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How to Use Video to Promote Your Brand Online

By Melinda Emerson on July 1, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, SmallBizChat

Every 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 Donna Maria Coles Johnson @indiebusiness She is an attorney, podcaster, award-winning small business advocate and the leader of the Indie Beauty Network. With her husband, she also co-owns Indie Business Media, LLC, http://www.indiebusinessblog.com, a company that provides video production and social media training for small and independent business owners.

Smallbizlady: Why Is Video Important For Establishing And Expanding Your Brand?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: Statistics show that people are watching increasing numbers of video clips online, and for more extended periods of time, than ever before. Over 50% on online traffic is video and nothing establishes your credibility and expertise better than video.

Smallbizlady: What Does Video Do That Other Forms Of Media Cannot Do?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: Video shows you in action. It engages all of the sense of the audience to provide a full experience of what it’s like to engage with you. Video shows your leadership qualities. People like to follow leaders. Perhaps nothing shows that you are ready, willing and able to lead than videos that share your expertise and make you visible to the entire world. Video makes you stand out. How many people do you know who are good at what they do, but who are not willing or able to lead with video? There are plenty, and taking the lead to beat everyone in your field to the video punch will set you apart.

Smallbizlady: How Can Video Help Me Expand My Brand?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: If you put your videos on YouTube and/or Vimeo, you can set them to “share” mode. This allows other people to cut and paste the embed code for your video and play it at their sites. With so many people looking for quality content for their blogs, but unable to create it all themselves, it’s the perfect way for you to help other people while also expanding your brand.

Smallbizlady: How Do I Make Professional Video If I’m Not A Professional Videographer?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: While your videos do not always have to be professionally produced, they must always be professional. For promotional projects designed to advance your professional interests in major ways (including seeking business financing, pitching your book or seeking a job), a professionally produced video is often best. But for everyday projects — sharing your ideas, telling your customers about a new success tool you discovered, sharing your personal commentary on a topic of importance to your audience — so long as you appear professional, the picture is clear and the audio is good, you will be fine.

Smallbizlady: What’s The First Step To Producing Quality Videos?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: First, just get comfortable using your video camera. Read the instruction manual and start trying things out. Ask a friend to record some test videos in different parts of your home or office (or outside) to see what light you look best in, check out the audio quality of the camera you are using, etc. If you don’t know your equipment, you will not be able to control your equipment. Get to know your camera first, then move on to other things.

There are many camera options to choose from. Today, many still cameras and smart phones come equipped with video options. I use a Flip and a Vado, both of which are handy and lightweight so I can pull them out wherever I am and be shooting a video in a matter of seconds. No muss, no fuss.

Smallbizlady: Once I Know My Camera, What Do I Do Next?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: Know your audience. I don’t care how good a video is, it your readers don’t care about the topic, you’ve just wasted a ton of time. Know your audience first, then start brainstorming about topics that lend themselves to video and which your readers will care about. Make a “top 10″ list and begin to keep notes about what subjects you can cover on video.

Smallbizlady: Once I Decide On Topics Of Interest, What Then?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: Make some practice videos, again trying out different convenient locations in your home or office. For each topic, think of a short intro, 3 points to share, and a call to action. That’s all you need.

Smallbizlady: How Long Should My Video Be?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: This will vary depending on the topic, but generally, 3 minutes is quite long enough. Don’t feel like you must go that long. If you can say what needs to be said in 30 seconds, that’s plenty. The shorter, the better.

Smallbizlady: What Do I Need To Know About Lighting?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: Most of this you will learn as you practice, but the first thing to remember is that almost nothing spoils a video shoot as much as poor lighting. An important tip is to shoot video with the light source behind the camera, shining on the subject. If it is an outdoor shot where the sun is shining, make sure the sun shines on your subject and not on your camera lens! If all else fails try to shoot in soft light provided by shade. This always looks natural, and natural is always good.

Smallbizlady: What Do I Need To Know About Audio?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: If you can get a video camera with an external mic input, use that. If not (and don’t let lack of external mic stop you!), keep the camera’s internal mic as close to you as possible to get good audio.

Smallbizlady: What Are Some Of The Most Popular Topics For Video?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: First, be fun and entertaining. Everyone likes to laugh so if you can make someone smile, you’re halfway there no matter what the topic is.

Other than that, the secret to good media of any kind is to tell a story. So, tell stories about how you help people, or stories about your latest products, services or exciting collaborative projects. If you manufacture products, take people into your manufacturing area and show them how it’s done. (Make sure your manufacturing area is clean and presentable!) Take your video camera with you to trade shows, conferences and other events and capture interesting people on video.

If you can find people of interest to interview, you’ll be creating exciting content for your site while also building your intellectual property library. This increased not only your brand, but also the value of your business!

When you post your video to your blog, be sure to include text around it. I understand YouTube will soon be allowing embedded text links in video and this will be helpful. But remember that people do not always want to watch a video at the moment they come across your post. (Consider that they might be in an environment where turning up the audio would be inappropriate.) If you don’t include text, they’ll never enjoy the information you are sharing. Including a textual summary of the video gives your audience another option, and options are always good for the people you serve.

Smallbizlady: How Do I Maximize The Spread Of My Video?

Donna Maria Coles Johnson: One way is to makes sure to allow sharing so people can paste an embed code easily to share your video. Also, make sure your video is viewable on mobile devices. This is easy to check when you post your videos and ask friends to watch them from different mobile devices, from basic to maximum sophistication. If people are confused or frustrated, they won’t watch your video, and that’s not what we want!

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET and follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Melinda Emerson, known to many as “SmallBizLady,” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Her first book Become Your Own Bo ss in 12 Months was released in March 2010.

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12 Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read

By Melinda Emerson on May 17, 2010 in Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Your Small Business

You all know that I believe You Must Grow Yourself to Grow Your Business^™. Reading books is a great way to sharpen your own knife and learn new things than can help your business. I often find that books help me see my business from different perspectives. The following is a list of new and old favorite books that I think are essential reading for every entrepreneur. Enjoy.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber In the E-Myth Revised, Michael E. Gerber explains a different approach to developing small businesses to not just survive, but with a plan to thrive. One of the best things about this book is Gerber’s message around using the franchise model. He is not saying to buy a franchise. Instead, he wants us to develop processes and systems in our businesses so that we are not personally driving all the business revenue.

I found the ideas in this book incredibly useful for my own business. He taught me how to systematize my business so that it could run without me. If you’re a small business owner whose business is stagnant or going in the wrong direction, this book can be enormously valuable.

