small business owners make with their Facebook strategy is not creating a clear goal. Many businesses think they can start sharing content immediately, however, this can greatly damage your online brand.

Before creating and sharing Facebook content, set a realistic goal for your Facebook page. For example, do you want to build a community for your business? Is it your goal to drive traffic to your website? Regardless of the goal you choose for your Facebook page, make sure it ties into your strategy and how you?™ll drive results for your business.

2. Document your Facebook strategy. 

The foundation of any social media strategy is to make sure it?™s documented. Create an editorial calendar for your Facebook strategy that outlines the type of content you?™ll share and how often you?™ll post. This calendar will make it easier for you to plan future content and ensure you?™re consistently engaging with your audience.

When it comes to finding the right time to post on Facebook, it?™s really important to understand your target audience. Do some research on the demographics of your audience and understand what their habits are on Facebook. For example, if you offer a project management app for Millennial business owners, you?™ll want to research the best times to reach them on Facebook and they types of content they engage with most.

3. Share posts with photos. 

The most important element of a Facebook strategy is visual content. Socialbakers.com performed a study where they analyzed the top 10 percent of Facebook posts created by more than 30,000 brand pages. During this study, Socialbakers.com discovered Facebook posts that included photos included the most engagement. In fact, these posts received 87 percent interactions!

Every post you publish on Facebook should include a visual. Whether it?™s a branded image or a photo that captures behind-the-scenes footage of your business, photos can add a large amount of value to your Facebook strategy. People will be more likely to comment and share your images, which means you?™ll gain more exposure for your business.

4. Upload video content. 

In addition to photos and images, video is a powerful tool for creating brand awareness. According to Hubspot, the amount of video in Facebook News Feed has increased 3.6 times over the last year. Additionally, video posts per person has grown 75 percent over the last year.

There are a number of ways you can use video to promote your business. Publish customer Q&A sessions or create a product tutorial. As long as your video content provides value for your audience, you?™ll be able to create content that drives results for your business. Once you?™re ready to share a video, make sure you upload it to Facebook. This will ensure it?™s played immediately when a customer scrolls by your post.

Although there are a number of social networks to choose from, Facebook remains to be one of the most effective platforms. By following these tips, you?™ll be able to design and implement a Facebook marketing strategy that creates awareness and boosts sales for your business.

How do you use Facebook to market your business? 

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/facebook-marketing-tips/feed/ 0 http://www.createforcash.com/shark-tank-entrepreneur/ http://www.createforcash.com/shark-tank-entrepreneur/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:45:30 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1041 Guest post by Ivan Serrano The Shark Tank Formula for Startup Success If you?™re reading this now, you?™re probably an entrepreneur who?™s thinking about launching a business. If so, you?™re about to learn some valuable advice that can make or break your success as a startup founder. Over the course of nine seasons, ABC?™s Shark […]

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]]>Guest post by Ivan Serrano

The Shark Tank Formula for Startup Success

If you?™re reading this now, you?™re probably an entrepreneur who?™s thinking about launching a business. If so, you?™re about to learn some valuable advice that can make or break your success as a startup founder.

Over the course of nine seasons, ABC?™s Shark Tank has given hundreds of entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to investors (otherwise known as Sharks). Throughout the show, 186 deals were made and the Sharks offered to invest over $20 million in 109 companies.

While it might seem like entrepreneurs who go on Shark Tank are extremely successful, there are a number of lessons to be learned. The reality is, launching a startup is a challenging goal and not every startup is successful even if they receive the funding they need. In fact, only one in 17 startups on the show have actually earned a profit.

When it comes to launching a startup and attracting investors, there are a number of variables to keep in mind. First, it?™s absolutely necessary to know your product inside and out. Investors expect entrepreneurs to be able to explain the purpose of their product and how it?™ll benefit their target audience. If you?™re able to come up with a great product at fills a need, you?™re on your way to a successful startup.

Next, it?™s important to perfect your pitch and understand your numbers. As you approach investors, they only care about the numbers regarding your business and how you?™ll be successful in upcoming years. When you meet with investors, be ready to explain how much profits you plan to earn in the next five years. This will make investors more interested in your idea.

These are just a few of the valuable lessons to learn from Shark Tank. To learn more about the Shark Tank formula for startup success, check out the infographic below:

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]]>http://www.createforcash.com/shark-tank-entrepreneur/feed/ 2 http://www.createforcash.com/small-business-customer-service/ http://www.createforcash.com/small-business-customer-service/#respond Sat, 11 Oct 2014 15:47:42 +0000 http://www.createforcash.com/?p=1035 One thing that differentiates a large corporation from a small business is the level of small business customer service. It’s easier for a mom and pop small business to make judgement calls when it comes to breaking the rules. The larger the company, the more levels of bureaucracy you have to deal with, and the […]

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]]>One thing that differentiates a large corporation from a small business is the level of small business customer service. It’s easier for a mom and pop small business to make judgement calls when it comes to breaking the rules. The larger the company, the more levels of bureaucracy you have to deal with, and the harder it is to get a real person to listen to you. Of course you have to have rules that your company abides by, but sometimes making a good judgement call can net you even more business down the road, and bring in very loyal and devoted customers for life.

An example happened this past weekend. I was staying at a rustic resort in the middle of nowhere. It was great. No cell phone coverage, no Internet coverage, no TV, and no radio. The nearest grocery store was about 40 miles away. Some people might freak out about that, but for a stressed out and overworked small business owner I thought it was heaven!

So, here’s what happened. They have a main building with about 20 rooms, and separate from the building it’s surrounded by small and large cabins. I was staying in one of the small cabins, which had a refrigerator and microwave. I was suppose to move into the main building for a couple of nights, but what I didn’t know is that the new room didn’t have a refrigerator or microwave. And I had already bought enough groceries to last for the extra days.

I asked the manager if I could just stay in the cabin since the groceries would all go to waste and there were no restaurants around for miles. Also, no one was scheduled to be staying in the cabin for the next few days. The manager looked at the regular price and quoted me a big difference if I stayed. I convinced her that it would be a good call to just let me stay in the cabin. She finally agreed and the mini vacation turned out to be a welcome escape from the world.

Here’s how the judgment call paid off. The next day I spoke to a group of about 100 small business owners in the nearest major city. I mentioned the resort to all of them and everyone I came in contact with. Several people expressed interest in going there and one woman even mentioned that it would be a great place to have her upcoming wedding.

That one small judgment call will probably bring them in ten times the karma. Of course you can’t always do this as a small business owner, but if you just use common sense you will probably get more business out of it in the end.

How have you used a judgment call in your small business that paid off?

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