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You are here: Home / Archives for Solopreneurs

How to Reinvent Your Business: A 7-Step Guide to Starting Fresh and Scaling Online

September 1, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Sometimes, a business runs its course. What once brought joy, profit, and purpose begins to feel like a burden. Maybe the market changed. Maybe your heart changed. Or maybe the model you built simply doesn’t work anymore in the digital age. Whatever the reason, it’s okay to start over. Reinvention doesn’t mean failure. In fact, […]

Filed Under: Business Inspiration, Featured Post, Fix Your Business, Grow Your Business, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Staying Productive, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: automate, business ideas, Business reinvention, Business Values, business vision, home office, reinvent business, scale, signature offer, starting over

30 Best Small Business Podcasts of 2025

August 18, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Profitable podcasting show notes

Podcasts are the new MBA for small business owners. Whether you’re a solopreneur building your brand from scratch, a seasoned business coach, or a product-based business scaling up, the right podcast can change everything. The best ones provide mentorship, industry insight, tactical tips, and tough-love motivation—all in under an hour. In 2025, there’s no shortage […]

Filed Under: Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Sales, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Technology, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: best podcasts of 2025, build your business, business podcasts, get started with podcasts, grow your business with podcasts, growth library

My Greatest Pivot: How I Became SmallBizLady

August 4, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Every entrepreneur has a defining moment. A moment when life forces you to stop, reflect, and decide whether to give up or level up. For me, that moment came when I least expected it—flat on my back, on bed rest, pregnant with my only child, facing the very real possibility of losing everything I had […]

Filed Under: Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Leadership, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: business inspiration, business transformation, business vision, defining moment, pivot your small business, smallbizlady

What Eagles Can Teach Us About Being Effective Business Leaders

July 28, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Now listen, I don’t just love Eagles because I’m from Philadelphia. Sure, I bleed green every football season (Fly, Eagles, Fly!), but today we’re talking about the other kind of eagle — the one with wings, razor-sharp vision, and an inspiring leadership style that business owners can actually learn a thing or two from. Eagles […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Leadership, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: business leaders, business scaling, business transformation, business vision, face business problems, laser-focus, rise above the noise

The New Form of SEO: GEO Secrets to Be Listed as a Trusted Resource in AI Searches

July 21, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Search engine optimization (SEO) is no longer just about ranking on page one of Google. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the search landscape has changed dramatically. AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and the latest voice assistants Siri and Alexa are now helping people find answers—not just websites. But what does that mean for your business? […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: AI search, Genuine Expertise Optimization, GEO, search engine optimization, SEO

Newsflash: No One Cares About Your Brand—Yet. Why Businesses Must Invest in Brand Awareness

July 14, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Let’s start with a harsh but liberating truth: No one cares about your brand. Not your logo, not your clever name, and certainly not the “About Us” section you spent two weeks writing. This is especially true if you’re a startup or SaaS brand just entering the market. Your product might be the next game-changer, […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: authentic brand, Brand Awareness, brand development, customer trust, market positioning

How to Build a Lead Generation and Nurture Process That Converts

July 7, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Most businesses don’t actually have a sales problem—they have a nurturing problem. While many entrepreneurs are actively collecting leads, running ads, and growing their email lists, those leads often fail to turn into paying customers. Why? Because there’s no follow-up strategy. Leads go cold. Opportunities get missed. And the business ends up stuck in a […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Solopreneurs, Staying Productive, Technology, Your Small Business Tagged With: behavior triggers, conversion, email nurture sequence, lead generation, lead magnets, nurture process

From Visibility to Profitability: How to Build a Membership Site That Keeps Customers for Life

June 30, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

In today’s crowded online world, most entrepreneurs understand the importance of visibility and trackability. Social media helps people find you. Email helps you stay in touch. But neither of those tools, on their own, build long-term loyalty or sustainable revenue. If you’re looking to grow from transactional income to predictable profit, it’s time to build […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Solopreneurs, Staying Productive, Technology, Your Small Business Tagged With: community engagement, creating value, long term loyalty, membership site, profitability, relationship building, sustainability

How to Build a Thriving Reddit Community That Aligns with Your Audience

June 23, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

If you’re a coach, consultant, or small business owner trying to grow your brand, you’ve probably explored all the usual places—Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, maybe even YouTube. But there’s one platform you may be sleeping on that’s built for community: Reddit. It’s not just a place for memes and debates—it’s where niche conversations thrive, people show […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Technology, Your Small Business Tagged With: build a subreddit, community engagement, creating value, niche marketing, reddit community

SmallBizLady Summer Reading List 2025

June 9, 2025 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Why Summer Is the Perfect Season to Grow Your Mind—and Your Business—with Books. There’s something magical about summer. The pace slows down, the days stretch longer, and there’s finally space to breathe—and think. It’s not just a season for vacations and cookouts; summer is a prime opportunity to invest in yourself. While others are unwinding, […]

Filed Under: AI for business, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Cash Flow & Finance, Customer Service, Featured Post, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Leadership, My Recommendations, Solopreneurs, Starting A Small Business, Teams, Technology, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: Business Book Recommendations, business coaching, business knowledge, business leadership, business owner resources, business success tips, entrepreneurship, financial future, franchising, leadership books, marketing books, must-read business books, small business books, small business growth, smallbizlady, summer reading list, supportive leadership, teams, women in franchising

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Latest #SmallBizChat

The SmallBizChat Podcast: Will AI Replace the SmallBizLady with Melinda Emerson

In this episode, Melinda Emerson delves into the challenges and opportunities SaaS brands face in building brand awareness. She explores the evolving landscape of AI versus human coaching in business, sharing insights on her unique strengths and the future role of AI in coaching. The discussion extends to integrating AI into business strategies, offering practical […]

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