Csbn may 2014 edition by CSBN

6 reasons why

DO YOU KNOW

networking wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work for my businesses

What YouTube can do to promote your business? Part 2 in this edition.

Myths BUSTED!

MONTHLY May 2014 Volume 2.

The CONNECT SMALL BUSINESS NETWORK - NETWORK . PROMOTE . EXPAND.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR ALL CSBN READERS Studio 4 Photography do exceptional works and can help your business with highly professional presentation. Check out how they can help you!

Page 6.

LOOK WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS MONTH’S

EDITION 3. Meet CSBN Editor in Chief Ben Mackie

16. How To Get Where I Didn’t Know I Wanted To Go

4. I choose to be connected

17. Business Highlights

5. CSBN’s Next Meet - Up

18. Is Social Media For You?

6. 6 Reasons Why networking Won’t Work For My Business

19. CSBN Think Tank - Event

8. The CSBN small business guide to youTube 10. Your opportunity to SPEAK 12. Suggested networking events for April 14. Your Business Lifestyle - Special Offer From Studio 4 Photograph

20. Building Your Business #2 21. Business Highlights 24. The Importance Of Google Page Rank And Google Ranking 26. Meet the CSBN team

CSBN EDI TO R I N C H I E F

BEN Mackie

Working as a copywriter means that I am regularly involved in creating or editing written content, marketing and business networking. Getting these areas right are the solid, proven foundations on which to build a successful business. Considering that being Editor in Chief for CSBN Monthly meant I would continue to be involved first-hand in all of these things, it’s a challenge I eagerly accepted! In the early stages of managing your own business, it can be difficult knowing what to invest the majority of your time, energy and focus into. Sure you have a slick new website, professionally printed business cards, eye-catching signage and a couple of networking events scheduled in (aside from daily business operations) but what else will it take for your business to thrive? I know first-hand what it’s like to be in a start-up situation where not only do most people not know who you are, but they don’t even know what you do or what you could do for them. Then added to that is the fact you’re not entirely sure where to go or who to rely on for advice. All at once, not only can it feel like there is so much requiring your attention, but like you’ll have to do it all yourself if you want it done correctly. No wonder we get overwhelmed! CSBN Monthly aims to help you overcome all of these common problems, connecting you with a wide variety of like-minded businesspeople and entrepreneurs as well as enabling you to promote your business to a new (and growing) target audience. People who, just like you, are keen to learn new skills or concepts, grow their business, achieve their goals, help others and meet new people along the way. As our name suggests, CSBN Monthly is primarily focused on building a base to connect new and existing businesses with one another because in business, strength and success come in numbers. Not only will CSBN Monthly help you

establish new and valuable business connections, but we’ll also keep you informed of upcoming networking events in your area- this enables you to see what’s upcoming, reasonably close and suited to you, all in the one easy location. Serving as Editor in Chief for CSBN Monthly, I look forward to meeting you, learning about your area of expertise and that great product, service or idea you have to share with people. This is not just an opportunity I’m glad to be part of, but something that Camille, Sam and myself have been eagerly planning together as a reliable and growing platform to provide you with fantastic new business opportunities, partnerships and relationships. Being involved from the beginning in something that will ultimately benefit all of us- readers, subscribers, advertisers, guests, the team- is a role I greatly appreciate. Instead of feeling like a lone farmer planting seeds and then keeping an eye on reaping for himself, I feel as if I am in a huge field, surrounded by farmers all keen as I am to not just reap rewards for ourselves, but help others to do the same. There is still much work to be done, but also much singing along the way- and plenty of celebrating when harvest time comes, I’m sure!

Author - Ben Mackie

I CHOOSE TO BE CONNECTED. “ Networking is the KEY to your business success. ”

my comfort zone. Obviously I chose the latter. And I did it with OOMPH! I had long suffered from a crippling fear of public speaking so after some NLP I started lecturing to the NEIS training groups. It was crazy, I shook for a while, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The opportunity to connect with like minded people was so empowering, I started looking for networking events where I could connect with other small business owners. Since attending networking groups I have found that on average, I gain 3 more clients every time. My secret? I be myself. I’m interested to find out what other people are doing in and with their business and I share any information I have. I never give a sales pitch but I let people know what I’m passionate about and a bit about my business. If they ask for more, I give it.

