Marketing Your #SideHustle

Marketing Your #SideHustle You have a career that you love, or at least get through on a daily basis. But what you really enjoy â€" where your passion truly lives â€" is somewhere on the side. Whether you have a hobby that you’re trying to market to bring in a little something extra or you’re hoping to turn your side gig into a full-time career, you’ll need to absorb a few basic marketing tactics. Check out the six tips below to market your side hustle effectively. Start by Building a Brand Whether you market products that you create by hand or have a service that you provide, it’s easy to look at that endeavor as something on the side. But if you’re hoping to make it bigger and possibly bring in additional income, you need to build a brand around it. Some important steps for building your brand include: Giving your business a name and visiting the IRS’s website to make sure you proceed under the law from the start Creating a logo or having a logo professionally designed Building a website or working with a web designer to have one built for you â€" include all information prospective customers could be interested in: how to contact you, what you have to offer and why you do what you do. Making business cards and marketing materials to distribute to prospective customers When your brand looks legitimate, it’s more likely that your target market will take you seriously. Don’t underestimate the power of consistency and taking the right steps from day one. Start a Blog When content on your website is updated on a regular basis, it’s more likely to attract the attention of search engine crawlers. It also gives visitors a chance to engage with your brand and learn more about what you have to offer. Best of all, it’s free or of little cost to you. Think about questions your potential customers might have, your brand’s story and why you do what you do. For other content, consider local and international news: how does your product or service relates and how can you create content based upon that relationship? Share pictures, videos, testimonials and anything else that might attract new customers. Spread the Word Once your business can operate as a legitimate business and has a brand to back it up, it’s time to spread the word. Talk to others about what you’re doing and what you have to offer. Ask if they’re interested in seeing your marketing materials, direct them to your website and ask them to send others your way. Also, look for local businesses that might be willing to display your business card or flyer. The more attention you can attract, the better. Use Social Media to Your Advantage Social media is an effective way to start conversations while attracting attention. Best of all, it’s free. Think about the social media platform you’re most familiar with or where most of your customers spend their time. Next, create an account for your business and start posting. Be sure to interact regularly, invite your friends to follow or like your account, post photos and start and moderate discussions. The average Internet user spends approximately one-third of their time on social media. This gives you plenty of time to grab their attention while growing your side hustle. Sign up for Trade Shows and Local Events Getting your product in front of your target audience while you’re in person and able to interact with customers is priceless. That’s exactly what trade shows and local events like craft fairs offer to entrepreneurs with side gigs and products to present. Run a search to find out what events are happening in your general vicinity in the near future. Consider the investment an opportunity to grow your business. Then start preparing. Think about how much space you’ll need and look into the specifics offered by the trade show in question. This gives you an idea of how much inventory you’ll need to have on hand. Envision how you’ll display your product. The more products and varieties you can place in front of customers, the better. Invest in a trade show exhibit. A professional exhibit sets you apart from the competition and attracts attention. Go out on a limb. Start conversations with those walking by â€" ask if they’re interested in checking out what you have to offer. Leave each trade show visitor with a business card, pen or other piece of marketing that reminds them of what you have to offer. Join a Local Association or Networking Group Building local connections is critical for the success of any side gig. Look into local professional organizations that relate to your side business. Attend a meeting or two, consider joining. Being able to connect with other professionals allows you to get into the habit of talking about your business, and sets you up with an in-person network that can be hard to come by in other ways. You can take your side hustle to the next level by investing time, rather than incredulous amounts of money, into it. Think about where you’d like your business to be at this time next year and consider which of the tactics above will help you get to that point. Remember, a side gig doesn’t have to stay on the side forever â€" you can grow your business with just a few small steps.

