Nika's Blog

3 Ways to Make More Money with Email

2008-06-29T20:52:13Z

Email is the cheapest form of marketing out there. So why isn't every small business owner using it? Well, it's probably because most people are unaware of how easy it is to turn a simple email into a marketing "cash machine."

Try these 3 easy ideas, and you'll notice a quick boost in business!

Set up an Email Signature File
An Email Signature is text that is automatically included at the bottom of every email you send. It should include your company name, a short description of your services, your phone number, and a link to your website.

How many e-mails do you send each week? Ten? Hundreds? Well, even if your mailings are more modest, you really should remind everyone who gets a note from you what you do. After applying my own e- mail signature, I realized how powerful it was. I often get an e-mail back from a friend or acquaintance saying something like: "I didn't realize you provided that. My neighbor/mom/cousin needs you!" (***After suggesting this last year, several decorators contacted me saying that within days they got new business from this simple technique.)
Keeping current clients "in the loop"
One of the surest ways of increasing customer satisfaction is through consistent communication. Although you've told your clients when they can expect the project to be completed, they appreciate reminders and updates to let them know they are not forgotten. A simple method for accomplishing this is weekly email updates. Set aside a few minutes each week to send a quick email to each of your current clients, notifying them of their project status (even if nothing has changed!) This little step will contribute to positive client experiences, and will inspire them to use you again in the future and enthusiastically recommend your services to their friends.
Email Newsletters
If you only knew the actual number of people who thought about using your services - but then didn't! If only you could capture the names of all those prospects and be able to remind them about you over and over, so that when they are ready to buy what you offer, they think of YOU!

Well, email newsletters are the answer. After I learned how to use email newsletters effectively, my business tripled! Why don't you model my success and start sending your own newsletter today? (See my story)

Stop Trading Hours for Dollars

2008-06-26T22:43:30Z

(Create Passive Income)

Once again, I'm actually writing this article from my bath. You have to try this! It's so much fun to get work done while soaking in the tub.

This is a perfect example of what you can do if you learn how to leverage your time and create passive sources of income for yourself (I explain all this in the article below).

How Designers (and other solo-preneurs) Can Make More Money in Less Time

How did I turn my struggling 7-day workweek into a thriving, successful design business (where I work only 4 days a week, make lots more money, and enjoy my life more than ever)?

Well, of course it wasn't from applying one single technique. But I want to share one of the best things I did to create more income AND more free time.

I created a source of passive income.

What is passive income? Basically it is something that brings in money even after you are done doing the work. The traditional business model for interior designers is working with clients one-on-one. Well, even if you had a completely full practice, you still have a ceiling on how much you can make. You can't work more hours than there are in a day (although many designers often try!).

But what if you finished doing work for a client, and then other people kept paying you for the job you did? Sound like a fantasy? Well, when I created my first e-book and saw sales come in while I was sleeping (literally!), it did feel like a fantasy.

Yes, an e-book is a source of passive income (and designers and decorators are finally joining in on this incredible source of profit). Here are some other ideas for generating income when you are not actively working:

Customer Care Membership Programs
Be creative and offer a service that your clients pay for monthly or annually
Recorded Seminars
These can be delivered digitally or on CDs
Live Seminars or Teleseminars
Not exactly "passive," but a great way to leverage your time by presenting to many people at once
Rentals
If you have an office or showroom, you can rent a part of your space to a complementary (but not competitive) business
Advertising
Yes, YOU can make money on other people advertising - on your website, your newsletter, etc.

I'm not saying that it doesn't take work to create these passive income sources. Good products take a lot of care, energy, and commitment (and sometimes quite a bit of time) to create. But once the work is done, it's done. Yet the money keeps coming in!

Instead of the traditional model of:
Work for a client, get paid.... Work for a client, get paid.... Work for a client, get paid

You can transform your business into:
Work... get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid, get paid...

So come join me (there's room in my bathtub for everyone)!

