What is Segmize.com? We have an explanation. Keep reading.
Did you click here from Segmize.com? Were you enticed by a flashy (and super clever) domain name? Did something about the content, the way it was written, the use of a cool video, make you want to click to read more?
Well, if it did. SWEET!!!! Because that’s all it was meant to do.
Hi, were team Ruthless. We are a team of 5 members. We consist of: Josh (a lawyer), Tyler (HR director), Laura (Commercial banker), Tucker (an old oil tycoon), and Kelli (slangs Insurance policies by day. )
You were lead here because we are in the midst of a competition in our Marketing Strategies class in the MBA for Professionals program at Willamette University. We are working professionals by day and by night we parrttaaayyyy.
JK. We attend class 8 hours a week at night and spend our time learning cool marketing tricks like the ones that got you here. đ Definitely no time for partying. (Mostly..)
Basically, your click and the fact that you are reading this are giving us good mojo points so thanks! And if you would be so kind, stay a while? Just leave it open you don’t even have to read… But if you do want to read some more there are some interesting articles posted by others in the competition..
HOWEVER YOU CAN ONLY CLICK ON THESE LINKS RIGHT HERE. They take you to team Ruthless articles of course.. Please? đ
Or maybe you hate the idea of going back to school? Trust us, we TOTALLY get it. So here’s 5 reasons you should NOT get an MBA. (you are definitely going to want to read this one.. so make sure to click that link.. Just, click it. Go a head.. It’s really funny!!!)
PS: All is fair in love and war? Er- marketing? Right? đ
It’s the dawn of the side hustle and almost everyone has one these days. But what about launching a real business? One that can take you from 0 to 6 figures in no time? And what if you have no money to invest?
It’s your lucky day because we have narrowed down the best and cheapest business ideas you can launch today for CHEAP or FREE.
1. Resume Writer
It’s a task pretty much everyone hates and a rare few are good at. Even if you think your resume is far from great, chances are someone out there will pay you to don there’s. As you get better and quicker your resume charging power will grow.
You could charge anywhere between $20-$100 dollars an hour, or a flat fee. Getting started is free and easy on sites like fiverr.com and upwork.com. Or, launch your own website and keep the money all for yourself! Advertise on Reddit, Instagram, your friends and family! Word of mouth spreads quickly. This is also a good side hustle and that you can launch while working your day gig and then build up into a full time income quick.
2. Meal Planning Service
Everyone loves food. Which means the target market for a Meal Planning service company is HUGE. Like our appetite!
It’s super simple to create a free website and start advertising yourself and your meal planning services. You can create a subscription based service where you provide a new meal plan each week (complete with a shopping list for extra value) or create a package of pre made meal plans for a variety of dietary preferences. Once you have these packages made it’s just a matter of advertising and then you have got yourself a nice little passive income stream that could turn into some big mullah.
3. Referral Services
Are you the person who your friends and family constantly call when they want to know a good restaurant, a decent house sitter, or a honest lawyer? Even if you have trouble referring that last one (oxymoron, we know) you could still make a decent paycheck if you made your expertise into a legitimate business. Here’s how we see it working:
Start a list of business’s in your area that you want on your referal list.
Reach out to the businesses and sell the benefits of being on your list
Place ads on Facebook (local city groups are great for free publicity) and to your friends and family that you have this service.
Soon enough you will have businesses reaching out to you to be on your list and willing to pay good money!
5. Extensive Travel Planning
While many may think that the “travel agencies” of the past are long done for, you may want to think again. Brick and mortar travel agencies may have a hard time surviving but digital nomad experts have a niche skill that those strapped with no time are still waiting to pay big bucks for.
The ‘wanderlust” influence of the internet is apparent everywhere you look on social media (yes we all want to be in Bali…). Young and old professionals alike are saving up their PTO to take extended out of country trips. The thing is, they often don’t have the time to plan an itinerary for a three week backpacking trip through Asia. But if it’s your business and you have the travel savvy you can make a killing planning these trips for them!
6. Child Proofing Services
Every family with a newborn baby or small child wants to provide a safe home for them. There are so many areas of a home that can be dangerous, from sharp corners to stairs. A childproofing business is very cheap to start up, but you may be required to follow certain state regulations, depending on your location. However, if you can get down a quick and easy system, you could easily take on staff that could do the dirty work for you. Or you could put together an Ebook instruction manual for new parents.
