Your Guide to Getting a Career As a Surgical Tech

If you are interested in finding a career in the operating room without the long educational requirement, then you might want to consider getting a career as a surgical tech. A surgical technologist is an allied medical professional that works closely with surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses in the operating room. They are in charge of a variety of vital tasks such as ensuring the field is sterile inside the operating room, restocking of supplies, maintenance and operation of surgical tools and equipment, and proper prepping of patients by removing local hair and disinfecting the body and skin. During the operation itself, the surgical tech is in charge of checking the vital signs of the patient. They also hand tools and supplies to the surgeon as they request them; handle lights, suction equipment, and sterilizers as well as proper collection and care of specimens obtained to be used in laboratory analysis.

The first step to getting a career as a surgical tech is to obtain surgical technology education. This is usually a program that lasts for 9 months to 2 years depending on the curriculum enrolled in; mostly ending in the person having an associate degree or a certificate in surgical technology. Courses included in common surgical technology education are basic chemistry and biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, professional ethics, medical terminology, patient care, surgical procedures, and practical skills. In the program, a student is trained to have dexterity in handling surgical equipment, quick responses, and to be a critical thinker.

After finishing the program, a student must pass the licensure examination conducted by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs to become a licensed surgical technologist. Besides working, a surgical technologist can choose to further his or her knowledge by specializing in a certain field of surgery, obtain more advanced training, or exploring different fields such as hospital management and surgical equipment supplying.

Surgical technology is a fast-advancing field in health and medicine that is slowly gaining popularity, with a job growth of up to 25%, it is certainly one that is estimated to be faster than other health professions, in the coming 5 years. This is due to the advancements that are happening to surgical procedures and equipment including laser technology, fiber optics, and robotics. The number of surgeries itself is also expected to increase as the population, particularly the baby boom generation begins to reach old age thus requiring more medical care.

With regards to salary, a surgical technologist can expect to earn anywhere from about $25,000 to as high as $75,000 annually. This can differ depending on work experience, location of employment as some states give higher wages compared to others, as well as night, weekend, and overtime differentials.

Getting a career as a surgical tech is not as difficult as it may seem due to the numerous opportunities available to those in the profession. Hospitals will always remain as the number one employer of surgical technologists since their main workplace is located there, however other places such as private clinics, outpatient care services, and ambulatory surgical centers can also be considered.

For more details about becoming a surgical tech and earning the highest surgical tech salary [http://surgicaltechhq.com] possible visit [http://surgicaltechhq.com].

Surgical Technologist Schools: Are You Set for a Change Of Career?

Anyone that is planning on perusing a profession as a surgical technologist, sometimes called an operating room tech, needs to think about looking for a surgical technologist school. Working as a surgical technologist means you are part of a surgical team when you work together with the anesthesiologist, nurses and surgeon.

The surgical technologist sets up the operating room. They sterilize the surgical equipment and instruments. They make certain all the equipment is set up and performing correctly. After that, they help to prepare the patients for the procedure. This will likely vary depending on the surgical procedure, but will often call for cleansing the surgical site in addition to any shaving that could be necessary. They'll also be the one that transports the patient to the operating room. The technologist gets them to the operating table and prepares for the surgeon to arrive. The technologist assists the surgeon and also the other members in the team to get their gloves and gowns on.

When the surgery begins, the surgical technologist hands out the supplies and the instruments. They may also be needed to hold instruments, such as suction machines or retractors. In some circumstances, they will help cut sutures, and manage other devices essential for the medical procedure. The technologist is also responsible for ensuring that specimens from the surgery arrive at the laboratory.

After the surgery is completed, it's the surgical technologist that helps to transport the patient to the recovery room. In addition they clean up the operating room and get it all set for the next surgery.

Some degree of continuing education is going to be necessary as part of this job. This occupation continues to grow and as a result of that, locating employment opportunities is normally quite simple. This is a position that you can find any place in the country.

Surgical technologist schools help you prepare to get an important role in the health care career path. Be aware you are training for a physically demanding profession. You are likely to stand for several hours a day. You are also subjected to communicable diseases, or maybe unpleasant smells, sights, and sounds. This is not a job for the squeamish. The hours you'll be working are normally stable, though there could possibly be times when you will need to work weekends.

Most surgical technologist schools will take roughly 2 years to finish and at the conclusion of the schooling you'll have an associate's degree. Coursework for this field of study will include pharmacology, physiology, anatomy, ethics, and terminology. The handling of equipment and sterilization will also be topics of study. After finishing training, you still need to get certified if you'd like to get employed as a surgical technologist.

Prospective applicants for this career field need to possess good skill as well as the ability to think quickly on their feet. Organization and orderliness are crucial traits. Emotional stability is vital simply because this is an emotionally taxing profession.

Studying at surgical technologist schools means you can receive the education essential for a satisfying career in the medical field. When you are looking at schools, you'll definitely want to look into the following:

Is the college accredited?

Job placement after finishing training

How many students find employment following graduation?

Knowing what to search for when you look for Surgical Technologist schools [http://www.findhealthcaretraining.com/surgical-technologist-schools/surgical-technologist-schools/] can save you considerable time. Let us assist you with your search by going to www.FindHealthCareTraining.com http://www.findhealthcaretraining.com/surgical-technologist-schools/surgical-technologist-schools/

Surgical Tech Salary: Why You Should Be Compensated for Your Quality of Work

Surgical Tech salary is an extremely broad value that requires you to take into account a few elements. It may be based on the sort of career and place where the individual chooses to function. As an example, I operate with a plastic surgeon in California and make about $20 an hour. This really is around the larger end of the pay scale and I am fortunate for that. Based on Salary.com the expected median Surgical Tech salary is presently $35,122. Also, the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) has given a number of $12.72 to $18 per hour, nationally. There are a couple of considerations to wrap your head around when you are researching the pay out that an OR Tech can receive.

