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12 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs For 2012

By Melinda Emerson on April 9, 2012 in Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Women in Business

I normally do this post at the top of the year, but I was inspired to wait until now. With Easter upon us, I though this post would be particularly meaningful at this time of year. My religious theme for 2012 is, “Either I win or I learn, but with God’s help I never lose.”

I pray that you are inspired by God’s word. Your faith in yourself and your business are key to your long-term success. Starting a small business is a spiritual journey. You should pick a verse that will inspire you. I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorites. Use these bible verses in the good and tough times in your small business.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. All of our skills and special talents that we use in our businesses are all given to us by God. He gives us the ability to make money and cut deals. He did it for our parents and mentors and he does it for us too.
Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. The bible commands us to be innovative in our businesses. We should not ever try to be like anyone else. The world is still waiting on a better mousetrap, and we should never rest on our successes. We must renew ourselves by being lifelong learners and reading constantly.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19 NIV Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; this is the will of God for your life. It is important to have a prayerful life as an entrepreneur; it will help you on those days when things do not go your way. You need to have the strength to thank God, even when you do not win that big contract. God protects us when we do not get opportunities that we think we can’t survive without. Always be grateful.
Proverbs 16:18 NIV Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Many entrepreneurs struggle with pride. Do not be afraid to tell clients or employees that you do not know the answer. Try to diffuse any issues with truth and by taking full responsibility for fixing the problem. Never let your ego get in the way of doing what’s in the best interest of your business.
II Corinthians 9:8 NIV And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. God always delivers to us what we need in order to do our best work. Sometimes he sends a check we need just in time, and other times he sends us creativity to find the best solution to our challenges. Trust in the Lord at all times.
II Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Fear is the enemy of entrepreneurship. God wants us to go out with the power he gives us to pursue our ideas in business.
Hebrews 12:11 NIV No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. You must be fiscally disciplined in business. You cannot put all your hard work at risk by not being focused on your big picture goals and your monthly sales goals. It is painful at times, but it will produce quite a harvest.
I Corinthians 9:24 NIV Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Running a business is hard. It’s a marathon not a sprint. There will be plenty of stumbling blocks in your way. Everyone trips and falls while running this race, but winners get up faster than everyone else. You must do what you need to do to win your race.
Mark 5:36 NIV Overhearing what they said, Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” There will be times when you are the only person who believes in your business dream. Don’t be afraid. Believe in yourself and your business idea.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 AMP He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. You must be willing to make decisions in your small business. No one is going to come along and do it for you. Make hard decisions quickly, so you can move on to doing the work needed to help your customers.
Proverbs 11:14 NIRV Without the guidance of good leaders a nation falls. But many good advisers can save it. It is critical to have a kitchen cabinet of advisors for your small business. Your business will not survive on your experience alone. Pull together four to five people who are invested in your success. The group should include an existing entrepreneur, a customer, a mentor, a lawyer and a accountant. Seek out a mastermind group or peer to peer mentoring program to help as well.
Philippians 4:13 NKJV I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Whenever you struggle with your self-confidence read this bible verse to yourself. There will be times in your business when you need to force yourself to stretch beyond what you think is possible. You can do it. I believe in you.

Do you have any other bible verses that inspire you? Please share.

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 Grow Your Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on March 26, 2012 in Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady

For those small business owners who survived the startup phase and are now ready to grow your business, there are numerous possibilities. Keep in mind, growing your business will depend on what business you are in and how much money, time and sweat equity you’re willing to invest all over again. Here are four ways to kick start growth in your small business.

When thinking about how to grow your business first, consider opening a new location, franchising your business, look for markets overseas by expand globally, and make sure you are taking part the biggest market in the world by expanding on the internet.

Open another location. Your first option for growth is to open an additional location. Now, this can be really tricky. You need to look at the economic environment and trends for indications that theirs is enough business to support an additional location. Make sure your operations, banking an processes are all in order. It will be important to have a strong management team to send into the new location. One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is determining how you will finance your expansion. Choose your new location carefully. Don’t let you wallet drive your decision making or you could end up in the poor house.

Turn your business into a franchise. I recently interviewed Dina Dywer Owens, Former Chair of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and she suggests anyone interested in turning their business into a franchise, check out the free resources at the IFA’s website www.franchise.org. and hire a professional franchise consultant to help. Now if you are really interested in this growth strategy, you must streamline all your internal systems and marketing processes first. Then, start networking within the franchise community, become a member of the IFA and find a good franchise attorney as well as a mentor who’s been through the franchise process. Here’s more information about how to be successful in a franchise business.

Expand globally. If you are an internet business, you may already have clientele from across the world, but there are many programs and services that will help sell products overseas markets including China, India, South America and across Europe specifically. Check out my recent interview with former under secretary of international trade Frank Lavin on How to Export to China. In most cases to export outside of the US, you’ll need a foreign distributor who’ll carry an inventory of your product and resell it in their domestic markets. Trade groups and foreign chambers of commerce in the U.S., are good places to find distributors. Also check out the government’s website businessusa.gov which is a great resource for small businesses looking to export outside the US.

Expand on the Internet. Are You Googleable? In many business circles, if you can’t be found on the internet you do not exist. Make sure that you have a useful website that tells people how to hire you within 3 seconds of arrival onto your home page. Think of your website as the front door to your business. Be sure that you use an e-commerce solution such as shopify.com or bigcommerce.com that also has the ability to mirror your online store on your facebook fan page. An online store will bring you customers that your brick and mortar business could never reach.

Do you want more great ideas for business growth? Sign up for my Free Webinar March 29th 1-2pm ET on How to Better Communicate With Your Target Customers http://bit.ly/wPX0SV

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 Communicate Your Business Vision

By Melinda Emerson on March 19, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, How to Start

As a business leader, it’s your job to craft a vision for your business. Once you know what that is, you need to be able to communicate it to a wide audience including your customers and your employees. Even the interns need to know. Why? Because your need to share a vision that everyone understands, can relate to — and ultimately believe in. Here are five ways to communicate your business vision.

Share Your Vision With Everyone. To be effective, you’ll need to rally people around your vision. You will need to keep saying it to remind your team of your message to reinforce what you are trying to achieve. You’ll need to do this constantly to keep everyone focused. Don’t worry about sounding like a broken record, after all it is your business.

Use Storytelling: When you tell a story, you give life to your vision. The telling of stories creates trust, touches people’s hearts and minds, and serves as a reminder of the vision. It is also a great way to make your vision relatable to anyone. Your team will find it a lot easier to repeat a story than a vision statement.

