Marketing will be key in moving your business to next stage, Troubled Teen Stage. Why “Troubled” Teens? In this stage your business can start to spin out of control. You need to establish systems to help you manage your sales and delight your customers. You need to take a close look at your products and drop low performers. And, marketing once again gets ramped up. Successfully executed, your actions in this stage will lead you to Young Adult Stage.

In Young Adult Stage, you will more firmly establish your selling presence on eBay™ with an eBay™ Store. You will start to shift where you spend your time from auctions to more online sales. You’ll need to add new products and weed out low performing products. At same time, you will continue to increase your marketing activities to include click advertising and an autoresponder.

These activities should take you to next stage, Maturity Stage. In Maturity Stage, your business is firmly established. Sound good? Yes, but it is also second most dangerous stage after your start-up stage. Why? Your business is doing well. The profits are rolling in. You aren’t working as hard because of systems you established. Why is this dangerous? You will have urge to relax and put company on autopilot.

Shouldn’t you be able to relax and enjoy fruit of your labors? Of course. However, remember that each day others just like you are beginning to launch their businesses. And, they are coming after you. They want your customers. Now is time to really assess your marketing efforts. What’s working? What’s not working? Do more of what’s working because one last choice remains. Are you going to renew your business or watch it slowly die?

In last stage, Renewal or Death Stage, you need to learn to look at your business with fresh eyes and start this journey all over again. On second trip, you will have more confidence, knowledge and expertise. You will also have acquired some bad habits. It’s time to shed those and lead your business once more through stages of its life. The beat goes on…

There are two key concepts to keep in mind when deciding whether you will launch a blog or not; providing quality content and blogging regularly. These are critical to creating an audience for your blog.

A successful blog is written with a distinct audience in mind. In this way, you can provide content that is unique to your audience’s issues, needs, or desires. If you create content they like and wish to return to read, you will produce quality content. Successful bloggers have a focused topic and a unique personality.

Both your topic and unique style will cause your audience to return to your blog. When they return, it is critical to stay true to your audience and tone of your blog. If people are reading your blog, it’s because they like your topic and tone. Try not to stray from your typical topics and style too much. This will give your readers a reason to link back to your blog on an ongoing basis. But your content and tone are just one element to consider. Also critical to your ongoing blogging success is how frequently you update your blog.

If you don't update your blog often enough, blog readers will move on to other blogs. There are too many blogs out there competing for your reader’s attention. Blog readers will go where content is.

Successful blogging takes a commitment of your time. When you begin blogging and wish to capture an audience, you should be prepared to blog every day. In this way, you can develop an audience who counts on you to help them begin or end their day. This means you should also try to post at same time each day. Your readers will get accustomed to your schedule and check your blog at appropriate time. The time of day is not as crucial as consistency in your posting.

So, is a blog right for you? You tell me. Do you have a distinct topic in mind? Do you have a strong opinion or passion for topic? Do you know what audience you are writing for? Do you have time to commit to regular postings on your blog? If so, see you in blogosphere!