Do you write? Words? Music?

Do you draw? Paint? Photograph?

Do you perform? Act? Sing? Dance? Record?

Are you protected?

If you’ve gone through the supermarket or drug store lately, you’ve probably come across a display ad for Calgon soaps. Most of these ads feature attractive young women with dreamy expressions on their faces and the catchphrase: “Calgon! Take me away!”

And if you’re like many of us, the ad probably inspires thoughts of a well-deserved vacation. The cold weather many of us are facing, the deadlines and the pile of work we have waiting for us back at the office, don’t help turn our thoughts away either.

So what type of vacation will it be this year?

April 15th.  It’s a day that’s become seared into the memory of millions of taxpayers each year as they eagerly gather their forms for that nice big refund or perhaps wait until the last minute to make their reluctant contribution to Uncle Sam’s coffers. But depending on how you’ve organized your business, there may be an even more important date on your calendar: the corporate tax deadline on March 15th.

For some types of businesses like sole proprietorships and some single member LLCs, the middle of March is nothing more than another day on the business calendar. However, if you’ve set up your business as a partnership or an S-corporation, you may want take the advice Julius Caesar so flippantly ignored and beware the Ides of March.

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day because it helps you start your day out right, giving you the nutrition and energy you need to get things rolling. Just like breakfast, hitting your Q1 goals will help you get things rolling for your business. Your Q1 success is the foundation to base the other three quarters of the year on, and while finishing strong is also important, getting off to a fast start is even better.

So how are you doing with those early goals?

It doesn’t matter if you are B2B or B2C, you are generating content even if it’s ad hoc emails you send to your list. Ideally, you are generating content to provide tons of value to your clients/customers and prospects. Need an expert in your corner?

I’ve been following the Content Marketing Institute emails and blog for a long time. The content they deliver is high value, high integrity, highly focused, and worth every minute you spend reading it.

 Christmas and New Year’s Day have come and gone, and with them, the color, the celebration and the good feelings seem like they’ve gone as well. Now there is an endless stream of gloomy winter days in front of you.

If the winter doldrums are getting to you, maybe it’s time to consider closing up shop and getting away to the country’s biggest party this side of New Year’s Eve— that’s right, we mean Mardi Gras. Sounds great, right?

If only.

“There’s a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal one.”

    —Shep Hyken

When a customer walks out the door, we hope they’re satisfied that they received good value for their purchase price and that they’ll be coming back. It’s the basic goal of any business.

However, if your business is going to thrive, you need more than that. You want them walking out the door so delighted with your company that they’ll tell their family and friends about you and praise you to the skies in online reviews. It’s the kind of hidden advertising money can’t buy. 

Featured Resource this week - Call Monitoring with Infusionsoft

Call Monitoring Integrated With Infusionsoft!

Novice marketers focus on getting the lead, but experienced marketers know that the job is only done when dollars exchange hands. You can cut the cost of generating a sale by 50% or more when you monitor and track how well incoming calls are being handled.

Check out others who we recommend - solid vendors and products that could benefit your business today.

Featured Resource this week - Time Fusion

Automate Your Appointments

Are you using TimeTrade or Full Slate to give your clients online access for setting appointments with you? If not, you should be!

TimeFusion integrates Infusionsoft with TimeTrade and Full Slate to automate your appointment scheduling!

Check out others who we recommend - solid vendors and products that could benefit your business today.

Lead magnets are as old as time. They are at least as old as selling and advertising. We definitely didn't invent them in our era, even though they are a frequent topic in discussions of Marketing 101 to marketing trends.

First let’s be clear what a lead magnet is, and isn’t.

SBSM is an abbreviation for the Small Business Success Method. It was introduced by Clate Mask at Infusionsoft’s ICON16. It is a complete formula for success for your business, provided that you can follow it accurately, and that is the trick.

Here I just want to outline what it is and perhaps in a future article I’ll identify why you need discipline and determination to follow the method….trust me I know! I might even tell you how I know.

Featured Resource this week - Digital Product Delivery

Digital Publishing for eBooks and Downloads

DPD is an easy to use digital publishing platform for selling and delivering downloadable content. Upload your products to DPD and start selling in minutes. With DPD, all sales are paid directly to you with no per-sale fees, bandwidth charges, or commissions.

Check out others who we recommend - solid vendors and products that could benefit your business today.

Featured Resource this week - XtendIn

We LOVE this! XtendIn is a Google Chrome Web Browser Extension that extends ActiveCampaign / Infusionsoft / Xero Web Application Interfaces with a variety of features. (Get a 90-Day Free Trial, then inexpensive subscription - worth every penny!)

Check out others who we recommend - solid vendors and products that could benefit your business today.

Featured Resource this week - Grammarly

Grammarly is the world’s most accurate grammar checker. 

Grammarly makes you a better writer by finding and correcting up to 10× more mistakes than your word processor.

Check out others who we recommend - solid vendors and products that could benefit your business today.

Want an idea to swipe for your February marketing? Check out the article in this issue entitled, “Skip the Chocolate?” for a couple of killer ideas on using Valentine’s Day in your marketing.

For more info on the two companies highlighted, check out Tommy John and Smiling Dog Pet Services blog. You can’t borrow their stuff word-for-word (aka plagiarize, aka copyright infringement) but you can use the general concept and translate it for your unrelated business.