Tag Archives: working from home

What Do You Believe In?

Life can be fun, but have its challenges along the way. Am I right? Whether you’re starting a business, raising a family, or relocating to a new city, at times it take a large amount of strength and faith just to put one foot in front of the other. I know, I’ve been there. We all have from time to time. I was down in Boston’s North End last week and came across the church of St. Leonard. As I was walking with my canoli, I began to wonder “What do people believe in? What keeps them going when things seem hopeless or a struggle?” Though I know what keeps me going every day, no matter what life hands to me, I would like to share two other stories with you: Dave had had a home-based business (T-shirt designer) for over 3 years. He considered himself successful making $27K a year. However, when the recession hit, orders were canceled and a major client did not pay. Needless to say, Dave’s business was hit pretty hard. But is the great thing about Dave. He knew that this was a make or break moment for his business. So, what did he do? [...]

Starting a Business? My Birthday and My Gift

Yes!! Today is my birthday!!!!! Honestly, I just love any reason to celebrate. That is why, on my birthday I have a gift for those of you starting a business or own a small business (or anyone who likes getting gifts). I would like to give you a FREE PDF version of my newly published book, “How to Start Your Business with $100.” Why am I giving it away: Because it’s my birthday and I can do what I want to! But, if you do download the book, I need you to do one thing for me, please. SHARE and FORWARD ON THE BOOK!!! This book is meant to be in the hands of people who need it the most. So, please help me pay it forward as many have done for me. Thanks Everyone! Like this article and want to read more, feel free to subscribe to my blog feed

Leaders, Change Your View

Whether you are starting a business or are a leader of a successful organization, you will constantly be faced with obstacles. The question then becomes, “How will you overcome them?” Many times that can easy be accomplished by changing your view or perception of the situation. Which is sometimes harder than it sounds. Mike is the CEO of a mid size company and has 200 people answering to him, as well as, watching his every move. Though the company is making millions of dollars, morale is extremely low and employees are constantly on the hunt for new jobs. This situation is not new to Mike. He has seen it evolve over a period of a year and decided to do nothing about it. Finally, when he realized that things were spiraling out of control, he said to his C-Row, “Dammit! We need culture. Someone take care of that, will ya!” Nothing was done. What Mike failed to realize is that as the leader of this company, people were looking to him to lead the charge. It wasn’t until one day when his daughter asked him to play Follow the Leader that the light bulb went off. It took a kids [...]

Are You Giving Off Mixed Signals?

I had coffee with a friend of mine who works from home and outsources a lot of his projects. He was sharing a story of a small business who subcontracts out to him and constantly changes their mind and the scope of each project they work on together. They would like him to be on a monthly retainer, however, he no longer feels comfortable doing so since the business doesn’t seem to know what it wants from each project. It would be one thing if it was just him, but he also has a team he outsources to. Have you heard a similar story? As he was telling me this, I got to thinking: Do we all give off mixed signals at one time or another? –Have you ever told someone to do something for you, but then changed your mind or what the outcome should be? –Have you ever gone out on a date, said you had a lovely time and that you would call the person, but then never did? –Have you ever told your kids not to swear, but then dropped the F bomb? Of course you have! You may not have meant it, but you have [...]

Measuring Social Media? Watch This!

Entrepreneurs, small business owners and large corporations all have one social media basic in common: They all want to know how to measure it. Previously, I posted a social media metrics map and a post on the one metric that really counts when engaging your customers. If you or the company you work for is looking for case studies or reasons why you should time (and money) in social, please watch Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics video. It rocks. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Interested in Outsourcing? Get a Broker!

Company Outsourcing

Sounds ironic, huh? For me, the benefits of outsourcing menial tasks to other professionals are clear – outsourcing saves me time and allows me to work on more substantive projects. Outsourcing also utilizes someone else’s expertise, offering me professional-looking outputs. But of course, if outsourcing is not done correctly, it can lead to mayhem. The person to whom I’ve outsourced my work can go missing-in-action. The company to whom I’ve outsourced my presentation hasn’t gotten the final product to me by the deadline. That is why I, and many other entrepreneurs, have chosen to enlist the help of an outsourcing broker. Outsourcing brokers (the art of outsourcing brokerage is often referred to as Outsourcing Relationship Management or ORM. They serve as middlemen/women between you and the service provider. They can set entrepreneurs up with the right contractors to help ensure a good fit and to help manage the working relationship. They also help with any problems that might pop up. Outsourcing brokers can offer a great deal of comfort to the businesses that use their services. One outsourcing broker that believes small business can, and should, utilize outsourcing services is Janeeva™. Janeeva™ charges an up-front consulting fee, and gives their [...]

Entrepreneurs, Are You Taking Advantage of Slow Times?

Polls and starting a business

Entrepreneurs and/or those of you who are starting a business: You may not realize it but every Industry has an ebb and a flow. When your industry has a slow period, do you take advantage of it? If not, here are two ways when you can do just that: Surveys and polls – Use this time to see what your customers really want and need. Why not conduct one during the holiday sales season and announce the results during the slow week? You can even submit the polls and surveys to PR outlets. This way, you find out what your customers REALLY want AND you get PR out of it. Trends – Have you seen a trend these past few month? Was there something that flew off your shelves that you didn’t expect to? Look at your sales and reevaluate what you are offering your customers. Though these are small things, they can yield buid ROI’s for your company.

Should You Outsource Your Social Media?

I outsource a ton of things. As an entrepreneur it makes sense.  As a strategist, my clients constantly ask if they can outsource their social media engagements (Here are some thoughts on ghost writing and blogging). Here are my thoughts. What are yours? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to post below, Tweet me, or Facebook me.

Which Business Strategies are Working for You?

With spring upon us, its a great time for entrepreneurs, small business owners and leaders to figure out which business strategies are working and which ones should be ditched. Watch the video and let me know what you think!

Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses: Who are You Selling to?

Are you an entrepreneur or a small business who has a website in which you are trying to sell someting? Have you ever wondered if your copy is making the grade? A successful marketer – in every setting from a small home-based business to a large corporation – relies heavily on the pulling-power of copy. Writing result-oriented copy can be a challenge, as it must appeal to, entice, and convince your consumers to take action and buy now! However, consumers will only engage if you are speaking their language. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you will talk about customers, identify their wants and needs, and be able to describe how your product or service is going to solve a problem that customers have. The WeWe Monitor will help you do just that. This free analysis copy will look at your copy and let you know if you are engaging your consumer or if you are rambling on about yourself again. It tells you how many words are consumer oriented and will tell you how many times you talk about yourself. To check it out, click HERE. I know that I was surprised by the results that I [...]