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How Public Relations Can Benefit Your Brand by @lucyrk78

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by Lucy Render-Kaplan | Featured Contributor 

Public Relations is vital for increasing your brand’s visibility. Not only can it help more people learn about your company and services, it can strategically speak directly to your target audience. A successful PR campaign generates media coverage, builds your status as a thought leader, helps develop trust and increases your presence, which leads to more sales, new clients and even potential investors.

Develop Brand Identity

Getting the word out about who your brand is and why you exist is important! Only you can tell the unique story about your product or services and why people should choose you over other similar brands. If the public doesn’t know that you exist, you are missing out on sales and helping others via your services.

Grow Trust and Credibility

People buy from people they trust. More and more, consumers are growing wary of companies telling them who they are – they’re listening to others recommendations. When a company keeps popping up in the news or written about by a journalist people follow is not only beneficial in building trust, it can directly lead to sales. Being featured in the press – especially in this day and age, where social media outlets can distribute your articles across the entire spectrum of Internet users — allows you to leverage this attention as support for your cause. Create a press page on your company’s website so you can display your success in the press to viewers.

Thought Leader Spotlight

Your PR agency can work with the founder of your client’s brand or a spokesperson from the brand on how to best present on camera and in interviews with the press. They can then pitch them to talk as an expert in industry-related news. Having an internal spokesperson serve as an expert is a great way to grow awareness about your company and is key in growing brand awareness.

Create Buzz

A public relations campaign can help share your key messages, create or boost brand buzz and help you build an engaged following, leading to more exposure, clients and brand awareness.

Attract Donors & Increase Funding

Earned media coverage can attract donors and investors to help increase funding.  Media coverage is often vital and can be a deciding factor in how they decide to give.  A powerful PR campaign shows that you invest in your business, your reputation and have a commitment to growth, which is very attractive for funders.  The right media placements at the right times can be used to attract the attention of VCs and other investors. With the right messaging and strategy, PR increases your credibility as a stable and potentially lucrative investment target. So why do PR? If you’re an early- or mid-stage company, your next round of funding may depend on it.

If any of these reasons appeal to you, securing a publicist or signing with a PR firm may be the next step to level up your business.

Dear Mom Juggling a Business and Young Kids…. by @Sarah_Strunk57

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Image courtesy of http://www.facebook.com/simplysarahshop

by Sarah Strunk

For the past 5 years I have been trying to run my business with small toddlers at home, a deployed spouse, moving 4 times (yes 4 times in 5 years). I often felt like I was either rocking my business and failing my family or rocking my family life and letting my business suffer. The guilt was out of control!

I can’t tell you how many times I felt like everyone was having their careers take off and here I was changing diapers and losing my mind all wishing I could be them. I cried on the floor of my office many times, and decided to throw in the towel even more than that. I can’t tell you how many times I posted on my Facebook “I quit! I’m done, I can’t do it!”

I tried everything, from hiring help, to folders and binders, all sorts of organizational programs and even accountability partners. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t make it all work. What IS wrong with me? I thought. I’m just not good at this, I guess I’m just not wired to get the laundry done and make dinner. I fed my family dino nuggets 5 nights this week and yet I still am drowning? What gives?!

Every now and then I’d have good weeks, I’d get on kick and feel like I was on a rolling and then bam- a kid would get sick, my hubby’s schedule would change and It would throw me off again.

I was constantly apologizing to everyone; to my customers for not getting their orders out on time, to my husband for being grumpy, to my kids for snapping at them. I felt like I spent more time apologizing than anything else

I wanted to ENJOY my kids and this season but truly I wasn’t. I wanted to ENJOY running a business. I was hesitant to open my inbox because it was someone asking where their order was or requesting something else.

I was so annoyed because people wanted to buy things from me? HA who does that? Then I’d feel like a huge jerk for complaining. “Gosh, It’s just SO hard when people want to pay you money for things”. I mean really…. it was bad folks.

SO If this is you, if you feel pulled in 20 directions and find yourself not enjoying much of this season in your life, listen to the follow statement…

“Honor the Season you are in”..That means give it your all!!! There are times where we have to choose what we’re going to place on the top of our list, and for a season, it may be a step back.

It resonated so deeply with me, and I instantly realized what I needed to do. My season was being a mom to my young kids. That was my purpose. God gave me these beautiful blessings and all I kept thinking was how can I get them to leave me along long enough to finish and order. How awful was that?

I realized I was going to miss this brief moment in time it if I didn’t pull myself out of it and take a step back. I decided right then to give myself grace and allow myself to take a step back. I didn’t need to do it all and prove anything to anyone. I disabled my Facebook business page for several months. It was challenging but I felt a HUGE weight lifted as soon as I hit “unpublish”.

We didn’t require the money, though yes things got tighter. You’re kids are only young once, they only will want you to sing them 12 songs, and kiss their boo boo’s, and read them “Goodnight Moon” 5 times every night for so long. Look at every mom of teens or adult kids what do they say when you’re fighting your toddler in the aisle of Target- “oooh they grow up so fast!” “Don’t Blink” “I miss those days”. What?! You miss this?! You can HAVE this lady because I am SO DONE! Haha.

