The best thing I did for my business in 2010

What’s the best thing I did for my business in 2010? You’re reading it.

That’s right. This little old monthly e-newsletter that shows up around the middle to end of every month. Why? The obvious answer is it led to work with two or three people from my network and another two or three referrals that also led to new projects. All from a 300-word e-mail sent once a month.

Yet it would be easy to say the same thing if not one dime of work came from this e-newsletter. Why? Because it kept me connected to folks I want to stay connected to.

The old school folks out there believe you have to pick up the phone or meet with somebody face-to-face. That scenario is ideal. From a time and travel perspective, it’s also unrealistic. People just don’t always have the time to gab on the phone or get together for a cup of joe and discuss business. But if your network has a general sense of what you bring to the table and, every so often, you figuratively tap on the glass to say “hey, I’m still out here, how about you”, that’s worth its weight in gold.

On a personal level, it can sustain business relationships that are more like friendships. And at this time of year, friendship and family are really what it’s all about.

So, if you would like to stay connected or reconnect to your network, I can think of no better way than a regular e-newsletter to reach the greatest number of people. I encourage you to take Constant Contact out for a free 60-day trial. What have you got to lose?

To help you get your e-newsletter started, I’ve attached an old white paper of mine, Why Nobody Reads Your Newsletter…And How To Fix It. This white paper can help you find ways to consistently generate content for your newsletter and avoid some of the common traps many small business owners fall into when creating their newsletters.