In the past 2.5 years Blind Brokers has been expanding our websites for retailers and marketing services for window covering retailers. Check out the  new generation of “Lead Generating Websites”.  After 6 months of testing, the results are in and it’s very exciting. A member in OH received 7 leads in his first 10 days and 4 resulted in estimates. Our member in San Diego just booked  4 job in 2 weeks using his new website and a emails marketing system he learned from us. Our member in New Orleans stopped all other form of advertising because his new site is producing enough leads for his business. My own site generates 3-6 leads a month. Since my average sale results in over $600 in net profit, this is a great ROI.

Our new on-line and off-line marketing systems are based on our own window covering business. We are in the blind and shutter business. I know of NO other window covering marketing company that is actually in the industry.

COOL NEWS: I’ve met a guy who owns a retail blind and shutter business. He developed a android tablet system for estimates. We are trying to set up a deal where our members will be able to purchase the system. Stay tuned for updates.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46951223#.T3zvUKtGaQw

http://www.budgetblinds.com

New Profile Picture Size And Cover Photo

In an effort to make a clean design, Facebook has changed the profile size to a square photo and they encourage this to be your logo. Something that is directly connected with your company that is recognizable immediately to your fans.

And now with Timeline, we can add what is called a cover photo. A cover photo is a banner image placed at the top of your Facebook page. This offers a great opportunity to display latest announcements and achievements that will get people’s attention as soon as they visit your page. In preparation, it would be good to have a cover photo ready for the 30th as this will leave a blank spot at the top of your page that could be utilized.

Also, Facebook does have a few rules for what can go into your cover photo. Promotional mentions such as “20% off” and coupons and contact information such as your phone number or address or website are not advised. It’s also not advised to have any call to action to “Like our page” or “Tell your friends” is something that should be avoided.

Private Messages

Here’s a feature that you will need to add to your list of things to monitor for your business, and that is, fans can now send private messages to your company. This is similar to how messages work between profiles, well now Facebook is bringing it to your company page. Allowing someone to send you messages to your company is a great way to stay in communication with your fans in a personal way, but keep it in one place with all your other company notifications.

Highlighted Posts, Milestones, And Pinned Posts

So this is probably where things get confusing, so let’s just go over them one by one.

1. Highlighted Posts – The Facebook Timeline shows posts made by you in two columns. Posts show up on the left and right, but you can highlight a post that you make, which will make it extend the width of both columns. I was really looking more for a color change of sorts when they used the term “highlight” but making a post take up more space is a good way to bring attention.
2. Milestones – This feature is great way to tell the history of your company. With milestones, you can add events and goals that have been hit by your company, at anytime in the past, So you can set the date of when the company was started, or the time when you hired your 10th employee, or moved into a new office building, or anything that you would think your fans and customers would find interesting.
3. Pinned Posts – Posts that you  want to feature for a few days can now be pinned to the top for 7 days, no matter how long ago you posted it. It’s a great way to bring attention to possibly an on-going project or an event that you announced a while ago, but want to make mention of it again.

Focus On Your Posts And Recommendations

A major change that is coming with Timeline that we’ll see if it helps or hinders businesses in the future, is the way that posts by others and recommendations are displayed on your page. People that come to post on your wall are all grouped together in a box on your Timeline no matter if you have updated your page after them or not. So the focus is on the posts that you create. Making comments on your posts all the more valuable.

And I’ve written in the past about getting reviews andrecommendations for your company and Facebook is making this easier and more beneficial. When someone likes your page, it will ask them if they want to leave a recommendation about your company. With Timeline, recommendations are right at the top for everyone to see as soon as they visit, so getting recommendations is not only easier with Facebook asking them, but it’s more important now that it’s in a prominent place.

You can activate the new Timeline layout right now, but on March 30th, every Facebook page will be moved over to this new layout.

Blind Brokers Network

For many years we have set up new entrepreneurs in the blind and shutter business. We hold 3 day trainings seminars at our offices in Southern California. Every few months we have 7-10 people that we get to know quite well. In our training room I had a 20×10 wall made of used brick. For 3 days I would talk about how to succeed in the Blind and Shutter Business. On the 3^rd day I would introduce the concept of the brick wall. Many times young entrepreneurs would quit when they see the brick wall. The key is to learn how to navigate the brick wall. I would then ask them to go touch the brick wall, much to everyone’s surprise it was wall paper. So for 3 days they thought it was a real brick wall when in fact it was wall paper.

Many times what we see as a brick wall is only a facade. We need to make a choice. Go around, go over or go through it. Don’t let it stop you. Blind Brokers Network

Blind Brokers Network

10 principles to expand your blind and shutter business.

Every business needs principles to operate by. In some businesses it’s make money in others it’s change lives and in a few it’s change the world. In Rick Warrens Book Purpose Driven Church, Warren explains how he grew a bible study into a mega church. According to Rich Karlgaard of Forbes magazine “This is the best book on entrepreneurship, business and investing that I’ve ever read in some time.”

1)      Don’t’ try to make your business grow. Instead, work to make your business healthy. Because if it’s healthy, it will grow.

2)      Don’t be afraid to make it up as you go along. Warren quotes Mark Twain, who one said: “I knew a man who grabbed a cat by the tail and learned 40% more about cats than the man who didn’t” A healthy business is one that tries many things that don’t work-and has the scratches and scars to prove it.