Don’t be Afraid to Share: Sometimes we, as entrepreneurs come up with ideas that may seem far-fetched to others. Do not let that stop you from telling people your vision. When you speak it out loud, you speak it into existence. I remember back in 2007, when I told people I was going to be “America’s #1 Small Business Expert,” at the time I am sure some of them may have thought, can she really do that? or they may have thought I was crazy. We’ll who looks crazy now? You must be willing to share ideas people have never heard of.

Be Brief: Learn to share your vision like it is an elevator pitch. Every business leader needs to be able to communicate the vision in a clear, brief way. Can you describe your compelling vision in the amount of time you have during a typical elevator ride? Your pitch should highlight your solution, your target audience and your niche focus. Try to keep it to two minutes of less.

Be Flexible: Don’t feel like you have to have all the answers. As an entrepreneur one of the most important things that you must do is evolve. Be sure to create dialogue around your message so that people feel comfortable to share suggestions and help you take your vision to the next level.

Put out calls to action. Don’t just tell people what you imagine for the future, ask for their help in making it a reality, and be specific about what you want people to do and why.

When you are think about how to communicate your vision first, create a strong vision and communicate it to everyone. Use storytelling to help people visualize your vision. Have the courage to share your vision. Be brief, and willing to take suggestions that could take your vision to the next level. When you put out calls to action, and assign specific roles you want your team to play in your success.

Are you looking for ways to better communicate with your target customers? Don’t miss my FREE webinar sponsored by Pitney Bowes March 29th 1-2pm ET Register today http://www2.pbsmartessentials.com/how-to-better-communicate-with-your-customers

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

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How to Market with Your Mouth: Using Speaking to Generate Business

By on March 8, 2012 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 David Newman @dnewman. David is the author of several books including 21 Secrets of Simple Marketing Success and The Speaker Marketing Toolkit. David is also founder and CEO of Do It Marketing, a marketing strategy and “done-for-you” services firm, and http://www.SpeakerCEO.com, an online resource community for professionals who want to speak more profitably. A frequent speaker at business events and in the media, he has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management, Selling Power, and on FastCompany.com. Here’s more information http://www.doitmarketing.com

SmallBizLady: What does it mean to Market with Your Mouth?

David Newman: A lot of business owners work hard to interrupt people with cold calling, advertising, and spam. That era is over. We’re living in a world of voluntary attention. Which means – first you earn their attention, and then you have a chance to earn their money.

“Market with your mouth” is shorthand for one of the best and most direct ways to earn attention. As a speaker – if you’re in front of the right room with the right people and for the right reasons – you have at your disposal a tremendously powerful marketing platform. You’re an authority. You have high visibility. You have the opportunity to deliver high value. And if you do it right, you earn high trust.

At that point, the marketing and sales process is 80% finished and now you’re simply in the process of filtering and sorting your best-fit prospects and you invite them to do business with you!

SmallBizLady: Why should someone consider the strategy of generating business leads from speaking?

David Newman: Every consultant, solopreneur, and small business owner needs to establish their thought-leadership in order to stand out from the crowd and be heard above the noise. No matter what business you’re in, there’s simply no room for yet another “Same-O Lame-O” player. Their days are over and their influence and impact are declining… daily… and dramatically.

So that means that every day you wait to claim your place among the thought-leaders in your industry and in front of your target buyers, you’re losing time AND money. Don’t let that happen to you. The good news is that independent research from the Wellesley Hills Group with over 200 buyers of professional services shows that at any given moment, between 52%-72% of them are willing to change professional services providers.

Across all service areas, more than 50% of purchasers could be considered Switchers, open to changing providers, ranging from 52% Switchers for Legal Services to 72% Switchers for Management Consulting. So the startling truth is that if you market with your mouth, you’re never more than one good presentation away from generating new clients and new revenue.

SmallBizLady: You emphasize choosing a target audience and a very specific niche topic when you speak. Why is that important?

David Newman: Whenever I work with clients 1-on-1 or speak to groups of business owners, we always ALWAYS start with identifying specifically WHO you are marketing to. I call this your “Buyer Persona” and we use 7 key questions to flesh out the specific characteristics of the folks who are your highest-probability prospects.

You need to understand what makes them tick – what are their characteristics, traits, attitudes, and values? What’s important to them? What headaches and heartaches do they have when it comes to the types of problems that your product or service is brilliant at solving? What do they SAY about their situation and what WORDS do they use to describe it? This is what I call “learning to speak prospect language about prospect problems.“

Until you can do that, NO marketing strategy will work, and especially speaking where your main focus is on articulating problems you can solve and sharing answers to those problems that your audience can take away and use immediately.

SmallBizLady: We all want to spend more time in front of right-fit audiences. How do we get started finding them?

David Newman: That’s a great question that I get asked a lot: What groups do my ideal clients belong to? This will obviously determine which audiences you want to be in front of. Here’s my suggestion: Don’t guess – ask!

Here is the script to ask your current clients, prospects, and centers of influence who know your target market well…

“I’m looking to speak more in front of groups of [BUYER PERSONA]. I’d love to get your advice, insights, and recommendations.”

Another way to ask might be…

“Of all the industry groups and associations you belong to, which ones provide the most value in terms of the speakers and programs they present?”

With both of these scripts, the natural follow-up discussion would center around your desire to serve this industry/community more and to share information with them that would help them become even more successful.

Likely outcomes from you having this discussion with your best clients would include:

Names of specific groups, associations, and conferences
Names of specific people serving in board or programming positions
Names of other executives or decision-makers in the field
Names of other companies or firms in need of similar information/services
Specific networking introductions
Offers of referrals to the individuals they already know
An opportunity to reciprocate and ask how YOU might be of service to THEM

SmallBizLady: How can we find even more venues for speaking on top of the ones our best clients share from their personal experience?

David Newman: Finding venues to speak profitably could be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Here are some resources to help you laser-target your speaking to your best-fit audiences:

The Directory of Associations online (www.marketingsource.com)
National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States – hardcopy from www.columbiabooks.com
www.LeadershipDirectories.com for access to 500,000 corporate and association decision-makers (this comes at a hefty $5,000 annual fee)
Secret Tip: Your Public Library – Free access to high-priced proprietary business databases (including all of the above PLUS Hoovers, D&B Million Dollar Database, InfoUSA and most likely several industry-specific ones to boot!) All paid for with your local tax dollars – so enjoy!