Your physical location plays a hugely crucial role when it comes to Surgical Tech salary. In most instances, the money is in line with the cost of living for every state. In the case of southern California, a tech with little or no experience can anticipate to make $16-20 per hour or slightly a lot more. This is not typical and technologists within the south or mid west can count on roughly $13-16 an hour.

The kind of position that a surgical tech is filling will also dictate what kind of money they can expect to be paid. This is a key factor to think about due to the fact there is such a huge diversity to the jobs that a surgical tech will find themselves working after school. The larger pay is going to be reserved for the experienced specialists which are on a prestigious group such as a heart team or those who operate for an organ transplant surgeon. I have noticed that techs who function in a large hospital are often in the lower side of the salary scale.

Although it is much less of an issue than location and job requirements, your expertise can dictate your money, too. This of course depends upon the facility. In the event you have zero expertise and are a brand new OR Tech, you can anticipate slightly less pay until you get a bit of surgery under your belt and perhaps some extra duties such as supply.

Getting your certification can boost your Surgical Tech salary as well. Some work places will give an extra buck or two to someone who holds a current certification. Although in my view a non certified tech is just as effective as a non licensed one, it really is a good idea to look good on paper and grab some more pay.

The wide range for a Surgical Tech salary is totally justified in my view. Just as in any medical job, the higher your qualifications and specializations, the more you should get. It's a matter of jumping on every opportunity in your career, regardless of whether it be further schooling, certifications, or new experiences so that you could be paid correctly for the talents that you bring to an Operating Room.

I have seen a lot of workers whose Surgical Tech salary [http://surgical-tech.org/surgicaltechsalary/] is higher than the quality of work they put out, and it can be frustrating. When it is all said and done, though, you should better yourself every day in the best interest of the patient on the table. That is what a good Surgical Tech [http://surgical-tech.org/] keeps in mind at all times.

Tips On How To Find The Best Surgical Tech Schools?

Today, there are several Surgical Tech schools from which those who are looking towards becoming surgical technicians can obtain training. These are the right institutions that will offer you the knowledge and experience that you need to get started on the career. The schools will offer you the required education and also prepare you to tackle the challenges that you are likely to face in your career depending on the particular field of medicine that you will be working in. However, it should be noted that even though there is a great number of these schools, only a few of them are able to offer quality training.

There are various avenues that different people pursue when it comes to sourcing the schools. However, there are only two that you should rely on in order to make the task much easier and convenient. Below are some of the basic tips that you should rely on whenever you are in need of finding the best surgical tech schools to develop your career.

• Search through the internet
The internet is the best way through which you are able to easily find the best training institutions for surgical technicians. The main benefit of going through the internet is the convenience that it offers since it can be accessed at any time and from wherever you are. Besides, the internet can also offer you adequate information regarding all that you need to know about the schools and also the requirements for joining the one that you will like. Whenever you conduct a search on the institutions online, you will be prompted with a variety of choices. In order to make the best choice of school, it is advisable that you take some time to read through the institutions' reviews.

• Obtain referrals from those around you
In case you may not have access to a reliable internet connection that you can rely on for conducting the search, it is advisable that you obtain referrals from other people around you like friends, family and even colleagues at your work place. When seeking referrals, you should try and ensure that you find people who have been to surgical tech schools. This is because, such people have got personal experiences from the schools and can offer you better suggestions on the best schools that you should consider joining whenever you are planning to pursue studies in surgical technology.

Based on the information that you are able to obtain from the reviews and referrals, it is advisable that you consider the surgical tech schools that most people are talking positively about.

Surgical Technologists In History And Today

When one thinks of surgery, images of doctors and nurses working side by side are often brought to mind. There is one actor, however, that is lesser known but still plays a crucial role in the surgery process: that of the surgical technician.

The role of the surgical technician is a relatively new one, emerging largely out of the need for additional personnel to help with surgical procedures duri
ng war time. As many female nurses were often not allowed to assist doctor's on the battlefield, male operating room technicians were trained to take their place in many of these situations. The role of the operating room technician, sometimes called a "scrub", was to prepare the surgical instruments by making sure they were clean and sterilized, helping with some minor surgical processes such as suturing, and assisting the physicians with tools and the care of patients as directed. Most of these operating room technicians were trained only briefly prior to working in the operating room, and much of their experience was gained on the job.

Today, however, the role of the surgical technologist is not limited only to males. Furthermore, training to become a surgical technologist has advanced and professional associations have
also emerged to certify training and qualifications. In 1968 the first such association was created, known as the "Association of Operating Room Technicians." In 1973, the organization formally changed their name to the "Association of Surgical Technologists" which remains one of the most important associations for those working in this field.

Starting in 1974, formal accreditation of surgical technology coursework came into existence. Initially this coursework was in the form of a two year associate's degree in surgical technology and assisting. Today, however, there is also a formal certification exam administered by the National Board of Surgical Technologists and Surgical Assistants. If you choose to pursue being formally certified, you will need to update your certification every four years through reexamination. Although many surgical technologists today receive generalized training and certification, there is some specialized training available for those interested in very advanced fields such as neurosurgery. Those that receive this specialized training are likely to find positions that are better paying as well.

Over the past fifty years or so, the field of surgical technology has undergone many changes and is now an important occupation for men and women alike. It is an ideal occupation for those interested in working in a surgical environment without studying to become a physician or nurse.

Make Money Online - Blog Marketing and Home Business

All blog owners do blog marketing. They get readers through marketing their blogs in order to make money online. Marketing your blog means making it available for other people to find and read it. This is a great strategy to sell products and promote affiliate programs using links. You can make blog marketing your home business if you like it. This article will give you some important tips on how to make money online through blog marketing. So read on for more information.

1.Choose a specific market for each blog.

