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SmallBizLady’s Summer Reading List 2011

By Melinda Emerson on June 27, 2011 in 10 Things Lists, Business Inspiration, My Recommendations

For those of you who follow this blog, you know that I love books. One of the most important things you must be as a small business owner is a lifelong learner. Reading a key way to learn more to run your business better. You may be counting down to your family vacation, (even if it’s a staycation) I wanted to provide you with some suggestions for great reading material for the beach. These book will all help you start or run your business, and that could make all the difference in your business in the last half of this year. Here are my picks for SmallBizLady’s Summer Reading List 2011.

SNAP Selling, Speed up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzeled Customers (Portfolio, 2010) by Jill Konrath.

I like this book because nowadays everyone you want is too busy and overwhelmed and we all could benefit from lessons on how to think about selling to busy decision makers.

Inbound Marketing, Get Found Using Google, Social media, and Blogs. (J. Wiley and Sons, 2010) By Hubspot CO-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah.

Selling is dead. In order to connect with today’s customers you must stop pushing sales messages and instead start pulling your customer’s in. This book will give you the tools and strategies you need to improve your search engine rankings and analyze which of your online marketing efforts are working..

Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions (Portfolio, 2011) By Guy Kawasaki.

This is a terrific book to learn about how to take your relationships to the next level, give a fantastic presentation, and enchant your customers and employees. There’s nothing more important than your existing client list, Guy explains how to keep your customers enchanted.

Full Engagement! Inspire, Motivate and Bring Out the Best in Your People (Amacom, 2011) by Brian Tracy.

Brian is a legendry business leader who has developed a terrific employee manual for small business owners. He explains how to achieve financial results for your company by motivating employees through what he calls “ROE” Return on Energy. Read it if you have two or more employees, you will be a much better manager for it.

201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business by Jane Applegate. (Bloomberg Press, 2011 Third Edition)

This book is full of creative ideas that will help you solve everyday problems in your small business. Jane has collected tons of proven tips for managing, growing, and promoting a small business. Enjoy the third addition of this international bestselling book. You will keep it nearby as a reference for a long time in your small business.

The Start Your Own Business Bible, 501 New Ventures You Can Launch Today! (Adams Media, 2011) By Richard Walsh

No matter what kind of business you want to launch you can the 411 on it in this books. He outlines the start-up costs, pros and cons and potential earnings of hundreds of business opportunities. This book will help match your resources to your plans and kick off a business that works.

Franchising & Licensing, Two Powerful Ways to Grow Your Business in Any Economy (AMACOM, 2011 Fourth edition). By Andrew J. Sherman

This book is a blueprint to developing additional streams of revenue in your small business. Andrew outlines what is takes to license your intellectual property from business acumen, legal expertise, strategy and trends and financial insight to turn your business into a franchise. This book as also filled with sample agreements, checklists and questionnaires.

Become Your Own Boss in 12 months, A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works (Adams Media, 2010) by Melinda Emerson

BYOB is a book on how to develop a 12 month plan to start or reinvent a small business. Use the Emerson Planning System to get serious about your business. If you are one of those small business owners who still does not have a website and social media strategy this book will really help you as well.

There are my 8 picks, and do you have any other suggestions for summer reading for small business owners.

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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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 Post, 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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How to Get Started on Twitter

By Melinda Emerson on June 21, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, Featured Post, How to Start, Social Media, Technology

Using Twitter is a great way to start building your online brand. If you can send a text message, you can tweet. You can only communicate using 140 characters on Twitter, but if you want people to Retweet (RT) or share your content, you should cut your tweets down to 125 characters. Here a few quick rules: Listen first, then engage with people directly, then start sharing articles of interest to attract your target audience. Once you establish relationships on Twitter you can then start writing your own blog and tweeting your original content.

Decide what you wish to accomplish before using Twitter. Are you trying to establish your expertise, looking for a new work opportunity or simply want to connect with others who share a special interest or expertise?
Figure out who your target audience is and where these folks hang out online. (You want to be as specific as possible in targeting your efforts.)
Establish your own website. It does not make sense to use social media if you do not have a place to drive traffic, like your own website.
Developing a list of 3-5 blogs or websites. It’s a good idea to develop a daily habit of going out to a few websites and finding content to share on twitter
Remember that social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. You will get out of it what you invest in it.

