Month: January 2020

The Ups and Downs: Business Ideas You Can Start If You Are Living in a Small Town

Posted on by Mario

I may be a person working in the digital, modern world but trust me, I’ve been living in a small town where everything is far from modern. However, living in a small town makes me realize one thing; you don’t get to buy anything you want but you are still grateful somehow. That being said, I do need things that are only available in a big city. As a consumer, I always feel that I should go to big cities to buy the things I need because I can’t seem to find them in the area that I’m residing in. Are you a business owner looking to build a business in a small town like mine? If yes, please, I would give you business ideas you can start in a small town through this article. After discussing about business potential and website building with Melbourne web development team, I have summed up some business ideas you can start in a small town and how to keep up with the trends from digital perspective. Keep reading to learn more!

Grocery store

Seriously, nothing is more important than your daily food needs. Some small towns don’t have grocery stores near their area so most of them have to go to big cities to buy at least one-month supply of groceries. Therefore, building a grocery store business there should give you opportunities to succeed because everyone needs it, right? That being said, be careful when it comes to pricing. Be wise and do some research first.

Bakery

From your morning coffee to your kid’s birthday cake, neighborhood bakeries can fill a vast number of potential small-town needs. Trust me, everyone in small towns needs easy-to-reach bakery where they can celebrate their special days easily without hindrance and distance. Although it takes hard work to build bakery business, not to mention how risky it can be, if you bake for passion to help the people who live in small towns, then you are on the right path.

Food trucks

Opening up a taco or food truck may not be your first idea for a successful small-town business, but depending on the location of your town, the seasonality of its residents, and the weather, starting a food truck business can be a great investment. Many small towns have vibrant communities, and often these include outdoor activities such as sporting events, festivals, and markets.

Pet grooming and vet clinic

When your four-legged friends are sick and you need a place to take them, it is important to find the nearest vet clinic to treat them immediately. In case of emergency, your vet clinic will be the most reliable place for them to come to. Also, if people need to groom their pets, they don’t have to go far away just to find a place to take care of their pets. That being said, make sure you hire a well-experienced veterinarian and people who love animals to work at your vet clinic.

Now that you have some insights on what business you would like to start, you can begin planning for your business and determine what type of business that you think would work best in your small town. Make sure you conduct a research first before choosing and planning for your business.

Proudly Me: How to Promote Healthy Weight Advice and Lifestyle Content without Body Shaming Anyone

Posted on by Mario

First, forgive me for whatever I am about to say in this article because well, in this topic today we are going to discuss about what people consider as sensitive topic. Yes, it is about weight loss and health tips related content. I am not the type to make a fuss about it and even when I put on weight, I will likely look for some health tips that will turn my weight back to normal. So, the question is; will I get offended by weight loss ads, healthy lifestyle and weight advice online? My answer is no, because it is what it is. Many companies sell weight loss products out there, what do you suppose they should do other than promoting their products? Besides, I might even need their products someday, that’s why I don’t make a fuss about it. Simply put, you cannot force companies to stop producing their products and certainly, you cannot stop them from promoting their products. There are people who may and may not need the products. It is just like plastic straws, you cannot ask the companies that sell plastic straws to stop producing their plastic straws when they are already a big company. However, when it comes to weight loss products or weight and health advice, you can make a difference. What if you can still sell and make content to promote products that are related to healthy lifestyle, weight advice and any sensitive topic without offending anyone? Is that even possible? Yes, it is! As a person who provides content marketing services every day, I can’t say it is going to be easy promoting such products or content; however, we can make a difference. How? Keep reading to find out!

Change people’s perspective

People get offended easily, let me tell you that. Sometimes when we are trying to help people, they end up thinking we are insulting them. It doesn’t matter. We all are born with pride. However, in this case, we can change their perspective without them feeling insulted. For example, you can create content that has case study and some back-story in it. I’m not going to sugarcoat things here, but while we should be confident with our body no matter what size we are, we should still live a healthy lifestyle. Everything that is too much is also not a good thing – and it’s not about being skinny or curvy; it’s all about being healthy. What we put into our stomach can very much affect our body. Too much eating junk food can result in fatal diseases if you keep up that habit. So, instead of forcing them to believe that trying to get your body slimmer is better, persuade them the healthy lifestyle by showing them case studies where people who eat too much sugar (especially if they make it a habit to eat food that is high in sugar), can be vulnerable to diabetes years later. Yes, as we grow older, the accumulations of food we have eaten since younger can finally take effect. By explaining health and promoting good habits, you can successfully give people advice on “diet” without looking like you are making them decide to go on a diet.

