Online Scheduling System

When I graduated with my English degree in 2007 I quickly became disappointed at having to leave behind my student life that consisted of waking up leisurely, ambling to class, participating in stimulating discussions, reading fascinating texts, and then working on the side for fifteen hours a week or five hours a week depending on the mood. Not long after walking off the podium with a degree in hand, however, I stumbled across Itunes U (http://itunesu.pbworks.com/w/page/9762377/FrontPage—or most easily accessed by opening up Itunes and navigating to Itunes U which is located in the Store). Soon my regular tasks such as grocery shopping and bus riding were accompanied by lectures from distinguished UC Berkeley and Stanford professors such as Hubert Dreyfus and Paul Ehrlich respectively, who shared their wisdoms regarding existential commitments in the Industrial Age and why the Western world’s vulnerability to environmental degradation is increased by virtue of their technological advances while I strolled through cereal aisles or prepared my lunches (however, I must admit that I performed these routine tasks in a less timely manner when trying to absorb challenging  concepts and themes that cost me additional concentration).

With the academic frontiers changing, many business schools are following suit by opening up their doors to the public. The Kutztown University of Pennsylvania’s Small Business Development Center, for example, has all of their course content available here: http://www.kutztownsbdc.org/course_listing.asp. Other sites with worthwhile content of interest to small business owners and entrepreneurs, or anyone wanting to be informed on the latest insights shared by knowing minds, are compiled below:

http://www.onlinembaguide.net/100-useful-free-open-courses-and-lectures-for-small-business-owners

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/category.php?id=4

http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/entrepreneurship-small-business/id387560947

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/10/22/101-itunes-feeds-to-boost-your-business-savvy/

The opening up of America’s and Europe’s elite campuses and lecture halls to the public is a wonderful gesture and a democratic act in the global sense since it will afford many “students” from developing countries the opportunity to take part in the exchange of knowledge with the world’s top universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Oxford, who have all made their courses available on Itunes U. There are several other online resources available outside of Itunes U such as Academic Earth which is a San Francisco based website that features video content of more than a handful of reputable US Universities.

Many aspects of the online lecture hall can be understood as positive developments, particularly as they relate to inviting into the discussion those who could never foot the rising tuition at American and European universities or those who do not have the luxury of superfluous leisure time to take classes. Universities are attempting to avoid the mistake the music industry made when it amassed all of its corporate clout to entomb Napster all of ten years ago only to eventually go belly up because they did not  stop even long enough to consider the rate of technological advancement (http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-law-of-accelerating-returns) and adapt accordingly. However, there are yet several considerations to examine regarding this transformation in higher learning. For all the benefit of plugging the greatest teachers directly into your ear at the push of play, something irreplaceable is lost that can only come from sitting at the feet of a great teacher. Arriving either late, early, or on time to class, taking part in a learning community there, not having the capability of pausing the operation; these are all intangibles that an academic experience on an Ipod cannot replace, however convenient, efficient, and democratic it may be. Far from banning lectures from my Ipod, I would only like to encourage “lifetime students” to attend class once in a while; most universities offer lectures, and even courses, to the public which allow for that timeless experience of learning something new.

We have talked a lot about modern marketing techniques on this blog. We touched on social media, iPhone apps and websites but today I’m going to talk about the old business card.

Do people still use them? Are they helpful? Should I, as a small business owner, even bother ordering them when I have a successful website?

These are all valid questions with varying answers depending on who you ask.

Most business owners still feel a flush of pride when they gaze on their new business cards. That small piece of paper represents years of hard work, planning and dreams.

Unfortunately, for many people that piece of paper is just another piece of trash, an outdated piece of advertisement.  But even in this technology-driven age, a well-created business card can be a good marketing tool.

Below are a few reasons why you should retain the usage of business cards:

1. Your card is a physical link to a potential customer or client.

When you’re promoting your business verbally and encourage people to look you up on the web, a business card is a great way to ensure that people will remember your website address. Instead of just saying “look me up at www.mycompany.com” you can give them a card that has the address on it.

2. Your card ensures that the recipient has the correct info.

How annoying is receiving a “delivery failed” email or reaching the wrong number because you jotted it down incorrectly. A business card prevents this.

