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#SmallBizChat Celebrates 1 Year of Ending Small Business Failure

By Melinda Emerson on April 19, 2010 in Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

SmallBizChat marks 1 year anniversary this week.

SmallBizChat marks its 1 year anniversary this week.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of #SmallBizChat.

For the past year, every Wednesday at 8pm ET, I have had a standing appointment on Twitter with small business owners — to answer their small business questions.

The focus of #Smallbizchat is to end small business failure by helping business owners with issues and challenges as they start and grow their enterprises. I have a team that helps conduct Smallbizchat; my co-host Cathy Larkin @cathywebsavvypr and my virtual assistant Sonia Schenker @yourjobmyoffice who prepares the transcript each week and maintains our guest calendar.

The target market for #Smallbizchat is emerging entrepreneurs 25-54, who have logged less than five years in business. We try to balance topics between challenges for start-ups and issues that would be faced by a business with 20 or fewer employees.

We have hosted nearly 50 authors and small business experts who shared their knowledge and expertise with our loyal small business owners in an interview format. In partnership with our guest, we develop 10 to 12 questions in advance, but we always take live follow-up questions from the audience on Twitter.

We started our journey April 22, 2009 with @DeniseOberry, author of Small Business Cash Flow, as our first guest. She joined us to talk about How to Recession Proof Your Business.

At the time we launched this twitter–based talk show, we knew there was a need for entrepreneurs to get real-time answers to their small business questions. We saw a niche for a chat targeting start-up and early stage entrepreneurs who were looking to start or had only been in business a few years. Twitter was just getting really hot, and I was fairly new to twitter, but we set out on a mission to End Small Business Failure—and we knew we were on the right road. The first show drew a small crowd, but quickly the word spread. Within six weeks of starting the chat we had people asking about the following week’s guest.

The Format Makes All the Difference Leaning on my television production background, I really wanted to develop a consistent format to conduct the show to ensure that we were providing quality content. We ask prospective guests to submit questions and answers based on their expertise in order to be considered as a guest. We use this process to vet guests, and to ensure we are giving our small business owners real and valuable content.

Our chat lasts but one hour and is from 8-9pm Eastern because I put my young son to bed at 9 pm. Plus, and I think the time frame gives enough information without that chat being overwhelming.

Within a half-hour after #Smallbizchat ends, Sonia produces the transcript, which is archived on this site – http://www.Succeedasyorownboss.com By completing an easy signup form to access transcripts, you can create a login user name for access to past transcripts of the show. About four months into producing #Smallbizchat, we decided to use the submitted Q&A content as a blog post each week to help people who do not use Twitter benefit from the information. As such, a longer more in depth Q&A interview posts to this blog each Thursday morning.

At the end of every chat we do two things: Announce the next week’s guest and do Roll Call which is an opportunity of all participants to do their best #140 character commercials about their businesses.

Here’s what small businesses say about #Smallbizchat

“I love attending #SmallBizChat hosted by my business startup coaching colleague Melinda Emerson. Each week she attracts amazing guests on the topics that are valuable for business owners especially in the early stages of their entrepreneurial adventure. In addition to having an impressive guest list, the interactive nature of Twitter allows for real time, lively discussion. I always come away from the live chats learning something new. ”  Sherri Garrity, Chief Corporate Fugutive http://www.corporatefugitive.com

“It’s the best 60 minutes you could spend expanding your social media network.” – Katherine Lewis, founder of http://www.CurrentMom.com @currentmom

“Participating in #smalllbizchat has been a terrific opportunity to share information and learn from others in numerous areas that are important to small business owners.”  – Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Miller Mosaic Power Marketing – www.MillerMosaicLLC.com @zimblermiller

“I attend her #Smallbizchat every Wed Night 8pm to 9pm ET. Your small business will never be the same again! She has a WEALTH of tips!”   JD Ebberly @JDEbberly

How are we celebrating the anniversary? We welcome our biggest guest of the year, Michael E. Gerber, international best selling author of more than 13 books including, The E Myth Revisited. I regard Michael as the “Yoda of Small Business Development.” Inc. magazine calls him “The World’s #1 Small Business Guru.” He’s got amazing knowledge to share, and I am honored that he’s helping us mark our 1 year anniversary.

I am also speaking at the #140 characters conference in New York City on Wednesday ( #140conf ). I believe that the fact that I host #Smallbizchat is a large part of the reason why I was invited.

If you’ve been helped by #Smallbizchat, please tell us here by leaving a comment. Plus, if you tweet out a small business tip you learned from #Smallbizchat, I will do a special blog post on Friday highlighting the best the responses. Please use the hashtag #1tip and address the tweet to @Smallbizchat.

Thank you to our smart, generous and loyal #Smallbizchat fans, advocates and participants. Here’s to another great year of #Smallbizchat. I look forward to it!

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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.

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 Boss in 12 Months is out in March 2010.

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Can You Afford to Become An Entrepreneur?

By Melinda Emerson on March 29, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Cash Flow & Finance, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Everyone has good ideas. Some of them may even be million dollar ideas, but if you live from paycheck to paycheck or way beyond your means, you may never be able to quit your job and start a business.

As the Smallbizlady, often I get emails, facebook messages and DM’s on Twitter from people asking me to help them start a business. My first three questions are usually something like this.

What is your business idea?
How much money do you have saved?
How much money do you think it will take to launch this business?

If question two brings on a case of stuttering, I start shaking my head.

You should have three pools of money before your start a business.

An emergency fund for the household
12-24 months of budget to run your household
12-18 months of money to launch and operate the business.

Now hear this, “Your ability to save has everything to do with your ability to start a business!”

Money is not everything. It’s just a tool, but it is certainly the beginning of a business plan. Banks rarely, if ever, loan money to start-up businesses. Banks will typically not deal with you for a loan or line of credit until you’re been in business 2-3 years and can show growth in the business with your financial statements and business tax returns.

There are some franchising opportunities that will provide some working capital, but 30-50% of the money will still come from you. And by the way, you will need to have significant net worth and assets to collateralize the loan. Think of it this way, no credit = no business. When you are first starting out in business, you are your business’s credit.

