She Owns It

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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, small business expert and mother of four. She is the CEO of CorpNet.com, a trusted resource for Business Incorporation, LLC Filings, and Corporate Compliance Services in all 50 states. Nellie and her team recently launched a partner program for accountants, bookkeepers, CPAs, and other professionals to help them streamline the business incorporation and compliance process for their clients. More info at: CorpNet.com/partners.

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!

 

——————————————————————–

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!

____________________________________________

20 Women Owned + Made In The USA Companies

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Photo Credit: Crooked Spirits Official Facebook Page

 

by Melissa Stewart

Have you made the commitment to support Women Owned businesses? Vote with your dollar! Click the links below and shop big and small, women supporting women. These companies — spanning clothing, bags, accessories, pet products, and more — are owned by women and proudly made right here in the USA. 

 

Caskata

Passionate about creating uniquely beautiful products. Made by hand in the USA.

https://www.caskata.com/

Photo Credit: Caskata Official Facebook Page

 

Thistle Farms

Handcrafted with love by women survivors. Natural products for your bath, body, and home.

https://thistlefarms.org/

Photo Credit: Thistle Farms Official Facebook Page

 

William Roam

William Roam crafts the finest hair and body care products offered by the best hotels worldwide. American-made and American inspired with a spirited sense of adventure and rich ingredients.

https://williamroam.com/

Photo Credit: William Roam Official Facebook Page

 

Alex and Ani

Meaningful jewelry designed to connect + empower. Female founded. Made in the USA with love.

https://www.alexandani.com/

Alex and Ani

Photo Credit: Alex an Ani Official Facebook Page

 

Military Apparel Company

Meaningful jewelry designed to connect + empower. Female founded. Made in the USA with love.

https://www.militaryapparelcompany.com/

 

Lolly Wolly Doodle

Lolly Wolly Doodle specializes in personalized, monogrammed children’s and women’s wear and accessories. Made in the USA.

https://www.lollywollydoodle.com/

 

Photo Credit: Brandi Temple in the Lolly Wolly Doodle production facility from Entrepreneur Magazine

 

SHHHOWERCAP

SHHHOWERCAP reinvented the shower cap because it needed reinventing. Chic silhouette and fashion forward prints. You deserve an upgrade. Made in the USA.

https://www.shhhowercap.com/

 

Stella and Chewys

Founder, Marie Moody, inspired by her own dog’s speedy recovery on a raw diet, launched Stella & Chewy’s. Made in the USA.

https://www.stellaandchewys.com/

Photo Credit: Stella and Chewy

 

Turbo Pup

Grain-free, all natural ‘complete K9 meal bars!’ Made in the USA.

https://www.turbopup.com/

Photo Credit: Official Turbo Pup Facebook Page

 

Womanswork

“Strong Women Building A Gentle World” Setting the standard for great fitting, high quality garden and work gloves for women. Celebrating 33 years as a woman owned business!

https://womanswork.com/

Photo Credit: Womanswork Official Facebook Page

 

Nicolita

Nicolita is a MADE IN THE USA Designer and Manufacture of Caliente Curve Confident Swimwear and Apparel.

https://www.mynicolita.com/

Nicolita Made in USA Women Owned

Photo Credit: Nicolita Swimwear Offical Facebook Page

 

Bold Lead Designs

Handcrafted dog leashes, collars, harnesses and service dog equipment. Made in the USA.

https://boldleaddesigns.com/

Photo Credit: Colorado Lending Source

 

Slobproof Furniture

Don’t sweat the mess. Slobproof’s upholstered seating line was created by award-winning interior designer, Debbie Wiener, to provide affordable custom seating with unmatched comfort, style and durability. Made in the USA from the highest quality and longest-lasting materials.

https://slobproof.com/

Photo Credit: Slobproof Official Facebook Page

 

Karen Kane

Karen Kane believes women should feel beautiful and comfortable, always. They create products with passion and integrity, guided by respect for our people and planet.

https://www.karenkane.com/

Photo Credit: Karen Kane Official Facebook Page

 

Zip My Dress

The simple solution to zipping your own dress. Certified women-owned. Made is the USA.

https://zipmydress.com/

 

14th Rose

Made in the USA purses and totes.

https://14throse.com/

14th Rose

Photo Credit: 14th Rose Official Facebook Page

 

