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1. Canva

If you’re like me, you’re not visually talented. I can’t design an infographic to save my life. Nor do I have the budget to pay a designer to design one. I’m thrilled that I stumbled onto Canva. I assure you: you don’t need a drop of designer’s blood to create appealing images for blog posts, social media, your site, email, or whatever. To the left is an example I created for a client. Most images are free, but some are $1 each. Pretty impressive for 10 minutes and $1, eh?

2. Social Buzz Club

I’m lucky in that I meet a lot of people in the marketing industry. I was fortunate enough to meet Laura Rubinstein a few years ago. She’s the co-founder of Social Buzz Club, and once you hear about it, you’ll want access.

When I write content for me or my clients, I want it to get the widest exposure possible. So I log into Social Buzz Club and post a link. Other members can then get points for posting my content. But here’s why it works so well: I can only ask others to post my content if I post theirs and I have enough points. So it’s this amazing community of likeminded social influencers sharing one another’s content.

To this day, Social Buzz Club remains one of the top referrers of traffic to my site. There’s a free Basic account, but I spring for the Premium account for $197 a year. For that, I get more social accounts I can share with, and unlimited shares.

3. MailChimp

I like simple email marketing, and MailChimp delivers. Because I manage several accounts, including Egg’s and clients’, I like the fact that I can log in and then select which account I want to manage. The templates are easy to manage and update, and you can view how your email will look before sending it off.

I used to only use the free account, but upgraded recently so that I could get autoresponders set up for my free ebook download. I think I’m paying $20 a month (it’s based on the number of subscribers you have).

4. Google Drive

While not technically a marketing tool, I wouldn’t be able to survive without Google Drive. This is where I write posts for clients, and then share them for review. I work with a team of writers who can share their work and let me edit it online. I always hated emailing documents and then trying to keep track of which document was the most recently updated.

I got a new computer recently, and I made a conscious decision to keep nothing on my desktop. So I installed Drive for my computer and house all my documents there!

5. PRWeb

While I’ve gotten away from distributing as many press releases as I once did, I still love my old standby, PRWeb. The company, now owned by Vocus, makes sending press releases out a breeze. You can select what cities you want to focus your distribution in, as well as the industries. This targets which websites get your release, and helps your release get more reads. I also love the social sharing features on the release itself: anyone can click to share my releases on social sites lke Twitter and LinkedIn.

So these are the marketing tools I’m grateful for. What would you add to this list?

The post 5 Marketing Tools I’m Grateful For appeared first on CorpNet.

Start with the End in Mind

Have you ever considered what your exit strategy is for your business? Meaning: will you sell it down the road? Transfer ownership to a family member? Run it until you die?

Even if you can’t imagine ever stopping what you’re doing, consider the question. Maybe you’d like to move on to a different type of business in a few years. Knowing how long you’d like to run your business and how you’d like to exit can help you in creating your five-year business plan.

Draft the Business Plan Basics

Every business plan should have the same elements, including:

• Executive summary
• Company overview
• Marketing plan
• Trends
• Competition

Tweak as needed to encompass your big five-year picture. So while your company overview will paint a picture of where your company is today, include as well what you’d like to see it become. For example:

Egg Marketing & Communications is an Internet marketing company specializing in content marketing and social media. Within five years, we plan to expand into new areas of marketing services, as well as expand our team to include locations worldwide.

You can include your aspirations for your company throughout the plan.

Nothing’s Set in Stone

Realize that by putting on paper what you hope to achieve in five years, you’re not stuck with those goals. Things change. Technology creates new opportunities you can’t even imagine right now. Use your business plan as a guideline, but feel free to update it as needed.

Where to Be Specific, and Where to Be General

In a business plan, you want to be pretty specific in your goals (increase revenues by 30% year over year) but leave the “how” part a bit more general. If you lay out exactly how you want to achieve goals over such a long period, you limit yourself on how you can actually achieve them. You don’t know what opportunities will open up in the next few years, so it’s best to leave it a bit vague on how you want to get to the end result.