So what do you do if you have a great idea and no money? There are other sources of funds to start your business. There’s the 3 F’s Family, Friends, Fools. Your family loves you and hopefully believes in you enough to invest in your business. If you are fortunate enough to have a family that can afford to invest in you– you are fortunate, but beware. Your rich Aunt Sally may think she’s your boss and might call you up every 30 days to check on how her $50K is doing. You may not want that kind of pressure in your new business.

Then there are your friends. Nothing can kill a friendship faster than borrowing money that you can’t pay back. I have a rule. I do not loan money to friends, I give it to them. I make sure that I do not give away any money that I can not afford to lose. Would your friends do that for you? If so, they could be an option.

Every once in awhile, a hungry entrepreneur will come across a rich guy who’s an idealist about business, who falls in love your idea but doesn’t wish to run the business. That is an angel investor— who will invest money in the company for an equity stake and lend his or her network to help you. Do not get your hopes up about finding an angel investor in this economy. It can happen, but let’s just say you are better off using your own funds that you save to start your business. Family, friends or an angel investor can be fools for investing in a half-baked business idea. Invest your time, to make sure you have a sound business plan before you take anyone’s money. And do have a plan to show them—for when and how you think you’ll pay it back.

If you do have assets, you are in a different situation. You can borrow against your 401K, you can take out a home equity loan, you can sell your home or rental property, you can cash in a Roth IRA. The money must come from somewhere—its best when it comes from your own coffers.

It’s essential that you start your business from a position of financial security. Otherwise, you’re finished before you get started.

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 Coach and Social Media Strategist 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 also publishes a resource blog on small business best practices at www.succeedasyourownboss.com Her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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What Health Care Reform Means for Your Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on March 22, 2010 in Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Last night, Congress led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, succeeded in finally passing legislation that will empower 31 million people with a new right to health insurance and remake the nation’s health care system. Many of those people without healthcare are small business owners, who have been struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Just after the vote passed, President Obama said, “This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system, but it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like.”

So what does this really mean for you and your business? Once signed into law by President Obama, working professionals will no longer need to keep their job to have health insurance. No longer will those without financial means and pre-existing medical conditions be subject to the greed of health insurance companies.

Small businesses with fewer than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 will be eligible for tax credits to cover up to 35% of their insurance premiums.
Companies with more than 50 workers that don’t offer health-insurance coverage would pay an assessment of $2,000 per full-time worker if any of their workers gets a tax credit to buy coverage.
Employers with more than 200 employees would be required to enroll all employees automatically in their health-insurance plans, though workers could still opt out.
Legislation would place a $2,500 limit on what can be contributed to employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts funded with pre-tax dollars from employees.

Here’s 10 Things the new health care reform means for you and your family.

New insurance plans would have to pay full cost of certain preventive care and exempt this care from deductibles. (The requirement wouldn’t apply to existing policies until 2018.)
Insurers wouldn’t be allowed to cancel policies just because a person became sick
No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
Insurers would be barred from denying adults coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. (The provision doesn’t take effect until 2014.)
Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online.
Children could stay on their parents’ insurance policies until their 26th birthday
Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
For patients frustrated by attempts to get reimbursed for insurance claims, the government would establish an ombudsman and a claims process to help them reconcile contested medical bills. The spirit of the past must be empowered by the possibilities of today.

Like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Sunday’s vote will forever be a watershed moment for the nation. Generations to come will look back to this historic vote as one where the American dream was more fully realized. After this bill passed, President Obama said, “We did not fear our future, we shaped it.” In the Declaration of Independence it says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” When our forefathers referred to “Life,” in this historic document, it meant preservation of life in the form of access to quality health care. The single leading cause of the massive health care disparities and premature death in America is access to affordable health care. It is my hope that in the years to come access to healthcare becomes a moot issue for all Americans.

Reference Articles:

New York Times: House Approves Health Overhaul, Sending Landmark Bill to Obama http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/health/policy/22health.html?pagewanted=1

Wall Street Journal: Consumers Would See Impact Soon After Health-Care Bill’s Enactment http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704534904575132110999558770.html

Business Week: New Taxes for Health Care Help Obama ‘Spread the Wealth Around’ http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-22/new-taxes-for-health-care-help-obama-spread-the-wealth-around-.html

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 in12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010.

If you’re ready to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

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Your GPS To Start a Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on March 15, 2010 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business

Most people dream about owning a small business. You may have had a “notion” for years that someday you would be CEO of a company, successful beyond your wildest dreams. Turning that dream into reality is an evolutionary process, involving not only having a solid business idea, but also understanding the “business of running a business.” Then you must ask yourself: Do I have the guts and skills I need to make my dream a business reality?

You will need to get your arms around tasks like accounting, legal issues, operations requirements, branding and financial management skills, banking relationships and processes, and needed human capital.

On top of that, do you have the courage, persistence, skills, work ethic and focus needed to succeed? Can you do all the jobs entrepreneurs must do? These jobs include chief salesperson, secretary, payroll clerk, IT technician, HR manager, collections agent and once you get a sale – you must service the customer, too.

Don’t put your dreams at risk by not doing enough research and thoughtful planning. I have developed an approach that will help you plan your escape from corporate America. It’s called the Emerson Planning System or E.P.S. I have written about how to use this system in my new book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months.

It is a six step system.

I. Life Plan – A life plan is a way to identify your motivation, skills, and personal goals and how you figure out what you really want out of life. You must develop a plan for your life and build a business around that business. Examine how you live now and then how you want to live. What do you love? What makes you laugh? And what do you need to learn?

II. Financial Plan – You must be able to support your household for up to two years before you can afford to cut off your paycheck. You also need funds to operate your business for the first year. Use a strict budget. Too many small companies operate at a net loss and do not realize it until it’s too late. There are many money-draining traps that can snare small business owners. If you are not thinking about your enterprise making money every day, then instead of a business, all you really have is an expensive hobby.

III. Validate Your Business Concept — You have already considered your personal goals, motivations, and whether or not you can afford to become an entrepreneur. Now you need to examine the basic business concept and what skills you have and need to run this type of business. It’s time the start writing down how you will get things done.