3)      Don’t trap yourself in costly infrastructures. To accommodate Saddleback Church’s continual growth, Warren used 79 different facilities for functions in the Church’s first 15 years-schools, bank buildings, recreation centers, theaters, restaurants, large homes, even 2300-seat tent. Only in 1995, when the church had grown to 10,00 worshippers per weekend, did Warren erect Saddlebacks own building. “The show must never tell the foot how big it can grow.” He says.

4)      Don’t compete for market share. Instead, compete with nonconsumption. “The business must offer people something they cannot get anywhere else, ‘Warren says.

5)      Sell Big! “I’ve discovered that challenging people to a serious commitment actually attracts people rather than repels them, says Warren. “The greater commitment we ask for, the greater response we get.”

6)      Faith and dedication won’t overcome lack of skill and technology. Funny words from a preacher, but how true. “One of my favorite verses,” Warren says, “is Ecclesiastes 10:10: ‘If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.’”

7)      Borrow from others’ successes. “Anytime I see a program working in another church [business], I try to extract the principle behind it and apply it in our church. I’m very grateful for the models that have helped me. I learned a long time ago that I don’t have to originate everything for it to work.”

8)      Never enter a new business without first picking someone to lead it. “If no leader emerged, we would wait on God’s timing before beginning a ministry,” says Warren.

9)      Purpose not only defines what your business should do, it defines what it shouldn’t do. “The secret to effectiveness is to know what really counts. Then do what really counts.”

10)   Nothing should precede the purpose of your business. “Plans, programs and personalities don’t last,” says Warren. Only purpose lasts. It can heal your business, too. “Nothing will revive a discouraged church [business] faster than rediscovering its purpose.” Blind Brokers Network

Successful Business Opportunity

“The way I got involved with the BBN is that my son, Paul Campbell, got into the business about 3 years ago, loved the business, and has been successful with it, and he showed me the business. I went to his house, spent a couple of weeks, went on some jobs with him and learned a little bit about the business and did some installations with him and went on some sales presentations with him, and thought it would be something good for myself and my wife. So we’ve recently decided to get into the business about 2 months ago and got right in and we love it!” Ken Campbell ~ Talladaga, AL Successful Business Opportunity

How to start a business

“Owning my own business has given me tremendous flexibility in my own life instead of the 8 to 5, I might have a day off during the week to do personal errands, I may work on the weekend, I can decide when I work.”

“Owning my own business has put my financial future 100% in my own hands. I used to work for entrepreneurial companies helping them build their business, and I walked away with nothing, but now I know that every hour, every moment I spend on my business is creating my financial security, my financial future.”

“The catalyst for me starting my own business was just realizing that I had spent many, many years managing businesses for others that I had the skills, I wanted to have the control over my own life, and it was time.” Wayne Gray ~ San Diego, CA

Successful Business Opportunity

Low cost business opportunity

“The training that the Blind Brokers Network has provided has been good. I attended a boot camp which I recommend doing.”

“The support has been great, when I call in, if someone’s not there, I get a call back right away, emails are usually answered within the same day.”

Lorne Jacobson ~ Cross Plains, TN

Low cost business opportunity

Owning my own Business

“Owning my own business has given me additional flexibility because I can arrange my time to visit with my grandchildren where I didn’t in the past working for someone else.”

“I feel that owning my own business has given me additional control for the simple reason that I have the flexibility to do the things that I have felt compelled to do for others.”

“Owning my own business has definitely made a difference in my wife’s life and my children’s lives, I have more available time to spend quality time with them when I need to.”

“Control over the financial future was one of the original goals that we established before opening our business, even though we’re not there yet, we are getting closer and closer to the goal and that is being able to build a business that we can be proud of and also sell.”

“The main reason for starting our own business was to develop, in essence a business that we could either manage after retirement or sell it and use those proceeds for our retirement.”

“The Blind Brokers Network is a good contact for the simple reason that they gave us the ability to start up without a lot of pressure.”

“BBN did a lot of the initial homework so that we were not as fearful of starting the business by ourselves.”        Larry Hensen ~ Bakersfield, CA

Owning my own Business

How to start a successful business

   “Owning my own business has given me more flexibility in my life, I am able to plan and do things in the schedule the way I want to do them without someone telling me when and where I have to have things done. Moreover, it’s much more fulfilling than working for someone else and meeting those demands for someone else.”

“Owning my own business has added balance to my life, we’re able to balance the things that we want to do, such as boating, hiking, traveling and

being able to have a successful business and spending the time on it when we need to spend the time on it.”

“Owning our own business has made a difference in our life, we are able to focus on our family, and it is a family-based business and so we can all spend time together and all enjoy the rewards of having our own business and the successes.”

“The catalyst that made us want to start our own business was that we were at a point in our lives that we had worked for someone else for ever it seems like, and we wanted to go to another stage, we were getting older and we wanted to have a business that we could spend time with our family without having to take time away from our family, so we decided that we were going to start our own business, it be a family-based business where we could all work together and enjoy life together. We have three sons and they’re all part of the business. We work together every day and it’s been very beneficial from that standpoint, it’s made us closer which is really what you want for your family instead of tearing it apart. It’s just made us closer.”

“It is nice to have control of our financial future; we get to make those decisions instead of having someone else making those decisions for us. If you need more income, you grow your business, if you want to spend more time, then you get to spend more time in the other things you want to do with your life.”

Carol Venne ~ Anacortes, WA

How to start a successful business