Stamping Is My Business!

SIMB PR CLIENTS IN THE NEWS - Linda Yamamoto in the Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator AND the DMA Media Feed!

     

Linda Yamamoto, SU Demonstrator and long-time Coaching & SIMB PR Client, received a TON of free publicity in her native Canada and (thanks to the Direct Marketing Association) the U.S., as well!

For those of you who don't know, SIMB PR is the press release distribution and follow-up service we offer to a limited number of Coaching Clients, on a market-exclusive basis.

Last week, the Hamilton Spectator wrote a great article about Linda that appeared in their newspaper and their online site.

A short time later, the Direct Marketing Association added the story to their media feed!  This feed is looked at by countless media outlets, as well as news service bureaus like the Associated Press and Reuters! 

This one article, in response to a press release we sent to the Spectator, has generated more exposure for Linda than most stamping business owners receive in a lifetime!

SIMB PR has clients all around the U.S. and Canada, and the majority of stamping business owners who have appeared on TV and in print this year have been SIMB PR clients!  In fact, you may see quite a few of them in the highlights reel at Convention!

We currently have TWO SIMB PR OPENINGS, and we'll fill them on a first-come first-served, market-exclusive basis.  If you're interested in learning more about this service, as well as any openings we may have, click here. 

To read Linda's article in The Spectator, click here.

To see examples of other SIMB PR Clients in the news, click here.

SIMB PR CLIENTS IN THE NEWS - Tara Travis on Fox 23 Maine!

Tara Travis, SU Demonstrator and long-time Coaching & SIMB PR Client, had a fantastic appearance this morning on Fox 23's Good Day Maine!

Not only did Tara get some amazing exposure for her business, but I think she actually snagged the host of the program as a new customer!

For those of you who don't know, SIMB PR is the press release distribution and follow-up service we offer to a limited number of Coaching Clients, on a market-exclusive basis.

We have clients all around the U.S. and Canada, and the majority of stamping business owners who have appeared on TV and in print this year have been SIMB PR clients!  In fact, you may see quite a few of them in the highlights reel at Convention!

If you're interested in learning more about this service, as well as any openings we may have, click here. 

To view Tara's TV appearance, click on the player below.

To see examples of other SIMB PR Clients in the news, click here.

 

Are You SERIOUS About Making Money Next Fiscal Year?

Time to get serious!

For stamping business owners in North America, we're coming up on the last month of the fiscal year. 

NOW is the time to figure out what you'd like to accomplish in the New Year, and NOW is the time to lay the groundwork for that!

By getting ramped up in June, you're ready to hit the ground running in July!  So...

• Is 2010-2011 going to be YOUR year?
• Is 2010-2011 the year YOU'RE going to walk across stage at Convention?
• Is 2010-2011 the year YOU earn the incentive trip? (Disney, baby!)
• Is 2010-2011 the year YOU finally get paid what you deserve to get paid?

If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes,' I would encourage you to step into one of our Coaching or Marketing programs.  We don't have a lot of openings, but there are a few.  We'll take new applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.  The deadline is Monday, May 31st.

We currently have JUST ONE 1-ON 1 AND TWO GROUP OPENINGS beginning in June:

GROUP COACHING

- Tuesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Eastern -         CLOSED
- Wednesday evenings at 10:00 p.m. Eastern -   1 space available
- Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Eastern -      1 space available
- Thursday evenings at 10:00 p.m. Eastern -   CLOSED

To learn more, or sign up for Group Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/GroupCoaching.htm

1-ON-1 COACHING:

At this time, we have ONE opening available for a WEEKLY OR BI-WEEKLY 1-on-1 Coaching client. If you'd like that slot, please e-mail me.

To learn more, or sign up for 1-on-1 Coaching, you can go to http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/OneOnOne.htm

SIMB PR

Over the last year, the majority of stamping business owners who have appeared on TV and in print across the U.S. and Canada have been SIMB PR clients!

In fact, in the past week, two of our clients have made TV appearances and one was
featured in a newspaper article (check my blog in the next few days for links to
those interviews)!

