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May 22, 2015 By Kylie Saunder 1 Comment

Business Addicts Live Event 2015

Business Addicts Live Event – Melbourne, 2015

Last night I went to the first Business Addicts live event held at the Honey Bar, South Melbourne.

The Business Addicts podcast is one of the hottest new Australian business podcasts going around. It’s a collaboration between Loren Bartley from Impactiv8 and Fiona Redding from The Happiness Hunter. As they explain:

“Our podcast is for anyone that is addicted to business. We aim to help you as a fellow Business Addict build a business that supports a life that you love, rather than a business that controls your life!

We achieve this by providing a balance of strategies, tips and tools that will help both feed and manage your business addiction.

We feed your addiction by providing valuable content that will help improve your business and we help manage your addiction by providing equally valuable content that will help you better manage your life so that your business addiction doesn’t spiral out of control!

We have an amazing line up of guests on the show. Our guests will share their stories, provide advice and inspire you to better manage your life as a proud Business Addict.

As self-confessed business addicts, we are not perfect. In fact, we are on a journey of self-improvement ourselves, that’s why we started this podcast in the first place.”

The Business Addict podcast is on my ‘must listen to’ list every week. All of Loren and Fiona’s guests provide in depth details, tips and ‘AHA moments’ and last night we were all treated to some more pearls of wisdom.

The room was filled with friendly and passionate Business Addicts – from small business owners, to corporate workers to stay at home mum’s who are keen to create their own business.

Here’s some of the key take-aways…

James Tuckerman

I’ve seen James Tuckerman speak at a couple of conferences and have always been super impressed with his down to earth and practical approach to business. Plus, he’s just as fabulous in real life – genuine and friendly!

His Businesss Addicts podcast about content hacking can be found here.

James spoke last night about how to create and repurpose amazing online content. Here’s the take-aways:

“The things that work well are blindingly obvious to me. Overthinking it all will never work…remember your target audience doesn’t know as much as you do, so keep it simple.”
“If you’ve got a website that’s asking strangers to marry you on the first date, fix it up.” In other words, your first time visitors need to get to know you and your business before you can ask them to buy!
“Get rid of all the ‘we’s’ from your website and replace it with ‘you’. E.g. we’re the experts in back care and rehabilitation becomes ‘do you suffer from back pain?”
“Know your audience and ask them quality questions, ‘Does this sound familiar? You struggle to get out of bed in the morning because your back seizes up overnight.’
“Always go back to your audience’s situation. What problems do they have? What solutions can you give them?”

David Hobson

I connected with David Hobson on LinkedIn after I listened to the Business Addicts fabulous podcast. Check it out here.

David Hobson is a Melbourne guy and one of the gurus of LinkedIn. He’s also released an amazing online training program for anyone wanting to leverage the power of LinkedIn.

It’s open for registration now – head here to get more details.

David’s as fabulous in real life as he is online. His energy and enthusiasm lit up the Honey Bar as he explained why LinkedIn is the smart way to network and form strategic alliances.

Here’s some of the take-aways:

“If you want to build a strong business network, it makes sense to network face-to-face. But this takes time and energy and you can’t do it every day! And there’s some functions where ‘your people’ aren’t even there. LinkedIn can help you find ‘your people.’
“Most people on LinkedIn have 500+ connections and CEO’s have around 900+ connections. The potential for finding strategic partnerships, employees, opportunities and alliances is amazing.”
“Use LinkedIn as tool for collaboration – this shift in focus will take pressure off having to ‘pitch to people’

If you missed out on last night’s Business Addicts event, there will be more!

Want to make sure you’re kept in the loop? Head here to sign up for the Business Addicts newsletter.

May 20, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

How to find your business formula

Business formula for success, the 7-step blueprint, the secret sales funnel

Hang out online for long enough and you’ll notice there’s a lot of this type of online marketing going on.

Ever followed a formula / blueprint / system for business success but didn’t quite achieve what you thought you would?