Hi, my name is Camille and I am the owner and manager of the Connect! Small Business Network (CSBN). I want to share with you how constantly amazed I am by the opportunites and people I encounter each and every time I choose to network! Seriously, the power and privilege of spending time with like minded and passionate people is mind blowing. For years I convinced myself that networking was just not for me. I was super shy, had a self confidence level of -7 and felt safer ‘behind’ the sceens. That worked great, as long as I didn’t want any clients or for my business to grow. (Viv Temple has contributed a fantastic article about this - see page 6.) I felt like I had bricks tied to my feet and was kicking like mad just to stay afloat. And I did this for years! It was exhausting and the more I struggled the more I felt like I was failing. I knew I had one of two options. To quit, or to push myself outside of

“The more I connect, the more I succeed. It’s just that simple.” The power of networking, however you choose to do it, is phenominal. I assure you it is the most potent and effective method by which to grow and expand your business. So grab the next opportunity you have with both hands and jump in with both feet. The more I connect, the more I succeed. It’s just that simple. You will be surprised by how easy and enjoyable it is. Just remember, every other person at your next networking event is just like you - creative, clever, hard working and passionate about their business! Come and have a tea or coffee with me at the next CSBN Meet Up. Details are on page 13. I look forward to meeting and connecting with you soon. Kind regards, Camille. Author - Camille Scott

CSBN MEET UPS

As part of the developments and changes at CSBN! we have listened to your requests and brought back the CSBN! Meet-Upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with a new venue the Loft in West End on the last Wednesday of every month starting from 5pm. The CSBN! Meet-Upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are a chance for you to meet with other likeminded small business owners to mingle, converse and expand networks in a relaxing friendly environment.

OUR NEXT MEET-UP

When: Wednesday 28th May, 5 to 7pm. Where: THE DECK (upstairs above ARCHIVE), 100 Boundary Rd, West End. Cost: $5.00 What to New business leads Expect: in a fun, welcoming & friendly atmosphere. The Loft has a range of refreshments available from the bar as well as two for one meal specials available for purchase.

an easy way to connect!

6 REASONS WHY NETWORKING WON’T WORK FOR MY BUSINESS VIV TEMPLE

NETWORKING

“No matter what your response is to the industry, ‘networking’ is something that will benefit every business. People buy from those who they know, like and trust. Your ability to network will increase the number of people who know you and will refer your business to their friends.”

When you say the words ‘Network Marketing’ it generally elicits a response. You may be a big fan, maybe you don’t like it because you heard a story (possibly from a friend of a friend) or you might just have no idea what it really involves. No matter what your response is to the industry, ‘networking’ is something that will benefit every business. People buy from those who they know, like and trust. Your ability to network will increase the number of people who know you and will refer your business to their friends. Despite this fact many have plenty of reasons why networking won’t work for their business. Here are six of those misconceptions debunked:

I don’t know anyone in the industry

If you feel that you need to widen your circle of influence there are plenty of opportunities. You could join the society for your industry. Find a facebook page that is aimed at your industry or clients. No facebook pages around? Create your own and become a leader in your industry.

I don’t have time

Most people feel that they can’t fit any more tasks in to their day. Start with little steps that can become part of your daily routine. Sending one email each day to increase your network will mean that you’ve connected with over 250 by the end of each year. Connect a little more with your existing clients.

I’m too shy

Start off slowly. Begin by just aiming to say ‘Hello. How’s your day going?’ to more people (at the checkout, when you buy petrol, picking up your dry cleaning, etc). Most people will respond. After a while you can build up to asking them what they do - they almost certainly will then ask you what you do - have a short pitch ready. If necessary, start in a facebook group where you have time to write your conversation.

I work by myself

Make an effort to get out. Have your early morning coffee on the way to your business to spend some time ‘out of the office’ so that you can interact with others. Use technology to ‘virtually’ get out of the office.

My clients don’t live close by

Isn’t the internet a wonderful invention? Use facebook to join groups where your clients do live. Add value to their groups and you will soon make connections in this area.

The only people I see are in my business

Make the most of everyone who comes to your business. Treat them all as if they are important to you and they will almost certainly let others know how impressed they are. So many businesses are letting their customers down that you can become a stand out in your industry simply by being reliable, returning calls as promised and advising clients of any delays that may occur.

People don’t want to hear about my work

In these times of online testimonials and recommendations that may or may not be legitimate, word of mouth can be even more important. Let your dry cleaner know that you are a mechanic or a personal trainer. When your dry cleaner’s neighbour asks them to recommend someone they will think of you if you’ve already made that connection (they know like and trust you).

Our days our filled with opportunities to network. These opportunities are often disguised as dealing with clients, running errands (face to face and on the phone), taking the kids to soccer or buying milk at the corner store. If you take a little time to consciously connect with others you will stand out from the crowd.

Author - Viv Temple ph. 0457 997 540 email. vivtemple@hotmail.com www.vtemple.isagenix.com www.facebook.com/viv.temple

THE CSB N S M A L L B U S I N E S S G U I D E TO YO U T U BE PART 2. In the April edition of the CSBN Monthly, I introduced the idea of how easy it can be to make your own video - out of images! That’s right, you don’t need any expensive equipment or software. Chances are you already have a phone that takes high resolution images, or better yet a digital camera. And the software is most likely already installed on your computer. First things first, lets check for the software. Go to your programs and look for Windows Movie Maker. The program will vary somewhat depending on which version of Windows you have installed. If you don’t already have it, go ahead and download it here.

