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Demonstrating Persistence And Consistency In The New Global Culture by @coachlorimcneil

April 7, 2020 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

by Lori McNeil

There are a few times in a women’s life that make such a substantial impact on them to which they will never forget. Your wedding day. Your first child. Your first love. Your first break up. The list could go on. However, as it relates to business there is one day that no one will forget. The day that the world changed globally. 2020 has begun with some amazing changes in how businesses are showing up for their clients, but more importantly, themselves and their families.

One of the greatest asset’s female entrepreneurs have is utilizing our natural ability to multi-task life into the business world. This new global culture is paying attention more intently than ever before, and women business owners have never been better positioned to lead this new economy.

Two concepts come to the forefront in order to accomplish this: Persistence and Consistency.

Persistence is Power

Persistence in its simplest terms is sustained action. Action creates movement. Momentum moves mountains. That movement is powerful. Alongside of that power comes influence. One of the purest emotions is influence because no one knows just how deep their influence goes. Because of that there is a sustained humility that often comes with persistency. Every entrepreneur knows the importance of influence and women take that emotion to heart in every moment.

For persistence to gain traction and momentum one must first show up. Remembering next to never give up. Accepting the fact that laziness is nothing more than manifested excuses and the end result of persistency is in how it blesses others, is a great leveling and positioning tool. Operating in the global culture demands for sustained action. This action fuels consistency.

Consistency Carries the Control

Showing up and pushing through challenges (there are always challenges along the way) is the fruit of persistence. In other words, is consistency lets others know your serious. The rhyme and reason for your consistency is your own. Whether you show up once a month, once a week, or once a day is not as important as just showing up. Consistency is like visiting your great grandmothers house knowing that each time you do she has hot, homemade cookies ready for you to devour.

Consistency says that you value other people enough to give of your time for them. As others see the value you bring, they will reciprocate. This is where the control is. Not a control as in power but a control that brings people into alignment. That alignment allows for relationships to grow and prosper.

The Voice Of Reason And Truth

The new global culture is screaming for authenticity and honesty from all four directions. What sets a person apart from another is their calling card. The stronger your foundation is, the easier it is to maintain the momentum of persistence.

Allow consistency to be your calling card.

Would you like to learn how to maintain persistence or create consistency? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

International Educator, Speaker, Author, and Business Coach, Lori helps entrepreneurs and organizations focus on foundational tools needed for sustained success. As a Curriculum Designer and Business Professor, Lori has helped grow hundreds of organizations organically to build a true, long-lasting purpose. Lori has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, & various regional markets. She has authored / co-authored several books and works globally to support literacy, cancer research, young entrepreneurship, and military programs. Helping raise over three million dollars for literacy, Lori was awarded the Lifetime Presidential Service Award for her work. For more info visit www.lorimcneil.com.

Social Media Trends to Watch in 2020 by @DONNAAMOS

April 3, 2020 by Donna Amos Leave a Comment

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor

There are trends that are occurring in social media that business owners can take advantage of to help them grow their businesses. As changes take place on platforms, it may benefit business owners to stay current on the changes so that you don’t use outdated practices that no longer work on social networking sites.

Growth of Tik Tok

This site has gained popularity as a social networking site for business owners. Tik Tok is a social networking site that has become very popular with Generation Z.

Individuals who are micro-influencers have gained popularity on this social networking video app. Influencers are aware that using the site to promote video can benefit small businesses because it’s not geared towards traditional sales. The lack of hard sales on the site is popular with users. By connecting with followers through good video content, it will help small businesses expand and provide opportunities to sell products. It’s expected that one of the social media trends for 2020 will include the expansion of Tik Tok to allow platform users to shop online like other social networking channels.

Increase in social shopping

Entrepreneurs can benefit from using social shopping on their company sites because of the growth of e-commerce. During the past decade, social networking sites have contributed to the growth of e-commerce. It’s now the norm for social shopping to occur on social networking channels. Customers enjoy connecting with brands and building relationships with them on social networking sites. Consumers enjoy having access to brands without leaving platforms to purchase products and services. Entrepreneurs can look to expand social shopping on their social channels.

The rise of small business owners as influencers

Small businesses can benefit from the increase in popularity that they have experienced as influencers. Users on various social platforms desire to connect with small businesses rather than huge companies. The ability to connect with an audience on a small-scale is something that small business owners can take advantage of because they have a unique following.

