Demand Spurs Downtown Coworking Expansion

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Downtown Works was featured in the San Diego Business Journal about our recent 40% expansion at our Little Italy location. Read about demand for coworking in San Diego rising and how we’re meeting that need with more one and two-person furnished offices.

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The post Demand Spurs Downtown Coworking Expansion appeared first on Downtown Works.

8 Tips To Help You Organize Successful Business Events

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

As a startup business owner, boosting brand recognition can be a struggle at the beginning. You may have the best product or service in the market but unless your target market is aware of your existence, then you can’t expect massive sales. And now with COVID restrictions waning, it’s a good time to look to events as part of your marketing mix.  

Event marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote your business to a wider audience. Some good examples of events you can host include product launches, free workshops, and others.

To organize a successful event, you will need to plan everything with great care. In this blog, we’ll give you a few practical pointers that will make it possible for you to have a trouble-free business event. 

Read on and learn what you can do to make any event a memorable one…

1) Begin with a goal

Before going any further, it’s important to start with your goal and purpose. Some worthwhile objectives include promoting a new product, increasing your sales, or boosting your brand awareness.

Determining what activities to do, who to invite, and when to do the event will come much easier after you’ve decided what exactly it is you want to achieve.

2) Plan the details

Once the goal is already in place, it’s time to start working on all the finer details. What date would be most appropriate for the event? How many hours will it run? What activities would help you accomplish your goal? Would you need to invite speakers and other talent? How much are you willing to spend on the event? Do you have sponsors who are willing to help you cover the expenses?

Ask for your team members’ suggestions and you’ll see filling in all these factors shouldn’t be too difficult. Event preparations will also be hassle-free if you create committees and delegate different tasks to each member. Check with them frequently to see if they’ve fulfilled their responsibilities or need any help.

3) Determine the event format

Another crucial consideration to keep in mind is the event’s format. These days, events can be hosted in-person, via virtual, or maybe a combination of both.

If you’re taking the real-world route, you will need to select an event venue that can accommodate your crowd. An online event may be more realistic if you’re targeting broader, more international markets. On the other hand, a hybrid event allows you to target both in-person and virtual audiences.

4) Tell people about the event

Create an event poster and start spreading the word on your social media channels. This could be an excellent way to attract some attention online. You can even go the extra mile by advertising on social networking services or working with relevant influencers to reach more people.

5) Schedule a dry run

Having an event dry run gives you the chance to visualize everything before the big day. If you’re holding an in-person event, check out the venue in advance and decide which areas will be used for which activities. Make sure that all the equipment, such as the audio-visual systems, are ready and working.

The same thing can be said when you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid event. Test the software, hardware, and the internet connection you will use ahead of time to prevent technical difficulties during the event.

6) Hire additional support, if needed

A face-to-face event may require additional help so feel free to hire people who can handle the tasks. For example, you may want to assign some as the event security team while others may handle attendee registration at the location.

7) Be ready with your backup plan

Last-minute inconveniences can occur. Your resource person may have to attend to an emergency. Unexpected rain may mess up your outdoor event.

As the organizer, you will want to anticipate such inconveniences. You have to prepare a backup plan in case things do not go as expected.

8) Don’t forget to follow up

The follow up is possibly as important as the event itself. Soon after the event, send out email messages to the attendees. Thank them for their time and ask them for feedback. With their permission, you can later share some of the positive reviews on your social media pages.

As American aphorist Mason Cooley once said, “An event is not over until everyone is tired of talking about it.”

Final Thoughts

When done right, conducting events can definitely be a great way to market your product or service. You can improve your brand reputation and even increase your sales as you engage with your target market. 

Good luck on your upcoming business events!

Mark Rosario

Mark Rosario has been working as a professional writer since 2007. He currently blogs for TheFarmSoHo, a leading coworking and events venue in New York City..

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The post 8 Tips To Help You Organize Successful Business Events​ appeared first on Downtown Works.

The Art of Race Car Driving and Business – Post Pandemic

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As Seen on Medium.com – Downtown Works Guest Blog

What do race car driving and business have in common? 

A lot says Edward Adato, Partner at Downtown Works, WL Investments, and Performance Wealth Investments. Entrepreneurship and race car driving both require taking calculated risks, a lot of luck, and a good pit crew for support says Adato. Over 35 years he has built a successful career by embracing risk, working hard, and helping to create spaces for teams to build, collaborate, and thrive.

We interviewed Adato to see what he thinks are the keys to success when driving cars and running a business.

