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How to Take Your Small Business to the Next Level

By on October 25, 2012 in Grow Your Business, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to Take Your Small Business to the Next LevelEvery week asSmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with JJ Ramberg, @JJRamberg, the host of Your Business on MSNBC, which is dedicated to issues affecting small business owners. Ramberg is also the co-founder of GoodSearch.com, a search engine that donates 50 percent of revenue to the charities and schools its users designate. She’s the author of the new book, It’s Your Business, 183 Essential tips that will transform your small business.

SmallBizLady: You’ve been hosting Your Business on MSNBC for six years now. Who is your favorite person that you’ve interviewed?

JJ Ramberg: While I don’t have one favorite, one of the people who made the biggest impression on me was Kim Bensen from Kim’s Light Bagels.  Kim had spent most of her adult life raising her children and running her house.  But, when her husband lost his job, she decided to take their small amount of savings and invest it into an idea she had to make low-fat bagels.  This was a big risk – they had no income, four kids and a mortgage and Kim had basically no business experience.  She did have a strong sense that there was a market for her product, and a won’t-take-no-for-an-answer kind of personality. She worked incredibly hard knocking on doors until she finally got one retailer to sell her bagels.  Now, Kim has a company that not only supports her own family, but the families of all her employees!

SmallBizLady: I know you are an entrepreneur yourself. What is the proudest moment of your life as a small business owner?

JJ Ramberg: In 2005, my brother Ken and I launched a company called GoodSearch.com which turns your everyday actions into ways to support your favorite cause.  So, each time you search the internet, shop online or dine out, a donation is made to your favorite charity or school at no cost to you.  Last year, 15 million people used GoodSearch. My proudest moment was the day we sent checks to the charities that first year.  We were still very much in start-up mode and so we printed all the checks ourselves, gathered in my brother’s living room and had an assembly line of people printing the checks and stuffing the envelopes.  It was so exciting because it was the moment that proved that our idea really resonated with people.

SmallBizLady: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your business?

JJ Ramberg: Prioritizing is incredibly hard and yet mission critical.  As entrepreneurs and small business owners, a lot of us see opportunity around every corner and are constantly coming up with new ideas.  At GoodSearch, at any given time, we have a list of about twenty new initiatives that we are very excited about launching.   And, we want them all done yesterday.  But obviously that’s not possible.  So, we have very focused management meetings where we talk about what we think our team should tackle first, second, third etc… We often come into the meetings with each of us having different ideas of where things should land on that priority list, but we leave the meetings all in agreement.   Setting that clear direction is incredibly important to the success of how our company operates.

SmallBizLady: You wrote the book “It’s Your Business.”  It includes 183 tips that you learned from people you’ve interviewed.  What is your favorite tip in the book?

JJ Ramberg: Tip number 101 is one of my favorites. It’s “Turn no into yes – part one.”  The basic idea is that if a potential client decides she does not want to work with you, don’t let this be the end of the relationship – keep their need or project in mind and contact them after a week or so with a piece of advice or an article or something that relates to their project.  This should not be a solicitation for their business, but something to keep you top of mind in case something goes wrong with the service provider they ended up choosing.

SmallBizLady: Do you have an example of how to turn a No into Yes in a small business?

JJ Ramberg: I sure do. Ashlie Yair runs a company that designs events – A.Y. Dzyne.  She was contacted by someone who wanted her company to plan a child’s birthday party.  Ashlie put together a proposal, but the potential client ended up not hiring her, saying she decided to do it herself.  About a week later, Ashlie sent the woman an email saying that she came across a castle that would work perfectly for the party and she just wanted to pass it along.  The next day, the potential client sent Ashlie an email thanking her for the link and asking if A.Y. Dzyne was still available for hire.  Just a few minutes of Ashlie’s time ended up getting her a new job!

SmallBizLady: What tip from the book do you find yourself using the most in your own company?