If you're looking for professional, consistent marketing in your local area without having to spend hundreds of dollars every month, you should check out SIMB PR.

We only have two openings and we only take one client in each media market.  That means, if we already have a client in your area, we cannot take you on.

To learn more, or to see if SIMB PR can take you on as a client, visit:

http://www.stampingismybusiness.com/simbpr.htm

THE BUSINESS STAMPERS COACHING GROUP

High-tech Coaching at a low-tech price.  If you want to plug into a community of business-minded stamping business owners, who are focused on creating and growing a long-term, sustainable, profitable business, but you don't feel up to the intensity of the other two options, I would invite you to take the 10-day $1 trial of the Business Stampers Coaching Group.

To learn more or sign up for the BSCG $1 Trial, you can go to http;//www.stampingismybusiness.com/BusinessStampers.htm

And, of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

VIDEO - Does Discounting Product Make You Money?

It seems like every stamping business owner is discounting product these days. But are any of them making money? Is it even a good idea to discount? This video helps answer that question:

If you enjoyed this video, and you haven't already subscribed to my YouTube Channel or my Mailing List, click the links to do so.

Quote of the Week - Thinking Big

"You might as well think big instead of thinking small.  It takes the same amount of energy."

 - Jerry Clark

12 Hours Left To Sign Up For The Social Networking Boot Camp!

Just a quick note to say you only have 12 hours left to sign up for the Social Networking Boot Camp.

Registration will close when the first call begins tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern time, and we will not be offering another Boot Camp on this topic until Fall, 2010 (at least).

Remember, even if you can't make the live calls, you can always listen to the recordings... but you still have to sign up BEFORE 10:00 p.m. tonight.

For more information, or to sign up, click here.

Quote of the Week - Knowledge In The 21st Century

"Knowledge in the 21st century is becoming obselete at a faster rate than ever before."

 - Brian Tracy

VIDEO - Facebook Privacy Settings Change AGAIN! Here's How To Keep Your Info Safe...

With the new 'Like' button, Facebook has once again changed and added to various privacy options. Unfortunately, many of these options default to no privacy at all!

This video is a step-by-step walk-through on how to keep your personal information on Facebook truly private:

If you found this video helpful, and you'd like more step-by-step video tutorials to help you establish a profitable presence for your business on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites, please register for the Social Networking Boot Camp, beginning this Tuesday.

5 Warning Signs of A Weak Social Media Strategy

First, do you need a social media strategy?  In a nutshell... yes.  With hundreds of millions of our customers and potential customers on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, ignoring social media is detrimental to the growth of your business.

However, just being on Facebook doesn't get the job done.  You have to make sure you have a strong, working social media strategy.  Otherwise, you can actually hurt, rather than help, your business.

So, how do you tell if your social media strategy is weak?  The good people at Social Media Today have put together the following list of warning signs:

1) Lack of Focus on a Few Social Networks

Pick the social networks you're going to establish a presence on and focus on them.

2) No Responsibility for Executing Social Media Activities

Consistency is key when it comes to updating your social networking sites.  Make sure you know who's responsible for that task.  It's probably you, but it could be your virtual assistant (if you have one).  Then, make sure the updates are being executed.

3) Daily Tasks are Not Aligned with Social Media Strategy

Make sure the tasks you're undertaking on your social networking sites are in line with the goals you'd like to accomplish through these sites.  For example, if you're trying to grow your customer base thru Twitter, make sure you're doing things every day to seek out those customers.

4) Metrics Are Not Being Measured

Pay attention to the results you're achieving on each site.  Figure out what works and what doesn't.  Then, focus more time on the strategies that work, while reducing or eliminating the strategies that do not.

5) There is No Social Media Strategy in the First Place!!

Establishing your presence on the social networking sites is just step one.  You will not gain the exposure or achieve the business-building benefits you're looking for until and unless you have a strong, executable social media strategy.

If this is an area you would like to expand into, and you're looking for some help, please consider signing up for the upcoming Social Networking Boot Camp, beginning Tuesday, May 18th.

