If you’re blogging your business, content alone is not going to draw potential customers/ clients to your site. Networking on the other hand, both in person and online, can make a difference if you’re persistent with a broad strategy to promote your business online.

1. Signature in email. Make sure to set up your email client to automatically list your site’s URL at the bottom of every message you send. Email as social network hub can be amazingly efficient, and messages sometimes make their way to other people, increasing your networking reach.

2. Build a social media profile. Submit your best articles to voting or bookmarking sites. Or have a colleague do it, on sites that frown on self-submission. Make sure that your profile contains a link to your website. Anyone that “adds” you as a friend because of the articles you’ve submitted or voted on could become a colleague or client.
3. Build a social network profile. Build a profile and network on sites like MySpace and Facebook, as well as Biznik and LinkedIn. Though make sure you follow some rules of engagement. If you’re going after the teen market, social networking is crucial. Consider also partnering with other sites.
4. Signature in forums or groups. Getting involved in forums covering your site’s niche. Forums allow more senior members - based on number of threads you’ve posted in - to add one or more URLs in their forum signature. Try Yahoo Groups as well. There are far too many forums to list, though you can always search for “forum” along with your niche. E.g., “software development forum”.
5. Maintain chat buddies. Keep a list of your trustworthy colleagues in your favorite IM chat client. If you allow your profile to be searchable, that might bring you additional colleagues or clients (and sometimes random spammers). Note: you may have to persuade some colleagues to use the same IM you do.

To a lesser degree, guest blogging on relevant sites also helps cast your networking net. All of these methods help draw traffic as well. And don’t forget the old mainstay: business cards. Make sure your site’s URL is prominently displayed, and always carry some cards with you.

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Carnival of Small Business and Startups (CoSBaS #7). If your entry is not here, it may appear in the next edition, unless it is either not relevant to the Carnival theme, promotes your services, or promotes specific affiliate products.

If you did make it in to this edition, please support this carnival by giving a link back to this edition as soon as you can.

Editor’s Picks

Here are this edition’s Editor’s picks.

1. Khalid Hajsaleh: Yeah, I’m Gonna Need You to Come in on Saturday. This would be darn funny if it weren’t so scarily true. As a former telecom company employee, I have an intimate understanding of what Khalid so accurately highlights in this article. But maybe you’ll get a good, wistful laugh out of it. Having been an assistant project manager, on the other hand, and knowing what “needs to be done”, I can only wonder what goes through the heads of some managers. Warning: some foul language.

2. SavingWithMe: 6 Small Businesses I Should Have Started In College. If you’re still in college, consider a few of these small businesses before you graduate. But you might want to think twice before running your own pedicab/ rickshaw. They’re a safety hazard on the road, and not to mention a hazard to your health - unless you think inhaling carbon monoxide from hundreds of cars all day is healthy. (You’re not moving as fast as a regular bicycle.) I love Jerry Seinfeld, but he did one bad thing: popularizing rickshaws in N. America for the past 15 or so years.

   One additional option: If you can cook, expand #5 to include becoming a personal chef to your college mates. Tell them that instead of them spending loads on takeout, you’ll make them a nice meal each day for a few dollars, with leftovers. Get a few students to buy in, and you can make them all the same meal, make some money or at least eat free.

Weekly Picks

Here are this edition’s regular picks.

3. Gavin Ingham: Cold-Calling Tips for Getting Through to the Decision Maker.

4. Edith Yeung: The 5 Rules of Writing Effective Email.
5. Lorraine Cohen: How Are You Networking?
6. Todd Goldfarb: 8 Tactics for Marketing a Small Business.
7. Chris Tackett: 5 Steps To Turn More Leads Into Cash!
8. Erik: Write A Successful Business Plan On Your Own.
9. Michelle Cramer: Implementing a Wellness Program.
10. Chris Russell: Improve Employee Productivity - Put Your Policy and Procedure Manuals Online.

That’s it for this edition. If you have an article that you think fits in, please use the Blog Carnival submission form. A couple of notes to consider before entering:

1. If you submitted your article on or after Sep 22nd, it may appear in the next carnival.
2. Please do not resubmit the same article to the same carnival. Go check out the other three blog carnivals that I am managing, in case there’s a better fit for your article. I am pretty picky about categories.
3. One entry per person per week (Monday through Sunday), please.