OK Mac peeps, I hear you. You can also get Windows Movie Maker for Mac, just click the link, download and install. Windows Movie Maker is quite easy to use and like with most things, the more you use it, the better and more familiar you will get. Play around with it, the key word here being ‘PLAY’. Have fun! You don’t need to create a masterpiece on your first “You don’t need any expensive equipment or software. Chances are you already have a phone that takes high resolution images, or better yet a digital camera. And the software is most likely already installed on your computer.”

attempt. The next step is to take your photos. You may be promoting your products, work space, services or something else. It’s your business and no one knows it better than you. Let’s assume you are going to promote your products. Make sure you have enough lighting and use a plain background. It can be as easy as laying your products on a clean white sheet and using a pillow or book behind the product to drape the sheet over. For a good shot, it’s important that your background does not create a distraction. Alternatively your product may be better displayed by being used or worn. Select a model

DO YOU KNOW

WHAT YOUTUBE CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS? (friends and family members are usually happy to help) and don’t be shy about positioning and guiding them. Photograph your product from many angles and be sure to capture the detail. In the wonderful age of digital photography, there is no cost involved so take heaps of shots. You can select the ones you want to use in your video later. There are many free digital imaging programs around, find one that allows you to adjust contrast, crop and resize. GIMP is free and available for both Windows and Mac, as is PicMonkey. It’s a really good idea to create a folder for each product shoot. I usually make one folder, then create other folders within it for each product or subject. Organisation is key as you don’t want to spend time searching for that one perfect shot... and not being able to find it. OK, now let’s import our images into Windows Movie Maker. Open the program and you should see something like ‘Click here to browse for videos and photos’. If you don’t see this, go

to ‘file’ and import from there. Select the images you want to use and depending on your computer hardware, give it some time to import and render your images. Once done, you can click and drag to change the order of your images. Click on ‘play’. So far your movie will be pretty dull and each image will probably show for longer than you want. That’s OK, we are about to change all that. In the top menu bar, click on ‘edit’, then click on an image (images will appear as long strips). The standard time setting is usually 7 seconds. We will change this to 4 seconds (longer or shorter as you like) by setting the duration to 4.00 (again, in the top bar). Go ahead and do this for each of your images. Your movie will now play much more quickly. It still looks pretty dull but not to worry. In part 3, we will add transitions to each of our clips to give a smooth or creative look to our movie. We will also add a title with special effects and a credit, where you can let people know how to contact you. I will be creating a video to walk you through the whole process of production, from start to finish covering everything in these 3 articles. (3rd article and video walk through in the June edition of the CSBN Monthly). The end result will be great, easy to follow, and you will be able to watch the magic as it happens. Author - Camille Scott In the mean time, PLAY! It’s the best way to learn.

Guest Speaking is a great way to not only promote your business, serives & products, but also to promote yourself as an expert in your field. their businesses. It was time to tackle this beast that I’d given my power to for way too long.

After I had finished the NEIS course, Michael from the Toowong Training Center approached me to guest speak in the NEIS classes. I was terrified! I have had a well known phobia of public speaking for as long as I can remember. I avoided it in TAFE and uni, in social groups and even among my groups of friends. I just couldn’t do it. I thought about joining Toast Masters several times but the idea of standing up to speak, of having all eyes on me (apart from those catching a quick nap) just made me want to run and hide. Impossible, I thought. I realised that the opportunity Michael was offering me was unique and would not only benefit my business, but others as well. After all, my whole business is set up to help other small business owners expand and grow

I am lucky enough to have a cousin who specialises in NLP (neural linguistic programming) who was happy to help me. I didn’t know what it was, or what was expected, but I was desperate and determined to make the most of this amazing opportunity. After just one 1 hour session I was wondering what all the fuss was about. I was set to go! Of course, thinking it and actually doing it are two entirely separate things... or are they? After a few weeks of working late into the night to perfect my presentation I was up. It was my turn to speak to a group of people who, in reality, were just like me. I turned up early, pluged in my presentation gear, took a deep breath and said “Hi. I’m Camille and my business is the CSBN. It’s about...” I focused on making eye contact with those who looked friendly and receptive and avoided looking at the few who either fell alseep or were busy giving me stink eye. It needs to be said that a couple of sharp people noticed my hands shaking, they made a point of coming up to me afterward to tell me. But they also said that I did a great job and they found value in what I had shared with them.

YOUR O P P O RT U N I T Y TO

SPEAK “I was so nervous, but the group was reallly welcoming. Once I got started I felt comfortable because I was just speaking about what I know well and do every day! It was an amazing opportunity to promote myself & my business, as well as share my knowledge with others”.

