Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
3
From The Publisher
If Not Now...When?
I
f not now, when? I’m constantly amazed at the excuses I hear! Excuses not to launch something, do something or provide something. Excuses about time and money. It’s not good enough, the recession isn’t over, when my kids get older, after I lose weight, the sun isn’t shining (ok, I added that one to get your attention!) The best one I heard recently….. “it’s too much work.” Newsflash nothing successful was ever easy. And until you cut the crap and stop the excuses, it will never happen! The only person you are holding back is YOU!! I know…I have done it too. Particularly in the area of my health and weight. I hated going to the gym – and I loved eating. So it was easy to say I was too busy with work to get out and exercise. And look where that got me! Thank goodness my YES I Can journey took me right out of the excuses and into what I’m doing it now! We are well into the 2nd quarter of 2014 – and for me and YES I Can, it’s now time to focus on no excuses in business. I LOVE what I do. And I’m always dreaming up new ideas (some call it “shiny object syndrome”). I had put off launching our City Director program for a few “reasons”. While in Hawaii last month, I did some soul searching and realized I needed to release something that wasn’t working, and take that gigantic scary step to expand and say YES I CAN! Is there a risk? You bet! Could I fail? I hope not! Am I willing to do whatever it takes? YES YES YES! What’s holding you back? Why are you not stepping up? How much longer are you going to let fear and excuses get in your way? It’s now or never. Here’s to your YES I CAN Success!
4 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
22
16
12
IN THIS ISSUE All About You 14 Are you Ready To Shed Your Winter Skin?
All About Business
22 Is Your Creativity In Drip Mode?
8 Cultivate New Clients And Grow Your Revenue With Retreats
All About Success
10 The Coolest Of Apps
18 Alison Armstrong, On A Mission To Celebrate Men and Satisfy Women
12 Are You Driving Potential Customers Away From Your Website?
20 Innovative Woman Interview: Keri Murphy
27 Platforms For Profit: List Building Is Business Building
All About Food
28 CRM, CMS, What’s The Difference?
16 Three Good Reasons To Choose Wild Fish Over Factory Farmed Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
5
6 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
7
All About Business
Cultivate New Clients and Grow Your Revenue with Retreats by Caterina Rando, MA, MCC
D
o you naturally connect women to other women whom they would love to meet? Do you enjoy hosting events and convening groups of women? If this sounds like you, then you may be missing a revenue stream that will keep your clients coming back over and over again. If you are a woman who serves women, then you want to be sure to have retreats in your offerings mix. Women love to get together. We welcome the opportunity to meet each other, share ideas and support each other. As a woman entrepreneur, you can monetize this phenomenon to your advantage. Retreats make smart business sense because all you have to do is plan and produce the retreat. The women who attend provide a significant amount of the value with their participation. After you have picked a date and a location and decided what the purpose of your retreat is, here are a few other things to consider: 1. What marketing activities are you going to use to fill your retreat? Recognize that a comprehensive marketing plan that includes a website, social media, a free tele-class, even perhaps an intro evening may be just the beginning to fill you retreat. 2. What are you going to do to make your retreat special or unique? Our lives are so busy today. To have women feel good about giving you their precious time, you want to make sure exceed their expectations.
8 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
3. What are you going to offer at the retreat to generate more revenue? The price women pay to attend is only your first source of revenue, you can offer an on-going group or a recurring gathering or one-on-one services at your retreat. Begin planning your retreat today and see how lucrative it can be. Making money while spending time with great women—what could be better?
Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, shows women how to massively monetize their mastery. She is a master certified coach, speaker, publisher and the creator of the ENLIVEN Summit: Plan, Produce and Profit From Women’s Retreats and Events. To find out more visit: www.enlivenprogram.com Apply promo code TIW127 for a deep discount on your registration. You can reach Caterina at 415-668-4535 or via email at cat@caterinarando.com.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
9
All About Business
The Coolest of APPS! by Debbie Saviano
Most would agree that there is an APP for everything! Here are 2 APPS You might find helpful. 1. PIC COLLAGE a. Bottom Center – Click on “Create” b. Tap Center of the Page i. Choices are Use Camera / Add Photos / Photos from Web / Add Text/Stickers / Paste c. Click on Add Photos i. Recommend choosing Camera Roll d. Add up to 12 photos by clicking the pictures– Click check mark in top right corner e. Bottom Left side of screen – click on –BOX “Change Layout” f. Scroll for Selections g. Select the Collage - Click on Center of Screen h. Return to bottom -Left side of Screen – Click on –BOX “Change Back round” i. Scroll for selections j. When ready click the center of the screen k. Bottom Right of the screen click on the box with arrow i. Actions (Choices) include Social Media and “More Actions” 1. Recommend save to Library - returns finished product to Camera Roll 2. Click close on the top left side of page 3. Backward Arrow in the top left returns you back to “Create Page”. 2. KEEPER SECURITY - Security of PASSWORDS www.KepperSecurity.com a. APP for Security against Hackers - Identify Theft - Brain Overload b. Enter Your own Password OR you can use one of the secure pass words by “rolling the dice” . c. First, create a Master Password, which opens the APP d. Create New Record - tap on the + button in the right corner i. Create Folders for Personal – Business – etc.
10 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
ii. Title the Name 1.Add LOGIN 2. Add PASSWORD 3. Http:// (allows You to directly connect to the website) 4.+ Add Field to add account #’s – etc. 5. Add additional notes 6. Click save – top right corner iii. The top left corner magnifying glass for search e. Bottom of the screen - Data Vault – Sync & Options is Paid version – HELP (for Quick Start Guide) f. Each time You leave the APP it is Closed - Secure! Grab Your Phone and give these fun APPS a try, and I would love to hear your favorite APPS. Debbie Saviano is a solopreneur whose daily mantra is to “help professionals take action and create an online presence by developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships.” Debbie utilizes social media to connect, network and engage with others. She is an advocate for “continuing the conversations”. Thanks to the internet highway, borders are no more; people can interact and communicate around the globe. Professionals from across the country call Debbie for her unique skill set in designing LinkedIn profiles & Pinterest platforms aimed at engagement and retention toward a target market. Debbie also provides business solutions to small businesses who seek to utilize social media to enhance their brand, improve skills of their employees, expand social proof and establish an online presence.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
11
All About Business
Are You Driving Potential Customers Away From Your Website? by Linda Cotter
W
e have all been to websites that we can’t wait to leave. Typically for me, these websites have too many elements that are flashing and jumping, loud, brash and full of clashing colors and sliders that take an eternity to switch to the next image. It’s hard enough to get consumers to your site, so make sure you are not driving them away. Here are 5 things you should NOT have when designing your website. 1. Multi-media that plays automatically when a page loads. While it’s nice to view videos or other media on a website, it is important to be mindful of how your visitors might react to something that starts automatically. Sometimes we have the volume up on our computers because we are “rocking out’ to a tune in our library. Then we start browsing and bam! The super loud voice of someone startles the heck out of us. I think it’s important to give the visitor the choice to play multi-media content or not. 2. Pop-up ads. They can be very annoying for visitors, and therefore not very effective. If your goal for a pop up ad is to get new subscribers, think instead about writing compelling copy to convert your visitors into leads. 3. Internal linking which is not user friendly or is malfunctioning. The goal is to have a website that is intuitive and points easily to important pages on your website. Also, it is important not to have too many links on a page that can confuse a visitor and cause him to leave your site in frustration. 4. Content and titles that don’t make sense. Great titles can draw a visitor in, but don’t disappoint them with content that isn’t related to the title. Make sure the content lives up to what they will expect and isn’t misleading in any way.