But I also know that I it’s alright to feel that way, I can be confident in sending him off into the world because I took my step back, I decided to devote my time to him. I enjoyed or mostly enjoyed every little moment (minus those tantrums), I took the time to love and kiss and cuddle and waste 3 hours watching cartoos together instead of working on orders.

There were plenty of random ice cream trips after school, or park days and adventures with him too. Look, you will NEVER regret making time for your kids, ever. You’ll never look back on their little years and think “Man I wish I would have worked more.

If you HAVE to work then by all means, go for it, I’m not saying to give up your job completely but if you are STRUGGLING with kid time or work time, just give yourself grace. Know that your work will still be there, people will still want your one of a kind creations. You, my dear, are a creative genius, you WILL come up with more ideas and life will NOT pass you by, you will end up being blessed beyond your wildest dreams!!

 

 

Sarah Strunk is a military spoud, Boy mom and creative entrepreneur. Starting a business shorting after delivery her second son, she fought through sleepness newborn nights, deployments, and everything else young motherhood throws at us in todays world!

Today she is a multiple six figure earner and is proud that she perserved through every trial and has a booming career today. She wants you to know you too, young mom, you CAN do this!

Gig – Sharing – Youpreneur – [Ec]onomy by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor 

 

‘Lean in … it’s growing daily.’

 

As this blog goes live, we find ourselves on a chronological cusp; it’s not just A New Year’s Eve/Day:  it marks an entirely new decade!

The 2020’s will bring us untold innovation which’ll make us do double-takes; one trend, though, that we can better understand since it’s been growing since ~ 2008 ?

 

A > It has multiple monikers:  Gig / Sharing / Youpreneur. 

 

All = synonyms for an independent workforce which’ll continue to improve day to day life, so long as we don’t stoke fear, assume, become too comfortable, or let corporate entities dictate the narrative.

Here’s a fundamental Q:

 

How can we entrepreneurs be trailblazers for our peer generation, those older, and, yes, younger, for this economic paradigm?

 

Gigs are Great

We’ve likely heard, or know someone who’s a ‘side’ hustler; this person’s also a side ‘gigger’.  She’s pursuing gig economy income, driven not by trading units of time for currency/dollars & cents; rather, via representing a product/s, service/s, &/or sharing her specialized knowledge in/to the marketplace, earning $$ in return.

This infographic offers a flyover, showing how many ‘gigs’ are available, just via smartphone apps.

Yet, there is far more at ‘work’ here: Entire new business models have, and will continue to be formed. One recent example?  Click here.

The back to back [ ‘blue’ & ‘white’ collar ] industrial ages shall continue to be supplanted by gigs, although it will necessitate re framing, challenging 20th century assumptions, & being willing to exchange calculated risk for more time & financial flexibility.

 

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars . . . the house . . . the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

― Diane Mulcahy, The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want .”

 

Sharing = Collaborative = Interdependent   

‘Share & share alike ..’ – weren’t we told this by a doting parent(s), or maybe a primary school teacher at some point?

However, as we aged into adulthood, and started our business(es), we might’ve forgotten this sage advice. We either learned how to be dependent ( ‘employ’[ee] – to be used (utilized)) , and/or that we had to be a cowgirl, & do entrepreneurship all by ourselves, as an in-dependent.

Not so fast!  Sharing economic models enable us to rebuild trust with our peers, be inter-dependent, and find/leverage ways to collaborate & partner with others.

This visual is worth many words.

 

Multisided Platforms / ‘Matchmaker’ Economics

This new economic era is restoring and flat out creating new sparks of creativity that were lost in the very linear, centralized, & hierarchical industrial ages preceding it.

This terrific post will make you think; next time you grab your smartphone & search for an AirBnB, you’ll look at this research in a fresh way.

Matchmaker (‘ing) is worth trillions – it squeezes inefficiencies out of conventional producer/seller→ consumer/buyer bilateral relationships & builds bridges. It is beyond intriguing & sits squarely in this new [ec]-onomy.

 

What’s a “You” Preneur, anyway?!  

YOU ‘re worth far more than a rigid, pre-defined wage, salary, or compensation package. Shouldn’t your pay be aligned with the absolute value you deliver to your clientele, & not based on the usage of space & time ( = occupar / occupation ) ?

Most, if not all, entrepreneurial minded people reading this would say ‘absolutely!’

Thus, we’ve 2 words fused together, creating a combo which richly reflects the spirit, heart, & mindset of this new economic model:  YOU + [entre] preneur.