WOW! I was so blown away and I felt really proud of

myself. Not only had I delivered a presentation without wetting myself or running away, I had helped people freely by sharing my knowledge. I went on to do many more presentations to the NEIS courses at Toowong and found myself looking forward to every opportunity to do so. I learnt that I didn’t have to be perfect and when I made a mistake, it was OK. No one knew except for me so I just rolled with it. Most people are not comfortable with the concept of getting up in fornt of a group of people and speaking, and I truly understand that. BUT I know the benefit you can be to both yourself and others by doing so. The CSBN is getting all geared up again for 2014 (yes, I know it’s April already) and we will be hosting a variety of Meet-Ups and Networking events in the coming months. I urge anyone who is interested in being a guest speaker to contact me about reserving a space to share your knowledge with others, just like you. Doing so will help your business, your confidence, and will generate new leads!. And guess what. It’s FREE. You will find it more rewarding than you ever imagined and on more levels than you ever thought possible. I welcome anyone who is interested in being a guest speaker at one of the CSBN Networking events,

please contact me. And lastly but not least, I send out a HUGE heart felt thankyou to Michael for giving me the encouragement and opportunity to step absolute miles outside of my comfort zone. Greatly appreciated. t

Author - Camille Scott

SUGGESTED NETWORKING EVENTS FOR THE MONTH OF

MAY

BRISBANE BUSINESS CLUB Website Optimisation Strategies Tuesday May 6th, 12 - 2pm Cost: $10.00 Chalk Hotel 735 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba QLD. Organisers: Rob Thompson & Andy Henderson For many businesses (especially small businesses) your website is one of the most important ways to promote and raise the profile of your products and services. However, most business owners feel that their website is not as good as it could (or should be), and that things could be improved to improve rankings, increase traffic and maximise sales or inquiries. This event will consist of 1/2hr presentation and 1/2hr Q&A session packed full of hints, tips and suggestions about how you can go about improving the effectiveness of your website. This could include (but is certainly not limited to) : • Search Engine Optimisation Techniques • Blogging Strategies • Paid Advertising • Conversion Optimisation • Site Usability testing • and more... So if you are frustrated that your website is “under performing” but don’t know how to go about improving it, this is an ideal session for you. Read more...

NETWORKING CHATS - for authentic networking Thursday May 8th, 9:30am Cost: $35.00 The Business Hub Unit 4/1311 Ipswich Rd, Rocklea QLD. Organiser: Jennie Gorman The aim of these groups will be to COLLABORATE, SHARE and SUPPORT participants to ACTION their networking by creating a programme that will help them to become not only better networkers but to become stream-lined in their networking. Read more...

WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORKING LUNCH Friday May 16th & 30th, 11:45am to 2pm Cost: $5.00 The Ashgrove Golf Club 863 Waterworks Road, The Gap, Qld, Brisbane. Organiser: Crystal Schekoske Tired of always talking to people on the phone and sitting in your office at home? Want to meet some like minded ladies? How about a few laughs over a relaxed lunch? If you answered yes to any of the above then come join us ladies next friday for an AWESOME networking event.

Author

613 No formal pressure. This is group of inspired women that want to empower one another to live an abundant life. This is Meetup with a twist... No Card Ninjas here... This is about connecting on a level that enables sustainable business relationships and who knows maybe even a few personal ones formed xx Looking forward to seeing you all. Read more...

CSBN MEET-UP Wedsday May 28th, 5-7pm Cost: $5.00 on THE DECK - upstairs from Archive. 100 Boundary St, West End QLD. Organiser: Camille Scott & Sam Rosenbaum. Join us for a friendly and relaxed meeting of like minded small business owners for a powerhouse of casual networking. This is a great chance for you to come along, unwind, and connect with like-minded people on the Deck, upstairs from the Beer Boutique in West End. The Loft offers an excellent range of beverages and meals for you to enjoy. Make new contacts, generate new business leads, let people know about your business - Networking is the KEY to your business success. Bring your business cards, brochures, flyers, etc. The Loft is a GREAT place for a meet up and I am really looking forward to meeting with you all again on the 28th. Read more...

