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The Essential Ingredients of Business Success

May 13, 2024 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

In business, success is not merely a destination but a journey. It’s a journey paved with challenges, opportunities, and pivotal moments that shape its destiny. While each entrepreneurial journey is unique, there are certain essential ingredients that consistently contribute to success. In business, success is not merely a stroke of luck or the result of […]

Filed Under: Become Your Own Boss Tips, Fix Your Business, Grow Your Business, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: business success, community, entrepreneurship, innovation, perseverance, planning, strategy, vision, women entrepreneurs

The Right Way To Make Sales Calls For Your Small Business

March 8, 2010 By Melinda Emerson 12 Comments

I have recently been exposed to too many instances of sales calls that are inappropriate and ineffective to actually make a sale.  Social media networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are great for making the initial connection, but if you do not take the time to interact and actually build a relationship with your […]

Filed Under: 10 Things Lists, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Customer Service, My Recommendations, Your Small Business Tagged With: cold calls, customers, melinda emerson, planning, relationship management, sales, selling, small business, smallbizlady, social media networks

How to Avoid a Holiday Disaster

September 11, 2018 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Sponsored Post We’re just a few weeks away from putting up the Halloween decorations, now is the ideal time to make sure your small business is set up for holiday sales. If you make the bulk of your revenue during the biggest shopping season of the year, it’s time to get started with what you […]

Filed Under: Grow Your Business, Guest Articles, Starting A Small Business Tagged With: @AveryProducts, Holiday preparation, holiday sales, planning

New Year, New Resolve

January 2, 2017 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

I hope you didn’t spend too much time making resolutions that you probably won’t keep over the holidays. Let’s resolve to do something different in 2017. If you are fearful about launching a business. Swallow the fear and deal with facts. Create a plan and then work your plan. You can do it. Just make […]

Filed Under: Grow Your Business, How to Start Tagged With: become your own boss, business planning, planning

Best of Melinda Emerson™’s #SmallBizChat Interviews in 2009

December 28, 2009 By Melinda Emerson 1 Comment

My interview with Sherri Garrity on how to quit a job to start a business: Sherri is the founder of Corporate Fugitive. Her company provides business coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners who want to go from overwhelmed to extraordinary.  In 2007, she walked away from a successful marketing career to start her own […]

Filed Under: Business Inspiration, How to Start, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Telesummit, Women in Business, Your Small Business Tagged With: how to participate in smallbizchat, melinda emerson, planning, restart your business, small business, small business ideas, small business info, SmallBizChat, smallbizlady, social media, twitter

Developing a Blog vs. Website Strategy

September 28, 2009 By Melinda Emerson 13 Comments

This is the second of a three part series on blogging for business. It is such an essential issue for small businesses today that I felt it important to dedicate some real time to the topic.  The first article focused on building a small business blog. Today’s piece investigates the decision to have a separate […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, How to Start, Social Media, Your Small Business Tagged With: blog strategy, blog vs. website, blogging, melinda emerson, planning, PR for business, small business, small business info, smallbizlady, social media, strategic branding

How to Define Your Small Business Brand

March 16, 2015 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

What’s your small business brand? Every business should have a clear definition of its brand identity. To put it simply, a brand is what your customer thinks of when she hears your company or product name. The brand is typically the visual image of your business (your logo) and how your product is expressed. Companies […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing Tagged With: branding, planning, target audience

Do you need a Small Business Makeover?

June 1, 2011 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover worth up to $10,000. If you could use some help with your email, direct mail and social media communications, you can win a free year of using Pitney Bowes’ full suite of business tools.  The grand prize winners will also receive in person one-on-one coaching […]

Filed Under: Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, Featured Post, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business Tagged With: become your own boss, entrepreneur, Featured Post, hobby to business, marketing, melinda emerson, networking, online brand, passion, planning, Qualify the business, relationship management, small business, small business ideas, small business info, smallbizlady, social media, success tips

4 P’s of Small Business Success

February 1, 2009 By Melinda Emerson 7 Comments

Most of us do not enjoy the feeling of rushing from one thing to the next. Starting a business can make you feel that way, particularly if you did not take enough time to plan from the beginning. It does feel chaotic at times. You might need to deal with customer requests, follow-up from networking events, there’s […]

Filed Under: Become Your Own Boss Tips Tagged With: passion, patience, perserverance, planning, small business, success, success tips

Could Franchising Be For You?

October 19, 2009 By Melinda Emerson 5 Comments

Franchising is a great opportunity to take a proven business model that has produced financial success and run it as your own business.  While there are many wildly inaccurate statistics about success rates for franchises all over the internet, in general “a franchise is a lower risk proposition than investing in a pure start-up,” according […]

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, How to Start Tagged With: franchising, how to find a business idea, melinda emerson, planning, Qualify the business, small business, small business ideas, small business info, smallbizlady, start a business

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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
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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.
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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 Reinvent a Legacy Business with Rich Trotter

In this episode, Melinda Emerson welcomes Rich Trotter, a fourth-generation entrepreneur, to discuss his journey in the food industry. Rich shares insights into the challenges and innovations he faced, particularly the transition to natural ingredients. The conversation delves into how small businesses can overcome the impact of the pandemic and adapt to new market demands. […]

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