Virtual lessons from across the pond
The USA has as many domestic flights as the rest of the world put together. Project meeting with customer? Flight. Project management training course? Flight. Travel budget and carbon footprint? High. So it’s no wonder the Americans have been at the forefront of finding project management training alternatives. But what can we learn – good and bad – from their experience when considering training in the UK?
Project Training Options
The backdrop is good traditional project training such as PRINCE2 is pretty effective: studies show that lecture-based instruction gives an information retention rate of between 5-10%, while interactive and discussion-based activities, such as the average PRINCE2 course, improve it to 40-50%. Hence the holy grail for Virtual is to keep that, then add the learn-anywhere benefits of eLearning, for the best of both worlds.
Virtual = Efficiency
Since the advent of virtual the big benefit for American companies has been the travel saving – both time and money. In a much smaller country we are never far from PRINCE2 courses, so the travel saving can be much less. But if you are posted on customer sites, including overseas, the benefit of doing PRINCE2 training from anywhere is very real.
The time benefit has also been taken up in a different way that is very relevant to us. With virtual training ‘modules’ typically taking only 3-4 hours it is much easier to schedule PRINCE2 training alongside business-as-usual – no need to draft in someone to cover a week’s absence.
Prevalence of Virtual Learning
So as Virtual learning matures in the US when is it most often used? As an alternative to PRINCE2 and other popular and specialist classroom project management courses it is proving to be a serious alternative. Virtual is also increasingly being used for short learning ‘nuggets’ – short sessions that couldn’t be justified as a classroom training session. As an example, imagine you are a PRINCE2 Practitioner facing a major project change of scope and you want to refresh yourself on best practice first: attending a two hour virtual training session that allows expert tutor led discussion of applying PRINCE2 theory to real-world situations is so much better than just reading the manual.
Conclusion
Amidst the hype some perspective is needed. The majority of PRINCE2 courses are done face-to-face, something that is unlikely to change much in the future. Where Virtual is finding its place is to compliment classroom training. Out-of-hours courses, bite sized learning subscriptions and specialist courses that only run in one location all have a clear case for being better done virtually.
About the Author: This is a guest post from Jamie Simpson on behalf of QA, who are experts in Prince2 training in project management
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A “Stand-Out” Google Feature and Why F8 Was a Mistake
Google released the +1 in response to Facebook’s Like button, then Google+ in an overall response to Facebook and all other social media platforms. Huge numbers of people were fed up with Facebook anyway so they all migrated, found it unfamiliar and went straight back to Facebook’s comfortable, cozy familiarity. Read more
10 Online Security Tips for Small Business
Many of us think because we have the latest version of anti-virus and anti-malware software running on our computer, our business is safe. This is definitely not the case.
There are many other situations you could be compromising your information and that of your customers. Your website, the basis of your online marketing and income, could come under attack.
It is prudent to look at all areas of your activities and have all of them covered. This article outlines all those areas to keep you secure.
10 Online Security Tips for Small Business
- Anti-virus. Yes, this is an absolute must. Your other option is to get an Apple Mac. Having said that, as Apple computers become more popular, there are more chances that problems will develop in the future. Your anti-virus software must contain anti-malware components.
- Firewall. Your operating system should already have this as a part of your network connection. This should always be turned on. There are addition software packages that are small and light, that can do a lot more. Software that allows to monitor incoming connections with more detail is a great idea as an addition to your firewall.
- Chat Client. While many people care about their internet communication, they often forget how insecure the standard chatting clients are. Products like Yahoo’s messenger and MSN messenger are broadcasting your chats for the world to see. Look for a chat client like Adium, that allows you to encrypt your messages. Skype is also pretty good for this.
- Hard Disk. Storing your information is very important. If your laptop gets stolen or lost, you could be in real trouble. Again Apple comes up trumps here. File Vault will encrypt your whole hard drive. Make sure you have something like this with whatever system you are using.
