Technology experts turning ideas into reality
TEAM
Melanie Gray Owner
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Is Search Engagement Optimisation (SEO) the new SEO?
Both are challenging and both need to work well to convert. Great discussion topic.
What must I do to get my website up on Google search results?
This is the SEO Google Starter Guide. http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.goog...If you have already done all of this over the last six months, it is likely you are competing for the first page with many other businesses that invest lots...
What are some tips to improve my seo skills?
I think it's best to step back first and understand how SEO fits into your marketing plan. Understand your target audience really well so that you know what they would be typing in google to find you and then what they want to see on your...
How do you cut costs in your business?
All the costs in my business are required.I hope I don't ever try to cut costs and look more into increasing the costs of my services instead.
Are there any government grants for female business owners?
There are unlikely to be Australian government grants for female business owners. If your business revolves around something involved with the following, then there may be a grant out there for you - youth - community - innovation -...
How do I find the most appropriate insurance plan for my business?
Find an insurance broker. They will be able to help you find the best deal. Ask for references from people in the same industry as you. Brokers tend to specialise in certain industries.
What social media does my business need?
Social Media can be used if your target audience uses it. Don't know your target audience? Define it and your answer will be clearer. Better still, create a marketing plan.
Do I need a business plan?
It's always worth doing a business plan. How will you know what you want to do and achieve? It's a lot clearer when it's on paper. A two page of hand written notes might be all you need to start with. Dedicated at least 1/2 hour to start with and...
What's the value of hiring a business coach/consultant?
In Western Australia, we have the Small Business Development Corporation. It is government run. It's free and every time I get stuck, even before I started my business started, I contact them and they are great at guiding me in the right direction....
Do you have your bookkeeping and accounting done by the same company?
I would have two different people performing the jobs. Bookkeeprs are generally cheaper too. I do all my bookkeeping and hand it over the final figures to my accountant
Where do I get a government grant to start a new business?
Last time I checked, there were no government grants in Australia to help start a business unless you align with one of these - A community based non-for-profit organisation - Focused on youth - Providing services for people with a disability -...
What sort of budget is required to have someone work on SEO optimisation?
Something to remember is that your competitors are also spending time and money trying to reach that top spot. And some probably have done for years. It will take lots of effort to get ahead. Here are some tips: 1. Do lots of research on...
An Online Survey, have your say and help me understand you (my customer) better
I'm a techie so I do all my research before I buy anything. By the time I get to the store, I already know exactly what I want.
What have been some great activities or exercises you have done at a team day. Needs to be in house.
We did personality profiles on a team building day. Was really insightful, got us all understanding each other a bit better and how to work better with each other.
What have been your biggest challenges in starting a business?
Marketing. Was a huge learning curve. And I don't enjoy the tasks.
What is the single most important thing you've learned about your business so far this year?
Failure is a step closer to success.
What has been or is currently your biggest frustration around hiring staff ?
Going through the mountain of resumes I receive to find someone appropriate. Also responding to each one to say that I have received their application and then responding to say whether they are successful or not. It is very time consuming.
Which insurance company offers public liability insurance to businesses with independent contractors as their workforce?
There a many laws in place for hiring contractors. If they don't have their own insurance and you provide it for them, consider other aspects of their arrangement with you. They might, by law, need to be employed by you.
When employing someone permanent part time is there a minimum amount of hours you need to promise in a week?
You might be best to ring the appropriate government body about this. Laws change all the time and it's best you keep up to date with it all.Consider hiring them as casual if the hours are inconsistant from week to week.
Would you rather lose a client or lose a staff member?
Much prefer to loose a client! I only keep employees if they are awesome.
Who uses debt Collection agencies? Who do you use and are they small business friendly?
Hi Danielle, try the CollectMore app. It's free and the person who created it, Paul Metcalf, is very helpful. I'd email him for advice if the app doesn't work for you. Good luck!