Got a networking event you would like to advertise here? Let us know! We’d LOVE to include it. “ Networking is the KEY to your business success. ” Author

YOUR BUSINESS

LIFESTYLE You only get one chance to make a great first impression. Have you considered the image that you and your business are presenting to the world? Are you communicating that you are: trustworthy; that you are a professional; and that you are approachable? Are you showing that your business has personality and that you are highly successful? Do you have strong visuals, demonstrating clearly what you do best, and the environment you do it in? Or are you making the mistake of representing your business with poor quality random images that are ill-fitting representations of your brand? It has been established that 93% of communication is nonverbal and that we are able to process visuals 60,000 times faster than any text. Given that your Presentation is 9/10ths of the sale Your Brand Identity and your business success hinges on having AMAZING Visuals. Can you afford for your Corporate Images to be losing you money? No? Well, what is the thing that is holding you back from putting your best foot forward and showing you mean business? Do you have any other option but to build a portfolio of strong visuals, which show: you as a strong business owner with a cohesive team; what your business, is; what your business stands for and how your potential customers may benefit. Quality images are a major component of successful marketing collateral and websites. If you would like to build a good Public Profile or Brand Identity you will need the help of a really good professional photographer. You need to invest in Great quality Imagery and represent your business in the best way possible. Studio 4 Photography offer photo shoots are quick, affordable and personalised. Our aim is to first understand your business, how you operate and to demonstrate that in a very visual lifestyle documentary style. Our studio is customer focused and will work with you to determine what is best for your business. Having a AWESOME professional imaging will create a great first impression. For free quote or any other enquirers you are very welcome to call our studio on 07 38215171 website www.studio4photography.com.au Attached is a special gift for the readers of CSBN. Warmest Regards Cindy Lee

CSBN Recommendation - We LOVE Cindy!

If you have been wondering where the CSBN team had their amazing photos taken for this magazine, it was the incredible Cindy at Studio 4 Photography. My make up was done flawlessly (the boys were not in need), we were served delightful quality coffee , and we all had so much fun both in the studio as well as out and about! Cindy made us feel so welcome and comfortable while guiding us through the shoot to ensure the best results. We now have many awesome photographs to use to promote ourselves and the CSBN! A HUGEwarm thank you to Cindy and Studio 4 Photography, we will be back! Author - Camille Scott

H O W TO G E T W H E R E

I DIDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T KNOW I WA N T E D TO G O Hello, my name is Anthony. Around about seven years ago I was unfortunately witness to an accident. Not a car or airplane crash or even a bike accident, but an accident none the less. An accident in which the lady invovled had little chance of a successful recovery. I knew this through my extensive experience in the fields of health and wellness and as a trainer at many gyms. She was in big trouble. The reason for this was simple, she was a big lady, catergorically huge. Someone who could fit quiet snuggly in the modicum of the morbidly obese. To my horror I was the only one who saw her slip and fall awkardly on the concrete steps out the front of

the local pharamacy. Not the worst place for injury I suppose and certainly not the worst person to injury themselves infront of, something I`d seen and treated many times before. I assisted the ambulance officers after their eventual arrival and never saw or heard from this woman again. I wondered frequently, and still do to this day, what happened to her. Common sence suggests nothing good. Although something good will eventually manifest from my experience of that event, if certainly not hers.

On that evening, seven years ago, I invented a device to avoid such a terrible accident happening to the vunerable in our society. I never wanted this to happen to anyone again. Strange thought process for me, especially after a distrubingly large amount of beers. The trama of witnessing the event , my justification. As a person, I had always been socially adept but almost certainly spritiually inept. If it didnt happen to me it just didnt happen. Seven years later this same process of caring for others as well as yourself has become my benchmarch, my tattoo if you will of who I am as a person. It has allowed me to experience many painful and wonderful things ( sometimes together ). An eventuality took place. I took my invention seriously. Once that decision had resonated in my very being, the syncronicity of thought process took over.

go to a networking event run by a Jennie Gorman, a generous and ego free gesture as both companies are very different yet cross over similar lines in the business field. It showed me that CSBN is all about helping small business first and foremost and for that I will always be grateful. As a consequence of attending Jennie Gorman networking chat session, I have found a potiential investor and are likely to go Australia wide by the end of the financial year, with overseas ventures a part of our plan. Once our work with solicitors and lawyers is completed, Camille has kindly offered her skills and experience on all aspects of social media, the last step before completion. All because of Camille and CSBN. Thank-you Camille and your team, I will keep you updated on our now, exciting journey. Yours in business, Anthony.

Terri Cooper Networking - networking “What I learned about small business working for one of the world’s biggest businesses, Facebook” WEDNESDAY May 28, 2014 6.45am for 7:00am start - 8.30am finish If you want to grow your business and really get the most out of Facebook and other online platforms, then this is a must attend event.

I met Camille Scott from CSBN - someone well versed in web design and networking. After kind and intelligent conversation she suggested I meet up with an engineer named Gavin Babke. Gavin and his team`s enthuisaism and dedciation to task was something I intially found overwhelming, albeit something I desperately needed. Together we tweaked and designed my invention close to what I envisioned would be a maket ready product. We sourced all our products through Australian sources and designed a business plan and structure we believed would be successful. Many problems still lay before us but the elephant in the room would soon need to be addressed. No funding. It was at this time Camille suggested, what would turn out to be, her most vauable gift so far. Camille suggested we

At the May breakfast, you will hear from Australia’s Facebook Small Business Expert, Nick Bowditch. Nick will be sharing what he learned over the last couple of years working at Facebook, where he headed up the small business marketing team for Australia and New Zealand. Book your place and read more...