Yes, there are some fabulous systems out there that are founded on marketing principles PLUS implementation tips that do work.

But there are just as many not so good ones too!

So how do you know which business formula to follow and which one to avoid?

Over the last few years I’ve:

bought a LOT of marketing programmes,
attended HEAPS of workshops and conferences,
listened to webinars and podcasts, and
read blogs, books and articles.

And through all this education that’s included marketing, blogging, content creation, copywriting and online strategies I’ve picked up information, tips and up to date advice from world experts.

But I’ve also learned something that not many people will tell you upfront…

…trying to follow an exact business formula, marketing system or sales blueprint doesn’t always work!

It may work for the person who’s selling you the system, but if it doesn’t fit in with your values or business goals, it may not work for you.

So here’s a few things I’ve learned that may help you find your own formula for business success

*I like to remember that business success will mean different things for everyone and it’s not just all about revenue, profit or market share…

1 Don’t force it! Trying to force yourself and your business into a marketing model, step by step system or formula that’s not aligned with your business or personal values won’t work in the long term.

2 Ask, “How can this work for my business?” There may be parts of the formula or a section that resonates while others don’t.

3 Stay open minded and learn, but always trust your gut instinct. If you’re being taught or shown something new that doesn’t feel right for you or your business, don’t do it.

4 In a programme that’s got online forums and Facebook groups? If you feel a bit “OMG EVERYONE ELSE is doing so much better than me” stay away from them!

5 Stay curious. Being curious and discovering what other people are doing will inspire you and keeps your mind open to possibilities and opportunities.

6 Keep a pen handy! As you listen and read, take notes that questions how you can use this information. Writing down any ideas that pop into your mind as you learn will help you create your own business success – with confidence.

7 Your business and career is totally different to everyone else’s. Your personal goals, family situation, business dreams and career achievements reflect your personality, values and awesome-ness!

Guidelines, formulas and systems are helpful – they can help shine light on where we need to go and how to get there!

But it’s up to you to check in with your gut and heart for the final say on whether this will lead to YOUR business success.

May 11, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

Meaningful Content Creation

Meaningful content creation: the key to rising above the online noise!

Have you noticed how many thought leaders, influencers and online superstars are talking about creating quality content?

The good advice includes things like:

“Rise above the online noise with good quality content…

Forget about posting content everyday, create content that’s evergreen…

Create a page of your best content and get others to promote it for you…”

But what if you’re creating quality content and it’s being lost in the “online noise?”

Your solution comes from the guru of blogging, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger. In a recent Business Addicts podcast Darren said,

“Create meaningful content that takes your reader on a journey and brings about change”

Here are a 3 things that may help you as you create meaningful content…the type of content that gets shared, noticed and acted upon!

1 Revisit Your Ideal Client Avatars

Have you ever read a blog or article and thought, “Wow, they’re talking to me…it’s like they’ve listened to my thoughts and written this to help me!”

The author has understood who their readers are – they’ve written the content with a super clear framework about their ideal clients that includes:

demographics, including age, income, occupation and gender,
psychographics, including values, lifestyle and belief systems, and
internal conversations, including their secret fears, hopes and what drives them in business and life.

Your next step…go back to your ideal client avatars and look at their pain points.

For example – a Chiropractor with an ideal client who’s a stay at home mum with 3 children under 7 years old could have the following pain point to create content around:

Pain point: “I lift my children in and out of the car, push prams and shopping trolleys and by the end of the day my back is aching…”
Blog topic: “7 things stay at home mums can do to keep their back healthy.”

2 Organise Your Content

Once you’ve developed a list of blog topics, it’s time to organise your content – note that I said ‘organise’ not ‘research’!

I see way too many business owners wasting time researching their blog topic when they’ve got all the information they need in their computer files and notebooks already.