Adato grew up in Los Angeles, dropped out of college to travel, and spent a year in a kibbutz in Israel until being called on to help run the family leather business in Mexico that was experiencing some challenges. Adato soon realized their customers were shifting to importing cheaper goods from China and recognized the need to pivot – fast. He started an online electronics business, growing the startup from $0 to $2M in only a few years. He then founded WL Investments, a real estate building and management business with properties in the US & Mexico, where he remains today as a partner, though he has also expanded to other roles.

Adato is also portfolio administrator for PWI, a four-family partnership, with 20+ properties in Mexico and the US totaling over 400,000sf, that also offers construction management and state-of-the-art software and tenant, vendor, and owner portals for management and reporting. And he is co-founder of Downtown Works, building on PWI’s desire to create hospitality-inspired, tech-rich work environments that are flexible and provide all the amenities teams need to succeed – such as collaborative and inspiring spaces, a video/podcast studio, work/life balance classes such as yoga, an open kitchen for a community feel, outdoor workstations, and more.

Leaders Listen

Adato says true leadership and success comes with the ability to first listen to others’ ideas and opinions objectively without the impulse to “be right” or hold out for complete agreement. “We may not always agree, and I don’t have to take your suggestion. But if I don’t listen, I might miss something that could make all the difference to my success as a leader. If we listen and respect each other’s position, we might just find the best possible solutions to challenges – big and small.”

 

“In racing, for me, it’s the same situation.  I listen to all the risks and opportunities that could lead to winning. Listening is the first strategy, not pressing the pedal to the floor,” says Adato.

Be Open to Mentoring

Adato says the best way to learn anything is to observe successful people and ask questions. “You might hear feedback and advice you don’t agree with, but a mentor who has had success and has no financial stake in your business other than wanting you to succeed is invaluable.  Seek out a mentor you respect and trust. It might be the best thing you do for your career,” says Adato. “Just as I do with looking to other successful people in business, when it comes to my favorite pastime of racing, I’ll take driving advice from any senior racecar drivers. If they have won many races and are still standing, that’s someone you want to coach you.”

Adato gives back by mentoring and guiding entrepreneurs at Downtown Works, helping them to form thriving enterprises that take their idea to market, and support communities and families. “We make a real effort to support early-stage businesses, even hosting StartUp Week and networking events to help entrepreneurs make valuable connections to further their ventures,” says Adato about Downtown Works. “We personally mentor startups, make introductions to investors and offer services to accountants, attorneys, banks, and other professionals we trust to help them. The idea is they come here in their early days, and then they go. We see them off like our kids. And it’s nice to see them succeed.”

He encourages other successful businesspeople to mentor younger generations as often as they can. “We have an obligation to help the generation behind us, just as the generation before us lifted us up.”

You're Tougher Than You Think

Adato says he has seen people bounce back from the hardest of times to realize their goals and entrepreneurial dreams. The key, he said, is to realize that you and the people around you are capable of getting up quickly from any setbacks. It’s important to trust that you can weather hard times to be successful.

“Covid taught us that we are all more resilient than we think,” he says “It’s been a tough time for all of us – especially service-based businesses or startups building a new concept and needing feedback to innovate and develop truly novel solutions. Many struggled this past year without interaction with their teams. And now they are getting back to work without missing a beat as things open up. It’s really great to see the resiliency of these teams. That’s what entrepreneurism takes – never giving up, and the confidence to know your situation today can be different tomorrow.”

Adato says it’s a good thing that people are finally getting back to the office with the vaccine rollout and people feeling safer. “I feel strongly that people need human interaction to do their best work,” he says. “Each person brings a different perspective; there is nothing better than collaboration like that to grow an idea, a business. There’s definitely reasons to have a home office, but in-person collaboration – at least a few days a week – is really powerful.”

He says that’s the reason they created the Flex+ program at Downtown Works.

“Flex+ offers rotating office space for individuals and automated reservations for an almost limitless number of company employees to rotate at one or more private offices at a fraction of the cost of commercial office rental. This helps young companies to afford an office where they can meet and collaborate in a tech-rich environment,” he says. “Some employees work from home, while others meet at Downtown Works and use a meeting room for brainstorming or a remote presentation where they interact and present together.”

Adato says, “I like to take risks, but discounting the ability of collaboration to find the absolute best solution isn’t a risk I’m willing to take. In racing or business.”

The post The Art of Race Car Driving and Business – Post Pandemic appeared first on Downtown Works.

