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How to Reinvent Your Small Business Brand – #SmallBizChat Q&A

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on February 9, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat, Your Small Business

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Branding Strategist @DeborahShane. Deborah is the Author of Career Transition-make the shift and a nationally published writer and speaker. She hosts a weekly Blog, business radio show, and writes for several national blogs and websites including smallbiztrends.com, careerealism.com, American Express Open, Personalbrandingblog.com and Blogher.com. Deborah delivers smart ideas and solutions, which make her a popular go-to resource for clients and the national media. She has been featured on CBS, Fox, CNNMoney.com, HLNTV.com. Connect with her on the web at DeborahShane.com

Smallbizlady: Why are we talking SO much about personal branding?

Deborah Shane: It’s just not enough today to be in business or have a job. To be successful people have to develop a defining, distinctive personal brand that clearly communicates ‘who they are, what they do and what they stand for’ to make an impression and get noticed. The emergence of “personal branding” has been an outgrowth of the social media revolution. People getting more personal in their communications through the social medias is an amazing way to build brand awareness and credibility. For business, people want to know who is behind a brand now. The authenticity and transparency has become much more important to consumers. For entrepreneurs is vital to come out in front of your brand to let people know who you are and give people a glimpse of you.

Smallbizlady: We use brand and branding so interchangeably. Is there a difference and why is that important?

Deborah Shane: The brand is you: what you do, stand for and believe in. The branding is you in action: everything you do to market yourself online and in person. These work together and are mutually interdependent. Creating your brand first (the who/what/package), all the visual imaging, logo, colors, messaging about who you are and what you do has to come first. The branding (packaging/presentation), or all the marketing tools, and platforms you use to market and present yourself can only happen when you have the brand package.

Smallbizlady: What are the 3 things stand out brands have in common?

Deborah Shane: They know exactly who they, what they do and whom they serve. An example of this is: “I am a baker that makes mini gourmet cupcakes”, or “I am nature watercolor artist who paints wildlife and birds. Knowing your target audience and the psychographics of your customer is key for marketing to them.

Smallbizlady: What are the steps one should take to reinvent an existing brand?

Deborah Shane: The first step is to review and update the Messaging about what you do, your value proposition. Make sure it is still relevant and targeting your key niche and customer. These should be kept very current with what it is NOW not 2 years ago.
The second step is to review and update your Visual Presentation. The formats, styles, presentation of your logo, websites, cards, marketing copy, user experience should all be what you want people to see and what are the best practices of businesses NOW.
The third step is to use an Integrated Marketing approach for the ‘branding of your brand”. Review all the things you are doing to put yourself out there and make sure they are the best activities to reach your customer. Are they where your customer engages? Use these branding activities in tandem, together: social, email marketing, blogging, video, networking.

Smallbizlady: What kind of help does a small business need to reinvent their brand and how much should that cost?

Deborah Shane:
The DIY choice can work very well, as long as it is not taking too much time away from the other important things we need to do. Get a referral from people you know for marketing consulting, a graphic designer, website management and social media management. It is an investment you make in yourself and your business to look great and have a unified message. The prices can vary from the Elance.com type of site to a sold referral from your network. I highly recommend getting a referral, unless it is a very easy type of project.

Smallbizlady: Why is knowing your target customer and niche so important in small business branding?

Deborah Shane: By knowing this you can target the right media, messages and sales approach that is best for your target audience. Demographics plus psychographics gives you the best profile of your customer’s age, gender, background, and values.

Smallbizlady: How does someone build brand authenticity and credibility?

Deborah Shane: Demonstrate your brand’s core values as much as possible,. Have a defined, clear value statement and promise of who you are, what you do and whom you serve. Build your legacy and leadership by being consistent, authentic and telling your story, Strive to serving others. Reinvent and redefine yourself as things change, but be true to your core values. Don’t be afraid to fail, fall, show your vulnerability and celebrate perseverance and hope. Celebrate your sense of humor!

Smallbizlady: What social media platforms are best for building a personal brand?

Deborah Shane: Blogging is the best way to demonstrate your build brand and position you as an authority in your field. Email marketing can grow your personal relationships with your permission based list. Video can show your personality and allow people to connect with you more personally.
Facebook used more professionally on fan pages can get your people to engage, interact, rant, rave, discuss, ask questions all at the same time! It is an amazing engagement and branding tool.

Smallbizlady: How can you use multiple social media platforms together to build reach?

Deborah Shane: I have been combining my monthly themed email marketing newsletter with video, tele-calls, and articles on my blog. I also use my blog and email newsletter to promote my weekly business radio show, by highlighting upcoming and past shows and guests. I created a feature called “You’re in The Spotlight”, which combines all my digital assets: blog, radio show, email marketing, social media to highlight feature businesses and experts.

Smallbizlady: Why do some small business brands fail?

Deborah Shane: There are many ways that small business owners damage their brands including using multiple brands messages and/or images, inconsistent maintenance of blogs, and having no social media footrprint. You must have a professional brand image and logo that is on all of your web and hard copy materials. You must be able to commit to blogging two to three times a week, otherwise you shouldn’t bother. You must have a helpful website that tells people how you can help them within 7 seconds of them clicking on your page.

Smallbizlady: You talk about ‘accessorizing’ your brand like you do an outfit or your home décor, explain this?