12 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
5. A lack of social media share buttons. Social media is ever growing and is extremely important in marketing your business. People love to share great information. Make sure you make sharing easy by having social sharing buttons prominently displayed on your website. You only have a few seconds to captivate your visitor so make them count! Linda Cotter is a graphic designer and web developer who is known for her fresh, simple and elegant designs. Linda’s goal is to help her clients produce better results through great design and creative solutions while using imaginative and innovative development methods. Whether it is a logo, business card, website or brand development, she incorporates each client’s unique personality and style into the design with an eye-catching flair and business sensibility. This creates the opportunity for them to attract the desired clients and results they are looking for. Visit Linda’s website at www.LindaCotterDesigns.com. She can be reached at (310) 486-3108 or by email at Linda@LindaCotterDesigns.com.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
13
All About You
Are You Ready To Shed Your Winter Skin by Wendy Darling
I
LOVE the spring and summer months. The sunshine, the trees, the flowers in full bloom, all act like a magnet to draw me outside.
I have gone through a major change this past year with a move from Texas to California. I’ve lost a very good friend, and am also supporting a few others who have lost loved ones. It’s been a time of reflection, examining what is REALLY important to me. And as I made some life changes, my body began feeling different. It felt heavier, as if there was a foreign layer surrounding me. Even though I have weighed the same amount for many years, the layer represents something that may have falsely
been protecting me, and its purpose is over. I have noticed slight shifts in my eating and exercise, but it’s my Healing HarmonicsTM process that is really making the difference! Interesting! What about you? Are you feeling ‘weighed down’ in your life? Are you spending time on the important stuff, those things that nourish your soul? Does your body feel heavier than you KNOW in your heart of hearts the REAL you should? Do you feel like you are bumping up against the same wall, not knowing what to do? These are CUES your body is sending you to shed that protective layer! Isn’t it time you release your physical layer, holding you back from having greater impact, influence and fulfillment and let the real you emerge? You can easily CHANGE! But
14 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
you must change your internal environment (mental, emotional, and energetic influences) for your body to return to your optimal weight! At the very least, put on your shoes, get outside, soak up the sun, eat more greens, drink more water and take some really deep breaths, regularly. Time to shed that ‘skin’ and let your light and magnificence SHINE! Wendy is the creator of Loving Yourself LeanTM and the Healing Harmonics SystemTM, helping women achieve PERMANENT weight loss. Wendy has over 30 years of experience as a business and life transformation expert, management and organizational development consultant, radio talk show personality and keynote speaker. After a serious accident, Wendy opened up to her unique healing gifts and process. Combined with her laser coaching style, the transformations are profound! Weight loss has NEVER been easier! Where women were previously held back, they are finally FREE to live the life of their dreams, while still having the influence they have longed for.
wendy 1/2 page ad
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
15
All About Food
Three Good Reasons to Choose Wild Fish Over Factory Farmed By Varouj Kachichian 1. Farmed fish is fed an unnatural diet of corn and grain. Grain diets are inflammatory even to animals. 2. Wild fish like salmon naturally dine on krill, mackerel, sardines and crustaceans. Wild fish have lower levels of inflammatory omega-6 fats and higher levels of healthy omega-3 fats and antioxidants, which come from their natural diet. 3. According to the Environmental Working Group, farmraised salmon is the most polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated protein source in the American diet.
Salmon with Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, and White Wine Sauce Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 each Wild salmon fillet, skinless, 6-8 oz. pieces 1 strip bacon, nitrate, nitrite-free, diced 1/8 cup olive oil 1/4 cup diced onions, yellow, white or red 4 cloves garlic, chopped 4 sprigs or thyme 15-20 black Kalamata olives, cut in half 1/2 cup olive oil packed sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 cup white wine, fish or chicken stock if preferred 7 leaves fresh basil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation: 1. In a large sautĂŠ pan, on medium heat, heat the olive oil, add the bacon and cook until almost crispy, approximately 5-7 minutes. 2. Add onions and thyme, cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, add garlic and cook for few seconds longer, just until fragrant. 3. Season salmon fillet and sear for about 1 minute, flip over to sear the other side, cook for another 1 minute. 4. Add olives, sundried tomatoes and wine or stock, cook for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the salmon. 5. Check for doneness by pressing firmly on the thickest part of the fish, when done it will flake, and should still be a little pink. Add basil last minute and serve.