The Future of Work is Hybrid:
Employees Want to Work from Home AND a Workplace

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As more people are getting vaccinated and kids are going back to school, many for the first time in over a year, there is a sense that things are going, well, back to normal. What does that mean for the workplace? Will businesses start asking those who have worked from home to come back to the office permanently? Some workers are saying not so fast. Many employees have seen the advantages to remote work, and some have even moved to be closer to family or live in a lower-cost city.

This has many companies such as Facebook, Slack, Zillow, and Shopify, giving employees the ability to work from home indefinitely. Still other companies are going for a hybrid model – announcing policies that allow employees to divide their time between home office and some sort of shared workplace – a system many believe will be the “new normal” for millions of office workers.

Salesforce​ surveyed over 3,500 people to gain a pulse on how workers view the prospect of returning to the next normal. It found that in the long-term, 64% of workers want to spend at least some time at an office, or another type of workplace, as opposed to working entirely remote. This reality has many enterprises looking for opportunities to get creative to help retain talent.

A Flexible Workspace Model Appeals to Multi-Generation Talent

Studies show that Gen-Xers, the first generation to really see telecommuting as a thing, are comfortable with remote work, as long as it provides flexibility and life-balance, while millennials want choices. A recent Gallup poll found many millennials desire flexibility and a greater work-life balance, and 75% who work off-site right now want to keep doing it. 

Generation Z, soon to become the largest segment of the workforce, seems particularly interested in a hybrid approach to work, with time split between home and workplace. About 74% of individuals classified as Gen-Z prefer splitting time at home and work, and 37% say they want to continue to work full-time from home even after the pandemic, while 64% would like to spend “some time” working from an office or location outside of their home.

Yet many Gen Z workers state they are bored and even lonely. They have just started their careers, and the prospect of working 100% of the time from home is not what they imagined their dream job would look like.  Forbes reported that 48% of Gen-Z workers say they are bored with their work-from-home jobs.

With so many companies closing their offices permanently to reduce overhead costs and accommodate remote teams, many are looking for alternatives.

Coworking: Flexible Superhero Solution for Employees and Employers

Businesses in the U.S. stand to collectively save more than $500 billion a year, equal to the GDP of Sweden, by allowing employees to work at home at least half of the time and an offsite office the other half, a separate Global Workplace Analytics and Design Public Group report shows. Those savings translate to almost $11,000 for each employee who uses a hybrid work model, according to the report. This calculator shows the savings that can be found by ditching a traditional office and creating a flexible coworking arrangement for remote employees.

So, what’s the solution for employees who need a change of scenery, socialization, and infrastructure to be productive? And what works for employers to enjoy the costs savings and the retention of happy employees? Coworking.

Seeing this, Downtown Works recently launched a new program designed for enterprises – Flex+. This flexible and affordable program is ideal for companies needing rotating office space, desks, audio/video-rich meeting rooms and business services. And it comes with a host of amenities to support work-life balance for remote workers at a low, monthly membership price.

The Flex+ automated reservation system allows for an almost unlimited number of employees to rotate within one or multiple private offices at a fraction of the cost of a commercial office rental. Meeting rooms are available to each member to reserve when needed. Downtown Works provides secure technology, business equipment infrastructure and concierge-like services delivered by professional community managers.

Downtown Works also offers free, full day coworking passes to any LExC coworking space with locations around the world, supporting the flexible, hybrid “work from anywhere” culture we are in, as we emerge from the COVID crisis. 

No doubt our work culture is changing. Enterprises that embrace the change and look to creative and flexible hybrid models will be the winners with happy, productive employees. 

Experience the Difference

See How Flex+ Can Save You Money!

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The post The Future of Work is Hybrid: Employees Want to Work from Home AND a Workplace appeared first on Downtown Works.

Tech Giants Google, Facebook and Twitter Say Flexible Remote Work Here to Stay – Will Others Follow?

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It’s a question many have been pondering since the start of the pandemic, and perhaps even before then, with 5-7% of salaried US workers working from home before Covid-19, increasing to 60% after lockdown, according to UBS, and many companies continuing to extend work from home (WFH). Google has announced its employees will work from home until at least until July 2021. Twitter announced in May that many of its employees could also work outside the office, permanently. Facebook, Slack, Zillow, and Shopify are also on the list of companies enabling employees to WFH indefinitely.

Add to this the fact that the way we work is changing. The number of people that are self-employed or hold multiple jobs, versus working for a single employer, is increasing. Where, when, and how they are working is changing as well.

