Small Office, Home Office Information

More and more small businesses are using email as a way of marketing their products and services to past customers and some future customers too. But there’s always a potential risk of being labelled as a spammer when you use email.

Many countries these days have strict anti-spam laws in place that clearly identify what constitutes spam and what penalties those who break the anti-spam laws will face. Because the anti-spam laws in each country are different I would encourage you to read those laws for yourself.

Here in Australia there are three key requirements set down by our anti-spam laws. Those three requirements are:

1. Consent - you must have the consent of the recipient and you must be able to prove that you have received that consent.

2. Your emails to past clients and potential clients must clearly identify you and your business as the authorised sender.

3. Your emails must contain a functioning unsubscribe link
(you can read more about the Australian anti-spam laws here)

Now if your laws are similar then there is an important factor for every small business in that first point. You must have the consent … and prove you have the consent of the recipient … before you can start sending them emails. That means that you just can’t go round harvesting email addresses wherever you might find them and adding them to your email list. There’s simply no consent in doing that.

I know that’s what a lot of small businesses do to build their email lists but if you want to stay on the right side of the law then the only way you can build your email list is with the consent of of the people you want to send those emails out to.

If you’re trying to build up an email list of potential customers then the only way to do it to stay within the law is via an opt-in option … nothing less will do.

I can’t believe that it’s almost two weeks since either Toni or I posted here. That time has just flown by and I guess you can tell that if two weeks have gone by in a flash then we’ve been busy and the coming week doesn’t look much better either. Things are a little quiet for quite a few businesses around this town but that certainly isn’t the case around here.

Even though we’ve been rather busy we have still managed to get out and about and interact with some of the local businesses and yesterday we came away from one of our regular haunts thinking that we’ll probably never go back. Over the last month or so one of their key staff members seems to have had some issues with their customers and the service has really dropped off.

It only takes one employee of a small business to have a major impact on the bottom line of that business. A consistent negative attitude by that one person can turn people off an otherwise great little business … so how are your employees treating your customers?

Perhaps even more importantly, how are you treating your customers?

What attitude are your customers seeing in you and your staff?

These days when we try something new in our small business we want it to work immediately. Most of us even want our business to be a success immediately and some will go to any lengths to make that happen.

But what if that’s a guarantee of failure? What if you you burn brightly next month but by next year no one can remember who you were or what your small business was all about? What if the true secret to success is to be in it for the long haul?

Seth Godin has something interesting to say that you should read if you really do want your business to succeed … you will find it here.

And today’s a big day for one of our team at Total Website Management - Tony Brodie, our programmer and pay-per-click expert is moving his family from the UK to America and they fly out of London today. We hope all goes well for you mate. 

Riches, property and fame or integrity, compassion and honesty - which is more important for you and your small business?

You don’t even have to answer that because, after a while, the actions of you and your business will tell your potential customers exactly what’s important for you.

Of course, it’s quite possible to have both options … but there are plenty of small business owners who don’t understand that concept.

by Stuart Livesey

I had an interesting conversation with a friend on Twitter yesterday about why it’s so hard for businesses to sell goods and services to those involved in small business and home office type businesses. And it is hard, many have tried and most have failed despite being very talented at what they do and despite offering a service that is real value for money.

I think my friend and I both came to the same conclusion. So many small businesses … and especially those who work from a home office … set up their business with very limited financial resources. Their budget is so small that they really can’t afford anything other than the very basics and what they can pick up for free.

The sad fact is that you have to spend money to make money. That’s not to say that you won’t succeed if you start out with very limited resources … it just means that your chances of achieving the success that you want are reduced. Shoestring budgets tend to break very easily and once your budget is broken you run a very real risk of seeing your small business fall apart.

If you start with limited financial resources it might only take one or two clients to miss paying you and your small business days could be over.

Another big project fell into our laps overnight so today is turning into a mad rush to clear the decks so we can focus on that work. And just to add to the fun we’ve got two deadlines due today that the team has been working on to have it on my desk by lunch time.

One of the crew who isn’t part of those deadlines is off to Splendour in the Grass at Byron Bay - a weekend of music and fun - and that just makes Toni and me feel rather envious. But it is so important for any small business owners to sometimes take time out for some rest and relaxation … while we won’t be getting away this weekend we will be heading down to our local Small Business monthly get together to have a few drinks and do some networking … so perhaps this weekend you too should be taking some time out.

Go on … you know you deserve it … even if it’s nothing more than taking a walk on the beach or down by the river. Just do something that will take you away from your small business and give you a chance to enjoy time with your family. It’s good for your health and the health of your business.