16 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
17
All About Success
Alison Armstrong
On A Mission To Celebrate Men And Satisfy Women
A
lison Armstrong is a woman on a mission – a mission to celebrate men and satisfy women!
Alison studied men for 4 years before she decided she wanted to write a book about it. But in sharing the information she’d learned with other women, she realized that the information in the book would be used by women to manage and manipulate men, rather than the way she intended. So Alison set out to create a workshop to teach women – and in teaching them she could learn how to write the book. “By the end of the first year, we had workshops in 8 locations, we were training other people to lead them, plus we had created follow up workshops including the Queen Course, Dating for Marriage, Harmony with your Hero – and we were off and rolling!” 15 years later, the book was finally published in 2012 and within 3 weeks, it was within 50 countries! Alison’s company, PAX International, is in the business of educating women about men. PAX, the Latin word for “peace” and an acronym for Partnership, Adoration and Xtasy, creates peace between the sexes by providing unique and immediately useful information to women. PAX’s flagship program, Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®, is a weekend educational workshop for women, which transforms the way they relate to men. It facilitates the reconciliation many women are seeking with men and outlines the skills necessary for women to realize powerful, satisfying relationships with all of the men in their lives. What was Alison’s biggest challenge? “Overcoming the attitude that if you are committed to making a difference, and what you have heals people, you should give it away for free.” Alison came from the non-profit world and succumbed to that thinking for many years. “We tried to provide the workshops for the least amount of money we could and provide scholarships– which was very detrimental for the business. We struggled with cash flow and running and growing the business.” Alison continued, “I think it’s a common struggle for female entrepreneurs, especially if your business is about helping people, to charge what it actually requires to provide what you provide, but also (to charge) what you need to be happy to provide it again tomorrow.”
18 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
Alison shared if she had it to do it all over again, she’d have people travel to her for workshops. “It was so romantic to travel to all these cities where people wanted us. But in order to accommodate that, we had to make our schedule very far in advance – up to 18 months in advance. And when you do that, you don’t know when back to school night is, or prom. I wasn’t there with my daughters when they got ready for prom.” Alison continued “I wish I’d known when I began how much I’d regret what I’d missed – and saved more for me and my family,” a deep personal reflection that I think many women entrepreneurs can understand. I asked Alison how she defines success. “It’s funny to me when people think I’m successful. I’m an activist and my mission is to transform the culture but there is still work to be done,” said Alison. She continued “Doing what you came to do – that is success. And to have done it while maintaining your own integrity, whatever you do – that is success. Real wealth is the ability to fire your customers when they aren’t doing their part, but they expect you to keep doing yours. That is wealth and integrity.” Alison is an innovative woman. “Other people would describe me as innovative because I’m always exploring and more interested in what more we could know rather then what we already know, especially in the area of partnership. What makes me innovate? Suffering and joy. When I see suffering, it compels me to find a way to alleviate it. I’m a happy person – and committed to happiness. I figure out how to be happy – what the point of happiness is and why is it so important and how can we experience it.” I asked Alison for any final words of wisdom for women entrepreneurs. “You’re not supposed to be good at everything. Build your enterprise around your own genius. And find people to support you who have their genius to contribute in your blind spots. Don’t ever be afraid to have people around you who are smarter then you. And trust yourself.” I participated in the Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women course about 3 years ago and about 6 months ago, I took the second course Celebrating Women: Regarding Ecstasy & Power™ (aka “The Queen Course”). This challenging and clarifying workshop shows women how to bring out the best in themselves, especially those regal qualities that allow us to be happy and fulfilled, while bringing energy and life to those around us. The same qualities that inspire men to admire, be influenced by and generously provide for women. To be very authentic and transparent here, taking the weekend course in November of 2013 was the beginning of my transformation and the YES I CAN movement. I was struggling personally with some relationships. The work I did on myself that weekend (I went alone) began a journey of massive change in my life on many levels. The following weekend I spent 24 hours away from home in solitude to continue working on myself. My inner work and journey continues and I share that over at www.yesicanwomen.org. I encourage you to explore Alison’s programs. It was life changing for me! Visit www.understandmen.com.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
19
All About Success
Innovative Woman Keri Murphy by Cathy Alessandra
How/why did you begin your business?
