MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
contents Living With Your Mommy Java...........................12
PUBLISHERS Right Brain Publishing Shelly Rice and Margie Baxley
Dr. Carol.......................................................................14 Driving Action to Success....................................16i A Novel Slant.............................................................17
CONTRIBUTORS Patty Farmer Susan Endriss Carol Garrett Ronette Wood Carol Watson Lynn Zettler
Courageous Creativity...........................................19 Why You Need to Build Two Networks...........20 Mobile Marketing for the Digital Age.............22 Thoughts Before COFFEE.....................................24 Coping with the Copy-Paste Misdeed............12
Darby Rae Kathy Friend
Your Netw$rk = Your Net W$rth........................14
Amy Barnes
Driving Action to Success....................................16i
Catherine Morgan Robert Christiansen Michelle Ketterman Dawniel Patterson Winningham Dayna Offutt Matt Newman Michael Battaglia Sandy Lawrence Nancy Becher Errrol Allen Robert New Julia Hull Dan Perez
Creating a Company Logo...................................31 Courageous Creativity...........................................19 An Active Lifestyle isnt out of reach!...............32 insure YOU TOO........................................................33 Free VS Paid Press Release Distribution..........34 Business is Business is Business.........................36 Five Keys to CUSTOMER Retention...................38 Social Media 101......................................................42 Work the System......................................................43
Katie Wegg
What is Social Media..............................................45
Danielle Mohr
Stay in Touch.............................................................46
page Toni Harris 2 Kim Coventry
Developing Multiple Streams of Income.......45
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
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Editorial type pages
Vocrei sci ponsta, puliaelici senatio stanter iam murei Unte iam diemerfectu is omnir Cupplium
pODCASTS
38
A Great Way To Learn
7
women who mean Business
6
of the Month
Managing the Snake Pit .......................................16 The Key to Succeeding in Lying.........................17 Style U..........................................................................18 Courageous Creativity...........................................19 Chocolate Blues ......................................................4
business book
Could YOU Be Our Next Cover Story...............8 Bizfestival.com..........................................................9 Free Gift for Women Only.....................................44 Talk Fusion..................................................................44 Preferred Business Directory...............................50 Tuesdays At Two .....................................................55
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Aim for the bulls eye page 3
Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
What is a Chocolate Blues And Business Networking Festival And Why Should You Get Involved?
What is a Chocolate Blues and Business Networking Festival?
“Chocolate Blues” is a giant business to business networking event that brings together hundreds of business owners and professionals. This event features a business expo, open networking, door prizes, ice breakers, networking games, on the spot appointment setting, round table workshops, a giant business card exchange, business coaching, brainstorming circles, book signings, media mixers, blues background music and of course, chocolate treats!
We are one of the largest, most successful and longest running networking events in the country... Hundreds, sometimes thousands attend our events. Our goal
is usually 500-800 participants but sometimes our crowds are much larger. We have had as many as 2,730 people show up for a single networking event. So plan for 500 and don’t be surprised if we exceed your expectations. Experience makes the difference...we produced our first business event in 1989 and have hundreds of successful events to our credit. We’re currently in more than 40 cities and our events have resulted in thousands of connections and success stories for our clients.
There are many ways to participate at Chocolate Blues... Attend as a Networker: Bring business cards & your appointment book. Be a Featured Vendor: Showcase your products and services, hand out literature, book appointments, sell products & collect leads. Our vendor fees are low and vendors receive admission tickets to pass out. Host a Round Table Workshop or Coaching Circle: This is a vendor package with the added bonus of mini workshops or coaching sessions throughout the day. (No extra charge). Sponsor An Event: Sponsorship includes our standard vendor package, plus extra perks, recognition and advertising in our national magazine. National No-Show Sponsor: Chances are you can’t personally be at all of our events, but now your business can be! Be an Ambassador: Are you new to networking or maybe you’re a little shy? If so, working the door as a greeter or hosting one of our games is a great way to get involved, learn the ropes and get connected.
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We are currently in 40 U.S. cities and we’re expanding. If you’re looking for a new business, or a 2nd income, love to network, enjoy sales and want to make a strong, positive impact on your local community, consider joining us as a Chocolate Blues Area Director.
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
Like any business, there are some start up fees, but the fees are reasonable. Please contact us for more information. 417.353.2610 Ask for Shelly.
Travel agent, Jeanne Felix traveled from CA to join us at the Vegas Chocolate Blues.
Great networking connections were made at the Bowling Green, KY event.
Door Prize given out by our vendor, Lux Magazine in Tampa Bay, FL.
Thanks to BMW for sponsoring Chocolate Blues. Who won the door prize? (wink).
A great time was had by all at the Tomball, TX Chocolate Blues.
Foot Solutions were great sponsors of the Stockton Chocolate Blues.
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Click To Read A Sample Chapter
Buy This Book Now!
Meet The Authors: Called the “Father of Modern Neworking“ by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has over 6,200 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Last year alone, BNI generated 6.9 million referrals resulting in $3.1 billion dollars worth of business for its members. Join Dr. Misner’s Facebook Fan Page
Hazel Walker’s passion for lifelong learning, personal growth, and relationshipbuilding has been invaluable in her evolution to serial entrepreneur, seasoned author and dynamic speaker. Join Ms. Walker’s Facebook Fan Page
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Frank De Raffele incorporated his first business at the age of 18 while attending college at Syracuse University and an has been an entrepreneur ever since. He calls himself “unemployable” and has started, grown and sold several companies. Frank has learned the right things to do in business through his experience of doing many things wrong. His ability to understand his mistakes, learn from them and implement his corrections has been a key to his success. This, along with his inspirational communication style, is what allowed him to found his Consulting and Training firm and become one of the most sought after speakers in the USA, Europe and Asia. Join Mr. De Raffele’s Facebook Fan Page
Works
Be the Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Women Who Mean Business
A private, interactive website where women help women to grow and improve their companies.