Remote Work Options Leads to Happy Productive Workers Studies Say

Even before the pandemic, the age-old model of commercial real estate in requiring businesses to commit to decade-long leases was likely broken, versus enabling more flexible options, like apartment rental leases allowing shorter terms. The traditional business real estate lease still requires companies to project five years or more, when even one may be nearly impossible to predict in a pandemic.

Remote work and WFH options have offered good alternatives for many companies. In fact, many businesses were pleasantly surprised at how good it has been for their business. Productivity has not suffered, and for many businesses WFH has reduced the expense of real estate and overhead costs.

Giving employees the ability to not be tethered to a corporate office also gives businesses the ability to hire regardless of geography. It can also lead to increased employee satisfaction—with the ability to eliminate an individual’s commute, enable them to work from anywhere, and potentially enable them to achieve better work/life balance. About 98% of respondents to Buffer’s 2020 “State of Remote Report” say they would like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their career, and 97% would recommend working remotely to others.

It can also lead to increased productivity. As just one example, one study from Stanford Economics Professor Nicholas Bloom indicated productivity increased 13% when employees were able to opt in to WFH policies, and these employees became even more productive (up to 22% more than before the experiment), when given a choice between remaining at home or returning to the office nine months later.

WFH May Not Work for Everyone

Still others have concerns about the effects on communication, knowledge-sharing, brainstorming and problem-solving in not being in the office. Others point to lack of socialization, camaraderie, and mentoring. Respondents in Buffer’s survey rank “collaboration and communication” and “loneliness” each at 20% in a tie for top response, as the “biggest struggle with working remote.”

Additionally, safety remains a concern. Moody’s Analytics suggests the amount of office space per employee has decreased, on average overall, from 200-300 square feet per employee in the 1980s to 126.5 square feet in 2019. As we continue to navigate the pandemic, employees may not want to return to the same office buildings with shared spaces and cubicles that are close together.

While many individuals are getting used to working from home, others say they also need a place to touch down. The phrase “living at work,” describing the difficulty to unplug and delineate work from personal life, has emerged during the pandemic.

Parents and others might benefit from having a separate, quiet space to concentrate (12% in the Buffer survey rank “distractions at home” as their biggest WFH struggle), the ability to collaborate with other adults, or obtain access to higher quality technology options. Going to an office enables individuals to meet face-to-face and interact with other professionals to help inspire creativity.

WFH is Morphing into WFA

For many, neither 100% in the office nor WFH is the answer, and instead, a hybrid model may offer the best of both worlds.

“Work from anywhere” (WFA) is a growing trend that enables organizations to offer employees the flexibility to work when, how, and where they want. This might include working part-time at an office, working remote, or a combination of both.

A recent Cushman & Wakefield report, “The Future of Workplace,” supports the move toward this trend. Around 73% of respondents say they expect their companies to offer flexible working practices for the foreseeable future. The report indicates this will likely include a combination of working from home, working from the office, and working from other places, such as coworking. The Savills survey of tech firms is another report that recognizes an increasing move toward hybrid options.

Businesses See Positive Impact on Bottomline

Flexible working options also benefit businesses in numerous ways. Businesses can convert fixed real estate costs to variable models, enabling them to scale their office footprint to address unprecedented challenges of doing business today. Many coworking spaces are offering the ability to go month-to-month or purchase packages for weekly or hourly use to address the need for flexible office requirements. Some offer customized, flexible spaces. And, since not every person will likely need access to a desk every day, companies might reserve a smaller space that is more likely to be able to fluctuate with its needs. Organizations may decide to lease their own space in a coworking facility, and/or space for remote employees in other coworking facilities that are closer to where they live. According to respondents to Buffer’s report, over 20% of respondents that WFH say their employers offer to pay for them to have a coworking membership.

Virtual office options are also another way businesses and individuals can test coworking feasibility. These options give individuals that primarily WFH many of the benefits of working in an office—including access to a business street address for meetings or mail, and services like touchless mail handling, training, networking, meetups and happy hours, and private conference room time—at an affordable rate.

With all working options, safety remains paramount during the COVID-19 crisis. Businesses and workers alike should ensure social distancing measures, including extra spacing between workspaces, plexiglass to separate open spaces, touchless entry and exit for doors, access to outdoor space, UVC lighting, advanced HVAC systems and more.

What does the future hold for WFH, remote work and the future of work? One thing for certain is that the pandemic has highlighted where today’s most successful companies and their employees seemed to be headed before the crisis–flexible, hybrid, remote workplace solutions that are as varied and individual as they are.