5 steps to Establishing Your Twitter Account:

Set up an account
Enter your profile information & photo
Find your friends
How to follow someone
How to post messages

Step 1: Set up an account

Go to http://twitter.com and click the big green “Get Started – Join!” button.
On the resulting screen, enter the username you want, your desired password, your email address and complete the spam checker
About your username:
- Use your whole name, nickname, name of your business or a description of your service, examples @comcastcares @jenny55 @bizsavvymom @smallbizlady

Step 2: Enter your profile information

Your profile information is important. If you want people to want to connect to you, you’ll need to tell them a little bit about yourself. Try not to write anything scary or silly; or too personal. You need just to explain your expertise and/or interests. And your location should be a larger city nearby.
Log into Twitter, and click on the ‘Settings’ link at the top of your Twitter homepage.
The ‘Account’ tab of the ‘Settings’ section includes a text box that lets you input a 160-character blurb about yourself, along with a link to your website.
The ‘Picture’ tab lets you upload a picture to your profile. It is best to post a smiling picture of yourself

Step 3: Find your friends

There are a few simple ways to find people to follow on Twitter:
Click on the ‘Who To Follow’ to search for people who Twitter suggests you follow.
Invite from other networks will search your email address books (aol, hotmail, gmail etc.) to see if anyone has associated any of those addresses with a Twitter account.
Invite by email is a way to invite your friends to join Twitter through email.
Search tab allows you to search for new people to follow. You can mimic this function by using http://search.twitter.com.
You can search for the city where you live to find other users in your area. Enter your industry to find business peers. Enter your hobbies to find people with shared interests. The potential list is endless.

Step 4: How to follow someone

You can log in twitter from anywhere, you can use desktop applications, or you can connect from your phone.
To follow someone
- Hover over their @username, click link, read their bio & recent tweets. If they seem interesting, hit follow

Step 5: How to post messages

To post a regular message
Just type it into the box that says “What are you doing?” and hit the ‘update’ button below
To send an open message
When sending an open message to someone publicly, type “@” followed by their username, then the message. Here’s an example:
encouragement4u @smallbizlady How did you overcome your biggest business challenges? Check out these stories! http://budurl.com/eqbx

Send a Direct-message

To send a private direct message to someone, type “d” then a space and then their username. So, to send me a direct message you would type “d @smallbizlady That was a great #smallbizchat on Twitter last night!”
Note: you can only send direct messages to people who you follow, and who follow you back.

How to Retweet or RT someone else’s message

If you like what someone says, and want to show your followers that message.
Copy the tweet (not username), then hit grey arrow to reply, add ‘RT’ before the @username Put one space after @username & paste original tweet. If it is too long, You can edit, but only for space. Here’s an example of a Retweet:
Holly_Hanna RT @smallbizlady 32 Tips to make online customers love you –http://tinyurl.com/op9bbk (this is really well done)

Quick Twitter Tips

Remember to click your @username to see messages/tweets folks are sending to you openly.
Remember to Follow your Followers
Under your username & photo click followers to see who followed you and decide to follow back or not. When you have time its nice to send a thanks for the follow note.
Now you are ready to get started. Welcome to Twitterverse!

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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 Post, 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, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, Featured Post, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations, Starting A Small Business

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, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, Featured Post, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations, Starting A Small Business

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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How to Run a Successful Online Business – Q&A with Neil Rader

By Tai Goodwin on June 9, 2011 in 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 Neil Rader @TrophyCentral has two full-time jobs. He is VP & General Manager for Small/Medium Business, Pitney Bowes. He is also President and Founder of TrophyCentral.com, an industry-leading Internet provider of recognition awards and personalized gifts. http://www.trophycentral.com

SmallBizlady: What does it take to run a successful online business?

The foundation is much the same as a brick and mortar business – a solid plan, good offering, outstanding customer service, hard work and a bit of luck.

It also takes patience – this is true with an actual store, but more so when you go online. Too many new business owners are surprised when customers aren’t reaching their websites right away. They make a big investment to get up and running, but that’s only half the battle. Spending money on attracting customers is critical to most businesses. This needs to be part of your business plan and budget.

In the storefront world, customers can’t help to find you. There may not be as many customers as you want, but at least you are in their path. In the online world it is possible, even likely, that a customer will not find you. It takes effort to build an effective, highly trafficked online channel.