Resume Writing Services in Massachusetts

Resume Writing Services in MassachusettsResume writing services in Massachusetts are needed if you want to get a job, but it is also a good thing to hire a professional that knows how to write a resume. It is important to have a resume that will get you noticed by a potential employer and that you will be able to stand out from the rest of the pack. A good resume is important if you want to get that promotion at work or that interview at a client's company.Resume writing services in Massachusetts are needed when you want to change your life. You may be having a hard time making ends meet, and maybe you have gotten yourself fired from a job you really wanted. Whatever the reason, if you are looking for a change or trying to find the right job, then you need to know that you will get what you need. A resume is a great way to do just that.Your resume is the first thing a potential employer sees, so it is very important that you are able to put together a killer one. This is not somethin g that you can learn overnight. If you are able to take advantage of professional resume writing services in Massachusetts, then you will have no problem getting that promotion that you have been looking for.Professional resume writers in Massachusetts will give you an idea of what kinds of resumes are used and what kind will be most appealing to employers. They will also make sure that your resume matches the job that you are applying for. They are experienced in this field, and they will be able to help you find the right people to interview with.Your resume can help you land that promotion at work or that interview. If you do not know how to write a resume, you should not have to pay someone to do it for you. This will only cost you more money and time than you are going to save by hiring someone. There are many reasons why you would need resume writing services in Massachusetts. Maybe you are a student and you need to get the right type of job. Maybe you just need to re-write yo ur resume after losing it.The positive aspect of having a professional do this work for you is that they know exactly what you are looking for. They know how to properly fill out your resume so that it fits your needs perfectly. They also know how to create it in a way that it will get the best response.A professional resume writing service in Massachusetts will provide you with a resume that will leave the prospective employer wanting more. You may even be surprised by the responses that you get. Sometimes they will come up with a cover letter and a cover fax, which you can use to let the employer know that you still want to interview with them.

Sample Business Resume - A Sample Business Plan For the Business Owner

Sample Business Resume - A Sample Business Plan For the Business OwnerA sample business resume is an invaluable resource for students who are just starting out or for those who are conducting interviews for jobs that require samples. By using this guide, you will have the basics down before you start to tackle the more complex parts of a business resume.While there are many templates for business resumes, all are not created equal. Even if they contain samples of key sections of a resume, you still need to take them and use them as tools to develop the one that will best meet your needs.Do you need to create a business plan? The template is useful, but make sure you use it wisely and not just for inspiration. Use a template for a business plan as a checklist for the sections that you want in your business plan.Does your business plan requires a schedule or a budget? Your resume is for your information only. The template is good for showing what to include on your resume, but you shou ld never copy it word for word.What kind of marketing do you need to do to get new clients? Your sample business resume is just that: a sample. You should use the template as a guide and not as a bible. If you need to see a proper breakdown of your marketing efforts, contact a professional.Why is your sample business resume so important? It is a snapshot of your goals for the future, along with a breakdown of how you can achieve them. While a template is a good thing, you can never be too careful. If you fail to be organized in your resume, you could leave a lot of people thinking that you aren't very serious about your business.As the owner of a business, you will need to hire the services of a business coach to help you through the process of building and maintaining a successful business. Having a simple and straightforward business resume can be just the starting point.If you are willing to invest in your business and to really try to make it work, hiring a business coach will b e worth it. Although it will cost you a bit of money, it is well worth it.

Why corporate values often have no value - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Why corporate values often have no value - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A CEO of a large Norwegian company once told me that you know a corporate values program is doomed to fail, when they start distributing mouse mats with the values printed on them. Many companies today have?taken great pains to identify and communicate their core values, but often this?kind of thing sinks below the surface like a stone,?leaving very few ripples. In this short video that I shot for one of our clients?a while back, I talk about what it takes to create corporate values that have value and I give a great example from one workplace?thats done so very successfully. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