SmallBizLady: How can our listeners design what you call a “client magnet presentation” when they go out to speak?

David Newman: At this point, it might be tempting to create a presentation based on your professional passions, interests, or favorite topics within your expertise. That would be a huge mistake. DON’T do it!

For your speaking efforts to pay off in terms of marketing results, you need to design your presentation content NOT around what YOU are passionate about, but what your buyers and prospects are passionate about!

Imagine a pair of X-ray vision goggles that you are now using to zoom in on your target clients. Ask yourself the following:

What do they want?
What are they missing in their lives?
What hurts?
Where is the pain?
What are they yearning for?
What do they worry about most?
What are their biggest headaches, heartaches, and hassles?
What are their urgent, pervasive, and expensive problems?

Build your presentation around THOSE specific questions, problems, challenges and obstacles. And don’t hold back. Unleash your best material, most powerful tools and templates, and give ‘em everything you’ve got. If they see the value in your presentation, believe me, they’ll be ready to buy at the appropriate time. And the person they’ll want to buy from is the one they already trust to deliver top-notch answers and specific hard-hitting ideas – YOU!

SmallBizLady: What’s the first step that business owners should take to find those specific “hot button” issues to address in their talk?

David Newman: What’s the first step? Research. Preparation. Homework. Industry, regional, business, and company news is now at everyone’s fingertips on the Internet. Look for verbatim quotes, video clips, audio interviews to capture as much as you can from representative members of your buyer persona group. Search Google, YouTube and LinkedIn. Scan industry and association message boards.

Then go directly to the source – your real live customers and prospects. If you’re not intelligently researching your prospects’ issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with credible high-perceived-value solutions? One of the best ways to approach prospects is with:

Interviews
Surveys
Research
Data gathering

It positions you and your firm as an expert resource and it gives you valuable data you should be getting anyway!

SmallBizLady: What about the nitty-gritty of putting a presentation together. What should it be titled? What should it include?

David Newman: Start by sitting down with a clean sheet of paper. Using the following “presentation idea starters,” jot down 3-5 potential topics/titles in each category based on your topic expertise.

Remember your speech should focus on addressing your buyer persona’s most urgent, pervasive, expensive problems. What are the personal and professional heartaches and headaches that they want answers to? In which areas are they hungry for strategies and tactics?

How to…
5 Strategies…
3 Keys to…
The #1 problem with… and how to solve it
Unlocking your…
The 3 biggest traps in [topic] and how to avoid them
10 Tips for…
Everything you know about [topic] is wrong

Have some fun with these – brainstorm and jot down key words and short phrases under each one as they occur to you. Then begin to rearrange, compile and combine them until something emerges that you can get excited about. Think in terms of 5-7 mini-topics or “modules” – people can’t absorb more than that anyway.

And it’s better to hammer home 5 key points with clarity, conviction, and specific detailed answers than to do a “surface skim” on 20 or 30 sound bites that leave your audience hungry and slightly unsatisfied. The perception of “meat” and value is directly related to DEPTH and not BREADTH of your topic expertise. It’s MUCH better to be a mile deep than a mile wide!

SmallBizLady: And so how do you convert an audience of people grateful for your insights into a pool of prospects for your business?

David Newman: That is very much the secret sauce and it’s where a lot of business owners – including professional speakers, by the way – fall down on the job! Every time you speak, you want to make sure you leave with between 90% and 95% of your audience’s business cards or contact information.

Simply say, “I have a fabulous resource that I’m going to send to you.” This could be a handout, a special report, a buyer’s guide, an implementation pack, a starter kit, anything is good as long as it has high perceived value and direct relevance to your topic. Then you use the following script: “If you would like that resource, just give me your business card.” And then here’s the language that’s important:

“I would also like to invite you onto my [TOPIC] tips list. If you would like that to happen, just give me your card. If you do not want that to happen, write ‘NO TIPS’ and I will still send you your gift but then I’ll tear up your card and throw it in the trash and you’ll never hear from me again.”

Folks usually laugh or smile at that – and then they get a visual in their head of you tearing up their beloved business card that they are so proud of and you get 95% of the cards in the room and only 2-3 will have “no tips” written on the back.

This one strategy will result in tens of thousands of dollars of business for you – if you do something smart with the business cards. Put them in some kind of auto-responder, follow-up system, subscriber list, Constant Contact, whatever it might be – but you MUST follow up. “The fortune is in the follow-up” has become a cliché for a reason – it is 1,000% true!

The spinoff business for your company’s products and services will surely come from the “drip marketing” that you’re able to do after capturing your audience’s contact information and sending high-quality, high-value follow-up materials to them on a monthly basis. Don’t believe all the “seminar selling” nonsense you hear from the “get rich quick” hucksters on the web. Fact is, slow but steady wins the race for 99% of small business owners – unless you happen to be selling sleazy “get rich quick” nonsense which I recommend against doing!

SmallBizLady: Is there an online or virtual version of the “Market with Your Mouth” strategy?

David Newman: You bet – and you and I are both doing it right now! Whether you choose blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo, Skype, Slideshare, iTunes – any time you are sharing your face, your voice, and your expertise, you are marketing with your mouth.

Look, the sad truth is that generalists die on price and specialists win on value. That means value that you GIVE away, value that you charge a little for – like your $20 book – and value that you charge a LOT for like your premium flagship products and services. The other thing that specialists do is they publish, they speak, and they are generous with their time, talent and expertise.

Do webinars, host teleseminars, be a guest on radio shows and podcasts and TweetChats! So yes, social media sharing and content marketing ideas are definitely the virtual versions of “market with your mouth” strategies!

SmallBizLady: This sounds like a lot of work – how can we make it manageable while still running our business?

David Newman: Civic and community groups are a great place to start if you want to start locally. They are always looking for speakers and if you have energy, enthusiasm, and a valuable message with relevant take-aways, you WILL get business from it. Or at the very least you’ll get referred and introduced as a business owner worth getting to know.

Does video, audio, and other content generation take time? Yes it does. But the sources you can use are also right at your fingertips. Look at your most recent customer service issue. Look at the most recent client conversation you had. Look at the kinds of customer questions you get all the time – those answers, insights, and recommendations are the raw material for your “market with your mouth” strategy and they come in ALL the time. Often we don’t need to create content – we need to RE-create content that we’re already sharing during the course of running our day-to-day business.

SmallBizLady: Given everything we discussed here, what are the top three strategies you suggest our listeners focus on?