IV. Marketing Plan — Who’s going to buy from you and why? This is the stage where you do your in depth market research, competitive analysis and target market analysis. It’s also very important to develop a signature that will set your business apart.

V. Business Plan—You must write a business plan. You would never take a trip without planning how much money it was going to cost for travel, what you were going to do during your trip and where you were going to stay. You need to give your new business the same level of attention. It’s also important to have realistic financial projections that reflect three years of operations. Be sure that you understand how much money is in every sale for you.

VI. Start Your Business –It is best to start your business while you are still working. Yes–You will be tired, but it’s best to keep those paychecks rolling in for as long as you can.

The Emerson Planning System starts with getting your personal house in order so that you can start your business that nourishes your soul and minimizes the financial hardship for yourself and your family.

Business success is rarely a straight line to the top. It is not enough to have a plan “A”, you must be flexible, meaning you need a plan “B” and even a plan “C” to side-step obstacles in your business. Problems are inevitable. Anything can happen—from needing alternative suppliers, having to change your product mix, adjusting your prices to the competition or having to create a new value proposition if the old one fails. “Solution” thinking is the only remedy. When you are a start up business, there are two things that can take your business down on any given day: lack of planning and lack of experience.

Don’t let this happen to your business. Plan for success!

Tell me how long you planned before starting your business.

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 in March 2010 by Adams Media.

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Working With The One You Love

By Melinda Emerson on February 15, 2010 in 10 Things Lists, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

When you are first starting out in business, you will need help. Good help is especially hard to find when you have very limited resources. Other than interns, you may be forced to look around your personal network to see if you have any friends or family that can jump in and help you build your new enterprise. One of the most obvious helpers that may jump out to you is your spouse. But working with the one you love can be a slippery slope. If you drive each other crazy with simple household work, it’s probably not a good idea to work together. There also are those who believe that you should never hire someone you can’t fire. Why? If you fire your spouse you could ruin or severely damage your marriage.

Relationships and certainly marriages are hard work every day without adding the complications and stress of working together in a start-up business. My husband and I worked together in my first business Quintessence Multimedia for four years—so I have perspective on this subject.

Whether you go it alone or work with your sweetie… it’s a challenge. One of things that you need to do if you decide to work together is really understand each other’s best skills and work styles.

I am a morning person, who is a hyper Type-A, task master. I make lists and mow down the list daily. My husband is a corporate MBA, six sigma, sales manager, and a procrastinator. We annoyed each other every day, before we even got to the office. We drove to the office together, and were late most days because my husband was usually running late. I found myself sitting in the living room, waiting silently and getting more upset by the minute. One of the things that really helped us was seeking out mentorship from an older husband and wife team who had an office in our building. Once they suggested that we drive separate cars to work, that problem was solved.

One of the critical decisions that need to be made if you are working with your spouse is whether you are going to be equal partners, or if one of you is the boss. Defining this dynamic upfront – and communicating it – is essential. There’s a big difference between being a partner and being a key employee. This especially comes into play when handling disagreements about the business.

Ladies–this is a big issue for you if you started the business, and your husband later joins the business. Some men really can’t handle being a key employee, and may assert themselves like they are the boss.

The long term viability of the business and the marriage are intertwined. Resentment from this dynamic can really spill over into your home life. When you are personally invested in your business; it’s hard to not take a bad day in your business home with you at night.

So How Can You Avoid Having Your Work-life Ruin Your Home-life?

Here’s SmallBizLady’s 10 Rules for Working Well With Your Spouse.

Have clearly defined roles at work, and stay in your lanes.
Regular date nights (weekly if possible)
Drive separate cars
Have separate offices (and separate assistants–if you can afford it)
Have clearly defined roles at home, too
Have regular meetings to air out disagreements
Have separate interests outside of the business
Make decisions based on what’s best for the business
Be accountable to each other (regardless of who get the final say)
Seek out other couplepreneurs to get advice and support.

A great husband and wife business owner team, Donna Maria Coles Johnson her husband Darryl Johnson inspired me in part to write this blog post. They lead the Indie Beauty Network http://www.indiebeauty.com. I interviewed them last year about being successful couplepreneurs.

Do you have a rule or suggestion for how to work successfully with your spouse?

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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Good Start President Obama, But More Change Needs To Come

By Melinda Emerson on January 29, 2010 in Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

My first guest post for Smallbiztrends went live this week. “Will 2010 Be the Year of Start-Up America?” generated much interest, prompting many people to ask for my opinion about President Obama’s State of the Union Address — and what impact it will have on the nation’s small businesses.

My ears perked up when I heard our President say, “Now the true engine of job creation in the country will always be America’s businesses. But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers. We should start where most new jobs do—in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides its time she became her own boss.”

There were five key points made by President Obama that are noteworthy and make me somewhat optimistic that this administration finally understands that supporting America’s small businesses will save the nation’s economy. I have listed the initiatives in order of what I think will be most helpful.

Tax credits for one million small businesses that hire new workers and providing wage increases.

Many businesses could be helped by this. The key will be how soon it would take effect.

Tax incentives for all businesses to invest in new plants and equipment.

I would suggest that this incentive be connected to building energy efficient plants.

National Export Initiative to help farmers and small businesses increase their exports.

Small businesses need to know how to go global. I need more details on this, but I am excited to think that this program could make a real difference.

30 Billion dollars for community banks from the repaid TARP funds.

This is important because previously alternative lenders (CDFIs & CDCs) had about 1.6 Billion dollars to lend. The challenge that exists with this is two-fold:

1) Many existing business are no longer credit worthy after nearly two years of struggling there.

2) No lender wants to fund start-up businesses with no track record or collateral. So who will qualify to borrow these funds?

Eliminate the capital gains taxes on small business investment.

Given that 97% of all small businesses in the US generate less than one million in revenue, the capital gains tax relief is really going to help an extremely small number of entrepreneurs.

At the end of his speech President Obama said, “I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change or that I can deliver it. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit.”

We’ll Mr. President you had better not quit! The nation’s 26 million small businesses are counting on you to be change we can believe in.

Having this conversation about a small business economy is so important right now. Please leave me a comment to share your thoughts on this subject.