Reach & Exceed Your Goals
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Give
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Use Promo Code: 90DayPass www.WWMBiz.com
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
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MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
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Be The Boss Magazine
From hot pink to
red hot Interview with Patty Farmer, “The Networking CEO” and founder of Biz Link Global 2:00 PM- Dallas, TX. It’s an unusually warm April day as Patty Farmer maneuvers through the busy streets of Dallas. She has just pushed all her appointments to the beginning of the week, making time for the launch of her most ambitious endeavor: a premier B2B online networking environment called Biz Link Global. With both hands on the wheel and speakerphone at full blast, meeting a deadline is never dull when launching a business of this magnitude. Patty leaves nothing to chance, not even this interview, and I (her writer) have been hired to help her meet her deadlines. As we converse, her split-second responses are reminiscent of any sports coach, readying her team for the big playoffs. “Well, I do like that phrase, but is it in line with our value system? I want to encourage collaboration, not competition. Yes, cut that part and reframe that ok? Thanks.” Click. It’s clear while listening to this 22 year marketing strategist that while some details remain elusive, her unwavering sense of purpose is what she’s truly counting on to help her navigate through the blur of decisions she must make each day. She later reveals to me that this fast-paced environment is what makes being a business owner so exciting. “It’s the thrill of creating outside of your comfort zone, where you can’t afford to second guess yourself – that’s where the magic happens.” page 10
From Roller-Skates to Riches “OMG, you are not going to put that in the article are
you?” Patty exclaims, as an image of a young Patty on roller-skates in 1970’s Las Vegas forms in my mind. I had inquired about her first job and how she had always managed to land jobs in management. “Well, I was the second child of five,” Patty explains, “and there were two choices in my family; tell others what to do or be told what to do. This, mixed with the desire to earn my own money and spurred on by my love of fashion (a slightly expensive hobby for a teenager), forced me to devise ways around the limitations of my allowance. After all, my fashion needs far exceeded my fashion expense account.” I was beginning to see a pattern. Patty’s life had set
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Be the Boss Magazine
Patty Farmer Unveils Global Networking Unleashed her up to be a natural strategist and her ambition had only further strengthened that skill, landing her in the exact spot she was today. When I inquire about college Patty becomes a bit wistful. “I did eventually go to college and get my degree, but not until later in life.” Further probing uncovers a brave and moving life lesson about marriage, divorce and filling the role of a single parent. I get the distinct feeling, when talking to Patty, that her never–backdown spirit is exactly what has earned her so many awards and a thriving networking community. The Biz Link Global Benefit Patty continues to enlighten me to the benefits of partnering with a global tribe. “You see, in today’s business environment you can’t not work to network. We all have businesses to run and clients to take care of. I want the members of Biz Link Global to have the ability, not only to make money and valuable connections, but to absorb new information and learn at a time and pace that works for them.” Biz Link Global teaches entrepreneurs how to be strategic networkers and business owners. By encouraging its members to forge strategic partnerships while exposing them to a global audience, Biz Link Global gives new meaning to “it’s not just who you know, but who knows you.” Patty has built Biz Link Global on the premise that it’s not about your return on investment (ROI) but more about your return on relationships (ROR) – after all, networking is all about relationships. Patty’s Mission As we wind down to the last few minutes of our interview there is a sense of calm and clarity as Patty shares her vision for what Biz Link Global will mean for its members. “We all have gifts,” she begins, “My gift is connecting people to the tools, people and resources they need.” She further explains how her cutting-edge approach to building connections and expanding globally will take the networking world by storm. “Every system must evolve, including networking,” says Patty, “While technology makes the world smaller, Biz Link Global will help entrepreneurs expand their communities and position them to increase their reach and influence exponentially.” Biz Link Global is more than just a culmination of the years she has dedicated to helping businesses thrive and grow – it is a way to feed a starving crowd. “We are doing more than offering members a way to connect,” she expresses earnestly. “We are offering the world a niche solution to a growing need in a global marketplace.” Welcome to global networking unleashed. Connect with Patty on Facebook and Twitter.
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Living With Your Mommy Java
Susan Endriss, an Organo Gold Independent Distributor With over 25 years in the corporate world as an administrative professional and experiencing two reductions in force, I began my company SuzzzyGal Treasures handcrafted jewelry. But with the cost of silver I needed to leverage my time and decided to enter a new direction. After several months in direct sales with Arbonne and SendOutCards, I found myself looking for something different and more appealing. I am not afraid of hard work, but I found that many similar direct sales companies had saturated the area and people’s eyes glazed over when I talked about my businesses. In December of last year while at a vendor event with Arbonne, I noticed the table next to me was promoting Organo Gold. What is Organo Gold I thought? The distributor shared a cup of coffee with me and said, “This is the coffee that pays you to drink it”. What, there is a ‘Direct to Consumer’ company that offers ‘coffee’ as their product line? WOW! I began to research on my phone about the Ganoderma ingredient and was truly pleased with the results, especially with my personal health concerns. This company is about 3 years old and I had not heard of it. Interesting! Four days later at a vendor event there was another Organo Gold distributor. It was Carole Garrett and certainly a sign! She gave me the website www.OGCoffeePays.com. Within days and a few phone calls, I became an investor in Organo Gold. Since drinking OG coffee, both my sugar levels and blood pressure have dropped to a healthier range. It has been a Coffee~licious ride ever since! www.SuzzzyGal.OrganoGold.com
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727-738-1538 (T) / 727-504-0822 (C)
susan@suzzzygal.com
It’s Easy, It’s Simple, It’s Coffee!
Be the Boss Magazine I began my career as a legal secretary in 1988 with the furthest thing from my mind … Direct Sales. By 1996 I took a leave of absence to care for foster children and after being a stay at home mom, I realized we needed more income. My husband and I were not getting ahead and the idea of working 9-5 for someone else did not appeal to me.
