Add Up Your Time, Is It Worth Your efforts?

Digital Video: Create Your Own vs. Have someone do it. You need video for your business! Pay anywhere from $500-2000 or do it yourself, it only takes me a few hours to put a 30 second piece together
Cost:/Time
Social Networking: You have to do this yourself, I tried to have interns make posts for me, it just doesn’t work out. So there is no cost, but I spend about 2 hours a week on this. Many of you other crazy people I know spend hours… daily on it!
Cost:/Time
Network Marketing : You have to belong to associations! I spend about $3000 a year in memberships and another 5-6 hours a month attending meetings
Cost:/Time
On-line Directories : Most are free, but it takes about 3 hours to input my current list. I prefer to hire this out, it costs $30-50.
Cost:/Time
Email : You have a list, now what? Are you sending consistently to the list? Are you tracking your data? I use Constant Contact and pay $30/mo and I spend a few hours a month doing my enewsletter and blast, but hire someone to do additional blasts for me at a cost of $25-50.
Cost:
PR : You have a story…can you write it or would you rather have someone else do it? I do my own, but my clients pay $85 for me to write and distribute or I give them a break for $35 to distribute if they already wrote the release.
Cost:
Blogging : It helps your web site, it helps create dialog with your clients. Get someone else to do it for about $50 per 250 words or do it yourself. It takes me about 1/2 hour once a week.
Cost:/Time
Thank You Notes : About a $1.50 a card and it doesn’t take much time, well worth your 10 minutes!
Cost:
Co-Operatives : Go in with a supplier or associate to bring in a speaker, an event or an open house. It will cost you a few hundred to put it on and you may spend a few hours, but if a new client comes from it, it may be worth it for you.
Cost:
Gifts For Referrals : Promotional items still work, pens, sticky notes are the best value and I like big items every once in a while like outdoor chairs. Not much work, but minimum orders usually start at $300
Cost:
Attend Events : Usually it is a minimum cost to attend a membership event if anything, so spend an hour and mingle, it always works for me!
Cost:/Time
Gift Certificates: These are a great way to market yourself and give a lot for a little. Cost and time are minimum.
Cost:
Presentations : Get over the fear and talk from the heart on what you know and love to do. Yes I usually spend at least 3 hours preparing for a speaking gig, but it’s usually even paid and I end up picking up clients, so well worth the efforts.
Cost:/Time: 0
Keep Asking! : And not in a “obnoxious way” but maybe by a thank you note or a quick email or phone call, it doesn’t take too much time or cost anything to follow up!Cost: 0

Total Cost:__________

Total Time:__________

So is it worth your time??

My Best,

Kathy Kane
Market Insights, LLC