David Newman: Figure out the audience you want to serve the most because they are your peeps, your tribe, your natural followers. Then figure out what they are passionate to learn, to do, or to become. Finally, start talking about, sharing, and connecting them with resources that solve those specific pains, problems, headaches and heartaches. Do so publicly through speaking, publishing, networking – both online and offline – and your reputation as being a source of valuable expertise will spread. Once you’ve laid the ground work to become visible, trusted, and valuable – the floodgates will open for you and you’ll be in the enviable position of NOT chasing business, but rather filtering and sorting the best prospects whom you’d like to hire as YOUR next customer! In closing, there’s a fourth strategy which is a gift from me – if folks would like a copy of my 96-page Strategic Marketing eBook, please visit www.doitmarketing.com to get it for free.

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

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Are You The Right President For Your Small Business?

By Melinda Emerson on February 20, 2012 in Grow Your Business

When I first started thinking about President’s Day this year, I thought it would be helpful to blog about being an effective business leader.

Whenever you start a company, you have the right to be the president. After all, it is your company. It was your idea, your seed capital, your contacts that got the business off the ground, but is that the best idea for your business? There may come a time in your business when you realize that perhaps you are not the right person to lead the charge anymore. It takes a true leader to recognize that, and more so to do something about it. Are you a big enough leader to put your ego aside and do what’s in the best interest of the business? Here are five signs to look for when its time to bring in help to run the business.

Chronic burnout – If you are stressed out just thinking about going into the office, try going on a real vacation first. If the condition persists, start looking to see if anyone on your staff has the skills to be elevated to management. If that is not an option, start searching for an appropriate manager to hire in your business.

Growing pains – If you started with one location and now you have four locations and 50 or more employees, you are now running a much bigger business than what you started. You have no time to be proactive or strategic about anything, because you always reacting to things and putting out fires. You feel breathless at the end of each day. Your business has grown beyond your personal skill set.

Uneducated – Now, I’m certainly not one that believes everyone who starts a business needs to be an MBA (I’m not one), but knowledge is power. If the last time you took a class was high school or even 10 to 25 years in college, you need to update your business skills. Since the beginning of the great recession in 2008, the nature of business has changed. Your industry has probably changed, and technology has changed that way we all do business. Get yourself some education and hire some educated managers to help you. Professional development is a key element of business success.

Is selling an option? – If one day you want to sell your business, than you must get yourself in a position where your business runs without you. You must have systems and managers in place who run the day-to-day operations. When you accomplish this you will transition from being an entrepreneur to running a business, and that’s what you want. Entrepreneurs work 14-16 hours days and can never can leave the office. People who run businesses can go on vacation, get the little league game, and sleep well at night.

Have an honest conversation with yourself. Are you still the right person to be calling all the shots in your business? Hiring a business manager is not a dirty word. It is exhausting to make all the decisions in a small business. Hire smart people and empower them to make decisions and help you run your business.

Did this piece hit a pain point for you? Please tell him if this issue is affecting your business.

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

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Who’s on #SmallBizChat – February 2012

By on February 1, 2012 in Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, SmallBizChat

Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat.

Here are the upcoming guests for February 2012…

Feb 1st Retail Pioneer @LizLange How to Be Successful in Business

Feb 8th @DeborahShane How to reinvent your Brand
Feb 15th @DarnyelleJervey How to Monetize Your Message
Feb 22 @Taxmama Eva Rosenberg Getting your Small Biz Taxes Together
Feb 29th Stephanie Chandler @Bizauthor How to Own Your Niche

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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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Branding Your Small Business

By Melinda Emerson on January 23, 2012 in Branding & Marketing

Branding is about getting your customers to see your company as an important key provider in addressing their needs and gives you a real competitive advantage. Once you have done thorough market research and checked out the competition, it is time to start developing your brand identity. Your brand is the name, design, or distinctive symbol you create for your product or service that makes you unique in the marketplace. It will convey your reputation, quality, uniqueness, and credibility so it is important that it be built carefully. Building a trusted brand requires knowing your target audience and building a strong relationship with them which will lead to brand loyalty. Yes, it takes time to communicate the character of your business, but it is time and money well spent because a positive brand usually means repeat business for your company.

Effective marketing cannot happen without a strong brand. Why do you need a brand? Erin Ferree, a marketing design strategist and owner of Elf Designs, says, “Forty percent of people better remember what they see than what they hear or read. So having graphics associated with your business will make you more memorable in the mind of a potential client.” A well-designed logo and effective brand gives you a major edge in competitive marketplace.

When it comes to developing your brand identity, there are two schools of thought. You can hire a firm to help you name and brand yourself, or you can pull together your kitchen cabinet of advisors and close friends willing to work for food and have a good old brainstorming session.

The benefits of utilizing a branding strategy are real and can help you do several things:

Look more established. It is very hard to fake it until you make it with an unpolished corporate image. Avoid clip art or homemade business cards.
Attract clients. Not using a professional logo on your marketing materials can keep you from getting a meeting with a perspective client. Corporations, in particular, are filled with gatekeepers whose job it is to screen small businesses. No one will risk their reputation on a small business that is not presented well.
Convey trustworthiness. A colorful, distinctive logo, professional collateral materials and up to date website shows that you are a serious about your business and committed to your clients.
Explain an unusual line of business. In a highly technical or off-beat industry, a professional logo can clarify visually exactly what you do.
Explain your company name. If your company name contains a fictitious word, jargon or an acronym, the logo can help explain its meaning. With compelling graphics, potential clients are more likely to remember you.

There are a few things you need to consider in creating your brand:

Your brand is a symbol of your promise to the customer. If you go to McDonald’s, there is a certain level of service, food quality and environment that is expected. When you see the golden arches, it symbolizes your expectations.

Get professional help with your logo. Hire a professional graphic designer to develop your logo. Do not, use clip art, free art on the web or (my personal favorite) stylized FONTS as your logo. This is not only unprofessional, but it immediately screams newbie small business owner.

Protect your brand/logo with a trademark. You’ll be putting your brand or logo on everything from your advertising to stationary. If your company is successful, competitors are not shy about stealing your business by duplicating your look. Trademarking your brand gives you protection and legal recourse.

Remember, that your brand is the starting point for how people perceive you. Be memorable and above all else, invest in a real logo.