- Back Up. There are those who have lost data, and those who will. Make sure you are backing up at least 1 time a day. There are very good systems available. Again, Apple’s Time Machine, is an excellent example. It is not just a copy of your files, it is a complete snapshot of your system. Get this type of backup for what ever system you have.
- Online Storage and File Transfer. Online backup and storage is one of the best ways to protect your information. If you want to go the whole way, you can keep your laptop or computer just about empty — a great solution for business. Make sure the client you are using is secure. This goes without saying with any file transfer… no, those normal networks will not do the job.
- Payments. There are a number of systems that allow you to make and receive payments without sharing information of your customers. This is the best way for you. It might cost you a little bit in charges, but at least you will not have to worry about having anyone’s credit card details lying around. You are responsible for them too.
- Email. This is another area many of us forget about. Having the right software to encrypt your emails is extremely important. Encryption means that others will need a key to access the information, otherwise it will be useless.
- Website Firewall. Yes! Websites should have a Firewall too. Make sure your website design and setup incorporates this. This is your best defense against hackers harassing your site. This is extremely important if you are in the business of e-commerce.
- Online Physical Monitoring. Yes, set up cameras and watch them live online, where ever you are. You never can be too careful.
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When Small Businesses Need to Collect on Outstanding Debts
When the economy is in the current shape it is, it behooves small businesses to make sure they’re collecting on any outstanding customer debts. That being said, what are the best ways to go about doing that? Read more
How to Protect Your Small Business ASSets
When it comes to safeguarding your small business, there are a number of assets you need to consider. First, there is the solvency of the business itself (not to mention your personal finances). Read more
Cheaper Doesn’t Mean Better
Unlike their Japanese counterparts, the American automotive industry is well-known for cutting corners.When they’re building a car, American companies look at the sticker price and go with the cheapest part possible. Never mind that nobody wants a car that ignites when it’s rear-ended; it costs less than a safe one!
When Cheap is Just Cheap
Gluttonous executive compensation and high manufacturing costs aside, American automakers are failing because they’ve made inferior products for too long and nobody wants to buy them anymore. They could make a little bit less per car that they sell but end up selling more because their cars wouldn’t have plastic hulls, flimsy vinyl dashboards, or spontaneously-combustible gas tanks.
Many businesses throughout America think this way and are successful anyway.They don’t change till it’s too late it because they’re still profitable and because it doesn’t usually do immediate damage to their bottom line. It can even boost profitability for a little while since customers can take a while to notice.
CRM Can Help
Trimming the fat without cutting into the bone is just as important when a business is buying a business-to-business product. Buying a customer relations management system without good deal management capabilities is a lot like buying a Pinto with a shoddy gas tank: It’ll get you from point A to point B for a while but you’re going to wish you got the Toyota when you get rear-ended.
Potential deals have many steps, such as initial contact, negotiation, and closing. This is where most CRM deal management stops, but a good deal management system goes beyond this. Users need to instantly know what was said at the last meeting, what the client’s expectations are, and what their company’s goals are.
Furthermore, a good deal management system seamlessly incorporates task management so that different employees can be assigned different sub-tasks to help complete the deal.CRM systems should be elegant enough so that they can manage deals effectively but simple enough to not require any training. If it isn’t intuitive, it isn’t good CRM.
Losing a few big deals because somebody didn’t know what happened at the previous meeting or couldn’t figure out how to use your CRM system will cost your business a lot more money than you’ll “save” from buying a substandard CRM solution.
About the Author: Steve Sims is the Junior Sales and Marketing Manager for amoCRM, a hosted application developer and service provider known for its eponymous customer relations management solution. amoCRM is a proud sponsor of Small Biz Bee.
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Are you clear about your Business Idea?
Having worked with a startup since quite some time now, I have realized that one does not need to know rocket science to be an entrepreneur. You just have to plan and plan well. Right from the ideation stage to the execution to the allocation of your resources, all your activities should be planned well. Your idea need not be revolutionary in order for you to start; it just has to be in place!
