Let The Tech Work for You

What is the point of having your own business if you end up with less free time than when employed? Of course, some self-employed accept the longer hours or poorer pay as part of the consequences for not having to answer to 'the man.'



With my business I was well paid before. I wanted more time to be with those I wanted to be with not at work morning, noon and night.



To demonstrate some of the tools available I will describe the process of a recent contact. We will call the contact Jo. It could have been Excalibur or Frederick but Jo is easier and quicker to type.



Jo saw an ad and thought, 'Mmmm, I'll get in touch with those guys.' We put a few ads in local newspapers. The ad is written on-line and the office staff then ring for payment details. This saves time as the ad can be written at anytime, anywhere and e-mailed. I often rise very early, can attend to most things on the computer ( no suit, no tie, big cup of tea). I would imagine the newspapers will soon have direct payment on their websites.

The second place for our ads is on the internet. Similar procedure as before but can pay by credit card on the website. The google ads you see next to this blog might contain an ad for our business. If you click on the ad it costs the advertiser ( cost varies from a few cents upwards ). Those few cents are then split between Google and the writer of the blog. You need to have thousands of regular readers before you can retire though.



Back to Jo. He then went on-line and found our website. Hopefully, he was impressed and decided to complete the on-line contact form.



When the contact form was submitted it triggered an automatic reply. This would let him know the submission was successful and somebody would be in touch within a few days.



So far we could be anywhere in the world and this would all be going on. For the telephone contact we can still be anywhere. We use Skype. A program on the computer that lets you use the internet as a telephone line.



With the growing popularity of mobile broadband our type of business could be run from anywhere in Australia. Whilst overseas we use the locally available wireless. Recently whilst in Mexico my wife could speak to a few clients as if they were in the same city without using international telephone systems. We will be in Japan soon and can carry on as if we were back home.



The automatic e-mails can be timed and edited to suit your own preferences. We like to send an e-mail that contains a FAQ section. This often means the telephone calls don't have to be very long.

The automated program ensures we do not have to spend a lot of time chasing up clients. The UWS system tracks the client from the first contact.

Once Jo made the initial expression of interest his details appeared on our client track in a new enquiry section. Once contact was made he was placed on the initial contact file. As he moved through the process from potential to actual customer we could track details. Each potential customer will have a mini-file, this details contacts made and has a free text section to record any notes significant to the client.

The beauty of a system like this is apparent with multiple clients. All may be at different stages. By checking the UWS we can see how many e-mails have been sent, how many messages have been left and how often they have responded. If we have sent a few messages and no answer has been returned we let the client go.

These systems cost a few dollars a month. However, they work. It means I can spend less time with admin. and more time doing the things I want to do.

Anybody who has a lot experiences in on-line business will be well aware of these types of systems but for us newbies they are a real blessing. For those just starting off especially I hope this has been some help.
Rob

All new to me

If somebody had told me a few years ago I would be my own boss and involved in a home business I would not have believed them.
Having worked in hospitals around the world for the past 25 years and a few years as a paramedic why should I throw that away for my own business.

I'm still not sure why I am doing it to tell the truth. I do know that it feels right. It is a new challenge. I must admit it has me all fired up. I feel very enthusiastic and can not wait for the next project.

Each day brings a new challenge. From taxation issues, advertising, promotion etc etc etc. I now know what a word document is but excel, just a load of boxes to me.

The travel is also pretty good. Last month in Mexico, next week to Japan and then in July to Hawaii. As well as that I get to choose when I have my holiday/vacation.

Previously time off had to be applied for, everybody wanted school holidays, time spent with the family was limited. Anybody who has worked shift work knows how draining it can be. A lot of research show that shift workers often die at a much younger age than non-shift workers.

I can point to one episode that made me realise I had to appraise my life.

Christmas day a few years ago. About 7pm. I was called out to a collapsed man. Despite CPR and all the usual procedures he died. His family took comfort from the fact he was at home and with his loved ones.

Two issues stayed with me. He was only a few years older than me and if I was to collapse the chances of it happening at my home was limited as I was hardly there. Working 50 to 60 hours a week is not conducive to spending quality time with the family.

When in Mexico I listened to a man called Bob Davis talk about motivation and attaining goals.

If I am to make a success of this I need to commit myself.

In the same way a sprinter does not start a 100m race thinking 'ooh it is a lovely day' ( I do not know what they think to tell the truth) I can not begin this journey thinking 'I wonder what will happen.'

My goal is for the business to succeed. However, it is not at any cost. I will still be true to myself. Success must come from hard work and /or smart ideas.

So, dear reader, if anybody has stumbled across this blog. Keep in touch and drop by every now and again and I will try to provide an honest account of what it is like.