MAY-JUNE 2012
Carole Garrett, an Organo Gold Independent Distributor
I was introduced to PartyLite, my first experience in a network marking business. It offered the things I wanted like flexible hours, great income opportunity and unlimited growth potential. It was during this time, I met Ronette Wood who then joined my team. After some time, Ronette decided to leave PartyLite, but we continued to keep in touch. One day she called and said ‘I have to tell you about this coffee thing’. I thought,“Coffee? Are you kidding me? Why in the world are you selling coffee?” I really thought she had better business sense. Well – she does! She continued to tell me how great Organo Gold was and along with their compensation plan, she had my attention. I realized that this was an amazing opportunity. Why? Because everyone drinks coffee or tea, it’s not a luxury, but an everyday staple. I am so excited to be on the ground floor of this winning company! The benefits are fantastic and that’s starting with the coffee. www.CUSucceed.OrganoGold.com
813.997.1844 (C)
cusucceed@yahoo.com
Ronette Wood, an Organo Gold Independent Distributor As an MIS graduate, I started my career with IBM and had never thought about owning my own business. I was strongly encouraged to study computers in school and get a secure corporate job. As a successful Sales Manager with AT&T and climbing the corporate ladder, I woke up one more morning and found myself in the unemployment line with 12,000 other employees in 2008. Luckily, I started my Plan B through network marketing with PartyLite before being let go from ‘Corporate America.’ Initially I did not jump at the idea of owning my own business because I was content with my six-figure income. But the initial investment was minimal and the rewards were numerous! I almost missed the Organo Gold opportunity because I enjoy tea over coffee. Then I saw the bigger picture. Over a half a billion cups of coffee are consumed on a daily basis in the U.S. and it’s the second most consumed beverage next to water. I knew I was in the right place and time with Organo Gold! With time I grew my business team and recently ‘fired’ my second corporate job! Now Organo Gold is my Plan A! It’s Easy, It’s Simple, It’s Coffee! www.TeeRoniCoffee.OrganoGold.com
813-312-3998 (C)
TeeRoniCoffee@gmail.com
Susan, Carole and Ronette are building successful businesses with individuals looking for a better lifestyle, financial security and more, all by helping others who help others. These opportunities are placed in your path for reasons and most people let them go by. Are You One Of Them? Get started today! Currently, Susan and Carole write a monthly newsletter known as the OG Café Ladies entitled ‘Health, Wellness, Mind & Spirit’. They talk about coffee, tea and ganoderma facts. Get on their list, send an email to OGCafeLadies@gmail.com with ‘ADD TO LIST’ in the subject line. Susan is also a guest with www. RhinoOnAir.com host CeCe Shatz, on May 1st, 10am EST, listen in! Organo Gold’s gourmet coffee and tea is an excellent company to be with and is growing rapidly. It’s Easy, It’s Simple, It’s Coffee ~ Change Your Coffee, Change Your Life ~ A Great Tasting, Healthier Coffee!
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Dr.
carol I am a Registered Nurse and Naturopathic Doctor. As an RN working in critical care, I saw many people suffer and die excruciating deaths due to chronic disease. My own father died of a sudden heart attack when he was only 56 and my mom has died of cancer. I didn’t really want to die from chronic disease but I was doing nothing to reduce my own risk! But in 1995, all that changed. I made a total paradigm shift from disease treatment to disease prevention because of the discovery I made as it relates to nutrition and disease; we really don’t have to be sick!
At the time, I weighed 450 pounds and experienced multiple health challenges and was on several medications. My body was “paying” the price of poor dietary and lifestyle choices. But what I learned was that despite my heredity factors (both my parents were obese); my DNA was NOT my destiny! I could change my DNA by changing how I ate, how I thought and how I lived!
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At that time, I made a decision to change my life patterns from ones that were destroying my health and robbing me
of vitality and my destiny to ones that would create a life of health...filed with passion and purpose. During the next several years, I made significant dietary and lifestyle changes and became an avid juicer to bridge the gap in my diet. Then, in 2001 (while working on my Doctorate as a Naturopath), I was introduced to a whole food product called Juice Plus+. In just 6 capsules every day I could get an abundance of phytonutrients to reduce my risk of disease! It made
so much sense that I started taking it immediately...it cost much less than my juicing program and there was no messy clean up! Let’s face it, even with the best of intentions, I don’t eat as much raw produce as I need for prevention. So, I will take it forever! It is also way more affordable than an insurance policy and it has 3rd party scientific research backing what my body has experienced for 11+ years now too. I no longer need all those drugs and I am known by my friends as the “Energizer Bunny.”
Juice Plus+®
Within 3 1/2 years, I reached the top position in my company and had become an international speaker and trainer on health and financial freedom with Juice Plus and our Franchise. I retired from nursing in just 2 1/2 years and in 5 years, I retired my husband from his J-O-B in another 3 years. My homebased business has become a vehicle for me to fulfill my mission of bringing a message of health, hope & healing through inspiration and education to families around the world. I feel so blessed to get paid for doing what I love to do; help other people!
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
Being of service and contributing to the world around me has always propelled me to succeed. While millions of people sit and wish for things to change, I discovered that I had to be the one who changed. I had to work diligently to change my thoughts in order to get the results that I wanted in life. The trials and struggles that I have been through to reach this level of financial freedom and “success” has been so worth it as one just can’t put I became so passionate about a price-tag on the emotional Juice Plus and how I could help revenue that I experience every so many people that I decided day from doing what I do. right away to become a representative. I made the transition A year from now you may wish from Critical Care Nursing to you had started on your jourDirect Sales; but my journey ney to “turn a new leaf” today. was not an easy or smooth one You can either suffer the pain of because I needed so much per- regret or reap the reward of dissonal growth to get over my cipline...it’s your choice! What fears, doubts and insecurities! are you waiting for? So I went to work on myself more than I did my business. I I wish you every success in your invested in personal and busi- journey of living life and servness growth so that I could ing others. attract more of what I wanted; Dr. Carol rather than what I was. www.DrCarolWatson.com
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Driving action to success lynn zettler
MAY-JUNE 2012
for them as individuals, great customer service and improved morale all around. Michele is now the CEO of CSCI Consulting in Indianapolis and her motto is “True richness is making someone else better”. She’s been highlighted in the November 2010 issue of Indianapolis Woman Magazine and was also the 2011 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Indianapolis. But beside all of the accolades and accomplishments, Michele exemplifies good leadership by instilling empowerment and trust to a team. In the book “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey, notes “a 2002 study by Watson Wyatt shows that total return to shareholders in high-trust organizations is almost three times higher than the return in low-trust organizations.”
Managing the Snake Pit
So what should you do to instill empowerment and trust in your team or organization?
Here are two words to propel your business to the top. First of all, empower and trust yourself. Do you follow through on your own commitments, to yourself and to Empowerment and Trust. others? Who trusts you? Walking the talk is key. As the leader, you set the tone for your stakeholders and staff. What would you do if you were suddenly thrust Much like children do, they look to you to lead the way into a management position to improve the pro- and show them where the lines are drawn. If you don’t ductivity of a 10-woman order entry team, who have strong lines for yourself, hold yourself accountable work in a dungeon-like room that they refer to and hold others accountable, they’ll take that message as the ‘snake pit’, and have an order turn around and run with it (amok!) time of over a month? This is exactly where Michele Meyer found herself at the age of 23. Michele knew instinctively that she needed to find a way to empower these women and make them feel valued and part of the solution. She quickly found a way to change the physical environment, then streamlined processes with their help, trusted them to make decisions, and turnaround time decreased to hours! Talk about an impact.