Deborah Shane: In the fashion and design worlds, it’s that splash of color, pattern or grouping that catches the eye and grabs the emotion. So, why not apply this idea to ways you can accessorize your brand? Using stories, images, info-graphics, testimonials, color, video, etc to accessorize your brand and make your business more relatable to your target customer.

Smallbizlady: What are your top 3 tips for personal branding for 2012?

Deborah Shane: Reinvent and Leverage your talents and accomplishments. Use more video, testimonials, recommendations to create better results in your business.
Reimagine what success looks like and means to you today. Be realistic and put things in perspective for today, not 10 years ago.
Reinvigorate your visual brand and branding activities. Update your websites, logos, copy, messaging and business skills and make sure they are current and fresh. Network, network, network in person and online, and change up your routine.

Smallbizlady: You have 25 Free and Low Cost Ways to Market Yourself NOW! How can people get the complimentary copy of them?

Deborah Shane: Go to DeborahShane.com and sign up in the Join Our Community box and we will send them to you. That also get’s you in for our informative monthly letter and complimentary monthly tele-call.

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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SmallBizLady Q&A How to Build a Powerful Online Brand

by Melinda Emerson on January 30, 2012 in Branding & Marketing

How to become a powerful social media brand is a major factor in small business success these days. Beyond having a website, you need to make sure that you are out there demonstrating your expertise at every opportunity. There are those who believe that if they can’t find you or your business online, you do not exist. That may seem harsh, but think about how we all buy things now. We do not call 411, or look in the yellow pages, we all go look for information in search engines such as google.

As someone who has a powerful brand on the internet, I have recently been interviewed a few times about building an online brand and more specifically how I built the SmallBizLady brand and I thought the information might be helpful to all of you. So here’s the full interview.

1) Why does everyone whether they are in a career or business for themselves need to be aware of their online image?

Every 30 days people should Google themselves to see what is being said about them on the internet. If they Google themselves and nothing comes up that is a problem too. Everyone with a business or a job should at least have a LinkedIn profile, and if you run a business you should have a website. If you are really trying to build an online brand, I would also add Google profile, and Facebook Fan page to that as well.

2) How does one go about developing a strategy to build a brand online?

To build an online brand you must use the HELP mantra: Help Others, Engage People, Listen Carefully and Promote Yourself With Care. Traditional selling is dead. Your valuable content and helpful sharing will do the selling for you. No one wants to hear or read “Buy my stuff, buy my stuff,” they want to read about how you can solve their most pressing issue.

3) What is your advice for one trying to build their brand online?

Before you do anything online, you need to identify your niche target customer. Then you should employ a listening strategy to figure out where your target customer spends time online. Research the keywords people use most to search for your topic, service or product. Then develop your content strategy for how you will stand out in the marketplace.

4) How important is it to choose the right social networks? Which ones work best for what, ie. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr etc.?

In order to build an online brand you must first figure out where your target client spends time online, and become a part of the conversation. Everyone does not have to be doing everything. LinkedIn is perfect for people who need to network with senior executives and decision makers. Facebook personal accounts are great of keep in contact with family and friends. Facebook groups and fan pages are great for engaging with retail customers. Google+ is also becoming a major factor in communicating with your entire social rolodex, particularly if you are blogging.

Twitter is terrific for establishing thought-leadership and building community online. I convene my #Smallbizchat community live each week on Twitter, which has been a major factor in growing my online community. Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. You can post text messages, photos, quotes, links, music and video from email and from any devices. I chose Twitter and LinkedIn to build my brand when I got started. I also used blogging as a key strategy to demonstrate my expertise and keep my website updated.

5) How important is messaging in social media? Should one stay on message at all times? When is it OK to go off message and be ‘social’?

It is critical to stay on message. It should be obvious who your customer is by what you share online and what you write on your blog. You can not write a blog about being an expert image consultant and the next day blog about a cat caught in a tree in your backyard. You will confuse people. I think it is important share personal things about yourself, so that people know that you are a real person but be strategic. Nobody cares what you had for breakfast.

6) Are there any special tools or apps on any social media sites that you would recommend? why?

I like www.Hootsuite.com to manage all my social media accounts. You can have up to 5 social accounts. I also have a virtual assistant that helps me manage my blog and some social media updating.

7) How does one go about earning a community of subscribers, followers, friends, etc?

Content is currency online. In order to attract subscribers, followers, likes and connections you need to add value to the conversation, create valuable blog content and engage the people who like your content.

8) How important is it to be discreet or cautious online? Any tips on what should be put online and what shouldn’t be?

You should not post anything online that you wouldn’t want to read in the newspaper. Everything on the internet can be found forever. Watch the loose talk on Facebook especially.

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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How To Use Trends Data To Grow Your Small Business

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on January 26, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Rieva Lesonsky @Rieva is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company specializing in covering small businesses and entrepreneurship. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 26 years. www.growbizmedia.com

SmallBizLady: Why is it important for small business owners to pay attention to trends?

Rieva Lesonsky: If you don’t keep up on what’s going on (what’s trending), then it’s all too easy for your business to stagnate. Trends often end up taking businesses in new directions, which can scare business owners who aren’t comfortable pushing the envelope. Following trends doesn’t necessarily mean changing your business every time you hear about a new trend, but you need to educate yourself enough to know when you should—and should not react.

SmallBizLady: Are trends the same as fads? How do you differentiate?