A
fter I closed a business I loved in 2008, I soon found myself completely starting over in my 30’s. During that time I refer to myself as “broke and broken”. That certainly was not part of my grand life “plan.” Although that time was very challenging, to say the least, I knew there had to be something greater out there for me. So, I packed up my car (the one thing I had left and it was a lease) and drove down to LA to finally pursue my dream of being an Entertainment host. I had worked as a local on-camera talent most of my life and felt this was the one thing I knew I could do well and all the right doors were opening. I started booking some great jobs on The Golf Channel, E!, TV Guide, and found myself hosting “red carpet” events but something didn’t feel right. I wondered…is this it? My entrepreneur spirit kicked in and one day after waiting 3 hours at an audition I decided, I wasn’t going to wait for someone to tell me that I was good enough to do what I knew I was called to do. I decided at that moment that my destiny was in my own hands. I reached out to Kevin Sorbo (an avid golf fan) and asked if I could interview him about how he got where he is today. That was the beginning of Inspired Living. I love uncovering the stories of success. Everyone’s journey is so different and yet there is a common thread, belief and dedication. After working as a speaker/trainer for a very successful personal development company for about year, it made perfect sense to combine my love of TV hosting with coaching and mentoring people on how to use their gifts to create extraordinary life and business. Inspired Living is not just my business…it’s me, what I love to do, and the legacy I want to leave behind. Everything that I went through was preparing me for where I am today. I guess it was part of the grand “plan.”
What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? Filing bankruptcy and starting completely over was definitely hard, but what was even more difficult was the personal attacks on my character that went with it. Money comes and goes, my integrity and who I am as a person is what I stand on. It’s really difficult to separate business and personal sometimes. I took it so personally, I remember often crying so hard that I couldn’t breathe. It consumed me for a while. The positive, happy Keri everyone knew went dark. Then, it hit me, “why am I giving this power over me? If I let this stop me from moving forward then they win.” God’s plan for my life is greater than this. When it comes to the way we live our life there are only 2 ways…to live at “cause” or
20 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
at “effect.” When we live in “effect” everything happens “to us” and we have no control. When we live in “cause” then we are responsible for everything that happens in our life...good, bad and indifferent. Living at “cause” is a much more empowering way to live and enables us to create incredible lives. We get to choose how we let something affect us, and I decided that I was no longer going to play the victim. It was shortly after that realization that my tagline came to life, “Dream it. Live it. BE it!!”
How do you define SUCCESS? For me “success” is using my gifts to the best and highest use possible. I believe strongly in “we get what we give.” No matter what happens in my life now, I am confident in who I am and the difference I can make in the lives of others. It also means having time to spend with the people I love and do the things that bring me joy.
If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be? I say this often, do not be afraid to ask for help! As women we want to do it ALL …be it All… and have it All. But the truth is, we can’t and we shouldn’t try. We need mentors, a team, and other women to support us so we can fulfill our greatest life vision. I wish I would’ve asked for help and surrounded myself with more successful women. I recently heard someone say, “When you are the leader of your peers, it’s time to go find a new peer group.” I love that! You truly are who you surround yourself with.
