Free Australian Business Directories To Boost Your SEO

Q. How many business directories currently exist online?
A. Too many!
The problem is many online business directories claim to offer great benefits for paid members, when in actual fact I have not yet spoken to anyone in my 20 years of business and 10 years working with the web, who has actually received any referrals or experienced a growth in business due to being listed on these paid sites. Rather, paid directory listings usually benefit one person - the directory themselves.

How Does a Business Directory Help Your Rankings
At our office we call it piggy back marketing. Not an official term, we just like it! However, this description is not far from the truth.
Put simply, should your business list on a high ranking legitimate business directory, then your website will rank highly by having a Directory URL connected to your business.
For example, if I search for my business on Google 'Small Business Gurus', our URL smallbusinessgurus.com.au is number 1 on Google. Number 3 is our listing on a business directory called True Local. Our URL for this directory listing is http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/small-business-gurus/upper-coomera (notice the fact that we have the true local URL first, our reference second?). True Local is a proven, legitimate, no spam directory, and that is why the listing works well. Do we get business from this directory? Absolutely. We piggy back on True Locals excellent SEO ranking and SEO Marketing activities to benefit us.

Free vs Paid Business Directory Listing
What is the difference between a free and paid directory listing? In terms of Rankings; nothing. A paid listing will not rank you any higher than a free listing.
What a paid listing will do is give your business preference on the Directory itself. Should thousands of visitors be looking for a service such as yours on that directory (such a yellow pages), your business will be listed higher than others in your industry. However, if you are simply listing to boost your SEO rankings paying is not going to help.

FREE BUSINESS DIRECTORIES TO BOOST YOUR SEO RANKS
Here we go, the ones you should definitely list for free on:
yellowpages.com.au
truelocal.com.au
startlocal.com.au
gumtree.com.au (yes, I know, Gumtree. But a good ad stays on top of Google a long time)
localdirectories.com.au
goldcoastdirectory.com.au (locals only)
hotfrog.com.au

Do your business a favour and take time out today to list on the above directories.

Social Media Myths and Facts for Small Business

Social media is an unqualified subject. There is no degree associated with it (yet), and every expert you speak with differs in opinion as to the 'right' way to use social media to one's advantage.

The bottom line is, no one person can possibly tell you all you need to know about social media, nor can they tell you the right way to use social media to benefit your business. However, there are certain Myths and Facts that are now being taken as the social media standards. Here they are for you to take on board for your small business.

FACEBOOK
MYTH #1 : Facebook is no good for small business
MYTH #2 : Facebook is only good for personal connections
MYTH #3:  Facebook connections are superficial
MYTH #4: Facebook advertising does not work

FACTS: Ask yourself this question. Would you go to a department store to find a mechanic to fix your car? No. Facebook does not perfectly suit every business type. However, if you are someone who can connect well with others, are happy to offer free advice and helpful tips, can dedicate 30 minutes a day to your fans and understand how to market your business, Facebook WILL work for you. Our business has over 100 clients who agree (they didn't before). Not one advertising campaign we have created has been unsuccessful, and 40% of our business comes via Facebook. Nothing worthless or superficial about that! For Facebook to work for your small business mix it up, make it funny at times, keep fans updated with breaking news and help out for free at times just because you can. Word gets around.

TWITTER
MYTH #1: You must have as many fans as possible
MYTH #2: You need to tweet at least 8 times a day
MYTH #3: Twitter is all about getting retweets and mentions
MYTH #4: You don't need a bio or profile picture

FACTS: Some of the best connections small business make are via Twitter. You may have recently read that half of Justin Biebers  followers on Twitter were fake? That is at least 500,000. I guarantee this is not isolated to Justin. There are hundreds of business people on Twitter (and Facebook) with fake fans or followers. It is the old psychology of follow the leader. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. You will benefit far more from 100 active followers than a million who don't give a toss. Care about your Tweets. Think Quality over Quantity. If it's helpful to others tweet it. Share knowledge because this method works for building your brand. 

Keep comprehensive categorised lists in Twitter. Then you can immediately read tweets on subjects you and your followers are interested in. I personally have lists on web designers, social media, SEO, psychology - and this is a great way to educate yourself , connect with those in your industry and retweet great info.