Be consistent in your behavior. This enables others to behave and react accordingly. They don’t have to second guess you or wonder which persona they will encounter today when you meet. This will enhance relationships and thus improve results whether you are in an organization or operating within a family.
Finally, admit when you are wrong and seek input from your team. Allow your team to talk about the big issues on the table. Make it a safe place for your team to air out issues, challenges, problems and communication gaps. A new goal for the team: Get gifts from your cli- This doesn’t mean you need to have weekly ‘gripe’ sesents. This not only improved relationships within sions. Encourage your team to identify the issues and page the team, but also enabled ongoing feedback then require them to follow with suggested solutions. 16
A NOVEL SLANT
Darby RAE
Be the Boss Magazine
The Key to Succeeding in Lying The average person lies over 100 times a day. When I heard that statistic, I was horrified! Maybe the research was done on convicts, or toddlers…but certainly not the average citizen, right? Wrong. Fortunately or unfortunately for society, it is also true the average person lies more to themselves than to others.
MAY-JUNE 2012
One morning I decided to keep track of my lies. By 8:15 I was up to 9 lies. Here were some of them: •
I can sleep 20 more minutes and still be on time. (I told myself that lie twice)
•
I have nothing to wear today. (Big lie)
•
Coffee is all my body needs for breakfast. (Conflicts with lie #5)
•
I can’t keep up with all my email. (Closest thing to the truth I’ve told so far)
•
I’m going to eat healthy today. (Ended up being a lie)
Seth Godin, in his recent blog, Conflicted, tells I don’t have the time or energy to workout. (Only about the conflict between I and me. John Rosso true because of lie #1, #3) in his recent keynote address at Sandler Training’s Client Summit in Orlando, Florida spoke about the Doing some quick math, if I was going to be awake for Battle of Beliefs between a buyer (prospect) and a another 14 hours, I was likely an above average liar. Not seller (salesperson). Rhonda Byrne, in The Secret, necessarily bad, but in my early morning lying spree, teaches about The Law of Attraction and the power most of my thoughts were negative. This was not a of affirmations. In all instances the experts point surprise since typically, 78% of our thoughts are nega- out the power of positive self-talk, or affirmations. tive; not good either. Is this where the cliché, we are Therefore, the challenge with these internal conour own worst enemy, comes from? versations or statements is not whether they are true or false (a lie); it is whether they are positive or I could just as easily have started off the day with a negative. positive stream of lies. Keeping in mind, a lie is something that isn’t true…yet. If you are going to lie to yourself, you might as •
• • • • • • •
I have plenty of time and energy to do everything I well make them work for you. Tell yourself you are need and want to do today the best in the world at what you do. Tell yourself It’s going to be a fabulous day. success comes easy. Tell yourself you are beautiful Money comes easily and frequently to me. inside and out. Some days you’ll feel like its true, I am a calm and peaceful person. other days it feels like a lie. Never the less, make a When I travel, everything goes smoothly commitment to start each day with a good breakI am a tri athlete in training fast and ten big lies…then watch your dreams page I am a best selling author become reality. 17
Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Customer Service I was in an airport recently, and had a bad customer service experience at a coffee counter. This is a coffee store that I frequent, and have come to expect a fairly standard level of service. This interaction really knocked me sideways and honestly, set the tone for the rest of my day. I decided to take my concern (OK, irritation!) to the corporate office. I sent a complaint via the company website, and fully expected that nothing would be done. Much to my surprise, within 24 hours I received a reply email from the corporate customer service department. The note apologized and asked me to give them another try. They also asked if they could send me some drink coupons. 7 days later I received the drink coupons with a very nice note thanking me for giving them a second chance. I told everyone about my experience; I posted it on Facebook and talked about how shocked I was at the level of commitment to retain a “happy customer” this company seemed to have. Why is it that when we receive good or even excellent customer service we are surprised? Why do we settle for mediocre? We seem to be prepared for bad service, frustration when we dial an 800 number, and are ready to defend ourselves when we need to employ a call center help line. Unlike the typical first impression, your store or business has many entry points for a client (or potential client). The customer service the client receives will have an everlasting impact on the longevity of the relationship you have. Likewise, the way any issue is handled will move the client to either one of your biggest fans, or someone who you need to defend yourself against. Customer Service: 1. ON THE PHONE – How are you and your employees answering the phone? What kind of language is being used? What key phrases have you instructed your team to use in awkward client conversations? Using phrases like “my pleasure” or “my sincere apologies for this inconvenience” go a long way toward turning a potentially negative call into a positive one. 2. VISUALS – when your client hits your front door, what do they see? Smell? Does your lobby/waiting area convey a message that THEY are the most important one who will enter the building that day? What about the guest chairs in your office? Are they small and uncomfortable or the nicest in the building? The fact is your clients are the reason your company exists. Make sure they know you sincerely appreciate their busi-
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STYLE U KATHY FRIEND
ness…from the front door all the way through the sales process and beyond. 3. AT THE COUNTER – are your employees gathering around the counter area (or reception area)? What is the conversation? The idle chatter that may happen around the reception area in an office can be very awkward for a client. The conversation may be about a co-worker or other client. The one thing the client will wonder is if you are talking about them (behind their back) when they leave the building. Not a great feeling. 4. GESTURES and LANGUAGE – if you are in retail, when a customer asks where something is located, what is the standard policy you have in place to answer questions? Walking a customer to show them where something is located is a much better “impression” than pointing and saying “over there in aisle 4”. The truth is that we don’t know what every client’s background is. We can’t appreciate cultural differences if we don’t know and understand them. Pointing is offensive to many. Vulgar language (or even borderline profanity) can lose a client and risk the credibility of your professionalism. 5. ATTITUDE – Some of the finest organizations in terms of customer service have a “yes we can” attitude from the top down. Does this mean that they say yes to everything? No, but their internal attitude is one of ‘yes’. That positive corporate attitude seeps out of the boardroom, into the call center, onto the sales floor and customers can’t get enough. Just as important, maybe even more so, than first impressions is your company’s perceived level of customer service. What message is your company’s customer service delivering to your clients/customers? Is it one of a “can-do” attitude? Is it a warm welcome? If you don’t know already, you need to find out – and fast – you can be sure your customers already know!