Rieva Lesonsky: At first glance it might seem that trends and fads are the same thing. They’re not, though trends can start out as fads (that doesn’t happen all that often). Fads have short shelf lives. They’re in, everyone buzzes about them, and then they’re out. You can make a lot of money from capitalizing on fads, but it’s quite risky. Timing is key—you not only need to know when to get in—but more important, you have to know when to get out. If you don’t time it right, you can easily be stuck with a lot of expensive excess inventory.

SmallBizLady: What insights can a small business owner get from trends?

Rieva Lesonsky: If you pay attention, you can take advantage of a trend and add a lot of money to your bottom line. Trends take many forms: they can be about business practices, new technology, consumer behaviors, new demographics with buying power, or brand new business opportunities.

SmallBizLady: Is learning about trends the same as conducting market research?

Rieva Lesonsky: Not really, though the results may be the same. Market research is a more formal process, grounded in science. There are some hard costs involved, and you usually have to get other people involved. Trendwatching is more about seeing and adapting, and depending on what your particular situation is, it can all come down to your gut feelings.

SmallBizLady: Doesn’t market research cost a lot of money to conduct?

Rieva Lesonsky: While there usually are some costs involved with market research, it’s a lot easier today to conduct research on a budget. It all depends on what you’re trying to find out. But a smart first move is to ask your customers. You can do this in-store if you have a physical location, or using an online survey tool. Survey Monkey, which just bought my favorite survey company Zoomerang, is cheap—and easy to use.

If you live near a university or college, and need more formal and/or extensive market research, consider approaching a professor at the business school and ask if the class can conduct your research for you as a class project. You’ll likely have to pay some reimbursement costs, but you’ll still save a fortune.

SmallBizLady: Is it expensive to keep up with trends?

Rieva Lesonsky: It sure can, but it doesn’t have to. For some industries, there are companies that specialize in observing and reporting on trends. It can be quite expensive to subscribe to these services, but many businesses swear by them. Other research firms create extensive research reports which can be purchased for several thousand dollars.

On the other hand there are lots of places to get trends info free—or for a relatively low cost. Many websites, magazines, newspapers and blogs can deliver a lot of trend information at a relatively low cost—or even for free.

There’s a lot of free information available from the government as well.

Really, it’s about paying attention. You need to be a participant. Know what people are watching on TV, what books they’re reading, what movies they’re going to?

SmallBizLady: What are some good places to find out about trends?

Rieva Lesonsky: Here are some of my favorite trend sites, and places to get info:

www.springwise.com, www.trendwatching.com, http://www.jwtintelligence.com/, http://www.npdinsights.com/, http://oxygen.mintel.com/index.html, http://www.hartman-group.com/, www.ibisworld.com, and you can sign up for my free weekly trends e-newsletter, TrendCast at www.smallbizdaily.com

I also get a lot of trends info from BloombergBusinessweek magazine, The NY Times and The Wall Street Journal.

One of my favorite sources is Census data and other government reports. It’s amazing what you can learn from perusing this data. For instance from looking at Census data several years ago I discovered we’re on the leading edge of a wedding boom, that will likely last for more than 20 years (and leading to yet another Baby Boom).

SmallBizLady: What are some trends that are going on right now that I should be aware of?

Rieva Lesonsky: In customer behavior, the trend is towards wanting value. Consumers aren’t necessarily looking for the lowest prices, but they want to make sure they are getting a good deal for their money.

In the world of technology we’re seeing several dominant trends, both which can result in increased productivity for us, and our employees. One is the continuing march towards cloud computing, which decreases costs, increases productivity and communication. I know some businesses that were able to go all virtual, because of cloud-based servers, saving the owner a lot of overhead.

Another is consumerization, which is the merging of our digital personal and professional lives. I’d also keep my eyes on gamification, which is increasingly being incorporated into business practices.

And mobile marketing is quickly becoming very important. Most businesses not only need a website, but they need one that is optimized for mobile devices.

SmallBizLady: We’re always hearing about how young people set the trends. Does that have influence on other demographics?

Rieva Lesonsky: Actually trends can start in any demographic, and affect (or should I say infect) other generations. Right now there are major trends going on in many demos. The over 50 crowd is acting younger, and many are not planning to retire anytime soon. They working, spending and are a great market to target. They’ve embraced technology more than people give them credit for.

Gen Y is having an impact, just by its size. They’re early tech adopters, and demand that workplaces offer better technology—and have had a lot to do with the consumerization and gamification trends.

The lines between the generations have blended to some degree, which is good news for business owners, giving us broader markets to target.

SmallBizLady: Are there some business niches that are particularly trendy right now?

Rieva Lesonsky: The senior market is quite hot. The oldest baby boomers turn 66 this year, but the youngest turn 48, so there’s a lot of years left to serve this market. There’s a growing need for services to address parents of these Baby Boomers as well, like adult day care, senior relocation services, and home health non-medical care.

Another market that’s trending is the beauty and health industry. We’ve seen significant growth in things like Pilates and yoga studios, and clothing, and in men’s grooming products. And there’s a ton of money spent by teens, tweens and even young girls on makeup.

SmallBizLady: There always seems to be a food trend in the US. What’s hot right now?

Rieva Lesonsky: So many—too many to mention actually. If you own a restaurant, even non-vegetarians are demanding more veggie choices. Hamburgers are going upscale, some burger joints have rebranded as burger pubs or burger bars, offering more exotic toppings, and meat, leading to more prices.

Mobile food is still hot—almost anything can be served from a truck these days, and the overheads costs are reduced. Many entrepreneurs who started in trucks, graduated into sit-down restaurants.

And of course the battle to rule the dessert realm continues. Many have tried, gourmet macaroons, donuts, pies in many forms—but cupcakes still rule.

SmallBizLady: What’s the one thing all small business owners need to keep in mind as they grow their businesses?

Rieva Lesonsky: Trends are important because they provide fodder for change. And that’s essential for the health of every growing business. You cannot, should not fear change. Embracing change will keep you ahead of your competitors, and in a better position to attract and satisfy customers.

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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How to Use Visual Marketing to Grow Your Business Brand?

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on October 27, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Anita Campbell @smallbiztrends. Anita Campbell has her finger on the pulse of small businesses. As a small business expert, writer and publisher of www.smallbiztrends.com she over 1,000,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually. She is also the co-author of the new book Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways to Market with Images and Design, (J. Wiley and Sons, 2011)

SmallBizLady: What exactly is visual marketing?

Anita Campbell: Visual marketing is just what it sounds like: it means using visual elements and design for marketing. Most marketing has a visual element. But the right visual and design elements can make your marketing more powerful. It makes business more memorable and make it stand out from a sea of competitors. In my new book, Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways to Market with Images and Design, we explore using visual elements to separate your business from the pack. We give 99 case studies of businesses that use great visuals in creative ways – cost effectively.

SmallBizLady: Can you give us an example of creative visual elements that have helped a business stand out?

Anita Campbell: One example is the business, Tax Fix, that came up with an inventive way to do blogger outreach. The company was seeking to create relationships with bloggers, to try to get bloggers to consider writing about the company.

But as you know, one of the challenges of getting a popular blogger’s attention is that everybody is trying to get their attention! The more well known the blogger, the harder to get his or her attention.

So the business owner came up with the idea of pulling words and phrases from the blogger’s blog and turning them into a word cloud in the shape of the blogger’s logo, using a free online tool called Tagxedo.com. Then he sent it to the blogger with a note introducing himself. It broke the ice with the blogger. How? Because he sent something visual, focused on the blogger. The result: some bloggers ended up writing about the business owner’s site, and it was the start of relationship.

SmallBizLady: Are printed marketing materials dead?

Anita Campbell: Of course not! In my lifetime (and I hope to live for a few more decades!) print will still be around.

For instance, most small businesses still use business cards. Restaurants still use menus. Retail outlets still use printed coupons and brochures. You still need signs for tradeshows and exhibiting at events.

But it’s true – much of marketing has moved online, and now it’s also moving to the mobile Web. It’s a gradual decline, and print will co-exist with online and mobile for a long time to come. Imagine two lines on a chart. One is moving up (online and mobile). One is moving down (print). But they are both still there at the same time.

SmallBizLady: How can you save money on design?

Anita Campbell: Today we’re blessed because there are so many inexpensive options for getting great design. Here are some ways to save money:

Spend to get a good logo. Your logo will be with you for years and will be on all your marketing materials – so you want it to be good. Save money elsewhere. For instance, use a free design tool to design a business card. Business cards are simple and as long as your logo looks great a simple card will be fine.

For a blog or website, start with a good template. Then hire a designer to customize it with your company colors and logo to create an impression. A good designer can give pizzazz to a standard template to set it apart – and it won’t cost as much as a 100% custom design.

Whatever you do, just make sure the end result doesn’t look shoddy. You want the price tag to be cheap, but not the result.

Smallbizlady: Can you repurpose visual elements to make them do double duty?

Anita Campbell: Absolutely! Think “integrated campaigns” that include both a print element and an online element. In fact, that’s a good way to have your marketing dollars stretch farther. Create a design element (we’ll use the example of a print advertisement) and use similar design elements on a landing page on your website, with only slight variations. Refer visitors from the print ad to the online landing page with a short URL. If you start with the intention of creating a combined print/online campaign, you can save money by having the design do double duty. And from a marketing perspective you probably will get better results.

SmallBizLady: What if your biz is a startup that can’t afford ANY professional design?

Anita Campbell: Don’t count professional design out. Local designers in your community may be more reasonably priced than you think. Some designers are happy to do a small design project for under $500. Many startups can afford that amount, just by curbing their daily Starbucks habit for 6 months.

Also, think “starter branding.” By this I mean, adopt a 2-phase branding strategy. When you’re first starting out you go the DIY route. But as your business grows – say by year 2 — plan on upgrading your brand impression by investing in professional design.

SmallBizLady: How do you find reasonably priced professional design help?

Anita Campbell: Look for designers who say they serve small businesses – this is code for being reasonably priced. If you go to a design house that caters to the Fortune 500, naturally they will be out of your price range.

Also, ask other business owners you know for recommendations. And ask around on Twitter – it’s great for finding service providers.

Some people recommend bartering for design services. That can work – but I prefer to focus on growing my business, rather than doing barter work for others. If you barter, make sure it doesn’t distract from making money — because most businesses need to keep cash rolling in, above all.

SmallBizLady: What if you want to do it yourself on design?

Anita Campbell: If you are hands on and have the time, there are plenty of tools and sources. You can find affordable templates – even free templates – and stock images. If you have the time, you can customize the colors, text and other elements yourself. Istockphoto.com and Veer.com offer stock images inexpensively – even stock video. WordPress has a huge selection of free templates. Intuit Websites are template-based websites that you can build yourself.

Most of all – be creative! Creativity fills in a lot of $$ gaps.

