Okay so the journal didn’t work.
The big vent didn’t help either. Not sure blogging is the best platform for the traditional vent.
But I still want to start a business blog. So I will.
I’m off to http://smallbusinesspromotion.info
Seeya there!!! Bye now!
Mmmm. Venting probably not the best idea because it associates negative vibes with my blog.
oh . . . not for you! For me. I had a nice thing going there!
But anyway.
The thing I like about bootstrapping is saving money. Now I’ve actually spent money trying to get a new project off the ground . . . mmm well I kinda realise what it’s like for my clients paying to bring in someone to sort it out for you and being anxious about the results.
But back to bootstrapping, I wish I could just do everything my self, thats how I’ve always managed. My problem is as an entrepreneur it’s all very well to wail and gnash that things aren’t good enough but that’s the way it is when you don’t have massive funds and massive support networks of personel with a range of skills.
You cant do everything yourself.
Yup it’s one of those days, everyday. been trying to put that into a funny twitterism.
I just thought it might be a nice idea to actually try and be a cool guy on twitter and see if I stand out from all the linky mcspammy pantses on there. I mean the site obviously does have a lot to do with getting chummy with your favourite A lister. The fact that apparently its been going down a bit and people are getting pissed reminds me of myspace in 2005. Next come the late adopters, then the webcam girls. ugh.
But anyway more of the same round here. Todays series of disasters actually got me pretty wound up - they weren’t relatively extraordinary, I just continued to be amazed at how each piece of equipment seems to cease to function correctly with such orchestrated finesse.
That even when my workload is relatively light, just enough will go wrong to send me into a panic and make me start battening down the hatches for the next dip - “that’s it! no eating out this week!”
I keep forgetting I’ve actually got cash savings now for the first time in years so first plan of action is not to reach for the cyanide pills.
No thats right todays problem was that the printers at the printshop didnt proportion the covers I had printed correctly so it was a basically an expensive waste of time.
I’m sharing half my margin on this job with these people and this is where I end up.
I have to accept that I have to deal with my own printing problems. I have to accept that until I am willing and able to pay for a reliable printer I am just going have days like this where I pay $100 for wonky cd covers just to have to replace them out of my own pocket while looking like a dickhead that I wasn’t able to complete a job in time when I was given a whole week by the client to do it.
I’ve been here enough times. If I just continue to say it was someone else’s fault then I’ll never move on.
But god, I worked so hard for that cash buffer I knew had to have because something will ALWAYS go wrong. To have to replace equipment knowing that if I have car problems or there’s a major situation, my pockets wont be deep enough to save me, is not a place I want to go back to!!!
SO DON’T BUY THE CANON LBP5200 IT IS A SHONKY PIECE OF CRAP THAT BREAKS DOWN AFTER 1000 COPIES.
If I’d nver bought the canon lbp5200 from expert infotech in birkenhead I wouldn’t have these problems!!!
Yes. I did choose the bottom of the line product. But there was no caveat that the thing would break down after ! MONTH!!!
“Canon are the manufacturer, you’ll have to take it up with them.”
“Expert infotech are the retailer, you’ll have to take it up with them.”
“Canon are the manufacturer, you’ll have to take it up with them.”
“Expert infotech are the retailer, you’ll have to take it up with them.”
Pass the blame until you wear them down. Great customer service concept.
God I hate canon new zealand printers and expert infotech in birkenhead auckland!!!
THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ROTTEN AND THEY ARE RIP OFFS!! sell me a brand new printer that does only 1000 copies and then practically becomes useless. HMMPH!!!
I’ve always wanted to rain fire from my blog. I might do it some more!!!
like Ganelle Djarlo for instance, a so called band manager from Auckland New Zealand ripped me off for $435 worth of postering and CD’s and never paid me!!!
Whenever I get mad, I always think of Ganelle who was the first person to rip me off when I started my business. I know she didn’t mean to - it’s she’s just one of those pathetic types who cant get anything right.
Hasn’t really helped me over the last year thinking how much I could of used that $435 at various times.
So you see now whenever someone searches for expert infotech or ganelle djarlo theyre going to read that they ripped me off and hopefully they will put things right if they want me to stop the “name-and-shame” game.