If you decide to make blogging your home business, you will need to own more than one blog. So if you consider doing this, you will have to select different markets to serve. Serving a specific market in each blog will help you to be more successful as compared to mixing different markets in a blog. For instance, you can blog on pets. When you choose this market, you should not mix it with kitchen appliances. Concentrating on a specific market for each blog will attract those who like pets instead of mixing it with what they are not interested in.

2. Learn more about blog marketing.

You will have to know all the aspects of blog marketing if you want to make it your home business and earn a living. Learn all the strategies that will bring readers to your blog. Further learn how to write about what you are promoting and how to be better ranked in search engines. This will make you successful in blog marketing and make money out of your home business.

3. Optimize your blog for search engines.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is another important aspect of blog marketing. This consists of optimizing your blog in order to enable search engines to find and better rank it. If your blog is ranked high on search engines, you will receive free traffic to it. You will have to consider hiring someone to work on optimizing your blog if you do not have enough time to do it. This will prove to be rewarding with time because blog optimization is essential and it will help you make money online.

4. Outsource some works to make substantial amounts of money.

You will need to consider outsourcing some works to improve your blog if you want to make money online using your blog marketing. You may need to hire writers or bloggers who can write quality content for your blogs. Someone can be hired to leave comments on other blogs thus leaving links pointing back to your blogs. You can keep a record of the hired writers to indicate how often some things need to be done on each of your blogs. This will help you to be organized and prioritize your works. A spread sheet can help you do this since you will know what needs to be done by who and when. This can help you avoid using one person to do many things.

5. Treat your blog marketing business like any other home business.

So you must understand that the rewards you will reap from your blog marketing business will depend on the effort you put into it. You must therefore put in the same effort you would put in any other home business. If you give less hours to your blog marketing business, you will make money online accordingly. In order to earn a full time income from blogging, you need to spend quality time building it. Owning your own blogging business and working for yourself will make you feel good.

In conclusion, may I say never despise the times of small beginnings. Start small and put in the necessary effort and hard work. That will make you successful in blog marketing and make money online, which you have always desired. So persistence, perseverance and hard work will yield the deserved results.

Blog Marketing Tactics - Blog Marketing Tactics to Help You Grow Your Business

Recent surveys showed that the leading online marketing tactic widely used is blogging. According to Lee Odden of the Online Marketing Blog, blogging is leading their survey list and it is followed by e-mail marketing and search engine optimization.

Clearly, blogging is becoming one of the primary ways of doing business and doing marketing online.  It is currently perceived that it is important for a company to have a blog of some sort included in their marketing plan.  Without a blog or a site, their competition would definitely get ahead of them.

How does a company benefit from blog marketing tactics?

You need to get information published and available to the general public instantly.  Specials ly, if it is product information.  With a blog, you get to do this aspect of marketing.  You can even enhance the level of communication that you have with your customers and potential customers.  This enhanced communication with your customers may even give you an upper hand and help you build good reputation. This would definitely help you attract more customers.

Blog marketing tactics is a term used to describe the strategy that involves the use of a weblog as an online marketing tool.  Businesses are not only doing this to promote their products and solicit reaction from the public, but they also do this increase sales, brand awareness, build visibility and gather ideas for the next products.  All of these help a business retain their present customers and expand their business opportunities.

So, with a lot of businesses operating with blogging, what is the secret to blog marketing tactics?

It is no secret.  Apparently, it is the same as other marketing tactics out there.  Resolving your customer's issue or for the  blog owners, it is understanding and resolving your reader's concerns and problems.

Making your blog important to readers is one of the "secrets" for blog marketing tactics.  Make your readers feel that they would not be able to get the pertinent information from other blogs.  Make them feel your blog is the most important blog in the world wide web.  Post or write useful content for your page. But do not put deceitful information.

Another important thing to remember in blog marketing tactics, is being honest.  This would pay off in the long run.  This would establish your credibility.

There are numerous successful blogs out there that forget to interact and communicate with their readers.  If you are a blog owner, make sure that you get to respond to the email sent by your readers.  Not only respond to their emails, but also to their comments posted on your page.  This would make sure that you are on the right track.  Keeping in touch with your audience maintains your connection with them.
Another blog marketing tactics "secret" is getting your blog indexed.  You can let the search engines know that it is time to reindex your blog.   You can do this by "pinging" your blog.  You can go to pingomatic.com to ping your blog.  This site can accommodate you for free.

Blogging can be an opportunity for you and your business. It is a world wide web of opportunities and possibilities.

Small Business Blog Marketing: What Does It Entail?

Blog marketing can be quite complicated for anyone that has never even blogged before. If you are considering getting into small business blog marketing, you will want to first have a blog and see what that is like before you get into something more. Blogging requires dedication and patience. You have to update your blog on a regular basis in order to keep your readers happy. Doing so will keep them coming back for more and to see what you have new to say.

Small business blog marketing consists of blogging about your business. It definitely is a great tool that you should use to get your business out there and known by others. However, you will need to be patient because it is a long process that will require much of your attention. Just because you have a blog does not mean that someone is going to find it and read it. You are going to have to make it known. If you have a website for your business, you can link your blog to it and that will let the ones that know about your business and business website know about your blog as well.

Small business blog marketing is something that anyone can do. Having a blog and keeping it up to date with the latest information is not hard. All you need to have is a plan and you will be set to market any type of business from your blog. Whether you are selling a product or a service, it does not matter. A blog that is marketed the right way will be beneficial to any business whatever it might be.

So you are probably wondering how you are going to accomplish this small business blog marketing. When you are marketing a blog, you pretty much do it the same way that you would market a website. It is going to need keywords, and content. You can write the content yourself, or pay someone else to write it for you.

That part is totally up to you. However you will want to be sure that the content is decent and something that your readers will want to read. This will keep them coming back. Make sure that the content is written from special keywords that you choose. You will also want to become familiar with SEO which is Search Engine Optimization. SEO will help you to optimize your blog to get a better ranking with the search engines.