SmallBizLady: Can you give us an example of a creative project used creativity and had a reasonable pricetag?

Anita Campbell: one of my websites, BizSugar.com is a great example. We hired a professional designer to create a printed puzzle for tradeshows. The graphic (which we printed out on a single sheet of plain white paper) depicted a sugar packet — to reinforce our brand. The puzzle showed two graphics side-by-side, and a person was asked to spot the 7 subtle differences between the two sugar packet images. When they successfully did that, they could come to the tradeshow booth to get a free gift. After the show we loaded that printed puzzle image online to provide some fun entertainment for our Web audience. Fast forward two years — long after the tradeshow, people are still enjoying that graphic online. Even the smallest business could replicate the BizSugar challenge project for under $500, just by being creative.

SmallBizLady: What is the one thing you wish you had done differently with your own design elements of your brand?

Anita Campbell: If I could do it all over again, I’d spend more money on my logo at the beginning. Remember, you’re going to live with that logo for a long time – mine has been with me for 6 years. I even have it trademarked, so I didn’t want to change it without a lot of thought. But doing it over again, I would have:

Chosen lighter, brighter colors – my logo has a black bar that is a limiting color.
Made it more square than rectangular – square logos just fit better than long rectangular ones
Made it more impressive and interesting

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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How to Use QR Codes in Your Small Business – QA with Matt Mansfield

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on October 6, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @MattSMansfield. Matt Mansfield is the Head Tour Guide at Matt About Business where he helps entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies use the web to manage and market their business by connecting online strategies and tactics with real-world results.

Small Biz Lady: What is a QR code?

Matt Mansfield: QR (stands for “quick response”) codes look like black (most often) squares with squiggly lines running through them.

The truth is that a QR code is really a type of bar code that was initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing. They were actually used for quite some time before some clever folks began to realize that QR codes could be used to link the online world with the real world in a way that is unique, fun and very, very useful.

You see, once a customer installs a free app (on their iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.), QR codes can be read by their mobile phone. Each code contains a hyperlink that takes them to a spot online, whether a plain web page or a special mobile-web page. QR codes are printed hyperlinks that actually work in the real world.

Small Biz Lady: What is the key benefit of using QR codes?

Matt Mansfield: The key benefit of QR codes is their ability to drive immediate action. For example, you can use QR codes to bring key information and marketing messages to customers when and where they are ready to take action. You can also enable customers to take action on the spot by making it possible to follow you on Twitter, “Like” you on Facebook and even buy your products and services.

Small Biz Lady: Are QR codes here to stay?

Matt Mansfield: One of the first questions I get asked about QR codes is if they are a passing fad or here to stay. Honestly, the jury is still out on that question with strong arguments on both sides of the fence. As with all new methods and tools, the approach I recommend is to evaluate whether your own business would benefit from its use.

One good point on the “Using QR codes” side is that it doesn’t cost much in either time or money to take them for a test drive so, if you believe they fit, you should go for it! Continue Reading →

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How to Keep the Sales Engine Rolling

by Melinda Emerson on August 15, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business

The day-to-day hustle in your business can make you forget to focus your marketing activities on keeping your pipeline filled. To help you reach your monthly sales goals, I have created a list of 7 marketing techniques you should revisit every 90 days. They are designed to ensure that you focus on revenue-generating activities in your small business.

1. Profile Your Customers. Who are your most valuable and profitable customers? How much do they spend with you annually? Do they fit a niche? While it’s imperative that you understand your products and services, it’s even more significant to understand what value your business brings to your customers so you can continue fulfilling their needs. Business issues can change quickly, making vendors potentially interchangeable. Be sure to thank your customers; no one owes you business.

2. Talk With Clients. If your three most important customers were sitting in a room with you, what questions would you ask them? Even with your long-time customers, schedule a quarterly face-to-face meeting to ask for feedback or just to catch up. You must stay on top of their needs and understand any new factors that influence their decision-making processes. Have 7-10 questions to ask, and then make sure you engage them around some personal small talk: kids, vacations, holiday plans, etc. The more personal the relationship, the more that relationship will allow you to obtain critical information and a strong ally.

3. Align Marketing Efforts With Sales Goals. Sales and marketing have to work together in your small business. Even if you are the only salesperson in your business, you must plan your marketing program based on the amount sales leads you need to generate in order to close the required amount of sales per month. If you know you need 500 leads per month in order to close 50 sales, then determine how many phone calls, e-mails, blog posts, Facebook ads and Twitter messages must be made, sent or posted per month to drive the desired traffic. You must establish a sales process and then proactively work your marketing efforts so that they generate the desired results.

4. Eye the Competition. Identify several competitors. Discover what benefits they provide to their current customers. Use their websites to gain insights. Compare your branding, value proposition and pricing. Based on your assessment, develop at least three strategies that you will use to position yourself effectively against them. Always think, “What is my secret sauce?”

5. Create The Win-Win. How can you develop a partnership that can contribute to your bottom line? Always go into a relationship understanding your partner’s “must have” list. It’s always best when you can find a partner who is not a direct competitor. A strong strategic alliance offers many benefits, including reducing risk, sharing costs and improving time to market.

6. Update Your Elevator Pitch. Your most important job as a small business owner is selling yourself and your business. When you can succinctly explain your business, it builds trust, but you shouldn’t use the same pitch forever. From time to time, switch it up a little. Add a brief client list; mention a recent award or media hit. Elevator pitches are designed to draw in your target and keep the dialogue going. Be careful not to talk too long. Offer just enough to get them interested in chatting with you again.