Please review my business/website
I think it looks professional and clean.Took me sometime to work out what the website as about.Originally I thought it was somewhere to purchase items that are designed to be presents (gifts).
Why would you hire a copywriter?
I've used a copywriter to maximise my marketing. It might look great but if it doesn't read well or say the right thing, then all that graphic design work is lost, and so are future customers
Any suggestions for hosting a straightforward e-commerce site?
If you have under 10 items, ecwid is free for the shopping cart side.
What is better? What do you prefer when it comes to promoting your business? Getting a website or wordpress site build?
If your website is to be a simple one, small business or personal, Wordpress is a great tool to use to build a website.
Is there a rule about using google images for flyer advertising?
You will need to find royalty free photos. You can find some here https://pixabay.com/. There are lots of other similar websites. If you are wanting to create layered images, here is a really cool way to do it with powerpoint from Kits...
When looking for a web designer/developer, what qualifications should we ask to see?
It depends what you are wanting. If you are wanting a simple website (small business website, personal website), contact the designer/developer's previous clients and find out how happy they were with their services. You can also find out if...
Who do you have public liability insurance through and what do you pay?
I'm sure all insurance policies are the same. The more turnover I have, the more insurance I pay. I used a broker
Are you responsible for selling your own products and services? Do you love, loathe or just do it?
I am responsible for selling services for both my two businesses.I really don't like it and I suppose I don't really 'sell' my services.I do as much marketing as I can without being too 'salesy' and I try to be helpful.I don't like marketing either...
If you could get warm leads to quote on in your area that you want to cover for your industry, woud you use it?
I have paid for warm leads in the past for my Computer Support business.I am based in Perth Metro, Atwell, Western Australia.I haven't had any success with warm leads turning into a job.They were quite expensive. $10 or more a lead.Each job might...
Final letter of demand: Does anyone have a good template they would like to share?
Have you download the CollectMore app on your mobile phone? Has some great ideas on how to most effectually get money from people that owe you.
How do you stay connected with your network when everyone is busy?
I send an email or message through social media. I usually know what sort of commuication an individual prefers. Sometimes an SMS works best. Catching up online may not be as beneficial as catching up in person, but it sure is powerful,...
If you had to choose just ONE to use in promoting your business, which one would you choose and why?
Facebook Live. I believe there is a bigger audience that had access to it.
What is the positives and negatives of using Wordpress, compared to using Wix?
In simple terms, Wix is a lot easier to setup and use compared to Wordpress. Wordpress is a lot more powerful with a lot of different options. I would stick with Wordpress if you have used it before and you didn't have too much trouble with...
Which are your favourite apps that help you run your biz or life in general?
I use my calendar on my iPhone. Set More - Free online booking system https://www.setmore.com/
Is the election affecting business?
Interesting question! I have had a lot of enquiries and bookings on Monday.I think that is due to school holidays starting in Perth.Interested to see how things go when the final results come in.
How do you deal with business owners who are sensitive to criticism but you need to provide feedback about their work?
I would love to know the background to this question.If it is a client, it's worth considering if they are worth being a client if they are so sensitive to criticism.If it is a partner or a supplier, it might be worth considering if it is worth...
How do you ask for payment from a client before the work's done?
I always make it clear in a contract or email how much and by when a client has to pay. It is also agreed and often signed by my client. If a client does not pay, that's a different situation. Paul Metcalf from CollectMORE has an awesome free...
What is your biggest source of new business?
Referrals through Facebook
I've had a large new customer this week call me to say they can only pay me by credit but we don't accept credit cards.
$19 Square reader.All you need is a smart phone.You can buy from Officeworks or Bunnings.Charges 1.7% on all transactions.Accepts Mastercard, Visa and American Express.
Any NSW electrical contractors? Are there any government grants that I can apply for to help with some extra funding?
It will be very unlikely to get a marketing grant.The only possible way is if your businesses has something to offer back to the community like- Youth Services- Disability Services- Local Community ServicesBanks also have grants from time to time.