SmallBizlady: What kind of features did you need to have on your website to be successful selling online?

Many people have different opinions on this, and clearly it depends on the type of business you have. Three features I have found to be extremely important are: a quality Product Search, easy shopping cart, and product reviews. Over the years we have tried many features, but found these are the ones that most impact conversions – the number of people who buy as a percent of unique visitors.

If you have lots of products, a good internal search engine is critical. Think about the last time you were on Amazon.com. Chances are you didn’t use the side navigation, but went right for the keyword search. Most customers do the same and you need to ensure you help customers find what they are looking for in an efficient manner.

The shopping cart is also an important part of the sales funnel. Customers are often skeptical and may look for an excuse to leave – don’t give it to them. Keep the experience as simple as possible. Make sure the cart is professional looking and has credibility.

Product reviews are often overlooked, but also add to a site’s credibility – not only because customers want to know about a products, they want to know others have purchased in the past!

Also important is that the site looks professional. While not everyone can do this, we found that adding a phone # also helps conversion. Other nice to haves include coupons and a rewards program – but these can be added later.

SmallBizlady: How long to do you typically get to impress a potential customer online?

While customers are typically different and have different requirements, you are normally dealing in seconds. Just like the impression someone leaves you with a handshake or “hello”, much is the same with your website. Your site needs to look professional and credible.

Using simple tracking from Google Analytics or other free products, you can track your various web pages to see how long a given customer stays. Count to “1” – chances are that’s all you have for that first impression!

SmallBizlady: How did you build your marketing mailing list through your website?

The easiest way is by putting a form on your website asking customers if they want to join your mailing list. Most of the better email marketing programs, such as pbSmart Connections, have a feature for adding a form on your website. You simply decide what you information you want to gather on the form (ex. email address, name, interests, etc.). Important – keep it simple! You want to encourage people to sign-up for your contact list. Just as with surveys, people are short of time and patience – make it easy for them! You can always ask for additional information later.

A second way is to have an opt-in form when customers purchase a product from you. Somewhere after they, ask them if they want to join your mailing list. Offering them a discount on a future purchase is a great way to encourage “opt-ins”.

If you also have a physical store, or market in a confined area, QR codes are a great new way to collect emails, contacts and new customers, especially if you also market to a specific location or through a store. This is a long topic, but an exciting one. Perhaps Melinda can schedule a future show devoted just to this topic.

SmallBizlady: How important has email marketing been to the success of your business?

Email is critical, but it must be used correctly. Simply sending email blasts can quickly close doors for you and cause you to lose customers. Think about how you like to be communicated to as a consumer.

Good uses of email: send a confirmation note when an order is received, another when it is shipped, and a third to ask your customers to rate / review the order. You might not think of this as marketing, but it is – putting your company name and brand in front of customers in a discrete way is a great way to make your company more memorable. Consider having a memorable logo to aid your customers in remembering your company.

Also consider sending reminders for future orders or services, related product emails and emails for the holidays – just don’t go overboard!

SmallBizlady: How have you used direct mail in your business? What systems do you use to conduct a direct mail campaign?

Yes. Most of our direct mail campaigns are focused on attracting new customers vs. communicating with existing ones. This is because direct mail is proven to be effective and there are not many alternatives – while email is important, finding new customers with email has proven difficult. That said, running a multi-channel campaign is one of the most effective ways to connect with customers the way they want. Think about sending a direct mail campaign with a theme, and then follow with an email campaign with the same theme.

SmallBizlady: Do you use auto responders and can you explain how to create an auto responder that converts into sales?

Yes, all the time. An autoresponder typically sends an email based on a date (ex. sends an email on a birthday) or an event (when someone signs up for your contact list). But with more sophisticated tools, they can also be used to send emails several days after an event (ex. 8 days after an order ships). Use more sophisticated workflows that send notes based on actions your customers make or don’t make – for example, if they open an email but don’t click through to the website. This is important as it enables you to segment your customers. Rather than having one list, you can use auto responders to split lists into different segments, as an example, those who don’t open your emails, those who do open and don’t purchase, those who open and have purchased in the last 30 days, etc.

Remember, customers don’t want to be constantly marketed to, so be smart and think through your strategy ahead of time!

SmallBizlady: How important is SEO to a successful online business and have you used any paid ads online?