Getting Creative in a Challenging Economy

2008-06-24T20:57:00Z

Are you feeling like your clients and prospects are getting more wary about spending money? Are they taking longer to make decisions? Are you struggling to convince homeowners to purchase from you?

If not, great! You are one of the lucky ones. Although "official" statistics do not yet show that consumer spending has dropped, many designers have seen a slow-down in spending on home furnishings.

So what do we do? Many small business owners stick their heads in the sand and ignore it, hoping that what they've done in the past will start working again... soon. But studies show that if you keep doing the same type of marketing and selling while the economy changes around you, you very well could be out of business before things pick up. If you want to be a design professional who thrives despite the challenging economy, there are many proven methods you can use.

Here are a few ideas:

Spend more time and energy on short-term marketing
Long-term strategies, like branding and website optimization, are extremely important for creating a strong, profitable business, so you can't give that up. BUT - in a slower economy, you need to apply strategies that create immediate revenue. Hold a promotion, offer a limited-time special, try pay-per-click advertising.
Highlight your less expensive products
Okay, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to sell cheap things, or to sacrifice your high-end image. But there are homeowners who want to spend right now - if they can get something less expensive. If you can offer a fabric line, for example, with lower cost fabrics that are still of a quality you are proud to sell, everyone wins.
Go virtual
Is there a way you can offer any of your services online or over the phone? Businesses that are working this way are seeing overhead costs go WAY down, and profits go way UP.
Increase online product sales
Most designers have a hard time imagining selling online. We are artists, for goodness sake! And our services are personal and customized. How can we sell over the Internet? Well - with rising gas prices, homeowners are shopping online more than ever. These homeowners, who once only wanted customized service (and who will want this again in the next few years), will more likely purchase something now because it is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Make sure you have products for this market.
Ramp up your client retention
It is always harder and more expensive to acquire a new client than it is to get business from a past one. But during a slow economy, the cost of acquiring new customers is even higher. Remember to exceed your existing clients' expectations, and keep in touch with past customers through your email newsletter and by calling them on the phone.

When the market seems tough, you just need to be smarter with your marketing. Fortunately, you now have some effective tactics to use so that you can not only get through the tough times, but actually flourish!

My Biggest Time Management Secret

2008-06-03T11:53:12Z

I struggle with getting everything done, just like everyone else. All my life I've tried to cram too much into each day. Then I had a baby, and - well, those of you who have kids know that's like adding 3 more full-times jobs to your schedule.

So when people ask me how I get so much done, I try to think about what I'm doing that many others aren't.

One thing I've learned to do is delegate. I'm not perfect at this - I'm still learning to give things away. But each week that goes by, I let a little more go. If a task doesn't require me personally to get it done, it should be done by someone else.

But delegating isn't my biggest secret. Of course, that really isn't even a secret. Most of us know that we should delegate more. We just have to start doing it.

My best secret for getting more done is a quote from marketing guru, Dan Kennedy:
"Good enough is good enough"

This phrase usually horrifies perfectionists (which I know most of you are). But being absolutely perfect about everything is also something we need to let go.

Just think about this weekly newsletter. When I first started doing newsletters, I spent days putting each one together. I'd take a few hours to write an article. Then I'd edit it, re-write it, and edit it again. Then I would send it to a few friends to get their opinion. "Make sure you find any typos and grammar mistakes," I'd say. After correcting it a few more times, I had to send it to myself to proof it yet again. It was a miracle that I got even one newsletter out each month.

I did the same with all my promotional materials - which meant I never had anything done! I was afraid to put up a website or send out flyers because they weren't perfect yet. What if there was a mistake? What if some people didn't like it? What a waste of my time!

As you probably see now - I am not so worried about being perfect. There are often mistakes in my articles, and my grammar isn't perfect. I just try to write from my heart, and then I SEND IT OUT.

And I get so much more done! Can you do the same? While there are certainly things that should still require your perfectionist attitude, there are many things that do not. For these tasks, you must remember:

Good enough is good enough.