Is Social Media For You?

WHY

SOCIAL MEDIA Look, I am a 53 year old man who thought and still thinks he knows everything. At least in my field. I don’t have the necessary pieces of paper this world seems to require but I have skill. I have experience. I have know-how. So when i opened my small business in late October 2012 I kept getting asked the same questions by my daughters and my internet savvy friends. Who is taking care of your Facebook? Who has got you on linkedIn or Twitter or other strange words that truly meant nothing to me. I calmly and carefully told them all to go away! I told them all I needed was quality products, quality service, competitive prices and a referral system certain to introduce new customers and bingo! I`m a success! This method was taught to me by my first boss in 1976 and he ended up retiring as a millionaire at 55, just ten years later. Well fast forward a whole year to October 2013 and my business model, as sound as I still think it is, has stabilised my business with no apparent increase in sales. With 12 months until I am 55 I can no longer see myself emulating the feats of Mr. Jorgensen back in the day. I begrudgingly listened to my know-it-all 19yo daughter and joined Facebook, Twitter and some other social media, I don’t know or understand, but to be honest she does it all for me. At first I assumed the results to be coincidental, related to a Christmas rush or the like. Now, only five months on, as I write this on the 25th of Feb 2014, my business has increased 39% and i have 329 friends on Facebook. Whatever that means. I am now convinced. In three weeks time I’m collaborating with CSBN for my first work with computers, social networking and web design. Still not sure if I really need it but, the results so far have spoken for themselves. I will keep you updated on my progress via this magazine, now that I can e-mail thanks to my daughter. Stephen.

“I begrudgingly listened to my know-it-all 19yo daughter and joined Facebook, Twitter and some other social media, I dont know or understand.”

“The CSBN Think Tank consists of a group of people who meet regularly to conceptualize effective business strategies and solutions that WORK to expand and grow their business. Join us and break through the challenges that are holding your business back!”.

In The Month of MAY Come along and join us for a round table setting, discussing and solving your current business issues. Everyone gets the opportunity to throw something on the table and have the group help them tackle it to success. Guest Mentor John Laurenson, problem solver extraordinaire, will be joining us and lending his expertise and knowledge to the session, along with resident business mentors Sam Rosenbaum and Camille Scott. John will be introducing us to his tried and tested problem solving methodology as explained in his book Make It Happen. John used to work for the World Bank, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Business and Economic Research Ltd and the Institute of Statistics - as a Senior Systems Analyst to help restructure the Jamaican economy. John has been trained by IBM in computer programming, systems analysis and project management, and says, “By far I was a better project manager because I had a natural inclination for it.” “People I meet have been enjoying the clarity and ease of my service for over 25 years now. The principles and processes are easy and simple to learn because they have been distilled down into a simple system that can work for anyone. The reason why I do this is that I see people getting lost in the world of business, personal development and achievement because they don’t set crucial goals and they don’t make effective plans to achieve them. I have fully leveraged this technology into my life and over 100 other peoples’ lives (I stopped counting after it worked for 100 people), and you can too. The process is simple and supplies a framework for you to install your dreams in, and to make them come true in your own way. Take a moment to think about

what more you want for your business and plan for this to happen using these tools in Make It Happen. Wishing you every success and may your dreams come true. John Laurenson, 2014. When: Thursday 15th May 2014. 12:30pm to 3pm, Join us for lunch at Midday. Where: The Park View Room, Pineapple Hotel, Woolloongabba. (See map) Cost: $25 per person RSVP: via the CSBN website or via CSBN on Meetup.

SPECIAL OFFER - RSVP via the CSBN website to receive a 20% discount.

You’re welcome. P.S. Amazing $10 lunch deals available! Author - Camille Scott

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS #2 Step 2 is to define why and/or the benefits of your vision/ goal is to achieved, whether it be economical, environmental, social gains or a combination of these. Using the aged care business in the last example, an economical benefit for the goal could be 65% return on investment by the 6th year of operation. A social gain could be expert provision of aged care services to reduce the impact on families and careers. Having clear outcome makes it easier to measure your milestones and progress to ensure you are on track to achieve your end objectives. Once the ‘why’ questions have been answered you have a clear understanding as to what it is you want to achieve and why you want it to achieve. Now it’s down to the leg work; how will the vision or goals become a reality, what work needs to be implemented, who will be responsible for what tasks and when each task is due by. Each of these elements is crucial to the success of the overall objectives. Using methods such as a Gant chart or a work breakdown structure (WBS) make excellent tools to help you collate requirements and tasks to be completed.