 

Overcoming …   

There are 5 (‘for the hand’) root issues which stand in the way of ‘giggers’ & ‘youpreneurs’ ‘sharing’ more & building a stronger entrepreneurial edifice in the 2020’s:

 

  • Our 125+ year old schooling ( not truly education ) tracks, ‘K-12’
  • Fear ( cynicism, unhealthy skepticism, & negativity )
  • A completely broken political system
  • The incumbent hierarchies

&

  • Comfort/familiarity

 

We can hurdle over the first by focusing on self-directing our education & loosening the grip of credentialed degree signaling ( esp if we have staff ); next, we can win out over fear by being faithful & focused; thirdly, how about turning towards local elections to drive grassroots transformation upwards to state/provincial &/or national/federal offices?

Fourth, be wise to what the ‘status quo’ says, and especially does. Often times, they’ll attempt to buy influence through the deeply flawed politics of today. Don’t let them; put your trust in your own small business & those of your peers. Lastly, don’t rest on your laurels or read your own press clippings. Always strive to sit in a learning zone.

 

Future = Free: IF we Choose

Many step up to ‘be their own boss’ ; yet, the promises heralded in transition tend to be lost in the haze of working harder, not smarter.

Freedom is such an overused word; for the purposes of this post, let’s frame it this way: It’s having many conscious choices always available to match with our  most irreplaceable asset, time.

The ultra flex & portability available in the gig/sharing economy is there for the taking. Lean into it!

 

Twitter ‘To-Do’s 

Youpreneur

Sharing Economy

Future Workforce

VisualCap

Suitcasepreneur

 

Let’s ‘future’ proof …

… your business(es).

Be unique & willing to unlearn what you were taught in a conventional classroom about economics & entrepreneurship.

 

A dozen things I’ve learned about …

6 Ghosts of Fear

 

… Multisided Markets

The Matchmakers 

 

Mutual Aid Societies & the Gig Economy

Rise of the Youpreneur

 

Read to Lead

25 Ideas …

 

Summing up … 

  • A major milestone is upon us!
  • A fundamental question …
  • Multiple monikers
  • Multisided & matchmaker
  • 5 challenges
  • “Free”dom
  • ‘Future’ proofing

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

4 Pillars of a Civil Society by @SBSLEducSoltns

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The ‘Holidays’ …

 

… offer entrepreneurs a renewed opportunity to serve, solve, & be civil, especially in hyper competitive industries.

 

With this mindset, we can ask ourselves a key question:

 

How can business owners strengthen the pillars of our civil society?

 

Please think & then brainstorm ways to turn thoughts into energy; consider this post both informative AND actionable.

 

Defining civil society

This topic echoes last month’s post, many definitions exist, leaving us with another question to ponder that’s also well worth our time. Which to pick?

 

Here’s my chosen one.

 

Yet, if you settle on another, there isn’t a ‘wrong’ answer; your choice is likely tied to your unique perspective, lens, and/or life experiences.

 

Civil societies, in the 19th century, often included a ‘sister’ term, a component, [a] mutual aid society …

 

[they] prefigure most functions of the modern state. They’re at least as old as armies, but their mission is life, not death. For millennia, people have banded together to provide each other with health care, pensions, … and livelihoods. They have also leveraged their numbers to elicit some of these same benefits from those other two institutions, business and the government. Mutual aid extends the bonds of kinship and makes individuals into citizens.

― Anya Kamenetz

 

1st pillar :  The Family   

The holidays & families often are rightfully intertwined: so, too, the first pillar of civil society is emblazoned with the word ‘family’ & it’s an earned label.

 

Maybe you’re a family business? Nearby where I live, the Conway Center is a terrific resource for them & the other businesses who seek to serve this demographic. Quite likely, there are ‘like’ organizations elsewhere in America, as family businesses are very common.

 

Perhaps some/all of your clients/customers are families?

 

No matter how we look at it, it’s rather challenging to separate family from civil society, and a civil society from entrepreneurship.

 

2nd pillar : Non Profits ( inc. social enterprise )  

As the 19th century transitioned into the 20th, mutual aid societies began to fade; previously thriving organizations were often overshadowed as America became more centralized, corporatized, & urbanized.

 

We’ve now begun (  this post offers backgrounder ) turning back, with a modern flair, to where we once were as a civil society. Rough edges & burrs on the saddle of the Gig (Sharing/Youpreneur) Economy can, without question, be ‘buffed’ by devolving & delegating societal challenges & thorny problems to non profit institutions, especially social enterprises.

 

What’s a social enterprise? As stated in this annual report, they’re ‘easy to understand’ & more necessary to renewing our nation than many might realize.

 

3rd pillar : Faith institutions 

Faith in the entrepreneurial ‘square’, our common culture, let alone civil society, often stirs up emotions & thorny debates.

 

To avoid needless arguments, I humbly encourage everyone to consider multiple definitions:

Perhaps you’ll pick ‘faith’ as defined by the venerable Napoleon Hill in his masterwork, ‘Think & Grow Rich’ , or maybe you’ll instead lean into a Judeo-Christian foundational definition, as espoused by organizations like Truth At Work.

 

No matter your decision, this pillar’s densely strong, earning its place as one of the key four; it props up each & every business owner at some point(s) in her journey from ideating a business, to launch/startup phase, thru ebb & flood tides, linear or exponential growth,  & further ahead into an as of yet unknown future.

 

How so? Faith oft times can act as the antithesis of fear; it can buttress your failures & keep you anchored to your purpose & mission.

 

4th & final pillar:  Entrepreneurs

And now, the spotlight shines brightly on Y-o-u:  The business founder/owner, the entrepreneur.

 

If by now it wasn’t crystal clear, it now will be: Entrepreneurship, in all its forms/types , is absolutely a pillar.

 

You’ve likely seen/heard statistics about small businesses’ vast importance to our nation’s vitality.

Or, maybe you’ve encouraged someone to start their own business at some point: maybe a family member?; neighbor?; a past co-worker?; or as a mentor for a future graduate or recent alumna from your alma mater?

 

Action(s) as common as keeping your business viable, including delegating task(s) to someone like Karissa , or expanding your product line, are each useful in ensuring that this fourth pillar will always be foundational for generations of Americans in the 2020’s & well beyond.

 

Further context to the first question

The first three pillars have boundless potential: leveraging 1, 2, or all 3 can enable your business(es) to morph from a pure ‘S’ [ self employed ]; to at least a hybrid ‘ S/B’, or even a straight ‘B’.  It’s the latter state where you’ve reached the nirvana of time freedom; you’re definitely working “on” & NOT “in” your venture, thereby freeing the owner to participate more actively in civil society.

 

Profiles Worth Following

NapHill.org

Social Ventures

Truth@Work

DSC

Sivers

YEA USA

Conway Center

 

Please invest further…

… in your thinking.

You’ve read & trustfully sensed the heart, soul, & spirit of this created content; now, will you commit to dig into this curated content from other valuable resources?

 

Civil Society

Mutual Aid Societies & the Gig Economy

Social Capital Primer

Root

B2C v B2B 

Working “ON” & not “IN” a Business

 

In short

  • The holidays offer a chance to reflect
  • Civil society: Quotable quote & definition[s]
  • First two:  Family & Non profits
  • Second 2 : Faith & Entrepreneurs
  • Further context
  • Follow these Social profiles
  • As always, take action: curated content from add’t resources

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

Stages of Success by @SBSLEducSoltns

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[ ‘S o S’ ] = Leveraging Stages to Earn Something More: Significance

 

Flying @ 35K ft

 

As entrepreneurs, we’ve often heard how important it is to be successful.

 

And, as so many of us also know, success is defined in so many different ways, through lots of different life experiences & lenses, that there could be a fairly large library filled with content on ..

 

What is success?

How to be successful?

Who is a success & Why?

Where can success be learned?

 

To be clear, the stages that will be discussed below all DO feed into this ‘black box’ known as success, however, in my reasoned view, if each is leveraged unto one another, you’ll earn something far more impactful in the long term:  Significance.

 

Success vs. Significance

It’s left to you, the reader, to decide what you seek to pursue. A quick web search returns oodles of success quotes & related content:

Click HERE , then HERE to dip a toe ever so slightly into the ocean: The video & infographic in the latter are wonderfully displayed, by the by!

 

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

―Peter F. Drucker

 

Turning the page to significance, one of the best sources to land on?  THIS one.

Our businesses can either drive us, as their owner/founders, to a significant life, or our lives can be the spark on the embers of the business, turning it from just surviving, to a modicum of success, and perhaps significance.

 

So, the road, visualized as two lanes, does have one going in one direction, and the other in its opposite.

 

“The difference between real life and a story is that life has significance, while a story must have meaning. The former is not always apparent, while the latter always has to be, before the end.”

― Vera Nazarian

 

Breaking down the stages  

 

I contend that each stage can be swapped for another, so the order below isn’t as important as the very high level explanation of the stage. And, if you happen to have multiple business ventures, you might even leverage the 5 stages differently, if & when you choose to pursue significance in either, or more.

 

Mental 

There are miles upon miles of created content online that talks up the vast importance of an entrepreneur’s mental mindset – the ‘inner game’ between the ears, so to say.

 

To be successful, you might’ve already noticed how you might ( or already have ) had to tune out cynics, critics, and unhealthy skeptics.

 

How it is often best to replace, 1:1, the mass media’s many arms with podcasts, webinars, audio books, and the like.

 

Yes, that quote about your mind being a garden, and having to pull the weeds?  It’s quite accurate.

 

Cultural  

Your workplace culture, or the culture ( coffee shop/cafe?  Coworking space? ) in which you invest time if not at a physical location of some sort, definitely is a puzzle needing solving.

 

Culture is an amorphous term, just like success; many thought leaders come to varying conclusions.

 

Yet, if you’re the founder or owner of a business with staff on payroll, you know how crucial culture is; your customer service; turnover; &/or engagement/satisfaction are each outward signs of how healthy it is.

 

In this post from a few years ago, I opined that culture feeds into vision, then strategy, & lastly, tactics.