AMY BARNES
Be the Boss Magazine
The Courage of Being Fully Yourself Rhonda Mills incorporates her gifts for movement, dance and spirituality in all she does. Fourteen years ago Rhonda deliberately set out on a journey to fully be herself. As a Yoga Teacher, Coach, and Playshop leader, Rhonda exemplifies being a person of Courageous Creativity. Courageous Creativity is having the courage to fully be yourself, to create what you most want in your life, to make a difference in the world and to have amazing relationships.
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COURAGEOUS CREATIVITY
When Rhonda was pregnant with her first child, she realized that she wanted “to leave a legacy for her children that was the real me.” Her divorce fourteen years ago confirmed that she was “ready to discover and be myself, whatever that meant. I was ready to live my life, not somebody else’s idea of what my life should be.” “My lowest points were before I understood how important it was to commit to be myself. Everything is possible in the way of change. I think change happens when we tune into and connect with the power and the longing of our hearts.” Rhonda describes change as a process that starts with a longing. The path to turning this longing into a reality may be filled with obstacles. Whether it is over weeks or months or years, change happens. Rhonda adds, “What a celebration for all of us that I or any of us can change. We can create.” “When I feel alone, disconnected and by myself that is definitely a low place for me. I feel this journey is both a solo journey and one with mentors, support and connection. I think that we humans are wired for connection. We need to know that we are not alone.” In St. Louis, Rhonda offers classes in physical yoga, breath, meditation, and coaching. Rhonda says, “The key to our hearts and living authentically is integrating our body sensations and tuning into our inner landscape. This is a key part of all the work I do. Movement brings me joy. My spirituality is important to me. Spiritually is in the possibility that change is possible. I find that being myself and bringing myself into my relationships is being spiritual. That’s what that is.” “I have changed my life.” Rhonda values the mentors, coaches and workshops that have supported her along the way and feels she is of service as she shares what she has learned with others. “ I am doing work I love. I have precious friendships where I feel met and loved. I have created a life that I love and that means something to me.” Rhonda’s soon to be released book is entitled: The Heart’s Gift. You may contact Rhonda at www.Rhondamills.com. I admire Rhonda for her courage to fully be herself, to live life authentically and with integrity. Rhonda has created a life she loves. As a Coach for living a Courageously Creative life, I encourage everyone I meet to stretch a little bit and try something innovative, challenging and new. You never know where it will lead! Here is my challenge to you, in the next thirty days do something for yourself, something you consider Courageously Creative and tell me about it (amy@courageous-creativity.com). Who knows…next month I may be writing about you! page 19
Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Why You need to build two networks cATHERINE MORGAN Being your own boss isn’t for the timid. Starting a business isn’t a fly-by-night affair. It is more like a marriage between you and your company – and hopefully you are in it for the long haul. Because like the romantic kind, quickie business divorces can break your heart. So how do you set yourself up for success? How do you ensure that you keep showing up? How do you make sure that you are doing the right things at the right times? The answer is to build two networks. The first network is to support your business and feed you leads for potential clients. We all know that we need to do this or we won’t be in business very long. However, as a small business owner you need to surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who also are building businesses. Why? To help you find resources, make recommendations on technology tools, validate your marketing strategies, and so much more! And then there is the emotional support this network can provide. The successful business owner shows up every day and does the work. But staying motivated can be difficult some days. You may wonder why you chose this path. You may doubt your business concept or revenue model. You may wish that just one time someone else could make a decision. This is where your fellow entrepreneurs will jump in and support you. Your network will tell you that they too have days when it is hard to get out of bed and hard to focus. They will tell you that sometimes their to-do list is overwhelming. And then they will gently remind you of all the amazing things that you have done. You won’t feel so scared, or isolated, or alone. Some folks may offer to help you with a task that is easy for them but difficult for you. Or they may know of a specialist who can assist you at a reasonable cost. Please always remember that collaboration is a great way to ensure success as a solo or small business owner. Even people who do very similar things can be a great source of support, and may even provide leads because they will understand your business and what you are hoping to accomplish. Your second network will help you stay out of the dips and help you celebrate your successes.
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MOBILE MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
WRITTEN BY: ANDRE ANKTON
MAY-JUNE 2012
The Mobile Marketing Association definition of Mobile Marketing: “Mobile Marketing is a set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network.” Mobile marketing is often confused with mobile advertising. Mobile marketing is utilizing a mobile device to deliver your message to consumers. This can be via SMS (Short Message Service) utilizing a short code, mobile apps, sending audio or video, coupons and QR codes just to name a few options. Mobile marketing also has nothing to do with SPAM as many think of sending messages to purchased contact lists. Mobile campaigns utilize opt-in to build contact lists. The user has the option of opting out at any time and must confirm Mobile Marketing stats (provided by mobithinking.com): • There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers (that’s 87 percent of the world population). • Mobile ad spend worldwide is predicted to be US$3.3 billion in 2011 sky rocketing to $20.6 billion in 2015, driven by search ads and local ads. In the US over half of U.S. mobile ad spending is local. • SMS is the king of mobile messaging 8 trillion text messages sent in 2011. • Paying by mobile (i.e. m-payments) will be worth US$240 billion in 2011 and could be over US$1 trillion by 2015. Your Customers Are Mobile. Shouldn’t You Be? The exceedingly rapid growth of smartphones and tablets, in comparison to the overall cell phone market, makes Apps and Mobile Websites critical, must-have marketing tools. Quickly, What is Mobile Marketing and is it right for your “savvy customers” are migrating to a variety of business? This is a question that many entrepremobile devices, with the rest of the market aptly neurs have been pondering in this age of mobile following right behind. devices. It has been stated that more people have mobile devices than computers. Just think about Every business, professional, and organization it, your mobile device brings email and internet to - must have their own Marketing App and/or your fingertips 24 hours a day. Imagine having your Mobile Website to compete in today’s highly branding or message in front of your customers mobile marketplace. Visit www.InnovarusMobile. around the clock. com for a free “Mobile Marketing Report”.
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D eni s e
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At a young age, Ladie NiQue developed a passion for writing. Going into her Junior year of college, with a major in English, she is publishing her first book, Pregnant with a Purpose. She enjoys creative writing and one day hopes to travel overseas to teach English. Besides having a love for writing and education, Ladie NiQue enjoys music, movies, and singing.