In the April issue of the CSBN Monthly I introduced the strategic planning process as the art of designing the future but what does this mean? In essence it’s your business road map to what you want to achieve and how you intend on achieving it. The first step is to design your vision. This is the overall destination or outcome that you wish to achieve e.g. to be a leading service provider for aged care services specialising in dementia patients. This is your desired outcome. You may have heard the term ‘SMART’ or ‘SMARTA’. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely and Agreed (when in teams or a partnership).Using the SMART principal will help you develop and work towards achieving your goals by defining a clear expectation on what is to happen and when it will occur.

With these steps accomplished you are ready to start implementing your future design for your business. In the next issue I will guide you through the execution, monitoring and control components of your goals. For more information or to set up a business consultation with CSBN please contact Sam Rosenbaum at sam@csbn.com.au or call 0455 502 909. Don’t forget to register for the next CSBN Think Tank session.

Samuel Rosenbaum Development & Events Manager 0455 502 909 sam@csbn.com.au Author - Sam Rosenbaum

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS Get your busines sin our Spotlight! Enjoy some effective promotion and marketing, while generating new leads and traffic! I am a firm believer of supporting local small business, in our community. Lets face it - the service is better, and the owners have this funny thing called PRIDE and PASSION that the larger businesses seemed to have lost the concept of. Local Business is also a fundamental part of our community. And let’s not forget the Ripple Effect!

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CSBN Workshop - introduction to basic imaging The CSBN DIY Workshops are designed to be so easy anyone can do them. Empower yourself and save money and time. The software we use is free to download and we make it fun. Learn how to easily edit your own photographs and images

so the achieve the same quality and professionalism as what you see in magazines! This workshop is under development and will be available soon. Please register your interest by emailing us at admin@csbn.com.au.

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS I am a firm believer of supporting local small business, in our community. Lets face it - the service is better, and the owners have this funny thing called PRIDE and PASSION that the larger businesses seemed to have lost the concept of. Local Business is also a fundamental part of our community. And let’s not forget the Ripple Effect!

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Eminence Clementine Spice Skin RRP: $41 - now $32.80 A beautifully packaged gift set for the hands and body: softening, smoothing, and moisturizing for all skin types. Enjoy velvety smooth hands and cuticles from the Clementine Spice Hand & Cuticle Cream. This silky cream pampers the hands while

the senses are treated to the divine aromas of clementine and spice. Antioxidant rich clementine combines with spice for a decadent smelling body lotion that delivers hydration that lasts all day. What a great gift idea!

CSBN Workshop - Build your own CMS website in 3 hours! The CSBN DIY Workshops are designed to be so easy anyone can do them. Empower yourself and save money and time. The software we use is free to download and we make it fun. Learn how to easily you can build your own content management

website! These websites are valued at over $3,500! Places are limited so when you see a workshop advertised, get in quick so you don’t miss out. To find out more, visit the CSBN website or call Camille on 0414 19 33 55.

DID YOU K N O W A B O U T. . . ?

The importance of page rank and Google ranking GOOGLE PAGE RANK - Ranking in Google has become one of the biggest challenges for websites and online businesses that face thousands of new competitors every day. In order to survive sites must rank, otherwise they will become invisible to users and fail to generate traffic. Ranking is typically based on a quality score set up by Google, based on an algorithm called PageRank. The higher your quality score, the higher your chances of having a better PageRank and better positioning on Google’s search engine results. PageRank was created by Larry Page and Sergey Brin to organize scientific papers of their doctoral thesis which later became the revolutionary technology used by Google

to become so effective in organizing and searching online content. Users, in an effort to adapt to this technology and improve their rankings, developed a Search Engine Optimization Strategy or SEO, which helps websites adapt and increase their chances of ranking on Google searches.

SEO BASIC ACTIONS FOR SUCCESS “SEO becomes the basic strategu to improve your page rank which helps improve the overall rating that Google assigns to a website.”

- Seo becomes then the basic strategy to improve your PageRank which helps improve the overall rating that Google assigns to websites based on the following factors: Textual and image content (keywords, texts and images) Social relevance of the site (what others say about my site) The above items can be optimized by following some basic actions which I will explain below: 1. Keyword Research Keywords are the core of your content and developing a strategy around it is absolutely necessary to

25 succeed. For this, we must perform a keyword research which is the analysis of keyword traffic volume on Google.

Balance keywords and use a wide range of them (try to use as many combinations of the keyword, plurals, synonyms, combinations, etc)

and with less than 1MB

Google provides a Keyword Tool that is able to provide statistics of monthly traffic volume of almost any keyword. This tool is free and it is included in the Google Adwords account. This tool is important to find out what keyword or keyword phrase combination is best for using as website content. You can research any keyword following this link: https://adwords.google.com/o/ KeywordTool

Think like a reader (create relevant, useful and comprehensible content)

Optimise image alt (the alt is the title that Google uses to understand the image).