7. Use a Vision Board. All businesses have ups and downs. How you get through the tough days in your business makes a big difference in your productivity. I advise all my coaching clients to develop a life plan and then develop a vision board of your big picture goals for your life. It might include the 10 things you want out of life? Create a visual representation of your life plan. Use cutouts from magazines or clip art pictures–whatever it takes develop a visual symbol of your personal and professional goals. Post this collage to remind yourself why you work so hard. Your vision board will keep you motivated on good days as well as bad ones!

By implementing these marketing techniques, you will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and keep yourself motivated to stay on top of your sales processes.

How do you ignite sales in your small business?

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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How to Use Word of Mouth Marketing to Promote Your Business

by Tai Goodwin on August 4, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat

Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This is excerpted from our #SmallBizChat interview with Dori DeCarlo @Dori_WordofMom. Dori is MOMpreneur CEO of S1-Safety First & host of Word of Mom on BlogTalkRadio & MomTV. Empowering others is a passion for Dori as she shares the lessons she has learned with business owners as a coach, mentor and strategic partner. http://www.S1Bags.com

*Note: This week’s interview was led by #Smallbizchat co-host Tai Goodwin.*

Tai Goodwin: What is Word of Mouth Marketing?

Dori DeCarlo: Word of mouth marketing is unpaid advertising for you and your company or service. When others share you and what you do you have gleaned the most influential marketing available. People will always trust the word of someone they know over paid advertising every time. We trust what we know and we trust those we know.An endorsement from a reliable resource will always impact on a larger scale than what a company creates.

Tai Goodwin: What’s the difference between Organic and Amplified WOM marketing?

Dori DeCarlo: Organic WOM is marketing that grows naturally from others sharing who you are and what you do. This happens without any encouragement or direction by you; it’s an organic response to others spreading the word about how pleased they are with the quality of your products or services.

Amplified WOM marketing is more controlled. Using twitter as an example it is asking a group of trusted contacts to RT information about you in what takes on the look of the organic WOM marketing we hope naturally generates. Both forums carry significant impact as it enables your WOM to go viral. The more people talk about you and what you do the more others will want to know about your products and services.
Tai Goodwin: What are the different types of word of mouth marketing?

Dori DeCarlo: Person to person, group to group, network to network, colleague to colleague, affiliate to affiliate and so on. There are so many different WOM marketing venues, especially in the age of Social Media. One friend talking to another has now expanded where one person can communicate with all their friends at once. This makes WOM more impactful than just the one-on-one communication of old. Hundreds of people can find out about your company in an instant. We trust who we know and nothing carries more weight than the opinion of a satisfied customer. People love to share, no matter what they purchase and you want to encourage that WOM marketing.

Tai Goodwin: Why is mouth marketing important?

Dori DeCarlo: Word of mouth is everything when it comes to building your business and branding yourself as an expert in your field. Marketing use to consist of print, TV, radio and word of mouth and of all four- word of mouth has always carried the most power. People will rely more on what they have heard from others than what the marketing and advertising companies spin. We trust who we know so word of mouth will always outweigh traditional advertising. What better advertising can you get then someone telling others have you tried this, or seen that, or used this product – I have and I can’t recommend it more highly to you. We ask others if they’ve ever tried X,Y,Z and when they have a positive response it paves the way for new sales.

Continue Reading →

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Getting Back to Small Business Basics with Sweetie Berry

by Melinda Emerson on July 21, 2011 in Grow Your Business, Q & A Interview, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This is excerpted from my #SmallBizChat interview with Sweetie Berry @SweetieBerry on how to get back to basics in Business. She develops strategy for speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs as a go-to problem solver, think tank, and re-alignment marketing strategist. She and her husband Les have recently soft launched BasicsMatter.com, an online front porch to support first things first at home and in business for entrepreneurial families . www.basicsmatter.com

SmallBizLady: What do you believe are the most important things for a small business owner to remember?

Sweetie Berry: I believe that small businesses have forgotten the reasons folks choose small business over giants: Personal attention, strong customer service, polite interactions, supportive follow-through, instructive and predictive service representatives and developing your business as a reliable resource. There are many more reasons, but those six, when addressed can make significant differences in the loyalty and profitability your clients and customers develop in their relationship to you.

SmallBizLady: What are some of the basics you feel must be addressed as a small business?

Sweetie Berry: As business owners, we are often told that we must grow our client list, develop new social media streams to attract new customers and clients, and while those skills are important, there is one that is too often ignored. We must be aware and support the needs of the clients and customers we have already served and are serving currently. Too often when I am brought in as a consultant to small businesses marketing, I see 90% of the effort being put towards new sales and new audiences. Most businesses grow only when customers are retained and new clients are developed.

Most small businesses need a 30/30/30 formula of attracting new clients, maintaining current clients, and developing deeper and stronger product offerings for loyal clients. It’s a basic not just to attract new clients or customers, but to maintain the relationships for those who have already engaged you as not only a continuing client, but as a word of mouth marketer for your business through their experience with you.

Continue Reading →

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10 Things to Grow Your Business This Summer

by Melinda Emerson on June 22, 2011 in 10 Things Lists, Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology

Summer is here! Now that the kids are out of school, you might be thinking about how to reduce your work schedule, but that’s the worst thing you could do. It’s time to turn up the heat in your business. Third and fourth quarters are critical times in business. You may have customers who are in budget planning cycles, or have excess budget to spend. Now is the right time reach out to your existing customers and get your house in order to make your revenue goals for the rest of the year.

