Time after time I have been asked the question, What is the real purpose of having a blog? In fact my husband was one of the first people to ask me why in the world would I start a blog. I said to him I think the real question is why wouldn’t you have one?

The first time I had ever heard of a blog was when my brother had told me that he was going to start one up about traditional music. My brother has been a musician for years now and for him I looked at his blog as being just another creative outlet for him to show to the world his talents and love for music. Although this is not his career he does on occasion get paid for gigs.

In some peoples view, I believe that these people think that blogging is a bit of an egocentric thing. They wonder where these people have the time to blog about such self absorbed topics such as their hobbies. Nowadays I think it is just the opposite. The more that I surf the web the more I have found blogging to be not only a creative outlet but a way of promoting your business and networking with the entire world. Its like putting your resume up in the sky for everyone to see.

In this slow economy I think it is imperative that you begin to utilize the benefits of a blog. I believe once you have shown to people that you are not only creative and smart, but that you are human, you start to attract those to you that share in the same beliefs. This in turn helps your business to grow and thrive. If you are using a blog just for fun then the more power to you. If you are using a blog to help promote your business then you are one step ahead of the ones who don’t. The way I see it is if you don’t try to improve your business plan then how can you knock it. I must say that I have talked to other business owners in my area about starting a blog and their response to me is I just don’t have the time. I look at that as having a fear of the unknown and what potential benefits a blog could be for your company.

For me I see a blog as a way of letting my customers know when I will be setting up at an antique show, when I get new items in, or when their will be a sale in the shop. I also feel it is a way to get a better feel for what my customers are really looking for so they feel that I am looking for things in their best interest.

In this age more and more people myself included have joined the entrepreneurial race. The need to conform to the typical rat race is getting less and less. We have learned that through creativity and persistence that if we are willing to put ourselves out there to the world maybe just maybe someone will discover the talents that we hold with in us. This is where the idea of one having a blog comes into play. Blogs have become so popular that even people such as Martha Stewart have one. Martha is the queen of marketing to the world her creative ideas and concepts. While some of us may not like her and what she has done in the past, it is irrelevant to the fact that she is utilizing the tool of blogging to help to promote her massive business, and might I add succeeding. She is just one example of a person that has used a blog to promote their business.

For me, while I may not be Martha I have already made so many connections through having a blog. The many women and men that I have met through this experience is immeasurable. While most of them have antique related businesses of their own, some of their sites seemed to have launched them into a semi famous status. Along with having a large subscriber fan base some of these folks have been featured in some well noted magazines such as Country Home, Country Living, Romantic Homes, and Victoria Magazine. You can’t ask for better advertising for your business than that now can you? Some of their readers or shall I say subscribers check their sites every time they add a new post. This to me is such an important thing in helping to develop relationships with your customers. I initially started this blog to promote my new antique business. After being in a job that didn’t utilize my creativity, I finally feel like I found one that has. The more I began to post the more I entertained the fact that I should not only write about my love for antiques, but that I should showcase my other creative talents and try to integrate them into the blog. This included my love for photography, interior design, and my overall crafty witty nature!! The shop that I am in does not have a website, and I thought to myself how in the world will anyone know I am even in the shop if I don’t just put myself out there. So it was from that idea that Antique Therapy was started.

Initially I wondered how would I even get traffic to my site. After surfing the net yet again I discovered that the more you switch links with other bloggers the more my traffic increased. It also helped when I left comments on other peoples sites. With the help of a little friend that I like to call Google Analytics I then got to see who viewed my site, where they were from, how long they stayed, and who referred them to me. I am happy to say that Garden Antiques aka www.gardenantqs.blogspot.com/ has been the source of some of my best traffic. So thanks Theresa. I truly appreciate it.

In closing, for me I have enjoyed not only the new friendships that I have made through having my own blog, but feel that the sky is the limit as to where it will take me. I will do whatever it takes for my business to flourish and succeed. To any of you still on the fence about starting one up for yourself take the leap along with the rest of us and experience it for yourself. I am sure it will prove to be a wise decision for your business. The possibilities are endless!!