Small Business Cash Flow by Denise O’Berry Without cash flow you don’t have a business. Cash is king and Denise O’Berry gives straight-forward advice on how to make your business a financial success. This book clearly provides strategies about how to manage and control your cash and also does a good job of pointing out how a small business owner can stay on top of cash flow issues. Remember, if your business in not making money you may have just an expensive hobby.

The Plan As You Go Business Plan by Tim Berry You all know that I believe you must plan for success in business, so you knew a business plan book had to be on the list. Tim Berry is one of the foremost experts on writing a business plan, but what I like best about Tim Berry’s book is that it turns the process of business planning from this torturous “do I have to do this” event into a “I know I can do this and I and in fact I love to do this” process.

I especially like that he stresses that business plans are not a one time deal and that he gives the reader options for designing their own method of pulling together the business plan. Tim also gives plenty of resources and practical advice to make your business plan a success.

If you have NEVER finished or have written a business plan, The Plan As You Go Business Plan is a must read.

Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith This book is an excellent resource to learn about marketing professional service businesses. Selling an intangible service is a very different process than product marketing. Harry Beckworth writes, Quality, speed, and price are *not* in competition, they must be offered simultaneously and at full value. If you want to know how to sell the invisible, the intangible, and most importantly value propositions, this is the best book you could read.

Flawless Consulting by Peter Block This is the essential book for the one-person consultant or a veteran consulting firm. In these days and times, you really need to have a process as a consultant to manage yourself and your clients. No matter how well you know your expertise, this book will keep you focused on the consulting essentials. Using the ideas in this book will lead to excellent project plans, successfully implemented projects – and most importantly clients who will want you again and again.

Guerrilla Publicity by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Jill Lublin Of all the books in the Guerilla series, this is one of my favorites. Publicity as a marketing tool is probably one of the hardest things for a small business owner to master. Guerrilla Publicity makes it plain, and the suggestions are easy to implement. Even if you do not fashion yourself a PR machine, this book will help you learn this important skill needed for a successful business. This book will help you master the art of using free publicity as a key marketing tool. No small business can avoid this tool on the path to success.

Inbox Detox by Marsha Egan In Inbox Detox, Marsha Egan offers the cure for the “Email Blues” (which we all have as small business owners). She asks readers to cast a critical eye on their own email habits, provides a model, 12-Step Program Style, for dealing with those habits, and then details newer, more productive ones. Egan breaks down the email issue into its most basic problem: email misuse is a constant drain on productivity, and therefore a constant drain on the bank account. If you need to tame you email inbox this book is the answer.

The Wealthy Freelancer; 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle by Pete Savage, Steve Slaunwhite and Ed Gandia Many people start out in business as freelancers or 1099 employees, so I thought it was important to highlight this terrific book on building a freelancing business. These three authors are pros at what they do. You need to have been in business at least five years or so to glean the knowledge you’ll find in this book. You’ll learn everything from the “practical tactical” such as how to prospect for clients to the more “woo woo” things such as why keeping a positive mental attitude is so important. I highly recommend this book to small business owner who are just starting a freelance business or who have been in business a while and need to make more money.

Your Idea, Inc. 12 Steps to Building a Million Dollar Business – Starting Today! by Sandy Abrams Your Idea, Inc. by Sandy Abrams is written for anyone with a product idea who wants to start a business. Sandy creatively combines her expertise, realistic, step by step details and motivational stories to deliver an excellent book.

Using her model you will know how to go from the inner rumblings of idea to seeing your product on store shelves or QVC. Her inspirational drive paired with book’s concrete examples make for the perfect combination and set anyone up for success. Her million dollar tips and biz brainstorms are user friendly and add to the depth this book as well.

Wealth Creation for Small Business Owners; 75 Strategies for Financial Success in Any Economy by James E. Cheeks, Esq. What is the point of starting a business –if it’s not to build wealth. In Wealth Creation for Small Business Owners, lawyer and professor James E. Cheeks outlines a system that with some careful planning you can ensure that you can actually retire from your small business.

Cheeks reveals little-known small business laws that allow entrepreneurs to build retirement funds, maintain good health care and insurance, and most importantly hold on to family assets. Now, using easy-to-grasp strategies, Cheeks demonstrates how to legally shelter business profits from tax, withdraw business profits when needed, and protect assets from creditor claims.

What this book does best is teach entrepreneurs how to create and preserve family wealth. I can not recommend this book more highly.

Built to Sell; Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell by John Warrillow I love books where people teach you how they learned from their own mistakes. Not every business can be sold, but if you grow a business to the point where it is generating real revenue with a signature product, process or service, you will want to have things in place so that it can be sold. The kinds of things you need to have in place are laid out in excellent detail in this short book by John Warrillow. He uses a fictional character in the book to illustrate his points. Doing the right things up front will make your business built to sell. Follow the simple, practical steps in Built to Sell, so that you can get the most when it’s time to move on, pass it down or retire.

Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works by Melinda F. Emerson This is not a book about writing a business plan, this is book designed to help you plan a success business. This is also MY book.

Here’s what reviewers say my book. “Melinda breaks down the process of starting a business into very manageable pieces, with illustrative examples, tools and common sense advice. If you are afraid you might forget something, this book doesn’t. The book is quite inspiring and it’s formatted like a map – showing you how to properly navigate the curves, speed bumps, and detours along the way as you start your business venture.”

“…if you’re serious about entrepreneurship, Become Your Own Boss could well be the first book in a steady regimen of self-education and continuous learning common to all outstanding entrepreneurs.”

“What Emerson does best is to give aspiring business owners constant reality checks along the way, avoiding the rah-rah, inspirational tone of many books which champion entrepreneurship. Instead, Emerson blends enthusiasm for business ownership and an encouraging demeanor, while unflinchingly addressing the price entrepreneurs must anticipate, plan for, and be prepared to pay to achieve their objectives, including potential strain on marriages and other relationships, as well as the inevitable impact on their finances and their lifestyles as a whole. The fact that Emerson leads off by emphasizing that would be entrepreneurs must establish a life plan before creating a business plan—and that the two must line-up and be compatible, if not integrated, with each other—may be the best thing about the book.”

Tell me about a great need that a book that you have read has filled, which you can recommend to the small business owner.

Melinda F. Emerson, also known as Twitter’s SmallBizLady is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. She is the founder and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, an award-winning strategic communications firm. She has created productions for such companies as Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Comcast. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works!” was released in March 2010 by Adams Media.

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Winners of the $25,000 Entrepreneur’s Challenge

By Melinda Emerson on May 10, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

In celebration of her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works (Adams Media, March 2010), Melinda Emerson is annoucning contest winners featuring a prize of weekly small-business coaching sessions. “The contest brought so many worthy applicants that I found it impossible to choose one winner,” describes Emerson. “I narrowed it to two winners who agreed to share the one-on-one coaching.”