7. Tour Guide
Live in a happening city? Offer tours or sell guide packages. Set yourself apart by offering tours that speak to a specific niche of your communityâs history. Some tour guides offer historical walking tours of their townâs most haunted spots while others curate guided foodie tours for guests to get a true taste of the city.
8. Product/Business Reviewer
Startups or individuals usually look for people who can write reviews for their products or services to encourage the audience to make a purchase. If you love to write and looking for online business ideas, then this can be a great option. You can either get started with a profile on freelancing websites or contact companies directly.
You can write reviews for them in exchange for a monetary reward by becoming an influencer. Even better, if you have your own website or a blog, you can write a post about their products. Its highly recommended to read some studies, guides & blogs before trying your hand in product/business reviewing.
We hope one of these ideas has ignited some inspiration in you to start something of your own! If you have never ran a business before or you think you may need to brush up on some existing skills before going global then check out the Willamette MBA program.
Letâs look at the current automotive industry, which really has not changed the platform of the car or truck in decades. Yes, like people today cars and trucks come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, options and accessories. There are still four wheels, a steering wheel, and a driver. People who get the MBA are the latest greatest in features, efficiency, power, and fuel economy.
THE DRIVER
As a driver you tell the vehicle what to do and it responds to the instructions its given. The driver must be alert and ready for whatever lies ahead. Much like your current job and career path. You as the driver make the decisions that affect your future. You zigged when you should have zagged. When you drive, are you focused or are you easily distracted by music, phones, other peopleâs driving? These are questions you need to ask yourself. As a professional are you focused on your career path/ tradecraft or are you interested in more of the social interactions.
What makes you better than the other cars/ people, around you? What features/ traits do you have that make you the best choice? Are you looking at the short road or the long road?
If you are looking at the short road then a gas-powered vehicle is for you. It is consistent with proven technology and in comparison to vehicles from 30 years ago, still more efficient. Then you have the electric car. Electric cars are becoming more and more forward thinking, evolving at a much faster rate in efficiency and operation.
Much like the electric car by having your MBA you are forward thinking and continually evolving to be more efficient and leave less of a wake behind you. This is exactly what employers are looking for! They are looking for low maintenance and highly efficient people that can problem solve and have the ability to evolve to new technology.
THE COST
Today as cars and trucks are reducing the number of cylinders and introducing the turbo charger, super charger or both in the power platform gas & diesel fueled engines, they are more powerful and efficient than ever. The cost is also on the rise for big power in a small package. But little progress has been made in true fuel economy and return on investment.
This is where the electric cars are making the biggest difference. The upfront cost is less with a conventional gas-powered car or truck but long term when you look at maintenance, like oil changes, transmission services, power steering and fuels system service, the costs add up. This is all delayed cost of ownership. Now, when we are all starting out with our first vehicle purchase, low cost is the goal. With an electric vehicle the upfront cost is much higher (like double), but the post cost of ownership is reduced and the energy (your fuel) consumption is smaller.
As you put mileage on your conventional gas-powered vehicle the value decreases and it becomes less desirable. It is proven that those with an MBA get paid more up front and hold their value. Employers get a better return on investment. Like an electric vehicle the energy/time in which the employer has to maintain and spend on managing you is minimal because like most electric vehicles, you self-program/ adapt to your driverâs habits.
THE VALUE
We all have purchased a pre-owned or new vehicle. Or maybe you are saving for one. After you make that purchase, do you feel you got a good value for what you paid? In your mind you do, for a while anyway. The vehicle is your asset that loses value year over year and month over month. The cars and trucks today run longer and harder than ever before. By choosing to purchase electric you are making a choice for better return on investment (ROI). Electric cars hold their value because of the forward thought placed in the engineering, design and cost of ownership. This also applies to your career and life in general. Are the choices you are making to further yourself giving you an improved ROI? If not, then itâs time to consider a Willamette MBA or MBA for working professionals program. Your value will increase and continue to yield a high return for you, your peers, and your employers.
In hopes that I have sold you on earning your MBA, youâll can make more money to purchase your electric car. Please stop by and see your friendly Austrian body builder salesman and Kick Gas.
In Full Discloser, I do work for big oil and this was satire =) for my MBA marketing class.