You only have a few days left to register.

For more information, and/or to sign up, click here.

Quote of the Week - Discipline

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment"

 - Jim Rohn

Social Networking Boot Camp - Last Day for Early Birds!

Just a quick e-mail to remind you today is the last day to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration Discount for the upcoming Social Networking Boot Camp.

After the Early Bird expires on Friday, you'll still be able to register.  You just won't save the $10 off the registration fee.

Whether you're just starting out in social networking (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), or you have an established presence and want to keep up with the changes to maximize the business potential, this is a Boot Camp you should consider!

We'll cover how to establish and take full advantage of the profit potential of the major sites mentioned above.  We'll also look all of the changes these sites have undergone in the last six months and how to work them to your benefit.

Then, we'll look at four up-and-coming sites that should be major players in helping you grow your customer base... especially your LOCAL customer base!

Squidoo, Foursquare, Groupon and Google Local.

Register before the end of the day Friday to take advantage of the Early Bird price.

For more information, or to sign up, click the logo above or CLICK HERE.

Hope to see you on the calls!

The Power of Three

I was reading an interview with the late, great Jim Rohn the other day, and he was making the point that little steps lead to great things.

In fact, he points out, if you do three of anything per day, at the end of a year, you've done it 1,000 times!

For example, if you wanted to study a language, and you learned three words per day, in one year, you'd have a one thousand-word vocabulary!

So, how can you take this lesson and apply it to your business?

How about...

Make three phone calls to your customers per day. 

Think about it... that's 1,000 customer calls per year!

If you made 1,000 customer calls over the next twelve months, do you think that would have a positive... even, transformational impact on your business?

Of course it would!

So, what are you waiting for?  :-)

Can you think of any other aspect of your business you can apply this theory to?  If you can, leave a comment below.

Two Amazing Social Networking Infographics!

As I continue to prepare for the upcoming Social Networking Boot Camp (Early Bird Discount ends Friday), I was doing a little research on the latest numbers, facts and figures. 

They're so amazing, though, I decided to share them with you now, rather than wait for the Boot Camp.

Hopefully, these infographics will help you see just how important an effective social media strategy can be to your stamping business.

This first graphic, put together by Muhammed Saleem and posted on Mashable, details the amazing reach of Facebook (click on the thumbnail at right for the full-sized image).

The second graphic, from Pingdom, gives an excellent breakdown of the various social networking sites by age.  What I hope you notice is that the majority of social networking users are probably in your target market! (click the thumbnail below for the full-sized image)

 

Pretty incredible, eh?

If you're not sure how to get started in social media, or if you have gotten started, but you a) are not happy with your results so far, and/or b) would like to make sure you're doing everything correctly, I would encourage you to sign up for the upcoming Social Networking Boot Camp.

The Early Bird Registration period ends on Friday, so if you'd like to learn more or register, click here.

Five Reasons Readers Like Numbers In A Headline

Brandon Cox, of Social Media Today, wrote a great article citing the reasons why putting numbers in your headline (Five Reasons Readers Like Numbers) will get you 10-20% more traffic than headlines without numbers (Why Readers Like Numbers).

The five reasons are:

1. The promise of something specific - the reader knows exactly what they're getting when they click on the story
2. Structure makes for easier reading - when a story has a built-in structure, the writer is more likely to put together a succinct, to-the-point piece
3. Organization makes skimming easier - most readers don't actually read.  They skim.  That makes a 'number' article more appealing
4. The articles are more likely to stay on point - many writers drift.  Again, the structure usually prevents that
5. The brain loves numbers - studies show over and over the brain is attracted to numbers

To read the full article, click here.

Happy 3rd Birthday, John!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish my son, John, a Happy 3rd Birthday!

There's nothing more important than family,  and Liz and I are truly blessed to have John in our lives.

Many of you have watched John grow up, and I'm sure some of you are saying exactly what Liz and I said to each other this morning...

"I can't believe he's already three!"

Time flies, my friends.  So cherish every moment... and have a fantastic day!