Entrepreneurs Jennifer Furr, owner of PictureThatSound in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Chris Bell, owner of ChrisBell3rd & Company in Columbia, Maryland, will work with Emerson weekly and blog about their experiences.

In 2009, Jennifer Furr decided to leave her steady job in the pharmaceutical industry to pursue a dream – bringing a product to market that she couldn’t find in the retail world.

Jenn Furr

Furr founded PictureThatSound to fill an unmet need in the US memory-keeping market. The company’s first product pairs a photo matte with a recordable device for sound. Furr describes being pregnant with her second child and wanting to capture the ultrasound image with the heartbeat sound in her scrapbook album. “There are so many sounds that we take for granted, that we think we’ll always remember. Sometimes I close my eyes and picture a sound in my head, like my toddler’s giggle, my grandmother singing, or even my husband snoring. We provide a product that allows you to capture a photo and an audio snapshot of that memory, all in one.” Visit www.PictureThatSound.com.

Chris Bell

In June 2009, Chris Bell decided to use his creative business development and technology sales expertise to launch his consultancy, ChrisBell3rd & Company, LLC to exceed sales revenue objectives on behalf of executives, investors, and owners of small to mid-sized IT software and life sciences software companies. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be coached by Smallbizlady, and I am thrilled to have been chosen. I know she will help me grow my business,” said Bell.

ChrisBell3rd & Company, LLC exercises proven best practices with the latest in Sales 2.0 technology to deliver customized business development and sales approaches that uniquely fit their client’s product-type, corporate culture, and revenue goals. His mantra is simple: “Nobody cares what you know, until they know that you care – all is business is personal.” Visit http://chrisbell3rd.com

Emerson says, “These two emerging entrepreneurs are exactly the type of dedicated small-business owners that I love to coach. I was so touched by each of their stories of starting a business.”

Jennifer and Chris will receive coaching twice a month for one year and an autographed copy of Melinda Emerson’s book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, her life planning journal, and her Audio CD: 10 Things You Must Never Forget in Business. Emerson will also coach both entrepreneurs every other week throughout the year. The winners will be required to blog twice per month about their entrepreneurial journey.

Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Melinda is a well-known expert in achieving bottom line results and has helped many entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Melinda hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show on Twitter for emerging business owners. Melinda publishes a blog about running a profitable small business www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business That Works” was released March 2010 from Adams Media. For more information, please visit www.becomeyourownbossbook.com

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A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Own Boss

By Melinda Emerson on May 3, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Women have so many amazing qualities. We are caretakers. We build communities. Our generosity is abundant. We are sensitive and, at times, emotional. We make decisions ultimately on our intuition or, as I like to say – our spidey sense.

So why then, do women struggle in business? The very qualities that make us women and mothers get in our way when it comes to making money in business. The reason is because our special qualities can either SERVE or SABOTAGE us.

My mother is the reason why I am an entrepreneur today. When I was a kid, she started every kind of business you can imagine. She sold copper, Tupperware, Mary Kay, framed art. She made drapes and dresses and she even reupholstered furniture. The thing is, she never made much money at any of those businesses. Why? Because she gave too much of her product away, she never charged enough, she did business with friends and she was way too sympathetic — all too often. My dad used to say that my mother would help anyone: stray dog, stray cat, or stray person. It never mattered to her. She simply believed in helping people.

When starting a small business, women must walk a fine line to do good and do well. Our businesses should exemplify our core beliefs, but at the end of the day, we must have a competitive attitude. We must not ever shy away from what we should be paid or even hesitate to give a quote. If you are not making money in your business, it doesn’t make much sense. If so, you might have only an expensive hobby.

Before we women start a business and become our own boss, we have to change our thinking.

Here’s what I mean:

How we Take Care of Others SERVES us when we create programs and services people want and will pay for. This means we understand need demand. We must be strategic about our products and services. It SABOTAGES us when we push a service that clients may need, but do not value. Or, by over-delivering to the point where we sacrifice our profit margin in order to please our clients.

Our ability to Build Community SERVES us when used to create an online community, membership programs, create a paid mastermind group, and monetize our mailing list. It SABOTAGES us if we build our list and then don’t stay consistent, effect follow-up and keep it organized to really maximize the relationship. Action creates results.

Our Generosity SERVES us when we create irresistible product offers with major pricing discounts for early sign-up or payment in full at the time of registration. It SABOTAGES us if we let people talk us down on price, or don’t charge enough, ask for referrals, aggressively pursue past due invoices, and publicize praise from grateful clients.

Our Sensitivity SERVES us when we focus on the customer’s pain points and respond quickly to the marketplace. It SABOTAGES us if we take things personally, have a hair trigger temper, make business decisions based on emotion and do not keep up-to-date financial information.

Our Intuition SERVES us when we listen and ACT on it. It SABOTAGES us if we confuse fear or doubt with intuition.

If we effectively use the qualities that make us women in a smart way in business, we will create profitable and sustainable businesses that will not fail as expensive hobbies. Being in business after all is about doing what you love and making money, so that you can do for yourself, for those whom you love and for your community.

What else do you think women should consider when going into business?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

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Small Business SEO Basics

By Melinda Emerson on April 29, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Your Small Business

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @WayneHurlbert. Wayne is a well known SEO and internet marketing consultant. He is also a highly regarded speaker and business book reviewer. His advice on business blogs and social media is sought after by leading companies worldwide. Wayne blogs at http://www,blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com Blog Business World. Wayne also hosts the twice weekly internet radio program http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WayneHurlbert Blog Business Success

Smallbizlady: What is SEO and why is it important for small business?

Wayne Hurlbert: SEO or search engine optimization is all about your small business website becoming easier to find by the major search engines including Google, Yahoo, and MSN Bing. Small business websites can compete successfully with their much larger competitors by becoming more search engine friendly. For a search engine, the size of the company is not important. What matters is that the site be most relevant for a search for a specific keyword phrase. SEO is not about tricks, but about providing good relevant content for people searching for information.

Smallbizlady: Should a small business owner think in terms of target markets with SEO?

Wayne Hurlbert: Yes. Just as a small business marketing plan seeks out its ideal customer, SEO efforts should be targeted toward potential customers searching for solutions to their problems, as consumers or business people. This means a combination of SEO for raw rankings on the search engines; SEO for e-commerce; SEO for branding your company, products and services; SEO to generate leads for later sales: and SEO to maintain your company reputation. The good news is people will be searching for all of these types of information, and by providing relevant information on separate pages on your site, you can achieve high rankings for any or all of them.

Smallbizlady: How do I know what keywords and phrases to target on my site?