Thats the beauty and joy of blogging!!!
meanwhile I will have learnt to budget for decent equipment and rather than merely cursing their names I will have plenty of time for taking out my irrational frustrations on people who really deserve it - like canon, expert infotech, and ganelle djarlo.
part time after school music industry jobs work employment auckland city JUNE 2008
this is an ad I put together a few months ago but I am getting considerably more desperate so am willing to negotiate a bit - if someone decent came along who wasn’t a teenager I might consider creating an opportunity to do something there that wasn’t minimum wage youth rate poverty line pay.
But what it still comes down to is that anyone who spends enough time with me will learn to make a decent living out of the music industry long term and knowing as I do how many people dream of that kind of thing, I believe that gives me the right to offer quite crap pay. And of course I’m not a slave driver, and I’m very rewarding of those who show loyalty.
Wouldn’t it be exciting to have a part time job working in the entertainment industry, promoting music and events, creating and distributing promotional materials for local acts and learning about how we promote music and other digital products online?
This is a unique opportunity for someone young and enthusiastic to help us out!!!
This will involve jobs like guillotining paper and card, duplicating, printing and putting together packaging for cd’s, dvd’s, media kits etc., post errands, local deliveries, dropping flyers and posters off to retailers around the CBD – that kind of thing, different jobs all the time.
Probably 1 or sometimes 2 afternoons over the week, helping out when
Right now, if you think you can handle a guillotine without making any mistakes, you’d be great around here!
But ideally you will be:
16+
Local & flexible: It’s very likely you’ll only get a day or two notice when we need you. We’re in Grey Lynn – being able to call you in or drop materials off in a hurry would be super convenient, or if you’re close to the CBD or Ponsonby – areas which we often work in.
Hard working: Starting at the bottom was never glamourous! This really is a unique opportunity so we’re looking for someone who’s really going to stand out as a hard worker with a lot of potential. There’ll be postal errands and deliveries where instructions will have to be followed closely.
Having regular internet access at home, photoshop experience, and know all about myspace, facebook, bebo etc. – these are the skills that will make you useful to us once you’ve proven you can hack So get this: once you know what you’re doing and how we do things, you’ll be able to work from home!
YOUTH RATES APPLY
027 684 8250
I am still procrastinating over my new venture. Basically I accepted there was nothing I could do except get on with the copy, and reading a couple of ebooks recently on the subject didn’t really get me in the mindframe for writing the screeds and screeds of blog copy and landing copy and newsletter copy I’m going to need on this, because it just left me thinking how average my existing copy is.
Everytime I update my site I think it’s so much better. Every time I come back a month or so later to tweak it again, it always sounds like rubbish!
As I say I’ve been thinking about offering solutions to problems, create quantifiable benefits and impressions of added value, and also looked for ways to target the more desperate and highly motivated purchasers.
I don’t want to insult my readers and potential customers with typical landing page copy. I’m not trying to move 1000 units. I’m going more targeted, more connected, and because I’m not demanding a massive launch, I may just use my blog to start - my proper blog, not this one - to ramp it, just by continuously posting blogs that frame it - for example
“why musicians need a graphic and web designer” then: this is why musicians need a graphic designer, and did you know our forum has a dedicated graphic and web design support person? You wont get access to a graphic or web designer with this amouint of value anywhere else . . .
My other main technique of course was going to be my list. Again, I dont want some cheesy sales letter. In fact, I don’t think I’ll even use this strategy unless I have to because I don’t really want the reputation for foisting my paid site onto everybody.
HOWEVER I think I will most likely use a cheesy landing page in conjunction with my adwords, just to see how it goes. It may be very well that this because a high turnover / low retention strategy. Who knows.
So yeah it’s just lots of copy. Did I tell you how unfazed I am about business starting to slow down? I feel incredibly mature that I am willingly allowing the space to be made to develop my new system even though turnover has dropped off. Perhaps its blase but I think it shows that I’m am comfortable committing to the long term benefits for my business even if it means taking it easy for awhile.
So allowing myself to be distracted I did some more innovating. I think it’s because it was my auckland cd / dvd duplication copying and printing business that I first thought of offering as a service without thinking about it - now its my steady earner!
And from that point on I thought as long as I could do or make something I may as well put a price on it!
I mean isn’t it hilarious I charge $75 p/hour for graphic design when the only subject I ever failed was art? Because as long as I can do a poster or flyer in photoshop . . . then I may as well charge for it!