This simple process may help you out…

Create a new folder in Google Drive (or Dropbox) called “Meaningful Content”
Move your Word documents and Evernote content to it
Browse through your notebooks and look for content that you can use for the blog topics
Transcribe the content into a Word document and upload to “Meaningful Content”

3 Create headlines that appeal to your ideal clients

One of the simplest ways to create headlines that will appeal to your reader is to go back to their pain points. Ask yourself:

‘What would they be searching for online to solve this problem / to feel better / to get to where they want to go?’

And stay curious:

Take note of headlines on magazine covers and repurpose them for your headlines,
Notice what headlines make you click onto the article or blog post, and
Practice writing headlines and keep them in a Word document, ready and waiting for you!

It’s not too late to create meaningful content that’s noticed online – your audience and clients are waiting for your unique thoughts and insights to create change in their lives.

May 5, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

Blog Tips For When You Think Everything Has Been Said

Want to blog but think everything has already been said?

You’ve got a swipe file of headlines, you regularly use Evernote to capture ideas and you’ve got piles of Post It notes with random thoughts.

But when you get around to writing your blog, you feel like your ideas are just repeated versions of stuff that everyone else around you has already said!

Here are two blog tips that have helped me write when I believe that everything has already been said…

Blog Tip 1: Your personality makes your content different

Have you ever been to a Les Mills fitness class?

Every few months, there’s a new class released and every Instructor around the world gets access to the same new music and repertoire.

You could be in Melbourne, Australia or Los Angeles, USA and participate in a Les Mills Pump class where you’ll hear the same music and same instructions.

But the class won’t feel the same because each instructor infuses their unique personality, energy and passion into the class.

So how can you infuse your personality and unique awesome-ness into your blog content?

Notice what you say out loud to your friends and write like this. Do you have particular phrases that you use when you’re excited, passionate and inspired?
Look over any notes you’ve taken at recent webinars, Meet Ups, conferences or events. Could you use some of these in your blog content?

Blog Tip 2: Your intention makes your content different

If you feel like everything about your blog topic has already been said, it can be helpful to think about your intentions.

Blogging regularly will help internet search engines notice you. But this intention alone won’t motivate and inspire you to blog regularly.

Here’s some ideas that have helped me figure out a deeper intention for my blogging…

“I want to blog about __________ (insert topic here) because it will make my readers feel __________

By blogging about _________ (insert topic here) my readers will be able to _________ (be better equipped to…….. / be more inspired to……. / be less likely to……….)

Even though my blog topic has been written about by heaps of people, the ONE thing I can see that hasn’t been written about yet is _______________ “

And when your intention is clear, your energy and enthusiasm for your blog will flow!

April 30, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

Blog Tips

Blogging Tips For Business

You’ve got a blogging schedule and know that today’s the day you need to write, publish and promote your blog.

But your confident and clear writing voice isn’t there!

You read over what you’ve got and cringe at the thought of publishing it.

The words and sentences feel like they’re:

incongruent with your brand, or
written by someone else, or
copying the blogs and articles you’ve read for research.

As a business ghost blogger, I know how frustrating this can be!

So I’d love to share 3 blogging tips with you.

1 Write like you speak

Search online for how to blog using your voice and you’ll be bombarded with information.

There will be pages of advice on how to write:

from your heart, and
with an authentic voice.

But you don’t need to disappear down that rabbit hole of ‘research’ remember that your best writing voice is your everyday speaking voice.

So what if you listened more closely to what you’re saying everyday and write exactly like that?

Here’s some ideas to get you started:

Capture and record your random thoughts on your smart phone and transcribe these word for word into your “blog ideas” document.
Notice what you’re saying over and over again to your clients. Are there any key phrases or words that you use that makes what you say sound like ‘you’?

2 Stop typing, start writing

Been sitting in front of your screen for hours but your blog isn’t happening?

It’s time to step away from your screen and pick up a pencil or pen!

The Australian best selling author Kate Forsyth recently blogged about how she wrote her best selling novel, Bitter Greens.

She says,

“Typing is an amazing technological breakthrough for writers, but it can lead to quick and facile writing. I like to write slow and deep and thoughtful at times – usually for my most important scenes or when a line or paragraph is causing me trouble and always, always, always, when I am writing poetry.”