Wayne Hurlbert: You must do some keyword research. First of all, write down all of the phrases that you believe fit your site, in 1 to 4 word phrases. Try them in different combinations. Ask your trusted employees, customers, and vendors what phrases they would use to find your site. You can also use Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal or Google’s Search Based Keyword Tool http://www.google.com/sktool/ Both will give you additional ideas about heavily searched keyword phrases relevant to your site.

Smallbizlady: Are links into my site important and how can I get more links?

Wayne Hurlbert: The first step is to provide link worthy content. Your site should be much more than simply a brochure site. That type of site doesn’t rank well as it contains little real information to attract links, and links provide the power to boost your rankings. Be sure to provide informational pages that show expertise in your industry, provide tips to help customers solve real problems, and additional specialty pages of possibly product reviews, industry news. useful tools and downloads, and other ideas suitable to your site. All of these pages can attract links. A blog page on the site is very powerful. Bloggers are free and generous linkers who will readily link to information and posts of interest to their readers. Blogging platforms like WordPress provide ease of blogging, as another set of pages, within a website. The blog posts provide many more relevant keyword phrases, that also rank well in the search engines.

Smallbizlady: How do I start to optimize my site for the search engines?

Wayne Hurlbert: Start with your domain name. If it’s not already determined, attempt to create a site domain that is relevant to your product and service. This is, of course, not possible for the main domain name if it already exists, but keywords can be added to the URL of each interior page, giving them URL domain power. A critical area on any site is the title tag. That is the wording that appears in the blue bar at the top of your browser. This is the title of the page, like a book title. The interior page title tags are like the chapter names in a non-fiction book. They tell the search engine what is the topic of each page. The title tag should contain your most important keyword phrases for that page. The company name doesn’t have to appear in the title tag, and if it does, place it to the right of the page. Search engines consider the most left placed keywords the most important. Don’t use the same tag on every page. Every page is distinct and needs a separate title tag.

Smallbizlady: How many keyword phrases should each page contain?

Wayne Hurlbert: Don’t fall into the trap of writing for the search engines. Write for your customers. If a page is difficult to read, or looks artificial and badly written, no one will stay on your page anyway. Those are customers who are lost. When writing copy on a page, keep it relevant to the topic of your site, and write for real people. There is ample evidence, especially from blogs, that writing good informational copy will rank highly, as well as being easy to read. As you write, your important keyword phrases, in various orders and combinations, will appear naturally anyway. Never write for the search engines. Always write for people. Be certain to include your company contact information including street address, and any relevant and frequently used local or regional location terms, to build local search. A local focus in the title tags will also boost your rankings for customers seeking your products and services in your city, state, province, region, or country.

Smallbizlady: How do I create links that work better for SEO?

Wayne Hurlbert: When you create a link within your site, to another page on the site, never use words like “here” or “click here” on the clickable link line. The wording on the clickable link line is called link anchor text and is very important to the search engines. It also tells the search engine what the page being linked is about, as the link anchor text is like a mini-title for the page. Use the keyword phrase, most relevant to the page being linked to, that you want to raise in the rankings. Don’t use the same link anchor text all of the time though, as that looks spammy to the search engine. At the same time, it misses the opportunity to use alternate but still relevant link anchor text to boost yet another keyword phrase.

Smallbizlady: How can I add links into my site from offsite sources?

Wayne Hurlbert: One of the best techniques for adding additional inbound links is articles. Submit your articles to the many article sites on the internet. Be sure they link with appropriate link anchor text to the most relevant page on the site. Some article sites permit a second link to the home page as well. Be sure to use both if available. Offer to write articles for other sites and blogs. Many webmasters and bloggers will be happy to add your article along with a link back to your site. Be sure to add your site to legitimate internet directories, but avoid at all costs link farms and other linking schemes. You can drive traffic, but not much link value though, from forum signature lines, Twitter profiles and post links, Facebook pages and LinkedIn profiles. Having a YouTube page can also help your rankings, and it too can be optimized.

Smallbizlady: Should I worry about being penalized and banned from Google?

Wayne Hurlbert: Google is not out to get you. They want to eliminate spam from their rankings. As long as you follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines http://www.google.com/webmasters/, and never use any dirty tricks or “black hat” SEO, your site will remain penalty and ban free. Don’t let yourself be fooled by anyone offering quick rankings through questionable means. Those rankings may never even materialize anyway, but Google could penalize or ban your site for using them. You can indeed rank well in the search engines with ethical “white hat” SEO techniques. There are no quick fixes. Good theme relevant content on your site will win out in the end.

Smallbizlady: Can I optimize the photos and graphics on my site?

Wayne Hurlbert: Yes. In fact, optimizing your site photos and graphics serves more than one purpose. To optimize a photo or graphic, you have really two optimization opportunities. One is the caption line below the photo or graphic. Use a descriptive version of a relevant keyword that is suitable to describing the picture. Use a mouse over alt attribute tag to describe the photo or graphic as well. Use a short relevant keyword phrase different from the caption to double your phrases. For people who surf with graphics off on their browser, the mouse over also tells the visitor what is in the photo or graphic.

Smallbizlady: How soon can I expect results from my SEO work?

Wayne Hurlbert: Google and the other search engines send their spiders, the little computer bots that crawl your site, out all of the time. Results can appear quickly if good relevant changes are made. Some results may take longer. Some keyword phrases are much more competitive than others, and are much more difficult to optimize for higher rankings. As a result, SEO is a process, not an end in itself. SEO is a continuous work in progress, as you add more pages, fine tune your title tags, rewrite your copy, and add more links. Before starting your SEO program, check the rankings of the existing site for your keyword phrases to create a base line. With that base in place, you can monitor your improvements, as they happen, on a regular basis. Don’t be alarmed by short term blips downward. They happen. Instead, optimize for the long term, using sound ethical SEO techniques for the long term. You can then ride out any ups and downs that can happen in the search engines.

Smallbizlady: Are number one and page one rankings in Google enough for success?

Wayne Hurlbert: SEO is only one marketing tool in your internet tool chest. Top rankings are of no value if no one who visits your site becomes a customer. Note the real value of writing for people, and not the search engines. The purpose or purposes of your site go far beyond the vanity of ranking on the first page in Google. Those rankings are only one part of your marketing plan. Be sure the copy on the page speaks to the customer, provides valuable information, and generates leads and sales. Note that well written copy ranks well, and builds your customer base, helping your business to grow. SEO is a tool, but it’s not a magic bullet. Use SEO wisely, however, and your small business will compete successfully on a global basis, against much larger competitors.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

Melinda F. Emerson, also known as Twitter’s SmallBizLady is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. She is the founder and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, an award-winning strategic communications firm. She has created productions for such companies as Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Comcast. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works!” was released in March 2010 by Adams Media.