JJ Ramberg: I try to use Tip 109 every day -  Never say no to a potential client. Basically, if someone asks if you provide something, instead of saying no, try and answer in a way that explains what you do offer.  Here’s an example.  I was sitting in the reception area of Pilates on Fifth in New York City and a woman walked in and asked the receptionist, “Do you have yoga here?”  Instead of answering no, the receptionist said “We have Pilates and cardiolates, have you ever tried cardiolates?”  The founders of the studio, Kimberly and Katherine Corp told me that they have trained people to not say no.  No is off-putting and a conversation ender.  As you can guess, in the example I just gave, the woman ended up signing up for a cardiolates class. If the receptionist had simply answered “No, we don’t have  yoga,” it’s likely that potential customer would have just walked away.

SmallBizLady: Confidence is such an issue for small business owners, how can people be more confident in running their business?

JJ Ramberg: At some point, as an entrepreneur, you just have to take a risk.

SmallBizLady: What is the biggest mistake you see entrepreneurs make?

JJ Ramberg:  Making things too confusing! As small business owners, our companies are our babies.  And so, when someone asks us about it, we often start going on and on and on about every little detail.  Well, you have to remember that saying too much is often akin to saying nothing.  The listener gets lost, confused or bored.  Every time you explain what your company does to someone new, give yourself a test – is this simple enough for someone who does not live this company every day to understand?  As one company I just interviewed told me, always do the KISS check – Keep It Simple Stupid!

SmallBizLady: The holidays are getting to be around the corner, I saw that you have a fun tip about giving your clients gifts.

JJ Ramberg: I do!  This was one of the first tips we gathered for the book.  It’s tip 123 and the advice is to send your holiday gifts right before Thanksgiving.  That way your gift will not get lost in a pile of other gifts and will really stand out!

SmallBizLady: It seems that you care strongly about socially responsible business.  How can people incorporate being socially responsible in their own companies?

JJ Ramberg: I truly believe that running a strong company and keeping people employed is socially responsible in and of itself.  In addition, you can do little things every day to help out your community or a cause you care about.  For example, if you go to GoodShop.com, you can link over to stores like Office Depot or Target and buy all of your office supplies and a percentage of what you spend will go to your favorite charity.  You can also sponsor local nonprofits or events that help your community. Doing good is a great way to both feel good and get the word out about your company.

SmallBizLady: You and your brother Ken run your business together, that sounds like it could be tough at times. Do have suggestions for how to run a successful family business?

JJ Ramberg: It’s actually never tough.  I feel incredibly lucky to be working with Ken as he’s one of the smartest and most creative people I’ve ever known.  I think we both have different strengths and really appreciate what the other brings to the table.  Ken and my mom had started a business together previously (Jobtrak which they sold to Monster.com) and so it may just be in our blood that we have good working relationships with family members.  My suggestion is that before you go into business with a family member, be very clear that you not only love them as your brother (sister, mom etc.), but also that you respect them as a business person.

SmallBizLady: People often talk about work/life balance.  How do you manage it?

JJ Ramberg: Well there is no doubt that I had a very busy last few years.  Within five years, I launched a company, launched a tv show, got married and had three kids (who are now 2, 4 and 5).  That said, I have a wonderful support system everywhere.  Scott Leon, the executive producer of Your Business, and the entire staff (including my two co-authors Lisa Everson and Frank Silverstein) are all dedicated, as I am, to making this show the best it can be.  At home, I have a great husband who shares in everything we do there.  And at GoodSearch, Ken, my brother has been an incredible co-founder. About a year ago, we also hired Scott Garell, the former President of Ask.com, to be the CEO of the company.  So, the key is, surround yourself with good people.   I try to separate my work and family life so that when I’m working, I’m working and when I’m with my family, that gets my full attention. Granted, it doesn’t always work, but I try!

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm 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. 

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The Power of Personal Connections

By on October 11, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Social Media

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 The Power of Personal ConnectionsEvery week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Jane Applegate @janewapplegate.  Jane is the author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business and the producer and host of Tech Essentials, an online tech show for business owners sponsored by Microsoft. You can follow Jane on her website www.theapplegategroup.com

SmallBizLady: If everyone is connected on social networks, why do we still need personal connections?

Jane Applegate: Well, based on my experience in business with my production company and as a journalist, every positive thing that has happened to me has happened through a personal connection–often one person or through a referral. Since we spend so much time online, it’s even more important to schedule face-to-face meetings and schedule phone or Skype calls.

SmallBizLady: Give me an example of how personal connections worked for you.

Jane Applegate: One day a few years ago, I was interviewing a Microsoft executive for a documentary I wrote and produced for Dartmouth College. While we were walking out to the car, I asked if he would consider introducing me to just one person in Microsoft’s small business marketing group–any group. He agree and that one email introduction led to the biggest and highest profile project we have–producing and hosting Tech Essentials which is available 24/7 on Microsoft’s  myfirstserver dot com site.

SmallBizLady: I know you are a real people person, but what if someone is shy and prefers to do everything online, do you have some advice for them?

Jane Applegate: Start with a small step like joining the chapter of a local trade association or professional group. Attend monthly seminars, workshops and networking events. Practice your ‘elevator pitch,’ which is just a few lines about who you are and what you do. If you don’t want to feel pressured to network at events, volunteer to work at the registration desk handing out name badges.. You’ll get to meet everyone in a low stress situation.

SmallBizLady: What else can people do to strengthen their personal network?

Jane Applegate: Everyone should spend at least a half hour day sending emails or calling people they know. It can be just a quick call to say hello–or you can ask that person if they have any projects they need help with or need to buy what you sell. Then, spend about the other 30 minutes of that hour updating your social networks. Post interesting information, not what you had for lunch or where you plan to have a drink after work. I like LinkedIn, especially the mobile app. And of, course, Twitter. Re-tweet anything that you find interesting. It’s a great way to connect with people.

SmallBizLady: What about setting up meetings? It seems that no one wants to meet anymore.

Jane Applegate: If traffic or distance makes it tough to meet face to face, schedule a phone, Face Time or Skype call. I’m a huge fan of Skype. When I was in Europe this summer shooting new video segments for our SmallBiz World TV network, I used Skype to keep in touch with my friends, production team and family. Skyping with clients and customers is a great way to maintain business and personal relationships. Remember, we do business with people, not companies.

SmallBizlady: Do you have more advice for people who are reluctant to reach out and ask for help or advice.

Jane Applegate: Finding a mentor is extremely important no matter what you do. The challenge is finding someone who is several steps ahead of you–and then convincing them to exchange emails once in a while or spending 10 minutes on the phone once a month. Many people scare away potential mentors because they want too much from them. Start by asking for the minimum contact–and see how it goes. Always think about what you want to ask them about or discuss. Be prepared and never waste their time.

One of my top advisors for many years was working in Washington at an extremely high-level, high-pressure job. We corresponded with personal notes and kept in touch like that for years.

SmallBizLady: What’s the best way to connect with someone you read about or see on TV or online?

Jane Applegate: Most people have a website with contact information. Look at the About Us page and find the marketing or PR person. Contact them first and explain exactly why you want to get in touch with the principal of the firm. Ask everyone you know if they know the person you are trying to connect with—there are truly six degrees of separation. It’s not that hard to get through to people if you do it in a professional and polite manner. I’m a big fan of good old-fashioned letters. People get such few letters these days; a handwritten letter can really cut through the clutter.

SmallBizLady:  You advocate using hand-written letters. What about services like Send Out Cards?

Jane Applegate: That’s another great tool for connecting. A friend and colleague sends me those cards all the time. She personalizes them with photos and always includes a personal note. People love getting mail, especially if it’s not a bill or junk mail.

SmallBizLady: How can you encourage your customers and clients to make personal referrals?

Jane Applegate: If people like what you do for them, they are usually open to spreading the word. You just need to ask them to call one or two people… or make a quick email introduction. I’m making email introductions every day. It’s a simple and easy way to connect two people who you think should get together. In 2008 and 2009, during the worst of the recession, I was not very busy. Marketing budgets were slashed and I was sitting in Vermont trying to figure out what to do. I decided to spend several hours a day making connections for other people. Pushing out good karma with no expectations.  When the economy picked up, I was busier than ever.

SmallBizLady: What is your best secret to expand your professional network?

Jane Applegate: Ask your best customers and friends to introduce you to two people who may need your product or service. A warm call is easier to make than a cold call.

SmallBizLady: You are great at getting people together. Do you have anything coming up that can help small business owners?

Jane Applegate: I’ve organized a 24-Hour Small Biz Makeover contest coming up on Oct. 17 in New York at the @NewYorkXpo. There’s still time for people to apply when they register at: www.eventmanagement.org/newyork/register.php.  I’ve got the top small business owners in America including you @SmallBizLady, to come together to work with one lucky winner that day.

SmallBizLady: How did you get the top small business owners in America to come together for the 24-Hour Small Biz Makeover contest?

Jane Applegate: Through the years, I’ve tried to help everyone who helps small business owners thrive and flourish. So, I guess I’m just good at calling in small favors. We don’t pay anyone to serve on the Makeover team, but we do produce a great video and interview all the experts and make those clips available to them for promotional purposes.

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. 

 

sm ninja2 476 238x300 The Power of Personal ConnectionsDon’t forget to Pre-order my new ebook How to Become a Social Media Ninja which will be released Oct. 20th. I’m providing 101 Tips to dominate your competition online. Go to http://succeedasyourownboss.com/ebook to place your order.

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.comMelinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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How to be a Successful Under 30 Entrepreneur

By on October 4, 2012 in Business Inspiration, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to be a Successful Under 30 EntrepreneurEvery week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Michael Simmons @MichaelDSimmons. Michael is an award-winning serial entrepreneur who started his first business at age 16. He’s the bestselling author of The Student Success Manifesto. His company, Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, has worked with hundreds of colleges & universities to help young people become more entrepreneurial through books, in-person and virtual events, and an online mentorship software. For more information: www.ExtremeTour.org

SmallBizLady: What is the single most important thing that potential small business owners under 30 should know?

Michael Simmons: They should know that it’s possible. I know that sounds very basic, but a very small percentage of young people even realize that entrepreneurship is a viable career pathway.  A survey of high school students found that this number was only in the low single digits. If you don’t think something’s possible, then you definitely won’t take the necessary steps in order to be successful at it.

SmallBizLady: How do you get young people to believe that entrepreneurship is a viable career pathway?

Michael Simmons: Based on my company’s experiences on over 500 campuses with the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour (http://www.extremetour.org), the first critical step is people being exposed to role models they can relate to. Our goal is always to get audience members to the point where they think to themselves, “If he or she can do that, so can I!” We want to avoid people thinking, “This person was only successful because they had xyz advantage. I don’t have that so I can’t be successful.”

SmallBizLady: What are keys to a good role model?

Michael Simmons: I’ve found that the more similar a role model is to someone, the more they can relate to them. What makes someone similar varies depends on the person. Different key factors for types of role models are:

  • Age
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Perceived Intelligence
  • Financial Upbringing
  • Where They’re From

At the end of the day, the sign that someone is a good role model for someone is emotional awakening where the individual is inspired to do something that they previously thought was not possible.

The other sign of a good role model is that the person has actually accomplished what you want to accomplish. That way, their advice isn’t based on theory; it is based on practice.

SmallBizLady: Once people believe in themselves, what’s the best way to get them started?

Michael Simmons: There are some people who can simply hear how to start a business and then they’ll start taking action. If those people don’t know something, they’ll find the missing information on their own. Realistically, 99% of people are not like that. They need to be put in some sort of program that provides ongoing support and accountability that will give them momentum.