It doesn’t matter if you write in a cheap notebook or a lovely Moleskine journal.

What’s more important is that the time you invest in hand writing, doodling or mind-mapping will open up new channels of thought.

It’s an opportunity to breathe in some fresh air and ideas!

3 What would you say to your friends?

I heard this tip when I saw Sarah Wilson speak at a blog event. When Sarah was editor at Cosmo Magazine and her staff got stuck with writing, she’d ask them what they’d say to their friends.

Picture yourself sharing a glass of wine with them… what would you say when they ask you what you’re working on?

It could go something like this…

What a week it’s been! Busy, busy but now it’s the weekend…what have you been working on?

I’m writing a blog series for Generation Y about how to get into the property market.

Ooh that sounds interesting! There’s so much talk about how Generation Y won’t be able to afford to buy their own property. Are you interviewing anyone?

Actually, that’s a great idea…maybe I could add some first hand experience into the blog series with a couple of case studies!

Need some help connecting with your writing voice?

Email me here for a 15-minute complimentary Skype chat.

April 14, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

5 tips to make your website work for you

Is your website working for you?

When visitors find you online, you want them to hang around and find out more about your business.

So how can you make sure your website visitor will want to explore and hopefully buy from you, instead of clicking away to your competitors?

Read these 5 tips to make your website work harder for you…

Tip 1 View your website with fresh eyes

When was the last time you viewed your website with fresh eyes?

If you’re like most business owners, you invested a lot of time and effort into creating it. From getting the content written and choosing the website theme to liaising with your developer and designer.

No wonder it feels like a huge relief when the website goes live!

But here’s the thing I see happening that can undermine all the hard work that business owners have done – the website doesn’t get reviewed and updated regularly.

And this could be stopping your business getting enquiries and sales.

Use this checklist as a starting point for reviewing your website with fresh eyes:

Is the phone number easy to find? If you’re relying on phone enquiries, make sure you place the phone number in a few places on your home page and with a clear call to action like “Call us now to book in your massage”.
Got a business with a shop front? Make it easy for your customers to find you with clear address information. And for added clarity consider adding a sentence like, “We’re at the corner of Main and Pine St”
Check that your links work, including any links in your blog posts.
Is your email address easy to find and correct?

Looking for more ideas on how to make your website easier to navigate and read? Check out the book by Steve Krug, “Don’t Make Me Think”.

Tip 2 Update your photo

First impressions can be even more important online than in real life.

What impression are you giving with your current profile photo? Is it a selfie or an iPhone photo your friend took just to get a profile photo uploaded? Or is the headshot 5 or even 10 years old?

Investing in a professional and friendly profile photo on your About page will help your website visitors get to know, like and trust you.

Make sure your photo is updated at least every 2 years so when your clients meet you in real life, they can feel connected with you straight away!

When you visit your photographer make sure you ask for:

high and low resolution photos,
professional hair and make up to be done (yes, even for the guys!), and
a variety of shots with different clothing choices.

Looking for a fabulous Melbourne photographer? I love Say Heidi Photography in Sandringham.

Tip 3 Update your About page

The About page on your website is one of the highest traffic pages, so you need to make sure it’s up to date!

Make sure that you keep it professional sounding while adding in a glimpse of your personality.

But here’s the thing – writing your own About page is really, really hard! Which is why hiring a creative copywriter to help you out can save you time and effort.

Need help with your About page? Email me here for an affordable quote.

Tip 4 Check that your website is mobile friendly

What does your website look like when you view it on your smart phone or tablet?

If your website theme isn’t mobile friendly, it will be hard to read on a smart phone or tablet, which can increase the number of people clicking away!

And from 21 April, 2015 mobile friendliness will be a Google ranking factor – surely a good reason to make sure your website is mobile friendly. Melinda Samson at Click-Winning Content explains it all here.