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8 Ways To Use Twitter To Grow Your Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on April 26, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Social Media, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business

This past week was a big week. First a major review of my new book came out on the website one of my favorite business magazines Black Enterprise with the title: “Now Read This: Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, If entrepreneurship is your objective, Melinda Emerson offers a step-by-step road map” which was written by Alfred Edmond Jr. Editor in Chief of BlackEnterprise.com. As a first time author, it was a real thrill to read a review like this.

I also had an amazing opportunity as “Smallbizlady” to be a presenter at Jeff Pulver’s #140 Characters Conference; Exploring the State of Now in New York City. My assignment at the Twitter conference was to talk about how Twitter has changed small business. I only had ten minutes, so I had to make it count. You know my advice always focuses on actionable steps, so here’s the video of my talk from #140conf. Many people have looked at this clip and retweeted it, and I thought you would enjoy it.

Here’s some tips help you grow your small business using Twitter:

Know your niche customer: Before using Twitter to promote your small business it is really important to know your customer, and more importantly know where your customer hangs out online. Make sure anyone could determine who your customer is by reviewing your Twitter stream.

Give to Get: Twitter and all of social media is about giving to others and adding value. When you help others by promoting their content and programs that will attract people and incentivize others to do so.

Use 4:1 ratio: Be slow to overtly sell on Twitter. It really can be the kiss of death. Here’s a rule of thumb: Promote other people’s content 4 to 1 over your own.

Participate in Twitterchats: One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise in a non-obnoxious way is to answer questions about your expertise. I host #Smallbizchat every Wed from 8-9pm ET on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. Many participants and guests attract many followers after delivering great content on a Twitterchat. How to participate in #SmallBizChat:

Use @ replies: Open tweets build relationships on Twitter. Do not just retweet articles, reach back to the person who wrote them and start a conversation.

Use Direct Messages: Well-written direct messages (DMs) particularly automatic direct messages can get you business. Perfect your 140 character commercial. Tell your followers who you are and what you can do for them. Do not to give links or ways to connect to your blog, Linkedin or Facebook. It’s the equivalent to drive-by networking.

Engage & Interact: You would not ask someone for business the day you meet them don’t do it online either. Build real relationships and the sales will come.

Consistency & Persistency: The key to building your business on Twitter and any other social media network is showing up consistently giving quality information. Push yourself to listen and give your expertise. You will grow your brand little by little everyday. Follow these simple tips and you can’t go wrong with Twitter.

Do you have any other Twitter tips and strategies? Share your experiences.

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-By-Month Guide to a Business That Works was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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How to Win a Business Plan Competition

By Melinda Emerson on April 15, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Your Small Business

Every week as @SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Lora Kolodny @lorakolodny . She writes for the You’re the Boss! blog for the New York Times online. She began reporting on business and entertainment in 2002, writes about the winners, losers, innovation and deal-making of business plan competitions. In the past she has been a staff reporter for Inc. magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and a contributing tech editor at Ecosalon.com. She has contributed articles on technology, humor and music to Fortune Small Business, Recessionwire.com, Village Voice Media blogs, Planet and Playboy. For more information http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/author/lora-kolodny/

Smallbizlady: What kinds of research should a business owner do before the competition?

Lora Kolodny: Entrepreneurs should carefully research the business plan competitions carefully, zeroing in on which events they’re eligible for, and which will provide the best experience for them as they try to grow their companies. Past competitors, winners and losers alike have told me it’s a good thing to look at a competitions’ recent past winners. Find out what kind of entrepreneurs succeeded within and after a particular competition, and who are the investors and potential advisers your team might connect with at each event. If someone whose opinion would be especially valuable to you is a sponsor or judge at one competition, apply there.

Smallbizlady: Do you need a strategy to win a business plan competition?

Lora Kolodny: Experts in this space tell me, universally, the focus should not be on winning, but on crafting a useful business plan for a real, not theoretical, company when it comes to competitions. That said, Professor Candida Brush, who teaches entrepreneurship at Babson College, and coaches start-ups preparing for these events shared this suggestion: ”Winning the competition requires two things: a good plan and a good pitch. Both are learnable. The “pitch” often makes more of a difference. For this, entrepreneurs need to understand impression management, be good listeners, be adaptable, and make a professional presentation including body language and dress. To prepare, they should present in a variety of circumstances, be ready to meet other people’s calendars, work with and without technology.”

Smallbizlady: What is the ideal length of a winning business plan?

LoraKolodny: The competitions’ hosts will dictate a limit on the number of pages, or format of materials a company should submit. Many competitions require a video pitch these days. Most accept a PowerPoint deck, or another document including around 10-20 slides or pages of written content, and an additional executive summary of 1-3 pages. Andrew Hyde, co-founder of TechStars, the start-up accelerator that started in Colorado, told me that he prefers: pitches of about ten slides, a demo of what a company has done, and an executive summary, all presented with proof of great team dynamics. Tim Berry, a business planning expert, software entrepreneur and business blogger offers many suggestions about the ideal plan, at http://timberry.com and www.bplans.com

Smallbizlady: If you are not an MBA do you really have a shot at the business competitions run by the top business schools?

LoraKolodny: The short answer is that if a competition allows competitors from outside of the school, then yes, you have a good chance, if you make it to the finals, to win. A more detailed explanation is that while legacy business plan competitions were for entrepreneurs from within a single-school, or otherwise closed community, these days, even top business schools run competitions that are open to entrepreneurs who are either students from other colleges and in different fields of study, or who are not even students. Washington University’s Olin Cup competition, which I recently wrote about, click here established a special prize for a non-student competitor this year, for example.

Smallbizlady: How long does it take “ideally” to prepare a winning business plan?

Lora Kolodny: Competition directors, entrepreneur advisors and past participants say anywhere between three months to two years! See the “Give Yourself Time” section of a story I reported for the New York Times click here.

Smallbizlady: What are the advantages to participating in a business plan competition?

Lora Kolodny: The prizes for winners are a potential benefit. But of course the benefits of participating go way beyond the potential money, and support services, which compared to venture backing may not be that big, anyway. Those who competed tell me that they valued the chance to get feedback, in person, from business and community leaders. And they benefitted from getting noticed by business and local press, as well as a community of peers, alumni and established entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors and others who attend or are involved in the competition scene.

Smallbizlady: What kind of exposure can an emerging business owner potentially receive form participating?

