About Melinda Emerson

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America's leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. Her latest ebook, How To Become a Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online was released in 2012.

Author Archive | Melinda Emerson

How to Become a Successful Global CEO Under Age 30

By on February 28, 2013 in How to Start, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Women in Business

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to Become a Successful Global CEO Under Age 30Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Muthoni Maingi, @NonieMG.  Muthoni started Deviate, her own Brand Strategy and Management agency at 24, after working for five years in TV, entertainment & other design and brand agencies. Since then, she has also recently launched her clothing and is determined to place her country & continent on the global business map. She is also an internet technology enthusiast & foodie. Muthoni has been featured in numerous publications such as CIO Kenya, Standard Newspaper and Afroelle in the capacity of a business leader to look out for. She has also given a talk at the United States International University. For more, visit: http://deviate.co.ke/

SmallBizLady: What do you think of the African business landscape right now and what are your thoughts on its future?

Muthoni Maingi: I believe that we should look at African countries individually, as opposed to grouping them all together. For example, in terms of infrastructure, many African countries are not the same. However, as far as the entire continent is concerned, I believe that there is a lot of room for improvement, although this is already underway in many African states.

SmallBizLady:  What areas of improvement do you see on the continent and where is more work needed?

Muthoni Maingi: I think that a lot has improved in terms of legislation and infrastructure. Take for example Kenya, which has seen massive change in terms of communication infrastructure and which is reaping the rewards of this through ICT innovations and entrepreneurship. However, there are areas where this can be improved with more government involvement to reduce the digital divide and the implementation of a broadband policy.

SmallBizLady:  Have any of these changes helped women, specifically young women to set up & run businesses?

Muthoni Maingi: Yes, the improvements in the technological and legislative landscape for example really assisted me by the time I started my own business.  I relied on Google Sites for a website as I could not afford one at the time. I also purchased a mobile phone that had a number similar to that of a land-line. In Kenya, many do not take you seriously as a company if you don’t have a land-line. As for legislative changes, when my mother was my age she would not have been allowed to open a bank account without her husband’s or father’s permission. By the time I was starting Deviate, this law had changed.

SmallBizLady:  What more do you think could be done to encourage young women to start their own businesses?

Muthoni Maingi: I believe that young women need training in soft skills as with regards to business. I find that in many situations men are still overwhelmingly better negotiators and are more assertive with what they need. I also think that there should be a stronger mentorship network, an informal one similar to ‘old boy’ networks where young women can interact with older and more experienced female entrepreneurs.

SmallBizLady: What challenges do you face as a young business owner?

Muthoni Maingi: I think one of the biggest challenges I face is the idea that Gen Y’s are fickle with commitment, easily bored and entitled. This perception, in the initial stages of my business was quite challenging to over-ride as I often pitch to people from an older age group.

SmallBizLady: What did you do to prove that you were different?

Muthoni Maingi: I had to demonstrate a willingness to stick to my word and my business. As my company portfolio grew, people began to take me more seriously. I also have to admit that I did change my lifestyle, avoiding too many club scenes and parties. However, this did not reduce my quality of life, as a business has a way of enriching it even more as time goes by.

SmallBizLady: Do any clients approach you specifically because you are young?

Muthoni Maingi: None have openly said this to me, but I think that as I now have a working portfolio some may feel I bring a youthful/fresh energy and dynamic to a project.

SmallBizLady: How did you overcome the various business and personal challenges that have come with running your small business?

Muthoni Maingi: I have come close to giving up on this lifestyle that I chose and love so many times! At some point it begins to feel like a typical relationship with its ups and downs. But just like a relationship, if the partner you have is great and you put work and dedication into it, it eventually works out and becomes stronger.

I’ve also had to learn to be my biggest cheerleader and also to forgive myself and allow an attitude of constant learning as opposed to being overly critical of myself if something goes wrong and feeling like I ‘know it all’ at the same time when it goes right.

SmallBizLady: How can one better anticipate business challenges and brace themselves in a smart way?

Muthoni Maingi: Save. Save. And Save Some More. It’s shocking how much money is sometimes needed to push you through a rough business patch, especially if you have rent, salaries and all manner of bills to pay.

Also cultivate relationships with your clientele – the good kind, where you can anticipate solutions to their problems and bill them for that. Repeat business makes for good profits as well as cross selling. Nurture this ability in yourself.

SmallBizLady: What tools can business owners use to cultivate relationships and expand their brand footprint?

Muthoni Maingi: Blogging, newsletters and social media are amazing tools if used correctly to allow people to see your spirit, passion and some of your expertise.

SmallBizLady: How did you determine your target audience and how do you reach them?

Muthoni Maingi: I always knew I wanted to start and run my own agency. After working at two and observing others, I realized they were not set up to assist growing business and SMEs in their brand journey. Instead they focused on landing business from larger clients. I started Deviate to specifically target growing businesses and SMEs. Initially I relied on the contacts I had made while working to get clients, but as the company’s reputation grew, business increasingly started coming in from referrals. Currently, I keep the company news fresh by updating my networks with newsletters and tweets.

SmallBizLady: What business goal have you set for yourself this year?

Muthoni Maingi:  I intend on making profits for Deviate. At least 30% increase by the end of the year. As of the end of 2012 the company had only broken even and I am determined to push it forward.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works and the ebook: How To Become A Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.

