This week on #Smallbizchat LIVE our show featured three guests, Tech-Life Expert Stephanie Humphrey @techlifesteph, Business Expert Barry Moltz @BarryMoltz and Business Networking Expert Pamela Slim @pamelaslim.
I pulled three of the best questions from each of them to share with you. Every third Wed of the month, Smallbizchat LIVE is broadcast on my SmallBizLady Facebook Page, YouTube channel and on Twitter @SmallBizLady.
Stephanie Humphrey is a former engineer turned tech-life expert and media personality. She helps people understand how technology makes their lives easier on a variety of media platforms, including The Harry Show, Good Morning America, Home & Family, and Good Day Philadelphia. Stephanie also helps students, parents, and professionals understand how to manage their online brands through her signature seminar ‘Til Death Do You Tweet. For more information www.tildeathdoyoutweet.com.
SmallBizLady: I know you are a big fan Adobe document Cloud. Can you tell us how you use Adobe products in your business?
Stephanie Humphrey: I use a couple of Adobe products regularly in my business. I work with PDFs all the time and Acrobat DC is invaluable for saving documents & editing pdfs. I was also able to do all my own editing on my online course for Til Death Do You Tweet using Premiere Pro. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use and what a professional polish it put on my videos versus other products.
SmallBizLady: What are some of your favorite apps to use?
Stephanie Humphrey: The Adobe Scan app is super easy to use and helps get rid of a lot of paper. I like the ability to edit in-app and share content via email. Also, Adobe Sign is a no-brainer for any business to handle contracts quickly.
SmallBizLady: Can you talk to us about ‘Til Death Do You Tweet?
Stephanie Humphrey: None of us are safe when it comes to the damaging effects a negative online reputation can have. Those Snaps, tweets, and Facebook or Instagram posts can follow us around the web for years, compromising our ability to go to school, get a job, and live our lives to their fullest potential. Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a professional, ‘Til Death Do You Tweet is here to help you understand how social media shapes your personal brand and how to manage your online reputation in a positive way.
Barry Moltz gets business owners growing again by unlocking their long forgotten potential. With decades of entrepreneurial experience in his own business ventures as well as consulting countless other entrepreneurs. Barry has discovered the formula to get stuck business owners unstuck and marching forward. As a small business expert, Barry applies simple, strategic steps to facilitate change. For more information: www.barrymoltz.com.
SmallBizLady: Why do small business owners need hacks?
Barry Moltz: Running a small business is hard and confusing. Most entrepreneurs start a company to solve a problem for a customer and just want to focus on doing only that. Unfortunately, all the other issues of running a business gets in the way and small business owners are ill equipped to handle it. Searching Google is not a solution.
SmallBizLady: What areas of running a business do most business owners struggle with and why?
Barry Moltz: It’s different for every business owner, which is why we covered so many topics in the book. We cover startup information, and hacks about sales, marketing, management, technology, money, product development HR and customer experience.
SmallBizLady: What is your favorite hack?
Barry Moltz: “How to Get a Prospect to Respond (When They Won’t), which is crucial information for small business owners so they don’t leave any potential sales on the table and are able to let go when prospects don’t respond.
Pamela Slim is an award-winning author, speaker and leader in the new world of work. She spent the first 10 years of her solo practice as a consultant to large corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, Charles Schwab and Cisco Systems. In 2005, she started the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog, which is now one of the top career and business sites on the web. She has coached thousands of budding entrepreneurs, in businesses ranging from martial arts studios to software start-ups. Find out more at www.PamelaSlim.com.
SmallBizLady: Why do people avoid building their network?
Pamela Slim: We have been taught that networking is an awkward and anxiety-producing activity, that involves walking into a room of strangers and shaking hands. In reality, you can build your network a lot of ways, including on social media. There are a lot of tools today that help you connect with and start to talk to people before you get to a live event, which reduces the awkwardness, and helps you get more fruitful connections out of the experience.
SmallBizLady: What are some shortcuts to finding the best places where your ideal clients hang out?
Pamela Slim: You want to shift your thinking from empires (I must draw everyone to ME and my business) to ecosystems. Imagine you put your ideal customer in the center of a circle. Where are all the places they go to look for answers to their questions? What products do they use? Which technology do they use? Who are other influencers whose messages they like? What events do they attend? When you answer some of these questions, you will find the places, in person and online, where many of your ideal customers hang out.
SmallBizLady: How is building a network part of creating a stronger economy?
Pamela Slim: Small businesses make up 53% of the non-farm U.S. GDP, and generated over 99% of new jobs (source: SBA, 2015). When small business owners make a point to network with and refer other business owners, we strengthen the part of our economy that is the most innovative, resilient and inclusive. We ARE the revolution we have been waiting for, and it is our responsibility as business owners to look out for each other.
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