Are you wondering what colour you should use on your blog? Looking for inspiration for your new logo or site? Why not take a look at the PANTONE Fashion colour report Spring 2012 !

My favourite, of course, is Tangerine Tango!

CRAVE The Hague has arrived and the book was launched last Thursday at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel in The Hague. I worked on the project along with Suzy Ogé and over the past months we have met so many interesting and amazing women doing different things in and around The Hague.

Orange Buzz is featured as well in the 1st CRAVE The Hague. If you would like to order a copy please contact me, the retail price is € 19,95.

CRAVE The Hague innovatively connects urban gals to the sassiest, gutsiest, most inspiring people they need to know. Our modern marketplace of soirees, gatherings and online networking serves as your ambassador to everything there is to CRAVE about The Hague.

1. Who are you and what is the story behind your business?
I have been writing since I was in my twenties and have made my living out of first, writing books and articles, and latterly teaching others to do the same since 2002. I have lived abroad for 23 years too and needed to create an organic portable career. To date I have personally written and published 27 books, there are a few still in the drawer, mind you. I run Summertime Publishing and publish books largely by and for expats and entrepreneurs.

2. When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging in 2004 very sporadically and randomly. No one ever saw my posts! Then, in April 2010 I attend a seminar on book promotion and learned that blogging three times a week was crucial. I had been on Twitter for a year and realised that tweeting my posts a few times could make a massive difference. It did. I went from about 10 readers a month to almost 3000 in five months. Why did I do it? Primarily to operate according to my motto – to share what I know to help others to grow. I know so much, I have so many connections and aha moments that I am compelled to share them. Blogging gives me somewhere to ‘park’ my ideas and insights. But of course, I do it for business reasons. I want clients to find me and to trust me and my knowledge before they buy. Blogging does that. It also allows me to subtly promote my books, programs and courses. It works.

3. How much time do you spend creating content, do you have any time saving tips for others?
I write for about an hour a week, blog 3-5 times and keep them short. Writing is easy for me. I can do one in 10 mins. In July I asked my virtual assistant to send out emails to my database of expat publications (that’s my niche you see) and to offer that I write them free articles based on writing overseas. This has kept me fed with a constant stream of commissions. Each time a piece appears I link to it from a blog post. In this way I rarely have to agonise over what to write. There is always something. The other tip would be to train yourself to pay attention, to notice the insights, to find the stories in everything and to blog about what you see. Like today, I had seen the film Freedom Writers, so I wrote about the insights that gave me.

4. How do you stay inspired?
Meeting people, talking to people, staying connected and leaving my desk now and again! I also use Twitter and Linked in to meet new people and they always inspire me.

5. How has your blog influenced your business, can you give an example?

A blog has to be focused. A business has to be focused. The blog reminds me of my niche every day – writing by and for expats – and my business reminds me of my niche too. They run hand in hand.

6. Looking back, what are the lessons you have learned about blogging?
To keep focused ; to keep them short ; to include numbered lists of tips, secrets, facts etc; to have lots of hyperlinks and images and to be generous.

7. What advice would you offer to others looking to take their business online?
You must have a clear and focused business, brand and niche and you must must must blog and tweet and use them together to spread the word and to source ideas and connections.

1. Who are you and what is the story behind your business?
I am a Dutch woman, living in The Hague (The Netherlands) with my dog. I have a partner but we don’t live together. I own two businesses SustainableStyle.nl and Claudia.nu. I am a personal stylist, specializing in sustainable style, and a text writer, writing mainly on sustainability, innovation and new knowledge. Besides this I am also a professional singer.

My background is in journalism and communications which I loved to do, but part of me always wanted to work with design, colors and style. Working with emotions and my intuition. So a few years ago I decided to join Carla Mathis’ classes and now I work as a Body Beautiful Stylist. My focus is on sustainability – if you know yourself, your colors and your personal style you can choose very specific the clothes and accessories that suit you, you don’t need much to look attractive and interesting.

Additionally I focus on sustainable materials, and the way clothing, accessories and make-up are made. I advise people on ‘conscious beauty’.

2. When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging about sustainable style at the same moment I started as a stylist. Simply because I love to write, and I believe in sharing knowledge and tips with everyone that could be interested.

3. How much time do you spend creating content, do you have any time saving tips for others?
I don’t spend much time since I only publish about one article per month, sometimes more. I might start translating my content into English too, so that means a bit more work.

For me it is not the quantity that counts, but the quality. My tip, therefore, would be: do, as you like. Don’t believe people who say that ‘to get readers you should at least do this ore that, publish every day or at least once a week’. I offer a e-zine of my blog posts for readers which is sent out once per month.

The most important aspect of blogging is regularity. People who follow you and like what you write notice your blogging frequency, they know when the next post should be there, don’t disappoint them.

4. How do you stay inspired?
I put no pressure on myself to publish a lot, and I actually have enough inspiration every month. Most of my inspiration comes directly from clients, but sometimes from what I read in the newspaper or online, or something I saw in the shops.

5. How has your blog influenced your business, can you give an example?
I notice that many people like the monthly articles they receive from me. Often I get friendly ‘thank you!’ e-mails after I send one out. It is a great way to show clients what you know, how you work, who you are, and what is of importance to you.

I think it makes it easier for people to choose with whom they want to work, because they already know you a little. And yes, new clients sometimes are people who know me from my e-zine. Others find me through my website, which provides a lot of information too!

6. Looking back, what are the lessons you have learned about blogging?
Good and beautiful images are very important. And of course high quality content.

7. What advice would you offer to others looking to take their business online?
If you like writing, start a blog about your work too. But do not expect too much from it, e.g. that you will have many, many readers straight away. There really are a lot of people that write, and even less readers. In my opinion you must like writing; it is the only good reason to start blogging. You then won’t disappoint yourself.

Everyone should have a blog and everyone should write on it every day. Even if nobody reads it. Why? for the act of writing. #godinfdc

Tweeted by SFMTraduction

Blogging is one of the things that I am passionate about. I have been blogging for a couple of years, even stopped twice but never lost the love of blogging. It’s an outlet for me. A digital information outlet.

I started blogging about my life and then started to share tips and things I stumbled upon on the internet. I now have 4 blogs that have developed into 4 different categories. It’s not easy to keep them real-time so when I saw the tweet from Seth Godin’s Antwerp Session yesterday my thoughts and passion were reinforced.

Just do it, don’t over think your blog post, post regularly and share your thoughts and idea’s with everybody. It’s free. Enjoy! Go blog!