3. Your card can be passed from one person to the next

Worth of mouth is still one of the best forms of advertisement. Handing out your business cards to friends, family, colleagues and clients gives them the tools to refer you to someone else.

4) Credibility.

Giving someone your card means that you’re serious about your job and your business. It makes it real. It makes it credible.

The Business Card: Updated

In today’s market, less is more. The best business cards are often the most simplistic ones. Your business card should state your name, phone number, email address, website address and social media links. That’s it. The business postal address is negotiable. The main purpose of the business card today is to send people to your website. A good website will do the rest.  A good website will spark the potential client or customer’s interest, inform them and gives them directions to your business address – it’s a pamphlet and business card in one.

Last week pop-icon Madonna made headlines again but it wasn’t about her music, her model boyfriend or her clothing line. Instead, it appears that the Material Girl is muscling her way into the health and fitness industry by opening a fitness club of her own. 

Madonna leaving a gym, showing off her ripped arms. Courtesy of lizharperfitness.com

The first club titled “Hard Candy Fitness” will open this month in Mexico City with a 30,000 square-foot space. The gym is packed with top-of-the-line equipment, personal viewing screens, a juice bar and cafe and spa-quality locker rooms with saunas and steam rooms. The clubs will also feature a variety of classes including yoga, Zumba, cardio kickboxing and capoeira. 

Take one look at the 52-year-old Madonna and you’ll notice her impressive biceps and rock hard body. She is known to be one of the fittest and best-trained celebrities out there and she’s worked out in hundreds of gyms around the world during her many concert tours. So perhaps it’s only fitting that she’s venturing into the fitness-club world but where does that leave you, the small business owner in the health and fitness industry that being overrun by big chains catering to large audiences? 

Let’s face it; you probably don’t have the necessary funding for a 30,000 square-foot club with state of the art equipment that will please yoga fans and body-builders alike. For the average small business, the success lies in finding yourself a niche. 

Catering your business to a specific group of people will not only make you stand out among the competition, it also allows you to work with the group of people you feel most passionate about. Additionally, it will make all of your marketing efforts so much easier. 

An example of a great niche in the fitness industry is Curves. Curves caters specifically to women ages 30 and up with a special circuit workout.  With this special niche, Curves has become one of the most successful franchises in the industry.   

 Another example is sport-specific fitness. In Portland, OR and Seattle, WA cycling has become an incredibly popular sport and people in the health and fitness industry took notice. You can now find instructors that offer “yoga for cyclists”. 

 Having a niche however, does not mean you shouldn’t continue training a larger demographic but it helps to create an identity for your business and set you apart from all the fitness chains out there. 

 So ask yourself the following questions to find your niche: 

-          What sets your business/service apart from everyone else? 

• Do you have specific knowledge or education that makes you different from others? Perhaps you have experience with coaching or counseling or training a lot of swimmers. Perhaps you have experience working with people with disabilities. These are factors that make your services unique.

-          What demographic do you prefer having as your clientele? 

• Be honest with yourself and ask what type of people you enjoy working with most. Kids or seniors? Athletes or people overcoming obesity? Women or men? What is their income level and/or careers?  Can they afford your service? What are their hobbies?

-          Finally, look at your competition. 

• How does your service differ from theirs? What are their strengths?

You probably don’t have the resources to cater to a mass audience like Madonna’s club or 24 Hour Fitness but you can offer specific services that a niche market has been waiting for. What’s your niche?

Over time it has shown that any business – big or small– that does not keep up with the times will lose business. In today’s market, convenience and accessibility are key to a successful business. Consumers want everything right now and at their finger tips.

The hugely popular Apple iPhone with its endless abilities enables businesses to meet their clients’ needs.  There are over 6.5 million iPhone users in the U.S. alone. Some of them are your clients.

As with advertising, keeping your company on the forefront of the minds of consumers and promoting your brand is very important.  iPhone applications do just that.  The iPhone allows its user to download applications for free or for a small fee. These applications, commonly referred to as “apps”, are specific software tools. There are over a billion iPhone apps out there in various categories including Games, News, Business, Entertainment, Sports, Education, Fitness, Travel, etc. At a click of a button the iPhone user can do his/her banking, schedule an appointment, see the latest sports results, track a UPS package, see if the bus is going to be on time, play games, and so much more.