Twitter gives us the option of having a profile pic and biography. If you do not have an image of yourself/your log and no description of what you do , how will anyone know you are worth connecting with? People also search for profiles by keyword. My speciality is small business so my profile displays in searches when people search for small business. Keywords matter everywhere.

LINKEDIN
MYTH #1 : Linkedin is only for corporate people
MYTH #2: You need lots of connections to grab opportunities
MYTH #3: People who accept your invite to connect want to do business with you
MYTH #4: Once you have a profile the connections will start coming

FACTS : Linkedin suits all industries. No matter what your field there is a group for it. You will find business people from every industry on Linkedin. I personally have under 100 connections and this past financial year managed to gain over $70,000 worth of business from Linkedin. How? By connecting with people who can compliment my services and I theirs. We work together and our connections then expand. However, there are millions of people only interested in themselves. They will tell you how great you are then try and sell to you. There are also those people wanting  thousands of connections with the goal of being the popular kid in the playground, those people will accept most invites. It is up to you to become active, participate in discussions and connect with others. Simply creating a profile and waiting will not cut the mustard. Be you and do not be scared to demonstrate your expertise, this is when Linkedin will work for you.

BLOGGING
MYTH #1: You should blog daily
MYTH #2: If no-one likes your blogs no-one is reading them
MYTH #3: Keywords and SEO knowledge are not important for blogging
MYTH #4: My blog must have it's own URL

FACTS:  Blogging is not easy. If it were there would not be a multi million dollar ghost writing industry boom at present. Something we do at Small Business Gurus is monitor the traffic of ours and clients blogs closely. Sometimes these blogs will get 100 views in 24 hours with not one retweet or like; and the only place they have been shared is Twitter and Facebook. But you do not need to blog daily. If you have something to write , write.

A key to having your blogs rank on Goggle and shared on social networks is implementing SEO within your blogs. Keyword savvy titles and keywords within your content, make a mountain of difference. You can easily get plugins to assist with improving SEO whilst you write. Try Yoast SEO for Wordpress Blogs and Wordtracker for Blogger and Wordpress blogs.

Also, something we see a lot of is being told you must have your own blog url. Yes, this is the preference. However, do not let this stop you. We get 1000 or more views a week per blog and our blog has a blogger URL. Free blogs are available at wordpress.org and blogger.com. If you can afford it though get you blog it's own domain.

VIDEO SOCIAL MEDIA
MYTH#1: Video is a waste of time for small business
MYTH#2: Nobody will watch my video
MYTH#3: It is too expensive to create a video
MYTH#4: You Tubers only watch funny stuff and music videos

FACTS: Video social media is starting to take over the world. Psychologists will tell you it is human nature to crave personal human contact, and video delivers that better than content. You don't need anything fancy, it does not need to be a long video either. Most smartphones take video footage these days. Perhaps you have a snippet of info people could use in their business? Get a friend to film you explaining it. Use keyword titles and share the video on other social networks. People are interested and do watch if the video is short and sweet. For example, I wanted to know how to repair my laundry sink washer. I found a video of it on You Tube thanks to Jake in Texas and it saved me $120!

PERSONAL BRANDING

MYTH #1: Only my business brand matters

MYTH #2: People are interested in my business not in me

MYTH #3: I should share my personal pages with everyone 

MYTH #4: It is important to self promote at every opportunity

FACTS: Let me explain something called Goodwill. Goodwill in a business refers to the value of your business reputation. For example, if you purchase a business with an excellent reputation and local standing, the Goodwill component value can be quite substantial. The problem is, should you personally be the reason for high Goodwill value in your business, and you depart the business, how much is the Goodwill worth then? In fact, if you are the Goodwill in your business then without you your business may cease to exist. It is therefore important you create a strong business brand but also a strong personal brand. 

Your business did not succeed without your input. People will want to connect with you as a person. It is near impossible to have a relationship with a brand. What are your skills? Why should people connect with you? What unique characteristics can you offer? An excellent place to start is creating a personal profile on Aboutme.com and demonstrate what makes you an industry leader as well as successful business owner.

However, although it is important for you to personally connect, there is such a thing as too much information. Don't accept business invites on those personal pages reserved for family and friends. Drunken postings and family photos are personal, keep it that way.