Do You Lack Clarity?
One key reason why most startups fail is due to the lack of this clarity. ‘What do you want to achieve through this endeavor? What solution are you attempting to provide? Who are your target customers?’ – these are some crucial questions which need to be answered before you venture out.
These questions might seem redundant at the beginning but eventually you will realize that the answers to these questions hold the key to your success. As your venture grows, there would be different teams pulling and pushing this idea in different directions- your marketing team will have a different understanding of your product/service, your product team will have a different approach. At such a juncture your vision of the product/service is important to bring everybody on the same plane. Each team might be right in their own way and (without sounding too skeptical) might be thinking about the good of the organization, but there is only so much that can be achieved with the resourceson hand.
Don’t Be Led Astray
With new technologies coming up and new segments joining your target group, the lure to deviate from your core idea will be very strong. You will always find a better website, a better team and a better technology in the similar field of business and you would be tempted to incorporate their ideas into yours. This might be detrimental to your core idea. I am not suggesting do not take inspiration, I am just saying do not lose out on your key focus.
The clearer you are about your product/service, the easier it will be for you to steer your team in the right direction. Remember you cannot be everything to everybody but you can always be something to somebody!
About the Author: Shilpi Choudhury is a SEO, Social Media and Business Blogger based out of Bangalore, India. She is currently working for Vavia Technologies, Bangalore, specialists in developing Web and Mobile Applications.
Photo Credit: rachaelvoorhees
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Is Google+ Like a Post-Apocalyptic Facebook?
It was all the buzz in June and July this year but the disappointment of early adopters means that Google+ is like a post-apocalyptic Facebook, technologically advanced but with none but a few jaded survivors populating the streets.
I’ve been an early adopter on a few trends, I registered for Twitter early enough to get me own name but then didn’t even look at it again for about 2 years while it matured, the same with LinkedIn and I signed up for Facebook when you actually had to know the person you were friending up. Such a difference from MySpace. Do you even remember MySpace? But I digress. The problem is, with being an early registrant, that no-one really knows how a platform works so those who aren’t really engaged go back to their familiar utilities while the die-hard fans make it a useable place to be. Finally those who had lost interest realise that all their friends are talking about it again and they take another look and realize things have really improved.
At the time of writing Google+ are asking business not to get involved on the platform while users get to know how the environment works and iron out any wrinkles that still exist. But that doesn’t mean that if you have a business you shouldn’t be getting to know your way around, investigating the facilities and strategising your activities when Google+ for business finally goes live.
Does Your Business Need Google+ Like It Needed Facebook?
In the same way that it became a truism that you business needed Facebook if it was to have any chance to survive on the internet, being on as many platforms as possible is equally as important. And when you bear in mind that anything you produce which you release publically (rather than targeted to specific Circles) will be crawled by Google’s spiders plus a plethora of other benefits you should be able to see why allowing yourself to fall behind the curve is a poor option.
In the old days of three months ago Facebook was the industry killer when it came to social media. Zuckerberg could make up any rules he liked regarding our privacy and we’d just go along with it because we had no option. We’d put our business on Facebook so that we could look into our likers’ and friends’ API and use it as part of our client relationship management strategies, it was an industry expectation and if you didn’t have a Facebook page people would think there was something wrong. Zuckerberg seems to have changed his ideas about whether users actually need privacy and want the same comments to be visible to all your friends rather rapidly and purely coincidentally as soon as Google+ introduced Circles.
Set up a Google+ profile and follow everyone who’s in your sector, build relationships in the same way it was recommended you did in Facebook but with circles you’re able to keep competitors separate from suppliers, stakeholders from staff (if you think that’s appropriate). In much the same way Twitter users generally follow back so will Google+ users. Add them to your Circles and every time they Google something, if you’ve written about it, your articles will appear in their first page. That’s some good looking SEO for nothing but an on-topic blog or two.
