One of the many reasons  I’ve been missing in action from blogging is that I recently purchased and moved into a new home.  It’s an exciting milestone in my life, as I’ve never owned a home before.  It also proved to be a hidden gem for finding new, loyal customers for my business.

It’s important to always be looking for new opportunities to spread the word about your business. After receiving a notice from my new homeowners association that they had a community message board, I fired up the computer to check it out and sign up.    It didn’t take long before I realized this would be a perfect opportunity to plug my services.

This is what’s known as hyper-local marketing: a very ambiguous buzz-word that I take to mean targeting advertising to the area immediately surrounding your business. In this case, my target is my new neighborhood.  Methods used for hyper-local marketing can be anything from fliers in the doorway to web-ads targeting local community websites.  An HOA forum is a less-intrusive way to find a couple extra customers, but considerations must be taken to ensure you maximize your potential.

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In an early post on this blog, I established a 5-year plan for taking my computer consulting business from a wistful idea to a part-time side-business and finally into a full time career.  After those 5 years, I could leave the workforce with enough experience and financial cushion to be confident with a successful transition to small business ownership.  I admit this was a leisurely time frame, but there was no rush.  I had a stable, well-paying job that I could leverage to make my dreams a reality.

Fast forward to today, and things aren’t so certain.  With the economy  in recovery mode, most companies are still laying off, and my employer has recently tossed around the idea of outsourcing a good majority of the in-house IT staff.  With the possibility of unemployment looming, I decided to buckle down and realistically figure out what kind of business traffic I would need if I do happen to get kicked to the curb before I’m ready.  How many billable hours will I need to log in order continue the lifestyle I currently enjoy, and pay my bills? How does that translate into actual customers?

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In the Website Wilderness Series I will share my experiences and insights as I try to build a successful web site for my computer consulting company.

I’ve reached the stage in the development of my computer business where I think it’s time to start constructing a website. Over the last few weeks I’ve been tinkering around with different layouts for the site.  In doing so I realized that before I bother with the design I really need to pin down the content that I intend to include. The content will then dictate the layout and design of the website.

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I was inspired by a recent article over at Small Business Trends about small business bootstrapping. In the article, the author tells the story of how he has successfully grown his business into a multimillion dollar enterprise with no debt and using no outside investors.

This is the approach I’m taking with my business and it’s great to hear about success stories of others who have gone this route.

One thing I realized after reading that post is that computer consulting fits perfectly into the bootstrapping philosphy.  In fact, other than online businesses, I can’t think of a more frugal business to start than that of computer consulting.

As I’ve been working to establish my business, I’ve learned some things about how to keep expenses low and avoid the burden of credit.  Although tailored for computer consultants, these strategies can apply to most any business start-up.

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No advertising or networking method is more powerful and cost effective for the burdgeoning small business owner than  the business card.  

It’s a great ice breaker and conduit for face-to-face conversations about your business to potential customers. It’s an extremely portable advertisement for your business that people can take with them and keep in their wallets/purses.  Nothing is more basic than the business card, providing the most important information about your business and nothing more.  Finally, there’s no denying that it’s much cheaper than an ad in your local paper or phone book, saving you money in those critically cash-strapped first years of business.

So it goes without saying that the first thing any new small business owner should do is get some business cards made.  And that’s exactly what I’ve done.

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Choosing a phone number for your business may seem like another one of the many tedious steps standing in the way of you and your dreams.  Your phone number, much like your business name and website URL, are calling cards that will most likely stay with your business indefinitely.  Although not a deal breaker, an easy to remember phone number is one that will help make it that much more convenient for your customers to reach you.

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Last week I had to make a choice: to extend my contract of service with the US National Guard, or to let my contract expire and leave the military for good.  This was a big decision for me and my business, one that I didn’t take lightly.  Although the National Guard is a part-time job in the military, it still requires  a big time commitment and many sacrifices on my part.

I’ve been in the military in one form or another for almost ten years now.  I joined the Army in 2000, traveled the world, learned a lot, and had a wonderful time.  My contract ended in 2003 and I decided to stay in the military part time, serving in the National Guard.  I’ve been serving in the National Guard ever since.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about the military.  Although I don’t always agree with how our country uses it’s military, I believe it is an honorable organization full of amazing people.  That’s why I’ve stuck with it up to now.

This time around, when I was asked to reenlist, it was a harder decision than it has ever been before.  My computer business is one of the main catalysts in my struggle to make a decision this time around. As always, I had to factor in the positive and negative outcomes of my decision.  I was left making some uncomfortable choices, but choices that I feel will be beneficial in the long run not only for me, but for my business.

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Creating a logo is an important part of starting a small business. It’s the calling card of your business name so it should be memorable and unique. It’s going to be displayed on your business cards, invoices, letter heads, website, and advertisements.  Customers see a businesses logo as an extension of your business and from it they will judge your seriousness and professionalism.

For the computer repair business I’m starting, I decided to tackle the logo design process right after I registered my business name.  This is partly because I’m a superficial graphic design geek and I love me some nice sleek logo goodness. Also, I thought it was important to have a good logo in order to present a professional look for my computer support business right from the start.  I wanted to make sure people understood I’m not messing around with this.

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We’re in a recession right?  That’s what all the talking heads on TV keep telling me. That’s what the little squiggly red line that’s dipping down to the lowest point in decades seems to suggest.

But there’s a different story being told by the folks in the trenches.  These folks are chanting the battle cry of the small business owner.  They’re singing the song of the blogger using creativity to earn money from multiple income streams.  They’re the mom and pop shop down the street putting their customers first, laughing at the fat cat corporations that are falling apart at the seams because of greed.

Take a look at the following blog posts that I have come across over the last couple weeks.  They all suggest that this is one of the best times to start or grow a business.  Coincidence?  Maybe.  But I think these bloggers are all riding the common wave of optimism that appears to be growing in the small business community, even as the world feels the pressure of some intangible economic deficit.

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In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Earlier this week I made a case for why Business Plans are a waste of time for part time entrepreneurs. Now I’d like to present you with an alternative to the formal business plan.  It’s my anti-business plan, and it’s what I’ve been using ever since I realized that a business plan was not for me.  Since then I’ve been ultra-focused on getting my business going without all the frustrations and distractions that I had before.

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