2. On-page text and metadata optimization. Once you have figured out the keywords you would like to have on your website it is important to use these words in content creation and include them in the body of the page and the metadata which is the text embedded in the website code only crawlers can see. This is very important for Google because it helps it understand and classify the webpage within the search results. In content creation generation it is important to have the following in mind: Maintain a good keyword density (keep your focus keyword within relevant text and include it all over your website) Use keywords in titles and headings Use bold and underline relevant keywords Maintain consistency in the text and content of the page

Be careful with keyword spamming (Google penalizes you when keywords are saturated intentionally on website content, try to maintain a balanced and consistent copy).

WRITE A BLOG - The blog is the best communication strategy that helps to give a personality to your brand. Each article written on the blog is one more page indexed by Google. The more articles you have in our blog the more the chances that you will appear on search results. The more needles in the haystack the more the chances there are to find one. Besides this, a blog helps you retain users, by creating a community that can be loyal to your brand.

OPTIMISE IMAGES - A blog without pictures can be a bit boring, and most social networks index thumbnail images to highlight an article. Besides this the images are indexed very easily if we optimize them, this will position you in Google Image Search.

Optimise file titles with relevant keywords

SOCIAL NETWORK STRATEGY Social networks are essential to help us link our product or service easily throughout the web. It is the way our product is validated by others. Beat the competition with discipline and patience. Having a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account, Google+ and Linkedin, helps us connect with millions.

B e at t h e Co m p e t i t i o n w i t h Discipline and Patience - Today with the fierce competition on the Internet it is important to keep up with new technology, strategies and techniques. The above actions are basic for gaining a decent position in your search engine and have an acceptable performance on line. These will help you position yourself naturally in the search and increase the chance of appearing when someone searches for terms related to your business. These actions are easy to implement but require discipline, consistency and patience.

Tips for optimizing images for SEO: Upload images with good resolution

Author - Camille Scott

C A M I L L E S C OT T CSBN owner & manager Camille Scott, owner & manager, came upon the idea for the Connect! Small Business Network through her contact with the amazing NEIS small business course, it’s staff and mentors. By seeking new avenues through which to market my website services, and to outsource required work, I quickly realised that I had no clear and easy access to fellow NEIS participants.

“I truely hope the CSBN will benefit NEIS participants, both past and present, as well as other small business owners across Australia.”

meet the

“I truly hope the CSBN will benefit NEIS participants, both past and present as well as other business owners across Australia by providing a networking platform, from which we can all connect and benefit from our unique business experiences, services and products. Because I believe in the NEIS Small Business course, its standards, people and mentors, NEIS participants are the people I most want to do business with. I look forward to connecting with you soon.”

CSBN team

S A M RO S E N B AU M CSBN events & developm e n t Holding a Certificate III in both Hospitality and Events Management, a Certificate IV in Small Business Management and also currently studying a duel diploma in Business and Management, Samuel Rosenbaum has the key skills and the knowledge set to understand and develop business requirements. “As the CSBN Business Development Manager, I bring a passionate enthusiasm to the operations’ developmental changes. As well as being a talented multi-tasker my understanding of project management principles means I am able to consider various options when carrying out required tasks as per particulars. While Camille oversees the operations and marketing, and Ben guides the Magazine, I take care of event and business development to ensure the continued growth and development of the CONNECT! Small Business Network.”

“Ihave the skills and knowledge set to understand and develop business requirements.”

B E N M AC K I E CSBN editor in chie f Ben Mackie, CSBN Editor in Chief, also manages his own business (Scribe Copywriting). Through frequent involvement in business networking, Ben understands first hand how important it is for business (large or small) not just to make stronger connections with their target market and their existing client base, but also with other businesses. “Starting out in business is like planting seeds with the intention of growing a big tree. You can plant the seeds in healthy soil in a spot where they are exposed to enough sunlight to grow. But it’s not an instant process, the seeds and the soil need constant maintenance, attention and care to grow. Patience is also necessary. CSBN is where we connect people from all different fields- those sowing their seeds to those who have experience tending to their seeds and want to share their knowledge of what it takes to grow your business into a mighty tree.”

“CSBN is where we connect people from all different fields - those sowing their seeds to those who have experience tending to their seeds and want to share their knowledge of what it takes to grow a business into a mighty tree.”

BUSINESS SUCCESS

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The Connect! Small Business Network can help you grow and expand your business. Enjoy the benefits of networking with like-minded people and the resulting success. and enjoyment. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier than you think when you meet up and connect with the right kind of people, just like you!