Once you have chosen the keywords, and gotten some content published on your blog, you will be ready to get it out there some more. Link exchanges are wonderful for marketing your small business blog. You want to try and exchange links with sites that are relevant to yours, but not in direct competition. If you try to exchange links with sites in competition with yours, you are going to find that many of them will turn you down in fear of losing business to you.

Paid directories are a big part of small business blog marketing as well. You can pay some directories to list your blog URL in their directory under the specific category that it falls under. However, some of these even have specific qualifications that you must have to get in. Follow all of the application steps, and you should be ok. Just do not try to submit your blog to a directory that it does not qualify for, or fit in.

Another important thing to remember when you are into small business blog marketing is that if anyone leaves you a comment on your blog, you should acknowledge it and respond. You can also comment on other blogs that are relevant to yours, and leave a link to your blog as well. This will help bring in visitors to your blog, and you will begin to see more and more traffic.

Small business blog marketing is not rocket science; however someone that has never marketed a single thing before in their life may have problems. Just be persistent, and don't give up.

The First Steps to Blog Marketing

Known as weblogs, blogs are the new great thing on the internet. They are more or less a platform which you can use which allows you to actually post your ideas on most any subject that you want to. These weblogs can be used for a variety of things such as a diary, web promoting, idea writing, and publishing. You can use blogs for anything your heart desires. If you have never used a blog and are new to blogging in addition to blog marketing, you will want to know the few key tips which make blog marketing easy. If you have a particular market in mind, blog marketing will be easy. You will notice many people are using blogs to keep a diary, and these blogs are not be intended to make them money. These type of blogs are just simply ways to put their thoughts out there and find others which are going through the same thing.

If you have never blogged before, the best thing for you to do will be to start one. You can then merely journal in it for a while to get the feel for it. This will let you learn what is required and just what it takes to keep up a blog. When you begin and start journaling your notions and what is on your own mind, there is really nothing for you to lose. A blog following or followers are not be needed if you decide you don't want other people to read the things you are writing about. Now that is a personal preference. However, doing this will allow you to see what makes it work. Then you have the option to move to working to market an item or perhaps a service.

Marketing something is cheaper by using a blog than it will be if you use a website. The simple reason is there are tons of free blogging sites you can select and use to spread the word about your product or service. These free blogs are just as good as if you owned a website and hosting which you have to pay for. There are advantages to having your own personal website, but for a novice, a free one will work until you understand blogging a little better and you don't have to worry about moving all your files and information to a server. The free blogs are simply and easily customizable for beginners without having to know a great deal about HTML code. If you don't really have knowledge about HTML, you will begin to see that with free blogs yours will generally have the same characteristics as everyone else's. Don't worry; it will be OK in the beginning stages of blogging. Once you are becoming more familiar with blog marketing and blogging and have some success, you can certainly make changes the changes you would like and start to stand out.

Having your very own personal blog, means you are in control of the unique content published on it. You will be in charge of what is said on your blog and what you don't want said or viewed. You are of course writing it all, correct? So, you determine your limit! Whether you want a blog that does website reviews and takes nominations, or you wish to sell products or merchandise you make at home, you will make the choice. Utilizing a blog to make people aware of whatever you decide too is a great strategy to market and promote.

Blog marketing could have the tendency to get a little complicated whenever you allow it to. It will only be as hard as you decide to make it be. There is a huge number of bloggers out there which are making a great living off their blogs by blog marketing. We are all aware it can easily be done. We just need the knowledge to know the secrets. First, for any beginner, start small, and be consistent. The bloggers who continue to make a great living blogging all did. They started with just one blog, built that blog up. When that blog began to succeed they added another blog, and again build it up. Then, came the keeping up of both blogs and not allowing any of them to fall behind, they continued to include ever more. Of course they had help doing all of this. They more than likely outsourced a great deal of their tasks and work. If you are looking to make a massive income with blogging, you will require some help too.

Blog marketing is really a very good thing to learn. Think about it, if you can sell products from your blog, you will sell those products everywhere. Making money blogging is definitely one of the most satisfying things that you will understand how to do. Just do not expect to make that massive money in one day, understand you will really have to work at it consistently; each and every day. Don't forget, the amount of work you put into it, is exactly what you will get out of it. Put in the effort and you will be on your way to fast money online blogging.

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing

Blog marketing is not hard if you know what you are doing. However, like most things in business there are certain things that you must do every day if you want your blog to be a success. For example, don't expect to just create a new post and simply forget about it, you have to be consistent and post regular quality content relevant to your niche or topic of interest. There are many ways to market your blog, but I would like to give you (in this article) some very simple tips for blog marketing... so keep reading!

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing

Good quality content is something that you should ALWAYS be looking to provide your blog readers and subscribers. However, there is also the requirement for it to be original as well. Although you can market your blog with PLR material, I don't recommend that, as Google loves quality original content and can heavily penalise you (by dropping you down the rankings very quickly) for having duplicate or copied content on your blog. So be sure that all of your posts are your own material or material that you own the rights to and your blog marketing efforts will be rewarded in time.

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing - Competitions:

Competitions are a great way to market your blog. Having competitions can provide a good interaction with your readers and can provide some great social commenting which on it's own can have a very positive impact on your Google rankings. Importantly, it is also a great way to keep your readers coming back.

Lets face it, everyone loves to win things, you can make the prize relevant to your marketplace and a reason for a reader to opt-in to your blog newsletter or mailing list.

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing - Blog commenting:

Blog commenting should also form a very important part of your blog marketing strategy. Not only should YOU be looking for relevant blogs to post regular comments (good back linking strategy this!) on, but you should ALWAYS ensure that you respond to any relevant comments that have been left on your blog by your readers as well.

