The Solopreneur's Guide

Where’s my dedication? It used to be that I posted a new piece without fail every two or three days. However, as of late, you may have noticed that I’ve slipped a little. It isn’t because I don’t care or that I’ve run out of things to say after more than 130 original posts. It’s just … well, I’ve been busy with some new business that will provide some excellent value for you.


In addition to growing my ghostwriting business and reviewing business plans for some soon-to-be solopreneurs, I’ve been in process of co-launching a new Internet Marketing training site (I’ll give you the scoop next week).


The big news this week has to do with La ComunidadOnline.com.


If you recall in a previous post from last October, I made mention of a new joint venture with the friendly and able partners, Eddie Galdamez and Maria Smith-Alvira, of LaComunidadOnline.com. Back then, we kicked off a PR program of articles, interviews and press releases to compliment the banner ads they were offering.


Just this last lunes (that’s Monday for los rubios), we launched additional bilingual services, including:

1. translation of current marketing and sale materials
2. web sites creation and hosting
3. social media campaigns
4. ghostwriting services
5. bundle packages

 
If you offer a consumer based product or service and don’t dialogue with the US Hispanic market, you should seriously reconsider.


And, no, I’m not just a believer because I chose to offer services in this space. Let me give you some facts and figures to help you figure it out for yourself.

• The US Hispanic market is the fastest growing demographic in the US
• This community representing over 15% of the US population (approximately 50M people)
• They have a big bank account – approximately $1,000,000,000,000 in buying power
• They are the fastest growing demographic on the Internet and with social medial
• Many English speaking businesses only market in English while this bilingual community prefers that you convey your message in Spanish

 
To me, this adds up to a large, underserviced market – and I believe in claiming a stake before the gold is gone.


Why did I choose to connect with LaComunidadOnline?


First, Eddie and Maria are great people. They truly care about people (customers and consumers) and have a passion for connecting the US Hispanic community with US based businesses, medical and social services, and charitable organizations.


Second, being Latino entrepreneurs, Eddie and Maria understand the nuances of bridging the bilingual gap between English only enterprises and the bilingual US Hispanic base.


Third, US Hispanic consumers have voted with their visits making LaComunidadOnline one of the most frequented online bilingual sites. On average, they receive 800,000 hits a month from 80,000 unique visitors. Just last month, they received over 1,000,000 hits.


I’m excited and honored to be a part of this growing community and working with such talented, caring partners.


To get a better understanding of these new services, you can email me at thesologuide@gmail.com, leave a comment below or check out the LaComunidadOnline site by clicking on this program link.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

Business is a competitive sport. It requires talent, passion, dedication, planning, perseverance … and practice. Yes, you can get plenty of practice working on the job, however, most workloads have some leeway for scheduling time to hone your skills.


How many hours of layups and free throws did Michael Jordan commit to before arriving at an arena full of screaming fans? How many shots on goal did Gretzky take before skating out to the national anthem? Would Drew Brees have been able to win the Super Bowl without experimenting various plays at practice first?


Why should your work be any different? Paying customers demand and deserve your best abilities.


So how does a solopreneur practice? Here are three examples for you to apply to your own scenario:


I try tying in my practice to some beneficial form of marketing. As a copywriter, I commit to writing 3000 words a day. If I only have customers paying for half those words, I still hit the keys to come up with the remaining 1,500 focused on information for the consulting portion of my business or, say, email templates for marketing to prospects.


What if your business is online beauty supplies? Are there classes you can take to learn more about your craft? Can you set up a scenario where you can apply some of your products doing makeovers on the local ladies in return for their feedback – and hopefully testimonials?


Let’s say you make your living as a personal chef. When was the last time you cooked up a new combination of flavors? Family and friends are forgiving, but your customers may not want to pay to be a guinea pig.


Business requires action, but it doesn’t require the same action. The same action produces the same results. Unless you are truly maximizing your potential or you are satisfied with the status quo, take the time to test out new tactics and exercise your stamina.


Practice gives you the freedom to learn something new (and if you fail, you won’t lose a client). It enhances the level of you service. It improves your work efficiency.


If you can provide a higher level of service or offer a service your completion doesn’t, would you charge more money?


If you can get the same tasks done in two-thirds the amount of time, would you book more business?


Don’t keep your business down by assuming practice is a time drain. Put in the time every week to raise the level of your game – and your profit margins.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

The #1 form of marketing remains word of mouth (WOM). With the ever-changing range of vehicles available for delivering your message to your target masses, from ads to social networking, what other people say about you is far more important and effective than what you say about yourself. With today’s post, we’ll chat about the two different types of “mouths” and how to get them vocal about your products and services.


The Big Mouth

The big mouths are universally recognized people of importance. Big mouths are household names (think Oprah and Donald Trump) or people of great influence within a specific market (such as Seth Godin or Frank Kern). These mega-mouths can instantly alter the recognition and success of products and services with a few positively placed words.


But how do you get these people of prominence speaking favorably about you and your business?


First, you need to have a product or service that provides a unique, beneficial value. Big mouths are equally rich in influence as they are in income. They can focus the attention of their following because their audience trusts them. This leverage wouldn’t last if they pitched products as freely as your friend trying to make money through 10 different MLM programs.


Second, find a big mouth that has a passion for what you offer. Pitching your latest in hair care products to Seth Godin won’t likely produce much in the way of an endorsement (you would probably have a better chance with The Donald). If the mop top-free Godin hocked hair care products, who would care? However, what would happen if Tabatha Coffey touted the same products?


Third, determine how you can reciprocate. While some famous yaps may require compensation, this isn’t always the case. Start with samples. Where you write an ebook or have an innovative health care product, you will need to get samples into the celebs hands to review. Some may ask for a percentage of the sales they generate with their audience, while others may be willing to help you out because your personal story interests them. When possible, find a way you can give back to their goals – through charity assistance or affiliate programs.


Fourth, you need to get their attention. You can reach some influencers by contacting them direct. Others may find you because you leave frequent, relevant comments on their blogs and refer often to them on your own site. Still others may require you network through the friend of a friend or contact “their people”. You can find the appropriate people either online through sites like LinkedIn for networking or through sites like Build-A-Buzz for management contacts. The PR person behind Build-A-Buzz often provides high profile handlers in her daily emails.


The Wide Mouth

While the Big Mouth is a one-to-many relationship, the wide mouth is a many-to-many make up. Those in the Wide Mouth gene pool are often satisfied customers, but can include sample testers and paid reviewers, too.


How do you get this chorus to sing your praises?


First, ask for testimonials from your current customer base. The best time to ask is soon after they experience the benefits from your business. You should be following up with them anyway to make sure they are satisfied. While you’re at it, inquire whether they would be willing to give you a write-up. A satisfied client is likely to give you a glowing endorsement during the emotional phase of their experience in the beginning. Over time, they become less connected if you don’t keep in continual contact and may lessons some of the impactful language in their recommendation.


Second, just as with the Big Mouth, give the gift of samples. Instead of giving samples to Jessica Simpson, you may gift your products and services to 20 top bloggers who communicate regularly with your target audience or you can buy into a secret shopper program. Pending all goes well, you will receive various write-ups helping your online SEO rankings and offline marketing materials.


Third, you can pay to play. While some may consider this form of flattery less than impartial, it can still carry an impact. You can sign up with online services like SponsoredReviews.com. Through this service structure, you can pay bloggers to do reviews of your offerings.


So instead of simply taking a passive role in hopes that satisfied customers will become engaged evangelists spreading the good word, get active in pursuing these word of mouth marketing opportunities.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide