I blog for the people. I have wanted to be a professional writer since the 8th grade, and I feel blessed and privileged that I am able to live my dream. I love telling great stories about small business owners who work hard every day. My mission is to end small business failure so am thrilled to share all I know to help you succeed as your own boss on this blog. My occupation is also my passion. 2012 has been the best year of my life and career. I had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong goal to become a writer for the New York Times, I have worked with a dozen new Fortune 500 companies on social media consulting projects and I travelled to Lyon, France to participate in the World Entrepreneurship Forum. Here are my 5 favorite articles that I have written this year. Enjoy.
How Twitter Changed My Life NY Times June 8, 2012: My Twitter activities have helped me make money online and offline, develop lifelong friendships and find some of the best staff members anywhere. It’s all about understanding the Twitter rules of the road. You must listen first, add value to the conversation, and then build your community — all before you can create commerce. As a matter of fact, if you do the first three really well, you will not need to sell at all. Your target customer will beat a path to purchase your product, book, services, workshops or whatever you sell. It’s all about engaging in conversations that add value for your target customers or cause.
5 Things You Could Do Today To Generate a Sale. May 1, 2012: The most common question I’m asked is, “How can I generate more sales in my business, store or restaurant?” After counseling so many people, I thought that it would help more people if I just wrote it down. You all made this post one of the most shared last year.
10 Best Productivity Apps for Small Business Owners Oct 15, 2012: When you hang your shingle and open for business, you immediately take on at least 10-14 different roles in your business. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, but there may be a better way to do some critical tasks. Think: technology to the rescue! These are my 10 most favorite apps that will make you a lot more productive. Many of them are free, some charge a small fee, but all are worth the investment.
12 Ways to Use Video to Grow Your Small Business Aug 6, 2012: Video is going to be huge in 2013. Everyone needs to figure out how to use video messaging in their businesses. YouTube is the second most searched site on the internet. If you want to stay relevant online with your small business, you will need to start using video as part of your ongoing content development strategy. Video can also give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
If Pinterest is Your Interest July 26, 2012: Pinterest is the fastest growing social networking site. If you are targeting women customers or have great images, Pinterest could be worth adding to your marketing mix in 2013. It’s a content sharing social media site that allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects of their favorite events, hobbies, interests—you name it—to their pinboard. You can follow and like other people on Pinterest, as well as browse their pinboards to share your interests. Powerful visuals are a great way to attract clients. You can also receive inspiration from others’ pinboards and discover new things. As a small business owner, you can use the popular site to brand and market yourself in innovative and creative ways.
Great article! Always huge value. Very practical, executable tips. Thank you!
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