Business Management and Growth Articles

When it comes to entrepreneurship, starting, growing and managing a business, I’ve done it several times.  I’ve been my own boss my entire adult life.  Writing about business and how make it successfully are my specialty.

Whether it’s starting up, customer development, marketing, advertising, technology, and so much more, get a thorough look at my knowledge and writing ability by checking out the many articles I’ve placed (all are mine) at the About.com site.

Writing About Blogging and Marketing with Blogs

Dozens of articles about blogging and using it effectively illustrate my expertise on the subject and my ability to write about it both conversationally and as instruction.

When you visit the link above, you’ll find a huge amount of information about how blogs can be utilized to build a business, communicate with customers, and build community good will.

Writing About Marketing with Websites and Email

In more than 40 articles at this link, you’ll be able to evaluate my marketing expertise, internet and web design knowledge, and my ability to write about email and its use as a marketing tool.  I’ve utilized practices and written extensively on:

• Web site design for maximum business potential
• Search Engine Optimization
• Adwords and Click Marketing
• Writing web content for maximum visitor conversions
• Using email as a marketing tool – drip email
• Email newsletters

Marketing and Customer Service Articles

Though directed to Realtors, my articles on general marketing topics at About.com will give you an idea of my knowledge and ability to write about marketing to those in any business.

My expertise goes back many years through many entrepreneurial endeavors.  I’ve worked with the public, Realtors, contractors and other business owners in developing effective marketing efforts.  Coupling my experience with my research abilities assures the highest quality writing for my clients.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization Sales Text

In my ongoing website content creation for Netprofession.com, I was asked to write the text for their web page introducing the power of their SEO tools in their web design solution.  This company designs websites for attorneys, doctors, accountants, etc.  They are experts at website design and SEO.  I am pleased that they found my abilities suitable to their project.

At their SEO introductory page, my text is written to point out their content management system, its features that make it easy to self-manage one’s content and to maximize the SEO potential.  I was also tasked to be “real” without hype or any tactics for SEO.  It’s all about the content and the meta.

Real Estate Investing Articles for Print and Web

Dean Graziosi, a real estate investment guru,  has been working with investors for many years.  He has multiple books and websites with detailed information about buying and selling real estate as an investment.  I have written some background articles for his organization.  I don’t know where they ended up, but here are some excerpts:

It’s Not About Motivation – It’s Mindset and Knowledge

Most of us know someone who just seems to be successful, no matter what they try to do. They can start a business and make it grow into something bigger than themselves, realizing wealth along the way. These same people can hit a snag, or a large setback can befall them. Perhaps their business even fails completely. Then, a little while later, they have bounced back. Another successful enterprise is up and running, and they’re financially well-off again.

One might assume that they’re just lucky, or perhaps they have been to numerous motivational seminars on being successful in business. The problem with motivation for motivation’s sake is that it works for a tiny minority of seminar attendees, and the rest try and fail yet again. Why is that? Dean Graziosi, the author of Totally Fulfilled doesn’t want to pump you up with pure motivation. These successful people, even after previous failures in business, are that way because their mindset simply will not accept any other outcome. And it isn’t about being motivated as much as it is about confidence and knowledge.

Real Estate Investment – Don’t Discount the Simple Solutions

When real estate was appreciating at a rapid rate everywhere, investment gurus popped up almost daily. And, this being America, there seems to be a need to come up with a newer and better mousetrap to prove value. The problem comes when the fundamentals of investment are ignored or replaced by so-called sophisticated strategies that multiply risk to achieve dubious rewards.

The funny thing is, now that appreciation has stopped or dramatically slowed in many markets, the gurus still keep popping up. And, the better and newer methods some are pushing are just new packaging on old ideas that didn’t work in the first place. Sometimes getting back to the simple is the solution.

An investment story that illustrates complexity and risk is a very true experience of a stock market options trader. He studied options trading and read books until he knew more than most stock brokers. There wasn’t a sophisticated strategy that he hadn’t used multiple times….though results weren’t always as planned. One day, one of his market tracking software packages produced an alert on a well known bank stock. There was a heavy spike in the purchase of options, possibly indicating something in the wind for this stock.

Technology Articles for Realtors

Agent Direct News, a print publication with more than 100,000 Realtor subscribers, also has a subscription only online version of their articles.  I am a regular monthly contributor to this newspaper.  Articles are around 800 words and are intended to help Realtors to embrace new technology and use it to help them be more successful.

Here’s a link to one of the article’s text.

E-Marketing – Email or Blog

Realtor Magazine, with a circulation of more than 1.2 million Realtor readers, asked me to do an article for both print and online concerning the decision of whether to use email and newsletters or a blog for real estate marketing and ongoing client communication.

I have extensive experience doing both, and tried to present a balanced analysis, though I am very much in favor of the blogging method, with an email newsletter created from the blog’s posts.

Here’s the link to the story.

My Own Technology Blog – Finding Tech Gems

Though I ran out of time and I finally just had to quit posting to Functional Technology.com, I leave it up for the purpose of showing my tech writing skills, as well as my knowledge in the implementation of technology in business.

As you’ll see in my posts, the purpose of the site is to demystify technology, as well as to point out free or low cost solutions for business. Though the target audience was originally Realtors, the tools and instruction are applicable to any business.

If your writing project involves technology, you can get a good feel for my style at that blog. You can also experience my tone as an online instructional resource. My style tends toward the informal, with a little humor thrown in when appropriate.

Another skill illustrated by this blog is my ability to ferret out the latest in information on any topic on the Web. I set up alerts and RSS feeds with the appropriate key words and phrases to bring me the most up-to-date information on a daily basis.

Blog Posts for Innovative Text Message Marketing

I was hired to write two to three posts a week for Ugotitfirst.com, a SMS text messaging marketing company with an innovative approach.  They solicit opt-in consumers for products, services or specific businesses.

When a consumer opts to receive messages with coupons or special offers about a certain product type, advertisers can text those consumers with time sensitive offers.  The response rate is amazing, as these text message recipients have asked for these offers.

I am currently writing for this client, and my posts are here.