Look out Facebook – the Aussies are planning to take on your corner of the web…

Great inspirational story about a Gold Coast couple building a Family (ie privacy efficient) platform alternative to Facebook.

Article can be found here published on www.news.com.au

Your business will only grow as much as you do. – Brad Sugars

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life is Now!!!

“Your life is right now! It’s not later! It’s not in that timeof retirement. It’s not when the lover gets here. It’s not when you’ve moved into the new house. It’s not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it’s not ever going to get better than right now – until it gets better right now!”

~Abraham Hicks

Introducing www.startupsmart.com.au

From the brains and editors of Smart Company, is the new website dedicated to providing information and resources to business start-ups.

Even if you have been in business for years, I would recommend having a flick through the website.

Another great example of social media marketing…

The Australian retail sector keeps their eye on Gap after their recent announcement of launching into the Oz market. Not one to do things by halves, Gap simultaneously manage to conquer the international retail market with more than $US11 million sales in one day.

See the full story at Smart Company

The eight new rules of customer service…

The Australian economy might have sailed through the recession relatively unscathed, but don’t think that customers haven’t been changed by the GFC.

Here are the eight new rules of customer services:

Rule 1: Consumers are really thinking about what they need, why they need it and if they need it.

Rule 2: It’s back to basics. Simplicity is what the world needs now. Embrace it.

Rule 3: Have a meaningful purpose.

Rule 4: Forget about selling products, deliver service.

Rule 5: Play well and collaborate.

Rule 6: Have a dialogue with customers, not a monologue.

Rule 7: One click and you are out.

Rule 8: Small is the new big.

Extract taken from www.smartcompany.com.au

Search Engine Optimisation isn’t Rocket Science…

But it does take time and understanding to develop and deliver effective key word rich content.

So do you go DIY, Factory Farm Style or invest some time with The Citrus Collective for a tailored approach? 🙂

Remember Search Engines are the new marketing frontier…

Five lessons from the Clive Peeters collapse…

Source: www.smartcompany.com.au

The collapse of Clive Peeters did not come as a surprise to many in the retail sector. Since August last year, when it emerged that the company had been hit by a $20 million accounting scandal, industry scuttlebutts had suggested that the company was in serious trouble.

This morning, NAB formerly placed Clive Peeters into receivership, which means the company – or at least its profitable stores – will be placed up for sale.

Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi will probably pick over the most-profitable and best-located stores, although whether they buy or not remains to be seen – they could be just as happy to see one less competitor in the market.

So what went wrong? Here are five lessons that I’ve picked up.

Using search trends to boost your bottom line…

Source: The Age – Enterprise – Valerie Khoo (www.theage.com.au)

When you run a small business, you have the flexibility to call your own shots. Unlike big corporates that are often weighed down by clunky structures and policies, you are more likely to be able to make quick decisions – and implement them immediately. Some small businesses do this by responding quickly to search trends. That is, if you know what consumers are searching for – if you know exactly what they want – you can gain a competitive advantage by tweaking your product or service to exactly what your prospects are looking for.

In a recent post, I wrote about how to find business opportunities in trends. These include social, political, economic, environmental and legal trends. It can refer to the zeitgeist or that intangible force otherwise known as what’s “in”. That means you need to have your finger on the pulse in order to interpret what these trends are.

However, analysing search terms – that is, what people are searching for on Google and other search engines – is something that can be done by any small business owner. You don’t have to have your finger on the pulse because a tool such as Google’s Insights for Search can do that for you.