Keep On Doing Everything You Always Did, Just Add Another Platform
In the same way that everyone was encouraged to Tweet about their blog and any new developments in their industry Google+ allows you to reach your followers in exactly the same way only you can provide a couple of paragraphs of précis and a small picture. The comments you and your friends and followers add stay associated with the original post or commenter and conversations can be ‘muted’ if you no longer want updates on that topic but you can still hear from the same people making comments on other threads.
As well as these relatively ordinary facilities you can also start hangouts with followers and their followers even if you’re not connected directly. These can take the form of either instant messages or video conference. At the moment you’re limited to ten participants at a time, but any more than that would be an impossibility to organise and control. If you want to visualise ideas that you are talking about there are whiteboards which everyone can contribute to and then save, these developments make virtual team management and integration more than just a realistic possibility, they actually make it fun! And given that Google+ integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Calendar and Documents even if you don’t use it for client relationships, internally it’s a free resource that is provided by other organisations at a premium.
Seeing Off Panda
But getting back to SEO and SEM, post Panda Farmer Google’s SERPS have been based on quality and, increasingly, social, be that bookmarking, Tweets, Facebook likes and Google +1s et cetera. Reposting your blogs on Google+ means that you can increase your outreach and get double the number of +1 (on your homepage and Google+ profile) so that as well as being searchable your social is optimised as well. Talking of +1, if you don’t already have the button, add it now. Forbes published an article saying that if you didn’t you could forget about being indexed on Google. They had to pull it again sharpish but the suspicion persists. Plus, they wouldn’t have introduced it if it wasn’t going to affect search, would they?
Some people wonder if Google+ is here to stay. Look at the fuss they had with other tools such as Buzz and Wave. They were technologies which solved nothing and in the case of examples such as Buzz were intrusive and unwelcome. Google+ offers so much more. With increased, more intelligent security and privacy it’s hard to make the comparison. And if those early adopters who couldn’t see the benefits and kept to Facebook are right to stay away, is that such a bad thing? There’s a place for them and if they like it, fine. Google+ may become the ‘Facebook for Business’ that LinkedIn seemed interested in becoming for a moment. The thing is that Google can afford to do it bigger, better and direct into SERPs.
About the Author: @DanCash is a features writer living on the south coast of England. He’s taking his laptop over to a friend’s later to show them the advantages of using Google+ in SEO so they can replicate the method on their barebones PC.
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How to Choose the Payroll Software That’s Best for your Business
There are many great benefits to having payroll software for your business. If you’ve decided to look into getting payroll software, you’ve made a great choice. Many business owners lament over the tedious hours spent on keeping their payrolls neat, orderly and tidy. With all of the tax deductions, insurance benefits, sick pay, maternity pay and wages, it takes a lot of work to keep a proper payroll. Payroll software can do everything a payroll requires automatically. All you have to do is supply it with the numbers to do the math. Choosing the right payroll software for your business is essential, and it can save you the most time and money if you do choose the right one.
Advantages vs Disadvantages
In order to begin the selection process, you have to weigh out the advantages and disadvantages of all of the programs you’re interested in. These programs usually about the same package of features: the ability to calculate wages, deduct taxes, directly deposit pay to employees’’ bank accounts and make a convenient spot for storing all of your statistics on all things related to pay. What they don’t share similarities in, however, is cost. When in doubt, always go with the least expensive option when deciding between two payroll software programs. Any company who tries to sell one higher than the others is trying to rip you off.
The Reality Is…
The reality is that any payroll software will be a viable option compared to your current way of handling payroll. The software will replace long, frustrating hours of piecing together tax files, raises, wages and checks. With any payroll software, you’ll have the option of sending funds directly to the bank accounts of the employees you have working for you. The best part of that is that it benefits all involved. Employees have a quick, easy way to get their pay, and establishing good banking habits will make their credit score improve. Employers gain security that no duplicate checks will be cashed and that paper will be saved in this process.