How would you like for your client to see the latest news regarding your business in an instant or to schedule a session with you with the click of a button? It’s possible with your very own application.

Developing an iPhone app can not only increase communication between you and your clients, it also presents a new, innovative way to promote your services to a growing audience.

Some advantages of developing an iPhone app for your business include:

- Meeting Customer Needs.

If your business has an iPhone app, you are on the front line of technology, meeting the where the customer needs for convenience.

- Attracting new customers. As with any business, attracting new customers and making them aware of the benefits of your product is the key to producing more sales. With a simple and easy-to-use iPhone app, your company can advertise its services to a growing tech-savvy audience. This is an innovative way to present your company to the marketplace and will also help with your company’s brand recognition.

- Enhance customer experience and service. Clients will benefit from being able to access your company’s service with greater ease. Your client will be able to access the application day and night. Depending on the features of your application, the client could schedule a session or send you a message at time that is convenient for them. Keeping the lines of communication open is a major benefit to a business relationship. You can also stay in touch with your data base by highlighting upcoming sales or special events by sending customers updates.

- Increased profit. Ultimately, the benefits of better company-client relationships and new  marketing and promotion opportunities will lead to more business for you.

Since the introduction of aerobic dance in the early 1970′s, a relationship between music and exercise has blossomed. Many health and fitness instructors regard the addition of music to exercise a beneficial aid. Some even say that without appropriate music an exercise class is set for failure. We all love listening to music to get us in that “zone”. The right beat or tune can set the atmosphere whether that is upbeat and intensive or meditative and relaxing.

People are constantly on the lookout for new music to keep them going and to help them finish that one extra mile.  As an instructor it is your job to make up the perfect music playlist.

The best way to pick the right playlist is to find out what works for you. Portable mp3 players make it easy to access your entire music catalog anywhere and at any time.

Here’s a look at some of the latest and greatest in mp3 players.

Apple makes the most popular family of mp3 players. iPods  have been dominating the market since its creation but the following brands are giving the one-size-fits-all- iPod stiff competition as they have created digital music players as unique as your workout.

Take the new Ryobi TEK4 AllPlay Jobsite MP3 Player for example. Created by the hardware tool manufacturer, the rugged player is made for tough conditions. Withstanding dirt, water and the occasional drop on the ground, this player is perfect for mountain bikers, trail runners and extreme sport athletes.

Have you ever wished for the company of music while swimming laps? Well, now you can. The Finis SwiMP3.1G allows you to take 1G worth of music (approximately 240 songs) under water. The complete waterproof player attaches to your swim goggles and sits on your cheek bone. Bone conduction technology sends vibrations from cheekbone to inner ear, allowing your ears to stay headphone-free so that it won’t affect your stroke.

Whether you’re running, spinning or doing yoga, getting tangled with your headphone cords seems unavoidable. The new Sony W Series NWZ-W252 prevents this by taking away the cord all together.  The wearable player combines the players and headphone and wraps comfortably around your neck. Plus it’s lightweight and water resistance – perfect for rainy Fall weather.

So load up your music library and find those perfect tracks to take your workout session to another level. Plug the player into a set of speakers and you’re ready to share them with your clients.

TIP: Posting a regular workout playlist on your blog or website is a good way to draw people to your site and have the return on a regular basis. More traffic = more business.

Stimulating the economy – it is a constant topic in Washington D.C.  Everyone is trying to strategize the best way to grow the U.S. economy in the midst of a recession.  And today on the radio, I heard an interesting advertisement from JP Morgan Chase that is offering its own unique solution – Loan for Hire.

Loan for Hire is a brand new promotion aimed at the small business owner.  When your small business gets approved for a new loan, Chase will take off a half-point rate discount for each new employee that you hire, up to 3 employees.  They are also cross-selling their services by offering another half-point on top of that if you have a business checking account with them.  All together, your small business may be able to save 2% off your loan rates, all in the name of growing and hiring employees.

This is an interesting promotion, because it is positioning a big bank (which has been under scrutiny in the past year or so) as a helpful partner that cares about small businesses and wants to help you succeed and grow.  The promotion features a series of videos explaining the details of the promotion, as well and the importance of hiring employees to build a healthier business and therefore a healthier economy.  One of the more interesting videos is the testimonials of real businesses that bank with Chase, sharing their stories of how they have benefitted from getting a loan from the institution (watch the video by clicking here).  Other features of this promotional page include tips for succeeding in our current economy, and how to hire the right people.