 

Social [ Capital ] 

Your professional network/s are immensely valuable; while it’s best understood that clientele can come from any one of many concentric circles  ( perhaps a connector led to to a center of influence to this individual ), a very important concept is that of social capital.

 

While there are many phenomenal resources out there, one of the most impactful is found in the work of Mr. Robert Putnam — linked below is his ‘primer’ website, which by itself is chock full of goodness and explains well why this is a stage of success.

 

Financial

Whether or not you believe in retaining the services of a financial advisor/planner, or otherwise, you’re definitely encouraged to embrace the vast value in understanding the financial stage.

 

In my own professional journey, which began with one business venture as a side gig/hustle, one of the most impactful stages I ever engaged in?

 

= Moving from a consumerist/W-2 to a producer/entrepreneurial view of dollars & cents.

 

Since the vast majority of conventional classrooms in our nations don’t include much, usually any, content on money/literacy, let alone wisdom on how to invest, spend, and/or save money, it is left to us, as the owner/founder, to tap into the deep rivers of resources.

 

Leader[ship] -> Legacy

This stage alone could comprise a series of volumes, if not another separate library, alongside the success.

 

In this recent post, I unpacked variants of leadership. It wasn’t all encompassing, however, feel welcome to re(read) it and combine this stage with that post, to equal greater impact.

 

An informal mentor of mine teaches that one’s influence ( Excellent podcast HERE ) flows to impact ( which we’ll intentionally define as significance, as you leverage all 5 stages ) , then the entrepreneur reaches what she needs to be a viable business:  Income.

 

Intentionally moving from leading to legacy is a topic that deserves its own post; yet, it’s included above since both seem to be deeply intertwined:

 

leaving a legacy necessitates leading, just as much as the river of influence x impact feeds the ocean of legacy.  

 

Suggested Social Follows 

 

Robert D Putnam

 

Jim Collins

 

John C. Maxwell

 

Robert Kiyosaki

 

Mindset Works

 

As always, you’re encouraged to …

 

… use this monthly post as a jumping off point; take it as the sound of the starter’s pistol in track & field:

 

Ready ( reading this  ).  Set ( click on the links ).  & …  Go!  ( invest in content, set goals, et al. )

 

Social Capital Primer

Success Magazine

Servant Leadership Institute

Great By Choice

Rich Dad Radio Show

 

In short

 

  • A high level overview
  • Comparing 2 ‘S’ words
  • The 5 Stages – one by one
  • Recommended Twitter follows
  • Additional content

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

Trust Your Team to Grow Your Business by Katrina Petersen of @crooked_steeple

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by Katrina Petersen

It’s not always easy to trust, especially when it comes to your business. But without trust, you’re on a fast track to burnout. I should know. I bought a historic church and tried to turn it into a premier wedding and event space all by myself.

In my defense, I had good reason not to trust other people. Until recently, I’d been business partners with my husband. We co-owned a property management company together. Then we got divorced, and the divorce got messy. Really messy. As in, I had to take out a restraining order on the father of my children. That kind of messy. It’s no wonder I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy about handing portions of my business over to strangers.

So, I threw myself into my new business. The building was in rough shape. It had been privately owned for almost 20 years. First it had been used as a man cave. There was a pool table where the altar used to be and that owner converted the church kitchen into an apartment. Then it was music store and performance hall. The owners had done their best, but the apartment had been pretty much neglected and there was a to-do list longer than a Maine winter.

When I did ask for help, I was careful not to give anyone too much power over the business. I would make all of the decisions. I would approve the designs, pick paint colors, critique and nitpick until everything was just so. I had this idea that I needed to do this on my own. I needed to do the work and if I worked hard enough it would come.

To be clear, buying a dilapidated but historically significant church wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. It just seemed like the right building at the right time. I didn’t have a ton of cash and the owners were willing to do owner financing to help make the sale possible.

So there I am, sweating, dirty, all alone in this 170 year old building while my kids were at daycare and I thought, “What am I doing?”

Actually, it was like someone had slapped me and yelled in my face. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” It was an epiphany. I could renovate this space and turn it into a beautiful, uniquely Maine event hall. I absolutely could. But not alone. I needed help. I needed to trust the small team I’d been building. They were professionals and I could let them do what they were best at.

Now the work gets done and I get to spend more time with my kids. Crooked Steeple Hall is booking events for 2020 and beyond. I thought I needed to be in the middle of everything or my business would fall apart, but it turns out that what I really needed to do was trust.

—————————————————————-

Katrina Petersen was a property manager and event planner before she purchased Crooked Steeple Hall and started building her dream business. Located in the historic town of Winterport, Maine, Crooked Steeple Hall hosts weddings, receptions, town-hall debates, and other unique events.

Getting Ahead Before the Holidays: 5 Ways to Prep Your Business for the Busy Holiday Season by @CorpNetNellie

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by Nellie Akalp

Happy holidays! Too soon? Not really, especially because the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates 2019 holiday retail sales will grow between 3.8% and 4.2% over last year. In dollars, that means between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. With numbers like those, your business had better be well-organized for the frenetic holiday season ahead. Here are five ways to make sure your business is positioned to take the holidays by the reins!

1)—Get Your House in Order

I don’t know about you, but I can always think clearer with a clean office and ample supplies. The holidays are busy enough without having to run out for copier paper or spend half an hour trying to find an expense report. Obviously, year-end is on the horizon, so you want to be ahead of schedule when it comes to organizing financial documents for taxes, finalizing annual reports and more. 

You don’t want to be experimenting with new software when things get busy, so if you’re considering buying any new technology, do it now, or wait until next year. Check with your  suppliers to make sure your orders will be delivered on time. 

2)—Big Holiday Sales Celebrations

All types of businesses can benefit from the masses of consumers shopping on the big advertised sales days like Black Friday (Nov. 29), Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30), and Cyber Monday (Dec. 2). Even if you’re not in the retail business, you can still offer holiday discounts and specials to attract customers and clients. 

If you are a retailer, according to a survey from Shopkick about half of shoppers plan to buy in-store this year, so make sure your brick-and-mortar location and your website are in tip-top shape. 

Finally, during this season of giving, be sure to offer a way for your customers to participate in Giving Tuesday—an important day set aside to give back to our communities. Your business can hold a raffle for a local charity, collect toys, clothes or food for kids in need, or come up with your own idea by brainstorming with your employees.

3)—Key in on Your Website

According to the Shopkick survey, 84% of shoppers will use their smartphones to “research, compare prices, find inspiration, read reviews and more.” To make sure consumers can find your website, tune-up your SEO by using the best keywords for your industry. Use a free tool like Wordtracker to research keywords or pay for a more sophisticated version, such as Alexa, which can tell you which keywords are working best for your competitors. For holiday advice from the SEO experts that control your ranking, check out the Holiday Retail Playbook from Google Services.

4)—Social Media Plan of Attack

Social media is a powerful sales tool but can also be an immense time suck. The holidays are definitely not the time to try and master the ins and outs of the social networking world. If you don’t already know how to best utilize social media, outsource it to a trusted employee or a freelance expert. The more you can plan ahead, the better. Once you get your social media posts written and scheduled, you’ll be free to actually interact with customers—in person and on social media. 

Make sure you answer questions posted on your social platforms. Even setting up an autoresponder to direct customers where to find answers is better than letting the customer think you don’t care enough to respond.

You can increase social media engagement by running fun holiday contests, posting coupons or even capturing, then sharing your fun holiday promotions and events. Create a social media calendar to ensure you are making the most of the holiday season and staying active across all your channels.

5)—Hire Temporary Staff

If you’re a retailer, it’s likely your store will be open for more hours, so you’ll  definitely need to make sure you’re not short-staffed. Other businesses may need to plan around employees who want time off to celebrate the holidays with their families. 

To ensure you’re covered, plan ahead by hiring temporary staff. Ask employees to request their days off now; then look for holiday help (no, it’s not too early). In addition to using job search websites, ask your employees if they know anyone looking for holiday employment.  

The holidays should be a time of thanks and celebration, so don’t forget to plan a party for your employees and shop for meaningful gifts for clients. By planning ahead, you can reduce holiday stress and your business will benefit, too.

Nellie Akalp is a passionate entrepreneur, business expert, professional speaker, author, and mother of four. She is the Founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, a trusted resource and service provider for business incorporation, LLC filings, and corporate compliance services in all 50 states. Nellie and her team recently launched a partner program for legal, tax and business professionals to help them streamline the business incorporation and compliance process for their clients.

October is “National Women’s Small Business Month.” Here’s some advice from two women who have been there and done that.

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by Julie Miner and Jaime Venditti

People always ask when we will get sick of talking to each other because we are always communicating. But what they don’t realize is that we’re a team that continually elevates each other’s vision into achievements.

Ten years ago, we were young women who had spent our careers in New York politics, alliance development, and public relations. However, we had grown tired of working for men who offered lower income as compared with less-qualified male colleagues and we were ready to be our own bosses. So, after months of developing spreadsheets and business plans, we jumped head-first into launching our own company, which was based out of our homes and we were the only employees.

We created a plan of action wherein success was the only option. We focused on getting out into the market and securing new business fast in the hopes that – one day soon – we could pay ourselves modest salaries and expand. Most importantly, we recognized we had a niche and believed in our skills and abilities.

Eventually, we carved out a lane for ourselves, hired staff, delivered for our clients, and helped some good causes and honest businesses seeking expertise and advice. Now, a full decade later, J Strategies is a multi-million-dollar company with over twenty employees, three offices in two states, and a suite of services available to clients up and down the east coast.

Despite our success, we have not forgotten where we started nor the hurdles we faced in doing so. As other women entrepreneurs know, we met some challenges when we launched. We had potential clients chuckle when we submitted proposals with price tags similar to our male counterparts. Despite our non-traditional office of young women in yoga pants working on laptops, we delivered creative, out-of-the-box solutions for clients. We looked for that level of problem-solving in employees and have recruited some of the hardest working, smartest, and tenacious professionals in New York. The firm now has both men and women, but we are proud to be one of the few majority-female firms.

October is “National Women’s Small Business Month,” a time to recognize and commend the more than 12 million American women entrepreneurs who fuel the future of our economy. We both wish there had been female mentors offering counsel in the beginning. So, in no particular order, here is advice to women in business looking to start something great:

  • Tune out negative voices. This is your passion, not theirs. So, don’t let the naysayers tell you what you can’t do. Follow your dream, but make sure you create a comprehensive business plan that expects the unexpected – you need to make sure you can overcome obstacles.
  • Don’t undervalue your services. Many service-oriented firms often make the mistake of offering what they do for less money because they are not confident their expertise is worth what the market dictates, especially as a start-up. First, you have to understand what that market rate is for services. Do homework. Make sure you know what others are getting for their time before you put a value on yours. Never underestimate your potential for growth or the value of what you bring to the table.
  • Choose Your Style. For far too long women have believed they have to mimic men in business or be overly aggressive toward other women to be taken seriously in the workplace. We both have dynamic personalities, and we do not hide them. A large part of our success is our ability to relate to others and be approachable. Women are often told to suffocate their nuances to be taken seriously. Own who you are and use it to drive results. You alone set the tone and culture for your business, nobody else.
  • Improving Yourself Never Stops. After ten years as business owners, we are always learning. With an office in Albany, another in New York City and one more in Boston, running a company which tripled in under a year was a challenge. So, we made it a priority to improve ourselves. We read, we listen to podcasts, we watch Ted Talks, we speak to entrepreneurs in similar circumstances to see how they did it. No one is done learning. Don’t think that you can stop just because you hung up a shingle.
  • Foster the Workforce That You Want. We decided to create a company that would actively tackle inherent bias and workforce discrimination. We created merit-based, fair pay structures, flexible schedules, and an environment that motivates every employee to reach higher. We invest in professional development that stresses communication and cultural competency. From this, we have cultivated a phenomenal team.

Being a small business owner is tough but being a woman who owns a small business can be even tougher. Pursue your passion but keep your eye on the prize and remain focused on your mission and success will follow. We hope what we have achieved will be the norm for the next generation of women and they will be writing about conquering something even greater.

 

Julie Miner is a Managing Partner and CEO, and Jaime Venditti is a Managing Partner and President of J Strategies, Inc., a New York and New England-based communications and government relations firm specializing in alliance development, media relations, lobbying, social media, brand reputation management and event planning and execution.

 

 

How to Promote Your Online Business on Quora by Veronika Vaghina of @x_cart

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by Veronika Vaghina

Let me guess: you are an online business owner who is always looking for a new way to promote your online store or a person who is only thinking of starting a shop. Well then, you’re in the right place as today I want you to consider Quora as a part of your content strategy (spoiler: it’s free & effective). Let’s start!

What Is Quora?

Quora is an American Q&A site where everyone can ask anyone any question and get a decent answer.

If you have never heard about this website, you need to check this link out first. There you’ll learn how this website works, where you find your topics, why people adore it so much and how you can benefit from using it.

How to Promote Your Online Business on Quora?

Create a Quora account, fill in the information, add a link to the website you want to promote in bio.

Choose topics that reflect your niche and your target audience’s interests. Subscribe to the topics to see the new questions and answers, follow questions and subscribe to the users already registered on Quora. In other words, join the community.

Think of the information that you could share: your blog posts, tutorials, or just something you’re good at.

Then look for the questions where this information could be used as an informative answer that actually helps people. This is the key point of Quora marketing: it doesn’t matter how desperate you are in your attempts to promote your business. The first thing you should care about is being useful. People will upvote a good answer and, let’s be honest, it helps not to get banned.

Add links to your website and mention your brand in the answers you write. You should be careful here as it’s easy to get banned. So make sure this exact link is in the right place and brings real value. A seamlessly added link does not make you think for even a moment that you just want to promote your business.

Create a content plan. The more often you answer, the more views you get. Try to answer at least once a week.

Add examples & pictures. These answers get more upvotes and also appear in Quora Digests more often. (To find out what Quora Digest is and how to get in there read the article mentioned above).

Repeat the steps, notice what works better for your business. Change your plan on the go if necessary.

I’ve described an affordable way to get more traffic to your website. Of course, there’s an opportunity, too (but I’m not talking about it this time). It’s up to you now — to follow the tips or to wait for another opportunity. Good luck!

 

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Veronika is a Marketing Manager at X-Cart. The company provides X-Cart, an open-source eCommerce platform, along with the full range of services for online business. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and reading.

Mompreneurs Educating Kids by @SBSLEducSoltns

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So, you’re a mom with a business …  

… & you want them to understand your why . 

 

Aspirations

 

You’re already the CEO, COO, & CFO of your household. Yet, you desire to create a legacy, being remembered as more than just a mom-preneur who provides a product/s, service/s, or specialized knowledge to the marketplace.