Lora Kolodny: Some competitions provide a ton of press-relations services for their winners. Wharton, MIT, and the Clean Tech Open do a very good job of getting the word out about the achievements of their alumni companies to mainstream business and consumer reporters in traditional and digital media. But exposure within the private equity community is probably more important to start-ups, and is gotten easily on the competition circuit. I’ve interviewed several company founders who met their primary angel or venture investor via competition, including a company who I profiled last year http://www.myfit.com To read the article click here

Smallbizlady: Do you need a management team to win a business plan competition?

Lora Kolodny: Sole proprietors can win business plan competitions. Like the owner of www.BuildMyLanyard.com, who won at a top undergraduate business plan competition in Canada, profiled here. But it is good to acknowledge that you might take on other management team members, as you scale your company. And it is good to admit that even if you are the founding C.E.O. you might reach a point where you need to bring on another, more experienced C.E.O. to run your business.

Smallbizlady: What are the judges really looking for in the presentation round?

Lora Kolodny: Keep in mind, judges in presentation rounds are likely going to stop you and ask you questions. You should be prepared to listen to these very carefully, and skip slides to make sure you’ve answered them during your limited presentation time.

Smallbizlady: How do you select which business plan competitions to compete in?

Lora Kolodny: Several guides are out there including many lists compiled by business schools and non-profits of suggested, best-in-class competitions. But ultimately you have to do your own research and make your own decisions.

My guide to recent, and upcoming competitions that have a great reputation or are doing something new, and interesting in the New York Times small business section online see the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/11/business/smallbusiness/Competitions-table.html

A great list of social entrepreneurship business plan competitions is provided by the William James Foundation, click here:

A new blog called BIZPLANCOMPETITIONS.com provides maps, and a comprehensive calendar of business plan competitions, as well as regular competition coverage, here: http://www.bizplancompetitions.com/

Xconomy.com writers Wade Roush and Ryan McBride provide some excellent coverage of competitions. McBride’s 2009-2010 guide to New England area competitions here is excellent:

University of Michigan’s short, simple list is a good one, too:

http://www.zli.bus.umich.edu/events_programs/bpc_external.asp

Smallbizlady: What is the most important element of a winning business plan?

Lora Kolodny: Keeping it simple and staying away from jargon is important, both in your writing and live presentation. Demonstrating passion, but a realistic view of your own team’s talent, and potential market is something judges consistently look for as well, and consider “make or break,” details. Having some preliminary market tested research on your product or service can also give you a huge advantage.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

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

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It’s All About The Sales Call Prep

By Melinda Emerson on April 12, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business

In business, we all sell something. Some sell products, some sell services. However, we all need to be about selling solutions. When you go on a sales call, it’s never about what you do. Sometimes as small business owners, we are so passionate about our businesses that we forget to focus on the customer’s pain points. Bottomline: It’s all about what the customer needs.

We put so much time into our logos, tag lines, brochures and websites. Now, I would not be a good small business coach and marketing expert if I said that a professional corporate image and web presence are not important, but quality marketing collateral will only get you the meeting.

No matter what you sell, it’s the story you tell that is memorable. Communicate how what you do affects people, and that’s how you make a sale. Remember when you are selling, it should never feel like you are selling. No one wants to be sold something. Stories draw people in, and tell a little something about the nature of your company about how you solve problems. And most importantly, it leaves your client wanting to know more about how you can help them.

You must research your prospective customer and understand to whom you’ll be presenting in the meeting. Whenever possible, you want to present to the end customers, but keep in mind that some organizations have many layers. The rule of thumb is – the larger the customer, the more layers and the longer the sales cycle. The great thing about social media is you can look up anyone online. Once you get the names, look them up to find out how long they’ve been on the job, where they went to school, are they a member of toastmasters. The point is to look for a point of connection, so you can begin to create a personal relationship once your meet face to face. One of my favorite tools is to ask women if they have kids. You can always share working mom war stories. All working moms can empathize with those mad dashes to the daycare before the fines start.

When preparing for a sales meeting, use Smallbizlady’s 4-Step System to prepare. It will help you walk your clients through how using your product will solve their business challenge.

Step 1. Pre-call Planning — Understand the customer’s goal for the sales meeting. Whenever possible find out the names and titles of who will be in the room, how much time you have, any technology available in the room. If using Powerpoint slides, never have more than 10-12 slides, and print color hard copies for small groups of 10 or less. It’s best to prepare handouts just in case the IT tech can’t be found in time.
Step 2. Point — As in the Customer Pain Point. Make sure the client knows that you know their company background, broad strategy and their problem. Order a 10K or Hoovers report to understand the business strength and weaknesses of your customer.
Step 3. Story— Everyone responds to a story of success. Lay out case studies. Talk specifically about how your product or service worked with a similar client or in their industry and the results that it generated. Clients respond to measurable results.
Step 4. Ask— Never close a sales call without asking for the business or at least clarifying the next steps in their internal purchasing process.

When your presentation focuses on the voice of your customer, you will stand out. Rise above focusing on your company’s services and features and instead find your purpose by maximizing your benefits to your customer.

Do you have a process to prepare for sales presentations? Please share your tips.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

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Magazines and Newspapers Every Small Business Owner Should Read

By Melinda Emerson on April 5, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Every business owner should subscribe to at least one industry trade publication and local Business Journal newspapers to generate leads to stay connected with the regional business community.

Recommended publications:

American City Business Journals – Bizjournals is the new media division of American City Business Journals, the nation’s largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers. It operates the Web sites for each of the company’s 41 print business journals. www.bizjournals.com

American Demographics Magazine – This magazine is a study of the American marketplace. It focuses on how to judge a market, and the changes that are going on in the population. www.demographics.com

Black Enterprise (BE) – This monthly business magazine is so relevant I can’t bring myself to throw one away. I keep a personal library. BE is the preeminent African American destination for information regarding entrepreneurship, technology and personal finance. Their online resources and business conferences are excellent as well. www.blackenterprise.com

Business Week - Business Week is at the forefront of the business magazines covering small business. They have a secondary publication called Business Week Small Business. This section of the online magazine has insightful articles on the small business economy and how to help small businesses. www.businessweek.com/smallbiz

Entrepreneur magazine – A solid publication with innovative solutions for small business owners. Their website also features exhaustive resources, back issues and tools for entrepreneurs. I especially like their start-up and women entrepreneur sections online. www.entrepreneur.com

Inc. Magazine – Inc. is the gold standard of small business news. This monthly publication provides timely information on industry trends, innovative small businesses, and offers ideas on how to improve your business. Inc.com provides additional information and advice covering virtually every business and management task. It also includes the Inc. magazine archives, more than 100 free tools to help you in every area of your business and has regular columnists and blogs on the site. www.inc.com/tools

Wall Street Journal – In addition to being the gold standard business publication, WSJ offers a small business website featuring businesses for sale, franchises, and other business opportunities and many other articles and resources relevant to small business development. www.startupjournal.com

Do you have a “can’t miss” newspaper or magazine for business information? Leave a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

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What is Coming up in March on #Smallbizchat on Twitter?