R. Riveter

Made by military spouses with pride and passion. We create one-of-a-kind bags inspired by recycled military materials.

https://www.rriveter.com/

 

Photo Credit: R. Riveter Official Facebook Page

 

Cozy Pure

Designer and woman-owned USA manufacturer of organic sleep goodies for your bedroom, made fresh daily from nature’s finest ingredients.

http://www.cozypure.com/

 

Photo Credit: Cozy Pure

 

Crooked Water Spirits

Woman-owned distillery in Minneapolis, MN.

https://www.crookedwaterspirits.com/

 

Photo Credit: Alma Guzman City Pages Minneapolis

 

AK Athletic Equipment

AK Athletic Equipment, established in 1990. Manufacturer of protective padding for over twenty years. Made in Columbus, Ohio.

https://akathletics.com/

 

AK Athletic Women Owned Made in USA

Photo Credit: AK Athletic Official Facebook Page

 

How To Find Time To Start a Business While Having a Full-Time Job by @MaryLiu

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by Mary Liu

“I wish I had the time to do that.”

This is a saying I hear far too often, and an excuse I used to always use. It’s so easy to say, but I realized that it was just an excuse so I could stay in my comfort zone. It wasn’t until last year when I decided to challenge myself and take action on a niche product idea that I discovered I actually had a lot more time in a day than I thought.

When I was in the initial stages of developing my product idea, I had to figure out how to balance this along with a full-time job. Because of this, I learned a lot about how to maximize my time, and as a result turned an idea into a product and launched it on e-commerce in 6 months.

Today, I still use what I learned about time management to balance a full-time job, my e-commerce side business, and still leave time for myself.

So, how did I do it? Below are 3 tips that worked for me in turning an idea into a product in 6 months while working at a full-time job.

Tip #1: Learn during times when you can easily multi-task

Here are some examples of what I mean:

  • Walking or commuting to places (e.g. work)
  • Waiting for an appointment (e.g. doctor’s appointment)
  • Meal prepping for the week (e.g. chopping/prepping food for an hour)
  • At the gym (e.g. running on the treadmill)
  • Shopping (e.g. buying groceries)

These are perfect moments to listen to podcasts, watch videos, or read articles. This was helpful for me in learning the next steps I needed to take on my idea.

In some of these instances, I had anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. However, all of these moments will add up, where finishing one article on my commute to work became 10 articles by the end of the week. And that was enough to help me understand what I needed to do next with my idea.

Tip #2: Find times when you can create instead of consume

We all have some sort of routine we follow. When I tracked what I was doing for a week, I realized that there were instances when I was spending a lot of time consuming.

It’s okay consuming content especially when it comes to learning, but I made sure that I still had time for creating.

For instance, here are some examples I found in my routine where I took some of the time spent on consuming content to work on my idea:

  • TV (e.g. watching Netflix for 2-3 hours after work)
  • Browsing the web (e.g. spending hours on YouTube)
  • Social media (e.g. scrolling through Instagram or Facebook)

Don’t get me wrong, I still do the above from time to time, but it’s all about moderation. Instead of spending hours watching shows, I would take a few of those hours to work on my idea instead.

Tip #3: Create a to-do list for the week with very specific tasks

What I found helpful in saving time during the week was creating a to-do list on Sundays. I would lay out everything I wanted to accomplish for that week in order of priorities and make the tasks very specific.

For instance, when I was developing my product, I wouldn’t put “build a product” as my to-do for that week. Instead, I would write “reach out to manufacturers” or “find a graphic designer.”

That way, I knew what steps I needed to take going into each week and I didn’t have to spend time feeling overwhelmed on what to do the day of. This was helpful for me to remain focused on the specific tasks I needed to accomplish just for that week.

Once I reflected on what I was doing each week and where I was spending my time, I was able to find opportunities using these tips to find time in my schedule and make progress on my idea. All of these small moments added up, and by the end of 6 months I had a business.

Now I can say, “I had the time to do that.”

And I want you to be able to say it too.

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Mary Liu is a marketer and business coach who has experience working on million-dollar brands and launching new-to-market products. She is passionate about using her experience to help female entrepreneurs understand how they can turn their product idea into a business. Learn more about Mary here and get her free guide on the 2 most important steps to take after you’ve landed on a business idea.