The use of social media to develop consumer confidence

Small business owners can benefit from using their social platforms to develop a relationship with followers that are based on trust. Followers can develop relationships based on the quality of content that is promoted that informs followers about the value that a business brings into the market. By having real conversations with followers and connecting on a human level, companies establish relationships on a much richer level because of the connection that is made by showing the company as a place where real people work.

Use of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful social platform because the site is geared toward business professionals. Business owners can reach decision-makers on LinkedIn to grow their businesses. If a company has products and services to sell and its budget is limited, being active on the platform can help generate sales and gain the attention of decision-makers.

Fewer boundaries between personal and professional lives

Social media trends include witnessing fewer boundaries between the professional and personal lives of business owners. Small business owners can grow their online audience by interacting with followers and showing them aspects of the personal and professional lives. Sharing unique content that shows followers portions of the daily lives allows followers to connect with business owners on a genuine level.

An increase in the number of brief posts

Businesses are posting new content that is online for a short amount of time, and this will continue to increase in 2020. These posts occur on sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Tikk Tok. The time-limited posts are primarily videos and allow businesses to share content that may be more personal and allows business owners to share special offers of their products and services.

Increase focus on customer interaction

Brands are working to focus more on customer responses in 2020. By responding to customer service issues that arise, businesses can learn what is necessary to meet the needs of their customers. Small businesses can gain attention from their followers by working to connect with followers and meeting the needs they address about the products and services they desire to purchase.

Expansion of the use of storytelling

Companies have increased their use of storytelling on social media sites using different types of media such as video and written content. By sharing what a company represents, it allows businesses to reach followers and potential customers. Business owners can engage with their audience telling stories on different social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Increase in video content

There is an increase expected in the amount of video content that brands produce in 2020 on social networking sites. Small businesses can increase their number of customers and followers by producing content that is appealing to followers. Business owners can determine which platforms work best for their followers and provide content that is based on what works best for their audience.

More social messenger apps

Small business owners can benefit from using social messenger apps to connect with their customers. The top messenger apps are used primarily by millennials. The top messenger apps include the following.

• Messenger
• WeChat
• Viber

There are over 2 billion messages sent on Messenger each month from businesses. The app is on over 1.2 billion phones. The potential exists for greater customer experiences to occur because of the growth of the social messaging service. Messaging apps that were developed using artificial intelligence have improved customer engagement. It’s expected that the customer experience will continue to improve because of the unique way that companies can improve the artificial intelligence they use to have more unique engagement with customers using social messaging services.

The use of messenger apps outranks the top social networking sites which include the following.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Small business owners can work to expand their businesses by using social networking sites and social messaging services. By working to create personalized experiences with customers and potential customers, businesses can expand and provide their customers with good experiences. Having an awareness of what their customers desire will help small businesses grow and effectively market to customers of all ages.

How To Successfully Work From Home and Be Effective in the Global Lockdown by @Surbhi_Bhatia

March 31, 2020 by Surbhi Bhatia Leave a Comment

by Surbhi Bhatia

The global lockdown due to the Coronavirus spread (often referred to as Covid-19) in many countries has forced people indoors and compelled businesses to completely shut down their office spaces and encourage their employees to work from home. This situation may not go away anytime soon, and hence organizations and their employees need to figure out new ways of working remotely.

At our e-commerce company, The Mom Store, we too had to figure out and reinvent our ways of working given the Government of India’s restrictions and a 21 day lockdown imposed on all citizens. We have had to close down our warehouse operations which are so critical to any e-commerce company, but we are still running our business with employees working from home and building a business continuity plan that will help us get back on track as soon as restrictions are lifted.

Following are some of the steps we have undertaken to ensure that our staff can effectively work from home and also ensure that we are able to salvage this situation and minimize the loss to business:

1. Instill Discipline in Day to Day Work From Home:

Encourage your staff to start their day on time as a regular working day. To ensure this have a daily stand-up video call with all team members (depending on team size, this can be done by each of the team leads). This will ensure that people will take the effort to dress up in the morning and not just start working in their PJs. This will encourage the team to wake up on time, get ready and get into work mode more seriously.

Delegate work with clarity and set suitable deadlines. Follow up on all the tasks so that the rigour of work from home is maintained. At our company, all employees send a list of To-Do-Tasks in the morning by 9AM and update against each of those by 6:30PM as they finish their day.

2. Take Help of Technology to Effectively Communicate with the Team:

Take use of existing free technologies to easily communicate- whether its Whatsapp groups, Slack, Hangouts or Zoom for Video Calls, AnyDesk for remote screen sharing, there are lots of easy options available to facilitate remote working. It is also a good idea to do weekly Virtual All Hands Meet to keep the tempo going among team members.

3. Use this Time to Do All the Work that Had been Pushed back in Normal Course of Business:

If you are a product company, regular day to day operations in a normal case scenario are heavily focused on driving sales through various channels. But with all sales channels virtually shut down including marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Firstcry etc. and all deliveries through your own website on hold, there is nothing one can do except wait. Why not use this time to focus on activities that were pushed back on the regular course of business? These could be building that blog that you were not getting time to focus on, improving the SEO of your website by undertaking those mundane steps that your team was not getting time for or creating the reporting dashboards which were pending all in the rigamarole of driving sales. Bring in all the steps and build processes that seemed too time consuming to do when everyone was busy chasing numbers. Take a step back and study how improvements can be made in current ways of working and bring in those processes.

4. Keep Up the Engagement with the Customer

Out of sight is out of mind. You can slow down on the campaigns given the conversions will be low, quite understandably, but use your social media handles to have a constant conversation/engagement with your customers. This could be information on how you are handling the orders given the lockdown, what would be expected delivery dates, or create content that they would be interested during this time. We published a guest blog on how what pregnant women and nursing mothers need to know about coronavirus and instantly got more than 5000+ views on the article in a single day.

5. Keep a Plan Ready to Scale Fast Once Things Return to Normal

Things will return to normalcy sooner or later, and the ad campaign costs, bids for customers will rise astronomically within a few days. Keep a plan ready on how you will woo customers back to business at this time without further burning a hole in your pocket on ad spends. Figure out how much discounting will be viable given that you’ve already had employee, rent, and other fixed costs piled up which may not have justified your revenues in the lockdown. Think of innovative approaches to beat the market frenzy once things come to normal.

Finally, this imposed remote working scenario has its own benefits. You don’t get stuck in traffic, your are closer to family and get a lot more time on personal development to pursue a hobby, do an online course which you hadn’t got time to enrol for, and finish that unfinished book that you have been trying to. Stay Safe, Reinvent Yourself and Gear Up to be Back with a Bang.

How to Transition From a Sole Proprietor to an LLC by @DeborahSweeney

March 27, 2020 by Deborah Sweeney Leave a Comment

by Deborah Sweeney | Featured Contributor

Is it ever too late to change the legal structure you initially incorporated as? Not at all. The entity formed for a business at its offset does not need to be its formation forever. Entrepreneurs have the option to change structures that best fit their needs, and many begin as sole proprietors. For those that are ready to make the leap from sole proprietorship to another entity type, like an LLC, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Determine if you are truly ready to opt out of being a sole proprietor.

There are certain aspects of incorporating as a sole proprietorship that cannot be found in other legal structures. A couple perks include the ability to be the sole owner of the business and call the shots. This allows entrepreneurs to exercise complete control over their startup and truly act as the boss. A sole proprietorship is the easiest legal structure to form with a simplified tax process and affordable filing fees. It’s also a great entity if you run a business from home, like an Etsy shop or as an online consultant, where you don’t need a physical storefront.

However, the biggest drawback to remaining a sole proprietor is that there is no separation between personal and professional assets. The owner is liable for everything that happens within the business. This can include everything from losing valuable information to assuming the company’s debts and even being served with a lawsuit. Without liability assistance, it can be tough for an entrepreneur with a sole proprietorship to expand their business and protect their assets.

2. Decide whether an LLC or another entity formation is your best fit.

Before you can incorporate as a limited liability company (LLC), you’ll need to determine what each entity can bring to the table and your business.

As one of the most popular entities, an LLC allows entrepreneurs to keep their personal and professional assets separate. This is especially helpful in the event of an unforeseen circumstance and provides a growing startup with an extra cushion of liability protection. It also provides flexibility in being able to choose either an S Corporation or C Corporation as your tax entity. For those that qualify as an S Corporation, careful planning will allow you to avoid paying significant employment taxes. Keep in mind, however, that it’s not enough to incorporate as an LLC and be completely done with the process. You’ll also need to apply for permits (like a Sales and Tax permit, per obligations in your city, county, or state), business licenses and insurance, a DBA (Doing Business As name), and an EIN (Employer Identification Number).

For those with big expansion plans, a corporation offers the best of both worlds. You’ll receive liability protection for professional and personal assets within a formal business structure. This entity allows potential investors to invest capital into your business, provides the ability to issue shares, and makes it possible to take your business public. As far as taxes go, what you pay in taxes is based on what you choose to pay yourself from the corporation. You also have the option to elect an S Corporation status after incorporating to tax the shareholders, instead of the income of the corporation.

3. Look into a partnership.

Want a little extra support? A partnership is tailor-made for entrepreneurs that want to go into business with a partner, whether that’s a family member or friend. This structure allows entrepreneurs to share profits and losses with a partner and make decisions together.

Keep in mind that much like a sole proprietorship where you are liable for everything within the company, in a partnership you are liable for decisions made along with the actions of your business partner. Consider drafting a written partnership agreement together. This will allow you to establish partnership terms and outline capital contributions from each partner and their percentage of ownership in the company. You may also further detail the rules for admitting a new partner and outline procedures for the voluntary and involuntary withdrawal of the partner.

Once you have determined which entity formation you’d like to transition to, begin filing the proper paperwork with your local Secretary of State and pay the associated filing fee to make the changes.

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com which provides online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, startup bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent services, DBAs, and trademark and copyright filing services. You can find MyCorporation on Twitter at @MyCorporation.

Instagram Influencer Marketing and Consumer Conversations in 2020 by @shane_barker

March 27, 2020 by Shane Barker Leave a Comment

by Shane Barker

How can an influencer help you with brand promotions?

The key to successful marketing lies in understanding buyers’ psychology. People are always looking up to other people for recommendations and reviews about products and services.

Many people also trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family. However, people have become warier of online reviews as brands often create fake positive reviews to improve credibility.

Consumers today don’t trust online reviews blindly. They take the time to look for more information about a brand, product, or service before taking the plunge. One place that they look for information is their favorite influencers’ feeds.

Instagram influencers often give people a way to get honest and authentic reviews. People can easily get the information they seek and can trust.

That’s because influencers are real people who like to have personal interactions with their followers. They are usually experts and really passionate about their niches and they make a business out of educating their followers.

Instagram influencers can effectively endorse a brand in their domain. They can help you:

Drive Engagement Through Conversations

Instagram influencers are experts in engaging their followers through relevant content. When they post something about a brand or product, the idea is to get people to ask questions about it.

When an influencer starts a conversation, it is up to them to keep the ball rolling. However, sometimes a single post isn’t enough. This is the reason why many brands leverage Instagram Stories to drive engagement through their influencer marketing campaigns.

Stories enable users to interact with the content and help influencers increase a brand’s visibility without being pushy about it. Stories also make it easier for influencers to create awareness about a new product launch or a new update.

While the main goal of influencer marketing is to get exposure and generate leads, you need to get conversations flowing to make this happen.

For this, it’s important to get a better understanding of not only the needs of your customers but their desires as well. Understanding their emotions can allow you to expand your market.

And influencers are pro at understanding their audiences in and out.

Therefore, partnering with an influencer can help you build genuine relationships with their audiences and develop brand loyalty.

You should choose the right influencers for your brand. In fact, we would like to add that it is easier to work with micro-influencers as they have smaller yet engaged followings.

Want to know more about influencer collaborations? Check out the infographic below, created by Fourstarzz Media to learn more about Instagram influencer marketing in 2020.

Image Courtesy: Fourstarzz Media

How to Improve Your Content Marketing with Visual Communication BY @SHANE_BARKER

March 19, 2020 by Shane Barker Leave a Comment

Brands continue to invest more in visual communication.

Why is this?

It helps them connect better with audiences. Marketers understand that using visuals inspires, entertains, and creates lasting impressions.

Visuals are also great when you want to educate your customers and improve your brand loyalty. 95% of marketers say that videos help them increase user understanding of their brand.

In another study, it was found that marketers consider visual images as the single most important form of content for their businesses. Visual content also drives the best return on investment.

In fact, 63% of marketers say that video drives the highest ROI, while 56% said photos and graphics drive the best ROI.

Image via Animoto

But what about consumers? What kind of content do they prefer?

Consumers are willing to spend more time with visual and audio content. Nearly 73% of them said they have less time to devote to reading. Visual search, shoppable videos, and images are also some of the technologies millennials like to use when shopping.

What does this mean for you as a marketer?

It means that you should start incorporating visuals into your strategy.

But how can you use it to improve your content marketing?

This post looks at different ways you can leverage visual communication to improve your content marketing efforts.

How Can You Use Visual Communication to Improve Content Marketing?

While text content is necessary for your content marketing, you must focus on visuals to optimize it.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can do so:

1. Use it to Increase User Engagement

Reading through a big block of text can be time consuming, and you might find it challenging to find the information you’re looking for.

Through visual communication, you can display information faster, and consumers can consume it quickly too.

Have you analyzed the engagement of your posts on social media and websites?

What kind of content drives the most engagement?

According to 71% of marketers, using visuals increases a consumer’s time on site.

Image via Renderforest

Strategically using visuals in your posts can attract and retain website visitors. They engage more with the content, and this could eventually increase your conversion rate too.

But how can you tell which visuals will drive engagement?

You can find out by using AI-powered tools like Cortex, Stackla, and Linkfluence. They can help you create content that resonates with your audience and drives engagement.

Cortex, for example, helps you discover the ideal videos, images, colors, keywords, and hashtags that resonate with your audience. It also checks the latest industry trends and suggests styles that are performing well. This way, you can create powerful visual content that can drive engagement.

Image via Cortex

2. Use it to Optimize Your Blog Posts

Most people skim through the content of blog posts, and only 20% of readers finish reading blog articles. The average visitor will also only read 25% of the entire article.

Disappointing, right?

Imagine working for hours writing an article, but only 25% of it gets read.

It means that visitors leave before they can fully engage with your content.

How can you solve this problem?

You can do so by adjusting your writing style and incorporating engaging content that holds their attention.

Start by getting rid of blocks of texts and lengthy paragraphs. Use short sentences and paragraphs that make it easier for readers to skim.

You also need to create content that resonates with your audience. For this, you can use content marketing tools that can help you identify top-performing content for various keywords or topics.

The tools can also help you analyze the performance of the published content so that you can optimize your efforts.

Combine this with visuals, and you can increase the time consumers spend on your website.

Even if the consumer skims through the content, they will probably spend time looking at the visuals. They will read some information either before or after the visual to understand it, thus increasing the time on site.

3. Use it to Connect With Your Audience

Have you ever connected with someone emotionally?

It leaves a lasting impression, right?

A study by Forrester found that how customers feel and think about your brand drives business outcomes like purchases, advocacy, and loyalty. They also noted that how a customer feels impacts their decisions more than how they think.

According to the study, increasing positive thoughts and feelings towards the brand raises the likelihood of subscribing by 10.2%. It also increases the probability of making a purchase by 11.2%, and the possibility of becoming loyal by 14.8%.

Image via Forrester

Visual communication and storytelling can help you build that connection. It could be that persuasive product description, an emotional ad, or even a genuine customer story that can do the job for you.

Use videos and images to tell your audience how the company came to be and what it does. Showcase your employees hard at work, customers enjoying your product, or employees taking part in a Corporate Social Responsibility program.

Use visuals in your blog content, emails, social media posts, and elsewhere. Leverage them to create positive emotions related to your brand and connect better with your audience.

4. Use it to Give Your Social Media Content a Boost

When scrolling through your social feeds, what content draws your attention?

Visuals, right?

It’s that funny meme, hilarious GIF, entertaining video, or image that gets your attention. You can, therefore, use visuals to give your social media efforts a boost.

But how can you stand out from all the marketers trying to hold the audience’s attention with visual content?

Focus your sights on creating engaging content and use ample visuals to get the attention of your target audience. Try coming up with visuals that can create an emotional connection, lead to instant gratification, or offer unique value.

But what visual content should you post?

To figure this out, you can use listening tools. Using them, you can discover trending topics in your industry on social media. You can then create content around those subjects.

Visual content can also help consumers solve a problem or understand a concept. You can choose from a variety of visual formats like infographics, how-to videos, or even memes to get the attention of your audience.

Ready to Improve Your Content Marketing?

Visual communication provides you with numerous opportunities to grow your business. It can help you increase traffic to your website and grow your engagement. Additionally, it can help you improve the time spent by visitors on your website.

Changing how the audience feels about your brand can drive purchases, loyalty, and advocacy.

By using the right visuals, you can create emotional connections with your target consumers, help solve their problems, or help them understand concepts.

Lastly, you can leverage visual content to give a boost to your social media efforts.

Do you have any questions about using visuals to improve your content marketing or any insights to add? Let us know in the comment section below.

Women Entrepreneurs Debunk Sustainable Business Myths by Claudia Nikolova of @enterpriseleag1

March 11, 2020 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

by Claudia Nikolova

Sustainability has become a true buzz word in recent years.”

Sustainability has become a true buzz word in recent years. Even large corporations with foundations well built on traditional (read unsustainable) practices have started to proclaim themselves green. Instead of greenwashing, they’re brainwashing consumers.

However, that doesn’t mean sustainability is the wrong path to take. We had the chance to talk to four incredible women entrepreneurs running revolutionary conscious fashion brands: Sabinna, Flair Atelier, Fabric for Freedom, Conscious House London. Each of them spoke openly about their experience with sustainability. And all of them agreed there are certain myths that hurt the reputation of green business.

Sustainability is budget-friendly

One thing is for sure: certificates cost a lot. Small companies can hardly afford them. The owner can go above and beyond to make the supply chain sustainable but without the certificates it’s virtually pointless. Additionally, the initial costs for eco-friendly technology and materials are higher compared to non-green alternatives.

Nonetheless, research shows that ROI is also higher. All things considered, it’s expensive to found a sustainable business but once you survive the critical period benefits will start to show.

Your business can be 100% sustainable

Like one of the ladies put it “You have to choose your battles.” In order to stay open and profitable you have to play the sustainability cards wisely. Fairness of labor, CO2 pollution, equality, plastic pollution, transparency etc. – you can’t win them all. You must priorities depending on your brand identity, mission, budget and goals.

Businesses claiming to be completely green and ethical are simply deluding their customers and the public. It’s not rare that sustainability is used for marketing purposes.

Vegan fashion is sustainable

Sabinna’s founder, a vegan, declared she’d rather wear leather than vegan clothes. We know how vegans are hard-core in their beliefs so when a vegan admits that vegan fashion is bad for the environment, you have to take it seriously. The main problem lies in fabrics used for production, which are often non biodegradable. Even when fabrics are plant-based, the means and methods for their production are rarely environmentally friendly or ethical.

Each myth can be an article in itself. Would you like to learn more about debunking sustainable business myths? Let us know in the comments below!

Claudia Nikolova A Millennial with an old soul who was born with a passion to make a difference in the world. Currently working for a revolutionary startup because its founders recognized a potential in me I wasn’t aware of. Jumping from content creation, to marketing, selling and what else, I’ve learned versatility suits my character.

20 Ways to Grow as an Entrepreneur in 2020 by @DrRKayGreen

March 9, 2020 by Kay Green Leave a Comment

by Dr. R. Kay Green | Featured Contributor

The hallmark of an entrepreneur is someone who is always striving and working to be their best. As such, a lot of entrepreneurs benefit from setting goals that can help them grow into the best person they can be. I have put together a list of 20 goals that entrepreneurs can pursue in 2020.

Start a blog. Starting a blog is more than just a way to promote your business or grow your audience. It gets you thinking about what you do and why you do it in new ways. Writing a blog can help you solidify what is really important to you.
Join a new networking group. One of the best ways to grow as an entrepreneur is to meet new people. Networking groups are a great way to make connections and learn from people in your industry.
Join a LI group. What are people in your space talking about? LinkedIn Groups are full of relevant articles, conversations and more. If you want to keep up to date on latest trends and what other people are thinking about them, this is a great step to take.
Revamp your website. If your website is outdated, chances are good that you have not really considered how your business looks or how you would like to appear to your audience. A refresh can change the way that you think about yourself even as it changes the way others see you.
Try a new business venture. The best way to grow is to try new things. Even if you later decide that this is not for you, it does not hurt to at least try. Being open to new experiences moves your career in new and interesting ways.
Take a risk. It can be tempting to stay in our comfort zone. But real growth comes from trying things that might fail. Through risks, we learn — whether that is because we succeeded, or because we discovered a way not to do something.
Do public speaking. Public speaking is something that a lot of people are understandably frightened of. But it is great for improving your confidence, connecting with new people, and making you a better business person who communicates clearly.
Start a vlog. This combines the benefits of blogs and public speaking. It also encourages you to show off what makes your business great — and it means you will likely be keeping your workspace looking its very best.
Go on a retreat. Retreats are different from vacations (which, to be clear, you should also be taking). They are a chance to engage with what you do in a different location, learn more about your industry, and get away from the daily stressors that keep you from being your best.
Ask for help. As you grow, you might begin to feel as though you do not need help from anyone else. But this cannot be further from the truth. Never be afraid to reach out to others who are at different stages than you for help.
Find a niche. Who is your audience? If you cannot answer this question clearly and concisely, you probably do not have a niche. Finding one helps you to be more focused in your efforts, targeting people in more meaningful ways.
Know your limits. As much as it is important to “hussle” and do your best, you are not a robot. You need to know when to take a step back, when to stop for the night, and when to delegate tasks that you cannot do.
Start a podcast. Podcasts are becoming even more popular, and are an inexpensive way to get your voice and thoughts out there. Take the opportunity to listen to podcasts in your industry and see what others are doing.
Set actionable goals. Goal setting is an important part of growth and success, but something that many overlook. Take the time to set actionable goals and make sure you set deadlines to complete them.
Track metrics. How do you know if you are actually growing? You track your progress. This is why metrics are an important part of growing as an entrepreneur. They allow you to make sure that you are on target for completing your goals.
Do something that scares you. We do not grow by staying in our comfort zones. Facing your fears and overcoming obstacles is an important part of growth in any part of life, and entrepreneurship is no different.
Try a new social media strategy. Do you have a social media strategy? If so, when was the last time you updated it? Social media is constantly evolving and changing, so a refresh is always a good idea. Look at the new platforms available and see where your audience is.
Poll your clients. Do you know what your clients actually think about you? Are you in tune with their needs? Reaching out to see why and how you can meet the needs of your existing clients can be enlightening.
Take a class. No matter how long you have been in business, there is always room to grow. Take a class on something new or on something you feel you know well. No matter what it is, you will probably learn something.
Empower people to learn. This might mean running a class or a webinar of your own. But it could also mean hiring someone to create custom learning content for employees around you. This leads to you being surrounded and supported by an intelligent workforce.

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Dr. R. Kay Green – Marketing Expert from RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. from Atlanta, GA.

Dr. R. Kay Green is the CEO/President of RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. With over 190,000+ Twitter followers, 35,000+ Facebook Likes, and the Top 1% LinkedIn profile designation, Dr. Kay, a self-motivated trailblazer, is the Quintessential “New-Age” Professional Woman, and PhD Marketing Pro. She earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in Marketing, and has completed PhD coursework in Leadership and Organization Change. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Management, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, and an Associate of Arts in Marketing Management.

She is affiliated with several prestigious universities and has instructed over 350 courses online. A popular speaker on Marketing and Business topics, Dr. Green is currently featured on Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Black News, The Network Journal, Business Review USA, Digital Journal, College View, Business New Hampshire Magazine, Bay State Banner, Reader’s Circle, North Dallas Gazette, Harlem News, Top News Today, One News Page, NE Informer, Women in Business PR News, Consumer News Today, Women PR News, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Daily Herald, The Miami Herald, and Book News Articles.

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Would you hire you to speak? by @KerryHeaps

March 4, 2020 by Kerry Heaps Leave a Comment

by Kerry Heaps | Featured Contributor

Taking inventory of how meeting planners can connect with you.

Sometimes we try to protect ourselves from an onslaught of unwanted calls, emails and solicitations, however, when we place a protective shield up, it can make the process difficult for others to do business with us. After a recent Speaker selection process, these were the top four items that deterred us (not by choice) from moving forward with certain candidates.

Website contact page. Your site should have all the information about how to connect with you. Its fine to have a contact us form, but make sure it works. You should have your phone number, email and mailing address. Take it a step further and add social media buttons.
It should work, period. Have a dedicated phone number for your business. You can get a phone number with an answering service for under Twenty dollars a month. Don’t use your home number unless you have a professional voicemail for meeting planners to leave a message. Again, look like the professional that you are.
Always check your junk file, sometimes messages get missed because they get flagged. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity and find the email months later.
Have a professional message for your business, even if you work from home, keep your phone numbers separate. Always make sure you check your voicemail and delete messages, nothing is more frustrating than hearing a voicemail and you can’t leave a message because the voicemail box is full.

These are things to mindful of, remember, there are more speakers than paid events, so if you make it difficult for the meeting planner to reach you, they will move on to another prospect.