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:

Comments { 8 }

How to Blog for Money

By Melinda Emerson on January 21, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, How to Start, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Starting A Small Business, Women in 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 Katherine Reynolds Lewis @CurrentMom. She is a former newspaper national correspondent who now runs her own freelance writing business focusing on work, personal finance and parenting for magazines, Web sites and newspapers. She’s the founder of CurrentMom.com, an incubator for emerging mom-focused technologies and women entrepreneurs. For more information www.currentmom.com

SmallBizLady: What skills and background make someone likely to succeed at blogging for money?

Katherine Lewis: Obviously, you have to be a decent writer. But some of the most gifted writers I know would never succeed as bloggers because they don’t have the business sense and the ability to budget their time. You need to be ruthlessly efficient in creating high-quality content that people want to read. You have to avoid the tendency to get sucked into a topic and spend way too much time on it. It also helps to have the self-confidence to present yourself in an appealing way and the commitment to make it through the start-up period when you’re writing reams and making very little.

SmallBizLady: What are the biggest mistakes beginning bloggers make starting out?

Katherine Lewis: The biggest mistake is assuming that everyone will be fascinated by the minutia of your life or that you are funny if you’re not. It’s easy to look at personal blogs that skyrocketed to success, like Dooce or the Julie/Julia Project, and think, “I could do that too!” The truth is that blogging is a lot of work and making it big on a personal blog is like winning the lottery. Be a critical editor of your own writing. The next biggest mistake is relying only on advertising for revenue. You need to put together a business model that includes other revenue streams, such as sponsorships, affiliate commissions, direct product sales, donations, e-courses or seminars, network marketing, consulting or even pay per post. But don’t expect a blog that is heavily sales oriented to resonate with readers; one rule of thumb is 80 percent valuable content to 20 percent sales messages. (At most.)

SmallBizLady: How do you get a gig writing a blog for a corporation, association or Web site?

Katherine Lewis: Writing a blog for hire can be less work at first if you are guaranteed a certain income. Many of the outfits that pay you only for pageviews you receive will be just as much work as starting your own blog from scratch — with the downside that you likely don’t own your own words. You land a paid blogging gig the same way you get any job: network, network, network. These days, every business owner either has a blog or thinks she needs one. If you can demonstrate your blogging skills, you can market it as a skill alongside the other business services you may perform.

SmallBizLady: How much can you expect to get paid to blog?

Katherine Lewis: This is a very controversial topic in all of the blogging and writing groups I belong to. There are lots of organizations offering $5 or $10 a post, or only paying based on your pageviews or conversions. I would discourage anyone from traveling this route, unless you want a platform to sell an existing product/book or market yourself as a consultant. But there are decent gigs out there where you can earn $50 to $100 for a relatively simple post. The most I’ve ever made for a single blog post was $500.

SmallBizLady: How should you use social media to promote your blog?

Katherine Lewis: Any way you can! Everyone who creates content needs to have a Twitter account and Facebook page, in my opinion. I’d also add LinkedIn and StumbleUpon to that list, if you have the time. Use social media to find like-minded bloggers and develop relationships with them. Make sure you leave comments on their sites and link to them, and you might also swap guest posts. Social media is also a great way to expose your off-line network to your blog posts.

SmallBizLady: Should you blog for free in order to put together a portfolio of work that will land you future paid work?

Katherine Lewis: I don’t ever blog for free. But I’ve been a professional writer for 15 years. If you’re just starting out, I could imagine blogging for free just to get into the practice of writing regularly for an interactive audience. Or if you want to explore a new voice or new content area. Just don’t expect it to lead to a dream gig; at most it would give you a step up.

SmallBizLady: What are the best resources for beginning bloggers who want to make money at it?

Katherine Lewis: I like @Problogger @copybloggger @typeamom - and for those on a more professional track: @mediabistro @poynter @ONA

SmallBizLady: How long does it take to start making real money blogging? How much time do you need to spend and how do you structure your blogging?

Katherine Lewis: A lot. A lot. If you’re starting a blog from scratch, it takes at least six months to establish yourself with Google and other search engines. Then you can build some serious pageviews and eventually make something more than bus fare. I’d suggest structuring your blogging in a very disciplined way because it’s easy to let it take over your entire day. Better to limit it to two extremely focused hours, if that’s a pace you can maintain over the long term.

SmallBizLady: How do you come up with ideas for content? Don’t you run out of ideas for blog posts?

Katherine Lewis: At any given time, I have about a dozen ideas that I am dying to write about, in each of the topic areas I cover. I can’t imagine running out of ideas. I keep ongoing lists of story ideas and add to them as I read the news or talk to people. I’m a voracious consumer of all forms of media, and usually that stimulates more ideas. If you are at a loss for ideas, search Google Insights or Adwords for the keywords that you imagine your readers would be searching for. Look at your blog statistics to see what keywords are bringing people to your blog; create more content along those lines. You can always write about events in the news or upcoming holidays.

SmallBizLady: Do I need to worry about the new Federal Trade Commission guidelines for bloggers?

Katherine Lewis: Absolutely! I’m not a lawyer, but my basic understanding is that bloggers must disclose any benefit we get in exchange for a review or a blog post, whether that’s free products or outright payment. When in doubt, disclose. More: http://bit.ly/2Cuu2F

SmallBizLady: What’s the best advice for people who want to blog for money?

Katherine Lewis: This is not a pursuit for the faint of heart. You must pace yourself so you don’t burn out before you can start making money. Network relentlessly, and give at least as much as you take along the way. Be willing to adapt your business model along the way to add new elements or abandon ideas that aren’t working. Be stingy with your time — only spend it when you have a clear vision of how it will help you achieve your goal. Most important, don’t neglect your real life. Have fun blogging, but take a break from the computer once in a while!