Wow - I wrote this article in less than an hour.
I'd invite you to find all my goofs, but that would be a waste of your time.
Go do something constructive!

Just closed on my old house today!

2008-04-01T20:05:23Z

Wow! I am finally free of my townhouse, and I can start enjoying my new home. I have more of an appreciation for my clients now, having gone through selling and staging my own home. My whole philosophy of treating people how you would like to be treated and attracting what you put out there seemed to fly out the window when dealing with this buyer and her agent. They did not play by the rules - tried to suck us dry, even after we tried to make everything easy for them, going beyond what was necessary and giving more than we had to.

But it's over!

So now it's on to decorating my new 5100 square foot house. It's almost triple the space I had, and even with my passion and enthusiasm for design, I am overwhelmed! But I want to focus on my gratitude. This is such an amazing house, and I am going to love putting my mark on it.

Hope you all are feeling inspired and happy!

Nika

Response to "Relationship Marketing"

2008-03-26T17:43:46Z

In response to Relationship Marketing

Relationship Marketing

2008-03-24T13:16:02Z

Since moving into my new house just a few weeks ago, I have received dozens of postcards, brochures, and flyers from all kinds of decorating professionals. I actually AM in the market for some services, including landscaping, house cleaning, entertainment systems, etc. But I haven't been inspired to call any of the companies who sent their promotions.

Until today.

I got a personal note in my mailbox from a man who is in the landscaping business. Instead of trying to impress me with anonymous photos and generic headlines, he talked about himself. He talked about the economy. He said that he understood that a lot of people are cutting back on home design, and that is why he works individually with each homeowner to design something that they can afford and feel good about.

I'm not positive that this guy is the right landscaper for me, but I certainly want to call him and give him a chance.

Also, this afternoon, my doorbell rang. It was a woman who does house cleaning for several of my neighbors. She welcomed me to the neighborhood and told me about what she does. We chatted about our families, local stores, decorating. She is now my cleaning woman!

My point is... anonymous mailings and print ads are becoming less and less effective.

Am I saying to give this up completely? Absolutely not! Advertising is an important part of a complete marketing campaign, and there are easy ways to make yours as successful as possible (see articles on this topic at Designer Blitz). But there is nothing more powerful and effective as creating a relationship. This can be done in person OR even in a flyer - if you write it from your heart.

Be personal, be authentic, and create relationships... and watch your business soar.

Get Out of Your Overwhelm!

2008-02-07T19:56:39Z

I know the feeling too well. I wish I could say that I don't, but I am prone to feeling overwhelmed. As business owners with so many external and internal factors to deal with - the economy, the housing market, our families, our own homes, the demands of our clients, backordered and discontinued products...(oh my gosh, I am feeling anxious just typing this list!), we are bound to feel overwhelmed and stressed sometimes.

So what should we do?

Here is what I hear from the 'experts': Take a bubble bath. Get a massage. Read a book. Take a walk.

I usually get an urge to punch those experts.

When I am in a state of overwhelm, the thought of taking time off to relax makes me more stressed. I have too much to do! I don't have time to take a silly bubble bath.

But this is what I have learned: When I am too stressed and too busy to take even a little time for myself, that is when it is absolutely critical to do so! Getting away from the situation is the only thing that will help prevent future overwhelm.

Just get through Friday

I used to think, "Let me just get through Friday, and then I can relax." Then Friday would come, I'd relax for about a minute, and it would start all over again. I was always "just getting through."

Without taking what I call an Intention Break, you will never get your business out of overwhelm. You may get some small relief once in a while, but you never seem to get ahead.