Education … School(ing) … & Degree Signaling by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Dissecting the Differences

 

 

Remember ‘synonyms’ & ‘antonyms’?

 

Let’s revisit 2 words from our common past in a primary (‘K’-’5’) classroom.

Our teachers very likely taught us that a synonym’s definition = this ; whereas, an antonym’s = this.

Many graduates would admit, being authentic & unguarded, that much of what they learned while seated in a neat row of desks rarely, or maybe occasionally, applies to their professional lives post graduation.

This post’ll put these 2 terms in an entrepreneurial context; be advised that your assumptions, mindset, or experiences could be challenged head on, or perhaps, be confirmed.

 

Whichever it is for you, I appreciate your open mind all the same.

 

What might ‘education’ , ‘school(ing)’ & ‘degree signaling’ have in common?

Before dissecting the differences, we’ll talk a bit about what binds these three unlike concepts together.

 

  • They’re all often lumped together by companies who hire using conventional ‘HR’ practices
  • Over time, each one split off from the other two, in theory & in practice
  • Each have a purpose in the eyes of [a] stakeholder group/s

 

Let’s take each at face value individually. As you read, ask yourself: How might I envision, strategize, & apply each to my business?

 

Education = ‘educare’

 

Becoming deeply educated can absolutely result w/o hard evidence in the form of ‘POC’ (proof/s of credential/s).

 

Great education defies structure because it is always (always!) individualized, personalized, interactive, nimble, responsive and inspired.

– O. DeMille

 

Does this quote sum up your own experience inside of a school’s classroom?  If not, why? Ask big, open ended questions to net the very best long term value.

A self directed, customized path exists for most any citizen who looks for it.  Have you?  Do you encourage your staff to be lifelong learners?

 

Some education options to thoughtfully consider as a new startup, an existing business seeking to scale up, or if you’re looking to further diverse your income streams with a 2nd ( or 4th 🙂 ) venture:

 

  • 1:1 mentorship
  • Digital badging ( a form of ‘hot unbundling’ )
  • Apprenticeships
  • Extern/intern -ships
  • Digital nomadic / Gig economy

 

School(ing) = ‘skhole’

Going to school does not automatically imply that one is educated, nor should anyone jump to conclusions & suggest that all schools fail to educate. It’s not that clear cut, nor is it a ‘public v. private’ dichotomy, either:  There are above average, even great public, the same as exemplary private ones, from border to border, & sea to sea.

 

In this powerful essay, the late John Taylor Gatto opined:

 

Schools were designed by Horace Mann and Barnas Sears & W.R. Harper of the University of Chicago and Edward Thorndike of Columbia Teachers College and others to be instruments for the scientific management of a mass population.

 

Think this over:  As a business professional in the late 2010’s, does this sound anything like being educated?

Keeping squarely in mind that ‘skhole’ ‘s etymology clearly shows a word that no longer equates to educare, the root of education.

 

Huh? What’s ‘degree signaling” ?  

As America transitioned from a wartime footing ( mid 1940’s ), the economy morphed from one focused heavily on blue collar industry to one where white collars were the in demand choices.

 

As …

Factories = Products = blue collar industrial age

 

So … ( oft times )

Offices = Services = white collar industrial age

 

The ‘Organization Man’  was in the driver’s seat; it was a supremely influential read.

And the GI Bill offered taxpayer monies to returning vets to encourage careers in a service industry, often in a large office managed by a large corporation.

 

Year by year, decade by decade, by the late 80’s- early 90’s, a ‘college for all’ mentality sunk into many facets of our society, discouraging entrepreneurship (‘E’ pathway), the trades ( CTE/Career & Technical Education, primarily available thru community colleges ) , & other viable options

 

Thus, degree signaling was birthed …

If you had ‘POP’ ( proof of paper ) in hand, plus a resume / cover letter, you were more likely to be hired by a company, given a title, salary, & cubicle, & asked to play your often invisible role in the delivery of a service to the marketplace.

Yet, creative disruptors such as Praxis put forth for rational discussion that there IS a different way.

 

It’s up to you, with your open entrepreneurial mind, to decide if you’re willing to hire/promote, &/or make choices that are, ahem, ‘educated’, or driven solely by nostalgia.