The post Tech Giants Google, Facebook and Twitter Say Flexible Remote Work Here to Stay – Will Others Follow? appeared first on Downtown Works.

The post Redefining Your Comfort Zone appeared first on Downtown Works.

If you are running a startup in today’s post-virus world order you also need two pockets so that you too can reach into one or the other, according to your needs.

While I am certainly no rabbinical scholar; I’ve always been moved by the story told of Rabbi Simcha Bunam of Pzhysha who apparently once said to his students that “Everyone must have two pockets, so that he can reach into the one or the other, according to his needs. In his right pocket are to be the words: ‘For my sake was the world created,’ and in his left: ‘I am but dust and ashes.’

In your right pocket are the words: ‘My startup will never raise another dime and the world is coming to an end’, and in your left: ‘this is the greatest business opportunity ever for my startup to gain market share and build a meaningful and enduring business’.

One of the few benefits of getting older is hopefully obtaining a little experience and perhaps even some wisdom through the years. As a startup survivor who got through both the dot-com crash in 2000 and the great recession after the financial collapse in 2007; I’d like to share a few thoughts for founders as well as some resources. As a little background, at Simplexity — our entire purpose is to help founders. We do this through Simplexity Venture Studio (our venture fund and studio) and through Simplexity Services (our services company that handles the finance, accounting, and administrative matters) for many of the top early-stage venture-backed companies. (www.simplexity.co)

Right Pocket: the world is coming to an end

Really know your current financial situation and your obligations. Don’t kid yourself. You need to immediately look honestly at your entire financial position. My partners and I have backed a company called Knowbility (https://knowbility.org/) and they’ve been working hard to create a new financial insights platform for both founders and their investors (now in an invite-only beta) and they will allow you to use the product for free if you reach out via email to info(at)knowbility(dot)co. This tool will allow you and your investors to see what’s really been happening with your business and also scenario plan collaboratively.

Communicate; clearly and often. VC’s worlds have also changed; almost all of their energies have shifted to triaging their portfolio companies instead of looking at new opportunities. You need to demonstrate that you understand the new world order; that you are taking prudent and decisive actions to preserve cash and extend runway. They say that parents are only as happy as their least happy child; well this applies to VC’s and their portfolios. This is time to demonstrate your leadership ability and to keep their confidence that you are adapting to survival mode. Once you formulate a plan; don’t be bashful to ask for bridge money or a round extension. Don’t be proud on valuation; be kind and even overly-generous to your angel and venture investors. Be proactive in offering them a deal; warrants can be your friend right now. Anyone who steps up with a checkbook to support your business should be rewarded and appreciated.

You’d be amazed by what you can renegotiate; but again; you need to first really understand all of your agreements, contracts and obligations. Our team at Simplexity Services are pros on accounting and they are happy to speak with you for a free talk to make sure you know what to do or even help you do it as a virtual partner. They’ve also partnered with a law firm that is strong on contracts and another great labor attorney. Don’t assume you have to live with your current reality; use every legal and practical tool available to you to reduce your fixed cost structure and get creative. If you’d like an introduction to our Services team; just send me an email to cliff(at)simplexity(dot)co.

Left Pocket: this is the greatest business opportunity ever for your startup

The most important thing I think I’ve learned in startups is the difference between hiring patriots and mercenaries. Patriots are authentically devoted to the startup’s mission, product, customers and the team and mercenaries are really only driven by money. This is a time for patriots. As you are forced to weigh profoundly difficult choices in staff reductions; make sure you balance skills, compensation, and the ability to work with the remaining team members — and only keep patriots.

But if you are running a startup; it’s also time for you to be at your best. Physical and emotional health are paramount; even Presidents have taken vacations in wartime. We are all limited by what we normally do to manage stress and keep healthy; find new ways quickly to take care of yourself or you won’t be able to effectively take care of your company.

This is a time to deeply interrogate the value that your product and company honestly provides to customers. If it doesn’t provide real value, joy or ROI — then pivot, hibernate or even return capital so that you have goodwill with investors for a new day and a new vision.

However, if your product is strongly suited to today’s new world-order — go for it! You can now suddenly hire amazing people far easier and for less compensation. You can advertise more effectively and with less money than anytime you’ve ever witnessed. After the virus crisis abates; the business press will be searching for new companies that made an impact. Act and position yourself by imagining the story that you’ll want to be told. Then make that story come to fruition.