Taking an Intention Break

If you are feeling
- overworked
- stressed
- overwhelmed
and it seems like you are always working hard but not getting ahead (personally and financially), then you need to take an Intention Break. Here's how it works:

Step Away from the situation that is overwhelming. If it is work and clients, get out of the office. Go outside. Drive to a coffee shop. Plan a trip! (I know - you're too busy to do this! But you can NOT stop the ongoing overwhelm if you do not physically step out of the situation. Take one day to save yourself years of stress.)
Reflect on your goals, remember your priorities, think about your dreams. What is your intention for running a design business? What did you want to get from this when you started? Is it financial f*r*e*edom? An easygoing lifestyle? To make the world more beautiful? To be known for making a difference? Write your intentions down, and keep this paper with you always. Post it near your desk, place it near your bed, keep it in your wallet.
Go back to your regularly scheduled life.

Yes, it's actually as simple as that! If you are continuously reminded of your business intention (reading it when you wake up, glancing at it from time to time as you work, saying it to yourself over lunch), you will make choices on a daily basis that bring you closer and closer to your goal - and further and further away from overwhelm.

Do you need an Intention Break today?

How I Tripled My Design Business

2008-02-05T20:26:30Z

Do you want to know the biggest secret to increasing your home fashions business? It's sending a regular e-mail newsletter - an article or simple tip that your potential clients will find useful. If you can write an e-mail, you can dramatically increase your success.

Writing an e-mail newsletter helps you:

● Achieve expert status

● Increase sales

● Gain new clients

● Improve customer relations

● Get more referrals

● Make More Money!

It's true. Writing one simple e-mail, as little as once a month, can do all that for you. But here is the challenge: It has to be done right, or you won't see these spectacular results. It took me several years - and thousands of dollars - to learn the most effective way to launch a successful e-mail newsletter campaign. And within a few months of doing it the right way, my business tripled!

Instead of making you spend all that time and money, I'm going to list some basic tips to assure that your e-mail newsletter helps boost your business quickly.

Send your newsletters regularly. Once a month, twice a month, weekly? The most important aspect of a successful e-mail newsletter is being consistent. Stick to a schedule!
The main part of your newsletter - your article or tip - needs to be useful information for the reader. You should certainly put in some promotion about your company, but keep this to about 20 percent of the entire newsletter. Any more than that will turn off readers and cause deletes and un-subscribes.
Use an e-mail service provider. If you try to manage your e-mail newsletters from your regular e-mail account, you will get very frustrated. The one I use gives a free 60-day trial, and they have loads of great templates that make it so easy to get started: http://www.decoratorcontact.com/
Keep It Simple! Multi-column newsletters - with many articles and loads of photos - may look pretty in print, but an e-mail newsletter is easier to read when it is short and simple. Studies show that you get more sales when your newsletters are concise. Stay with one column, and use just one or two photos to get your point across.

The most common reason that professionals stop doing an email newsletter (or never get started) is they make it too complicated. Don't fall into that trap. The simpler your newsletter - the more effective it will be.

Some of the secrets I've learned seem to go against all of our instincts as designers and business owners, but please believe me - they work! When I began to use all of this advice, my sales went through the roof. I know it can work for you, too.

If you'd like a step-by-step guide to launching a powerful, profit-boosting e-mail campaign, check out http://www.enewsletterblitz.com/

More on Dealing with "Competition"

2008-02-04T21:29:36Z

Whenever you feel like there is too much competition - too many other designers or realtors in your area, too many do-it-yourself shows on tv, other professionals getting the big jobs that you want, etc. - you have to remember that you are coming from a place of "lack." The truth is: there is no lack in the universe. There is enough business for everyone. The right customers - your target - will come to you.

Focus instead on the fact that there is no one else like you. You are truly unique. Think about your strengths, your unique talents, your own passions. Really think about them, and feel your feelings about them. Then bring the energy of these feelings with you as you go about your day.

You will notice less competition!

(Feel free to post your unique traits. It's fun to learn what makes everyone different!)

Attract Your Ideal Clients - the EASY WAY

2008-02-01T17:53:16Z

I want to start this article with a quote from my favorite Law of Attraction teacher - Esther Hicks.