In addition, if you are someone who is all about personal branding, take a step back and think about how your constant self promotion affects others. Bragging rights are fine, however hourly me me me talk is annoying, off putting and shallow. Personal branding will grow as long as you think how you can help others without strings attached. 

What works for you and your business may not work for others. However, there are industry standards that work across the board. What can you learn from the above facts and use to improve your social media game today?

Related articles

• So You Want To Be a Social Media Manager
• The Next Wave of Social Media : Substance
• You Have the Followers Now What?
• The Pros and Cons of DIY Social Media
• Guide to Small Business Online Success
• What Business Owners Can Learn for the Harlem Shake

The Difference Between a Budget and a Cashflow

GUEST BLOGGER Mandy Wilkinson is the Director of Smarter Bookkeeping Qld. Mandy is an expert in all areas of Bookkeeping and renowned for her excellent service and extensive knowledge of Xero, MYOB and Quickbooks.

The difference between a budget and a cash flow forecast can sometimes be confusing. 
They can seem to show similar information yet

both are very different and have different uses. Both are essential for the accurate financial management of your organisation.

A budget details what you plan to do with your finances for the relevant period of time. This is usually over 12 months, and focuses on profit. In addition:
• Accruals and other non-cash adjustments such as depreciation are often included
• A Budget also reflects the planned objectives of what the organization is trying to achieve and is linked to the strategic and business plans.
• A budget also provides a benchmark to then monitor performance. After each month you can compare what actually occurred against what was budgeted or planned to occur.
• Usually the full year budget is broken down into months

A budget is NOT used to monitor the amount of cash in the bank accounts.
That is where the cash flow forecast comes in.

A cash flow forecast details when the actual receipts and payments are likely to occur.
• A cash flow forecast reflects when the actual income and expenditure is transacted into/from the actual bank account
• It is not based on accrual accounting and adjustments, such as, depreciation are excluded
• The full year cash flow forecast is mostly broken down into a month by month basis. But in some instances it can be further broken down into fortnightly or even week by week depending on the circumstances

The main difference between a budget and a cash flow forecast is based on:
1. The type of the transaction and;
2. The timing when receipts and payments will occur

As a simple example: a budget will record the income when you have sent out the invoice whereas your cash flow will record it when you actually receive the amount into your bank account.

One point worth mentioning is not to assume that debtors will pay the following month. Often it may be later which is why it is important to know your Average Debtor Days which may show that payment occurs typically 64 days after sending out the invoice.

This also highlights the value of knowing some important Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) such as:
• Debtor Days
• Creditor Days
• Inventory turnover days
• Working capital ratio
Understand the difference between a budget and a cash flow forecast and you will be well on the way to managing your finances.

Related articles

• 10 Small Business Tax Facts You Must Know in 2013
• The Secret to More Clients, Better Profits and Less Stress
• How to Plan for Your Profit Before You Quote
• What Business Owners Can Learn for the Harlem Shake
• Concise Small Business Guide to Online Success

Small Business Psychic Predictions for 2013

Something very few people know about me is that I am a little bit psychic. My family and friends may read

this and think I meant to write psychotic, but no, I do mean psychic. 

Many of my family members were christened in the spiritualist church, my grandfather possessed an amazing ability to read people and reveal their deepest darkest secrets to a room full of unsuspecting individuals (not so great when I was 16!). My great grandmother was a well known psychic but had such a dark manner and reveled in revealing nasty events (hence the reason she was never very well liked but still lived to the ripe old age of 99!).

Although I have never seen any spirits I seem to be able to read people very well and make uncanny predictions for small business owners whom I provide Intuitive Business Consulting Services to. Believe it or not, I am a bit of a sceptic myself, but I simply accept this as something I can do. I thought I would share some of my predictions in this article and also the 2013 business predictions of well known psychics from around the globe. Enjoy.