To summarize, this carnival targets existing small businesses and startups, or entrepreneurs on the verge. What advice can you give them - business and technical - to help them towards success? There’s a wide spectrum of topics, including branding, identity, marketing, hiring, online efforts, success, productivity and more. This carnival is not about home-based businesses, specifically, although on occasion I’ll accept related articles if they are general in scope.

When pitching to potential investors, customers and employees, a number of entrepreneurs focus more on what they need to say and less on how to say it. But do you know that our tone can boost or bust our business?

Yes, a monotonous voice sometimes denotes lack of passion or even commitment. This will definitely not win you any funding or close any sale. Although not everyone is given the gift of gab, there are still some things you can do to improve your vocal approach:

1. Focus on important words or phrases. Not all words you’re saying are important so put more emphasis on the words or message you want to send across. If you want to stress “savings” then add more emotion and conviction when uttering that word.
2. Visit the American Rhetoric website. This website is loaded with best speeches from famous political figures and best movies. Also, observe how Larry King and other famous reporters present to the public. Listen and take notes on how they change their tones during their speech. Just don’t forget to apply what you learned and practice, practice, and practice.

Pitching is something you should learn even before you start your business or present to VCs. It will take some time and lot of effort before you can get a standing ovation.

One of the many ways to grow your business is to cater to a new demographic. It can be from one age group to another or from male to female market and vice versa. While a number of entrepreneurs rely on gut instinct when expanding their businesses, consider careful planning. Below are the things you should consider:

1. Is there a Market? Validate if this new market really needs your products or if it’s just a faulty assumption. Do a simple survey and if you have the capital, consult with a research agency.
2. Consult Your Existing Customers. Even if there is a profitable market, consider seeking the opinion of your key customers. Adding a new market means there is a possibility that you will tweak or even revise your entire marketing plan. These changes might irk your loyal customers and force them to shift to your competitors, if for some reason you eliminate your core offerings.
3. Create a New Brand. If there is no strong connection between your existing market and your new target market, it is a lot safer to create a new brand. For instance, Lexus is the luxury vehicle line owned by Toyota. Still, you should always be aware of your branding limits.

Even if you’re managing your small business efficiently, there might be instances wherein you face negative publicity. It might come from an irate customer or from your not-so-friendly competitor. These things can easily damage your business reputation, shatter relationships with your customers, and affect your profitability. Here what you should do in these situations:

Keep it Cool

Although it’s more easily said than done, you should try to keep your cool and analyze the situation objectively. Don’t be compelled to answer right away for it might further damage your business. You may want to check the information reported for any inaccuracy or false claims.

Talk to the Source

Contact the writer or editor if you find any inconsistent information in the report. Most writers are very open to reactions from the other party to complete the picture. If your point is valid, they will issue a correction right away. If they stick to their article, you can go to their direct media competitor and share your story. I’m quite sure this competitor will be very delighted.

Issue Your Official Statement

They say silence means yes, so you should clarify to the public what needs to be clarified. Send your press release to different sites and also email all customers in your list. Aside from stating the facts, try to make it more personal and heartfelt to win your customers back.

Do you think having a company uniform is important to your small business or that it’s just for the corporate guys? If you are one of those entrepreneurs who don’t bother much about this matter because there are other more important issues to deal with, you might be losing a good branding opportunity.

A company uniform bearing your logo can transform your employees into walking and talking advertisements. A good example here is FedEx’s classic-casual and very functional uniform that is consistent throughout the world. If you plan to have a company uniform, here’s what you need to learn:

1. Your uniform must be consistent with your company identity. If your business is known for its classy appeal, your uniform should also be elegant.
2. It must be functional and comfortable. Uniforms should not hinder your employees from doing their work. Partner with your employees in designing your uniform.
3. Remember there are 4 seasons. Don’t make the mistake of using just one type of uniform all year round. Learn how to adapt to the changing climate.

Also, if want to know how courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement, you should pay a visit to YoungEntrepreneur.