So if you are thinking about potentially getting a loan for your small business or hiring more employees, check out this Chase promotion, as see if it is a good fit for you.

When January 1^st comes around, I avoid the gym at all costs.  Even though my New Year’s resolution usually includes living a healthier lifestyle, I know that millions of other Americans have also made this goal and are determined to start the year off right (which usually means, joining a gym).  As a gym member year around, I have found certain hours during the day when the gym is not crowded.  There is nothing worse then getting to the gym only to have to wait for a treadmill to be available, or dodge heavy lifters.  And you can almost guarantee hordes of people will be at the gym during the month of January.  But what’s bad for me, is great for the fitness industry.

The beginning of the year means an influx in business for gyms, personal trainers, yoga instructors and other professionals in the industry.  But as a small business owner in the fitness industry, you know that not everyone will maintain the motivation and mentality they had at the beginning of the year, when resolutions are still fresh.  In fact, you can almost guarantee that a large percentage of clients will dwindle in attendance over the next eleven months, and business will go down.

Most industries have a season that their business peaks –  The retail industry thrives around the holidays, ski resorts get swarmed in the winter months, and for a house painter, the summer is a prime time.  But with the peaks also come the valleys.  And it is imperative to plan for the slow months of your business, in order to maintain consistency and build a great business year around. So what can you do year round to keep your business healthy?   Click here to read an article providing three great tips to running a business year round through all the peaks and valleys!

No matter where in the world you go you will be able to find people tweeting, posting, liking, poking, and tagging – all virtually, of course.  Social media is an ever growing part of society and is being utilized by millions.  The internet is more than a place to research information, or have a website.  It is a place to create and foster relationships.

According to an article in PR Newswire, a recent study shows that one out of every six marriages is between people who met through an online dating site.  That means 1/6^th of marriages are because of social media.  And it is not just romantic relationships that are being sought after through online networks.   A wide variety of other networking sites allow people to create relationships in many forms.  For instance, Facebook allows people to stay in contact with old friends and family.  Lack of time is a big reason people loose contact with loved ones. Sending a “hello” through Facebook is a lot easier and less time consuming than picking up the phone, yet still allows communication to be made and relationships to continue.  Social networks are also being used professionally.  LinkedIn, is a site that provides a way to network with people that you have done business with in the past, as well as current and potential contacts.  With the click of a mouse, LinkedIn profiles show potential business propositions any references and recommendations that you have.  Facebook and LinkenIn are just a couple examples of the hundreds of sites aimed at growing webs of networks for every faucet of life.  So what does this mean for running a business?

People communicate through social media in a variety of arenas (romantically, socially, and professionally).  So why not reach clients the way they want to be reached?  But using social media as a business tool is more that just creating a profile.  Here are some tips for starting your social media strategy.

Limit your networks:

There are a lot of different social media networks out there and if you use too many, you will become overwhelmed.  Start with one, and expand to two or three if you like the results.  It is best to start with the networks that your clients or potential clients are already using.  Do some research and see how many clients are on Facebook or Twitter, as they are the top two networking sites in popularity.

Keep your private life private:

Keep in mind that whatever you post is going to be public forever.  Use discretion, and know that photos from your personal life may not reflect well professionally.

Once you are start, you can’t stop:

There is nothing worse than following an inactive tweeter, or someone with no recent activity on their Facebook.  Make sure to update regularly.  A few times a week should suffice.  But also keep in mind that there is such thing as updating too much.  Don’t tweet or post a Facebook update more than once a day.

Market your profiles:

Now that you are up and running on social media, make sure to include your Facebook and Twitter addresses on marketing materials.  It shows your clients that you are up with the times and is just another way that they can reach you.

Free is a good price tag; especially when the free item can help you grow business.  What am I referring to, your bargain loving mind may ask?  Google Optimization of course.  In our last blog we talked about the importance of having a great website and touched a little bit on Search Engine Optimization.  But in the spirit of being thrifty and utilizing free tools, I wanted to divulge a bit more about a free way to gain business, in the search engine arena.