Based on your Preference
You should choose payroll software that you like. It should have the interactive features you’re looking for at the most competitive price. Choose software that allows you to be flexible in your needs and one that can be updated to meet them when they change. Your payroll software will become an invaluable asset to your business, and it will save you time and money over the course of its use. You’ll really learn to love just how much work the software can accomplish. All you have to do is supply it with the information, and it takes care of the rest. Payroll software programs are efficient and they are very easy to use.
Take the Headache out of Payroll
Payroll software comes in all different formats and prices. Regardless of which kind you choose, you’ll enjoy the numerous benefits of worry-free payroll maintenance immediately. You’ll get more money back in your pocket and you’ll have more time to figure out the best way to use it when you invest in payroll software.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Brooks
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Ten Things Small Businesses Need to Consider When Branding
Brand management is a process that helps your business produce long-lasting connections with your customers. Your brand is an establishment of how you would like people to feel about your business. A good brand provides a solid identity, which endears itself to your customers. Read more
Is Your Social Media Beyond Repair?
No one likes to admit they broke things. In fact, many people will run for cover so that they do not get blamed for such actions.
When it comes to your company’s social media efforts, are you putting the right amount of time and energy into them or is it done with just a passing interest?
As more small businesses identify and understand just how beneficial social media can be to their company’s success, it is incumbent upon them to know when and be able to fix a social media program when it is broken.
Social Media Gaffes
For companies who are having issues with their social media campaigns, what are the right fixes?
Do they take the time to correct them? Do they put the problem on the backburner to deal with another day? Lastly, do they just throw their arms up in the air and abandon social networking altogether?
If your small business has seen its social media planning come up short of what your intended goals were in the first place, there are options available to right the ship.
Start by taking a look at the following:
- Frequency of social networking – In the event your company has set up a social media campaign, how often are you tending to it? If the answer is not that often, you’ve got a problem. If you’re going to take the time to set up Facebook and Twitter pages to name two, you’d better plan on actively working them. What’s the sense in the first place of having such venues if you’re attendance on them will be limited to begin with?
- Being too rigid in who can use the sites – While marketing/PR departments typically oversee a company’s Twitter or Facebook venue, that doesn’t mean others cannot utilize it. Yes, you should have some rules for engagement in place, but that does not mean contributions from other employees should be excluded. While it is fine to review any tweets, shares, etc. that go out, don’t discourage employees from participating.
- Not engaging customers – In the event you’re allowing and receiving comments to your social media pages, by all means respond to them. Nothing will discourage return customers more than if you allow them the opportunity to comment, yet you turn a deaf ear to those comments.
- Throwing in the towel – It happens all too often. A small business begins a social media campaign, doesn’t get the results it wants and abandons it. So, what exactly have they accomplished? To put it bluntly, nothing. By all means, stay upbeat and try different approaches if things are not working out. The worst possible scenario is to give up on the project, therefore eliminating a great way to be seen and heard. Like just about everything else in life, results do not come overnight. Have a long-term social media strategy and be prepared to stick it out. Developing solid relationships with both current and potential customers takes time, so don’t get discouraged if things are not clicking right away.
The best advice possible for a successful social media campaign is to be in it for the long haul, knowing that some things will work and others won’t.
One thing that will definitely work in your company’s favor is planning on being social for a long time to come.
About the Author: Dave Thomas is an expert writer on items like purchasing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.
Photo Credit: e-magic
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4 Small Tips for Big Credit Card Processing Savings
Credit card processors have been known to use cryptic statements, ambiguous fees and spotty customer service as props to anchor a wall between your business and lower fees.
The truth is that credit card processing isn’t as confusing as some processors would like you to believe. To prove that point, I’m going to outline four simple tips that will arm you with the knowledge to quickly and easily lower your business’s credit card processing fees.
1. Interchange: know the best rate before you shop
You don’t have to ask a processing rep what his rates are because you can see the lowest credit card processing rates before you even start shopping.
There’s a little something called interchange that’s essentially the wholesale price list for the credit card processing industry. The best part is that interchange rates are posted right online for all to see.