So you resume the role of primary educator; you’re on a mission to educate your kids on why you don’t have to go to “work” like their friends’ moms do.

Yet, the school that you’ve entrusted to prepare them for adulthood isn’t cutting it when it comes to discussing business principles & your value system; so, what should you do?

 

Values & principles 

 

How would you answer?

“What values and principles led you to become a mom-preneur?”

 

  • Autonomy ( I like to make my own hours, pick my own clients )

  • Mastery ( my prior experience in “Y” industry is enough to be confident in my abilities )

  • Purpose ( I am driven to be a difference maker on “Z” ; I am ‘called’ to serve “X” )

  • Maximizer ( I’m not paid enough by a 3rd party to do all that my family wants  )

  • Independent ( my personality & social style align with owning a business )

  • Quality time ( I needed to spend more hours w/ family )

 

Family Culture 

As someone who embraces entrepreneurship & leadership/professional development, you might be familiar with the late Peter Drucker’s attributed quote about culture.

Having defined culture, you can better explain your decision to be an entrepreneur as not only best for yourself, but one made in the best interests of the family; including your child(ren) will enable them to buy in 

Congratulations!! You’ve taken a huge step in ensuring that they will better understand if a client calls on you at an inopportune time or if you have to adjust the family’s budget due to ups & downs in your income.

 

Family Vision

Many entrepreneurs choose to start a business based on where they see themselves going after leaving the nest of an employer = a wise step!

While Stephen R. Covey has passed, the shadow left by his legacy is so large, he’ll always be remembered for his 8 habits

 

Of them, Habit 2 [ ‘Begin with the End in Mind’ ] is foundational.

 

“Covey says that all things are created twice: first, the mental conceptualization & visualization and a second physical, actual creation.

Becoming your own creator means to plan & visualize what you’re going to do and what you’re setting out to accomplish & then go out and creating it.”

 

Apply this truth to your household; then answer these Success Law questions …

 

Why are you in business?

Do you have multiple income streams?

What dreams have you put on the shelf due to a previous decision to trade time for money from an employer?

 

Insightful Infographic 

 

How mompreneurs balance …

–  h/t to @99designs for this –

 

Visuals tell more of a story than words alone, so your impressions gleaned after studying this one will further aid in self-educating your kids.

 

School falls Short

I often advise mompreneurs of this fact; it’s a somewhat inconvenient truth:

When you send you kid(s) to a conventional school, private (secular or faith based), or public (default option), the curricula, testing, mindset, & counseling offered for ‘careers’ almost always fails to include entrepreneurship.

 

Fill in the [Swiss Cheese] Holes

Think of a “C.A.R” when it comes to addressing the above …

 

C = Complement

 

Find mentor(s), online curricula, &/or teach your kids from your own experience about business to parallel what schooling doesn’t include.

 

A = Add on

 

If your kids are in their late teens & about to/or have graduated from HS, please discuss all 12 options besides college with them.

Or, if you truly want her to get a degree, ask pointed questions of the university re: if they teach about the “E” pathway

 

Bypass the holes; find or carve a clear path

The final letter in the acronym is a bypass …

 

R = Replace

 

Creating an end-around to conventional school can be done through a co-op w/ other parents ( your own school startup ) , or personalizing your kid(s) education by home schooling.

Both of these offer far more flex to include business concepts rarely, if ever, taught in default classrooms.

 

Dealing with Doubters

 

As Rocky passionately shared, the world [of entrepreneurship] certainly isn’t all ‘sunshine & rainbows’ …

… so for those fellow moms in your neighborhood who still “go to work” for a paycheck, for a spouse who isn’t quite on board with your business, or maybe you haven’t yet ‘closed the deal’ with your kid/s …

What do you do to quell cynics & critics?

There are many answers; I’d first encourage you, as someone who has built thousands of business relationships, to be the best version of yourself.

Simplistic? Yes, however, true leadership isn’t complex; it begins w/self.  Remind yourself of this by reading the inscription on the tomb of the Bishop at Westminster Abbey.

 

Suggested Follows 

 

The MomPreneur

 

majestapatterson

 

Mompreneurs in Heels

 

Mompreneur Show

 

Inspiring Mompreneurs

 

Top 40 Mompreneurs

 

In the pursuit of knowledge 

I encourage you to review the additional resources below. A blog of this length leaves the door slightly ajar; please empower yourself to kick it wide open!

 

10 Mompreneurs Who Are Crushing It

 

Mompreneur Magazine

 

The 25 Best Business Ideas …

 

Mompreneur $

 

10 Inspiring Tips …

 

Mompreneur Media

 

In short

  • Moms with businesses & kids are trailblazers
  • Your values & principles
  • Culture into Vision
  • School needs supplements …
  • … or choose a parallel path
  • Staying the course
  • Add’t resources for you, Mrs. Mom-Preneur

 

Thank YOU for reading!

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