In the Trenches: The Neglected Corners of the Business

by Brett Snyder on February 6, 2013
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I spend so much time focusing on concierge services that I sometimes forget there are other pieces of my business that could use some attention.

Technically, my business is Cranky Flier LLC. The whole concept started with my blog, The Cranky Flier, for which I spend a lot of time writing posts. I absolutely love doing this, and it’s an important marketing tool for building the concierge business.

With my limited time, I focus on writing the posts and not on promoting anything else around them. What do I mean? Well, I have spots for advertising on the blog, and for the most part I just fill them with Google AdSense. Every so often, I get an unsolicited ad buy from someone, but I don’t actively try to sell the space.

Could I be doing better? Yeah, I think so. I mean, I collect a nice bit of change on the ads I do host on the blog. I imagine that if I were to make any real effort to sell ads, I could bring in much more money.

But there are two problems with that: One is that I am so busy tending the concierge business and writing posts that something has to give. I can’t do it all. Two is that I truly hate ad sales — and when I am unable do everything what slips to the bottom? The things I hate doing.

I’m not quite sure how best to address this issue. I mean, I could devote more time to selling ads myself, but then another task has to go away. That doesn’t seem smart. I could also get someone else to sell ads for me, but my site isn’t huge. With my inventory, it’s not a great opportunity for someone looking to earn big money selling ads.

So for now, it continues to be neglected. Any suggestions?

About Brett Snyder

Brett is the Founder and President of Cranky Concierge air travel assistance. He also writes the consumer air travel blog, The Cranky Flier.
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Curtman40 120 pts

Small businesses have few resources so you end up multi-tasking and sometimes some task can be left undone.

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You could certainly find an independent contractor to sell ads for you.  That is exactly what Google is doing for you right now.  Since your blog is busier than most websites that use Google Adsense, it may interest someone who is in the advertising business and has some time to spare.  

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ogi 5 pts

Start a separate company that will network in sites with similar demos and sell ads on a larger scale - or join an existing one. 

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Look for a retired person who has experience in sales and would do it for a 'per sale' price. There are retired persons out there who would do it for a minimal amount.

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techauthor 5 pts

When I was running a company I happened to go to a time management seminar. Let me give you one of  the highlights that was especially useful.

 

First, for 2 weeks, keep a 15 minute increment log of everything you do. Set a reminder to update it every hour. Phone calls, email, web surfing, EVERYTHING...

 

At the end of the 2 weeks, make a list of all the activities you THINK you should be doing. Writing, marketing, "concierging", training others, tracking assignments and so on. Add a Miscellaneous category. Give yourself 100 points and assign them to the tasks you listed with more points to more important tasks. That will give you ideal percentages.

 

Then go back to your 2 week time log and count the minutes spent on each thing and when done consolidate it and look at actual percentages. 

 

Compare actual to ideal and adjust.

 

It ain't easy...

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Ashleys attic 5 pts

You need to find a balance. Organize and prioritize your time. Set out a certain amout of time per day/week that you will solely focus on just advertising. Make people aware of these times so to not upset the balance of your new schedule. I have the same issue with my business due to the fact that I am the only one doing everything and being a wife and mother to 4 children is not easy. But it is possible. You just have to know your personal limits. Look me up on Facebook for more advice, Ashley's web attic- Ashley Hartnett

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  1. Cranky on the Web (February 4 – 8) - >> The Cranky Flier says:
    February 9, 2013 at 3:46 am

    [...] In the Trenches: The Neglected Corners of the Business – Intuit Small Business Blog Though the concierge business is where I spend most of my time, there are other pieces that don’t get enough attention. [...]

  2. Cranky on the Web (February 4 – 8) | more50.com - Easy to Read Daily Articles 50+ says:
    February 9, 2013 at 8:48 am

    [...] In the Trenches: The Neglected Corners of the Business – Intuit Small Business Blog Though the concierge business is where I spend most of my time, there are other pieces that don’t get enough attention. [...]

  3. Cranky on the Web (February 4 – 8) | Thailand Visas says:
    February 9, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    [...] In a Trenches: The Neglected Corners of a Business – Intuit Small Business Blog Though a concierge business is where we spend many of my time, there are other pieces that don’t get adequate attention. [...]

  4. In the Trenches: The Neglected Corners of the Business | BMS says:
    February 27, 2013 at 2:23 am

    [...] The Neglected Corners of the Business Posted on February 15, 2013 by thebmsgroupinc by Brett Snyder on February 6, [...]