 

Suggested Podcasts

 

How to Start a Startup

School Sucks Project

Modern Learners

 

Keep on learning, dear readers

 

As always, it’s a pleasure to provide additional resources to move you further along the journey.

 

School vs. Education. Where are we now?

Why the College Degree Is a Signal …

 

Mindvalley U

Stop Stealing Dreams

This is the sequel to ‘Stop Stealing Dreams’

 

30 Best Education Podcasts

Series: School is Optional

 

In short

 

  • Revisiting definitions: synonym & antonym
  • What these 3 terms share in common
  • Defining education more sharply
  • Schooling is its own concept.
  • Degree signaling?!
  • Podcast suggestions
  • Add’t resources

 

Thank YOU for reading!

______________________________

What Does It Take To Turn A Summer Side Hustle Into A Small Business? by @DeborahSweeney

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Summertime and the living is easy — especially when business is booming from your side hustle! If you’ve been running a successful summer side hustle for a few years now, you might want to consider spinning it off into a full-time gig.

What does it take to turn a side hustle into a thriving small business? It’s a much less intensive process than many entrepreneurs may realize, and follows certain step-by-step guidelines. Take a look at the best ways to prepare your side hustle to become its own year-round small business.

1. Draft a traditional or lean business plan.

You might have already created a lean business plan for your side hustle. If that’s the case, it’s time to add more details about the business. If you don’t already have a business plan, it’s also the time to draft one.

Most entrepreneurs choose to draft a traditional business plan or a lean startup plan. The format decided upon often depends on the needs of their business.

Consider a summer side hustle that has been around for several years. It has a proven track record of steady cash flow and offerings that continually appeal to consumers. As this side hustle pivots into becoming a full-time small business, a traditional business plan will provide an objective look into the company’s future.

A traditional business plan outlines the following areas:

  • Executive summary. The ability to explain who you are, what the business does, its industry, location, how it makes money, and why consumers want these goods and services.
  • Business description, concept, and strategy. What do your products and/or services do, and what makes them unique?
  • Industry analysis. A thorough analysis of your brand’s competitors.
  • Market analysis. A thorough analysis of your brand’s target audience.
  • Organization and management. The core responsibilities of your team members (if you have any employed).
  • Financial projections. Tables that provide information about cash flow, projected profit and loss, and a break-even analysis.
  • Financing request. A section specifically created for businesses seeking funding from investors.
  • Other additional information as it pertains to the company, like letters of incorporation and trademark registration documents.

A lean startup plan is a little less intensive, but covers these key areas:

  • Value proposition. A clear statement summing up the value your business brings to its market.
  • Key partnerships, resources, and activities. Information about any partners your business may have and resources that allow the business to create value.
  • Customer segments, channels, and relationships. The ability to define your target audience.
  • Revenue streams. How the business is able to make money.

2. Incorporate the business.

Incorporating a business, even one that starts off as a side hustle, provides the company with tons of valuable benefits. It allows you to build credibility much faster than businesses that do not incorporate, which shows customers that your company is legitimate.

Entrepreneurs may choose from a variety of entities to incorporate their side hustle turned small business. Some of these may include sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. LLCs, or limited liability companies, often tend to be quite popular with entrepreneurs. The entity is flexible in terms of management and also provides liability protection. This acts as a safeguard between personal and professional assets. In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, like a lawsuit, liability protection ensures that your personal property like cars and houses will not be impacted.

3. Register for trademarks.

Earlier I mentioned that trademark registration documents are generally kept in the appendix of a business plan. Chances are pretty high that your side hustle may have a unique name, phrase, symbol, design, or logo associated with it. This unique mark differentiates your business from competitors. However, if you do not register a trademark the unprotected mark may end up in the wrong hands and be plagiarized by copycats.

Kick off your plans to register your mark by conducting a trademark search. You may do this through the United States Patent and Trademark Office trademark database. This database provides more information as to whether or not another entrepreneur has claimed a mark similar to or the same as your own and if there are any pending marks. If it turns out your trademark is not available, you may need to go back to the drawing board in creating a new one.

However, if the trademark is available it’s highly advised to file a trademark application as quickly as possible. This allows you to register the mark for your business and have the peace of mind in knowing the trademark associated with your brand is exclusively yours.

