As 2010 year came to an end we knew it was time to review our year’s accomplishments and to start planning for the new year.

As some of you may know, I launched NetKlik over 12 years ago. At first we started offering Small Business Website Design with time we have added a range of Internet Marketing Services for Small Businesses. Over this period of time I have defined a set of business guidelines that have helped me to manage the business side of Netklik, you see as small business we suffer from the problems other small business do, which is finding the time to work on the business side of the business, as strange as the this may sound.

The year 2010 year was a year of growth, not only in terms of client’s and projects but also because we worked on taking the business to the next level, technology and business wise

As many small business do, we also struggle with time management. I started the year by thinking of ways we could optimize the use of our time.

In order to be able to work on this we needed to be able to track our time and have a better understanding on how we where using it.

As a result of this exercise, I realize it was important to set new guidelines and establish new work systems that would help me manage the workload and streamline our main processes.

Below are some of our accomplishments:

1. Optimizing our billing process
We decided it was important to break up our billing work in pieces. This way we work on it through the month. Instead of assigning a few days to only billing work.

2. Selecting a tool for contact management
We now manage our contacts, tasks and calendar through a contact management tool. All the information about a project or client resides in one place!

3. Streamlining internal processes with step by step instructions.
We now have a list of internal processes with steps by steps instructions that we can refer to every time it’s needed. We also add to this list on day to day basis.

6. Improved website design process by choosing WordPress and Thesis as development framework.
It was also important to work on a development system. WordPress and Thesis allows us to achieve this. I will write more about this on a different post.

7. Optimize and Improved client’s monthly marketing reports
We made our reports easier to read and added relevant and useful information. We will continue to work on them.

8. Found thinking partners
I heard about this term recently. I have team up with other professionals from web industry. It’s important for us to be able to talk about our ideas and brainstorm before putting them to practice, many times we also work together. This has added tremendous value to our work.

9. Investing in the business
Investing in tools like software for web development and business management. This is one of the most important lessons I learned. We would have not been able to accomplish half of the things that we did if we had not invested in the right tools.

10. Establish a system that allows me to incorporate new goals and objectives
It’s important to be able to write down every new idea, about the business or a project and have a system in place that allows me to incorporate this to a day to day work.

Let us know how your experience was for 2010 and join us and we will help you launch your online journey on 2011!.

Your website is an integral part of any business, small or large. In fact, for a small business, the role of the website is even more important, only because a small business may have less marketing resources than a larger business.

Often, when I start to work with a new client, my relationship starts with the business owner. The advantage of this is that I get to know the heart and soul of the business and I also have a clearer picture of what the business goals are.

In the process of growing the business, many times it’s important for business owners to bring in a new marketing professional to assist them with marketing efforts such branding, brochures, newsletters and of course the website.

This is a very important move for the business owner and also is a good sign that the business is growing.

It’s important for the  business owner to understand is that the transition from being involved with the site to not been involved should be done slowly. I understand that the main reason for having a new marketing person in charge is to help the business owner free up time. But as you may know by now, it’s not the same to tell someone “I need you to be responsible for preparing the next brochure” as saying to the same person, “I need you to be in charge of the website”, because as we know, your website internet strategy is not as simple as a brochure.

Let me give you a visual example. Let’s say that you are in the restaurant business and own and operate a small restaurant; you have had it for a few years, and the restaurant is doing great. One day, you hear that the retail space next door to yours becomes available; it’s a great opportunity for you to expand the restaurant. Then, you choose to hire an architect to help you redesign the new space. You could decide that the redesigning task is too big and not in your area of expertise, and you let the architect make all the decisions. Most probably this is not a good idea, because as you know, the architect does not have the same restaurant experience as you do, as the business owner.

What I am trying to say is that it’s important that you do not separate yourself entirely from the website, in the same way that you can not separate yourself from your business.

You, as a small business owner need to be involved and understand your internet strategy because nobody else understands your business better than you do.

Contact us for more information about our small business internet marketing services.