Why YOUR Resume Writing Business Needs a Business Plan

I've owned my resume writing business for 17 years, and I still use my business plan. Well, it's not the same business plan I wrote in 1996. I refresh it every few years (because things change), but it's helpful for me as a self-employed entrepreneur to have a master plan to work off of.

For most self-employed folks, business plans are an essential element to starting and running a successful business. It doesn't matter if your business is large, small, online or offline — having a solid business plan is a key indicator of future success. The part of the business plan that is helpful is that a business owner is forced to study the market, develop products and/or services for that market, and then use the figures discovered to determine in advance whether or not the idea has a chance of success. You can also benchmark your progress against your business plan. I love the phrase, "What gets measured, gets done." If you're projecting $4,000 in revenues this month for your resume writing business, and it's November 14 and you're only at $1,300, you know you have some work to do!

What Should Be In Your Business Plan

Believe it or not, you can write a one-page business plan that will be effective. I'd recommend adding a bit more detail, but starting somewhere is critical.

Your business plan should include the following components and cover 3 to 5 years of projections:

• Executive Summary. This is first, but it's written last because it is simply a summary of all the major points below. This usually covers less than two pages. For some small resume writing businesses, this one page is enough to help you get started on the right foot.
• Company Overview and Description. Describe your company's mission, unique differentiators, and the opportunity you are filling. Describe what gives your company an advantage, and describe everything you can about management and operations.
• Market Analysis. Include a study of your competition, describe your customers and your industry as a whole, and how your business will measure up to each area that you cover. This is where you identify your target audience down to a specific persona. (Sign up to receive the "Profile of a Professional Resume Writer" special report for some competitive data to use in your market analysis.)
• Service or Product Descriptions. Detailed descriptions of the resume services you will provide (updates, new resume development, LinkedIn profiles, bios, cover letters, etc.) and products you will sell (ebooks, membership programs, DIY courses, etc.). Describe your products and/or services and who exactly will be using them.
• Sales and Marketing Strategy. How will you get the word out to potential clients? Describe in detail each and every aspect of sales and marketing, including what type of payment systems you will use (merchant account? PayPal? Shopping cart software? Authorize.net?). Also describe how you will market, such as via social media, print advertising, television and more. The little details matter!
• Financial Review and Projections. Your current finances should be included, such as your income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and budget. You should also include probable income projections based on projected future sales.
• Plan of Action. Include a step-by-step plan of action to make each of your objectives and goals come to fruition. Including a time line of actions is helpful. Start from the projected date of opening and work your way backwards until today to create a realistic plan.

Taking the time to prepare a business plan will save you a lot of work later down the road. You might even avoid serious problems through analyzing the marketplace on paper, creating an environment where your business will be able to overcome serious errors before actually committing them. By doing your due diligence you'll set yourself up for success. You know the saying, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

If you're looking for a great resource for business planning and goal setting for your resume writing business, check out "Ready, Set, Goal: Business Planning and Goal Setting for Resume Writers."

Blogging Basics for Resume Writers

Starting a career-related blog can be a great way to increase your profile as a careers industry expert, allowing you to attract new clients and driving traffic to your website. However, deciding to start a blog is a commitment. The more you publish, the more you'll get out of your blog. Here are some things to think about as you consider publishing a blog.

Where Most Resume Writers Go Wrong With Their Blog
When you're blogging, you're building your brand (or destroying it, in some unfortunate cases). Having a social media presence online is important for the majority of resume writers, since more and more resume prospects find their resume writer through online sources (it's second only to referrals as the source of new business for most resume writers). You can use your blog to build your social media following (Twitter, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIn, etc.) and you can also use your social media following to increase readership of your blog.

To get the most out of your blog, you'll need to deliver a certain number of blog posts per week (usually a minimum of two), and you should also consider finding guest blogging opportunities (where you can blog elsewhere and link back to your main blog). Blogging "for fun" is different than blogging to build your resume writing business. Don't confuse the two. It's fine to have a personal blog (I'm really enjoying resume writer Barbara Safani's "Across the 59th Street Bridge and Back" blog), but a personal blog has different objectives than a professional blog. You can tie in personal experiences on your career blog (Julie Walraven does this quite well, as does Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter), but make sure there is a lesson to be shared when you do!

Make Blogging Part of Your Routine

This is the part I have the most difficulty with. All the blogging experts say you should be consistent with your blogging. They say that it's better to to write one post per week — every Friday, for example — than to blog haphazardly. More power to you if you can do that! I just can't. Sometimes I get in the mood to blog and sometimes, it's at the bottom of a lengthy to-do list.

The good news is, blogging is something you can do anytime — in the morning before work, on your lunch hour, after work and on the weekends. You can even write your blog posts in advance and schedule them to post. (I should do this.)

Like writing resumes, blogging is a real business when you start pursuing it for financial reasons. Yes, it gives you much in terms of happiness — but when you’re making money doing something you love, it’s very rewarding.

