Sorry I’m a little late with the blog this week, but we were celebrating Memorial Day here in the States. After a day of swimming and grilling out, I am relaxed and ready to get back to work. I hope you had a great weekened, too!

Now that summer is upon us, you may begin to see a depletion in sales and clientele. Many people abandon the work grind during the summer and take off to their beach house or other vacation home. Don’t despair that your business will go under while everyone is away! Now is the time to clean house and catch up on some of the things that you have been putting off because you were inundated with work.

1. Catch up on your advertising. When was the last time you wrote a sales letter, press release, or article? Just because your regular clients are unavailable for business right now doesn’t mean everyone has stopped working! Get your name out there by sending out fliers, business cards, and other materials. Submit an article each week to an ezine, website, or even try your local newspaper (they look for special interest stories all the time). Choose a day each week to submit an article while you have the time to write!

2. Offer freebies with your product or service. Now is a great time to have a big summer sale on some of your products or to offer something free with your services. Everyone wants something for free, and they will be more likely to check out your business if they already know there is something for them at no charge.

3. Clean house. Do you have a large stack of papers in your inbox? Have you allowed invoices to stack up? Now is a great time to reorganize your office so that you will be able to work better when you don’t have time to clean.

Above all, enjoy the extra time you have available by going outside and enjoying time with your family! The kids will be out of school for just a couple of months, so now is the time you can splish splash in the pool or spray them with the hose. Kick off your shoes, relax, and enjoy your success!

To your success,

Katie

Ah! Another fresh start for a brand new week! If you want to continue marketing your business, it’s time to send out another press release. Press releases are different from sales letters in that they should be newsworthy. You want to make sure that your press release reads more like an article than an advertisement or letter. Follow these simple tips when writing a press release:

1. Choose a topic and focus in on it. Does your company have a new product or service that can help the reader? Then develop a story on how you began working with that product or service and how it will make the reader’s life better. Keep your release short but loaded with valuable information.

2. Zoom in on your niche market. Research your target market and what they like to read before placing your press release with a newspaper or magazine. You will be more likely to see your press release in that publication and will also have the benefit of receiving the clients that you want.

3. Don’t give up. If one publication turns you down, send your press release to someone else. Keep sending your press release out until you achieve the success you want. Also, don’t limit yourself to just newspapers or just magazines. Send your press release to ezines, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and any other publication you can.

Remember that editors received hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of press releases every day, so don’t worry if yours does not make it into print right away. They may just hold it for another edition. In the meantime, don’t get discouraged and always keep writing!

To your success,

Katie

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I had a busy weekend, celebrating my birthday and Mother’s Day with my family and my in-laws. I am finally beginning to get back to normal. My wonderful husband purchased a day at the spa for me, a treat I am desperately needing! I can’t wait to soak in the lap of luxury!

I hope your weekend was wonderful and that all of you moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day. If you are a working mom, you should consider writing an article on the ups and downs of juggling work and family.

Speaking of articles, have you been submitting your articles like you should? Don’t forget that article writing is an important part of marketing your business. Choose a topic, such as starting a small business, and create a short series on your topic. You could write one article on marketing your business, one article on customer service, and one article on important tools to making your small business successful. Remember, however, to focus on what you know. If you have no financial knowledge, don’t write a topic on the finances of a small business.

Once you have written your articles, remember to submit them to various venues. Many websites will allow you to post an article in exchange for a link on your website. Others will give you a section in their newsletter in exchange for a section in yours. Don’t expect to submit your article on somebody’s site without giving something in return.

You may also want to submit your article to an article website. Two excellent article sites are www.isnare.com and www.associatedcontent.com.

No matter where you decide to post your articles, remember to keep on writing!

To your success,

Katie

I’m finally back from my vacation to Cape Cod, and I am excited about beginning a new week! I desperately needed a break from the stress of every day life. My husband appreciated the time off as well, although his job was a disaster when he got back (as usual)! We have never been that far north before, and we were excited to spend time learning about this very historical place in the United States.

One of the exciting places I had the chance to visit was the birthplace of the famous author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the house that inspired his book, The House of the Seven Gables. Of course, this author is best known for his work, The Scarlet Letter. As a writer, I was excited to see the home of someone who wrote all of his famous works with just a feather and some ink. He certainly didn’t have the same luxuries we do today with computers!

Just being in such a historical place made me envision the people who were brave enough to step onto unknown soil. I could imagine different characters of that time period and create new stories in my mind of what may have happened to them. In fact, I think I have some ideas for creating some new characters.

What did you accomplish while I was gone? Did you write anything interesting? Did you create some new, exciting characters for your stories? Unleash your imagination and start writing! You have a whole new world to explore.