You don’t have to take my word for it — check out the interchange credit card processing rates for Visa and MasterCard right here.
Now that you know the best rates, your goal should be to pay as close to interchange as possible on every transaction, and the way to do that is by getting pass through pricing.
2. Get pass through pricing
You know all those pesky, expensive mid and non-qualified rates you see on your processing statement each month? Did you notice they’re not listed on the interchange fee schedules for Visa and MasterCard?
The reason is that Visa and MasterCard don’t charge qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified rates. Your processor is charging these rates by using what’s referred to as a bundled pricing model. It’s named for the way that interchange fees are grouped into general pricing categories by processors.
Bundled pricing is expensive, and makes it tough to decipher statements to figure out where your money is actually going.
A huge step toward lowering your processing fees is to dump bundled pricing in exchange for interchange pass through pricing.
With interchange pass through you pay actual interchange fees, the processor’s markup is a fixed percentage added to the actual cost of a transaction, and mid and non-qualified surcharges are completely eliminated.
3. Just say no to cancellation fees
Contracts with hefty cancellation fees were the norm for credit card processors not too long ago, but times have changed.
Heightened competition has made it so processors need to be flexible to earn your business, and a cancellation fee is often waived without a fight.
If a processing rep tells you that your merchant account will have a cancellation fee, simply ask him to waive it. You’ll be surprised at how readily he agrees.
4. Match words to numbers, and scour the fine print
It’s one thing to be promised great rates and fees; it’s another to see them in writing. Review processing agreements with a fine tooth comb and make sure all rates and fees reflect what was discussed.
Keep in mind that many agreements have additional information that’s included by reference. Be sure to check the fine print for Web site addresses that contain additional information.
Keep a watchful eye
Finding a competitive credit card processing account is half the battle; keeping it is what counts. Be sure to check the first page of your monthly processing statement for updates and changes to your account.
Most statements have an “Important Announcements” section where processors will notify you of increases or changes in your rates and fees. If you notice that a fee is being increased, call the processor and request that it remain the same. Often times, catching the increase before it happens is enough to preserve the competitive rates you worked hard to obtain.
About the author: Ben Dwyer manages CardFellow.com, a Web site that saves businesses an average of 40% on credit card processing services by delivering multiple interchange plus quotes from leading processors instantly. Sign up for free today to start saving on your business’s credit card processing fees.
Photo Credit: Josh Kenzer
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Small Businesses Must Utilize Technology to Deliver a Personal Touch
In many ways, for small businesses that can utilize it, technology is the great equalizer between a start up and a larger company. It lowers the cost of lead and contact acquisition dramatically and allows a small business to reach a targeted audience quickly and efficiently. However, a small business needs to remember that technology is a tool to deliver personal service and not simply a tool to send sales pitches to more and more leads. While unsolicited email can generate leads, personal service and quality products build loyal and repeat customers.
The sales cycle for most business starts with finding an audience in the niche in which the business is operating. The business must then reach out to that audience. Larger businesses can use traditional advertising and let the potential customers come to them. But a small business is unlikely to have the resources to do this from the start. This is where technology can be extremely beneficial to a start up or young small business.
By using information technology, the small business owner can narrowly identify potential customers in their niche. Then, using email, the small business can contact these potential customers at little to no cost. This type of targeted and narrow advertising can be done in a way that appears very personal. But while sending unsolicited emails to potential clients is a great way to reach a focused, targeted audience, it is only the beginning.
To convert a lead or a contact into something more requires more than technology; it requires the personal touch to be continued through the sales cycle. Here again, technology can help. A small business owner can call and verify that the product or service is meeting expectations. A small business owner can personally follow up with an email survey to identify and address problems. In other words, a small business can deliver personal attention using technology that is impossible for a larger company to match. This personal touch can be the differentiator that allows the small business to wow their customers and convert contacts into advocates who will carry the sales message to their circle of influence.