Links to relevant articles:

http://www.currentmom.com/currentmom/2009/11/get-started-freelance-writing-for-money-3-questions-to-ask.html

http://www.currentmom.com/currentmom/2009/11/why-are-you-blogging-money-or-selfexpression.html

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

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Best of Melinda Emerson’s #SmallBizChat Interviews in 2009

By Melinda Emerson on December 28, 2009 in Business Inspiration, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Telesummit, Women in Business, Your Small Business

My interview with Sherri Garrity on how to quit a job to start a business:

Sherri is the founder of Corporate Fugitive. Her company provides business coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners who want to go from overwhelmed to extraordinary. In 2007, she walked away from a successful marketing career to start her own consulting business. Contact her on Twitter @SherriGarrity or at http://www.corporatefugitive.com

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/how-to-quit-a-job-to-start-a-business/

My Interview with Christina Katz on how to develop a platform for your small business:

Christina is the author of Get Known Before The Book Deal; Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids for Writer’s Digest Books. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, presents at publishing events around the country. Find Christina on Twitter at @thewritermama or at: http://christinakatz.com/

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/12/2009/how-to-develop-a-platform-for-your-small-business/

My Interview with coach Elizabeth Barbour on 5 Ways to Shift from Tired to Inspired in Business:

Elizabeth Barbour’s company is The Inspired Entrepreneur. She is a small business coach who serves as a catalyst for entrepreneurs to take inspired action and create extraordinary results in business and in life. Her four core values are community, celebration, spirituality and self-care. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @CoachElizabethB Visit www.ElizabethBarbour.com.

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/5-ways-to-shift-from-tired-to-inspired-in-business/

#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 1)

In November 2009, we presented the first annual #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. This blog post recapped three key points that each expert shared with us. The four experts highlighted are:

Mike Michalowicz talked about using social media a build your business. Mike aka @TPEntrepreneur is a small business expert and author of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. For more information, please visit toiletpaperentrepreneur.com

Karyn Greenstreet talked to us about mastermind group best practices. Karyn aka @kgreenstreet is a self-employment expert who runs thesuccessalliance.com. Her website has all the resources a business owner needs to start or run a mastermind group.

Dr. Mel Gravely talked about how to retool your business in tough times. Mel aka @melgravely is the founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, the leading think tank on issues related to business development. For more information, please visit entrethinking.com .

Tim Berry talked about Managing Cash Flow in a Tough Economy. Tim aka @Timberry is president and founder of Palo Alto Software the makers of Business Plan Pro, and founder of bplans.com. He’s the author of The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, Entrepreneur Press.

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/11/2009/smallbizchat-live-telesummit-recap-part-1/

#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 2)

Here’s the recap of three key points that each expert shared with us.

Allyson Lewis talked to us about getting more out of your day as a business owner. Allyson is a business coach whose focus is on productivity. Her book, The 7 Minute Difference, grew out of the workshops she has been teaching for years. Contact her on Twitter at @allyson7minutes or visit Seven Minutes Inc.

Michelle Villalobos talked to us about turning contacts into contracts. Michelle is a business turnaround expert who teaches busy entrepreneurs how to improve their sales. Reach her on Twitter at @mivi or visit MichelleVillalobos.com.

Paul B. Brown spoke with us about becoming a published author to build your business. Paul is a long-time contributor to the New York Times and author of more than two dozen books, including the international best-seller Customers for Life. He is the author of Publishing Confidential: What it really takes to land a non-fiction book deal.

Lisa D. Sparks taught us how to become email marketing rock stars. Lisa is an email marketing expert with nine years of experience developing and implementing marketing campaigns for small business owners. Reach her on Twitter @lisadsparks or visit lisadsparks.com

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/11/2009/smallbizchat-live-telesummit-recap-part-2/

We have had a great time doing #smallbizchat interviews weekly, and we hope you enjoy these recaps. If these interviews have been helpful join us every Wed 8-9 ET for #smallbizchat on Twitter. We have lots if great small business resources coming in 2010. The goal of #smallbizchat is to end small business failure and reduce the learning curve of small biz owners as they start a grow their small business.

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

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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Smallbizlady’s Reading List Part II

By Melinda Emerson on November 26, 2009 in 10 Things Lists, Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

readingglasses_ii Reading is brain food for your business. To keep your thinking sharp it is always good to read about the latest techniques for running a successful small business. One of my favorite things to do is read books about business strategy, social media and leadership.

Here’s Part II of a list of best books that I think will have a major impact on your business strategy heading into 2010. (Part I was posted earlier this week.)

Plan As You Go Business Plan by Tim Berry (Entrepreneur Press, 2008) Business owners struggle everyday because they don’t have a plan. I also see folks who create a business plan and then never use it. Without an up-to-date business plan, you put your business at a great disadvantage. Tim Berry lays out an easy to use system to get your business plan done. The value from having a written plan comes from going through the process and updating it on a regular basis to evaluate how your business is doing and making adjustments as needed. Tim has organized the book to support his “plan as you go” approach. It is designed so you can jump around and use the section of the book that you need at any given time. Don’t start 2010 without an updated business plan.

When Growth Stalls: How it Happens, Why You’re Stuck & What to Do About It by Steve McKee (Jossey-Bass, 2009) One of the biggest challenges any business owner faces is generating consistent, profitable growth. “When Growth Stalls” is all about keeping the momentum going in your business. It is a practical, hands-on guide for business owners who are struggling with stalled growth and for those who hope to prevent it in the first place. When your entire financial future is on the line – it’s not just business, it’s personal. This book is based on research that illustrates that 54.9% of companies’ growth is currently stalled. Growth can slow down for a variety of reasons including: marketing inconsistency, increased competition, lack of focus at the top, or a loss of nerve. Steve gives you the blue print to focus inward and turn things around in your business.

Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port (J. Wiley & Sons, 2006) Michael Port makes you think about your clients and work in a different way. He suggests attracting clients with a no-cost-of-entry offer that leads to a low-cost-of-entry offer that leads the client deeper into your solutions and offerings. He also teaches that, if you have clients who sap you of energy because they are not “your” kind of clients, you cannot do as good a job for them, and you lack integrity. This is what I believe as well. You may restructure your marketing plans based on the lessons taught in the book. This book is especially helpful for service businesses.

From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with books, E-Books and Information Products by Stephanie Chandler (J. Wiley & Sons 2007) In this business age, it’s all about what you know that you can sell. Stephanie Chandler does a great job of breaking down all the different ways to generate content and information products. She also illustrates how you can repurpose your content to build your expertise and brand. She profiles the biggest names in the infoproducts at the end of every chapter including my favorite self-publishing guru Dan Poynter. She also has an extremely thorough chapter towards the end of the book about how to promote a book. From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur is worth reading a few times.