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THOUGHTS
before coffee
Robert Christiansen
Worth is a most interesting and powerful word that many use without full comprehension. Maybe you knew this already, but ‘Worth’ is simultaneously a verb (action), an adjective (description), and a noun (person, place or thing). The verb form of ‘Worth’ actually generated this entire article. “A single idea / the sudden flash of a thought / may be worth a million dollars.” Robert Collier
worth knowing can be taught.” Oscar Wilde With a little practice, you can train yourself to add up values and net worth in your head. The problem with net worth is it is a flat, straight-line equation. You make up numbers about the value of a person, place or thing, compare it to others of lesser, equal, and greater value, then place its worth on a chart for all to review, challenge, or agree with.
1
‘Worth’ turns out to be a very ancient word. Though spelled differently by cultures throughout history, the value of the word ‘Worth’ as a verb means ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to overturn’, ‘he turns’. The ‘Worth’ of anyone or anything is not what it has been - or is now in the moment - but what it can become from this moment! 1 [Merriam-Webster dictionary; Middle English, from Old English weorthan; akin to Old High German werdan to become, Latin vertere to turn, Lithuanian versti to overturn, Sanskrit vartate he turns First Known Use: before 12th century] No matter how people pronounce the word ‘worth’ around the world, in the end the concept translates into a form of valuation. Worth is the value of a person, place or thing, and that value is completely subjective to whoever is assessing that value. ‘Net Worth’ - the accounting calculation that subtracts all known liabilities from all known assets in a business, resulting in a positive or negative net worth – is the common western measurement of being successful. It is a form of simplified ‘scoring’ system that shows quickly how much a place or thing is worth, how well a person is doing financially. “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is page 24
Thing is, Net Worth is a linear calculation. ‘HeartWorth’ is not. Ultimately, anything or anyone’s net worth can be added up. Even when involving a million parts. Net worth’s are written; recorded as yet another score in some chart or book. HeartWorth is more of a quantum effect, incalculable as a real number, though some do try because well, that’s what makes reasonable sense to them. It is for this very need to make reasonable sense of HeartWorth’s effect in the world, which those who seek to record it, fail. They miss the point in a big way! “The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money.” Thomas Jefferson What is‘HeartWorth’? What is it all about? HeartWorth is about the possibilities that exist within the minds, imaginations, and desires of human beings. There has never existed, does not now exist, nor ever will exist a method, mathematic, or machine that can even remotely calculate the potential of a purposedriven human being! Especially, if you have imagination and desire, to accomplish something far greater than building a big bank account. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates
Heartworth verses Networth At seven years old, I asked my father what the largest number was. He told me to think of the largest number imaginable, and then add ‘1’ to it. He said, “No matter how big a number may be it can always have one more added to it.” Powerful information for a seven year old. My mother raised me with a liberal entrepreneur perspective. My father raised me to respect the creative power of ideas, be a good steward of my finances, and to never shy away from hard work. The results? I’m a liberal capitalist with a work ethic, and that pretty much sums up my world view. Whereas I don’t expect something for nothing; on the same token, what I earn is my right to do with as I choose, and no one else’s. It also means that I am very generous with my time, money and abilities because ideas are the fuel of our futures. Believe in ideas and the people who create them. There are no ‘meaningless’ ideas. “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Theodore Roosevelt ‘Meaningless’ to one person may be ‘priceless’ to another. As the old adage goes, “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure…” Oftimes, in the pursuit of higher and higher net worth, we fail to find the real treasures within ourselves, and those around us. The real treasure is not Net Worth, but HeartWorth. HeartWorth will energize your business, relationships and community. Net worth will impress your investors. Your HeartWorth is what resonates emotionally with the majority of people. Case in point… Saving thirty cents per gallon on a thousand gallons of
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fuel is interesting to accountants. Using ten gallons of that fuel to deliver food to the elderly is inspiring to everyone. “Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.” Virginia Satir People like to confuse ‘worth’ with ‘wealth’. The question always comes up as to ‘what is he or she worth’ and the response is in terms of dollars. That is all too often the easy answer to give. However, HeartWorth is anecdotal. Your ‘HeartWorth’ value is in the effect of your actions on the lives of others. Mind you, it is not necessary to donate an unhealthy number of hours or dollars to generate large returns of HeartWorth. You must be willing to commit. Consistency of your commitment will be seen, heard and felt by those around you. You may even be noticed by the media and acknowledged for your commitment. Then tens of thousands of strangers will know about you, your business, and what you are really up to making happen in the world. This is powerful. To them, you are worth one above average. To your partners, employees, family and community your worth is a gazillion, trillion, billion, million + 1. “I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.” Plato “Only a life lived for others is worth living” Albert Einstein
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
mICHELLE KETTERMAN
COPING WITH THE
COPY-PASTE MISDEED
N
ever before has so much information been so readily available. We have more information at our fingertips than ever and it gets easier every day to gather more data and facts. The Internet has opened more doors for information exchange than previous generations imagined!
same unlimited source of information. The reality is that the more credible you are and the larger your network becomes, the more likely you are to fall victim to a “Copy Paste Misdeed.� What would you do if you discovered someone had copied your original work and signed their name to it? What should you do when your work is regularly copied? I am routinely the recipient of the dreaded Copy Paste Misdeed and it tastes terrible! Nothing can prepare you for the sinking feeling of discovering someone blatantly taking credit for your efforts. This happens to me regularly and really stinks!
As many sites found on-line, there are just as many reasons to gather information. Savvy business owners use the Internet to stay current on industry events and news, to communicate important details quickly and across large audiences, increase their network and sphere of influence, and so As many times my work is copied, pasted, on. As with everything, negative effects and re-credited, some things have helped can be found aplenty. Disreputable or lazy me successfully plow forward. business owners have equal access to the page 28
1. Remain focused – This is hard when the Copy Paste Misdeed is discovered, but it is critical to not let the unethical behavior of others sway you from your path. Do not get caught up in the crisis of being copied!
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2. Be flattered – The old adage of imitation being the best form of flattery is true. I created the industry’s first certification program when none others existed. It was loudly ridiculed and condemned, but since then, there have been at least 4 imitations; none as comprehensive as ours. Laugh – If you look for humor in the Copy Paste Misdeed, you will inevitably find it. For example, someone actually copied our Code of Ethics. There is true comedy in that. 3. Be Grateful – Copies are copies. Typically the message is further diluted with each imitation. In every case, the culprits were discovered by their own actions; I had no hand in it. 4. Don’t Stoop – Being a victim of the Copy Paste Misdeed does not give permission to stoop to the same level. Ever. Period. 5. Educate – A positive awareness campaign is priceless and can be used to your advantage. If you become a victim of a Copy Paste Misdeed, do not despair. Take control, stay the course, take heart, and carry on!
