 |
|
|
From the eMail Bag - Marketing a Small Business on Facebook By Christine Durst & Michael Haaren, Dallas Morning News / Creators Syndicate Columnists Dec. 1, 2011 Dear Rat Race Rebellion: I have a home-based business as a Life Coach. Marketing money is scarce, and I’d like to use Facebook as a free way to build word-of-mouth and connect with prospective clients. But I’ve heard it can be a mixed blessing. Do you have any tips for managing a Facebook business page? – Katherine in Ithaca, N.Y. Dear Katherine: Facebook can certainly help build buzz and a customer base. But as you intimated, it’s not really “free.” The time commitment can quickly get out of hand, and there’s definitely an art to communicating with invisible strangers in a public setting. Missteps can happen fast, and do lasting damage. Here are five quick tips to help smooth the way.
Dear Roz: You might have a look at coworking centers. These are places where you can park your laptop, have a cup of coffee or a snack, and chat with work-at-homers, freelancers, road warriors and similar folk as much or as little as you like. Many centers have daily rates, so you can drop in whenever you need a “species fix.” For more, just search on “coworking centers,” and check Deskmag.com, a magazine for coworkers and the movement. Dear Rat Race Rebellion: I’m part of a dog rescue network and often foster dogs in my home, which pretty much rules out phone-based customer service work. I was an Administrative Assistant before I was laid off. Do you have any suggestions for non-phone home-based work? – Jill in Silver Springs, Md. Dear Jill: Given your Administrative credentials, you might want to explore corporate transcription (unless the dog chorus is especially loud). We've compiled a list of hirers and resources here. Blogging and freelance writing, proofreading and editing might also fit. For more, see Problogger.net and JournalismJobs.com. Working as a Virtual Assistant might also be an option. For details, see IVAA.org. ---- Christine Durst and Michael Haaren are leaders in the work-at-home movement and advocates of de-rat-raced living. Their latest book is Work at Home Now, a guide to finding home-based jobs. They offer additional guidance on finding home-based work at www.RatRaceRebellion.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 BY STAFFCENTRIX, DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The
contents of this site are the property of Staffcentrix, LLC © 1999-2011. Staffcentrix, LLC. All rights reserved. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