SEO is one of the most important focus items you have in a small online business. Paid ads are good for generating traffic and depending upon your product or service can be effective, but also very costly. SEO may be costly upfront, but being in the top search spots on Google, Yahoo and Bing can brings you significant traffic at a fraction of the cost of pay-per-click. You can have the best looking site on the web, but if no one can find it, who cares?

I like pay-per-click in several places – for long-tail terms, with a very controlled budget or if I want to jump-start a particular product. It also can help you generate a steady stream of sales which may not be profitable, but can help you build a base of customers to establish credibility.

SmallBizlady: What kinds of things do you do to court repeat business?

As mentioned earlier, having a well thought-out email and direct mail strategy is essential. How many times have you had a good online transaction, but forgot the name of the merchant? It has happened to me on many occasions. Two that I remember are a purchase I made for a laptop battery and one for vitamins. When I went to reorder, I blanked out on the name. This is why sending customers a constant, but limited set of mails with your name/brand is important. A direct mail campaign is also very useful here – a coupon make go right into a special drawer your customer has or and on their desk or fridge.

I have to mention that there is no substitute for quality customer service. Here, online businesses and brick and mortar are similar. Also, try to personalize the experience as much as possible. Think about why you shop with certain small businesses – don’t you like it when they welcome you by name?

SmallBizlady: Now you started an online business in 1999. How did you mange this while working full-time?

In the early years it was difficult working two jobs, but it was also fun – running your own business can be very rewarding as can being your own boss. Early on, most of my time was spent on things that I could do during the evening or weekends – opening a bank account, building the website, so it was not problematic. My wife was able to work part-time in the business as well, so I was lucky.

Most people take the plunge into a new business by giving up their job. I would advise against this. It takes quite a bit of time to generate traffic, revenue and profit in the online world. Too many businesses fail early because they can’t go that long without cash. There is nothing wrong with keeping a part-time job or even a full-time one if you are willing to work nights and weekends. That’s one of the luxuries of having an online business.

As the business grew, I hired a strong staff. As with any business, this is critical. Over the years I thought about leaving my full time job, but having income allowed me to take risks with the online business that I would not normally have taken (like trying TV Commercials) which enabled me to grow it more. The knowledge I learned from running an online business was used in my full-time job as well – another added benefit!

SmallBizlady: I know that Pitney Bowes wants more small business owners to utilize integrated customer communications. Tell us about the Customer Communications Makeover contest going on right now.

Small businesses looking to grow need to reach their customers and prospects in the most effective way. Email may be preferred by one customer, Facebook by another and a third may prefer a direct mail piece they can hold in their hand and pass around. At another time, those same customers may prefer something different depending on circumstances. While the need is there, many small business owners don’t understand how these channels work or understand how to effectively implement them. A recent survey by Pitney Bowes found the majority of small business owners would focus on integrating a variety of marketing channels if they had the tools.

Pitney Bowes just launched a national contest to help small businesses improve customer communications to better position themselves for growth. Five Grand Prize winners will receive a customer communications plan makeover, valued at $10,000. The Grand Prize winners will receive a full-day consultation and planning session with renowned small business experts – including you Melinda! They will take a thorough look at each grand prize winner’s existing communications and provide custom coaching to develop a program that suits their unique needs.

To enter you must submit a photo of yourself in your workplace and either an essay of up to 300 words or a 60-second video, in each case explaining why the business is the best candidate for the Small Business Makeover. Entries must be received by July 19. Go to www.pbsmartessentials.com/makeover.

SmallBizlady: Pitney Bowes has recently launched a small business website. Can you tell us the URL and the goal for the small business website?

Pitney Bowes recently launched the pbSmart™ Essentials website to help small businesses. It’s an easy-to-access online resource that provides useful knowledge and tools to create opportunities to achieve their business goals by connecting with customers. There are tools that can help expand a customer base, streamline processes and grow businesses using those integrated communications tools we’ve discussed. Any small business will find something there for them. The url is www.pbsmartessentials.com

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s a link for 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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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 Post, 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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Do you need a Small Business Makeover?

By Melinda Emerson on June 1, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, Featured Post, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover worth up to $10,000. If you could use some help with your email, direct mail and social media communications, you can win a free year of using Pitney Bowes’ full suite of business tools. The grand prize winners will also receive in person one-on-one coaching from me @Smallbizlady and my colleagues marketing expert Jane Applegate and technology expert Phil Simon.

