You're the Expert, Let the World Know!

There is an enormous amount of talent in the interior design industry and everyone wants to know where we go, what we have to say, and what we do. People stop and listen when designers speak!

The Internet has made it so easy for us to share our knowledge with our local community, as well as the world. You can become an expert in no time! I highly recommend creating a blog as one of your "Top Ten Tasks for 2010!" Since interior design is all about creating a custom look and feel, blogging is a perfect (and free) solution for attracting and keeping new clients. While I still firmly believe that every business should have a website, a blog is a less formal way to communicate your thoughts and ideas to clients online. The content on a blog is dynamic and is always changing.

Blogging is fun and easy. At first it may seem like it's overwhelming, as you start thinking about what are you going to write about or how much content should you put into your blog. Once you begin to blog, you'll find there is an unlimited amount of topics you can blog about. Some of the blogs I write take only 20 minutes, like "Tis the Season!"


Click on the picture above to see my blog, "Making a difference in a community!" that I recently posted regarding our local Middle Tennessee WCAA Chapter involvement with Habit for Humanity. Everyone loves to hear how businesses give back to the community. At the same time, I also mentioned the non-profit WCAA organization, in which I am a member. Mentioning organizations that you are a member of will give your company another stamp of professionalism in a customer's eyes.


Above is another example of a blog, "Tis the Season," with decorating tips for the holidays and how Casey was inspired by the Anthropologie store.

Take time to skim over all the different topics I have posted for my own design business, Dandelion's Blog. You will see I blog about everything from technology to designs tips. I even posted a blog about adding beauty to your backyard with Yellow Finches! I use my iPhone and take shots of interesting things at conventions or seminars that I know will be of interest to my readers.

The most difficult part of blogging, by far, is getting started. Fortunately, Minutes Matter has made starting a blog super easy. We offer a ONE-TIME blog setup for only $327. We register and completely set your blog up and even add the first post! Be sure to read the entire list of features and benefits of setting up a blog through Minutes Matter. Once your blog is set up, all you need to do is add one interesting topic per week. How much easier could it be?!?

Have You Made the Connection?

When you purchase software, you will find that tech support can be one of the most valuable features included in the software. Online forums are the newest and fastest way to get questions answered for almost any software. When a user posts a question on a forum, that question remains there for other users to read at any time, day or night. Since entrepreneurs often work odd hours, visiting a forum is the perfect solution for a small business. One of the biggest benefits to online forums is finding answers to questions you didn't even know to ask. You can connect with your peers in the industry to find tons of helpful information that will apply to your business.

If you own Minutes Matter's QuickBooks & Quoting, we have already registered you in our private QuickBooks forum. Or, you can open your Internet browser to http://www.minutesmatter.com/ Click on "Education & Support", and then select "QuickBooks Forum". You will need your username and password to log in. If this is your first visit to the forum, your username will be your first and last name with a space. Your password is the first three letters of your company name and the date of your receipt (no spaces.) If you encounter any difficulty in logging in simply send an email (info@minutesmatter.com) or call (800-343-0616) the office and we will be happy to help you log in to the forum.

Once you have logged in you will see the screen below:



All online forums are divided into sub-forums. The sub-forums are where you can post a question or simply read posts from other users and their responses. A great place to start is the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. There's a wealth of information there so come on in and let us help you with all of your QuickBooks questions.

For Studio users, there is another forum called "The Lounge" which is open to the public. You can read posts on this forum without registering, however, if you would like to post a question or download a file you will be required to register.

At Minutes Matter, we find that people who take advantage of our online forums receive the maximum benefits of our software. We often ask people, "Would you rather take two hours to complete a task or 30 minutes?" The answer is obvious, everyone wants to perform tasks the fastest and the most efficient way possible. The only way it is possible for a software user to use a software efficiently is to take advantage of the available tech support options.

Minutes Matter has two fabulous forums one "The Community" for QuickBooks & Quoting and "The Lounge" for Studio. If you haven't visited our forums, take time now to get involved on a regular basis, we are always coming up with something new and exciting!