Need help getting your website mobile friendly? My behind the scenes WordPress goddess is Tessa Needham. But if you’re more of a DIY-er head to Helena Denley’s DIY Website Coach here.

Tip 5 Tap into the power of Google

Have you set up a listing on Google My Business yet? It’s a free listing which connects you directly with your customers wherever they’re searching for you – on Google+, Maps or Search.

Google My Business can help you build an online fan base where you customers can:

use the +1 button to re-share your Google+ posts,
endorse your content, and
review your business

And who doesn’t want to tap into the awesome power of Google? I love the way Google+ has helped increase my clients organic searches and helped them build an online community.

Like some advice about your Google+ business page? Email me here to schedule a FREE 15-minute Google+ coaching call.

April 10, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

How to get back online after you’ve had a break

So you’ve been away from the online world for a bit.

It doesn’t matter if it was a conscious digital de-tox or your life got too busy to be on social media.

When you get back online, it can feel like you’re on the outside looking in at everyone else having fun!

It may not be as awkward as turning up to your high school formal with the same dress on as two other girls in your class – but it’s still weird.

But instead of lurking on the sidelines wondering if anyone cares or still likes you anymore, use these 3 tips to help you ease back into your online groove!

Tip 1 You don’t need to explain your absence

When you get back online (posting on social media, engaging with your community, blogging and commenting) it’s tempting to write a post explaining why you’ve been away.

But don’t feel like you have to tell the world that you’ve been off-line and that you’re back. Unless, you’re a high profile celebrity your absence may not have been noticed. And it’s your business to run in the way that works for you…no explanations are needed!

Resist the urge to say things like:

‘I’m back and I feel so much better that I’ve had a digital break’
‘I apologise for not blogging more’ or
‘I should have sent this newsletter sooner but I couldn’t because…’

Tip 2 Conserve your energy

Being away from the online world for a few days or weeks will give you perspective and space – to think and create.

So once you get back online, get into the habit of consciously using your energy wisely.

Use these questions to see if you’re wasting your energy:

Am I frequently checking my social media updates to see who’s plused, liked, retweeted, commented and shared my post?
Am I constantly scrolling on social media to see what my followers, friends, competitors and colleagues are doing and saying?
Am I expecting instant responses to my emails?
Am I providing instant responses to any emails I receive?

And if you’re finding it hard to stay away from social media, consider installing a productivity app that blocks websites for periods of time.

Tip 3 Go slow

Being offline for a few days, a week or a month can bring up anxieties, worries and fears – it’s common to feel like nobody wants to talk to you anymore!

Instead of scheduling a batch of posts while you wonder if anyone will read them, go slow.

Here’s a checklist you can use to slowly build up your online presence again:

Day 1 – 3: Set aside 10 minutes, twice a day to observe what’s going on including what topics are popular and who’s saying good stuff.
Day 3-5: Re-tweet, like and +1 and share any posts that stand out to you.
Day 6-7: Comment on any posts that interest you.
Day 7-14: Start to post once a day on your favourite networks – share links back to your popular blog posts or upload a photo or video that you’ve found interesting or funny
Day 10-12: Look at who you’re following and ask yourself whether they’re adding value; find new people to follow.
Day 13-14: Read your social media bio – if it could do with a makeover so it feels more like you, set aside some time to rewrite it.

Rejoining the online party doesn’t have to feel awkward – like you’ve worn the wrong clothes or have spinach in your teeth.

You can get involved as much or as little as you want because your online presence needs to serve you and your business.

February 18, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

How To Engage Online

Wondering how to engage online?

There are thousands of pages of information about how to create compelling content and engage online.

But here’s a simple thing that works!

Notice what’s going on around you and be kind.

She moved her walker slowly up to the reception desk to pay, and sighed loudly.

The receptionist processed her health care card, “Mrs Richards, you’ve got $7 gap to pay today”.

Rummaging around in her handbag she tried to find her change purse – a few moments go by, but no purse emerges.

From her left, a girl in her early 20’s silently approaches the desk with $7 in her hand.

