Are you finding the traffic building a bit tiring? Not getting the amount of traffic to your blog that you’d wished for when you started?

Increasing your readership needn’t be tiring or stressful, it can be FUN! If you just have the right mindset when doing it you can benefit immensely and have fun at the same time.

1. Social Networking. This can be too much fun if you don’t watch out.  If you aren’t already on twitter or Facebook I suggest you get on there as soon as possible! Have fund and promote your blog at the same time. Use a service such as Bit.ly to shorten your URL’s and tweet about older posts as well as new. Remember to interact with other tweeters and not only tweet your own content.  Same thing goes for Facebook, reply to statuses of your friends and contacts and make new connections whenever possible. Don’t collect friends for the sake of having friends, only connect with those you really have some kind of relationship to.
2. Join a forum related to your topic. If you write about gardening it make sense to talk to those interested in gardening and not weight loss. Have something in common; you never know what connections you can make on forums. Don’t see it as time wasting, instead as a unique opportunity to meet new interesting people.
3. Comment on other blogs. This is probably one of the most given advice around when it comes to blogging but it works! Making thoughtful comments that show you are actually commenting because you have something to say and not for link building can make a huge difference for your blog.
4. Learn some basic SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is important for any blogger who wants more readers.  Don’t worry if it seems complicated, it really isn’t and you only need to know some basics.  A good idea is to check out Dan Thies’ free eBook SEO Fast Start. Learn how to use keywords in your titles and posts.
5. Write unique content. Show your personality in your posts; don’t be afraid to show a bit of who you are in your blog.  That is what makes your blog so special. Another tip is to write “Ever Green Content”. The term “Ever Green Content” refers to writing content that can be read today, tomorrow and months from now and it will still be relevant.

Actually you could probably put these tips in any order, they are all very effective. What you do with it is up to you. Blogging is supposed to be fun, so make the most out of your blog and have fun with it!

Need to set up some more strategies for your blog to get it going? Sign up for some Blog Coaching with Linda to see what you can improve on your blog!

It’s that time of year again here in the US – tax time. As a small business owner, you are probably going through the same ritual I am going through – hunting down all of those receipts to make sure you will be able to claim as many deductions as possible. I try to stay organized throughout the year, but I inevitably slack off toward the end of the year. (As usual, I’ve vowed not to let that happen again this year!)

January is also the month when you have to issue 1099s to your independent contractors and make sure you are in compliance with IRS regulations. Personal taxes are bad enough to keep track of, but there are so many forms, rules, and regulations for businesses that it is easy to feel overwhelmed by it all.

The IRS has a great resource for us small business owners, both newcomers and veterans. They have created a virtual Small Business Tax Workshop. This video workshop is available at any time and is set up so that you can skip to any section that interests you. Topics include the following:

• Introduction – an intro to the workshop
• Lesson 1 – What You Need to Know About Federal Taxes and Your New Business
• Lesson 2 – How to Set Up and Run Your Business So Paying Taxes Isn’t a Hassle
• Lesson 3 – How to File and Pay Your Taxes Using a Computer
• Lesson 4 – What You Need to Know When You Run Your Business Out of Your Home
• Lesson 5 – How to Set Up a Retirement Plan for Yourself and Your Employees
• Lesson 6 – What You Need to Know About Federal Taxes When Hiring Employees/Contractors
• Lesson 7 – How to Manage Payroll So You Withhold the Right Amount from Employees
• Lesson 8 – How to Make Tax Deposits and File Payroll Taxes Using a Computer
• Lesson 9 – What You Need to Know About Federal Unemployment Taxes (FUTA)

While I have a trustworthy CPA, I’m still going to go through this workshop myself.

What is your best tip for complying with IRS regulations for your business?