Be bold and creative for new funding sources. Even though Morgan Stanley had long since been a startup– I urge you to find your inner John Mack (the former CEO of Morgan Stanley) who saved his firm in the financial crisis by getting a check for over $8 billion from Mitsubishi when everyone thought the Japanese couldn’t and wouldn’t move quickly. The point is not that you need $8 billion, but don’t be bashful going to customers and channel partners for creative funding. This is a time to call on every business relationship and goodwill you’ve ever earned in your life.

On behalf of my partners and colleagues at Simplexity, we hope you and your families and teams will stay healthy during this crisis.

We are here to help.

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The post Startup World: Wisdom from the Ages appeared first on Downtown Works.

Inbound marketing is an umbrella term for forms of marketing that pull visitors to your site. This is in contrast to outbound marketing that focuses on actively trying to recruit customers with paid ads. Inbound marketing includes strategies such as content and social media marketing with the overall goal of attracting the target audience to your product.

The general aim of inbound marketing is to attract visitors, gain quality leads and convert them into customers. Startups have mastered the art of inbound marketing by creating a diverse array of relevant content.

For small businesses, inbound marketing will give you the best bang for your buck. In fact, statistics from Invesp show that “the average cost per lead drops 80% after 5 months of consistent inbound marketing.” This is absolutely the smartest way to invest your time.

Understanding where to start can be difficult, so we’ve compiled 5 tips to get you on track. Keep reading to learn how to generate more traffic, gain quality leads and make more sales with inbound marketing.

5 Inbound Marketing Strategies:

1. Understand the target audience:

In order to attract people to your site, you need to have a solid understanding of who your target audience is and what they are looking for. You can begin to do this by looking at your current customer base. You should be looking for the customers who spend the most money and those who return to purchase again. Find the common thread that leads them to your product.

Think about how your product benefits people and what problems it solves. Understanding this can give insight into who is seeking the product or service. Build out a list with all of the benefits your product provides along with any unique features.

Now, what demographic will gain the most from the benefits of your product? This is your target audience. Keep specific demographics in mind. For example:

• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Income level
• Geographic location

A great way to get a grasp on your target audience is by looking at who the competition is targeting. This doesn’t mean you should go after the same audience. In fact, you should use this information to further mold your brand for a niche market. Researching your competition should help further clarify any gaps that your product can fill.

Here are a few easy research tools that can help you identify your target audience:

• Surveys: One useful tool for understanding your customer’s needs is through surveys. You can do this by sending a simple survey to your email list. Use this survey to understand the issues and struggles your customers face. This information can be used to create content that addresses common problems and questions that your target audience has.
• Facebook Insights: If you have a Facebook page for your business, you can easily access your customer demographics. Just click on the “Insights” link and then click on “People” in the sidebar. This will give you an idea of the demographics that apply to your company. You can use this information to attract potential leads.
• Google Analytics: Who better to learn from than Google? Google Analytics can give you a clear idea of who visits your site the most. This tool will identify visitors to the site according to age, gender, lifestyle, and what products they’re likely to purchase.

Remember, your target audience is out there, it’s up to you to do the research and identify them. If you put some time and effort in here, your inbound marketing strategy will be more effective and successful.

2. Create quality content:

Once you get a good idea of your target audience, you need to create the appropriate content. The content you create is the foundation for attracting leads and making conversions. Your content should be highly informative and genuinely useful to your audience. You can create blogs, videos, podcasts, social media posts, and eBooks. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Step-by-step guides and tutorials
• Product reviews
• List articles
• Interviews with experts
• Product comparisons

You should be conducting research to understand what’s trending in your niche. Address these topics with valuable, informative content. Obviously, this means your content should be created for your site and not taken from somewhere else. In fact, Google’s algorithm will rank a site quite low for posting copied content. It also means your content should be unique.

That’s where niche content comes into play. A niche topic is a segment of a larger category that appeals to a specific part of the population. Creating a niche guarantees you attract the right people to your site.

Think of it this way: the more niche your content is, the less competition you have and the more valuable your site becomes. So how do you find your niche? Here are some pointers to get you started:

• Choose a topic you know. Sure, it’s possible to research topics you know nothing about, but your content will come across more knowledgeable if you have some background experience.
• Figure out if your topic is profitable. Use Google Analytics to understand search trends related to the topic. If it’s in decline, then head back to the drawing board.
• Can you get smaller? How many search results come up with your topic? If you can narrow it down further, while staying profitable, do so.
• Use a keyword tool. A keyword tool can give some information on how often a key phrase is searched. This is a great way to find a niche that gets a decent search volume without heavy competition.