Here’s 10 Things to grow your business this summer.

1. Take a break. Even if all you can afford to do is a staycation, take a break from work for at least 7 days. You need to recharge your batteries so that you can go hard the rest of the year.

2. Attend a conference. The Summer is a great time to sign up for a course or attend a conference in your industry to learn the latest trends and techniques.

3. Read a great business book. Pick a book that’s you have been meaning to read and learn a few techniques that will help you grow your business. I really like 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business by Jane Applegate. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Ideas-Small-Business-Bloomberg/dp/0470919663/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

4. Revisit your business plan. In the first few years of a business, you should be updating your business plan every 90 days. When is the last time you reviewed your marketing plan and how well it was working to drive sales. Make sure your budget and revenue projections are up-to-date.

5. Organize a Business Retreat. Take your team offsite treat them to some good food in a lush environment. Brainstorm with them to solve the top three issues in the business. Bring in a trainer.

6. Ask for testimonials. Go back to all of your customers that you worked with over the last six months and ask for testimonials. Get them in writing to update your website and ask them to post recommendations to LinkedIn.

7. Refresh your website and marketing materials. Take a look at your website and marketing collateral including your blog header, business cards, and newsletter template. If something was just thrown together just to get some out or you’ve been using the same template for a whole, take the time to clean up your design elements to make your brand shine.

8. Update your personal bio and profiles across social media. Every small business owner should have a professional biography. Take this time to update yours with any new marquee clients, non-profit board service, and speaking opportunities. Be sure to update your profiles on your social media accounts as well.

9. Do a waste walk in your office. Summer is a great time to chuck the clutter. The shredder is your friend. Get rid of stray paper, conference bags, direct mail, magazines, equipment that doesn’t work, and giveaways you really didn’t want anyway.

10. Develop a special offer. You need a reason to contact your customers. Nothing is better than a discount, coupon or special offer. You use this as your excuse to call, email or snail mail your existing customers. They are the most valuable asset in your business.

Do you have any other tips to keep a small business growing over the summer?

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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Ask @SmallBizLady: How do I follow-up after a business conference?

by Melinda Emerson on June 17, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, featured, Grow Your Business, Social Media, Technology

Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady. This week, I took a question live from the New York Times Small Business Summit.

Here’s the question: How do I make a plan to follow-up after a business conference? Here’s the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3rKLFEkF_I

Immediately reach out to all of your new connections on LinkedIn.

Separate your new contact into piles email follow-up vs. hand-written note.
Wait 5-10 business days to follow-up your initial contact with a personal phone call. I really enjoyed attending this year’s conference.

Here’s some key takeaways: It’s all about being ready to do commerce via mobile devices. All websites need to be mobile ready and google is coming out with some innovate tools to help…stay tuned.

LivingSocial.com CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy, enlightened the audience by explaining how important it is to have a local sales presence for an online business. He also made the audience aware of all the other services his company can provide for small businesses beyond daily deals, which I am intrigued to learn about that more fully.

Susan Sobbott, President of American Express Open, shared sobering statistics on social media use among small businesses. 35% are using Facebook, 14% are using LinkedIn and 10% are on Twitter regularly.

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, leave a comment on this blog using the contact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson I’m always here as a resource.

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9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail

by Melinda Emerson on June 13, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Before You Start, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations

Baby Boomers Businesses

I know a woman (let’s call her Sarah) who was a vice president at a major Fortune 500 company. She was a sassy 48-year-old single MBA who was very successful climbing the corporate ladder. She worked in marketing, managing a brand at her company and making a handsome six-figure income. Then one day she decided that she wanted to start a business.

She did her research and decided to invest in a food franchise. She learned that franchises are 10 percent more likely to be successful than startups, so she decided to go for it. She hired an attorney to look over her franchise agreement. She spent weeks finding the perfect location and then hired an architect and contractor to develop her space. She gave notice at her job and invited everyone to her grand opening. She was so excited. She had prepared a thorough marketing plan and invested in local advertising through a coupon mailer.

Within two years, Sarah was back working in corporate America, grateful to have a job. I bumped into her and asked her what happened. She said, “I cannot be a slave to anything — especially something that does not fulfill me, and on top of that I hate teenagers and that’s who my employees were. I am grateful to be back at work with a regular paycheck.”

For baby boomers, making the transition from having a job to starting a business can be a tough road, no matter how successful you were in your previous life. Some of the issues that come up may have little to do with how well the business is doing financially.

Here are nine common trouble spots that cause baby boomer businesses to fail. These are the things that can destroy your entrepreneurial dream if they go unaddressed.

1. Not being coachable
To be successful in business, you must be a life-long learner and understand that you can learn something from anyone, even your interns and teenage employees. You also must be able to seek out– and take — advice from mentors and other entrepreneurs. Sometimes when you’ve been successful in the corporate world you might ask yourself “How hard could it be to run a small business?” Don’t be fooled; the hard work is endless!

2. Not developing a life plan
You need a life plan before you ever write a business plan. Take the time to think about what you want out of life, and then build a business around that. You need to know things like “How much money do I need to earn to be happy?” and “Is day-to-day variety important to me?” You do not want to start a business that is NOT a good business for you and your family.