This is the reason I offer video services and SEO services. Because I can! I just set up a page on my website and charge less than everybody else. I’m not exactly an expert but I seem to do alright!
So I will set up a music licensing and publishing company when I get the chance, and don’t forget my modelling agency! big passion for the modelling industry! haha . . . but tonight I thought I may as well start an advertising company while I’m mucking around.
Offer advertising on my blogs and sites, and all through the “kurb advertising network of blogs and websites”.
Yes thats right, my handful of sites that get 100 hits a day each if theyre lucky and each of my clients who are lucky to get that. Charging an advertiser $1 per day wouldn’t be TOO much of a bad deal.
I mean it SOUNDS like a good deal. ADVERTISE THROUGH OUT THE KURB NETWORK - PREMIUM CAMPAIGN BUDGETS GO ALL THE WAY UP TO $1!!!!!
Today was actually pretty cruisy except that I had agreed to carry out a task for a random client which was just not worth my time. It’s ironic because there was a hold up at the printshop which protracted the issue, and let’s face it, many of the jobs $3 I get done at the printshop when I just want to print a poster design are not worth their time either.
All I can do is think that when I have the equipment to do high end print jobs it’ll save me one extra task.
I am learning that when you are bootstrapping you just cant bend over backwards for everybody. Those customers who come back, pay on time and you have an established understanding of the specifications they require, they are gold.
Yaro starak had a post on customer service that really resonated with me. I then read his free internet business pdf and realised this guy is a cut above the rest of the pack in terms of entrepreneur blogs - that’ll be the reason for the almost 30k subscribers! Definate quality from this man.
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com
Obviously I’ve got no problems with marketing. But I’m looking to network around other areas. I hope the people I’m reaching out to understand I don’t need any more business! Getting on top of the business I do have and getting more organised and systematic there is where I could use some inspiration.
Found some kiwi online entrepreneurial activity at http://www.ijump.co.nz
Watched a great video there interviwing a guy from PlanHQ. Was really stoked to hear such a clued up young kiwi entrepreneur discussing social marketing and community building around a product or service.
For me it’s actually reassuring to see other new zealanders getting successful doing this stuff because it means it’s going stop being fringe
Today I got stressed out once again because equipment is not up to scratch. I’ve had trouble admitting this has been a persistant problem for my business. but it’s part of bootstrapping. If I’d had to outlay tens of thousands in equipment costs I would have never got into business. This is another gowing pain. Knowing that new equipment is just around the corner and when it arrives I’ll be doing my work in half the time.
I tried to remind myself it was like when I got my Beamer. The night before I picked it up, I got pulled over and given a ticket for driving around in my banged up Honda. That last kick in the balls, knowing that when its sorted, I won’t have to worry about this crap!
but tonight I also got innovative and highlighted two opportunities to trade off value.
On my CD’s, because assembling the full cd or dvd in jewel cases is such a hassle i’ve decided to give customers a significant discount if they do it themselves. My favourite thing about it is as long as the printing is of a standard they cant complain about the assembly!
The other was offering a significant discount on a flyer and poster design + print + placement in Auckland - or rather, increase the prices on print and placement so increasing the perceived value of adding the design into a low priced package - which of course has no overheads - no fuel costs! no additional expenses for me in creating a higher value offer.
Hi all,
this is Matt Turner @ Kurb promotions.
Decided to take a change of direction with this blog.
I’m still committed to small business marketing and small business online promotion in New Zealand and have a really strong belief in this area but the facts are that as confident as I am, my background is established in the music industry and will require a significant amount of groundwork before I can start seriously generating activity around small business marketing services.
In a lot of ways I feel as if when it comes to cutting edge marketing techniques for smaller projects I’ve got a lot to offer in experience and skill.
If online marketing for small business was a band aid, I’d be up there with the best. But the problem with the music industry though is that they’ve chopped their whole foot off and a band aid wont fix that. So from a perspective, doing great work in an industry facing struggle and uncertainty is somewhat unrewarding.
So what I’m going to be doing here is starting a little journal mainly around day to day challenges faced by my business.
Which means really, this blog is moving from a marketing function to a growth and development function which will give me some perspective on the way I’m tackling day to day challenges both in theory and with practical application when I can look back, kind of like a diary.