You have until July 19th to tell us how you’d improve your business communications. The earlier you enter the better as you will need to get a social media pals to vote for you in order to become a finalist. To enter write a 300 word essay on your biggest communications challenge or send in a one minute video. Click here to enter the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover Contest http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/makeover/

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant to Pitney Bowes to participate as a judge and business coach in this makeover contest!

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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Are You Focused on Your Follow-up?

By Melinda Emerson on May 23, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service

The choice to succeed as your own business is an exhilarating concept, and it comes with a price tag. There are endless responsibilities and tasks that must be taken care of and all of the pressure is on you. To choose to succeed as your own boss, it is absolutely vital you prime your network for awareness of your business and referrals for your services. Are you focused on your follow up?

The focus must be on sharing your experience, casting your vision, listening to others, getting out and networking. Connecting and interacting as frequently as possible with prospects is important and learning how to ask for referrals. You must focus always on casting the vision of your growing business while being present in the moment of relationships as well. Not only do you want to do this while the small business is up and running, but you want to plan and engage in this at least 12 months before launching the business. Communication and engagement are two powerful tools, learn to use them online and off.

The big mistake a lot of entrepreneurs make is only talking with customers or prospects when they are looking for more business. Clients referrals are important, but they are best obtained by excellent service or product offerings. If you as the business owner cross the line of too frequent requests for referrals, clients will quickly tire of being asked. The fact is your current customers and clients are who helping you keep your business on track, the relationship you share with them is essential to your continued success. Clients and customers are always willing to share their experience…whether its a good one or a difficult one. Make their experience with you count.

Competition for every service or business is at a ridiculous level online. Scarily, you are not the only person online offering the product your small business has to offer. You may not be the lowest price, your products may not be the biggest or the best, however, if you know your audience, and their needs, your business will stand out and shine. Your relationships, your delivery of service, your accessibility on line and off are the keys to your future. Smart phones make the management of presence accessible for individuals, even when you are the only staff in your organization, it is an important skill to learn.

People buy from people they trust and respect. We are far more likely to buy from a friend than a stranger. The same holds true for your customers and prospects. They want to know the person they are buying from cares about them, their needs and their wants.

Start networking and interacting online and off each day through your words, your tweets, your posts and your conversations. You are choosing to succeed as your own boss, you will choose to build from the ground up starting with the interaction process. Jump into forums whether on Linked In, online communities or local conversations on a daily basis. Friend request as many prospects as possible on Facebook. Share your two cents of sense on blogs, use services that link those comments back to your business and let people know who you are.

Engaging with people online and off in business means intentional presence. Be present on blogs, on Facebook, on LinkedIn. Be interested in prospects needs, study their processes, encourage their success. The highest form of prospecting involves truly engaging in their space and sharing your own space with them. From there, make it a point to send emails frequently even if it is simply to say hi or have a good weekend. People care about those who care about them. It sounds like an incredibly simple strategy, but you would be surprised how much of an impact nurturing your network in the pre-stages, during your first year and throughout the life of your success as your own boss.

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 #SmallBizChatWednesdays 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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Should I put my picture on my business card?

By Melinda Emerson on May 20, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Customer Service, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Your Small Business

Ask @SmallBizLady: Should I put my picture on my business card?

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: “Should I put my picture on my business card?”

Here’s the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKXIfQM-Kn4

If you are a solopreneur or a brand of one person with a business you can use your picture on you business card. Particularly if your business involves visual branding such as photography, make-up artist, stylist it could make sense to use your photo on your business card to promote your business. It could also work will for speaking and coaching businesses, financial services or if you a real estate agent. You just need to have a reason for using your photo on your business card.

For the record, I do not use my photo on my business card. My book is on my business card instead.

I’m always here as a resource.

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Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki is Worth the Read

By Melinda Emerson on May 18, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, My Recommendations, Your Small Business

Look for Guy Kawasaki's New Book Enchantment!

Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki is a great book for emerging small business owners. I like that Guy gives readers every trick and good idea that he knows from how to make a great impression, get customers behind your cause, and even how to resist enchantment. He says that enchantment is a process, not an event. It’s all about nurturing the long-term relationship that will generate repeat customers and create a sustainable business.