It took all of two weeks to make the decision to apply for Willamette Universityâs Master of Business Administration for Professionals. Yes, this decision probably warranted a little more thought: an increase of $75,000+ in student loans, 8 hours a week in night class, and the evenings after work completing assignments, readings, and group projects. But I knew that these 3 letters on my business card would have a huge impact on my career and my life.
“I knew that these 3 letters on my business card would have a huge impact on my career and my life.”
I graduated from Oregon State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. This too was a hasty decision (Iâm seeing a trend) but one that has placed me in the fast track to an amazing career. I work at US Bank in the Commercial department as a Relationship Manager. My job entails building relationships with business owners, providing financing for working capital needs and capital projects, and making sure that their banking compliments their business.
I donât work the typical âbankerâs hoursâ but rather schedule my day around my clientsâ availability and the community event calendar. Sometimes that means starting at 7 am so I can prepare for an 8 am meeting in the next city over or beginning my day a little later because I have a gala to attend and anticipate a late night. It keeps me on my feet, or should I say pumps, and allows me to utilize my social skills and my accounting knowledge.
My cohort consists of 18 professionals that work in varying industries: from working in HR at a retirement facility to operating a family owned petroleum distribution company. Working on group projects and participating in in-class discussions with people that have such different perspectives and real-world experiences expands your thinking and your approach to problem solving/solution creation. THIS is why I chose [so quickly] to begin my MBA journey. The unexpected and out-of-the-box thinking that is encouraged and nurtured in the MBA program gives me an edge over my competition. I am able to partner with my clients and support their businesses over and above just their banking.
” In the first year, Iâve been able to try on the hats of HR Manager, Organizational Psychologist, Accountant, CFO/Financial Planner, Data Analyst, and Marketer/strategist. “
In just the first year, Iâve been able to try on the hats of HR Manager, Organizational Psychologist, Accountant, CFO/Financial Planner, Data Analyst, and Marketer/strategist. This allows me to take on a holistic approach to address client concerns and I am able to engage in conversations with business owners (other than banking conversations) that I otherwise wouldnât feel comfortable having. I see a bright future ahead of me and all it takes is $75,000 dollars, 8 hours of class time, and homework. Amortized over 30 years at 6% interest, thatâs only $500 a month! See! Youâre already learning something…free of charge.
If you use the internet for any social media content marketing you probably remember the day Instagram moved from a âchronologicalâ feed to an âalgorithmâ based formula.
All. Heck. Broke. LooseâŠ
You may have been one of the few who posted a flashy âturn on alertsâ meme in a last ditch effort to stay connected to your followersâŠ
…Or perhaps you were like the thousands of small business owners who saw a small dip in engagement and instantly threw in the towel.
Instagramâs Algorithm ruined the internet!?!
Well, not so fast…
We think not. In fact, it was actually one of the best changes for content marketing.
If you are an effective marketer.
Don’t believe us?
We will make you believe.
If you havenât heard, Instagram is owned by Facebook. In fact, that algorithm change was implemented just after Facebook acquired the millennial generationâs favorite app.
And letâs not forget what Facebook does bestâŠ
(NO, itâs not keeping you connected to your Aunt Myra from Maine⊠Facebook is aware of how many Aunt Myra’s are secretly unfollowed every day.)
Facebook knows what you want to buy and they know how to get you to buy it.
So when Facebook acquired Instagram, one of the first actions was to drastically improve the pretty much non existent advertising market on the app.
So the Algorithm was introduced. So what does the algorithm care about? And how do you beat it?
Instagram has been very open about the purpose of the algorithm.
Note: Instagram invited a bunch of Tech Journalists to cover this topic! The following information is directly from Social Media Today. Those three elements are:
1. Interest
The algorithm determines how interested you will likely be in each individual post by factoring how much youâve engaged with similar content in the past. For this, Instagram looks at how each user engages with image and video posts. Interestingly, the system will also assess the actual visual content of posts, facilitated by Instagramâs evolving image recognition tools.
2. Timeliness
Instagram also factors in when the post was published. Some users have complained that theyâve been seeing too much older content in their feeds, which Instagram recently rolled out an update to address.
3. Relationship
And the last major factor is your relationship with the post creator, based on how much youâve engaged with them in the past. The factors used in this calculation could include common interactions, like comments and likes on each othersâ posts, but also direct messages and post tags (i.e. if youâre commonly tagged in that personâs images and vice versa)
So what does this mean for content marketers looking to dominate the app?