20 Themes for 2020 by @DrRKayGreen

March 2, 2020 by Kay Green Leave a Comment

by Dr. R. Kay Green | Featured Contributor

When attempting to accomplish the business goals they set at the beginning of the year, some people get overwhelmed because they bite off more than they can chew. There are too many tasks, and they are all independent of each other, and there just is not enough time or stamina to complete all of them.

This can be avoided by choosing a cohesive “theme” for your goals. This ensures that every goal is related to itself and is focused on a single end result. It helps reduce burnout and increase motivation.

But what are some themes for your goals to follow? Here are 20 to keep in mind in 2020:

Progress. This is a great theme for beginning businesses. Often, we have big dreams about where we want our business to go. But the work of actually getting there can be discouraging. Shifting or mindset—and our goals—to be more about the journey than the destination is a powerful tool.
Growth. Sometimes, we get so bogged down with small inconsequential goals that we lose sight of the big picture. That is what this theme is all about. It helps businesses focus on growing revenue, customer base, or whatever they are looking to improve.
Innovation. What problems are your customers facing? This theme challenges you to create goals that address those problems in new and exciting ways. If your business is beginning to feel stale or outdated, this is a theme you should consider.
Experimentation. As professionals, sometimes we get stuck in a routine, and a belief that the way that we have always done thing is the best way. This theme is all about challenging that belief. Picking goals that encourage experimentation can energize employees and open the door to new opportunities.
Positivity. A little complaining is to be expected. But too much of it can infect your workplace culture, turning it into a negative place that your employees want to escape from. If this sounds familiar, make positivity the theme of your goals this year.
Generosity. There are endless reasons and ways to give back. Making it the theme of your goals encourages you to not only get connected with your community, but also think of ways to meaningfully provide for your customers and employees.
Boldness. Businesses succeed when they take risks. Make being brave the theme of your goals this year. What scares you? Whether it is public speaking, trying a risky marketing venture, or a new technology, tackle it with your goals this year.
Connection. If we get too bogged down in the day to day work, we run the risk of becoming isolated, especially solo entrepreneurs. Make connection a theme of your goals, and reach out to more networking groups and professionals with the goal of making relationships, not just generating leads.
Mentoring. As we get further along in our business, it is important that we share the knowledge we learned with the next generation. Making mentoring the theme of your goals is personally enriching, and also helps those who are where you once were.
Confidence. This is something that people struggle with, no matter how much experience they have. Tackling confidence as a theme in 2020 will make you not only a better professional, but will overall improve your happiness and mental health.
Unique. What sets your business apart from the rest? Make cultivating this the theme of 2020. By doing so, you help yourself stand out in a business landscape that is increasingly loud and difficult to break into.
Acceptance. There are so many things about business we cannot change. For 2020, make the theme of your goals be acceptance. Focus on the things that you can do, and do not waste time worrying about the things you cannot.
Delegation. It is easy to fall into the trap of doing everything because we think that our way is the only right way. But this can quickly lead to fatigue and burnout. Make your goals this year revolve around delegation and training employees to take on tasks that are eating up your valuable time.
Opportunity. We often become blinded to good opportunities because we are too wrapped up in the here and now. This theme, then, focuses on recognizing and accepting those opportunities as well as actively seeking them out.
Disruption. Look at the fundamental truths of your industry. Which ones could stand to be challenged? Having this theme for your goals adds some much-needed excitement into your day to day work.
Relaxation. Excitement is important, but it is not the be all end all of your career. If some of your goals sound a little too similar to what you have been doing, you might be due for a break. There is nothing wrong with prioritizing self-care and relaxation as a theme.
Balance. Depending on your personality, you might work too hard or find yourself too distracted by other obligations. Make your theme this year, then, be about balancing your obligations. Whatever has been neglected should be your priority.
Activity. What new things could you be doing? Maybe this means finally starting that incentives campaign or launching a new hashtag to reach out to an audience. Whatever it is, make it tangible, and make sure you are actually doing something.
Talent. A business is only as good as its employees. This theme, then, focuses on finding the very best, and investing in the training that will make your current team be as successful as they can be. This is a theme that will yield amazing results.
Education. No matter how long you have been in business, there is always more to learn. And the same could be said of your employees. Investing in both your education and theirs makes sure that you are providing your clients with the very best service.

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Dr. R. Kay Green – Marketing Expert from RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. from Atlanta, GA.

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