Change the way you present your content

I know that aggressively motivating people to start a healthy lifestyle or even to go on a diet is the fastest way to get your tickets to success in sales, but a lot of people will not appreciate it. Saying things like, “What? Was it your shirt that was getting smaller, or was it you who’s getting bigger? Stop worrying about that because our products can take care of it,” or “Be the center of attention in the room and become the sexiest person that everybody can’t resist, with our products!” or even worse (And yes, I have seen an ad like this on social media!), “Make your boyfriend regret ever leaving you! Be more beautiful and slimmer with our products!”

Exactly, they lack common sense, but you don’t have to be like that. In a sense, a simple change in a sentence may be a little, but somehow, it is more meaningful. Instead of saying “Let’s be slim and get that beach body!”, try “Let’s be fit and live a healthy lifestyle!” It is simple, but more meaningful, right?

There are always many alternatives to deliver nice and unique words at the same time when it comes to creating content, but in the end, what really matters is how you care about your customers and want to help them achieve their goals. Instead of “selling”, you can change your mindset into “helping”. After all, that’s what business is about, right? Helping people reach their goals and get what they need while earning money from that.

Love at the First Look: What Kind of Designs that Make the Best Social Media Content?

Posted on by Mario

I used to think that posting a photo on social media is just like posting a status update on a daily basis; you just post without having to think of what people would think. While it may be partially true if you are using social media for personal purpose, it’s not the case when it comes to posting social media content for business. Only in this part, would what people think matter. For that reason, graphic design does not only apply to website anymore – social media uses design too. As a part of Melbourne web designer team (though I’m not technically a designer since I’m a writer), I have had what I call some productive conversation with a web designer who is also my friend. In the conversation, she described what kind of designs that make the best social media content for business and in this article, I have summed up what I learned from her so you can learn from this article too. Keep reading to learn more.

The kind of content that has relevant colours

Colours have meanings and we cannot deny the fact that colours can somehow influence people and even in business, colours can encourage people to make purchase decision. Yes, it is that powerful… only if you choose the right one for your business. If you follow this blog, you might notice in my previous posts that I have always said this to all my clients; colour is one of the most important aspects of any design. It helps to set a mood, create an atmosphere, and can even invoke a memory. However, if you can’t read any content because of the wrong colour combinations, I’m sure your audience will not be comfortable too. For example, let’s visualize a bright purple background with the text coloured in bright green. Would you be able to read that? Can you even see how the green against the purple strains your eyes a bit? Yes, choose your colours wisely.

The kind of content with consistent colours

Now that you have your color scheme picked, make sure you are using the same colours throughout your posts. I’m not saying you have to choose the same plain colours for your posts. There are sets of colours with the same nuance as your company’s main colour. Play it right and you will get it right.

The kind of content that is useful

People follow your company’s social media account for a strong reason; to get to know what your business offers and whether what you offer will benefit them or not. Therefore, a brief but clear explanation is strongly suggested for your content. However, since some people are not born a natural reader (a.k.a. some people just don’t like reading), make sure you provide enough information that can make them understand without boring them and wasting their time. A nicely designed picture should have good explanation without having to write long text about it. Instead of saying “Centella asiatica, commonly known as Gotu Kola, Indian pennywort, Asiatic pennywort or Mandookparni, is a herbaceous, frost-tender perennial plant in the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is native to the wetlands in Asia. Centella asiatica itself also has been shown to have potent antioxidant properties and to be a rich source of amino acids, and there’s additional research showing that it’s a good hydrating ingredient to soothe upset or compromised skin,” try this; “Centella asiatica is an Indian frost-tender perennial plant that is believed to have potent antioxidant properties to soothe upset or sensitive skin.” This explanation may be short but it gives clear understanding of the main point of your product ingredient and what it can do for your potential buyers.

A well-designed content for social media is not only about good design, but it is also about the content. The perfect combination of good design and good content can help your potential buyers get a better understanding of your products and see you as more reliable business. After all, a business that is easy to understand is a business of high quality.