Wow, it has been an amazing year. The SmallBizLady Team has worked hard providing information to end small business failure. I feel so blessed to have had an opportunity to travel the country and talk directly with small business owners about how to start and stay in business. There are so many big things to highlight from 2011. I travelled to 14 states this year on official SmallBizLady business (and I’m silver and gold preferred on an airline and with a hotel chain to prove it.) I was pushed and pulled in many unexpected ways this year.  I learned so much and updated my skills.

The year started off in January with a bang. I landed on the front page of the Washington Post Business section as my book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months https://succeedasyourownboss.com/products/purchase-the-book/

was named the Color of Money book club pick of the month by personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/15/AR2011011502644.html  This article was syndicated in over 100 newspapers across the country and it pushed my book into a second printing.

In February, I got on a war path about branding. It is my desire to help small business owners understand that their web presence and social media footprint were a critical element in small business success. I led my revolution with my column on www.SecondAct.com Are You Googleable? http://www.secondact.com/2011/02/are-you-google-able/

In March, the Philadelphia Business Journal named me as host of #Smallbizchat a Social Media Star in the Greater Philadelphia Region. http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/print-edition/2011/03/25/melinda-emerson-smallbizchat.html We also kicked off BYOB2011 Conference National Tour.

In April, my co-host Tai Goodwin and I celebrated the two year anniversary of #Smallbizchat with two special guests. Real Estate Mogul Barbara Corcoran from ABC’s Shark Tank joined us for an audio interview http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallbizradio/2011/04/27/small-biz-lady-melinda-emerson-interviews-barbara-corcoran and Alan Weiss, Author of Million Dollar Consulting.  https://succeedasyourownboss.com/04/2011/smallbizchats-100th-show-small-business-legend-alan-weiss/ These two business legends are people whom I have always admired. It was my honor to share their powerful advice.

May was National Small Business Month. I travelled the country teaching people how to become their own boss, build a social media brand, keep the sales going in a small business.  I lectured for the MIT Sloan Sales Conference, Virginia Tech Women’s Leadership and Philanthropy Conference, Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit, Delaware County Community College, and my own BYOB2011 Conference in Washington, D.C.

In June, I kicked off the national campaign for the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover Contest and started writing for www.pbsmallessentials.com

In July 2011, I started doing monthly appearances on NBC10 in Philadelphia’s 10! Show on small business tips. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/shows/10-show/Build_Your_Own_Business_At_Home_Philadelphia-127247128.html

I headed to Boston, MA to speak at the National Urban League conference. I had an unexpected death in my family that took me back to Alabama to honor my dad’s baby brother too.  It was a sad occasion, but it was great to see all my relatives. I also got a chance to hang out with one of my small biz owners for some quality one-on-one time.

In August, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was the book of the month by Verizon Small Business http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-Small-Biz-Blog/bg-p/SMBBlog/label-name/melinda%20emerson and I was a guest expert on a live Tweetchat. I also had a major honor as I lectured at my father’s alma mater Alabama A&M in Huntsville, AL. I also swung through Houston, TX for the National Sales Network and my BYOB2011 Conference. Later, I hit the road with the team from Pitney Bowes to visit the five grand prize winners who won the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover contest.  Fellow small business experts Jane Applegate, Matt Mansfield, and Phil Simon went on the road with me to Fairfield, CT, Huntington Beach, CA, Knoxville, TN, Leesburg, FL and Melbourne, FL.  I really loved spending time with the contest winners. They were all special, and I am confident that the advice we gave them will grow their businesses. Shel Israel also wrote a profile piece for American Express Open Forum http://www.openforum.com/articles/how-melinda-emerson-became-the-online-pal-for-small-business

In September, I packed up the family and headed West to Wyoming and Yelllowstone National Park.  I keynoted the annual Wyoming girls conference hosted by NorthEast College in Powell, Wyoming.  It was the first time I have travelled to Wyoming. It was a delight to speak to 9^th and 10^th girls. (I was nervous, but it was awesome.)  This was a great trip because my mother and son were with me. Family is so important to me.  It was great to share that experience with them.

October, my birthday month, took me to Portland, Oregon for the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship Conference, NAACE conference where I lectured on a few difference subjects, but I was most excited to talk with the entrepreneurship professors about how to use my book and workbook Are You Ready to Become Your Own Boss http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979983916/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_alp_tQ8Nnb1NCK52Y to teach small businesses on the college level. Fedex Office, hosted  a live tweetchat with me on ow to recession proof your business and I was a featured speaker for the Pennsylvania Conference For Women which was right in Philadelphia in my backyard for a change. The SmallBizLady Team also conducted the final BYOB2011 Conference for the year.

In November, the team had three big opportunities. I lectured at Brand Camp University in Detroit, MI and then I went to NYC, The New York Expo to lecture to a standing room only crowd on How to Niche to Get Rich. (One of my favorite subjects) And the Wall Street Journal thrilled me by quoting me as article about whether realty stars could be legitimate small business owners.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204449804577068600801965064.html

In December, has been a whirlwind of activity. I started the month in NYC appearing on MSNBC’s Your Business http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2KEuthazEI and I moderated a panel for Inc Magazine’s 1^st annual Women’s Summit.  I pulled The SmallBizLady Team back together in Philadelphia for a retreat at my home to plan the strategy for 2012.  The Philadelphia Inquirer made my Christmas bright with a profile story by Diane Mastrull titled SmallBizLady: Using social media to spread small-business advice

http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-19/business/30534422_1_social-media-small-business-twitter-fans and a Yahoo small business quoted me in an article on 7 Tips to start a business in 2012 http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/7-tips-for-becoming-your-own-boss-in-2012.html

With a 2011 like this, I can’t wait to see what is in store for 2012.

What was your biggest accomplishment this year?

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 smallbusinessexperts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small businessfailure.  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 the #1 woman 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)