5 Questions to Ask a Resume Writer

5 Questions to Ask a Resume Writer In todays competitive market it is vital that you have a resume that will stand out and catch the attention of the reader.   Creating a resume from a Microsoft Word template wont do. Neither will copying off your co-workers resume. You need a branded, unique resume that defines who you are, your accomplishments, your credentials and what you can do for them.   A certified professional resume writer will do this for you. They know what it takes to get you noticed. So, the question is who do you choose? There are new resume companies popping up all over the place so you need to get picky and have questions ready to ask the resume writer. Here are some questions you should always ask: 1. Are you a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)? Does being certified really matter? YES, YES, YES! Before 1990, there wasnt a standard to which a resume writer could be judged. Now, all CPRW candidates must go through a comprehensive set of tests before achieving certification. Testing consists of 4 modules that cover several areas including industry knowledge, resume knowledge, grammar/punctuation/spelling and proofreading, strategic thinking, content use, focus, ethics, and more. NOT EVERYONE PASSES. If you are not sure, you can check: parw.com or careerdirectors.com and check to see if the writer is certified. Advanced resume certifications are also available (CERW, MRW, CARW) and offer similar types of training followed by rigorous testing. Do your homework. Think of it this way: would you want a Dentist to replace your crown or someone who knows a lot about teeth? 2. How long have you been writing resumes? There are so many mom-and-pop resume writing companies popping up out there that it is blowing my mind. Because of this recession, Ive heard of many people who got into resume writing recently because they were laid off from their sales job and was told by friends I can write a good resume. While that may be true, writing two resumes and writing several hundred, or even thousands are much better. Practice makes perfect. I am the first one to admit that when I first started, my writing was less than perfect. Way less. There is so much more to understand about resume writing than just putting words to paper. It can take me up to 2 days to decide the right strategy for a clientthe best way for them to be positioned for optimal results. It takes time to learn this. Im not saying someone has to be writing for 10 years to be a good writer, but I think they need actual practice before working on your resume. 3. What association(s) do you belong to? This is important for the obvious reasons. Belonging to a professional association keeps you up-to-date on so many things including resume writing strategy, client focus, new trends, industry updates and much more. In my opinion, I couldnt imagine NOT being in them. They are a wealth of knowledge! I get to interact with other writers/business owners/career coaches, share information, pose questions and more. My favorite organizations are CDI (Career Directors International) and PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers), but there are several others that are good, too: National Association of Resume Writers (NRWA), Career Management Alliance (CMA), and Association of Online Resume Career Professionals   (AORCP). 4. What is your process? Most resume writers have a process i.e. information they need from you, resume strategy, structure, and time line. Its good to know ahead of time what the writers process is. You might have developed a great rapport with a writer only to realize they wont have it ready for 2-3 weeks and you need it in 2 days, etc.   Or they may require more from you than just your existing resume and you dont have time for that (although I wouldnt advise that if you want a great resume, you have to do a little work). 5. What do you need from me? Some writers do a lot of listening and not a lot of talking, or vice versa, as do the clients. Ask the writer what information they need from you. Its important that the process is a collaborative one with mutual information sharing. Your writer has to literally be you in order to create an effective resume that is unique and branded. So give them as much information as possible, no matter how busy you are. These 5 tips should get you started in the right direction and hopefully help you find a writer who is the perfect fit for your needs. Good luck!

How to Write an Industry Resume That Gets You Hired

How to Write an Industry Resume That Gets You HiredWriting an industry resume can be a daunting task, but it is one you must do if you are in the field of marketing. With the right industry skills and training, you can land that job of your dreams.Industry marketing is a broad category of business activity that covers the myriad of services offered by industries. These include transportation-related jobs, technology jobs, and even media jobs. There are even jobs in the government or in the military.In the job market, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs available to qualified individuals. This makes it almost impossible for an individual to search for all the positions they need. For this reason, many people choose to look online and use services such as Monster.com and Indeed.com to look for new jobs. However, there are many ways to search for industry jobs.You could visit a company's website and find out what the company does, or you could search for jobs on job boards. However, these methods are limited. You can find a lot of information online, but not all of it is correct.Writing an industry resumes is very different from finding industry jobs. Instead of going to the company's website or the job board, you should use the Internet to find out what the company is and does. You need to find out the qualifications and experience of the people who work for the company. Using a company's own website is likely to get you into trouble.The Internet makes it possible for you to find the information you need for every position, whether it is in the IT industry or the media industry, or transportation industry. To do this, all you have to do is visit websites where job listings are posted, such as Monster.com or Indeed.com. Then, you can enter the name of the company in the relevant field, such as 'media'technology,' and you will find all the information you need.In the past, it was necessary to actually make phone calls to the companies to see if they were hiring . However, this is extremely time consuming and tiring. By using a website, you will save time and energy and find all the information you need in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, you will find that finding industry jobs is much easier, since you will have access to thousands of information sources that will enable you to find the perfect career for you.