4. File for any necessary business licenses and permits.

Every side hustle turned business is different with varying needs. Once certain side hustles become full-time businesses, they may require business licenses and permits to operate and remain in compliance. Check in with your local Secretary of State to determine which business licenses and permits your company is required to have by the city and state you do business in. These often vary, depending on the location and industry of the small business.

5. Conduct annual maintenance.

As your side hustle transitions into a small business, you may pick up even more legal necessities along the way like an employer identification number (EIN) and doing business as name (DBA). Remember that businesses incorporated as LLCs and corporations are required to file an annual report. This allows them to communicate any changes made in the business and stay in compliance with the state.

———————————————————————

Deborah Sweeney – Legal Expert, CEO, MyCorporation.com – Calabasas, CA

As CEO of MyCorporation Business Services, Inc., Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With her experience in the fields of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah has evolved from lawyer to business owner. She has extensive experience in the start-up and entrepreneurial industry as she has been involved in the formation of hundreds of thousands of businesses for MyCorporation.com’s customers.

Ms. Sweeney received her JD & MBA degrees from Pepperdine University. She is active in the community and loves working with students and aspiring entrepreneurs. She serves on the Board of Regents at California Lutheran University and is a founding member of Partners of Pepperdine. Deborah has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in the areas of corporate and intellectual property law. Ms. Sweeney is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites.  She is a regular contributor on Forbes, American Express, Social Media Today, and BlogHer among many others.

In her ‘free’ time, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin (8) and Christopher (6). Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Follow her on Twitter @deborahsweeney and @mycorporation.

 

The Business Cloud for Small Business by @SaabyConsulting

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 “…Data security tops the list of cloud concern…”

Every Information Technology discipline has a lifecycle process. Before you choose a Cloud solution, there is a lifecycle process to follow that will match your business need with the right cloud solution.  (You don’t need to be an IT geek to get this.) 

Step 1.  IDENTIFY what you have.

ALL businesses are required to keep certain types of information.

(The first step in determining whether a cloud solution is right for your business is NOT to pick a cloud type. All clouds share fundamental characteristics and functionality. They use economies of scale to provide shared resources including storage, databases and applications, accessed via the Internet.)

1.      Inventory your software applications. If you are running Windows application, you can find all the programs on a PC in the Control Panel function. For IoS and Android applications, go to Settings, then Apps

2.      Identify existing cloud applications.   Where do you save your business bank statements? Your customer database? Receipts? Odds are, you are using some kind of cloud architecture already.

3.      Determine Industry compliance standards that may apply to your business

a.      professional licensing boards (like CPA’s)

b.      organizational standard boards like International Standardization Organization (ISO)

c.      Each state has different requirements at the Department of Corporation – make sure you are compliant with all filings, collecting state sales tax, paying re-employment (previously unemployment) taxes, etc.

4.      Define regulatory and corporate requirements that apply to ALL businesses

a.      Federal Tax Information (FTI)

b.      Canned Spam Act (mass emailing people for business is spam)

c.      Fair Credit Reporting Act (if you base employment decisions on credit scores, this applies to you

d.      HIPAA (compliance requirements for doctors/hospitals who collect, maintain and store patient information)

e.      Data Retention requirements (how long you need to maintain critical data)

f.       Data Disposal policy that identifies destruction method, i.e. key destruction, overwrite, magnetic overpass (degaussing) and/or physical destruction

g.  General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

5.      Examine stakeholder-centric data (ex: email address, payment preferences, survey results). Does this data contain?

a.      Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

b.      Credit card payment information (PCI DSS)

c.      Protected Health Information (PHI)

These are only some of the examples of laws and governing bodies and policies that apply to data and software applications and the collection of information.

Now is a good point to determine if you have overlapping applications, software that is out of date and whether or not you need all the information/data you have collected and/or stored. If you don’t need data for regulatory, compliance and/or business continuity purposes – don’t collect it. The more information you collect from your business stakeholders, the more cumbersome and complicated the requirements for data protection, access and storage become.

Never buy cloud services just because someone tells you “everyone needs the cloud”. There are some great Cloud Service Providers (CSP’s). But there are also a tremendous amount of businesses claiming to be CSP’s who can seriously jeopardize your business. CSP’s are NOT legally responsible for data breaches or losses!!!