The fact that you do this on a regular basis, forms 3 major impressions on your audience:

1. It shows your readers and subscribers that you are real.

2. It gives out a message that you have the best intentions and interests of your audience.

3. It provides a level of confidence to your subscribers and readers that can be missing in this era of virtual businesses. So make sure that NO comment remains unanswered.

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing - Interview an Expert in Your Niche:

Interviewing an expert and posting it on your blog is a fantastic way for you to market your blog. But you must obviously ensure that the experts you interview are relevant to your target market, as with all of your blog posts. For example, if your blog is targeted to the golfing niche, then an interview with Tiger Woods would be highly relevant, but an interview with Richard Branson would not (still of interest though, but that's for another article).

So hopefully you get the idea. Any interview, if it is going to increase your blog's profile, simply MUST be of major interest to your target market, or YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing - Press Releases:

Submitting regular press releases is an excellent way to market your blog. These days, sending out a press release or having one made for you is within the budgets of most businesses. You'll find that many companies will offer you a package deal in which they will write the press release for you, then submit it for a discounted price. But it is well worth remembering that there are lots of companies out there that will do this for you, so shop around and prepare to do some bargaining!

Some Simple Tips For Blog Marketing - Current Affairs:

Posting on your blog about current affairs is a great way to attract readers from outside of your niche, especially if you are promoting something that has a wide range of uses or interest. It is also usually a good way to promote some commenting from your subscribers. But bear in mind that this only works if the news is really up to date. NOBODY is interested in old news especially when they have more than likely seen it on TV or heard it on the radio anyway.

Marketing a blog can be fairly tedious and monotonous work. The key (as previously mentioned) is to be consistent and disciplined to add new highly relevant content on a regular (at least 3 times per week, EVERY WEEK) basis.

Blog marketing is not difficult, but don't be fooled into thinking it is easy either. But it is SIMPLE if you follow the advice given above and commit yourself to building a business. Hard work, persistence and discipline are all you need.

SO START NOW!

A Blog Marketing Plan - The Basics

Marketing is a low percentage racket no matter how you do it, but blogging can seem to be the bottom of the barrel. It seems that some days no one is paying attention to you at all. You may not be using all of the resources at your disposal or, if you are, in the proper manner. You can't blog alone and need to have a plan in place.

The following is an explanation of how to make a blog marketing plan and how that plan can work for you today.

Blog Writing and Posting

The title of this section may sound obvious (considering the title of the article), but it is the first step. You have to write a blog. Of course, you can have this part of the plan completed by someone else (say a professional writer), but even if this is the method you choose, make sure that the content matches your message/product/service.

Once the blog is written, it needs to be posted to your website and optimized. But, is this all that needs to be done?

In the past, you may have written the blog post and just put it in the queue and hoped that people would read it. Even if people read it, they may not respond. The problem here is that you are not actually marketing; you are just writing a blog at this point.

People who are interested in either your content or what you have to sell may find you and read the post, but the majority of people, who are potential customers, will not read it. The post needs a bigger send off.

Blog Promotion

Social Media Communities. Social media is a great business tool because it connects people. Although businesses are beginning to see the benefits of using this medium, maybe you haven't yet. When you write a blog, there is a community of people on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others that will want to know about it (ex. LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Groups, etc.).

If you have properly set up your groups and have been following and posting interesting tidbits in the past, you will get your blog to a larger audience. Other people in your sphere will tell people in theirs who haven't discovered you yet. Begin discussions in these networks to build up relationships with their members.

Social Media Updates. In addition to starting discussions in social media communities, make sure you notify your social media networks immediately of the new post. This is how a one way your one blog post can garner you an amazing amount of new business.

Tip: Some people will suggest that you add a plugin to your site to have the new blog post automatically sent to your social media networks. I highly discourage this. It doesn't look natural and you really have no control of what content is posted. I suggest you either go to each social network and post about your new blog post or jump onto HootSuite (or any other social media management tool) and have it sent from there.

Bookmarking. There are a variety of sites where members keep bookmarks of blog posts that they want to read later. When they add something, their connections will also see what they are interested in. Therefore, bookmarking blog posts can give the writer great exposure.

There is no need to go into each site to bookmark the blog post. You can use an automated service such as OnlyWire.com and enter very little information about the new blog post and they will distribute that.

Tip: I know that some people bookmark their own blog posts, but I would suggest you have a third party do it for you. That way, it looks more natural and it doesn't look like you are promoting your own work.

Article Marketing

A blog is not necessarily an article... sometimes there is a difference. A blog is a conversation between you and the reader; it is more personal, yet it should be informational, also. An article is a piece of information. It is written by a knowledgeable individual who is seen as an expert by what he or she posts.

But, there is a parallel between blogs and articles... as a matter of fact they can be the same thing.

Most business owners will post to their blog and not include personal information because they are using the blog to enhance their business rather than using it to connect with their friends and family. The good thing about informational writing done by someone who is an expert on the content is that people will listen (just make sure you still try to be use a personable voice to relate to your audience).

It is another marketing tool to write articles from an expert position which can be posted to a few selected article directories. Do not post your article to every place you can on the Internet. Make sure the directories are reputable and only post to 5-10 directories.

A few of the directories I highly recommend are EzineArticles, GoArticles, Biznik. In addition to readers finding your articles on these directories, the articles from these sites also show up in searches (on Google, Yahoo, etc.) when someone is looking for your expertise.

Article marketing is another way to get your blog out there (as the sites require a bio) and show people what you have to offer.

Social Media Marketing

Posting a message to different social media networks is as simple as entering the message into the appropriate window. But, there could still be a problem. What if you don't post very often? Are people going to listen to you/read your blog when they have no idea who you are? The answer, of course, is no. You have to create a presence on the social media sites, develop a community that trusts and follows you. You need some online friends and followers.