2013 THE YEAR OF CONNECTION

My prediction is that this year will be the year of connection. Sceptics may read this and say 'duh', however what I mean, is that the age of superficiality via social networks is coming to an end. People will crave the humanity of business and require more of an honest connection. Numbers of fans and followers will cease to matter when choosing a new business service, it will be quality over quantity. I also predict that video will overtake any form of marketing, and the better the quality of video and content, the more your business will stand out. No longer will those that succeed be the ones bragging and taking every opportunity for self promotion. Those proving they have the skills and knowledge will dominate. Introverts rejoice! It will also be the year that many business owners start craving a local community connection, so start networking in your local area and create better relationships with those that surround you. There is a resurgence of local business. June will see a huge movement in materialism. Business owners (not all but many) will start valuing support, connections and sincerity above money. Work that fills the soul will take priority over work that fills the wallet. 2013 is also the year that businesses skating on thin ice for years will be caught out and penalised legally for taking liberties.

Tracey Munn, Small Business Gurus Australia

2013 THE YEAR OF THE NICHE BUSINESS

A lot better for small business owners, especially those targeting niche markets. More business owners will carve out niche business area. 

The business coaching / life coaching businesses will no longer boom. The great coaches will survive, the mediocre will come to the forefront and close. When choosing a coach, choose someone who is an expert in their niche field.

2013 is the year for fresh and new, people need inspiration, the new will inspire the old will tire.

Miki Jacobs, Canada's No.1 Psychic

2013 THE YEAR OF REBIRTH

A tech company will announce in 2013 (or at the latest by summer 2014), a flexible tablet that rolls up or folds up.  While most mobile phone manufacturers are launching larger displays, Apple announces and releases a “mini iPhone” geared toward children and also under-served populations around the world.  Also, with speculation on this for several years, 2013 is the year Apple finally launches a “smart TV.” And the big news is in spite of negative reviews and a shaky launch, WINDOWS 8 sees excellent signs of catching on.

Overall for the world, we are in a two to three year cycle of rebirth, not just economically, but a repairing of the world, so to speak, in many areas of concern for individuals and societies.  Revelations will occur and renovations will begin.

Sidney Friedman, Mentalist to the Starts USA



2013 THE YEAR OF SUSTAINABILITY

2013 is going to be a challenging and exciting time to live if you embrace the changes and don't fight them. As a human population we are going to have to make major decisions about our lifestyles, our politics and even our economy. It really is going to be a confrontational year for corporations and governments who believe if the wheel doesn’t seem to have broken, you don't need to fix it. Unfortunately, what I'm being shown in my 2013 psychic predictions is the wheel hasn't just broken, it is hanging together by a thin thread

Green businesses will begin to expand and there will be new technologies developed to try to manage the ozone deterioration. Serious funding will be directed by private interests to curb the deterioration of our Eco-system. I see a more philanthropic attitude by the world’s wealthy. They are funding worthwhile projects without seeking any public recognition for the work they are doing. The governments of the world are not revealing they have a lot of extra money to spare in 2013 but I am shown a more cooperative approach between nations when it comes to managing the climate.

Vine, Natural Born Medium Melbourne Australia

How to Plan for Your Profit Before You Quote

When we start out in small business, many of us commence as sole trader consulting businesses. Often  a business will come about because we have decided we can do it better than our employers.
Quite often we look at the profits our employers are making and decide we would be far better off working for ourselves. Every business owner starts out with the best intentions, yet 75% of sole traders return to full time employment within 12 months of starting their own business.

One of the greatest downfalls in small business is not factoring in every expense before quoting a job. It is simple enough to calculate the expense of products required to complete a project, however it is the indirect expenses that often get lost in the budget, especially the expense of your very own time.

STEP ONE -Do Not Say Yes Without All the Details
One of THE biggest errors business owners make (particularly start ups eager to accept new projects), is saying yes and quoting a price before they have gathered all of the job details from the client.
Once you have given that magic number it can be very difficult trying to explain to the customer that they owe you extra as you failed to quote correctly.
SOLUTION: The best process is to thank the customer for the enquiry, tell them you would love to assist them and the first step (to enable you to provide the best possible service) is to speak with them and obtain clear details about the job.

STEP TWO - Have a Customer Questionnaire Ready
Something we do in my business is have client questionnaires ready for every type of project. Whether it be a new website, small business financial plan, marketing project or small business analysis, we have a very precise set of questions a customer must answer. This method not only shows the customer we are interested in getting it right, the answers provide us with the best foundation possible to provide the right quote.
SOLUTION: Make sure you have a set of questions you email or ask that cover every area you will be working on. Survey Monkey can be a great way to do this online.