By Melinda Emerson on February 26, 2010 in Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Your Small Business

#SmallBizChat is a weekly conversation on Twitter where emerging small business owners can get answers to their questions. If you have a Twitter account join us every Wednesday from 8-9pm Eastern Time.

If you don’t have a Twitter account, not to worry. a Q&A interview with my #Smallbizchat guest is posted on this blog every Thursday morning. Subscribe to this blog to have it sent directly to your inbox.

If you’re new to Twitter, here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e.

The transcript from every chat is available through the #Smallbizchat community. Just hit the silver “transcripts” button under the video in the right hand column of this blog to sign in. Remember, once you develop a login you have access to all the transcripts.

Who is on #SmallBizChat in March?

March 3 @ErikVonk President, BOTH How to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself

March 10 @Bizsavvymom Malika Duke on Social Media Selling Strategies

March 17 @Colleendebaise Small Business Editor, Wall Street Journal Starting a Small Business in this Economy.

March 24 @Skydiver HARO founder Peter Shankman On How to Launch a Product Online.

March 31 Special guest host Mike Michalowicz @TPEntrepreneur interviews Melinda Emerson @Smallbizlady on How to Go From Corporate to Small Business Ownership

March 31 On SmallBizRadio we have Editor, SmallBizTrends.com - Anita Campbell on The Future of Small Business in America. Join us on Wed at 1pm ET on #BlogTalkRadio

Leave a comment and let me know what topics YOU would like to see covered on #SmallBizChat.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

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Why I Love Twitter

By Melinda Emerson on February 1, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Twitter is a social networking site that is a micro-blogging platform. It is designed for people who need the bottom-line and not much else. In short, if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, forget about it. Twitter demands that you “hit it and quit it” as James Brown would say.

Can small biz make money from Twitter?

I got on Twitter in 2008 and instantly I had access to anyone I wanted or needed to talk with. I love Twitter because anything I need for my business. I can find on the social networking site. I am able I am going to give you examples of how Twitter has helped me enormously in my business.

I am a book lover and one of the great things about Twitter, is that ability to contact just about anyone who uses it. One of the best marketing books I’ve read in recent years is The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. I was so moved by his book I wanted to contact him. Email wasn’t fast enough. So I went to Twitter, found his name @dmscott then sent him an open tweet and got an instant response. I now communicate with him regularly.

Another author Twitter experience was my interaction with @thewritermama. She wrote a great book Get Known Before the Book Deal, which I really enjoyed as I was getting my first book completed. Her book explained how the publishing industry worked and how to build a marketing platform, which very was helpful at the time. I reached out to the author Christina Katz on Twitter to tell her how much I liked her book in an open tweet. She was so moved by me reaching out to her, she offered to read an early draft of my forthcoming book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, and write a blurb for the cover.

I was in need of a new assistant and was far too busy to hire one, (which of course is why I desperately needed one). Every Wednesday on Twitter I host #SmallBizChat which is a Tweetchat (or Twitter Talkshow as I like to call it) to help emerging entrepreneurs get answers to their questions as they start and grow their small businesses. After the first, one or two chats, a woman approached me on Twitter and offer to produce a weekly transcript of each chat. This was great for participants and anyone who missed it. After she did a few transcripts we built a relationship and now Sonia Schenker @yourjobmyoffice is my virtual assistant and my right hand.

Twitter has grown my @SmallBizLady coaching brand. I have gotten several coaching clients and hundred of business contacts. I have also been invited for at least five speaking engagements, numerous blog talk radio interviews, and to do guest blog posts on several major small business websites just because of the content, resources and blog posts I tweet out regularly on Twitter.

Twitter is also an excellent resource for vendors and quick questions. In fact the header for the blog you are reading with designed by @paintermommy who approached me on Twitter to offer her services. There have been many days when I needed an answer to a technical question about WordPress or a media contact at Good Morning America and my Tweeps rush to my aid with answers in minutes.

Twitter has a culture which you should learn before you dive in, but once you find your niche it’s an amazing resource to grow any small business.

I often get asked, “Do people really make money using Twitter or are they just talking about what they had for breakfast? Absolutely, that is what I use Twitter for.

Do you have a Twitter story to share? I would love to hear it so please leave me a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works. is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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The Entrepreneur’s Job Description PART II

By Melinda Emerson on January 25, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business

Just as you would write a job description when hiring an employee, you need to understand what is fully involved in your new job as an entrepreneur and business owner. Everyone at some time or another has dreamed of becoming their own boss, but I’m here to tell you there’s a lot of work involved in running a successful small business. This post is the second of a two part series on what it takes to be an entrepreneur; click here to view Part I of this article.

This blog post is excerpted from my new book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months; A Month-By-Month Guide to a Business That Works which will be released in March 2010 by Adams Media. Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months walks you step-by-step through the Emerson Planning System, which will reduce your learning curve as you start your business.

Starting a business is a huge commitment of time, money, and personal energy. Here’s a list of five more jobs you must hold as a small business owner.

Chief Operations Officer– Once you have your vision for your business, then you must run it. Issues such as office space, banking, insurance, inventory management, budgeting and financial management are all things that must be handled in order to run a small business effectively. You must also make sure there are processes in place for hiring, sales and customer service.

Chief Project Manager— You must know who is going to really get the work done once a sale is made to a customer. Who’s going to communicate with the client, attend all meetings and make sure the project or delivery stays aligned with the timeline? Will you need to hire employees or freelancers to get the work done?

Web/Social Media Manager— In addition to having a website that is updated regularly, you also need to make sure that you are maintaining a presence on social media sites where your prospective customers are spending time. Three top social networking sites are LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. If you decide to launch a blog to keep your website updated and promote your expertise, you will also need to write regular blog posts. Using social media consistently is the best thing you can do to build your small business brand online.

Bill Collector— One you make a sale, you must have a process in place to collect your money. In the current economic environment many businesses and corporations are paying their bills late. Small businesses are always on the bottom of the list, so you must be aggressive about getting paid. On day 31, you should be on the phone and emailing about the status of your payment. This is one of the least fun things to do as a business owner, but you must be paid for your products and services.

Secretary— In addition to writing your own letters, you will do your own mail merges, labels and take your mail to the post office or over night mail drop off. You will probably answer your own phone as well. It will be important to screen your calls. Never hesitate to tell a caller you are on deadline and need to call them back. Be sure to use a message pad so that you can actually remember to return the call.

This information will help you think through having your own business – before you get too far down the road pursuing your entrepreneurial endeavor.