This is done simply by posting a few times a day (the amount of posts depends on which social media network you are posting to) with items of interest. By doing this you will build a following and people will look forward to your messages. They may also visit your website to learn more about you and your business.

Tip: Even though you can use HootSuite to schedule these posts for the week, I would still suggest you visit the social media networks you are more involved with each day and manually post information and interact with others. If you don't, your connections will see that you are not really networking with them and just promoting your business (even if the weekly posts are promotional).

Video and Podcast

Your blog content can be stretched even further. Videos and podcasts can be added to your blog as marketing tools. The audience gets to know you better and has a better understanding of your offering. At one time, I would not have even listed these as a basicblog marketing strategies, but in today's online world, they have both become a major factor (especially videos).

Video Marketing. In addition to posting a video to your blog, you can distribute it to video directories.

YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the web today and it has been for a number of years. Anyone can post a video, about anything, and put it on this virtual board. This can benefit you if an individual is searching for videos in your area of expertise or if friends want to see what you have to offer.

There are other video directories you can submit your videos to, also. A couple of the more popular ones are DailyMotion.com and MetaCafe.com.

Podcasts. Podcasts take a little more organization, but they can also be a great marketing tool. It is basically an internet radio program that you host or are a guest of. Creating the podcast is as simple as buying a microphone and the software required. Some people go bigger and rally up there production value, but you can keep it simple.

Once you create your podcast, you can upload it to a plugin on your site and it will be automatically distributed to iTunes.

There are many strategies that can be added to your blog marketing plan, but this will give you a good start. When you start a blog for your small business, make sure you spread the word about what you have written. Promote your new blog post in social media, bookmark your post (or have a 3rd party do it), submit the content to appropriate article directories, submit the content to appropriate article directories and seriously think about creating a video and/or podcast from that blog post content. If you do all of this, you will be on your way to a successful blog!

Know Your Self Worth in the Business Marketplace

Far too many times in the last few years because of the crummy economy, professionals are devaluing their self-worth in the job marketplace. We as a society need to put a value on our own lives in the business world and start driving the price of employees up instead of down.

This theory is not only goes for solo-entrepreneur's on the internet and off, but the common job seeker who has just found themselves laid off from a job, re-entering the job marketplace, or trying desperately to move on from their current position. I worked for a company once that lost their contract. It was awarded to another vendor and the employees in my office scrambled to move on before being laid off.



The one thing that distressed me was the inability to determine one's self-worth in the business marketplace. What irks me the most in corporate America is when people take a pay cut when they really deserve a raise. Why on earth would you work at a position for 3-10 years, gain all that experience and then let someone tell you that your worth is less than what you are currently making or valued at the same amount?

It's inexcusable to let someone dictate your value in our society regardless of what the economy is doing, what your friends tell you should be making, or what an HR person says your job title is worth! Do you want to know why? Every time you take a pay cut you are not only undermining your ability to survive and your family's ability, but you are telling the HR person and the economy they are right. Do you have any clue what that does to the job market? That not only makes the rich richer (the big bad business owner), but it also now tells the rest of the job pushers that your job is now only worth this much money. That means everyone else who is qualified for that position in a different state and a different city has now been told their job is only worth this much.

So for example, Project Coordinator Jane in ABC city USA has made 60K a year as a high level project coordinator on at IT project for the last 3 years. She has gained invaluable skills and could probably do the job of a project manager now and run circles around them. Unfortunately she has also gotten burned out on her job and she has heard rumors that they are eliminating her department.

She has now applied for a better coordinator position at company Awesome. They have everything she wants in a position and are even going to give her more duties such as managing a small staff. Guess what? They know she needs a job so they offer her 55K a year to this awesome new job and explain that's what everyone else in the industry is now offering. Jane takes it without even negotiating and she is happy to have a job. But she has a twinge of depression creep in because she feels that she should have and could have been making more but tries to rationalize her thoughts stating she was going to be out of a job soon so she should be grateful for anything at this point.

This is where the downward spiral starts. Jane in turn has started a ripple effect by not even negotiating herself worth even though she deserves more. But now she feels a bit of anxiety every time she goes to work at her new awesome job because she knows she should have asked for more money. This is a common problem not only in the corporate world but online as well. Because Joe Shmoe in India can live on and will take 4 dollars an hour, Joe Brilliant in the good ole USA feels he needs to lower his prices as well.

If the entire workforce would stand up for themselves and tell corporate America they are worth more, and that they will not being doing the job of 3 people instead of just 1, I believe our job force would be much happier and work more productively. You have to value yourself everyday in life and business much higher than what you would expect. In turn others will value you as well in turn affording you better opportunities, more money, and a better lifestyle. The moral of the story is, if you have to fake it do, ask for what you are worth, know where you are going in life whether it be in corporate America or as a solo-entrepreneur. Never settle for less than you are worth!

Stacey Wockenfuss is a professional internet marketer, virtual assistant and business coach who specializes in helping people reach their own goals of business ownership and working from home through her guides, ebooks, and sound business advice

Why Freelance Marketplaces Are Not a Small Business Owner's Friend

As a small business, one of the most tempting ways to get affordable web design services is to use a freelance marketplace such as oDesk or eLance. The simple fact is using these marketplaces is one of the biggest mistakes that a small business or start-up company can make. Taking this avenue is going to be a huge drain on both your time and your wallet.

Let me share with you a small nightmare story from one of these marketplaces. One small business owner decided that he was going to use eLance to have a small program developed for his company. He was a veteran user of eLance and had reviewed numerous applications with no problem but that didn't stop him from getting scammed. He hired what seemed like a reputable coder. The coder ended up taking advantage of the eLance terms of service and made the business owner pay early before the work was complete.

As if that wasn't enough, the coder was able to bill him for another $140 dollars without his consent! All in all, the business owner ended up with a code that didn't work and a bill for over $300, and eLance only gave him back $75 in credit after fighting with them via email!