Okay, now that you have a niche for your content, it’s all about creating great content. Offering content that is actually useful will give your site more authority in the field. Visitors will be more likely to look to your site for advice and you’ll gain more quality leads. The following tips will help you craft excellent content for your site:

• Craft a great headline.
• Stay organized and relevant.
• Give actionable advice.
• Offer a clear solution to a problem.
• Use trustworthy data.
• Use compelling images.
• Avoid too much fluff.

Guides and tutorials are a great way to start attracting visitors. People are attracted to this type of content because they offer a direct answer to a problem. People turn to Google for answers and if your content can provide that, you’ll get more traffic.

Creating a steady stream of original content can be a hefty task. If you’d rather not write your own blog posts, or if you need some help, turn to Upwork or Fiverr to find freelance writers.

3. Build a great home page:

You’re doing yourself a huge injustice if you have a subpar home page. Your home page is probably the most important factor in keeping visitors on the site and converting them into leads. There is no point in doing the work to attract visitors if your home page is mediocre.

A web design survey by Good Firms clearly demonstrates the most common mistakes made by small businesses. The number one mistake that is made is a crowded web design. In fact, 84.6% of the designers reported seeing this mistake most often.

Another common error in homepage design is unclear navigation. According to the same survey, 30.8% of website designers found that complicated navigation is a sure-fire way to drive visitors away from the site.

A good home page doesn’t overwhelm the visitor. When someone visits your site, it should be clear what they can gain, why they should trust you, and what they should do next. Use plain language and a minimalist design to achieve this. There a few basic features that all good homepages should have:

• The headline: this should let the visitor know what the site is about.
• Your company logo: Your brand should always be on display at the forefront of the website.
• Website navigation: Visitors should be able to find their way around the site with ease. Include a search bar if necessary.
• Call to Action: Include multiple calls-to-action to guide the visitor through the buying cycle.
• Testimonials: Customer reviews, awards, and testimonials add credibility to the site.

Remember, the first thing the visitor should see is what you offer. This should be accompanied by a quick blurb describing what the product does. Lastly, it’s always great to have a quick line describing your qualifications. SiteGround has an excellent example of what a great home page should look like.

4. Establish customer relationships

Gaining the attention of the target audience is certainly a challenge, making it that much more important to keep their attention once you have it. Here’s the deal: the vast majority of marketers struggle with lead generation. One major reason for this is not following up with leads in an effective way.

Luckily, an email list is an easy fix to this problem. A report published by Return Path shows that 85% of executives believe “email marketing performance is increasing,” with more than half saying performance is increasing at a significant rate. This data reflects a general consensus that email marketing is one of the best ways to connect to the lead and increase conversions.

Building an email list is a solid way to build a relationship with leads and existing customers. Do this by offering an e-book or exclusive content in exchange for contact information. Here’s how to run a successful email campaign:

• Use a great email marketing service for helpful management.
• Don’t spam your contacts with useless information.
• Create exclusive content for your contacts.
• Encourage the customer to engage by clicking on links.

Email campaigns have proven to be incredibly valuable for converting leads and keeping customers interested. This is especially true if you use it for an extended period of time. So, stick with it and it will pay off.

Email campaigns are just the tip of the iceberg here. Social media will be your best friend when it comes to establishing customer relationships. A company that takes the time to respond to comments and direct messages from customers will really stand out.

The reason why social media is such a valuable tool for small business all comes down to one important factor: customer engagement. This relates heavily to inbound marketing because customers and leads will turn to your social media page for answers. A study by Sprout Social shows five key reasons customers may visit your social media page:

• A comment about an offline experience.
• A comment about an online experience.
• Praise for the product or service.
• An issue with the product or service.
• A question for the company.

As you can see, social media gives you the opportunity to create a positive interaction with your customers. How does this benefit your business? People who are satisfied with their social media interaction are more likely to become a new or return customer.

At some point, it may become overwhelming to manage customer outreach by yourself. Just like content writing, you can enlist the help of others for customer service. Online gig websites can help you find the right person for the job. As your business grows, don’t forget to use software to help manage a team.

5. Understand SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

This is the core of successful inbound marketing. SEO, also known as search engine optimization, is the process of creating web pages that rank organically in a google search. So how does this relate to inbound marketing? The answer is simple: if you want to attract people to your website, you’ll need to rank high in the search results.