“As many sites found on-line, there are just as many reasons to gather infomatiion”
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Your Netw$rk = Your Net W$rth By Dawniel Patterson-Winningham
Growing up I always heard from my grandfather, “it is not what you know, but who you know.” As children however, we often do as we see and not as we are told. My grandfather was a hard worker and so I learned from him that hard work was the end all and be all. As I ventured into corporate America his words continued to haunt me over and over, however it was not until I started my transition into the private sector that his words really hit home. I began to see small business owners who were pouring their lifeblood into their businesses, but continuing to fail all around me. By that same token there were business owners that were balancing hard work and the art of networking and coming out successful. Yes, you read that right; the ART of networking, because it is, indeed an art. There are many ways that you can network both online and in person that will serve to build your business ventures:
Social Media
1. Make it your business to know your facebook friends and twitter followers. Don’t just grow the number. Reach out to them to see what you can do for them and I can assure you they will return the favor 2. Work to grow your social media with those who have similar businesses along with those who may need your business. For example, if you are a publisher, then of course you would look for aspiring authors and authors as well as other publishers to be a part of your network 3. Watch and learn from your network. Once your network is built, you will receive clues about industry happenings and events that you may want to attend based on what your “friends” are doing.
In Person
1. Make sure you balance business needs with getting out and meeting people each month. 2. Take plenty of business cards with you and don’t be afraid to mix and mingle with the people you don’t know. 3. Look for opportunities to attend, sponsor and host events that will keep the mix of people you are meeting diverse. There is no need to attend an event in which the same people attend repeatedly. Each new contact is a potential new business customer, partner, or supplier. 4. Be prepared to speak on your business. Offer a door prize or other opportunity to the host in order to gain time just to speak about what you do. Just developing one valuable contact will be more than worth your donation. 5. Make yourself memorable. When you return to your office connect with all of the people you met via email, social media, or phone. Don’t overdo it, but let them know you remember them, what they do, and that you will keep them in mind in case a need for their services arises, and that you hope they will do the same for you. Remember in business a lot is riding on those who you associate with. If you don’t know who the players are in your city and in your industry a quick glance at social media will give you the clues you need. Who knows, maybe in time people will be looking to gain introductions to YOU. Build your network and build your net worth. page 30
www.girlpower.com
THREE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING A COMPANY LOGO / DAYNA OFFUTT According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary a logo is a noun, defined as “a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark.”
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Determining how your organization will be viewed can be an overwhelming task. With the abundance of companies and the multitude of logos in existence, there are numerous factors to consider when creating a unique and effective hallmark. 1. Color: Which color(s) will be associated with the company and why are these colors appropriate? How many colors will be used for the full-color version of the brand identity? Should the logo consist of more than one color? Always request a black or grayscale version of your logo, for advertising media printing in only black ink. 2. Memorable: As my Aunt Margaret says, “You have to train the brain!” The selected logo for any company should be appealingly memorable. Is a symbol necessary or would a word mark suffice? Notable logotypes consisting of only text include Carol’s Daughter (www.carolsdaughter.com) and Inc. (www.inc.com). Click the links to view the logos. 3. Multifunctional: During the creation process, it would be wise to request a multifunctional logo. This refers to how the logo will “work” when used in various formats and output in several dimensions. Unless you are using a word mark, it may be useful to have at least two versions of the logo created, including a horizontal and a vertical identity. Imagine the logo being used in an advertisement. The only available space is portrait, measuring 2” wide by 3.5” in height. It may not seem like much, but 1.5” of space could make a huge difference in how legible the logo is when resizing it to fit into a 2” ad space. These are just a few parts to a whole system of what to consider when creating your company logo. Visit your local library, bookstore or surf the web to become more educated on the subject. Have a graphic design question? Send an email to Dayna: boss@dayofdesigning.com
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You’re healthy. Maybe you don’t work out, or find yourself in a gym regularly, but you keep busy – laundry, dishes, washing your car – and those all count, right? Listen up! If you are a healthy individual with no risk of cardiovascular disease, these types of light activities don’t meet the daily exercise requirements stated by the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine. In fact, their daily requirements are quite a bit higher – but not unachievable, especially with the help of a personal trainer. The AHA and ACSM recommend that you do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week and 20 minutes of vigorous activity three days a week in addition to regular aerobic, cardiovascular exercise. Add in the fact that muscular endurance, muscular strengthening, and flexibility exercise needs to be performed at least two times per week on nonconsecutive days, and it all starts to sound a bit overwhelming.
An active lifestyle isn’t out of reach!
So what does all that mean exactly? Vigorous activity can be jogging, running, gardening or manual labor while moderate activity would be walking a flight of stairs or walking a pace of about 4 mph. Endurance, strengthening and flexibility exercises should involve 8 to 10 exercises with a weight that can be lifted a minimum of 8 and maximum of 12 repetitions.
by Matt Newman
I understand that even for the most motivated individual, it can be difficult to meet your fitness needs on your own – mapping out a fitness routine that fits with your current fitness level, lifestyle and schedule can be difficult. This is where help from a certified and educated individual can get you started on a routine that is right for you.
Your fitness goals do not have to be out of reach – don’t let fear of failure or fear of taking that first step keep you from enriching your life. It’s a scary thought but sedentary individuals are two-times as likely to develop coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease compared to someone who leads an active lifestyle. As a certified trainer, it’s a personal mission of mine to help my clients reach their goals and add years to their life in the process. Looking for a certified personal trainer in your area? I can help! Interviewing trainers can be a daunting task, especially when you don’t know the right questions to ask. With our Find Me a Trainer program, we will research your area, the available gyms/trainers within your specified distance, availabilities within your desired times, personality preferences, etc. Then, I will interview and collaborate with the top three trainers, within your parameters, to find you the right fit. Interested? Email me and mention Be The Boss for special pricing. As a Certified Personal Trainer with an MS in Exercise Science from Indiana University Purdue University, Matt Newman, ACSM – CPT, uses his experience and training as cornerstones of his training philosophy. Matt creates a unique training experience for every client. Matt’s number one priority is to help his clients succeed in their fitness journey by giving them the best answers and solutions for their personal exercise needs whether training directly under him or not. Email: mgmnewmann@yahoo.com page 32
Written by: Michael Battaglia A text came into my phone yesterday, my client was in the hospital due to an accident at work, he was going to have surgery in the morning. His wife is worried because he is self-employed, now he can’t work for a few weeks, and they have a deductible to pay. I text her back, and get some claim forms together. At the end of all this they will have around $10K to live on, after they pay their deductible. You see, this problem was solved 8 months ago when we put the right insurance in place. It’s the best feeling in the world to have made the solution possible. That’s why I do what I do.