Motioning to the receptionist she quietly handed her the money. She gently touches the older lady’s hand saying, “Mrs Richards, I’ve just paid for your visit.”

The older lady looked up with tears rolling down her face, “oh dear, that’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me all year…”

A simple act of kindness is born when you notice that someone needs help, and you offer it.

Click To Tweet

Making a difference in someone’s life doesn’t have to be a fanfare filled occasion – it can happen everyday.

Look up from your screen and notice what’s going on right next to you:

does your elderly neighbour need anything at the shops?
could you cook your sick friend a meal and deliver it to them?
would your mum appreciate a bunch of flowers when you see her next?

What simple things can you do each day to connect with your community, your friends and neighbours?

As Atticus tells Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird,

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around it”.

The art of compassion, of kindness, of putting yourself in someone’s shoes…this is how you can engage online and in real life.

You want to engage online, build your community and expand your reach…do exactly the same things that you do in real life!

Notice what people around you are saying and doing.

Be kind and considerate.

Notice who needs help.

The simple act of noticing what’s going on around you will instinctively help you know what to blog about, how to comment and be known as a person who’s as fabulous online as you are in real life.

February 10, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

How To Create Space In Your Day

How to create space in your day

You’ve been back at work for a few weeks now.

Slipped back into the daily routine: family, business, work, friends, children, school.

The summer break may feel like it was a long, long time ago:

lazy mornings with no alarm clock demanding you get up,
beach visits,
space and time to do nothing, and
hanging out with friends.

We need more space in our day – so we can breathe in deeply and out slowly, without the pressing need to be somewhere else.

Breathing space is that precious pocket of time where we can get grounded and realign.

And because it’s your pocket of time, you decide what to do and for how long!

You may choose to

practice yoga for 20 minutes (I love these online yoga classes).
step away from your desk and sit outside in the sunshine while you have a coffee
sit under a tree with your eyes shut and your bare feet in the grass.

A recent article suggests that this pocket of time away from your desk and screen will improve your health. It says that focusing intensely on work (especially in front of a screen) can lead to bad posture, stress and muscle tightness.

Here’s the link to it.

So what’s the ‘secret’ to creating breathing space in your day?

Start today, without fanfare or a social media post declaring this is your new way of life.

Allow yourself a precious pocket of time each day, just for you…to enjoy the space.

February 3, 2015 By Kylie Saunder

Helpful tips for getting things done

Do you ever get to the end of your day and feel like you’re not getting stuff done?

You’ve tried different time management tips and tricks.

From the Pomodoro technique to turning off your phone and shutting down email and internet browsers.

But you’re still not getting your work done!

Sure you’re keeping up with your client work…but the work that you really want to do (from writing a blog to mapping out a new workshop) always comes last.

This common issue goes beyond time management techniques.

If you want to find more space in your day for ‘you time’ it’s time to re-think where you’re investing your energy.

Visualise this…

When you wake up in the morning you’ve got a full jar of sand (energy) for you.

Next to this full jar is an empty jar – waiting to receive deposits of sand (your energy) from your jar.

The empty jar is any interaction that you have during the day and includes:

Phone calls,
Email interactions,
Social media time, and
Face to face interactions.

These energy deposits are easy to recognise, but there are other deposits you’re making that aren’t so obvious.

For instance:

The energy you spend worrying that your competitor is doing better than you,
The energy you spend when you wonder if your proposal will be accepted, or
The energy you spend reliving the argument you had with your friend on the weekend.

Is it any wonder that so many people feel utterly drained of energy at the end of the day?

So here’s some helpful things to keep your jar of sand way at a healthy level:

Ask yourself:

Am I giving the right amount of sand to the right things and people?
Are there people in my life who ‘steal my sand’ without me realising?

Get curious:

Find out how your colleagues and role models manage their energy. Experiment to work out what works for you.

Look after your energy:

Your energy is precious – if you don’t have enough your physical, emotional and mental health can get compromised.

Be mindful of where you spend it and ‘savour the sand’!

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