Having problems increasing your online sales? You might have thousands of website visitors and great article content but for some reason you can’t convert them to buy. It basically tells you that there might be something wrong with what you are doing right now. Here are some pointers you may want to look into:

1. Use High Quality Images

It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Since there is no way for your online visitors to touch and test your products, using high quality photos will somehow make your products look real. Don’t just put any photo you have for it may damage your image. Try using professional photos to create credibility. If you want to use background photos, you can get free and low-priced high quality images at sites like Stockvault.net and SXC.hu.

2. Limit the Options

While it is good to offer numerous products on your website, you should limit the number of products to display per page and add more information - such as key benefits, shipping options, and answers to common questions. Too many choices can be intimidating and/or confusing, so some customers end up not buying.

3. Problem Comes Before the Solution

Try to establish a relationship first and hard-sell your products. Online visitors love to shop for free information related to their problems. Try to connect with them by giving away information and sharing your experiences or even stories from loyal customers.

Ever wonder why many families refer to Disneyland as “The Happiest Place on Earth”? Underneath this enchanting place, where fairy tales are real and many childhood dreams come alive, are some hidden treasures for entrepreneurs. If you have a chance, try to visit Disneyland and observe how they operate. Before the day ends, you will learn these things:

1. Find Your Passion. From Walt Disney’s simple ambition to make great cartoons, it expanded to Disney movies and theme parks. As they say, if you love what you’re doing, you don’t have to work for the rest of your life. In case your business is not your passion, Lifehack has an insightful guide on how to enjoy what you are doing no matter what.
2. Embrace technology. From silent short films in the 1920s to digitally-enhanced movies today, The Walt Disney Company constantly anticipates and adapts cutting edge technologies to their business.
3. Create Magical Moments. Give your beloved customers the fairy tale experience they deserve by giving them Disney style customer service - exceeding their expectations and being more responsive to their needs.

Blurbs, client testimonials, and quotes are a great way to promote yourself or your book as you let the clients and readers do the talking. No worries about sounding like a braggart. But there are good, bad, and tricky testimonials.

“This is a great book!”

“Joe did an excellent job on the project!”

Do these tell you anything? These are empty and generic quotes. Here’s one that’s an example of a tricky testimonial, but you wouldn’t know it:

“Jane is very reliable.”

This tells part of the story. The rest of the story… “Jane is very reliable in arriving late for work every day.” Makes it easy for someone who didn’t like the person’s work to avoid saying something bad. But in most cases, the employee wouldn’t use such a person as a referral.

When reading book reviews in Amazon or elsewhere, you can tell which ones might be friends of the author’s. They’re short and empty. They tell you nothing about the book. It’s better not to have a testimonial than one like this. What if a big name wrote this kind of blurb? The blurb is useless in terms of convincing you to buy the book, but the author’s association with the person could convince some people to buy it (that old “It’s who you know.”).

When asking for a testimonial after the person agreed to supply one, ask the person to answer this results-oriented question and the testimonial will more likely be valuable.

“What has [product or service] helped you achieve?”

Or, if it’s too soon to know the answer to this, ask for a testimonial about the process of working with the company. How well they did in meeting deadlines, how well they did meeting requirements, and so on.

You can make your testimonials more credible if you include one that’s not positive. Why would you want to include that? It shows you’re honest and human. But why would we want to show our weaknesses? Everyone has weak areas and we might as well as be up front about them and earn credibility points.

About the author

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl.net, helping companies build relationships with clients and prospects through content.

Even successful business owners eventually have to let go of their small business and transfer it to family members or sell to interested buyers. Should you decide to put your business up for sale, here are some things you need to prepare for:

1. Have a good reason for selling your business. Interested buyers will most likely inquire why you are pulling out. Have a well-prepared answer to clear any doubts in their minds.
2. Estimate the worth of your business. Get in touch with a professional valuation company to help you get a realistic selling price. Business Opportunities Blog has an interesting post on how to sell a business now.
3. Clean your books. A professional-looking financial report creates an immediate impression that your business is very organized and efficiently running. This will also help interested buyers analyze your figures easily.
4. Consult with experts. Transfer of ownership involves a lot of financial and legal paperwork, so have legal counsel and a financial expert on your side.
5. Maintain your business performance. Don’t let your numbers slip, particularly during the negotiation stage with your buyer. This will weaken your position to haggle for a better deal.
6. Assure business continuity. Buyers might also be interested about your transition plan because they want the business to run as smoothly as possible under the new management.