ONO: Options not Obligations, Family First Entrepreneur by Marc Warnke (Morgan James Publishing 2009) Most entrepreneurs struggle with work/life balance issues. Marc Warnke challenges readers to enrich their personal lives by rethinking their financial lives. ONO teaches a wealth creation lifestyle that focuses on making a difference first and creating profit second. Family first entrepreneurs make business choices based on the potential impact they will have on their families first, and on business profitability second. I bought this book after reading an incredible review by a blogger online. This is a great philosophy to live and run your business. Try it!

Do you know a book that should be added to the list? Let me know, I love the feedback.

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 Feb 2010.

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SmallBizLady’s Reading List Part I

By Melinda Emerson on November 23, 2009 in 10 Things Lists, Business Inspiration, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

In business, reading is fundamental. It is crucial to help you grow your expertise as a business leader. One of my favorite things to do is read books about small business best practices, social media and leadership. Here’s a list of best books that I think will have a major impact on your business strategy heading into 2010. Later this week, I’ll have five more of my favorite books to share.

Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success by Denise O’Berry (J. Wiley & Sons, 2006) The best thing you can do for your business is understand how much profit is in every sale and stay cash flow positive. Denise O’Berry writes a terrific book that explains the ins and outs of financial management in a successful small business. The book does a good job of pointing out how a small business owner can stay on top of the cash flow issue in running her business. This is an incredible resource book that I highly recommend.

Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz (Writer Digest Books, 2008) It is not often I read a book that truly enlightening from cover to cover. On a scale of 1-5, Get Known Before the Book Deal is a 10! If you want to know what it takes to get a book deal, Christina Katz gives a very specific recipe, but this book is not just helpful to people who want to be authors. This book is for anyone who needs to build a marketing platform and a brand for their expertise. This book changed my entire business model and my brand. I could not recommend this book more highly.

Customers For Life: How To Turn That One-Time Buyer Into a Lifetime Customer by Carl Sewell and Paul B. Brown (Doubleday, 2002) This is a must read for every business owner. None of the ideas in this book are ground breaking, but the authors do a great job of explaining how they translate into loyal customers for your business. This book will help you create systems in your business to avoid customer service problems in the first place. This book was originally published in 1998 and has been updated three times since, selling over 1 million copies worldwide. Every business owner should have this book, and I’d also recommend buying copies for all your employees as well.

Blog Blazers: 40 Top Bloggers Share their Secrets to Creating a High-Profile, High-Traffic and High Profit Blog by Stephane Grenier (Levac Publishing House, 2008) This is one of those books that serious bloggers will keep on their shelves. I like that this book features 40 top bloggers and not just 10 or 15 like most profile books. I enjoyed learning great techniques and about what blogs these pros read. Try reading a chapter a day, look at the blogs of the blogger featured, see what they are doing well that you can implement in your blog. Learning how successful bloggers approach their blogging is an exercise that will have lots of benefits.

Greening Your Small Business: How to Improve Your Bottom Line, Grow Your Brand, Satisfy Your Customers – and Save the Planet by Jennifer Kaplan (Prentice Hall Press, 2009) Green is not just the color of money. Going green can be overwhelming, but Jen Kaplan provides a comprehensive guide to practical, meaningful, low-cost changes that can be applied today to go green in your business. Green practices are being measured by everyone including your customers-so use this book to build an additional competitive advantage in your business and save the planet as the same time.

Do you know a book that should be added to the list? Let me know, I love getting your feedback.

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.

Comments { 7 }

#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 2)

By Melinda Emerson on November 13, 2009 in Business Inspiration, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Telesummit, Women in Business, Your Small Business

(Dear readers: this is the second part of a two part post. Click here to see part one.)

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This past week, I presented the first annual #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. The goal was to give the audience the information to create a new plan for their business in 2010. After nearly a year of communicating in writing on this blog and using Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, I wanted to interview small business experts over the phone. I also wanted our followers to have access to some experts who do not use Twitter, but who have fantastic information to share. In today’s blog post, I have prepared a recap of three key points that each expert shared with us.

Allyson Lewis @allyson7minutes is a renowned motivational speaker and business coach whose focus is on productivity, specifically developing systems to change your life. Her book, The Seven Minute Difference, grew out of the workshops she has been teaching for the past five years. For more information, please visit Seven Minutes Inc. Allyson talked to us about getting more out of your day as a business owner.

Here are Allyson’s key takeaways:
1. Use a daily written plan of action. The average adult has a 7 minute attention span. Take 7 minutes to write down your top priorities for the day. Regain your passion by doing what is most important to you.
2. Get 7-8 hours of rest a night. Stop watching late night TV and sacrificing a good night’s rest.
3. She introduced the 5 before 11am rule. Allyson advises us all to make an exhaustive list of everything in our personal lives and business lives that needs to get done. Then she suggests tackling 5 tasks per day before 11am, if that’s too tough try do 5 a week. Just get rid of the list.

Michelle Villalobos @mivi is a business turnaround expert who teaches busy entrepreneurs how to improve their sales approach through networking skills, personal branding and word-of-mouth marketing. For more information, please visit MichelleVillalobos.com. Michelle talked to us about turning contacts into contracts.

Here are Michelle’s key takeaways:
1. Reframe the typical “elevator pitch” into an “elevator teaser.” Instead of a rapid fire 30 second commercial that describes everything you do, find the core of what you do and develop a tagline that encompasses your entire brand (if you can). Done properly, it will elicit the follow-up question, “that sounds interesting, tell me more.” One therapist who helps people get over their fears and anxieties described herself as “the couchless therapist,” which makes people want to know more.
2. Business card etiquette – Avoid “premature solicitation” – which is the act of handing out business cards before even saying hello. When you give someone a business card, it is all about timing. Your goal is to develop rapport and to connect with someone. The time to exchange business cards, more appropriately, is after interaction.
3. Follow-up is important. Michelle suggests offering a free newsletter signup to people in a follow-up email. And in the monthly newsletter have valuable tips and info, all focused on the needs of the customers.