SmallBizLady: How can people interested in entrepreneurship programs find the best program for them?

Michael Simmons: You can see one of the most comprehensive lists of national organizations serving entrepreneurs at http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/show/198758815. To find local organizations, I would recommend searching for SCORE, SBDC, Co-Working, and Accelerator offices in your community. From there, you can ask these organizations for referrals to other organizations. If you’re in school, I would see if your school has an entrepreneurship program.

SmallBizLady: When evaluating programs, what are some keys to look for?

Michael Simmons: In starting a business, momentum is key. If you get enough momentum, you reach the point of no return. That point is where it is actually harder to stop than it is to keep on going.

I would look for entrepreneurship support programs that focus on helping you get momentum rather than just theoretical knowledge.

SmallBizLady: Once someone gets started, how can they avoid failure?

Michael Simmons: I would first distinguish between types of failure. There is business failure and personal failure. Business failure is when a business goes out of business. Personal failure is when you give up on yourself and take yourself out of the entrepreneurship journey. I think the biggest cause of business failure is personal failure.

I don’t want to completely minimize the importance of business how-to knowledge. However, I do think that people overestimate it. That knowledge can be learned with practice, but once you take yourself out of the game and stop practicing the skill of entrepreneurship, then you will not succeed.

SmallBizLady: What should people’s expectations be about the entrepreneurial journey?

Michael Simmons: When people have the expectation that entrepreneurship is easy and that success will come quickly, they’ll label themselves as a failure and give up too soon. For people who look at it as a journey, they’ll look at failures as learning lessons and keep improving. Even if the first business someone starts doesn’t work, a long-term entrepreneur will realize that they are much better prepared to start the next business.

SmallBizLady: What is the best way for young entrepreneurs to raise money?

Michael Simmons: Young entrepreneurs starting today are lucky that there are now a number of funding sources for aspiring entrepreneurs with low incomes, no assets, and little credit history. If you’re looking for debt, I would recommend searching for local micro-enterprise organizations at http://www.aeoworks.org/index.php/site/page/category/find/ or using crowdfunding platforms like KickStarter, Indiegogo, or Fundable. If you’re looking for equity investments, I would recommend applying to a startup accelerator and also creating a profile on http://www.angel.co.

SmallBizLady: Entrepreneurship is a humbling process. What are specific strategies that people can use to keep up their motivation?

Michael Simmons: I think the first phase involves introspection and taking time to understand what is the most meaningful for you in life. I personally like to build businesses around what’s most meaningful to me, even if that business is not a mainstream business and people don’t immediately understand it. Secondly, I think the key is setting up things so that achieving your goals becomes a MUST rather than THAT WOULD BE NICE. Once things are a must, they get done.

SmallBizLady: How can young entrepreneurs take advantage of being young?

Michael Simmons: Young entrepreneurs have a number of competitive advantages as a generation. First, young entrepreneurs understand how to reach other people their own age better than people from a different generation. Secondly, Generation Y is the first generation to grow up with the Internet. A lot of things that Generation Y entrepreneurs take for granted in terms of their technical skills are much harder for people who are older to understand and apply. Finally, young entrepreneurs have much less to lose, and they’re at a phase in life where it’s easier to take on more risk.

SmallBizLady: What are the two biggest mistakes people make in entrepreneurship?

Michael Simmons: I would say that the two biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to entrepreneurship are 1) Not getting started 2) Not keeping on going and improving. If you don’t make these two mistakes, then your success is a matter of time rather than a matter of chance.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm 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. 

SociaMediaNinja 231x300.tilted 250x300 How to be a Successful Under 30 EntrepreneurDon’t forget to Pre-order my new ebook How to Become a Social Media Ninja which will be released Oct. 15th. I’m providing 101 Tips to dominate your competition online. Go to http://succeedasyourownboss.com/ebook to place your order.

 

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. 

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