3. Not having the energy
You must be honest about what you are willing to do to make your business a success. One of Sarah’s complaints was that she could not be a slave to anything. But that’s what it takes. In the first few years of running a business, your business owns you: 14- to 16-hour days are common, especially if you open a retail business that has long store hours. Can you physically sustain working seven days a week?

4. Not having a network
As a startup business, your network is your net worth. People do business with people they like, know and trust. You had no problem getting calls returned when you had a big corporate job, but once you are on the outside pounding the payment, it might be another story. Before starting a business, spend at least a year cultivating the market. If you are not good at making friends or are one of those people who never keeps in touch, entrepreneurship might not be for you.

5. Not willing to scale back your lifestyle
When you’ve been working a long time, and making good money, chances are you spend what you make. When you decide to become an entrepreneur, the first thing you should do is end your addiction to your paycheck. You must scale back your lifestyle to the essentials — and you need to cut back at least 12 months before you start your business. If you are someone who regularly enjoys retail therapy, eating out, extensive travel or indulging in the latest electronic gadgets, you might not adjust well to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

6. Not saving enough money
In my book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, I outline three pools of money that you should ideally have before starting a business. First, make sure you have the money to start your business. Then set aside enough resources so that you can survive for up to two years without a salary. On average it takes 18 to 36 months for a small business to break even, let alone replace your corporate salary. The third pot of money is your emergency savings. Your car may need to be replaced, your air conditioner may die, and your children may need college tuition. Your ability to start a business has everything to do with your ability to save money.

7. Having competing priorities
After age 40, you may have aging parents and perhaps a first grandchild that you’ve welcomed into the family. If you need to stay on top of your mother’s doctors’ visits or help out your daughter and son-in-law with the new baby, it may be really tough to get a new business off the ground because you will not have any spare time.

8. Lack of a niche target market
Too many small-business owners sell to anyone they think has money. Define your niche customer and make sure you know why your customer will buy from you. It is so much easier to develop a marketing strategy when you know who you are trying to reach. You have limited time and limited resources. Customers want to hire businesses that specialize in solving their problem.

9. Lack of personal and fiscal discipline
If you do not run your household on a budget, you likely will struggle to run your business on one. You must make business decisions based on up-to-date financial information. Will you make money decisions without consulting your budget? How will you focus on tasks that generate money? Will you raid the cash register whenever you need money? You should know in advance how much money you are making on each sale; otherwise, you might have an expensive hobby.

If you focus on these nine areas as you are planning your midlife transition, you are far more likely to start a sustainable and profitable small business.

Melinda F. Emerson, known as the SmallBizLady, is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, small business coach and the author ofBecome Your Own Boss in 12 Months. In 2010, Forbes magazine named her as one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter.

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9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail

by Melinda Emerson on June 13, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Before You Start, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations

Baby Boomers Businesses

Here are nine common trouble spots that cause baby boomer businesses to fail. These are the things that can destroy your entrepreneurial dream if they go unaddressed.

If you focus on these nine areas as you are planning your midlife transition, you are far more likely to start a sustainable and profitable small business.

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Ask @SmallBizLady: How can I get my kids to “buy in” to my business?

by Melinda Emerson on June 10, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, Your Small Business

Here’s the answer:

Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady.

This week, we are taking on the question: How can I get my kids to “buy in” to my business?

If you want to get your family to support your business follow these steps:

Communicate with them and teach them what you do.
Don’t be afraid to put even the little ones to work; Get them a job in the business
Share your ideas and ask for their feedback
Everyone loves to be asked for advice, so you can’t go wrong there.

I’m always here as a resource.

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The Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program Could Be Your Answer

by Melinda Emerson on June 8, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Cash Flow & Finance, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Comcast Interactive Capital, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies, today announced that is has partnered with DreamIt Ventures (“DreamIt”), the leading technology accelerator for entrepreneurs, to provide seed funding, training, mentoring and other benefits to five minority-led startups through DreamIt’s accelerator program. The partnership with DreamIt, entitled the Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (MEAP), is Comcast Interactive Capital’s first investment initiative from the $20 million fund created by Comcast as part of the NBCUniversal transaction that is committed to expanding opportunities for minority entrepreneurs.

Comcast Interactive Capital and DreamIt are now accepting applications and will select five minority-led startups to participate in DreamIt’s three-month accelerator program taking place in Philadelphia this fall. The deadline for applications is July 8^th and the program will commence on September 9^th.

Kerry Rupp, Managing Director of DreamIt, said, “We are thrilled to have Comcast Interactive Capital as a partner and are looking forward to working with them. DreamIt is proud to provide assistance and opportunities to help entrepreneurs grow, and we know that Comcast will provide invaluable expertise and partnership to this process.”

MEAP will provide minority entrepreneurs with the opportunity to engage in an intensive, company-building experience. Applicants who are accepted into MEAP will be a part of DreamIt’s broader Fall 2011 initiative in Philadelphia and will be offered the opportunity to learn from, and be mentored by, recognized experts in marketing, brand building, business development, financial modeling, business plans, distribution and customer acquisitions. In addition, they will be provided with office space, working alongside the other startups selected and be provided with donated legal, accounting and administrative help. At the end of the three-month period, the startups will have the opportunity to pitch to venture capital and angel investors at a demo day in Philadelphia to secure further funding to create a sustainable business.

For details on how to submit an application for the Comcast Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, please visit the DreamIt website atwww.dreamitventures.com/about/Comcast-MEAP.php.

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 one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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