Charlotte Marketing Company
How to start a business when you don’t know what to do

How to start a business when you don’t know what to do

Starting a business can be a daunting idea especially if you don't know what type of business you want to create. Luckily, we all have skills, gifts and talents that come naturally to us and these unique abilities can be used to start your business. I built Solten Marketing over 5 years ago with a simple idea that I wasn't even sure was going to work. I'll elaborate more on my business story at another time but I used our in-house COAST Goal System to begin the business. In this how-to, I'm going to introduce the COAST Goal System and explain how you can use it to start your business even if you don't have any business ideas. [+]
I hate networking! An introvert’s guide to networking & marketing.

I hate networking! An introvert’s guide to networking & marketing.

Being an introvert usually means you are quiet and prefer to work in the background. However, owning your own business means you have to be front and center. Can you still market your business effectively as an introvert, if you simply can’t cold call, speak in public or create small talk in a room full of strangers? [+]
My $2.87 a day Office, Where a Web Designer Works

My $2.87 a day Office, Where a Web Designer Works

As an entrepreneur, small business owner the freedom of where to work and when to work is by far the biggest perk. Most of you know that I work with my wife in our Charlotte NC, web design firm Web Design 59 and she has no problems setting up her laptop anywhere and everywhere in the house and start working. She mostly sits on the corner of the couch with the TV on, going between Netflix, Hulu and the Roku channel but she’s been known to have her unplugged laptop sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she relaxes searching for inspiration or next to the range as she is cooking up lunch or dinner, even in bed when she wakes or drifts off to sleep with an idea or thought, a flash of inspiration. [+]
To Get More Clients, Rely on Your Strengths

To Get More Clients, Rely on Your Strengths

It’s the time of year when we self-employed professionals often begin to look back at what we’ve accomplished in our business over the last twelve months, and judge our progress and results against what we intended back in January. What frequently results from a process like this is a catalog of everything you haven’t done, or have done wrong. But I believe it’s even more important to consider what you’ve done right this year to get more clients.  [+]
10 Questions to Kick Off Your Marketing in 2019

10 Questions to Kick Off Your Marketing in 2019

Growing Your Business in the New Year. What do you have planned to grow your business this year? Have you set a time for you to really evaluate your marketing strategy? Does your website match the brand you are trying to portray? Do you need a website and brand makeover?  Well besides those questions here is a great article that we wanted to share to help you start 2019 right. I hope you enjoy [+]
How to Build Trust with Potential Clients

How to Build Trust with Potential Clients

“But how do I get them to trust me if they don’t know me?” my client asked. “Exactly,” I replied. “They have to get to know you in order to trust you. Either that or they need to be referred to you by someone they know and trust already.” Client: “So, you’re telling me that making cold calls and running ads are a waste of time and money?” Me: “Yes. Unless you use those tactics to open the door to your prospective clients getting to know and trust you. If you expect to move from a call or an ad to a quick sale, you’ll be disappointed.” [+]
To Get More Clients, Get REAL

To Get More Clients, Get REAL

One of the ways I help self-employed professionals build their businesses is with writing: articles, blog posts, ebooks, and more. To explain to them the type of editorial content professionals need to write in order to attract and land clients, I coined a new acronym, REAL: R = Relevant E = Educational, Entertaining, and/or Evocative A = Authentic L = Leads to trust Working with these elements, I’ve realized that they apply to more than just writing. In fact, they apply to any sort of marketing a self-employed professional does. Whether you are writing copy for your website, posting on social media, placing a follow-up call, or giving a talk, you need to consider the four REAL elements. [+]
What makes a great 1 to 1 networking meeting

What makes a great 1 to 1 networking meeting

Picking the right place is one of the most important things to a great 1 to 1. You do not want to be in a loud congested place no matter how trendy it may be. Finding a place that is convenient for both of you as well as quiet enough where you can hear each other talk. Sounds obvious but how many times have you met at a crowded loud Starbucks? [+]