So what do you need to do to keep yourself and your small business safe?

• Avoid freelance sites like eLance for development services; they can rack up a hefty bill before you even get a working program.

• Don't trust an applicant just because their application hits all the right notes, some of them have more experience in conning you, then you have in reviewing applications.

• Don't waste time reviewing all the applications that flood in on these sites, a single job could have an upwards of 30 applicants. As a small business you don't have time to waste on these applicants without the guarantee of a good hire.

Luckily there are companies that will take the guess work out of hiring the perfect web service developer and coder! Engineering recruiting firms go through the available applicants for you one at a time and make sure that they are not only qualified, but that the work they turn out is quality!

Some people fear that these firms cost more money for their engineers; however the slightly higher cost is easily justified when you realize that you are not paying extra for bad programmers, throwing your time away on application review, or being stuck with unqualified workers.

Bottom Line, if you are a serious start-up or small business owner you need to avoid the freelance marketplaces and use a recruiting firm to get the job done right.

Dritlap Parfozzi is a web developer and part time engineer that has recently retired from his full time job as a software designer. He spends most of his time now working with Engineer Nexus http://www.engineernexus.com/ helping start-up and small business find reputable and affordable engineers and developers for their companies.

Marketplace Help in Building a World of Opportunities for Designers

If you have just started out as a designer, you might be finding it hard. You will have sent resumes to all the big design companies and you might have even had a few interviews.

However, you probably didn't get any of the jobs and they probably all had the same reason - you didn't have any experience. You will feel downhearted because you did everything right in college and you will have had internships with design companies, so how much more experience do they want you to have?

Also, how are going to get the experience unless a company is willing to take a chance on you. In the old days, designers were likely to get a job with the company that they interned for, but today, things are a lot different.


Companies are suffering in recession and they would rather get another intern than hire the one they have once college is finished. This is because having an intern is free. They don't have to pay the intern, so it is saving them money by hiring interns over and over again.

If you are in this situation and you are worried about where your next paycheck is going to come from, then read ahead because all is not lost and you did not waste your money in college, doing website design.

Initiative

This is the point where you are going to be using your own initiative. You don't need to rely on big design companies for work, in this industry. You can start up on your own.

Coming straight out of college might mean that you are a little bit scared of starting out on your own, with your own business, but this is definitely the step that you need to take to get work, otherwise you are going to be having interviews and getting turned down for the rest of your life.

Freelancing

You are going to be doing freelance work. This means that you are self employed and you are going to be hired on a job-to-job basis. You don't have a contract with a big company, but you can apply for actual design work on jobs that suit you.

You are probably thinking that you don't even know where to begin and you don't know where you are even going to find companies that hire per job, but it is a lot easier than it looks.

Marketplace Websites

What you are going to do is sign up for some marketplace websites. These are websites that specialize in crowd sourcing. Workers sign up and then can search a list of jobs that companies have listed.

The way it works is that the website controls everything so if there is a dispute, they can act as a mediator and hopefully get everything sorted.

Workers sign up and make a profile with some information about them and their experience. This is where you would write about your experience as an intern and as you get more work, you will update your experience.

The worker then searches for a job and makes a bid on a job once they have found a suitable one. If their bid is accepted, they wait to be contacted by the employer and then they start work. Once the work is done, they get paid and the employer gives them feedback on their profile.

The feedback is very important because people with the most feedback are more likely to get more work and therefore, make more money. All the work is done from home, around the marketplace website.

InnoDojo is a very successful marketplace, specializing in big and small redesign needs and consulting. They work with anyone from small companies to massive corporations and bloggers to online stores. If customers have a problem with their website, InnoDojo can put them in contact with a consultant who can help. They will take care of small tweaks and complete overhauls with the same enthusiasm. Their consultants keep their clients informed and show them why their current design is costing them customers

How To Make A Marketplace Work For a Website Designer

Today's world runs off of the Internet. It is not uncommon for someone to go to a website for a product they want to buy or a service they want to book. However, a poor website can give potential clients the wrong idea about a service and can cause a business to lose money before they even have an opportunity to make it.


Thus, a large market for web designers has opened up and become very profitable for a number of web design firms and freelancers. Not only do they design websites, but they also redesign existing websites for clients which allows them to always stay busy and have an influx of funds going in their bank accounts.

However, not all web designers are drowning in clients. Freshly-minted college graduates who want to work in the industry have to build their brand and rely on their portfolios before they earn the trust of clients. Yet, portfolio may be the calling card, but their skills will get them the job.

They should also possess certain skills which would enable them to garner work regardless of the economy. They must be able to meet deadlines. Many people are on a tight timeframe and want their work to be finished when the designer tells them it will be done.

Another skill set that is highly important to clients is the ability to work well and successfully collaborate with them. Designing a website requires two or more people to work together to create the ideal result. Listening to clients and being honest with them about their abilities and what is possible to achieve with their requests.

Once the web designer can accurately rely on the above skills are they ready to have the marketplace work for them. The first thing budding designers should do is compare their costs with the market and adjust their prices accordingly.

For example, if a new designer discovers that he or she charges as much as someone with years in the industry and a strong client base, then that person will need to adapt his or her prices to reflect more realistic prices.

After the pricing structure has been sorted out, they need to set up a website. Although this seems par for the course, few web designers have their own sites or one that accurately reflects their skills. They need to market themselves just like every other business.

Marketing is a large part of all business plans, and designers that fail to focus some of their energy towards marketing will have a more difficult time booking clients or getting web design firms to consider hiring them. With the power of today's social media age, there is no reason for a designer to ignore the power of marketing and social media.

Yet, sometimes marketing, a top-of-the-line portfolio and well-cultivated skills are not enough to get a designer noticed. When that happens the web designer should not be afraid to approach clients, other designers or web design firms and let them know that they exist.