Careers Establish Yourself as an Expert

Careers Establish Yourself as an Expert In today’s competitive job market, it is not enough to promise you’ll get the job done. You need to already have a track record of accomplishment. With smaller headcount, employers are gun-shy; they’re wary of making a hiring mistake when they do have the rare opportunity to fill a slot. So they try to hold out for the perfect candidate. That means it’s even more critical that you are perceived as someone the employer can’t live withoutâ€"the best in what you do, the go-to person, the expert. For experienced professionals, this means being seen as the best for your industry (e.g., media, banking) or role (e.g., sales, financial analysis). Even new entrants to the job market can differentiate themselves as expert in baseline skills (e.g., computer software, communication skills, leadership potential). Here are 10 ways to establish your expertise: 1. Collect testimonials. Post testimonials on your own website, if you have one, and on LinkedIn. If you say you’re great, it’s bragging. If someone says it about you, it’s social proof. Pick people who know your work well. Email or call them (however you normally communicate) and explain that you are editing your profile or website and would appreciate a recommendation from them. Be prepared to coach them on the specific details you would like them to emphasizeâ€"if they worked with you a while ago, they may not remember exactly what you did. 2. Hitch your wagon to brand names. You want people to know you were already selected by the best (and therefore the most selective) employers. Easy enough if the companies where you’ve worked are household names, but if not, look for ways to define them in a superlative fashion in your resume and on LinkedIn. For example, if a previous employer was a Fortune 500 company or leader in its field or the biggest of its peers, say so. 3. Share in another expert’s halo. When you’re going for a job or looking to meet someone important in your network, have someone you know who’s especially well revered in the field put in a good word for you. As a recruiter, when I got a referral from someone that I highly regarded, I regarded that referred candidate more highly. 4. Get published. Pen a guest post for a blog or newsletter that serves your industry. Authorship conveys expertise. (Ahem.) If you’re a member of an association that puts out a newsletter, contact the person in charge of putting it together and suggest ideas. If you’re a reader of a specific blog, it might have instructions right there on how to submit an idea; if not, contact the editor. 5. Get quoted. Not up for writing an entire article? Lend your expertise as a source. Network with journalists who cover your areaâ€"you can find them via HARO as well as Twitterâ€"and let them know you are available at any time. Give them your cell phone number, even. Journalists love to know they have a go-to source who will pick up the phone when they’re on deadline. Remember to speak in catchy, therefore publishable, sound bites when they call. 6. Speak in public. In addition to writing, speaking is an effective way to share and promote your expertise. Consider conferences organized for your industry or for general professional associations (e.g., women’s groups, young leaders, MBAs) Volunteer to speak at an alumni event or career-services workshop for your alma mater. Put a Google alert on keywords and phrases, such as “TedX” or “call for speakers,” to get notified of speaking opportunities. 7. Get certified. Continuing education in your field implies that you are staying on top of the latest developments and keeping your skills updated. This could mean getting an advanced degree or formal certification. Depending on your field, it may be enough to take one-off courses without a full certification, attend conferences or lectures or join a professional association or Meetup. 8. Lead your peers. Don’t just join a professional association; head up a committee or sit on the board. Such groups always need volunteers, so it’s unlikely your offer to help will be turned away. No active group in your field? Start one or revive an inactive oneâ€"as the person who takes the initiative to bring like-minded people together, you put yourself in a leadership role. 9. See around corners. When you’re interviewing for a job in your target area, don’t just establish your current skills; establish how your knowledge can be applied to help the employer. When you go above and beyond what you know and talk about how you would actually apply it to situations your prospective employer might be facing, hiring managers see you as someone who has practical expertise. 10. Take a stand. In addition to knowing the trends and innovations, have a vision to propose. When you make suggestions to a prospective employer, you are seen as a solution to their problems. When you have opinions and ideas, you demonstrate leadership potential. You don’t just follow; you create new possibilities, new solutions. Employers will want you to implement that solution for them. Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart ® career coaching. She has worked with professionals from American Express, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic. This column will appear weekly.