Step 2.  CLASSIFY the data by risk

1.      High – this is data at the greatest risk, meaning loss or compromise of this data would put you at high risk of going out of businesses

a.      Intellectual property

b.      Proprietary corporate information

c.      Protected by law or regulatory body

d.      Compromises of this type of data carry the highest penalties and present the highest risk to business continuity

e.      This data may also be identified as top secret or sensitive

2.      Moderate – this is data at moderate risk

a.      Internal emails/policies

b.      Trend Reporting

c.      Compromises of this type of data may carry penalties and jeopardize business reputation and revenue

d.      This data may also be identified as confidential, private or proprietary

3.      Low

a.      Marketing materials

b.      Catalogs

c.      Mission statements

d.      Real time updates

e.      tracking

f.       This data may also be identified as public or unclassified

Step 3.  SELECT & IMPLEMENT your Cloud

1.      Understand that NO cloud solution is 100% secure. Period.

2.      It’s more than likely that your cloud solutions will contain multiple characteristics:

a.      Encryption levels

b.      In transit/At rest

c.      Key access, maintenance and replacement

d.      Virtual Private Network (VPN)

e.      Service Level Agreement (SLA)

f. Public, Private, Community and/or Hybrid

Step 4. MONITOR with a Risk Management policy

There is absolutely no sense in going to all the trouble of identifying your storage needs, finding the right CSP, then not defining a policy of access.

1.      Who needs to access your type of data?

a.      Build access and “need to know” policies by type of data

i. High

1.      CxO’s

2.      Two Factor Identification required

3.      Inaccessible via external devices

4.      Significant Monitoring

ii.     Moderate

1.      Department Heads

2.      Need to know personnel

3.      CxO’s

4.      Two Factor Identification required

5.      External device access clearly defined by policy

6.      Significant monitoring

iii.     Low

1.      Read only access for all employees/public access users

2.      Random, routine monitoring for exploits/attacks

2.      What are the regulatory and compliance requirements for your type of data?

a.      Define Corporate, Compliance and Regulatory best practices by type of data

1.      This was previously defined in the IDENTIFY step

3.      When will the data need to be accessed?

a.      Archive and Access Policy

i.     Constant vs intermittent

ii.     Short, medium, long term

b.      Platform dependencies

i.     Software as a Service (SaaS)

ii.     Platform as a Service (PaaS)

iii.     Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas)

4.      Where will your type of data be stored?

1.      On premise

2.      In the cloud

a.      Public, Private, Community or Hybrid

5.      Why do I need policies on data collection, storage, access and protection?

a.      Business Continuity

i.     Small businesses that experience a breach go out of business within six months

b.      Compliance

c.      Regulatory

d.      Business reputation

6.      How do I monitor my business cloud compliance?

a.      This should be identified in your Service Level Agreement (SLA). It may also be listed under “Terms and Conditions”. These are MUST read documents.

b.      Consider hiring an outside auditing firm

c.      Work with your Cloud Solutions Provider to identify and test vulnerabilities

As small business owners, we wear a lot of hats. And sometimes we think we could save some money by cutting corners….but as the world becomes more global and the IoT expands, I think the small businesses that will survive are those that have been early adopters of best practices in information and emerging technologies.

Links are provided for information only.

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Potential Power Lies in Your Personality by @SBSLEducSoltns

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( A walk in the personality ‘park’ under temperament ‘trees’ & social style ‘leaves’  )

Personalities.

 

We all have one.

And we know others do, too.

Far from an earth shattering observation, mind you.  Yet, why do so many entrepreneurially minded pros, whether in a sales role, running a micro or small business, or self-employed ( CPA, consultant ), not lean into their personality type, or gloss over them entirely?

One root reason?  Conventional classroom based schooling, whether primary/secondary (‘K-12’), collegiate/undergrad, even graduate program studies, oft times don’t include it in curricula, required or elective.

I’ve discussed becoming a self educated, lifelong learner, with no expectation of credentials before; now this becomes ever more valuable, since there are so many ‘trees’, with multi colored ‘leaves’ in this ‘park’. Said another way, there’s much to share about how much potential power there is in knowing about your own personality & temperament, let alone those of your client/customer, your staff, & your prospects.

 

 

Going Beyond Generic Labels

 

“You’re too much of an introvert, Emma. Join us at happy hour to network! ”

 

“I think I’m an extrovert, Lianne; do you agree?”

 

Introvert. Extrovert.