STEP THREE - Don't be Scared to Say No
I can absolutely guarantee you, we all have clients we should have turned down. Should a customer ask you for a service you do not provide, or something you know is best completed elsewhere, be honest and turn the job down. Accepting jobs you know you cannot complete to the best of your ability will damage your business and cause you stress.
SOLUTION: This is where building a network is invaluable. Linkedin is the perfect place to find business contacts who are more than happy to offer their skills to compliment your services beautifully.

STEP FOUR - Factor in All of Your Expenses
A common mistake by business owners is overlooking indirect expenses; then wondering why a job makes a profit yet they have no money in the bank. In fact, the job has not made a profit as all expenses were not considered. You must factor in your time (what is your hourly rate?), overheads such as utilities, phone and internet connection(even if you work from home), travelling time, computer consumables and more.
SOLUTION: The best way to manage this is to cost your job (include materials and staff/contractors) then add 20% on top. This will cover your profit and your overheads.

STEP FIVE - Do Not Discount Unless There is an Advantage For You
If a customer asks you for a discount, what is in it for you. Will they refer more customers? Are the loyal customers? Will this contract lead to more work? If there is no benefit for you other than making you a people pleaser then do not offer a discount. Every discount is a reduction in your profit.
SOLUTION: Offer fast payment discounts or discounts for referrals, not just to make someone, other than yourself, happy.

STEP SIX - Are You Really Making a Profit?
Many business owners employ bookkeepers for taxation reasons. More often than not, as an accountant, I saw clients who had absolutely no idea whether they were making a profit, what those figures were, and which services were more profitable than others. This is a huge mistake and if this sounds like you, or you are one of those business owners who claim to know exactly how they are doing (because it is all in your head), then sit down asap and really analyse your figures. Unless you know your bottom line, you are not running a successful business and risk losing the lot.
SOLUTION: Ask your Bookkeeper for an hour of their time to explain the figures to you. If they are unable to do this, get a new bookkeeper.


For your business to be the success you hope for, you must ensure you plan for your profit before you even consider accepting a new job; without doing so you may make a loss every time and sooner or later, there will be nothing left in the bank.

Linkedin Announces New Member Conversation Feature

Linkedin has just released a new and exciting development for members. Similar to Facebook mentions, the 'Mention Your Contacts' feature enhances your engagement with connections, improves your networking experiences, and increases your visibility.  

Quoting Christine Hueber, US No 1 Linkedin Female Expert:

"If you're a LinkedIn member, you are one of the most engaged professionals online.

After all, you are involved in conversations across LinkedIn day after day…especially if you're getting results.

That’s why LinkedIn has now made it even easier for you to start those conversations, share knowledge with other LinkedIn members and ultimately increase your visibility.

I'm excited to introduce a new way to engage with your network through the ability to mention your connections and companies in conversations on LinkedIn!

How does it work? 

It works similar to Facebook mentions. Here are the 3 easy steps to mention a contact or company on LinkedIn and increase your visibility:

* Begin by typing the name of a connection or a company in your status update box or a comment field on the Homepage.

* Select someone from the list of your connections that appear in the drop-down, complete your status or comment and post it. BONUS TIP: Choose to post your update to LinkedIn or Twitter and LinkedIn to further increase your visibility beyond just your connections.

* The person or company you mentioned will receive a notification alerting them that they have been mentioned.

In addition to first-degree connections, you can also mention other LinkedIn members engaged in conversations in the comment sections of posts on the LinkedIn Homepage. Mentions will make it easier for you to start conversations with your network while also enabling you to respond in real-time when someone begins a conversation with you…all of which increase your visibility and, when done effectively, increase your visibility! "

You can read the rest of Christine's article here .....read more

“Marketing mentor Christine Hueber teaches business owners and entrepreneurs around the world how to create and manage profitable marketing that easily gets them more clients. Get her FREE report 'Top 10 LinkedIn Profile Marketing Secrets for Entrepreneurs' at www.ChristineHueber.com”

The Secret to More Clients, Better Profits and Less Stress

An area keeping us busy at Small Business Gurus is business analysis. Along with our own business we offer analysis services to small business.
After 20 years developing, researching and analysing small business, along with qualifications in accounting and psychology, analytics is my passion. I enjoy nothing more (at work that is) than going into a business and defining why they may be under performing and which areas need rapid improvement. 