And, as I mentioned earlier, your blog can also establish you as a leader in the career services industry. One thing that’s important is that you make sure that you love writing about career industry topics. You should want to wake up every day, eager to get to your computer. Don't start a blog because you feel like you "have to" — do it because you "want to."

If you dread it because it bores you or it’s depressing, then you won’t help your readers and the blog won’t "work" for you.

Make a list of possible blog topics before you start. If you can't come up with at least 10 ideas, don't start until you do. You can set an entire editorial calendar for your blog where you choose which topics are presented to your readers. You also get to pick the tone for the blog pieces.

Developing a Relationship With Your Blog's Readers
Having a relationship with your readers means they value your blog and they share the link to it with other people. You want that type of connection because as a professional, the traffic and branding that you gain will be priceless.

When blogs have a loyal readership, they enjoy a fantastic word of mouth traffic flow. While many bloggers are out there buying links back to their site and paying people to help them get traffic, you can do it all for free.

First, pick topics your readers want to know about. Part of your job in relationship building is to listen to your audience and meet their needs. There are many ways you can do this.

Do some preliminary keyword research to find out what people want to know in your niche. Visit some of the job search-related groups on LinkedIn and see what people are talking about.

This is known as a sentence starter — and it gives you some insight into what type of blog post you might want to do, such as:

• If someone is unemployed for a long period of time, how can they get back in the workforce?
• How to find a job that allows telecommuting
• Top three reasons you may not be getting called for interviews.

You can also simply invite your readers to submit questions to you. You can do this on your email autoresponder opt-in form, or have a special contact form on your blog where people can engage with you that way. Or you can ask them to post their questions in the Comments section under each post.

Whenever someone emails you with a question, you can assume there are more people out there who are wondering the same thing. Use those questions as fodder for your blog topics.

When you start blogging about all of these things, it makes the audience feel like you’ve really got your finger on the pulse of the marketplace — like you have great instincts.

Next, write in a highly conversational style and end each blog with an invitation to connect. People need to feel like you’re speaking just to them.

When you write, make sure it’s conversational and not stuffy like you’d write for a professional publication. If you make a video blog, look right in the camera and be casual and relaxed, not stuff and nervous.

When you end a blog post, you can ask a question or invite people to share their own $0.02 about the topic in the comments. Make sure that whatever comment system you’re using, it’s easy to find — because some are almost hidden.

Participate in the conversation that goes on in your blog comments. If people are kind enough to take you up on your invitation, then make an effort to have a dialogue with them.

Thank them for their comment, call them by name, and open up a discussion about what they had to say.

Making Money From Your Blog
While there are several ways to monetize your blog, the easiest — and most common way — is to turn blog readers into resume clients. This can happen naturally as they recognize your expertise as a career industry professional (be sure to give a "call to action" on individual blog posts or on your page so they know how to get started working with you), or you can invite them to opt-in to your email list, where you can share more resources, and convert them from a prospect into a client.

Speaking of lists, build a list from your blog so that whenever you have a new blog post, you can notify people about it. Also have an RSS system set up for people who use RSS feed readers to get notified of your new content.

Whenever you have a list, it gives you a certain amount of power — the power to instantly communicate with your target audience when you are selling or promoting your resume services and related products (webinars, teleseminars, workshops, membership programs, and other information products).

Another easy way to derive revenue is using Google AdSense. You can put different sized ad banners on your blog, from buttons to skyscraper ads. You can include images or go with just text. Don't expect to get rich from AdSense, though.

You can also sell ad space directly on your blog. You can arrange a specific area of your blog for ad space that people rent on a monthly basis, paying the ad revenue to you directly. If you go this route, make sure you have specifics in place to control what kinds of ads can get placed on your blog — all the way down to the colors and whether animation is allowed on it, if you want.

One thing you have to remember whenever you place any ads on your blog is that yes, it gives you some money when people leave your site for somewhere else – but in leaving, it also means someone else is capturing their name and email address and selling something to them, not you.

Promote products as an affiliate. You can sign up as an Amazon Associate and promote anything they sell there that they offer a commission on. Digital products can be found at sites like ClickBank.com. You can sign up for free and get a hoplink (affiliate link) where you earn around 50% for each sale.

Create your own products and sell them from your blog. You don’t have to promote other people’s stuff. Why not create an info product (ebook, video, or audio course) and teach something you blog about in more depth — or in a more comprehensive manner?

Offer your resume services from your blog. Coaching is also something you can offer. Many people pay top dollar for one-on-one coaching sessions via Skype or even email!

Blogging can be a very fun and very profitable venture if you approach it correctly. Don’t make the mistake of flying by the seat of your pants. If you do this, your blog will be scattered with topics, have no set monetization plan, and you’ll end up unhappy with the effort you’ve put in.

With proper planning and enthusiasm, you'll attract a steady stream of readers (prospective clients!) and new business. In fact, you might be the one putting out feelers for a professional blogger to come onboard and help you with your content needs!

How to Decide What to Charge Resume Clients

Deciding how much to charge is one of the biggest challenges for resume writers. The vast majority of resume writers charge based on the project, not by the hour. That's because jobseekers may be reluctant to commit to having their resume developed without having a specific price quote. 