I have a client that's laptop automatically upgraded to Windows 10, this has created a few problems
Hi Marty, I wouldn't recommend rolling back.Could cause even more problems. See if they can try fix the problems they have, that would be best. I have had good and bad feedback from Microsoft Support. Perhaps your friend might want to give them a...
What it is that stops you from signing up to a course that you know you need?
I will likely sign up for an online course if I have seen testimonials and have heard positive feedback from real people I know. Or if I know the person professionally (which sometimes mean I have developed a relationship with them over social...
To what extent does a proper accounting system help reduce my accounting fees?
It really depends what sort of business you have and the amount of transactions you have. I'm a sole trader. I'm quite proficient in Excel so I do all the tracking of my finances in Excel. I find it gives me great flexibility. Because I...
Do you use social media as a tool for customer service? If so, how?
Yes, I use social media for customer service, namely Facebook. Often my clients prefer personal messages either to my Facebook page or my Facebook profile. I often deal with the enquiry, booking and followup all on Facebook messenger. Often...
Is link building dead, not just for SEO but for traffic as well?
SEO is always changing. I still think links are powerful, but only if they are relevant to the person visiting your website.
How can I speed-up the collection of receivables?
Try the free app 'CollectMORE'. Mainly for DIY debt collection, but it might have some good ideas also.
Are Facebook ads or Google ads better value for money?
What I like about Google Ads is that you can set it up so people will see your ads at the time they are looking for your services.With Facebook, your target audience might be wanting your services when they see your ad.For example, I can set up my...
What is your favourite piece of advice for launching a new website?
Make sure you have a call to action on the first page of your website. All the best for the launch!
Should I create a facebook group or page?
A Facebook page is very easy to create (if you have created your own personal Facebook page). I would encourage any business owner to create one. You never know when it might come in handy to reference.A Facebook group requires a lot more time and...
What exactly is a content management system?
Simply put, it's a website where non-technical people can change parts of the website. There is no need for a web programmer to do these changes.Some CMSs are more complicated to set-up and use than others.
Is it Illegal to not pay super ?
Not all employees need to pay super.It is illegal not to pay super to those entitled for super in Australiahttps://www.ato.gov.au/business/super-for-employer...
What do you outsource?
For my computer repair business, I plan to outsource everything eventually.I found some awesome computer technicians by advertising in Gumtree for free so I try have all jobs done through them. The selection process was very time consuming having...
What are your best lead generation techniques?
I am a heavy user of Facebook.One of my businesses is a computer repair business. I often search in local Facebook groups for the words 'computer' or 'laptop' and provide help through commenting on the post. Sometimes I tag my Facebook page which...
What is your number one frustration in your business on a day to day basis?
Answering calls.It's hard for me to work in the business and take business phone calls. I am working on delegating this task.
What are the best podcasts for entrepreneurs?
I like http://smallbusinessbigmarketing.com/ too
How do I determine best accounting and payroll software?
The bigger the business, the bigger the task.If you have minimal transactions, off-the-shelf systems designed for small businesses will do the job. If you are savvy with Microsoft Excel, I recommend to use that so you have a lot of flexibility with...
How many times do you encounter 'difficult' customers or colleagues?
I have had three clients that were 'difficult' in the past year.Two were because I offered a discount or free service at one point.The third was unforeseen.I now do my best not to attract 'difficult' people to my business. I have clear processes in...
Which is the best Australian bank for startups to work with?
I'm located in Perth and have used BankWest. They have a no fee account for businesses. I also was able to get a cheque book for no charge. My business deals with Australian currency only and I'm still a sole trader
Can you develop a demo style app that is not the full product to test the market?
Demo style apps can be very expensive if you want someone else to do it.You might find other inexpensive ways to do your market research before making such an investment
How exactly does SEO work?
I assume you are talking about Google SEO.Google SEO is very complicated and constantly changing.It’s constantly changing because Google is constantly improving the Google search to find better ways to match people with what they are looking for.So...
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