I had a diary when I was a teengaer but I gave it up because it was so depressing reading back on it because I only wrote in the thing when I was miserable! I don’t suspect this will be any different! haha - seriously, my journal will definately revolve around resolving challenges.
I also believe that it’s an excellent way of working through issues in your head just by getting them out there.
cheers, Matt
http://www.kurb.co.nz
http://www.myspace.com/kurbpromo
http://kurbpromotions.wordpress.com
http://www.twitter.com/mattnz
http://www.cd-dvd-duplication.co.nz
http://www.kurbartistmanagement.info
http://www.aucklandposters.info
In this blog:
- Google PR update
- Kurb homesite shifts hosts; years of work undone: How badly will changing hosts effect my search rankings???
- Ad supported revenue rampage produces results!!!! Have already jumped to earning over $US1 a day only days after the rampage!
- Ad words is tu meke (That’s “Too Much” in Maori) had to SUSPEND my adwords campaign due to unsustainable demand on my services causing me to reflect when it’s right for artists to start using the power of adwords
The internet marketing and blogging world is going frantic as googles Page Rank system updates today which they do every 2-3 months/ Remember Page Rank isn’t directly related to your search rank, but an indicator of how much authority your site passes on to others – which determines your search rank.
That’s why having my sites and blogs rank highly is important for me passing on that authority when linking to my clients and other partners in my work.
No shift on my wordpress blog which is at a reasonably healthy PR4, or any of my dozens of satellite blogs that im cultivating for the purpose of long tail ad supported earnings but my blogspot blog did jump from PR2 to PR3.
But the killer for me was discovering this morning that the whole kurb website has been moved to another host by my guy who helps me out with the tech side of things and despite the update the whole of the kurb site . . .
IS BACK AT SQUARE 1!!!!! PAGE RANK ZERO!!!!!
So whats the take away?
A lot of the kurb home sites influence comes from the fact that I’ve been working on it for YEARS, before myspace, before I even started Kurb as a business, when I launched it as an e-zine as part of the record label I was running back in 2004.
4 years online is a really important reason why the kurb site is influential and thats why I suggest in online promotion, dont obsess over it, just get started, because it may be a long way down the line before you see the benefits.
BUT this is why it is so important to set your website up for long term sustainability and accessability and don’t cut corners. This thing could be your bread and butter for 20 years or more!
It will be interesting to see how this effects traffic to my business! I am getting my own hosting set up straight away through http://hostgator.com just so I’ve got options.
I’ve made my website my biggest asset by slowly building, optimizing and turning it into a place where a chain of events gets put into place that ends with me making revenue. And I do!
Following the ad supported rampage last weekend where I added adsense as well as amazon associates to all my little blog projects as well as my website my blogging income has LEAPT up to over $US1 p/day!!!! My goal of having each blog earning a $1 p/day by next year might not be that far off!
And GET THIS, I have actually had to pull the plug on my adwords campaign because my $40 p/week budget was just getting more business than I could cope with.
Now adwords - googles ad platform, you see those damn little ads on myspace, everywhere - for musicians deserves a whole blogpost but the points I wanted to make is that i’ve been using adsense on my site for months on a website I knew already “worked” - people were emailing me, calling me, so I knew that what I had created was compelling enough for people to act.
More people visit, more people are compelled, more people act. Thats why adwords advertising is something a musician should definitely think about using but only once their website reaches that point that it is converting - people are signing up to the mailing list, people are downloading songs and engaging in ways that can be monetized either immediately or eventually.
In theory the kind of customisation and targeting delivered by Google represents a new paradigm in advertising which is an opportunity for all content creators to both grow their audience and create revenue from it. But this stuff - the highly nuanced targeting, the development of ad text, following a few marketing basics -y’know this is stuff that I’ve got a pretty good grasp on and I suggest this is another reason why an act might look at getting on a online promotion and digital coaching packages from kurb. if you’ve got the budget combined with marketing skills and experience in this area, - and of course a killer propostion - this method can be staggeringly effective.
Kurb is a media promotions company providing a regular blog on digital music promotion, marketing digital content and creating revenue from new media online.
Kurb also provides online promotion and revenue management services for musicians and artists internationally
AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESS ONLINE AND INTERNET MARKETING
CD / DVD printing and duplication and poster services.Our physical media services come with free graphic set up and support, free delivery, and free promotions advice and support for musicians.