What makes you an innovative woman? Such a good question, innovation is really about thinking outside of the box and doing things in a way that only you can. It also means advancing mankind and the world we live in. For me, this is something we are always talking about at Inspired Living. Our “Ignite Your “IT” Factor” on-camera training for entrepreneurs is unlike anything else out there, I am really proud of that. And in 2013, I decided to really be innovative and partnered with the largest and longest running women’s conference in the country, the California Women’s Conference and am the first to bring such an event to Oregon. This year the Oregon Women’s Conference is taking place July 14-15th. I’m incredibly excited about that! I remember, for the first year of business I was trying to follow what all the other “coaches, speakers, etc.” were doing- now I am trying to do the opposite of that. I don’t think we have to totally reinvent the wheel- we just need to make it our own snazzy color. Publisher’s Note: I am so excited that Today’s Innovative Woman is a sponsor for the Oregon Women’s Conference! This will be an amazing event and we hope to see you there! To get all the details, go to www.oregonwomensconference.com. In addition, we are very excited to have Keri as one of the speakers at our SUCCESS Summit, October 10th and 11th, 2014 in Los Angeles. Those details can be found at www.SuccessSummitandExpo.com!
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
21
All About You
Is Your Creativity in Drip Mode? by Joy Chudacoff
I
was feeling a bit out of sorts. My creative self felt like it was moving at a crawl and my decision-making at a snails pace. Something was off but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I started to reflect over the last eight weeks. I had traveled two times in 30 days to the East Coast and followed that with a week-long business trip. I realized that our home never fully recovered from the holidays. There were “loose ends” in many places which left me feeling unsettled. Clutter can destroy your creative thinking. When I give clutter permission to enter my home or office, I find it difficult to make good, solid decisions. I decided to clear the clutter, get organized and make room for more clarity and creative thought in my life. The Result? In just a few hours, I began to feel calmer, more peaceful and I noticed that my decisionmaking had become razor-sharp. If your creativity seems to be in drip mode and your decision-making feels less than your best, maybe it’s time to clear the clutter in your life and business. Here are 5 easy tips to help you get started: 1. Choose Wisely - Pick an area of your home or office where you spend the most time. We hang out in the
22 Today’s Innovative Woman
kitchen as a family and over the last month, it had become a dumping ground for many unnecessary items. 2. Set a Timer - If you find cleaning and organizing to be less than enjoyable (that’s me!) set a timer and work in small increments. I set my timer for 30 minutes. The key …stay focused don’t allow any distractions. 3. Tunes Please! - Get your favorite music going in the background. 4. Take it ALL Out - My organizer taught me a great lesson. In order to really clean and organize a drawer, you have to take everything out of the drawer. Don’t stand over the drawer picking things out (that’s what I used to do). Dump the entire drawer out in front of you. It’s faster and much more effective.
May/June 2014
5. Reuse & Recycle - Make sure you have two trash cans within arms reach – one for recycling and one for trash. The next day, I woke feeling a new sense of clarity and the best part? Highly creative. I had been stuck on a business idea for a few weeks and it all came together that morning. I felt a new, recharged, and fresh energy as well. Is it important for your creativity and clarity to soar? You bet. A wise mentor once shared with me that “clarity attracts cash.” Use my five easy steps to clear your clutter and make space for a big idea in your business today! Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
A Must-Read for Women in Business
Joy Chudacoff is Heralded as “The Coach for Women” in the millennium, Joy Chudacoff has x-ray vision when it comes to helping women discover their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals! Joy draws on both her personal life and entrepreneurial experiences to support women in achieving better ways of living. It’s her passion, her purpose and her business. She is a Professional Certified Coach, highly skilled group leader, motivational speaker and a gifted communicator. Visit Joy’s website, SmartWomenSolutions.com, where you’ll find more articles plus information about her Women’s Success Circles, Smart Women Smart Solutions Coach Certification Programs, Speaking engagements, teleclasses and upcoming events for women. Joy can be reached at 310-454-2005 or by email, Joy@ SmartWomenSolutions.com.