Comments { 3 }

How to Market Your Business as a Solopreneur

By on February 26, 2013 in Branding & Marketing, Guest Articles

Guest Post

How to Market Your Business as a Solopreneur 300x199 How to Market Your Business as a SolopreneurSolopreneurs are a unique breed of people forced to juggle multiple business functions while running their businesses on a day-to-day basis. For many solopreneurs, their greatest skills lie not in marketing, but in creating the products or services that they sell. Additionally, entrepreneurs who run their own sole proprietorships likely don’t have a lot of time to devote to intricate and detailed marketing campaigns that need constant attention.

Network, Network, Network.  Promote your name and business through networking. Go to networking groups and events and talk to people about your business and yourself. Attending networking groups can be an efficient way to connect with many people in a short amount of time, often at minimal cost. In one two-hour event, you could reach over a hundred people, depending on the size of your event. Additionally, many groups have special workshop or lecture events. Once people get to know you, you may also have the opportunity to speak about your business at a special event, thereby reaching even more people and having the opportunity to talk in-depth about your business.

Be Visible.  Get booth or vendor space at an event, festival or tradeshow to promote your business. Like networking, having a presence as a vendor allows you to reach many people during the course of several hours. It also gives you the chance to talk with people one-on-one about your business as they stop at your booth to make a purchase or learn more about what you have to offer. Having a large banner with your business name or logo on it also helps to increase your visibility and make it more likely that passers-by who don’t stop will remember your business name.

Start a Referral Program.  Creating a referral program is an excellent way to get your existing customers to market for you. Offer your regular customers a special discount or a free promotional item or service if they refer a friend, relative or co-worker who becomes a customer. People listen to the advice and recommendations of the people they know, so most people are actually more likely to take the recommendation of a friend than to respond to an advertisement or other marketing tool. Use this to your advantage, and let your biggest fans – your customers – spread the word about how wonderful they find your business. Referral programs truly create a win-win situation for everyone involved. Happy customers get rewards for promoting their favorite business, potential customers get a quality recommendation, and you get new leads without having to do any legwork.

As a solopreneur, you need to maximize your marketing efforts so that you don’t spend all your time marketing, and you can devote your time and resources to what you do best – running your business. Network, market and promote yourself during events where you’re likely to make the biggest impact and reach the most people in a short amount of time. Additionally, recruit your customers to market on your behalf by starting a referral program.

Jeff Owen is an avid blogger and business event planner. He enjoys sharing his insights on various business blogs. Find out more about event planners and how they can help your business.

“Businessmen Shaking Hand” courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments { 5 }

When is the Last Time You Took a Hard Look at Your Small Business?

By on February 25, 2013 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business

Hard Look at Your Small Business 300x225 When is the Last Time You Took a Hard Look at Your Small Business?Once you have been running your business for a while, your original business model may no longer work. You may have a good brand, long time customers and word of mouth referrals, but your business is no longer growing. Your revenues are flat. You might be able to pay all the bills from the business and even collect a paycheck for yourself, but there is no profit. The recession started in 2008. If you were fortunate enough to stay in business since that time, the one thing you know for sure is that the nature of business has changed. It’s harder than ever to get credit, even with standing contracts and good receivables, because more than likely, you are still carrying debt from the bad years. Are you working part-time to support your business? Are you using your savings/retirement or borrowing from family to keep the business a float? If your business is struggling, what do you do now?

Do you keep doing the same thing hoping that your business will come back to what it was in its heyday? Should you try to figure out how to get new customers? Or do you try to develop a new business model and perhaps a new line of business? Whenever I come across a small business with this dilemma, I always revert back to something my father told me as a little girl, “the world is still waiting on a better mousetrap, and if you create one the world will beat a path to your door”. So in the immortal words of the late John Emerson, if your business is struggling, it’s time to figure out if you can build a better mousetrap.

Look at your brand. How much brand equity do you have? What does your brand mean in the marketplace? Is your brand still relevant to your target customer? Is it time to change your name or logo? Could you reinvent or reposition your brand with an entirely new customer base?

Look at what you sell. From consumers to purchasing managers for Fortune 500 companies, the recession has made everyone price sensitive. Are your customers still buying what you sell? Has there been an increase or decrease in demand for your services or products? How are they buying — online, reverse auctions or retail? How is the competition? Are you losing a lot of business over price? Are there any outside factors that affect your customer’s ability or need to buy your product? Do you need a new product line to stay competitive?

Look at your capacity. Do you have any capacity in your business? If you got a big order or large contract tomorrow could you handle the increase from a staffing, cash flow or productivity standpoint? How fast could you ramp up?

Look at your marketing efforts. How are you attracting new customers? Is it all word of mouth referrals? How are you communicating with your existing customers? Are you using social media at all? Are you measuring your marketing efforts? Marketing is the engine that drives sales in a small business, if your business is flat, it might be time to update your marketing tactics.

I realize that these are hard questions to answer. If you are not growing and not profitable—something must change quickly. It’s hard to imagine that your business is no longer relevant to the marketplace. Be honest with yourself about where your business is really going. Give yourself a timeline for how long you are going chase your current business model. Make the hard decisions now, so that you will still have a business in the years to come.

Have you had to reinvent your small business? How did you do it?

Image “Overcome Loss” courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works and the ebook: How To Become A Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.

Comments { 2 }