Paul B. Brown is a long-time contributor to the New York Times and author of more than two dozen books, including the international best-seller Customers for Life. He is the author of Publishing Confidential: What it really takes to land a non-fiction book deal. Paul spoke with us about becoming a published author to build your business.

Here are Paul B. Brown’s key takeaways:
1. Once you have book idea, the first thing to do is to try developing an outline for the book, and then writing 2-3 sample chapters.
2. The title of your book should tell people exactly what your book is about. Do not be afraid to talk to potential readers about the book topic to get the right words to use in your book title.
3. A book proposal is what you need to approach an agent or editor to pitch your book. It’s fine to send a query letter first, but if there’s any interest, the next request will be to send a book proposal which is typically a 30-page document. Start working on the proposal before sending query letter, so that you can respond to interest.
Paul made a special offer to Telesummit participants – he will give out a copy of a book proposal that sold. You should email Paul at paulbbrown@aol.com and use “Melinda’s Telesummit” in the subject line. His offer ends 11/13/09 at 5pm Eastern.

Lisa D. Sparks @lisadsparks is an email marketing expert with nine years of experience developing and implementing marketing solutions for small business owners. Lisa taught us how to become email marketing rock stars. For more information, please visit lisadsparks.com

Here are Lisa’s key takeaways:
1. Typical open rate on email marketing is 22%. Be sure not use language in your emails that are triggers for spam filters such as: FREE, space available, special offer, only today, !!!, and ???
2. You should have multiple ways to build your email list for your business. Using an email sign-up for your newsletter/blog on multiple pages of your website is one strategy. You can also offer a special report in exchange for an email address. Conducting free monthly conference calls is another great technique to build your list. When you go to a networking function, be sure to ask someone who gives you a business card if you can add them to your mailing list.
3. Develop an editorial calendar for your e-newsletters and all of your auto-responders. Consider writing a year’s worth of e-newsletters all at once. Email should not be the only way that you communicate with your list – using video and/or audio and are nice ways to break it up.

If you missed the SmallBizChat Live Telesummit, do not worry! We are editing and packaging the calls to make them available shortly… so stay tuned.

I hope that after you read what these experts had to say, you will be ready to tackle 2010 with some inspiration and new tricks up your sleeve. Being in business is a spiritual marathon. Hang in there.

My co-host Cathy Larkin @cathywebsavvyPR and I presented the 1st Annual SmallBizChat Live Telesummit because it is our mission to end small business failure. We will be back November 2010 to do this again.

Please follow us at @smallbizchat and join us for #SmallBizChat every Wednesday from 8-9pm Eastern on Twitter. #SmallBizChat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.

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

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Are You Ready for 2010?

By Melinda Emerson on October 26, 2009 in Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business

smallbizchat_live_telesummit The economy is on the rebound, but the nature of business has changed.

Is your small business repositioned for 2010? October and November is the perfect time to start planning for how you will kickoff the New Year. It’s not about making it through the recession; it’s about coming out of this recession with a stronger business.

Every Wednesday #SmallBizChat delivers training on how to start and run a profitable small business via Twitter, now for the first time we we’re delivering what you need over the phone and at your own desktop.

I’m known as @Smallbizlady on Twitter, I have developed a FREE resource to help you develop tools to compete in this new business environment. We’re calling it the SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. To register now, visit http://bit.ly/1TxnoL .

I’ve pulled together top small business experts who are allowing me to pick their brains and share with you invaluable advice that will take your business to the next level.

The Smallbizchat Live Telesummit interviews will take place over four-days the first week of November.

Mark your calendars for Nov 3-6, 2009

Register now http://bit.ly/1TxnoL

Listen and Learn! Each day, we will do live interviews at 1pm and 7pm Eastern Time

We’re going to introduce the challenges and advantages this new business economy has created.

Live Telesummit Nov 3-6, 2009 | register for full program – http://bit.ly/1TxnoL

If you’re already an entrepreneur and you want to improve your business, or if you’re planning to take the leap and want to start out on the right foot, here’s your chance to learn from top experts who are business owners just like you.

Sheer passion and courage aren’t all you need to succeed in today’s business environment. Listen in and you’ll be able to learn key strategies to accelerate your business success.

This is a great time for an aggressive entrepreneur, but you need an action plan for business success in 2010.

Wondering if this is for you?

The old rules of business no longer apply. Do you know how to compete?

Are you tired of dealing with the unpredictable ups and downs of cash flow in your business?

Is the daily stress in your business draining you of the passion you have for your business?

You know you need to be utilizing social media, but don’t know where to start?

Are you ready to invest in learning how to adapt and grow your business while others struggle?

If you’ve answered “Yes” to any of the questions above, sign up today for the 1^st Annual #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit http://bit.ly/1TxnoL!

Telesummit Topics:

Using Social Media to Brand Your Business

Developing a Mastermind Group

Retooling Your Business in Tough Times

Strategic Cash Flow Management

Growing Your Network

Getting More Out of Each Business Day

How to Author a Book to Grow Your Brand

How to Be an Email-Marketing “ROCK STAR!”

MEET THE EXPERTS

Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is your host for the #SmallBizChat Live TeleSummit! Melinda is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media strategy. Melinda hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show 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 has been featured on NBC Nightly News and in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report and Black Enterprise. Melinda publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com and has several special reports including 44 Things To Do Before You Go Into Business and The 12 Cardinal Sins of Small Business-and How to Avoid Them! Melinda’s first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works!” will be released in February 2010 by Adams Media. For more information, please visit melindaemerson.com

Mike Michalowicz is the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Mike Michalowicz has a driving passion for entrepreneurialism. Michalowicz wrote The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur with the sole purpose of giving first time entrepreneurs the information they need to grow their concepts into industry leaders. Michalowicz has successfully launched three multimillion-dollar companies. His most recent venture, Obsidian Launch LLC, partners exclusively with first-time entrepreneurs to launch their ideas into niche industry leaders. For more information, please visit toiletpaperentrepreneur.com