Approaching firms and clients to learn what they are want in a web designer and speaking with a fellow graphic designer will educate them on what the market wants in graphic design.

All businesses large and small need help with their websites. Some need a site built from scratch while others need their websites redesigned to reflect a changing business model or to modernize their existing company.

With many web designers overwhelmed with managing their clients and amount of work, there is no reason for all graphic and web designers to have a difficult time finding work. They just need to learn how to make the marketplace work for them.

InnoDojo is a marketplace for large and small business owners to find the best web designer for their needs. The company is headquartered in Plano, Texas and it specializes in web consulting, logo design and web design in addition to assisting clients with identifying their corporate identity. The company prides itself on its ability to handle large and small projects and employing designers with a wide variety of skills for the web design marketplace.

How to Cut Your Transportation Costs With Virtual Transportation Marketplace

The process goes as follows: Transportation or logistics companies enter their free capacities and freight services into the database and then wait for cargo owners to contact them or they can give price quotes to the cargo owners which are already entered their transportation needs. Companies looking for transportation can either select the best offer of transportation capacities provided, or make offer of their own and wait for carrier to contact them.

The main reason why this transportation marketplace significantly reduces costs for both sides involved is because the transportation vehicles can fully reduce empty-running. Without freight exchange if freight carrier had delivery from point A to point B he would make a delivery and then have to search for another freight ready to go in opposite direction. Transportation marketplace allows him to find fright he can deliver back to the point A and make some profit in the process. Because he has to return back anyway it is better for him to charge less than to go back with empty vehicle. Because transportation companies are ready to lower their fees, just to avoid empty-running, freight owners can benefit and get better deal. It is a win-win situation.


Further benefits for both sides are:

Financial security - most internet transportation marketplace platforms requires from all their customers (both freight owners and transportation companies) to be in the business at least six months or a year to be admitted to the customer base and granted the use of the program. Unethical users in the business are put on the black list and are forbidden from any further use of the program. Also, all of the other clients are warned about their behavior. Some of the transportation fright exchange companies even have their own legal team which collects legitimate claims.

Reputation building - transportation fright exchange companies have their own system of feedback and website forums, so you can check any of the other users whenever you like and find who is most trustworthy.

New business contacts- as a client you'll have access to database of companies, so you can negotiate for transportation terms by yourself and get better price and service.

Time saving-Because each day all users have access to thousands of offers of available loads and vehicles, you can find transportation or freight almost immediately

Reduced risk- Most freight exchange platforms allows anyone wanting to become a virtual transportation marketplace customer to test the program in real-time for limited period of time (usually for weeks) free of charge and without obligation prior to signing a contract.

Business to Business Marketplace - A Gold Mine for International Trade!

A business to business marketplace is a platform that helps local as well as global traders to connect with each other in order to grow their business and increase their revenues. It is a place where buyers, sellers, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors and resellers can connect with each other and discuss their business opportunities. Business to business marketplaces and web portals have become one of the most sought after options for the international trade. This is because such web portals allow local as well as global traders to do business at their least expenditure.

The IT related business solutions, after their doldrums, once again emerged with B2B websites that give wholesalers the liberty to expand and promote their business to worldwide traders without spending huge fortune. Prior to B2B web portals, the interface that existed between buyers and sellers was in the form of brokers.

Brokers are the persons who help two or more businesses to weld a profitable business relationship with one another as well as with the other traders across the world. Some of the brokers evolved themselves as wholesalers, one cannot eliminate from international trade because of different reasons. In such cases, these brokers virtually put international trade to ransom. As a result, international traders had to bear the burden of excessive brokering charges that reflected on the prices of goods / services they wanted to sell. Such an increase in the prices of goods / products being sold ultimately made them unattractive for the international market.

B2B portals and websites allow global traders to directly interact with each other in an effective way without bearing any extra brokering charges. Such business to business websites are springing up with an extensive growth rate not only because they allow global traders to connect but also because they make brokers to charge their clients realistically. In fact, now even brokers are using B2B web portals to find out new clients.

A B2B website offers its services to a wide range of traders that include, but are not limited to, sellers, buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, exporters, stockists, distributors, resellers and dropshippers. In this way, B2B websites have become a crucial trading tool for everyone.

The success of B2B websites lies in their simplicity. You simply have to get yourself registered there, and voila! Now, you can post your own selling / buying leads, can contact other traders all over the world, can also advertise your company to millions of potential customers and much more. Choose a B2B website very carefully after analyzing all the features it offers and list of companies and traders already registered there.

It is understood that if a B2B website or a business to business marketplace used in the right direction, it can become a gold mine for international trade.

Furniture manufactured - Market Place

Furniture manufactured in Indonesia is in very big demand from the people all over the world. It is because of the high quality of the products and also it is available at cheap rates. Indonesia Furniture Handicraft Wholesale Marketplace offers them affordable products that can be shipped to any part of the world.

There are numerous options available for discovering them such as the numerous product ranges, but original Indonesia furniture can also be customized as per your choice and budget. For worldwide trading, you will be required to build Furniture Store for supporting the marketing promotion. You will be surprised to know that there are number of Indonesian collection including various types and styles. Because of the styles and their designs, they have been appreciated and bought by people all over the world.


The Wholesale Marketplace could also be a good addition value for providing the various solutions to commercials. But, with the furniture market it could be more contribution to business in Indonesia in general. There are lots of handmade handicraft products and lots of choices from Sulawesi, Sumatra and Java. Depending upon your choice and preferences, you can select the best one for your home.

For all those who are looking for unique furniture for interior, Indonesian handmade furniture is one of the best options. This country is known for its cultures and islands and it gives excellent panache of furniture. There are a lot of choices for furniture made from wood. The products manufactured form wood give more quality and it could also give you all that you need to set your interiors. With affordable prices you can find unique products for your dream home. With specialized wood furniture designs you can get natural interior in your home and feel the beauty of it.

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