Go Beyond Five Years

While your business plan should focus on five years, don’t be shy about including a single page at the end of your plan with a brief overview of your 10 year goals (or even beyond!).  Your job as the business owner is to paint a big picture that your employees can believe in, long term.

Share Your Plan

Your business plan is meant to be read and shared. Give a copy to each employee so that he feels vested in your overall plan for the company. Share it with new hires. Ask for input to make it even better.

Ready to start your business today? CorpNet can help you incorporate your business online, and provide all of the necessary business filings and paperwork you need to launch your new business.

The post Creating a Five-Year Business Plan appeared first on CorpNet.

1. Get Licensed and Bonded

Whether you will be the sole cleaner of personal or commercial properties, or whether you plan to hire a team, you absolutely must be licensed and bonded. Your state may or may not require this, but doing so also helps you build confidence with customers. If they know you’ve gone to the effort to get a cleaning license and be bonded, they may feel they can trust you to do the work.

In the event that you don’t provide the services your client paid for, your bond will cover that expense for the client. Consider it peace of mind. Make sure you include your license number on any marketing collateral so that potential customers know you’re covered.

2. Get Insured

Another way to help clients feel comfortable with you working in their homes or offices is by getting liability insurance coverage. Should something get damaged or turn up missing, you won’t have to pay out of pocket. Your insurance will cover it.

3. Protect Your Personal Assets

Because it’s difficult to prove that you or an employee didn’t, for example, steal from a customer, you risk being sued should such a scenario arise. It’s wise to separate your personal assets from your business, which you can do by incorporating or becoming an LLC. Once you have your business as a separate entity, no one can seize your personal assets in case of a lawsuit.

4. Decide on Your Angle

Will you serve commercial, personal or both? Will you offer only eco-friendly cleaning products? How many cleaners will work on a given job? These are all components to consider before launching, as they’ll help position you in the market. If there are plenty of other “eco cleaners” in your area, maybe your special touch is that you also offer home organization. Find a way to stand out from everyone else.

5. Find Quality Employees

The cleaning business is notorious for high turnover, but clients like to have the same people come back to clean their homes or offices. Strive to find employees with experience in the industry who are committed to working for you for years to come. This helps build your brand and helps you connect with customers.

The post How to Start a Cleaning Business appeared first on CorpNet.

While you may have the basics of your business, such as who to hire and what to call your company, here are ten things you may not have considered.

1. Apply for Permits

Construction is a highly regulated industry, and to become a licensed construction provider, you’ll need to apply for a few building licenses and permits. Because you’re involved in so many areas when constructing a building, you may need permits for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas fitting, et cetera. Check with your local licensing bureau and make sure you take care of all of this before you start working on a project.

2. Get Insured

Construction is a dangerous industry, and you may be required to carry a hefty amount of insurance coverage for you, your staff, and your equipment, including:

•  General liability insurance
• Vehicle and property insurance
• Workers’ compensation insurance
• Unemployment and state disability insurance

3. Protect Your Company

Again– this is a dangerous industry, but not just physically. It’s also fiscally dangerous, meaning that if you don’t do a job to a client’s liking, he could sue you. And if you’re not set up as a corporation or LLC, that could jeopardize your personal assets. Start out on the right foot by separating your business self from your personal self.

4. Look into Surety Bonds

Some states require construction businesses to be bonded, which essentially means that a third party will pay your client if you don’t fulfill the requirements of your contract. It’s peace of mind for your clients, and don’t you want that?

5. Consider Becoming a Government Contractor

A lucrative area for construction is in government contracts. Because the government sets aside millions to spend with small businesses, you’ve got a good chance of securing bids…once you’re approved as a contractor.

Look to your city’s licensing agency and find out all the requirements you have in starting a construction business. Don’t start until everything’s processed and approved, or you risk being fined — or even shut down — before you really get started. Remember to stay on top of renewing your licenses and permits so that you’re always compliant with local regulations.