Dr. Melvin Gravely, II, is the founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, the leading think tank on issues related to business development. The Institute is nationally known for providing thought leadership, and industry changing research on issues at the intersection of business and race. The Institute is a trusted advisor to Chambers of Commerce, major corporations and community leaders across the nation. Gravely is the author of seven books including The Lost Art of Entrepreneurship, When Black and White Make Green, and his latest Getting to the Next Level. He has been featured in many national publications including Black Enterprise Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, and American City Business Journals. After ten successful years working for a large corporation, he co-founded a civil engineering firm and grew it into a multimillion dollar company. Dr. Gravely speaks and writes on various topics related to entrepreneurial thinking and business development. For more information, please visit entrethinking.com

Michelle Villalobos is a Business turnaround expert who teaches busy entrepreneurs how to improve their sales approach through networking skills, personal branding and word-of-mouth marketing. As a 14-year sales & marketing veteran, she first made her mark in the publishing industry. Michelle is known for never turning down a sales challenge, she has helped numerous small businesses significantly increase their revenues. She conducts seminars, brainstorming sessions, strategic planning workshops, roundtables and other programs that “educate, entertain and engage” by helping businesses learn to build revenues, through effective sales, networking and word-of-mouth techniques Michelle holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, and an MBA from the University of Miami and is a life-long devotee of Sharpies. You’ll have to listen in to find out the deal with that. For more information, please visit MichelleVillalobos.com

Paul B. Brown is a long-time contributor to the New York Times. Paul is the author of more than two dozen books, including the international best-seller Customers for Life. A former writer and editor of Business Week, Financial World, Forbes, and Inc., Brown has “ghosted” books for several of the nation’s most success business executives. The latest example: Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life, written with Ralph de la Vega, president of AT&T. Even more relevant for our purposes he is the author of Publishing Confidential: What it really takes to land a non-fiction book deal. Brown was trained as a lawyer, but he asks that you do not hold that against him.

Lisa D. Sparks is a marketing expert with nine years of experience developing and implementing marketing communications solutions for small and medium sized businesses. A small business owner herself, Lisa uses her expertise to teach small organizations in South Florida how to use technology to maximize the power of relationship marketing. She is experienced in providing guidance, instruction, and comprehensive planning advice for the development, growth, and expansion of new and existing businesses. In 2007, Lisa won the Florida State Star Award as the top small business analyst in Florida.

Karyn Greenstreet is a small business coach and a mastermind group facilitator, and the owner of The Success Alliance, a website devoted to helping mastermind group facilitators start and grow their own mastermind groups. She has been creating and running these groups since 1994 and is the author of How to Create a For-Profit Mastermind Group. She also teaches a series of classes on starting and running mastermind groups. Karyn holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Management, and is a certified Adult Education Trainer. She has postgraduate work in Business Administration and Computer Systems, and is graduate of CoachU. She has spoken at numerous national on business-building topics and action planning. Visit her website TheSuccessAlliance.com

Tim Berry, is president and founder of Palo Alto Software, founder of bplans.com, and a co-founder of Borland International. He built Palo Alto Software from zero to 40 employees and 70% market share without outside investment. He is a Stanford MBA and taught starting a business at the University of Oregon. He’s the conceptual author of Business Plan Pro, author of The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, Entrepreneur Press. Find Tim on twitter at @TimBerry. “I’ve seen startups and small business from multiple views. I’ve had the good years and bad years. My wife and I had three mortgages and $65,000 of credit card debt at one very low point, which we survived, but I really don’t recommend. I’ve consulted with startups on bringing in venture capital, and angel investors, and business loans, and friends and family.” He’ll be talking about Cash Flow in a Tough Economy.

Allyson Lewis is a renowned motivational speaker and business coach who focuses on productivity, specifically developing systems to change your life. Allyson has spent the last 22 years teaching concrete yet actionable ideas to business leaders all over the country. Her book, The Seven Minute Difference, grew out of the workshops she has been teaching for the last five years. Author of The Million Dollar Car and $250,000 Pizza (Kaplan Publishing, 2000), Allyson is frequently asked to host motivational and educational public workshops throughout the country. She has been a guest on CNN, CNNfn, Bloomberg Information Television, and many other regional radio and television programs. For more information, please visit Seven Minutes Inc.

The nature of business had changed, if you register for this Telesummit you will be equipped to handle anything the economy will throw at you. Don’t delay! Register now Smallbizchat Live TeleSummit http://bit.ly/1TxnoL

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The New Rules About Blogging for Money

By Melinda Emerson on October 12, 2009 in Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Lady Justice

As of December 1, 2009 the Federal Trade Commission is going to require Bloggers, Podcasters and video producers – any producer of consumer-generated content online to disclose any paid endorsements to their followers and audience they communicate with online. These new rules have the potential to change everyone’s online habits. Here’s what you need to know:

If you receive even a small fee in exchange for reviewing a particular product or writing a blog post about it – this new ruling applies to you. Under the FTC’s new rules, all bloggers who blog for dollars will have to disclose that they are receiving a fee for their blog post. In addition, bloggers will also need to disclose any gifts they receive such as books, product samples or even toothpaste. All merchandise now counts as compensation.

Many bloggers already disclose when they are being paid for reviews, but this could get tricky for some blogs who use sponsors, and particularly for some corporations such as Walmart, Office Max etc. who use mom bloggers to target women customers. It will be interesting to see how these relationships will change.

Transparency is what you need to have in social media anyway, but now it’s on another level. Prominent users of social networks such as Twitter will need to pay attention to the FTC’s new rules. If you want to give a business some praise – do it, but if you work there, you need to tell people. If you want to get on Twitter and talk about how great a new book or product is…make sure people know it’s your product or that you are the author.

When commenting on blogs and in forums, please do not pretend to be someone else particularly if you are leaving a negative comment. If you post comments in an online forum that undercuts your competitor without making it clear who you are, you have broken the rules.

The FTC is not trying to fine mombloggers! Repeat offenders may end up being punished, but the new regulations are really just trying to regulate how advertisers pay for endorsements and reviews.

So Blogger Beware!

What you do think about the new FTC regulations? Should you really have to disclose a free book?

Additional resources on the new FTC regulations:

http://www.whitneyhoffman.com/2009/10/06/the-new-ftc-guidelines-on-endorsements-by-bloggers/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/media/06adco.html

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 Feb 2010.

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