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 named her one of the #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 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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In Just 365 Days You Can Become Your Own Boss

By Melinda Emerson on January 9, 2012 in How to Start, Starting A Small Business

If you have always wanted to become your own boss, now is a great time. I realize that you are probably saying to yourself a year, Really? But trust me, 12 months is a reasonable and realistic timeframe to make your transition from employee to entrepreneur. You will want to take the time to plan your success; otherwise you could create a business that feels like a noose around your neck. You can mess around the kill the thought of something you used to love to do. I know that it is so tempting to just quit your job today, but try these steps first before jumping into the shark infested waters known as small business ownership. The reason why I call the waters shark infested is because when you are an entrepreneur, you must kill for your dinner everyday. Here are 6 steps to Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. I also call it the Emerson Planning System.

Develop a life plan: You really need to spend some quality time with yourself. Create a life planning journal so that you can examine how you life, what you love, what makes you laugh, and what you need to learn. Get clear on how much money you need to make to be happy. Find out what you want out of life and build a business that aligns with that.

Examine your personal finances: Develop a financial plan. Your ability to save has everything to do with your ability to start a business. BYOB stands for be your own bank. Make sure your credit score is 700 or higher and get rid of any debt. You will need to have money to live on while you pursue your entrepreneurial dream. And you need money to launch the business too.

Validate your business concept: Make sure there is a paying customer out there willing to buy your product or service. Test market your idea. Do not start a business people need, start a business people are willing to pay for. Be sure you know what skills you have and need to run your business as well. Don’t start a restaurant if you have never worked in one.

Start with a marketing plan: You need to make sure you know who is going to buy from your company and why? Develop a niche target customer. People want to hire people who specialize in solving their problem every day. If everyone can use your product or service no one will. Pick a niche and own your niche.

Write a business plan: If you want your business to have the best potential chance for success, you need a plan. The best way to create a business plan is with software. There many free options such as www.enloop.com or you can invest in top the line solution such as businessplanpro.com. After you take a crack at it, sign-up for a business plan course make sure that you can complete it. The finances are usually the toughest part, the course will help you get your initial costs and budget done correctly. You want to make sure you understand how much profit is in every sale.

Start your business as a side-hustle: Start your business while you are still working, if you can. It takes 18-36 months to breakeven in a small business. If you start before you quit your job you’ll be closer to making money before your cut off your paychecks. Learn on someone else’s dime. If there are skills or connections you need to learn to run your business such as computer skills or gaining key industry contacts many times you can get those from your current employer. Plan your escape from corporate America.

If you follow these simple steps, this time next year you’ll be open for business.

What three things will you do for your business today to make sure you eat tomorrow?

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

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Ready to dream big in 2012?

By Melinda Emerson on January 4, 2012 in Business Inspiration, My Recommendations, Your Small Business

Which road do you choose?

Are you ready to dream big in 2012? This is the perfect time to get a clear sense of what you need to do better in your business. Setting annual sales goals is fine, but you know me. I am all about the 30-day sales goal. As in, how much money do you need to make this week? It becomes a lot more real when you focus on your revenues it this way. Another great trick I use at the beginning of every year, I make a target list of people I want to meet and or do business with. Then twice a week, I reach out to some of the folks on my list via phone call, personal note, linkedin or email.

At the end of last month, I pulled the SmallBizLady team together for a retreat. During our three days together, we did an annual review of the good, the bad and what we better never do again in my business. I held the retreat at my home, at my home at the beginning of December to make it half fun / half work. Once we did the review, we planned for 2012. Too often we run our businesses in a reactionary mode. We swing from tree to tree and go from fire to fire. That is draining and exhausting and great way to get yourself on the fast track to burn out. We you take the time to set goals, you can stay focused.
Think about what you want to have happen in your business in 2011. Now, create a strategy that will drive your desired results for 2012. This will quickly help you figure out what you need to stop doing right now.

Here are some clarifying questions to consider:

· Do you need to add to your team? (You can only be an army of 1 for so long)
· Are you set up operationally for a huge sale or major media exposure?
· What are you doing to engage your online community?
· How are you going to attract new clients?
· Are you charging enough?
· What are your highest revenue generating activities?
· Is there a new niche market that you want to pursue in 2012?
· What are the best lessons you learned in 2011?

Once of the biggest lessons I learned in 2011, is that I needed to say No more often. Here’s my five best techniques for saying no to projects, employees, and potential clients that you know deep in the back of your head are going to be more trouble than they are worth. Try these when someone comes at you with foolishness.

No! It is a complete sentence.
I couldn’t possibly do that!
Nope, can’t do it! It’s not in the budget.
What?? Are you crazy? NO!!
Absolutely, NOT going to happen!

Do you have any more ideas for how to get your 2012 started off right? I want to learn your techniques.

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 businessfailure. 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 recently named her the #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 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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2011 Best of SmallBizLady Blogs

By Melinda Emerson on December 28, 2011 in 10 Things Lists, My Recommendations

Every week I publish articles on this blog to help small business owners start and grow their entrepreneurial ventures. My mission is simple: to end small business failure. There are times when I write things based on questions I am frequently asked and then there are other times when I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea I simply must get down on paper. I write this blog for all the people who I never get to meet or mentor. I want you to succeed as your own boss, and I write faithfully so that you can have a roadmap to achieve your small business goals. Over the past year, I have grown as a writer and business consultant, and I shared what I have learned with all of you. Happy New Year everybody. Lets make 2012 is year to remember!

Here’s the best 10 articles I have written in 2011 according to all of you.

5 Things Every Entrepreneur Must Do Each Day

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2011/5-things-every-entrepreneur-must-do-each-day/

10 Best How to Start a Small Business Websites

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2011/10-best-how-to-start-a-small-business-websites/

Use 3 C’s of Social Media Marketing: Content, Community, Commerce

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/08/2011/use-the-3-cs-of-social-media-content-community-commerce/

12 Things to Tweet About on Twitter

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/03/2011/12-things-to-tweet-about-on-twitter/

How to Write a Business Plan Part I, II, and III

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/01/2011/how-to-write-a-business-plan-part-iii/

6 Business Lessons for Under 30 Entrepreneurs

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/07/2011/6-business-lessons-for-under-30-entrepreneurs/

10 Tips to Recession Proof Your Small Business

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2011/10-tips-to-recession-proof-your-small-business/

What Can Twitter Do For Your Small Business

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/12/2011/what-can-twitter-do-for-your-small-business/

11 Great Technology Tools for Small Business

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/04/2011/11-great-technology-tools-for-small-business/

11 Bible Versus Small Business Owners Need in 2011

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/04/2011/11-bible-verses-small-business-owners-need-in-2011/

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.comMelinda 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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Bob Burg interview on his new book: It’s Not About You

By Melinda Emerson on December 22, 2011 in My Recommendations, 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 a special holiday interview with Bob Burg. I loved his new book, Its Not All About You and I wanted to share it with all my loyal readers. Bob shares information on topics vital to the success of today’s businessperson. He speaks for corporations and associations internationally, including fortune 500 companies, franchises, and numerous direct sales organizations. He is the author of the popular book The Go-Giver. He and co-author John David Mann wrote their newest book, entitled It’s Not About You, another business parable focusing on influence and leadership. http://www.burg.com/

Smallbizlady: What’s the basic premise of It’s Not About You?