Order Your Autographed Copy!
1499
$
Elizabeth educates the reader with her wisdom in communication, leadership, and most of all relationships. Mentoringfor Meaning.com
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
23
All About Business
Should My Household Employees be Included on Company Payroll? by Candy Messer
I
f you own and run your own business, you probably employ people to assist you. Let’s say you also employ some others to clean your house, maintain the yard, babysit your children or take care of pets. Why not combine all of the above said employees on one payroll? The short answer is that this comes down to a tax issue that could cause you a great deal of trouble. Although it sounds easier and simpler to keep all your employees on your company payroll, it isn’t. Keeping your business expenses separate from your personal expenses is important in general, but it is actually illegal to include a household worker’s payroll in your company’s payroll tax reporting. The reason is this: the IRS does not consider domestic/household workers to be a direct contributor to the success of your business. When it comes time to report your payroll taxes, there is a separate household employment reporting process to follow. Following this process will also help you comply with the “nanny tax” that catches so many household employers unaware. Helpful info for hiring household employees: When you are figuring out how and when to pay your household employees, you will first need to know the difference between an employee and an independent contractor. When tax time comes around, misclassifying a 1099 worker is considered tax evasion, so for obvious reasons it’s best to be informed from the start. Knowing the difference at the time of hiring will also help you avoid pitfalls along the way (like issues surrounding overtime, which is regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act). In addition
24 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
to FLSA, a few states (including California) have adopted a Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights. Employers should carefully consider these laws prior to hiring a domestic worker. Have questions regarding payroll for your small business employees? Give us a call at 310-5345577 and we will be happy to help!
Candy Messer: Candy Messer is President of Affordable Bookkeeping and Payroll Services and energizes business owners by removing the burden of the bookkeeping and payroll processing from their shoulders. With 15 years of experience, Candy understands the stresses business owners face and offers customized services to meet their varying needs, including bookkeeping, payroll, Quickbooks consulting, and bill pay services. Candy works with service based business owners who are overwhelmed with the paperwork required to stay in compliance for filings and frees them to focus on what they love to grow their businesses. Visit her website at www.abandp.com for more information.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
25
All About Business
List Building is Business Building by Cathy Alessandra
M
arketing is a 2-way street. It’s all about building relationships. And you continue the conversation and build those relationships with your list! Building your list can come from many different sources, not just the opt-in box on your website. Of course once you have them, you DON’T want to lose them. That is why you need to provide high quality content so they want more of you! Lists can be used for email – but also direct mail. I strongly encourage my clients to capture the prospective customers email and mailing address. (I’ll share more ideas on direct mail in a future issue.) Here are some ways to grow your list…. Website: Yes, you must have the opt-in box! And don’t forget that juicy free offer they get when they give you their contact information! Take it a step further and offer a cd or something to MAIL them – therefore getting their mailing address! Email signature: Put your opt-in sign-up link in your email signature so that people can click and subscribe from your emails. Incoming calls: Every time someone calls your business, ask them if they are on your email list to receive updates from you. If you have someone who returns your phone messages for you, be sure they ask as well. Networking events: I sound like a broken record… get out from behind your computer and attend events!!! But DO NOT take this as an opportunity to shove your card into everyone’s hand. Set a goal to meet and actually CONNECT with a few key people at the event – spending time to start building that relationship. Get their card and ask if you can add them to your list.