Click here to view Part I of this article.

What else do you think needs to go into the small business owner’s job description? Please leave a comment.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-By-Month Guide to a Business That Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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When Growth Stalls in Your Business

By Melinda Emerson on January 14, 2010 in Grow Your Business, SmallBizChat, Your Small Business

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is an excerpt from my recent interview with Steve McKee @whengrowthstall on Twitter. Steve Mckee is the author of When Growth Stalls and a columnist for BusinessWeek.com. A marketing strategist for more than two decades, he runs his own firm advertising firm, McKee Wallwork Cleveland, which was recently recognized by Advertising Age as one of ten top small agencies in the nation. For more information or to purchase a book log on to http://www.whengrowthstalls.com/.

Disclosure Note: I was mailed two books to review and to give away on #smallbizchat to prepare for this interview.

SmallBizLady: How did When Growth Stalls come about?

Steve McKee It was actually a fairly serendipitous thing. My firm, which had been named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest-growing companies, suddenly and inexplicably stalled. We went through a very difficult two-year period of drifting. During that time we commissioned a research study among other Inc. 500 companies to see what we could learn about their ability to maintain growth, and that’s when the lights came on for us, I began sharing the findings in speeches around the country and one thing led to another until the book came out.

SmallBizLady: The book seems well-timed. Did you plan it that way?

Steve McKee The fact that the book came out during the worst recession in our lifetime is pure coincidence. Our original research was completed in 2003 when the economy as a whole was doing just fine. We started the book project in early 2007, and it wasn’t until late that year that things started to go downhill. My publisher did try to move the pub date along once the economy started to tank, but it wasn’t any more planned than that.

SmallBizLady: Has the depth of the current recession impacted your thinking?

Steve McKee Only to reinforce it. Economic factors are the cause most often cited for stalled growth, and that’s happening in spades this year. In fact, my research shows that in an average year between ten and fifteen percent of companies stall. I’ve seen estimates that during this recession as many as nine out of ten companies’ sales are flat or down. Truly unprecedented.

SmallBizLady: You talk about destructive factors that correlate highly with stalled growth. What are they?

Steve McKee There are two main categories—external events, which we call “market tectonics,” and internal dynamics, which are the most insidious and destructive.

SmallBizLady: Let’s start with the externals. What are market tectonics?

Steve McKee We call them market tectonics because just as with plate tectonics in the geological world, when the economic ground starts to shake, it affects every company. Recessions, new technologies, government regulations, competition—every company has to deal with these in one form or another. That’s not to downplay their impact (the current recession being the most powerful case in point), it’s just to say that they’re not unique to any one company. Typically when growth stalls, other things are going on.

SmallBizLady: Which must be the internal dynamics, right? What are they?

Steve McKee They’re what make life really interesting in a stalled growth environment. There are four that we see cropping up over and over when things get rough: a lack of consensus among the management team, a loss of focus in the marketplace, a loss of nerve, and inconsistency. All can do their damage by stealth, which is why they’re so destructive.

SmallBizLady: Lack of consensus sounds a little odd to be the first one. Why is it?

Steve McKee It is odd, but it also tends to be present in virtually every stalled company. There’s this place between autocratic leadership and management by committee (two unworkable management situations) called consensus—some might call it strategic alignment—where healthy companies operate. Because everyone on the management team is a unique individual, we all tend to think a little bit differently about objectives, strategy and tactics. There’s room for some disagreement and lengthy debate when things are going well, but when a company is in decline (and tensions are on the rise) a lack of consensus can grind things to a halt. The reasons I list it first is because until it’s solved, none of the other internal dynamics can be.

SmallBizLady: Loss of focus is #2. Is that common?

Steve McKee Very common. Sometimes successful companies start believing they have the Midas touch and lose their focus, which causes growth to stall. Other times a loss of focus is a response to stalled growth, as companies desperately seek new revenue streams. Either way it can take them way off track.

SmallBizLady: I’m intrigued by the loss of nerve dynamic. Why is that an issue?

Steve McKee Largely because of both of the above. If you’re not sure where you’re going—if you’re not even entirely sure what’s wrong—you tend to get very cautious. The place it manifests itself most often is in the wallet, as stalled companies cut or quit investments in the things that drive business forward—training, innovation, marketing, to name three. That loss of nerve only serves to slow things down further, reinforcing the lack of consensus and creating more pressure that can cause additional focus problems. It can get complicated fast.

SmallBizLady: Factor #4 is inconsistency. Why is consistency so important?

Steve McKee Primarily because it tends to go out the window when growth stalls. And in our over-communicated culture, consistency can be your best friend. Every time a company launches a new initiative or kicks off a new campaign, in some ways it’s starting over. It’s one thing to refresh your advertising along the same lines you’ve been doing for several years; it’s quite another to try to be something in the marketplace you’ve never been before. And since it can take some time to realize marketing effects, companies that need a quick fix tend to lose patience. That only leads to more change as they dig an even deeper hole without even realizing it.

SmallBizLady: since so many companies are so slammed by economic events, can this book really help?

Steve McKee Absolutely. The recession has been terrible, but one way to look at it is as one big tectonic event. It has affected every company, and many (if not most) are now dealing with some or all of the above issues. Those that recognize them and take steps to address them now can actually gain competitive advantage, positioning their companies for greater success as the economy starts to rebound.

SmallBizLady: Any other words of advice?

Steve McKee Yes. Don’t neglect or ignore these issues. They’re real, and they’re terribly destructive. They’re not as easy to see as something that shows up on a P&L, but I guarantee you they’re affecting what that P&L says. Face up to what might be going on psychologically within your company, and don’t be afraid to confront these destructive dynamics. You may never rid your organization of them entirely (not as long as any human beings are involved), but you can keep a lid on them if you remain alert and aware.

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

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady“, is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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Best of SmallBizLady’s Blog 2009

By Melinda Emerson on December 31, 2009 in Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations

This is a list of my most popular blog posts that I have written this year. Enjoy!

1. 8 Things Small Business Owners Can Do NOW to Save Money!

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/06/2009/8-things-small-business-owners-can-do-now-to-save-money/

2. 6 Things Michael Jackson Taught Us About Business

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/07/2009/6-things-michael-jackson-taught-us-about-business/

3. 10 Books That You Should Have in Your Small Business Library

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/08/2009/10-books-that-you-should-have-in-your-small-business-library/

4. 10 Ways to Get Your Blog to Shine

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2009/10-ways-to-get-your-blog-to-shine/

5. 10 Things to Do Before 2010

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/12/2009/10-things-to-do-before-2010/

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted Twitter resource to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-By-Month Guide To a Business Than Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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