Google is the top search site online.  In fact, according to www.googleoptimizing.com, Google accounted for 44.5% of all online sales in 2009.  This number in comparison to Yahoo’s search site accounting for only 17% shows just how powerful Google is.  This is why you should start with Google’s free optimization guidelines and tools first, when optimizing your web site.

Google has high standards.  One reason they are the top search engine site is because of these standards.  Google strives to showcase the best sites possible that are most relevant to peoples’ searches.  So how do you make sure that your site comes up as one of the best?  There are guidelines for building the best optimized site for Google in their Webmaster Tools manual.  You can find this information online.  Google changes their policies a lot to make sure they are maintaining the highest standards, so make sure you frequently check for updates.   Some main things to remember when optimizing for Google are that it likes keywords.  Google indexes sites based on popular searches.  So make sure you use these keywords in headlines, code, and descriptions.  Google also like when other domain names link to your site.  So if you can get other relevant sites to link to you, it will boost your rankings.  However, Google also has things that it does not like, too.  Do not use hidden text or irrelevant keywords that may be popular, but have nothing to do with your website.  If Google sees that you are doing this, it will ban you from their search engine for an extended period of time, which can be devastating to your business.

Search Engine Optimization can seem like an overwhelming task.  But, it is an important one to tackle.  And you have a great starting place with Google Optimization that is completely free.



We live in a society where everyone is connected.  Wifi, smart phones, and lap tops make it easy for us to access what ever we want, when ever we want.  While technology can sometimes be overwhelming with all its upgrades and changes, it also offers valuable tools that have reshaped the way we live.  For instance, high school reunions are not just once every ten years, thanks to Facebook.  Finding your way to a destination, while driving is a lot more calculated, thanks to Google Maps.  And looking for a job, house, or anything else you can think of is only a click away, thanks to Craig’s List.  The internet has opened an array of access and it is the first place people go when they need to find something.  So what does this mean for a small business owner?

It means that in order to seem relevant and worthy to potential business, you need to go digital.  In fact, your website is probably going to be viewed by everyone who uses your services, as well as everyone who will use your services in the future.  It is one of your most important marketing tools, and must be thought out strategically.  Not only is your website the visual face of your company, but it will be side by side with your direct competitors when searched for, and you will want to stand out.  While building a great website may sound intimidating, you should not be overwhelmed.  There are simple things you can do to assure that your .com is an asset to your business.

-Content: Content refers to anything on your website. It is all the copy, pictures, and media that visitors will see.  The amount on content you have on your website is directly related to your goals and type of business. But just remember, a website that is too copy heavy can seem overwhelming, while one with only a few photos and not much copy can seem like it is lacking information.   You need to chose your content with purpose and only include what is deemed as important information.  Anyone can design a pretty website, but if it’s content is lacking, than it is worthless.  That brings us to aesthetics.

-Aesthetics: People are drawn into a site by design.  You don’t want to overwhelm people with too many loud graphics that can seem overpowering.  In the website world, less can often be more.   Choose three to five colors that you want to use for a color palette.  Make sure these colors are associated with your brand and logo.  Stick to one or two fonts for all of the website copy.   The text treatment should always be uniform (that is to say, if you use 20 point bold font for one headline, make sure all headlines are 20 point bold font).  Keep your background simple to allow the content to be easily viewed.  And make sure you design to a multitude of browsers and monitor ratios.  Not everyone has the latest flat screen 20 inch monitor.

-Navigation: Your content is great, and your design is tight, but you still need to make sure that website visitors are able to find the information they are looking for, with ease.  Provide a header and/or footer that are the same on every page.  This header/footer should include a link back to the homepage as well as menus/tabs to navigate to any other pages on the site.  Limit the number of menus/tabs and make sure that all your pages are labeled correctly.  Also, if your site contains links to other places, make sure that all the links work. And continually check for broken links.

-Search Engine Optimization (SEO): You now have a great website with rich content, clear design that is easy to navigate.  But, how can you assure that people are finding it on search engines?  This is where SEO comes in.  SEO is the art of creating a website that is “friendly” for Google, Bing, Yahoo and any other search engine to pick it up and shoot it out to thousands of people searching for your services.  There are simple things you can do when creating your website that will help you rise to the top of search engine rankings.  Check out this link for 55 quick SEO tips.

Your website is a powerful tool, and when you execute it correctly, it is one of your biggest assets.