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ENDING SMALL BUSINESS FAILURE

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You are here: Home / Archives for Starting A Small Business

How to Develop a Killer Marketing Plan – Part II

July 20, 2015 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

It’s great that you have a marketing plan, now you must determine how you will pay for your outreach efforts. In Part I of this series, we focused on how to develop a killer marketing plan. Now you need to budget what you will spend on marketing. Creating a budget is not always the fun […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: marketing budget, Marketing Plan

10 Leading Factors of Small Business Success

April 13, 2015 By Melinda Emerson 2 Comments

While every entrepreneur has a different success story, I tend to see some of the same factors affecting most business’s results. Now, not all of these are personality traits. Many are simply ways of doing things, so no matter who you are, changing your actions can have major results. The bottom line is you can […]

Filed Under: Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: small business success tips

Finding The Money To Start Your Small Business

September 14, 2009 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book: Become Your Own Boss in 12 months or Less! A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! Scheduled to be released by Adams Media in February 2010. If you are ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship, you must get really focused on your finances. […]

Filed Under: Become Your Own Boss Tips, Cash Flow & Finance, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: be your own boss tips, money, small business, small business cash flow help, smallbizlady, start a business

Is Your Life Plan Working For You?

September 12, 2011 By Melinda Emerson 5 Comments

I am a firm believer that you need a life plan before you ever write a business plan.  Your life plan is your big picture vision for your life.  Your reasons for starting your business should be to fulfill your life plan. It’s also a step in business planning that is often overlooked. Why is […]

Filed Under: How to Start, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: develop, entrepreneurs, goal setting, Life Plan, personal goal, small business, vision for your life, working for you

Why Passion Alone Isn’t Enough to Succeed in Business

November 18, 2014 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Guest Article Passion may inspire your business, but planning will save it. Passion is an overused buzzword for small business owners: “I have a passion for coaching/financial planning/auto repair/marketing/real estate.” Is your passion enough to build a thriving business? No, you need to make sure your business has a profit center and a plan for […]

Filed Under: Guest Articles, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: @sm_onlineclass, Maria Peagler, passion for business, small business planning

5 Ways Color Can Improve Your Small Business

April 16, 2012 By Melinda Emerson 6 Comments

SPONSORED POST Ever since color television was invented in 1953, color has been critical to telling a visual story.  Whether you are a start-up or established business, spending the extra money on color images or color ink may seem out of the question when you are launching a marketing campaign. But using color could mean […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: business cards, color, color flyers, color headshot, color logo, melinda emerson, smalbizlady, xerox

Do you have an idea for the next great tech start-up?

November 14, 2011 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Last night, CNN debuted Black in America 4 with Soledad O’Brien, which featured 8 African-American tech entrepreneurs who went out to Silicon Valley this summer to participate in a business incubator with the hopes of landing seed capital to catapult their entrepreneurial dreams.  It was an amazing mix between MTV’s the Real World and Donald […]

Filed Under: How to Start, Social Media, Starting A Small Business, Technology Tagged With: Angela Benton, black in america 4, cnn, ERis Ries, Hank Wiliams, Mario armstrong, melinda emerson, newmeaccelator.com, Silicon Valley, smallbizlady, soledad obrien, start-up, start-up entrepreneur, tech entrepreneurs, tech start-up, wayne sutton

6 Things Oprah Winfrey Taught Us About Business

June 5, 2011 By Melinda Emerson 16 Comments

Oprah Winfrey is my hero. I never thought about being an entrepreneur until she got on my radar when I was in college in the early 90’s. It was around that time that she opened Harpo Studios in Chicago, making her the third woman in the American entertainment industry (after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball) […]

Filed Under: Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: become your own boss, business planning, chicago, customers, entrepreneur, Featured Post, managing stress, marketing, melinda emerson, networking, oprah, oprah season finale, Oprah Winfrey, own, own network, passion, small business success, small business tips, strategic branding, success tips

How to Reinvent Yourself to Start a Small Business

April 16, 2013 By Melinda Emerson 3 Comments

Guest Article More than half a million new businesses are launched each month in the U.S. Sometimes the impetus is a desire to create something new – or finally be your own boss. Other times, it’s finding out that one’s chosen path isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and after starting down your career path you […]

Filed Under: Business Inspiration, Guest Articles, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: @dorieclark, Business reinvention, Dorie Clark, start a small business

Happy 4th Anniversary #Smallbizchat on Twitter

April 24, 2013 By Melinda Emerson 1 Comment

Today is the 4th anniversary of #Smallbizchat. I started the weekly live chat on Twitter on April 22, 2009 to help small business owners get answers to their pressing questions. The mission of #SmallBizChat is to end small business failure by reducing the learning curve as you start and grow your small businesses. The show takes place every […]

Filed Under: SmallBizChat, Starting A Small Business

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Testimonials

Become Your Own Boss is a must read if you’re thinking of launching a business of your own.
Jean Chatzky, Bestselling Author of Money 911 and Financial Editor of NBC’s Today Show
Great step-by-step advice for anyone looking to start their own business.
Andrew C. Taylor, Chairman, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Melinda Emerson has written a remarkable book. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to make the transition from working girl to successfully working it, as an entrepreneur.
Cynthia McClain-Hill, Past President, National Association of Women Business Owners
The perfect companion for those planning to go out on their own. Melinda delivers firsthand practical advice on how to be the successful entrepreneur. Read it if you want to get it right the first time.
Kenneth L. Shropshire, Professor at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
If you are looking for a versatile speaker who can talk about how to grow small businesses or get started with social media, look no further.
Heather Van Sickle Executive Director, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
Her wit and depth of subject knowledge were entertaining and empowering. Melinda is definitely on our short list of seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders we look to invite back in the near future.
Tennille M. Robinson Senior content & Event producer for Inc. magazine
Melinda Emerson, “SmallBizLady,” is an engaging and witty speaker and a great addition to any conference. Her terrific presentation and compelling delivery give people the information they need and want to become their own bosses and grow success… Read more
Laurie Dalton White Conference Director, Pennsylvania Conference for Women
Melinda Emerson has been a fantastic small business and social media resource for the Pitney Bowes team. Not only is she personable and easy to work with, but she also has an innate understanding of the small business audience. My marketing programs … Read more
Justin Amendola, Former VP, Global SMB Digital Strategy, Pitney Bowes

Latest #SmallBizChat

The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to Protect Your Business Legally with Sharon Tasman

In this episode, Melinda Emerson is joined by Sharon Tasman, Esq. to discuss crucial legal aspects for small businesses. Sharon outlines the top legal mistakes entrepreneurs often make, emphasizing the importance of protecting intellectual property. The discussion covers selecting the right business name and entity type, alongside legal essentials for startups. Sharon also highlights the […]

Fix Your Business Q&A Video

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