One word…
E N G A G E M E N T
Yes, If you ENGAGE them, they will come.
Instagram has pounded the word into the digisphere, yet it seems itâs still a concept that is still not fully grasped. But thatâs ok with us, itâs a secret we will happily keep to ourselves. (besides the readers of this amazing blog post -you’re welcome)
Why?
Because an effective marketer should be an expert visual seller. And what happens on Instagram every day?
100 MILLION PHOTOS ARE POSTED TO INSTAGRAM EVERY DAY.
100 Million photos a day combined with Facebookâs constantly improving (and increasingly creepy) image recognition software capabilities means that it is becoming more about what you post then when you post or what hashtags you use. Itâs quality, not quantity. You gotta post what gets those fingers double tapping and following back.
So what is the biggest lesson here?
If you donât know your customer inside and out then you can’t win.
What does winning at Instagram look like in 2019?
You are anticipating, creating, and consistently posting the exact type of content that makes them look forward to your next post.
You posting to your story daily to connect deeper with your audience.
You are going live often and with content that forges personal connection and interaction.
If you aren’t doing these three things, then you are missing the boat my friend.
Itâs a new era. And we think itâs an extremely exciting one across all digital marketing frontiers. Itâs no longer about who can learn how to âgame the systemâ or who can buy more followers or follow/unfollow more accounts.
Side note- if you are still follow/unfollowing in 2019 just STAWP. That stopped working in 2017 and its friggin annoying.
Better content.
Images that captivate.
Every. Single. Day.
Quality content drives your visibility and gets you front and center in the explore page, spotlighted (for free) in the glory of your target market.
SoâŠ.. Algorithmâs good.
⊅Follow/Unfollow (aka spamming) bad.
Stay active my friends.
Need more tips on how to become an expert marketer? We have lots here on the Social MBA blog, all written by current students in the MBA at Willamette program.
We get it. Life is busy. Families are important. Time is as limited as most people’s budgets. The decision to enroll in the MBA for Professionals program at Willamette can be a tough one for many working professionals.
We decided to help those of you who may be on the fence of enrolling. We have put together five reasons that perhaps may mean you SHOULDN’T get an MBA with Willamette…
1. Becoming your bossesâ boss
Youâre busy, you know that. Your boss is busy. With the knowledge and tools, you gain while earning your MBA at Willamette, you will not be taking your bossesâ position, but your bossesâ bossesâ position. With an MBA from Willamette, you might end up stuck with that big fancy office, YUCK! Imagine in two years from now having to sit your current boss down to talk about their performance? Phew, are you ready for that?
2. That pool boy though
With all of those promotions, you will be making a lot more money. So much so that you will buy your own pool. That pool will require regular maintenance of course, which is no problem because you will have the money for it. Then your family and friends come over to swim, and they will be talking about your new pool boy. Are you ready to be the type of person who has casual conversations about their private pool?
3. All of those rejection letters
Moving up that quickly within your organization has to have people talking⊠about the awards and recognition that you deserve. So much so, that other organizations will be interested in having you work for them. You will be getting job offers for things you didnât even apply for. Can you handle turning down people for positions over and over again?
4. What would your future self tell you to do?
Doing an MBA program is a lot of work, especially while still working your current job. If you met your future self who didnât do an MBA they would probably say âNo, donât challenge yourself. Everything stayed the same and that is how I wanted it to be. Oh, besides a machine will take your job in 3 years.â
5. Could you handle it?
A Willamette MBA is ranked consistently as the best MBA in the state of Oregon. That in turn means you will have the best educators, with the toughest classes in the state. This prepares you to be the for any and all types of business. Are you ready for that?
Still not convinced? You are in the right place then. Check out the endless other posts here on the SocialMBA, all written by current MBA students. Your future network of alums!
Oh and that reminds us.. one more reason you might not want to to enroll in the MBA program for professionals..
Bonus Reason) All those lifelong friends you make…
After spending two years with your cohort you undoubtedly will walk away with at least a few (if not 15-20+) life long friends. The benefits of your new expanded network are obvious.. But not everyone likes friends. If you are the type that hates having good friends cheer for you and help you along in life for years to come… then maybe were not for you..