26 Today’s Innovative Woman
May/June 2014
Drawing: Participating with a booth at an event? Have a drawing at your table for a fabulous door prize! To sign-up and enter for the door prize drawing, they have to give you their information. You can have a fish-bowl to drop their business card. However, I’ve found more and more people are not putting a mailing address on their card – so I print “drawing slips” requesting their name, address and phone number. They don’t have to be present to win – and we can mail them the prize if they are not there. And best thing – I have all their contact info. We have even added a question ie “What is your biggest business challenge?” Great way to quickly poll your prospects! Speaking: Speaking is a great way to grow your business – and your list! Sometimes the event host will give you the list of attendees. But more often than not, you need to be creative. During your talk, offer something for free. Ask everyone to drop their card into a bowl for a chance to win. If the event host allows you to pass out something to the audience, have the bottom portion be a “drawing” slip where they can quickly add their information, tear it off, and hand back to you for the drawing! Social Media: Some of us have huge social media lists – on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But we don’t own those lists – and the social media giants are making it harder and harder to reach our potential customers and clients. Let’s just talk about Facebook today – when someone friends me, we typically send them back an inbox message, thanking them for requesting me as their friend – and if they’d like to connect further, to go to my website. Sometimes we’ll even give them the direct opt-in link – offering them the free subscription to the magazine! It gets the conversation going – and helps to build our list off of the social media platform. There are so many other ways: Get creative! But remember… your list is NOT to be used for countless business billboard postings! Have a follow up process in place so that when you do get a contact, you know your process. Then work to build the relationship – with content rich emails, maybe a direct mail piece, and even a phone call or coffee! Remember the spam laws! Just because someone handed you their card DOES NOT mean you can just add them to your list. First, ask! Even for our drawing entries where it clearly states they will be added, we typically send an email right away thanking them for entering, reminding them who we are, and that they can expect future communications from us. Today’s Innovative Woman is heading on the YES I CAN Tour – Platforms for Profit! At each 2 ½ hour networking workshop, Media Marketing Strategist and Publisher Cathy Alessandra will share Platforms for Profit: The Must Have Marketing Strategies for Outrageous Success. These events are all about elevating and empowering you to greater visibility and profitability. Find one coming to your city at www.platformsforprofit.com.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
27
All About Business
CRM, CMS What’s the Difference? by Bibi Goldstein
M
any business owners are unsure of the difference between Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and a Contact Management System (CMS).
Essentially, CMS is a necessary component of CRM. Managing the contacts’ information such as, phone, email, etc. is the starting point for managing the overall relationship with systems like Outlook, Gmail, iCall or ACT. Having the ability to manage all aspects of the relationship with contacts in cloud based systems like Infusionsoft, Salesforce or NetSuite, especially over multiple departments, can become crucial to keeping them as a customer and maximizing profits based on the customer’s behaviors. When everyone who touches the customer in all areas, sales, operations, and accounting can
28 Today’s Innovative Woman
see the interaction or purchase history of that customer, it allows for the elimination of redundancy and improved communications through awareness of challenges. There are many instances where the person in operations hears something from their contact that the sales department can use to generate additional revenue from that customer. Conversely, there’s the opportunity for someone in accounting to hear that the customer may not be happy with the service they are receiving and are about to leave, and someone in operations can possibly follow up and improve their level of satisfaction.
A robust CRM will allow you to target your marketing to customers based on their behaviors and interactions with your business. It will give you the opportunity to focus the information you send into what the customer really wants to hear from you.
May/June 2014
Most importantly, it will show you the return on your investment (ROI) for that customer. What did it cost you to get and keep that customer? Do you know? Managing your customer opportunities can become cumbersome even for solo operated
businesses when you don’t have a system that can track when and where you met them, what you said to them, and what you quoted them. A CRM is important to every growing business; find one that works for you and streamline your ability to generate brand loyalty and revenue.
Bibi started Buying Time with a friend to give everyone the opportunity to have access to support and assistance with any task. With over 22 years in the transportation/logistics industry Bibi has specific experience in space and time efficiencies through Six Sigma training for warehouses from 1,000 to 30,000+ square feet. This provided her the ability to visualize the final outcome even when the client cannot. Bibi recently co-authored “Get Organized Today� with other organizing experts hoping to reach out and help more people. Bibi can be reached at www.buyingtimellc.com.
Subscribe for FREE at www.TodaysInnovativeWoman.com
29