"You could sit for 15 minutes and conjure an image of yourself (with your ideal clients, in your ideal business). And if you could imagine it to the point that you bring yourself to some level of enthusiasm, you will have accomplished more in that 15 minutes of visualization than you could in 10 years of action."

Would you like to see how this works in attracting the type of clients that you really want? This is a simple exercise that will take you just a few minutes each day.

Remember:
"What you focus on... expands."

What you need to do first is visualize your ideal client. Don't try to be "realistic." Dream about who you would really like to work with. What is this person like? What do they think about? How do they spend their time? Where do they hang out?

Then, each day for 7 days, go to our blog and write a little about your ideal client. Each day, you can add some more details, and each day you should get clearer about this target. The clearer you get, the more you will attract these clients. Really! This works! It is easier AND more effective than working very hard, spending loads of time pouring through business books, or wasting lots of money on advertising to try to draw clients to you.

Simply relax into this visualization, write down what you are seeing and feeling, and watch these people walk into your life.

Are you game? Go to my blog to get started. If you'd like a daily reminder PLUS more details, insight, and ideas to make this exercise the most effective for you, send a blank email to:
nikastew-309654@autocontactor.com

Introducing Project H.O.M.E.

2008-01-31T21:02:35Z

I am so proud and excited to introduce this new project being sponsored by the Decorators' Alliance of North America:

Project H.O.M.E.
Helping others
Opening doors
Making over lives
Empowering people

Use your talents and gifts to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

My prediction is that this is going to not only improve the lives of a lot of needy people, but also skyrocket business and publicity for many home industry professionals.

Curious? Watch this video, and tell me your thoughts. If you want to get involved, go to:
http://www.decoratorsalliance.com/projecthome.htm

Do More in Less Time - It really is possible!

2008-01-30T22:17:50Z

When I had my baby 2 years ago, I quickly understood the plight of the working mother. The stress, the lack of sleep, the constant demands for your attention. Is there actually enough time to get everything done? It didn't seem possible to me. The available time I had to work on my business was cut way down to about 8 hours a week - and that was adding up all the little "bits" of time I stole when I could. (While she's taking a half-hour nap, I place a quick order. After she goes to sleep, I call a few customers. If my mom can watch her for an hour, I run to a design consultation.)

So what did I do about my lack of time? I complained. I don't have time for anything! I can't get anything done. I can't run a business and raise a baby. Everything is going to fall apart!

Then one day, when Ellie was about 9 months old, my friend said to me, "Wow, you just had a baby. How do you find the time to get so much done?" And I thought to myself, "What is she talking about? I'm not getting anything done!"

But I decided to take a look back over the time since Ellie was born, and I was amazed. With much less time available, I actually did get more done than I had in any previous year in my business! How did that happen?

I found the answer to that question recently in an amazing book (The 4-Hour Work Week), and now it seems obvious: When you have a limited amount of time to get something done, you can get it done in less time.

For example, if I gave myself a week to place a large order, I would always take the full week (often waiting until the end of the week to really get started). But because I no longer had that time for myself anymore, I had to get the order done in the one hour I could find. It had to get done, and so it did.

This is true for every part of my business and my personal life. When I give myself a small amount of time to achieve a goal or task, it gets completed. And so that it what I've decided to continue doing.

Today, I have a babysitter for two hours, and so I've decided to write this article, email several clients, design a new cover for one of my books, and create a template for a new "Sales for Designers" program I have coming out. Previously, it would have taken me a whole week of working full-time to get this all done. But I don't have that luxury anymore.

Thank goodness! The sudden, enormous cut in my personal time made me even more efficient and productive.

Why don't you try working just two hours a day for the next week? Decide what you need to get done, and then do it. You might be amazed at how little you actually have to work!

To your blissful, joyous success!
Nika

Dealing with the Competition

2008-01-29T20:13:44Z

Do other designers and realtors brag about how great they are doing? Does it bother you?

I was recently talking with one of my private coaching clients, and she wondered how to deal with other local designers talking about their incredible clients and big projects. She feels insecure because she is newer in the industry and doesn't have so many large jobs yet.