Two commonly mouthed words in many professional workplaces in all industries, in your home office, & at the coffee shop.

 

We should be more specific; we mustn’t over complicate matters, however, the more we can unpack ( depth ) & expand our horizons ( width ), it’ll benefit our businesses in a number of different ways.

 

 

Everything DISC

 

The DISC model has a long & storied history

( to trace it: Timeline )

 

DISC ** is unencumbered by complexity; most anyone can clearly interpret the results from the assessment.

I stress that it’s an assessment & spotlights preferences & tendencies, and is not a test, nor an exam.

 

If you’re having challenges with closing sales, or tend to be someone who wants to please everyone, you just might be an ‘S’.

Are you often inadvertently forgetting appointments, or talking your way out of a deal?  Say ‘hi, ‘I’ !’

Maybe you’ve had issues with turnover, or staff satisfaction in your workplace?  Look into swapping your ‘leader’ , who is a ‘D’ style , for someone else.

Or, perhaps you need someone to do your financials for you that won’t miss a single number?  Put a ‘C’ in this position.

 

 

Personality Plus

 

This model was the first that I learned about, not long after my professional development journey began nine years ago this month.

 

While the roots of it are birthed in faith, please don’t assume or close your mind off to how it can apply to any type of workplace, for a sales manager/team, or in your home based business.

 

The four types which Mrs. Littauer discusses have history stretching back millennia, to ancient times. One small drawback is a need to learn, or brush up ( if you’ve been classically, or liberal arts centric educated ) on what ‘choleric’, ‘sanguine’, ‘phlegmatic’, & ‘melancholy’ mean, before you read the books *** & take the assessment.

 

I’ve found much value in combining DISC & Personality + together when I talk with others; it’s a double dose of learning how to better walk in the ‘personality park’.

*** please see below for all 3 #mustreads

 

 

MBTI   

 

Myers-Briggs [Type Indicator/s] usually is the 1st to be recognized: some would say it exemplifies what marketers refer to as the ‘First-Mover Advantage’

 

This isn’t to downplay its value due to age, or perhaps apparent complexity. There’s much value in being aware of it, & perhaps deploying in your assessment ‘toolbox’ for talent, or people development; sales training; & as a high value input into hiring, firing, & promotability decision making.

MBTI Online is a great place to start to build understanding of this model’s philosophical underpinnings and practical applicability to your business/workplace, and you’ll also find certain consultants, trainers, & coaches who leverage it, such as Jeff ( someone I know fairly well. )

 

Tying it Together

 

Silo’ed results, in any business let alone an academic setting, isn’t ideal. So, let’s do our best to intermingle all 3 measures of personality, temperament, & social style together.

 

MBTI’s ‘E’ & ‘J’ =  ‘D’ (ISC) = ‘Choleric’  while ‘N’ & ‘P’ = ( D ‘I’ (SC)) = ‘Sanguine’ , as ‘I’ & ‘F’ = (DI ‘S’ ( C)) = ‘Phlegmatic’ , & … lastly, MBTI’s ‘S’ & ‘T’ = ((DIS) ‘C’ ) = ‘Melancholy’

 

Lots of letters …

Some lingo/language that might be unfamiliar, let alone the acronym.

 

Please embrace your walk, and study the leaves under the trees. 🙂

 

 

Suggested Social Profiles

 

Everything DISC

 

MBTI

 

Personality + ‘s  Marita (daughter of Florence)

 

Interested in More?

 

There are gold & silver veins below the surface of this ‘park’.

Please invest time to buy your entrepreneurial pickaxe, plan a trip, and begin your dig!

 

Best Personality Assessment

Top 10 Most Popular

*** All suggested books in the series ( PP 4 Parents ; PP – Original Bk ; & PP 4 Couples )

MBTI to DISC

 

 

In short …

 

  • The ‘gap’ : why personalities, temperaments, & social styles oft aren’t utilized.
  • Generic labels
  • Model 1 > DISC
  • Pers + >> Model 2
  • Model 3 >>> MBTI
  • Intermingling all three models
  • To continue your journey

 

Thank YOU for reading!

________________

Disclaimer: I’m an authorized partner & recommend DISC ahead of others, however, I’m very open minded & often will intermingle other models/assessments in my 1:1 mentoring, consulting projects, & family advising.