Everyone loves free stuff, right? Free samples handed out by marketeers on the street; taster samples presented at your table in your restaurant to encourage you to order more; a giveaway in your favourite magazine.
So when these freebies actually add to your business services in some way, how are we not making more use of them? I mean, there is just so much good free stuff out there online that will help you as you build your business, so why not take advantage of at least some of it ...
So when these freebies actually add to your business services in some way, how are we not making more use of them? I mean, there is just so much good free stuff out there online that will help you as you build your business, so why not take advantage of at least some of it ...
But what sort of free stuff do you mean, Colin (I hear you cry)? Actually, probably a lot more than I will list here, but what follows are just some of the fantastic free web-based resources I've made use of in my business and I encourage you all to try them out ... theeeeey're GREAT!
First up ... fancy a free website? The Mirror Coaching website - the site you're reading now - is built with Weebly.com - a pretty simple website creation service. Okay, I've upgraded to the paid version to be able to point traffic to my mirrorcoaching.co.uk address, but the free version contains all you need to be able to make a very professional-looking site (in my humble opinion) within a very short space of time.
Then there is Mailchimp.com, the email newsletter management service that allows you to develop your mailing list and create rolling programmes of email newsletters ... all for free! This great marketing tool is behind my regular newsletters and email campaigns, and it doesn't cost a penny. Amazing!
Do you need to share documents with colleagues or clients? Need access to documents on the go? Why not sign up for Dropbox, the cloud-based document storage service. You get several GigaBytes of storage for free - and can add to this with referrals!
Maybe you want to set up video conferencing? There is Skype, of course, but ooVoo.com lets you video conference with up to 12 people at once ... again, for FREE. You could run a mini-seminar with an international attendance, or a group coaching / supervision session ... all without leaving your office!
Finally, for now, we all know about the power of social networking to promote our businesses. Many of us make use of Twitter (hi, I'm @mirrorcoach, pop along and follow me), Facebook and LinkedIn (all free), but my latest favourite free online service that makes using these social media so much easier is the superb Buffer. This app allows you to easily add items you see online to your twitter feed, set up a tweet release schedule to suit your needs and Buffer automatically posts them for you through the day. Simply keep Buffer topped up to have a consistent social media presence all day round, all week long. And by sharing Buffer with your friends, colleagues (and readers :D), you can generate extra buffer slots! A great social media marketing tool.
Hope you find some of these useful to you as you develop your professional services.
'Til next time ...
First up ... fancy a free website? The Mirror Coaching website - the site you're reading now - is built with Weebly.com - a pretty simple website creation service. Okay, I've upgraded to the paid version to be able to point traffic to my mirrorcoaching.co.uk address, but the free version contains all you need to be able to make a very professional-looking site (in my humble opinion) within a very short space of time.
Then there is Mailchimp.com, the email newsletter management service that allows you to develop your mailing list and create rolling programmes of email newsletters ... all for free! This great marketing tool is behind my regular newsletters and email campaigns, and it doesn't cost a penny. Amazing!
Do you need to share documents with colleagues or clients? Need access to documents on the go? Why not sign up for Dropbox, the cloud-based document storage service. You get several GigaBytes of storage for free - and can add to this with referrals!
Maybe you want to set up video conferencing? There is Skype, of course, but ooVoo.com lets you video conference with up to 12 people at once ... again, for FREE. You could run a mini-seminar with an international attendance, or a group coaching / supervision session ... all without leaving your office!
Finally, for now, we all know about the power of social networking to promote our businesses. Many of us make use of Twitter (hi, I'm @mirrorcoach, pop along and follow me), Facebook and LinkedIn (all free), but my latest favourite free online service that makes using these social media so much easier is the superb Buffer. This app allows you to easily add items you see online to your twitter feed, set up a tweet release schedule to suit your needs and Buffer automatically posts them for you through the day. Simply keep Buffer topped up to have a consistent social media presence all day round, all week long. And by sharing Buffer with your friends, colleagues (and readers :D), you can generate extra buffer slots! A great social media marketing tool.
Hope you find some of these useful to you as you develop your professional services.
'Til next time ...
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