Bob Burg: That to the degree you focus on building, benefitting, and adding value to others (your team, employees, organization, social-media connections, etc.), that is the degree to which you, and your bottom line will increase. You benefit yourself by benefiting those around you. Of course, this must be done in a way that is authentic and genuine; not manipulative.

Smallbizlady: That sounds good in theory. but, in the real world, can you really thrive if you don’t care about yourself?

Bob Burg: Actually, this should not be confused with not “caring” about yourself or not being “interested” in yourself. As human beings, we are indeed self-interested creatures. Good thing, too! Without this trait, we would not advance, either as individuals or as a society. The key then is not interest, but “focus.” Turn your focus off of yourself and onto others and great things will happen! Not for some “way out” reasons but for very solid, practical reasons. Remember that, as Ernesto tells the protege, Joe, in our previous book, “The Go-Giver”…”all things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” And, the quickest, most powerful and most effective way to elicit those feelings toward you in others is to temporarily suspend your self-interest and focus on providing value to them.

Smallbizlady: In the new book, you talk a lot about character, and compare that with competence in terms of market value. Why do you do that?

Bob Burg: Character comes from an old Greek word meaning scrape or scratch. It came to mean an engraved mark and, eventually, a defining quality. I think that’s a good definition. Actually, the sum of all one’s qualities make up their defining quality, and that really dictates everything. While Competence and Character are both very important, competence is simply the baseline; that which allows you into the game. Character, on the other hand, is harder to come by. In his excellent book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” Dr. Marshall Goldsmith discusses the fact that as people climb further and further up the corporate ladder, the competence/talent level is pretty similar. Character is becomes the separator. I believe that’s true not only in corporate business but in any business; in any area where people desire to influence. As we say in the book, “Character is that rare, precious gem, and anyone who possesses it is worth a great deal to the world around them.” In other words, because character is in such short supply and with great demand for it, it has far more market value.

Smallbizlady: How does this play out? What is one quality of character in particular?

Bob Burg: People with character truly “stand for something.” That alone provides them with a huge amount of influence. An excellent example of this is John Allison, the former CEO of BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company). He grew one of the most profitable banks in the country as well as one of the few that never involved themselves in sub-prime loans; only writing conventional mortgage. He knew that what the politicians and many of the other bankers were doing was wrong, and refused to go for the “easy money” when it went against his value-based principles. The result was that not only was his bank left standing profitably in the middle of the meltdown, but he was hugely respected, as well.

Smallbizlady: In the business world in general; certainly in social media we talk about “influence” a lot, but what is it, really?

Bob Burg: Influence is *pull*…not *push.” This is most likely why you rarely hear, “Wow that person is so influential; he or she has a lot of *push*! Joking aside, influencers are those who understand that the substance of influence is pull; gentle pull. This is a form of “power” as opposed to “force.” Force involves control, manipulation, intimidation and compliance. It is often a function of “positional leadership” rather than true, influence-based leadership. Let’s face it, even a positional leader can cause those in their employ to take a certain action. That is “compliance.” The challenge is that, at best, the person will perform exactly what he is asked and no more. At worst, they will sabotage the process. On the other hand, when there is “buy-in” that person is committed to the process and to its success. This is why our good friend, Leadership Consultant, Dondi Scumaci (www.DondiScumaci.com) says, “Compliance will never take you where commitment can go.”

Smallbizlady: One concept you discuss in the book – in fact – in most of your books, is “Empathy.” Why is that?

Bob Burg: Not only is empathy a vitally important part of the influence and selling process; it is also a vitally important part of the *human* process. This is true whether trying to understand why someone is resistant to our viewpoint or if we are simply attempting to help them through an issue or difficult time. I believe that in any relationship – business or personal – empathy is another key differentiator between the successful and the unsuccessful person. Those who have the talent and skill; both at having empathy and being able to *communicate* empathy are at a huge advantage over those who don’t. Empathy can be defined as the as “the identification with the feelings of another person. Being a simple person, I just say it is really nothing more than – as the saying goes – putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. If we have similarities in experience, we might actually be able to really identify; to know what and/or how they are feeling. But, what if that is not the case? Let’s face it; there are times when not only do we not know exactly how they feel…we have absolutely *no idea* how they feel! Yet, we can still be empathetic. You see, empathy doesn’t necessarily mean you actually feel what the other person feels. The truth is, you might not. It *does* mean you communicate that you understand they are feeling … something. When someone with true empathy listens…the other person feels truly heard. And feeling heard is what often makes the difference.

Smallbizlady: What about “Tact” which you seem to place a high value on. Is that part of empathy?

Bob Burg: Well, I certainly think that people who are empathetic employ tact. However, tact is really a concept that can – and I believe should – be utilized by anyone who wants to be more effective both personally and professionally and who wants to help to bring out the best in others. My Dad defines Tact as “the language of strength.” I think that really encompasses the entire concept. Tact is a way of correcting, critiquing, teaching…and in such a way that not only is the person not defensive about what they are hearing, but they embrace it. And, they embrace you. Tact, like any other great principle, must be used in a genuine way, not manipulative.

Smallbizlady: So, a person who can utilize tact but does it will ill-intent can really cause some damage then?

Bob Burg: There’s probably nothing more dangerous than a bad person with good people skills. And, when I use the word “bad” I realize that’s a bit politically incorrect when it comes to the personal development genre; what I mean is someone with truly ill-intent. When a person like that has good people skills, they are downright dangerous. It’s also the difference between manipulation and persuasion.

Smallbizlady: That brings up another point. What actually *is* the difference between persuasion and manipulation. Aren’t they the same thing?

Bob Burg: The big difference is intent. I think that yes, the principles are similar; often even the same. In actuality, however, the results are as different as night and day. Again, the big difference intent.

Smallbizlady: In The Go-Giver you discuss the Law of Value, which says, “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” Certainly, you don’t mean not making a profit, do you?