She isn't sure how to respond to these designers. Plus, it makes her feel bad because she's thinking that everyone else is doing better than she is.

This reminds me of something my husband says:

Men with really tiny ____s always brag about everything -their cars, their homes, their money. The ones who feel comfortable with themselves don't need to.

My advice: The professionals who are doing the bragging would actually be envious of YOU if you smile and congratulate them, and know in your own heart that you are doing what you love, and there is more than enough business out there for everyone. The right clients will be attracted to you. Just get clear on what you are most passionate about, and let the world know.

To your success,
Nika

Marketing Makes You Fat

2008-01-28T16:19:11Z

Scientific studies show that marketing is tied to weight gain!

Well, actually, the studies show that elevated levels of stress often cause increased fat. And since many stagers and designers tell me that marketing makes them feel stressed, I just made the connection.

So to ease your stress (and possibly increase your health and fitness), I've decided to answer some common marketing questions

What are the most effective ways to market a design business?
First, let's define "effective." Effective marketing is creating a lot of awareness about your company - for the least amount of money. The more effective your marketing, the more calls you will get from prospects looking for your services. (Selling the prospects on you and your services is the next step, but first you have to get them to call.)
The most effective marketing techniques for personal service businesses (like ours!) are the ones that create relationships - in other words, marketing that focuses on a specific target audience, includes personal contact, and emphasizes continual customer satisfaction.
Okay, you want the short answer? Here are the marketing techniques that work the best:
- email newsletters sent at least twice per month (I use www.DecoratorContact.com)
- calling past customers at least once a year
- knocking on doors in new neighborhoods
- mailing personal notes to new neighborhoods and past customers
- live classes or demonstrations (only if they are done regularly, and then followed up with one or more of the above methods)
What are the cheapest ways to market my design business?
See all the techniques above.
What are the best ways to get repeat sales from past customers?
See all the techniques above.
How do I get more clients that I really like working with?
See all the techniques above.

Okay, this may seem like a joke, but seriously - these marketing techniques work! And if you put each method into your schedule and make a system for yourself, you will be taking away a HUGE part of your marketing stress.

Here's to your marketing fitness!

One tiny step a day

2008-01-26T18:29:55Z

Have you done anything to market yourself today? If you do one tiny thing each day to increase awareness of your business, you will start to see amazing things happen in a short period of time.

Here are some easy, quick things you can do... just do one every day!

Post a topic in an online forum (include your website in your signature)
Join a social network, like MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Active Rain!
Make a connection with someone on a social network
Make a post on your blog
Call a past client
Send a card
Send an email newsletter
Give your business card to someone you meet
Post an article on an Internet article site (http://www.ezinearticles.com/)
Submit your blog or website to a web directory

To your success!
Nika

Marketing Gratitude?

2008-01-25T06:41:45Z

Do you ever have these types of thoughts?

I wish I didn't have so many challenging customers.
Why can't I find higher-end clients?
My customers don't spend that kind of money.
The market is really slow right now.

"What you focus on... expands."

When you instead start feeling gratitude for the business you NOW have, you will start to attract more of those things you are grateful for.

Do you have clients who pay you (even if it seems like a small amount)? Be grateful for them.

Are you able to arrange your schedule to have a little quality time with your loved ones? Feel gratitude for this blessing.

Are you doing what you love for a living? Remember to feel thankful everyday for this opportunity.

"The daily practice of gratitude is one of the conduits by which your wealth will come to you."
Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich

I recently participated in an online gratitude experiment, and after 21 days of entering what I was grateful for, I noticed how much happier I was. Daily life seemed so much easier and more joyful. Would you like to do a little experiment with me? Join me for just 7 days. Each day, go to our blog and enter 5 things you feel thankful for. (If you'd like a daily email reminder to visit and be grateful each day for the next week, send a blank email to:
nikastew-307916@autocontactor.com ) I look forward to sharing this joyous experience with you!