According to a survey by Databox, 70% of marketers found that SEO leads to more sales than PPC. This is a testament to the power of SEO and inbound marketing. So how exactly do you implement SEO?  While there are several factors that influence SEO, the solution lies largely with keywords and key phrases.

Keyword research is the process of finding optimized keywords and placing them within your content so that it ranks higher on a search engine results page. If you have a niche for your site, this is where you’ll start your research. As you choose keywords, look for words that are not too general but still generate a good search volume. Focus on keywords that will bring in the right audience.

If that sounds complicated, there’s no need to worry. Luckily for you, there are several tools out there to help you with keyword research. Using SEO software can make your life a lot easier, and your blog more successful. Here are a few popular options:

• Ahrefs Keyword Explorer: This software can help you find new keywords and phrases and learn how often they are searched. It will also help you understand how difficult it is to rank with a specific keyword. This tool is great for Google, Amazon, YouTube, Bing and more.
• Surfer Keyword Chrome Extension: This free chrome extension will provide you with additional keywords, search volume, ranking details, and recommended keywords for Google.
• Google Keywords Planner: This is a tried and true solution to keyword research. It can help you discover more effective keywords and search volume. In addition, you’ll also learn how competitive each keyword is.

Tips for Success:

• Guest Posts: Writing regular guest posts on other blogs gives you more authority in your area of expertise. Make sure to contribute to sites with active readers to get the best returns.
• Offer free content: offering an e-book or valuable information in exchange for customer information is a great way to attract visitors and gain quality leads.
• Never stop researching: The quality of your content should come from research on your end. Your content should be data-driven and informative rather than self-serving. Even if you’ve found the perfect niche, it’s important to stay relevant and informed about your field. Long, well-written, illuminating content is what you should be striving for.
• Diversify your content: Reach out to a larger audience by utilizing several types of content. Creating videos, blog posts, and social media posts can help you reach people who respond to different types of media.

Final Thoughts:

Inbound marketing doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may seem. In fact, you’ll save money and be more successful in the long run if you start utilizing these strategies. Focus on creating relevant, informative content for your target audience. Create beneficial content that solves problems, answers questions, and guides your target audience.

Understand how SEO works so that your hard work is visible. Start with a keyword research tool to optimize your content and rank higher.  Lastly, nurture your leads and continue to offer valuable content so that they keep coming back for more. If you’re a small business, inbound marketing can have a profoundly beneficial impact on your success.

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U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

This government agency provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. They summarize their activities as the “3 C’s” of Capital, Contracts, and Counseling.

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you might want to look into their Disaster Loan Programs, which have been updated to reflect the latest developments with regards to the Coronavirus Pandemic and the impact it already has had on the economy.

Through their Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, every small business owner is eligible to apply for a low-interest loan due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) of up to $2 million in working capital.

The SBA also has several loan resources available, including express loans, microloans, exporting loans, and many more.

Head to the SBA’s website for more information.

Small Business Payroll Protection Program

The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Applications open April 3, 2020. You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating. All loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower. A list of participating lenders as well as additional information and full terms can be found at www.sba.gov.

Check out this document from the Treasury Department for more information.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program

Facebook is also offering financial support to small businesses in the form of cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible businesses worldwide. They will be taking in applications in the next few weeks and you can sign up to receive more information as it becomes available.

Check out their website here.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act

Signed into law on March 27th, 2020, this bill addresses the economic impacts of, and otherwise responds to, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. The bill authorizes emergency loans to distressed businesses. The bill also provides funding for $1,200 tax rebates to individuals, with an additional $500 payments per qualifying child. The rebate begins phasing out when incomes exceed $75,000 (or $150,000 for joint filers). The bill establishes limits on requirements for employers to provide paid leave.

Work Sharing Program

The Employment Development Department of California has a work-sharing program that employers can apply to if their production, services or other conditions are negatively impacted by any emergency. This helps employers minimize their need for layoffs and also helps employees receive unemployment insurance benefits when their hours are reduced.

You can find more information on their website.

Small Business Development Center California

The Small Business Development Center in California has launched a website dedicated to helping small businesses navigate the coronavirus pandemic. In it, business owners can find online webinars and guides, as well as a list of federal and state agencies that offer their support. They can also help you apply for financial support.

Disaster Help Desk for Business

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has a help desk available to assist you and your business in any stage of a disaster. The idea is to work with you towards charting a course that will improve your business’s chance of surviving this emergency.

You can contact them through their form here.

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has a dedicated website for updates and COVID-19 related resources, especially for local businesses.

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