The post How to Start a Construction Business appeared first on CorpNet.

So Phil, CorpNet celebrated its third birthday on July 1. Congratulations! How does it feel being over the initial hump of launching the business, especially given that this is your second business?

Most people would probably be relieved; it’s stressful starting a new business.  For me, however, the “initial hump” is my favorite part of the rollercoaster ride!

How are you doing with the whole work/life balance thing? You see your wife every day at work. Do you often carry work home with you?

First and foremost, I love having a busy life – I thrive in it!  I’m always in motion and my life is colorful and eventful.  When there “downtime” finally arrives, I truly take notice, get grateful, and appreciate “wherever I’m at” and the fact that everything has “slowed down.”  …for a few minutes, anyway.

Balance…Balance …Balance.   “Balance is Key!”  My schedule literally starts at 5:30 each day until I “engage the Shutdown Sequence” at around 8 pm each night.  So, it’s critical to my sanity to keep things “compartmentalized.”  Sometimes, however, that creative – entrepreneurial spark flies in from nowhere ..  and it ignites into a full-fledged brainstorm.

Once, I was coaching my 8-year old’s soccer game when suddenly, I was struck with a great idea for a new service.  I ran off the field, mid-game, and dictated my thoughts and ideas into my iPhone.  Although the parents were a little confused, no one was injured during my “entrepreneurial seizure.”  Work is work, and home is home; and, it’s important to be “present” wherever I’m at.  But, as I just illustrated, it doesn’t always work out that way.

You’ve got a beautiful family with four children (including a teeny one!). What’s it like being Co-Founder at work and co-managing your household with your wife who is the CEO?

A lot of my friends will say things like “Happy Wife = Happy Life.”   And although I love seeing Nellie “Happy,” I’ve got a lot of input on how I want things done both at work AND at home.  I find that we are most effective when we take time out, regularly, to listen, discuss, plan and execute.

While the “execution” phase may happen separately in different locations or in a concerted effort together, the key is to be unified in our goals and aspirations.  This way, we’re moving in the same direction and growing TOGETHER!  Plus…this way, we never really run out of things to talk about.

My biggest fear for us:  I never want to be one of those couples, sitting at the dinner, each reading a different section of the newspaper with no words exchanged between each other.  I’m at my best when I’m interacting with someone who inspires me.  And Nellie … inspires me!

How has CorpNet grown since you started it three years ago? 

First, the company itself has grown in size and volume.  We started in the back room of our house with 4 desks and PCs.  When we moved CorpNet into an office park, my 10-year old somehow appropriated the back room as his personal Xbox arena; I’m still trying to figure out how that happened!?!

Today, only 3 years later, gross revenues and volume have grown about 20x.  We’re now barely fitting into our 2,500 sq ft. office…so we’re trying to throw technology, instead of “bodies,” at the growth issue.  Our core team here is super-experienced…so we’re able to provide EXCELLENT customer service at a very competitive price…but developing technology, affordably, that will support our core customer support team is critical to this goal.

This is your second company. How is it different from your first business? What lessons did you learn from that first company that change how you run CorpNet?

CorpNet is a lot smaller, lighter, and leaner than my former business… and, it has a cooler logo.  Plus, the CEO of CorpNet is so much better-looking…we thought branding my wife “Nellie” as the CEO and the face of CorpNet.com was a better move for us this time around since I was the CEO of our former company…in all candor, she is the one who runs the operations.

What’s next for CorpNet?

Although the public isn’t aware of the change, we recently released an entirely new foundation and framework underlying our live website!  So, although the front end “appears” to be the same, this new foundation will enable us to quickly and affordably develop and release new products and services that are unprecedented in our industry.  In other words, in the next 6 months, a lot of cool, new stuff is coming out at CorpNet – so Stay Tuned!

The post Interview with CorpNet Co-Founder: Phil Akalp appeared first on CorpNet.