Another factor to consider is how your clients feel about hourly rates versus project rates. If you're just getting started, you can do a few tests to see how your clients respond. I can tell you that, after 17 years as a resume writer, clients prefer flat rates, not hourly pricing. And remember, if you can get most of your work down to flat project rates, you'll actually end up earning more money in the long run. The reason is that the more you do something, the faster you get at it.

With an hourly rate you're often being punished for being fast. But, you can get into trouble with flat rates too, if you underestimate the time required for the project. 

There's also the question of whether you should you offer pre-set packages, or quote project individually? It's up to you. If you have pre-set levels (like "Professional" and "Executive,") sometimes you'll run into clients who get a package rate who will suck every single hour of every single day out of you for a small package rate. Don't allow that to happen. Keep your contracts very tight, and your duties very clear when you create a package rate. Make sure clients "fit" in the level they're choosing. 

Also, in order to create a solid package rate you need to understand how to write a good contract and properly price packages. 

If you quote each project individually, you'll also be estimating the amount of time you'll spend on a project. Package rates are really based on hourly rates. Don't have an hourly rate? You should. You can use this worksheet to calculate your hourly rate.

If you know what you want to earn hourly, then you simply estimate how long the project will take you if all goes perfectly, multiply by your hourly rate and that is your base project rate. But you're not done yet. Nothing ever goes perfectly, right? Take that fee and multiply it by 1.5. You now have your project rate. 

Then add in some conditions to the contract, such as how many times you're willing to edit the project (most resume writers include one revision), or how many hours you're willing to put into the project. Be very specific about what your responsibility is to the project and the client's responsibility to the project. Be very clear on when deliverables are due from a client and from you. Your contract cannot be too specific; leave no ambiguity. A sentence such as "Any work outside the scope of this project will be billed at my normal hourly rate of $50 per hour" can help alleviate many problems.

Nine Ways to Show Your Resume Clients That You Care

Is customer service dead? It sometimes seems that way, doesn't it? Some businesses don't seem to appreciate that they wouldn't exist without their customers. But for most resume writers, I find that customer service comes first. If this is your mindset, here are nine ways to show your customers that you care.

1. Loyalty Discounts. You often see new customer discounts, but what about giving your long-term customers a loyalty discount? It drives me crazy when my cable company offers new customers an introductory rate that is 1/5 of what I'm paying, and I've been a loyal customer for YEARS! So consider offering existing customers a special offer when you roll out a new service or information product. And make sure you position it as a loyalty discount. ("Because you are a valued customer of ABC Resumes, I'm giving you my best discount on my new LinkedIn Check-up. New customers will pay $99 for this comprehensive profile analysis and development of a targeted Headline, but because you're already a customer, you get it for just $59.")

2. Thank You Notes. Writing thank you notes seems to have gone out of vogue, but you'd be shocked at how much a nice handwritten note will mean to your customers. You will stand out to them and next time they need their resume updated, they'll think of that note.

3. Remembering Special Days. If you've collected information on your customers such as birthdays, anniversaries or other special days, drop them a card in the mail. It's also a good time to give them a birthday discount. You can also give them an anniversary discount each year (on the anniversary of the day they started working with you!) This ties into tip #1 too.

4. Referral Rewards. Your happy customers will likely tell others about you anyway, but why not encourage the process by offering referral rewards. You can offer a percent off future services or a free gift; it's up to you. Some resume writers offer a Starbucks gift card or Amazon gift certificate. Or you could gift them a free copy of one of your ebooks. All will be appreciated.

5. Prompt Service. Another way to make your customers feel cared for is to offer very prompt service. Treat their work as if it's your sole priority and get it done on time or early. They will notice how you treat them.

6. Going the Extra Mile. You've heard the saying to "under promise and over deliver" before, but it cannot be said enough. If you can go the extra mile for your loyal customers, they will notice. Even if it's just something really small, they'll notice and feel cared for.

7. Ask for Feedback. People love giving their opinions about things. But, often they will not do it if they're not asked. At least quarterly, send your customers a survey to ask them how you're doing and how you can do better. But don't ask for feedback about things you're not able to implement. (Don't ask them if they want access to workshops or teleseminars if you hate to speak, for example!)

8. Be a Resource. Sometimes we can't be all things to all our clients. Perhaps they need something we cannot deliver. Therefore instead of just saying no, say yes by recommending someone who can give your client what they need. When you become a resource to your clients, they'll become loyal to you because they know you care about more than the almighty dollar.

9. Give Extra Value. Speaking of resources, jobseekers crave information. Be an information resource for your clients. Provide them with ebooks, special reports, teleseminars/webinars and other content. (This is easy to do using Pass-Along Materials that you can publish "as-is" with your name on it!)

People have so many other options available to them today that they really don't have to patronize your resume writing business. Remember that customers can and will go elsewhere if they are not happy. It costs a lot more money to find a new customer than to keep one. Therefore, you should go out of your way to keep good customers happy by showing them that you care.