One of my favorite chapters in the book is How to Enchant Your Employees This chapter is about helping the people who work for you achieve MAP mastery, autonomy and purpose. He’s also a huge advocate of telling people that you want them. He writes, “At the end of every day, one of the most valuable assets in your business goes home. The question is whether they will return in the morning. An enchanting boss make sure that her employees know they are valuable and they are appreciated.” This is some powerful advice.

I love the amount of research that is behind this book. It’s not just a bunch of war stories. There’s real science in here. If you follow Guy’s road map your business will be better for it.

If I could make any criticism of Enchantment it would only be that there’s too many apple “related” examples in this book—but the content is so good this is relatively minor.

Grab this book today. I loved reading it.

Melinda F. Emerson, SmallBizLady, is one of America’s leading small business experts. She is an author, speaker and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to End Small Business Failure. She publishes a resource blog, www.succeedasyourownboss.com and hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #Smallbizchat for emerging entrepreneurs. Forbes Magazine named Melinda Emerson one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Melinda has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fortune and Black Enterprise. She’s the author of the bestselling book “Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.” She writes a column for www.secondact.com, and is an instructor for the Black Enterprise Small Business University.

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7 Keys to Power Networking

By Melinda Emerson on May 16, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Melinda Emerson @SmallBizLady, My Recommendations, SmallBizChat, Your Small Business

7 Keys to Power Networking

Power Networking at Business Event

May 16^th kicks off National Small Business Week and for the next seven to 14 days there are tons of events and awards ceremonies for small business owners which is a fantastic opportunity to meet and greet potential contacts. I keynote and speak at many conferences and small business events, and often I see small business owners doing their businesses a disservice by how they show up and network at events. With tons of networking opportunities taking place from now until Memorial Day, I wanted to provide a guide on how to prepare for a networking event. I call them my 7 Keys to Power Networking.

Here are 7 things to consider when networking:

1. Set a Goal. Don’t go to any event without a goal in mind. You should always know why you are attending the event. You should not go to any event where your best target customers are not the majority of the attendees. When I attend events, I try to secure 5 quality contacts and that’s it. Why? Because there’s only so much time to follow-up with people. The fortune is in the follow-up, I’ll talk about that in next week’s blog post.

2. Research Attendees. Try to find out who is attending the event. Look at who’s on the board of the event sponsor. Check out the names of the honorary committee hosting the invitation. Make a call to the organizers to try to get as much information as a possible. (If they utilized an online invitation, you can see who else was invited. Use Google and LinkedIn to research as many attendees as possible. This makes having conversations much more interesting and you’ll show your prospect you’ve got legitimate interest in them. You want to learn any information that will help you make a personal connection as quickly as possible.

3. Bring You’re A Game. You can’t bring your A game in your B suit. Make sure you look great head to toes. Men shoes are important. Ladies make sure the makeup and neckline are appropriate. Everything should fit well, and it will really boost your confidence. You don’t get a second chance make a first impression! Dress how you want others to perceive you and your business.

4. The Reception IS The Event. Game time is the reception. DO NOT BE LATE! The reception is your best chance to track down your targets. You must be on time and armed with your business cards at the reception. Why? Once you take your seat you can only network with the other 9 people at your table. If you are going to attend an event with a friend– divide and conquer the event.

5. Go For The Relationship– Not The Chicken. Do not head immediately to the food table. Work The Room! Be fearless and ready to introduce yourself to anyone. Once you make a contact maintain eye contact. Don’t look over their shoulder at your key target who just entered the room. Be present where you are. Anyone could potentially be a great contact.

6. Moving On From A Contact. Moving on can be tricky. It’s important not to be rude. But most likely the person you are talking to has an agenda too, so do not hesitate to shut down the conversation and move on. Here’s three great lines you can use to make a graceful exit. Use one of these lines as appropriate; “It was so nice to meet you, I’m going to head over to get a drink.” or “It was so nice meeting you and I’m going to give you a call.” “I do not want to monopolize you at this event, I am sure there are more people in here you want to meet. Let keep in touch and see how we can help each other.” With any of these lines you can smoothly move on to your next potential prospect.

7. Take Notes. You’ll want to remember the details of your conversations, write down a few notes on the back of the contact’s business card to help your memory later. If you meet a lot of people each week sometimes it’s hard to keep people straight relying on your memory. Your notes will help making follow-up much more personal.

What other networking tips do you have? I love to learn about other good ideas.