Archive for June, 2006
There are 2 ways to listen:
1. Use the player above to have the audio stream in now (it’s the one that says BS-Biz-Mix-2006-06-29)
2. Download the mp3 file below to play later, download to your mp3 player, etc
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 41
Show Notes:
Tips & Tricks to Grow Your Business with Outsourcing
Outsourcing work can be a great way to grow your business and provide additional services to your clients that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide. However, it can be difficult to find competent and reliable subcontractors/freelancers to outsource work to, and then keep them motivated to work for you.
Today’s tips and tricks are mostly from a web development business perpective, but there are a few key things that can be applied to any business wanting to subcontract out work.
You can find subcontractors a number of ways. Online, I like to use elance.com or rentacoder.com to find web designers and programmers, as well as checking out the forums and their job listing facilities. Ask others in your industry who outsource where they find people if you are not sure where to start.
Once you have a few prospects, ask for a quote, check out what work they have done before and check their references. Then test them out on little jobs before giving them a big one. It’s also a good idea to develop relationships with several people who you can subcontract out to, rather than only relying on one or two.
Thoughout the whole subcontracting process, communication is the key. I have learned from expeience (both good and bad!) that good communication is vital to a job well done and I explain this further in the podcast with some really good experiences and some nightmare ones!
One of the things I have found is that when you find a good subcontracter/freelancer, you should pay them properly and treat them well. I share a few really useful ways to build relationships with my suppliers and keep them motivated to want to work for me.
As always, enjoy the show!
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 41
Regards,
Brendon
June 29th, 2006
There are 2 ways to listen:
1. Use the player above to have the audio stream in now (it’s the one that says BS-Biz-Mix-2006-06-26)
2. Download the mp3 file below to play later, download to your mp3 player, etc
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 40
Show Notes:
How Great Marketing of an Average Product Beats Average Marketing of a Great Product.
On today’s show, I get fired up about businesses that miss out on key marketing opportunities, that then wonder why they aren’t making more sales. There are many examples of a great product idea that never makes it in the marketplace, or an average product that does phenomenally well because of terrific marketing. I have a couple of great examples for you, namely Arctic Heat (great product with average marketing) and the ipod (average product with great marketing).
The key to marketing your product or services is to take action early and often, quantify every marketing effort as much as you can. It’s better to get up of your ass and do some marketing that worry about making an ass of yourself and then not doing anything.
I talk about relationship building as part of my marketing strategy, and how I am using a hobby of mine (marathon running) to help build business relationships. Tina and I have produced some video and audio for the Gold Coast Marathon as part of building this relationship. Even though it took Tina and I away from working on web development projects that we are currently doing, you should never underestimate the value of building business relationships. Make sure you set aside some time for this, and have fun at it too.
As always, enjoy the show!
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 40
Regards,
Brendon
June 26th, 2006
Episode #40 of the Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix will be live on Monday, and is about why taking action to increase your marketing effort is so important to your bottom line.
In the meantime, if you would like to be entertained by my half-marathon training antics, check out the Tailored blog, which has a very entertaining video covering the Gold Coast Airport Marathon track, as well as some great audio.
If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, then stay tuned not only for Monday’s podcast, but also for our upcoming interview with Billy Kirkley, a successful web developer from Brisbane, Australia. Billy’s last interview generated such good feedback that we have invited him in for an encore interview, in which he will reveal more of his secrets of success, as well as a summary of what he thinks will be the “next big thing” in the world of the web. This interview should be available over the next week or two.
Thanks for staying tuned,
Regards,
Brendon
June 23rd, 2006
There are 2 ways to listen:
1. Use the player above to have the audio stream in now (it’s the one that says BS-Biz-Mix-2006-06-15)
2. Download the mp3 file below to play later, download to your mp3 player, etc
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 39
Show Notes:
How to Land Your Next $10 000 Web Design Job
On today’s show, we talk about how you can give yourself a competitive edge over your competition when tendering for a job and charge more in the process. We talk about how we land big web design jobs, and why having the confidence to charge more than most other web developers can actually work out not only better for us, but also better for our clients.
Some of the key things to take away from this podcast are:
- Fish Where the Fish Are: Make sure you are networking with and pitching to potential clients that are prepared to spend a decent amount of money on their website.
- Believe It, and You Can Achieve It. Believing you can provide more value than other web developers, and making a committment to do so, can go a long way to helping you land the bigger jobs, as potential clients tend to be influenced by your confidence to do the job.
- Put on a Show. Your sales process is essential to winning the bigger jobs. Work hard to develop client/potential-client relationships, show them that you have researched their industry and demonstrate that you know what you are talking about. Be prepared to answer objections and don’t be coy about askling for their business.
That’s all for now, Enjoy the show!
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 39
Regards,
Brendon
June 15th, 2006
There are 2 ways to listen:
1. Use the player above to have the audio stream in now (it’s the one that says BS-Biz-Mix-2006-06-09)
2. Download the mp3 file below to play later, download to your mp3 player, etc
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 38
Show Notes:
How to Use Great Testimonials Effectively
On today’s show, we have a case study for you on how including a great testimonial in your marketing material can have a colossal impact on the number of sales you make. We break down the difference between a good testimonial and a great one, and give you some examples of how you can use testimonials to sell more products, win new clients or land a great new job.
Check out the Google AdWords book I mention here.
Enjoy the show!
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 38
Regards,
Brendon
June 9th, 2006
There are 2 ways to listen:
1. Use the player above to have the audio stream in now (it’s the one that says BS-Biz-Mix-2006-06-01)
2. Download the mp3 file below to play later, download to your mp3 player, etc
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 37
Show Notes:
Why You Shouldn’t Give the Customer What They Want
Today’s show is abut the benefits of having confidence in your own ability as a consultant. We talk about what you can do when you are faced with the tricky situation of a client that wants you to deliver something you know isn’t going to work. Our advice is to really try and educate the client, enough to understand that they can trust your opinion as an expert.
Show Resources
Enjoy the show!
Click here to download and listen to Brendon Sinclair’s Business Mix Show # 37
Regards,
Brendon
June 1st, 2006