Bob Burg: Actually, if a person taps into this Law correctly, they’ll make a very substantial profit and have a hugely thankful customer. The key is understanding the difference between ”price” and “value.” Price is a dollar amount; a dollar figure. Value, on the other hand, is the relative worth or desirability of a thing to the end user. In other words, what is it about this “thing” (product, service, concept, idea, etc.) that brings with it so much worth; so much value, that someone will very willingly exchange their money for it, and be ecstatic that they did? Here’s an example. Let’s say an accountant charges you $2000 to do your taxes. That’s his fee, or price. But, he saves you over $6000 in taxes. he also provides you with the security and peace of mind of knowing it was done correctly. He has given you more in value (both in concrete value – the $6000, and conceptual value – the peace of mine) than he took in payment. So, I’d imagine that you feel great about it, and he made a significant profit, which he should for providing you so much in value compared to the price he charged. That is the essence of the Free Enterprise System, by the way; both the buyer and seller come away better off than before the transaction.

Smallbizlady: Let’s go back to the process of persuasion. You’ve talked about something called “The Law of The Out.” What is that?

Bob Burg: The Law of the Out is one of the most effective ways to make a person comfortable with you and the process, and leaving them in complete control of the decision so that – if the decision is the right one for them to make – they will. “The Law of the Out says: the bigger the out (or backdoor) you give someone to take…the less they’ll feel the need to take it.” In other words, when someone feels no pressure, they are much more apt to make the right decision. Understand, you are not giving them the “out” or “backdoor” in order for them to take it. But, rather that they feel comfortable enough to *not feel the need to take it.* Of course, if they feel it is in their best interest to take that out, they will. But, they would have anyway. Or, had they instead capitulated to your demands because they felt pressured to do so, they would have then had to either go back on their word or perhaps they would have sabotaged the process. Let it be their decision and – if they make the decision to proceed – they will feel good about it because it was their decision, not yours. And, the best way you can can increase the odds of this happening is to make the option for them *not* to do it, very clear.

Smallbizlady: Any final thoughts that an influencer should keep in mind when trying to persuade or encourage others?

Bob Burg: In a sense, it goes back to, above all, keeping in mind that – when it comes right down to motivating others to take action, it isn’t about you; it’s about them. It’s about them, and what *they* see as a benefit to their taking that particular action. In teaching selling, we often relate the old saying that each and every year, millions of 1⁄4-inch drill bits are sold, yet nobody buying any one of these 1⁄4-inch drill bits actually wants a 1⁄4-inch drill bit. Then, why do they buy them? Because they want a 1⁄4-inch hole! What does this have to do with influence and persuasion? People do things/buy things, not for the thing itself, but for the benefit that doing/buying the thing brings them. What makes this challenging is that those reasons are not always obvious. And, without knowing what they are, the chances of their taking the desired action are considerably lower. The key is to find out by asking the right questions. Asking the right questions, and then listening. Really listening!

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.comMelinda 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 2011 Year in Review

By Melinda Emerson on December 21, 2011 in Business Inspiration, Your Small Business

Wow, it has been an amazing year. The SmallBizLady Team has worked hard providing information to end small business failure. I feel so blessed to have had an opportunity to travel the country and talk directly with small business owners about how to start and stay in business. There are so many big things to highlight from 2011. I travelled to 14 states this year on official SmallBizLady business (and I’m silver and gold preferred on an airline and with a hotel chain to prove it.) I was pushed and pulled in many unexpected ways this year. I learned so much and updated my skills.

The year started off in January with a bang. I landed on the front page of the Washington Post Business section as my book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months http://succeedasyourownboss.com/products/purchase-the-book/

was named the Color of Money book club pick of the month by personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/15/AR2011011502644.html This article was syndicated in over 100 newspapers across the country and it pushed my book into a second printing.

In February, I got on a war path about branding. It is my desire to help small business owners understand that their web presence and social media footprint were a critical element in small business success. I led my revolution with my column on www.SecondAct.com Are You Googleable? http://www.secondact.com/2011/02/are-you-google-able/

In March, the Philadelphia Business Journal named me as host of #Smallbizchat a Social Media Star in the Greater Philadelphia Region. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/print-edition/2011/03/25/melinda-emerson-smallbizchat.html We also kicked off BYOB2011 Conference National Tour.

In April, my co-host Tai Goodwin and I celebrated the two year anniversary of #Smallbizchat with two special guests. Real Estate Mogul Barbara Corcoran from ABC’s Shark Tank joined us for an audio interview http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallbizradio/2011/04/27/small-biz-lady-melinda-emerson-interviews-barbara-corcoran and Alan Weiss, Author of Million Dollar Consulting. http://succeedasyourownboss.com/04/2011/smallbizchats-100th-show-small-business-legend-alan-weiss/ These two business legends are people whom I have always admired. It was my honor to share their powerful advice.

May was National Small Business Month. I travelled the country teaching people how to become their own boss, build a social media brand, keep the sales going in a small business. I lectured for the MIT Sloan Sales Conference, Virginia Tech Women’s Leadership and Philanthropy Conference, Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit, Delaware County Community College, and my own BYOB2011 Conference in Washington, D.C.

In June, I kicked off the national campaign for the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover Contest and started writing for www.pbsmallessentials.com

In July 2011, I started doing monthly appearances on NBC10 in Philadelphia’s 10! Show on small business tips. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/shows/10-show/Build_Your_Own_Business_At_Home_Philadelphia-127247128.html

I headed to Boston, MA to speak at the National Urban League conference. I had an unexpected death in my family that took me back to Alabama to honor my dad’s baby brother too. It was a sad occasion, but it was great to see all my relatives. I also got a chance to hang out with one of my small biz owners for some quality one-on-one time.

In August, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was the book of the month by Verizon Small Business http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-Small-Biz-Blog/bg-p/SMBBlog/label-name/melinda%20emerson and I was a guest expert on a live Tweetchat. I also had a major honor as I lectured at my father’s alma mater Alabama A&M in Huntsville, AL. I also swung through Houston, TX for the National Sales Network and my BYOB2011 Conference. Later, I hit the road with the team from Pitney Bowes to visit the five grand prize winners who won the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover contest. Fellow small business experts Jane Applegate, Matt Mansfield, and Phil Simon went on the road with me to Fairfield, CT, Huntington Beach, CA, Knoxville, TN, Leesburg, FL and Melbourne, FL. I really loved spending time with the contest winners. They were all special, and I am confident that the advice we gave them will grow their businesses. Shel Israel also wrote a profile piece for American Express Open Forum http://www.openforum.com/articles/how-melinda-emerson-became-the-online-pal-for-small-business

In September, I packed up the family and headed West to Wyoming and Yelllowstone National Park. I keynoted the annual Wyoming girls conference hosted by NorthEast College in Powell, Wyoming. It was the first time I have travelled to Wyoming. It was a delight to speak to 9^th and 10^th girls. (I was nervous, but it was awesome.) This was a great trip because my mother and son were with me. Family is so important to me. It was great to share that experience with them.