For unsuccessful or slow performing companies, three things will stick out like a sore thumb; the absence of Process, Planning and Communication. With every struggling business we analyse, they will have at least two of these components missing. There is a secret to business success. The application of these three key areas (Process, Planning and Communication) is the secret and they must be applied to clients, profits and stress levels in order to build a thriving business.

THE ROLE PROCESS PLAYS

More clients

What is your method for getting new clients? Have you created a process for when customers contact you? For example, our process for obtaining more clients is to always respond to an email lead personally and quickly. We do not come on sales heavy and we always follow up with a call asking if information has been received. We follow this process every time without fail.

Better Profits

There are only two ways to better your profits. 

1. Increase your prices
2. Reduce your costs

When you take on a new client or sell a new product/service, are you assessing how much it is costing you to provide that service? 
For example, you sell health products. It costs you $45 to buy the product, $3 per staff member to sell the product, $15 in time to add the product to your online store, $2 in operating costs per product. The cost to actually stock this product is $65 and you sell it for $68. You are only making $3 profit per product which is not even 10% profit. 
Develop a process to improve your profits. Start by calculating exactly how much it costs you to sell/stock your product.

Less Stress

Creating processes reduces stress levels significantly. The element of surprise and last minute tasks can be greatly reduced when processes are in place. If tasks are performed with consistency each time your workflow becomes fluid and easier to manage.

THE ROLE PLANNING PLAYS

More Clients

Do you plan to obtain more clients? What is your plan to ensure client retention? How do you plan to keep your clients away from your competition? Planning to get more clients is one of the best methods for actually building your client base.

Better Profits

Have you planned your budget and finances so you know how much you need to earn in revenue and pay out in expenses? What about a long term finance plan and forecast for your business. How much do you want to earn, what is your ideal profit margin. If you answered no to any of these questions you are planning to fail as you have no idea about your actual profit growth.

Less Stress

Do you have a business plan giving you clear direction? Have you planned your marketing strategy? Are you aware of next months expenses? What about planning for continuing education and keeping updated with changes in your industry? Without planning for your business success the daily grind, changes and stressors will eventually cause you severe burn out. Another vital reason for planning is to ensure your business has a risk strategy to stay afloat should any unforseen circumstances occur.

THE ROLE COMMUNICATION PLAYS

More Clients

Not only is it imperative you communicate with your team, employees or contractors, it is absolutely critical you communicate with your clients and customers. Even if you are half way through a project, a simple email update goes a long way to maintaining customer relationships. Email, call, update, follow up. Send newsletters to inform your clients of your business changes. Apart from creating good customer service, you are ensuring you stay present in your customers minds.

Better Profits

Communication plays an important role toward your bottom line. Especially as a business grows in size, it becomes easy for excess purchasing to take place and unnecessary expenses to be incurred without being picked up. Often no-one bothers to speak up and money leaks easily from company coffers. It is also common for retailers to receive product invoices with increased prices, yet no-one questions the rise.  One common area we see in small business is the failure to pass on costs to the customer. Often business owners will not charge more for fear of turning clients away. Constantly communicating with your team, your contractors and your clients in relation to costs can increase profits by as much as 20% annually.

Less Stress

Encourage open and honest communication among staff. Guessing peoples thoughts is incredibly stressful so try to ensure people feel at ease speaking their mind. Business is a stressful part of life, a large segment of my clients are business counselling clients who communicate with me their stresses and problems, whilst I guide them through the tough times. It is also highly recommended you communicate clearly with your clients. Communicate clear boundaries. Communicate deadlines. Make it your job to ensure your clients communicate their requirements with you. Information is the key, and without communication correct information becomes lost in translation.

The information above is a brief guide, yet one which can be followed to unlock the secret to developing a sustainable, successful business. Processes, Plans and channels for Communication will take time to establish within an organisation, however I guarantee, the effort will hurt a whole lot less than losing your business.