About the Author: This guest post is contributed by Amy Gardner, who writes on the topic of small business credit cards resource . Amy welcomes your comments at her email id: amy.gardner20-AT-gmail.com
Photo Credit: the Comic Shop
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Small Biz Benefits from Mobile Apps
A new survey from the Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council reveals that mobile apps may be the new BFF (best friend forever) of small business owners. By tapping into the power of apps for credit card processing, GPS navigation and contact management, merchants and service providers can save time and money that’s better spent on growing their business.
Time Savings and Efficiency
According to the survey, small businesses save an estimated 725.3 million hours annually by using mobile app technology. That figure roughly translates into $17.6 billion in savings.
Over 300 owners of companies with 20 employees or fewer participated in the SBE study. Thirty-one percent reported incorporating mobile apps into their daily business routines, and 51% felt the apps made their companies more competitive.
Not Going Anywhere
The small business owners indicated that mobile apps are here to stay — an opinion shared by the SBE Council. “It will no doubt grow when you look at the expanding use of smartphones and iPads and related tablets,” predicted its chief economist, Ray Keating.
There’s an App for That
In addition to apps for credit card processing, other apps that are popular with small businesses included travel planning, remote document access, banking and finance management, social media marketing and location-based services. When you’re on the road and need to stay in touch with your customers and employees, mobile apps allow you to do so in a much faster and more effective manner. There are even mobile apps that allow you to remotely connect to your home or work computer!
Business owners who are interested in apps for mobile credit card processing should talk with their merchant services provider to arrange for the necessary merchant account to support the process.
About the Author: Marc McDermott is the Online Marketing Manager at Merchant Express, a provider of transaction processing services and payment processing technologies with a specialized approach to online credit card processing, merchant bankcard processing and transaction processing services.
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The 3 Steps to Starting Your Email Marketing Off Right
Recently, Small Biz Bee posted 5 ways to bore your email marketing subscribers – what not to do. So the question is, what should you do to get results from your marketing emails?
The experts push for split testing and segmenting, and those are important – later. For now, if you only have a handful of subscribers and are still finalizing your initial set of messages, you need to start with the basics.
First, sight your goals
If you don’t have a clear destination, you’ll never get to it. Your message stream won’t be focused, your web forms may not match your follow ups and any inconsistencies may bruise your brand’s reputation.
“What are your goals?” is a broad, vague question. You may want to use these more focused questions to help you find your answers.
Once you’ve determined those goals at the end of a path ahead of you. What steps do you need to take to get there? List them out and scratch them off as you go. Stick to your path and eventually, you’ll get to your destination.
Then, decide how to track your progress
You can gather a whole lot of data on your campaign’s performance. Email service providers track opens, clicks, downloads and more, and Google Analytics provide even more depth.
In theory, this data shows you what to improve for better results in the future. But if you focus on all of it, you’ll be scrambling around tracking every upswing, downswing and flatline that appears, wasting energy instead of making decisive, effective improvements.
Instead, use those goals you’ve determined, you can figure out what you want to focus on tracking. This guide breaks it down.
This data can tell you a lot, especially if you have time to really break it down and make improvements based on the results you see, but it shouldn’t be your main focus – that should be somewhere else.
Focus your gaze on the people around you
It’s people who sign up for your emails, who buy from you, who link you up and talk you up when you wow them – or who, if you don’t impress, don’t.
So focus on them. If they reply to your email (you’re letting them, right?), respond. If customers ask for special treatment, give it to them (within reason).
If you have the time and manpower, link up with your supporters on Facebook or Twitter display your brand as more of a personality. (If not, focus on building relationships through email conversations.)
Once you get “there,” go further
That destination we mentioned earlier? I’ll tell you the secret to success. Don’t stop when you get there.
Reset your sights, perhaps on finding on ways to create emails efficiently or strategies to automate how your lists interact.
And by all means, make sure you go back to split test and segment. 
Photo Credit: Biscarotte
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