October, my birthday month, took me to Portland, Oregon for the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship Conference, NAACE conference where I lectured on a few difference subjects, but I was most excited to talk with the entrepreneurship professors about how to use my book and workbook Are You Ready to Become Your Own Boss http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979983916/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_alp_tQ8Nnb1NCK52Y to teach small businesses on the college level. Fedex Office, hosted a live tweetchat with me on ow to recession proof your business and I was a featured speaker for the Pennsylvania Conference For Women which was right in Philadelphia in my backyard for a change. The SmallBizLady Team also conducted the final BYOB2011 Conference for the year.

In November, the team had three big opportunities. I lectured at Brand Camp University in Detroit, MI and then I went to NYC, The New York Expo to lecture to a standing room only crowd on How to Niche to Get Rich. (One of my favorite subjects) And the Wall Street Journal thrilled me by quoting me as article about whether realty stars could be legitimate small business owners. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204449804577068600801965064.html

In December, has been a whirlwind of activity. I started the month in NYC appearing on MSNBC’s Your Business http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2KEuthazEI and I moderated a panel for Inc Magazine’s 1^st annual Women’s Summit. I pulled The SmallBizLady Team back together in Philadelphia for a retreat at my home to plan the strategy for 2012. The Philadelphia Inquirer made my Christmas bright with a profile story by Diane Mastrull titled SmallBizLady: Using social media to spread small-business advice

http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-19/business/30534422_1_social-media-small-business-twitter-fans and a Yahoo small business quoted me in an article on 7 Tips to start a business in 2012 http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/7-tips-for-becoming-your-own-boss-in-2012.html

With a 2011 like this, I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2012.

What was your biggest accomplishment this year?

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 smallbusinessexperts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small businessfailure. 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 the #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 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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14 Technology Experts Worth Following On Twitter

By Melinda Emerson on December 13, 2011 in My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology

Technology is an even bigger factor in achieving small business goals than ever before. But the explosion of information about so many aspects of technology makes it hard to form conclusions and make decisions about the right tech tools for your business, (especially, if you’re not a techie.) From social media to cloud systems or the best scheduling software there’s lots to choose from. Here are 14 technology experts on Twitter worth your follow.

Pete Cashmore is founder of Mashable, “largest independent online news site dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology.” Mashable provides the latest headlines on those topics in bite-sized summaries with links you can follow for the full story.

Mario Armstrong is America’s TV Tech dude. He’s a Radio & TV Host, and Emmy winner. He is regularly featured on CNN, HLN, TODAY show! and SiriusXM Radio. He’s also a speaker, entrepreneur, and Founder of TechTechBoom! He tweets about technolog,y small business & his busy life! http://marioarmstrong.com

Lisa Barone is well known for making her opinions plain, and for the work she’s done promoting brands as co-founder of Outspoken Media. She regularly writes for smallbiztrends.com on all things tech. She tweets around the clock about social media and internet marketing.

Ramon Ray is a journalist, technology evangelist & editor of Smallbiztechnology.com, author of “Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses” & “Technology Resources for Growing Businesses” and a national speaker. Ramon brings his unique dose of humor, insight and “practical home advise” to thousands of small business owners on technology issues. advice to twitter daily. I love his tweets.

Jenna Wortham is a New York Times tech reporter with a huge Twitter following. Her enthusiasm is infectious as she tweets about tech trends, gadgets, and industry stories.

Lena West is CEO and Chief of Influence Expansion is an award-winning social media consultant, founder of the social media course Real Women Do Social Media. Lena is always straight-talking and bold, with a solid technical and practical background to back her up. She writes and tweets about how to use social media for your business needs.

TJ McCue writes for his blog Tech Biz Talk which provides reviews of web-based software (mostly), tips, tutorials, and how-to for the top applications to take your company and business to the next level. He also writes tech reviews for Forbes, Open Forum, Smallbiztrends and Dun and Bradstreet’s AllBusiness.com

Cali Lewis Host of GeekBeat.TV, an online news show about technology gadgets and research. The show is downloaded millions of times each month by viewers from around the world. She’s a Tech correspondent for CNN, FOX and Sirius 101′s GeekTime. I think she’s one of the most effective users of Google+ I’ve ever seen.

Veronica Belmont is a San Francisco-based video host of @Tekzilla who made her start with CBS Interactive as an on-air talent and producer. She tweets about gadgets, gaming, video production to her 1 million-plus Twitter following, and blog readers.

Guy Kawasaki,is founder of AllTop, is a venture capitalist and among the best-known brands on Twitter. As the co-founder of AllTop (a collective of headlines of many topics, including tech) and Garage Technology Ventures, Guy is found tweeting about many of the newest gadgets and tech tools to be found online.

Maisha Walker is founder and president of Message Medium, a web design and internet strategy firm for businesses as large as AOL/Time Warner as well as small businesses and solopreneurs. She is known as “The Internet Strategist” at Inc. Magazine. She tweets about her expertise on online business growth and strategy.

Christopher Penn is the Director of Strategy and Innovation at WhatCounts email marketing and co-founder of Chris Brogan’s PodCamp, co-host of Marketing over Coffee, and professor of Internet marketing at the University of San Francisco online. He tweets the five most interesting digital marketing tech news stories he can find every day. His current outlook on the tech and marketing, reviews and interviews with other tech and marketing experts, and more appear at his own blog.

Stanford Smith of Pushing Social is one of the top social media bloggers on Twitter, with constant updates on what works and what doesn’t on WordPress, Twitter and other social media platforms. The Michigan-based VP of Marketing at Fluency Media always has the apps, tools, and gadgets to make social media more productive for your needs.

Adria Richards of But You’re A Girl is a San Francisco-based organic technology consultant and speaker about various tech fields. She helps businesses and other organizations increase productivity and profit from tech tools in daily business operations. She tweets about technology, business, news, and more.

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