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Isn’t it every child’s dream to grow up to be an insurance agent? It’s right up there with policeman and fireman. Ok, I’ll admit it, the last thing I thought I would ever be is an insurance agent. But after a twentyyear career as a consultant helping business with software development, business process reengineering, and disaster recovery, I was looking for something different. Long story short, let’s say I stumbled upon the individual insurance market. I started working as a captive agent (an agent that can only sell for one company) and quickly learned the industry and rose through the ranks. I was able to develop a consultatory approach for maximizing benefits by utilizing needs analysis techniques and customizing insurance products to meet my client’s needs. After working for two agencies it became apparent that the products I could offer as a captive agent were too limiting and I was held hostage to the agencies whims. It was time to use my entrepreneur experience and started my own agency. InsureYouToo is full service insurance agency offering Health, Life, Dental, Accident, Disability, Long-Term Care, and other supplementary insurance products. We represent all of the major health, life, disabilities, and Long-Term Care insurance carriers. This allows us the flexibility to locate just the right insurance companies, as well as insurance policy to accomplish your goals, InsureYouToo has forged strategic partnerships apply non-traditional insurance products in ways that allow self-employed individuals to maximize cash flow and capture lost dollars. No matter where InsureYouToo goes in the future, we will always be client focused. Our goal will be to stay focused on educating our clients, because what we do is important. You can find out more about InsureYouToo by visiting our website; www.InsureYouToo.com. We are always tweeting useful information so be sure to follow @ InsureYouToo, or just ‘like’ us on facebook.com/ InsureYouTooFan. www. InsureYouToo.com – twitter: @ InsureYouToo – LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mikebattaglia
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free vs paid
pre s s relea s e
Distribution services
L
Written by: Sandy Lawrence
ook Good and Inspire Others to Act whether to use free or paid press release distribution services
After you’ve written a press release, now you want someone to read it! Right? The next step will be to distribute it. After all, that’s why you wrote the press release—to announce news about your company to the world! Publishing press or news releases is an effective way to boost your ranking in the search engines and drive traffic to your site. The links created by publishing a press release can continue to send visitors to your site for months, even years. You’ll find there are two main ways to distribute press releases, also called PRs: free and paid distribution services.
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Free services include PR Log, 24-7 Press Release, and Free Press Release.
Be the Boss Magazine Paid services include PRWeb, PR Newswire, and Business Wire. Often, press release distribution sites offer both free release and premium (paid) release options. Many will distribute the press release at no charge, and then charge a premium (usually about $50 for sending to blogs, search engine optimizers, and other specific markets). Before discussing whether free or paid distribution services are the way to go for your business, here are a few tips on how to find a good PR site. • SEO: Reputable PR sites will allow you to use anchor text and text links back to your website. You should be able to easily optimize your release for the search engines. (usually a premium feature) • PageRank: The PR site should have a PageRank of at least 5. The higher the PageRank, the better because sites with high PageRank are considered authority sites in search engine results. • Help and testimonials: Most high-caliber PR sites are transparent and show you testimonials and samples of effective press releases. They want your PR to succeed, so they will give you online tips to help you write a winning PR and show you examples of what the service has done for others. • Tags: The site should never use NoFollow tags. As the name implies, NoFollow tags stop the reader from following the link, so they won’t see your website. NoFollow tags defeat the purpose of sending out a press release. Now that you know what to look for in a press release distribution site, how do you decide whether to use a free or paid service?
Keep in mind that paid sites will typically give you more features than free sites. Compare the free distribution with the paid upgrade on any PR site, and you’ll see that the paid options have more benefits. Free PR sites work very well for many types of releases, but the paid sites give you extras such as live social media streams, more links and anchor text, media attachments, and faster publishing. Free sites with PageRank 5 or above work well if you’re submitting releases on a regular basis. Even if they take a few days to publish your PR, you’re creating a steady stream of (free!) publicity for your company. However, if your company tends to issue only a few press releases a year, you may want to pay for the perks that premium sites offer. In particular, you may want the metrics that paid distribution often includes. The free sites also tend to take a little longer to use than the paid sites. You may need to format your PR a little differently for a free site. This takes time, which may not be a good tradeoff for free PR distribution. Carefully consider which route you want to go when it’s time to distribute press releases. Free PR can be wonderful, but sometimes the paid services give you more bang for your buck. Contact me if you have any questions or thoughts! Sandy Lawrence Email: sandylawrence@perceptivemarketing.com Website: www.perceptivemarketing.com Follow me: Facebook - www.facebook.com/thesandylaw-
rence
LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/san-
dylawrence
Twitter - https://twitter.com/sandylawrence
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Successful small business owners recognize the need to educate themselves on a tremendous variety of subjects...
Business is BUSINESS IS BUSINESS We choose to work with clients who strongly beleive in the power of design Business is business is business, right? If you’re a small business owner, you may disagree with this statement. I bet you know that if you’re a BIG business you have an entirely different set of worries, ways of marketing, methods of running your business than if you’re a micro enterprise – a mom and pop business. Another statement that doesn’t ring true to me (and I’ll bet to you either), is that the government considers a small business to be anyone that has fewer than 500 employees. Tell me, would you like to trade your small business for one that has 499 employees? Sure, they have issues to deal with, but I’ll bet they’re not the same as yours for the most part.
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While all businesses have to market, have to balance the books, have HR issues, when you’re a very small
business, yours are multiplied 10-fold. . “For an entrepreneur,” says Phillip Forsythe, president of Forsythe and Long Engineering, “your number-one resource is time. You can’t afford to hire other people, so if you can’t do something yourself, you can’t do it; your time limits the growth of your company, and you can get into a real hole. All those little back-office distractions take away from the thing you should be focusing on, which is your business.” (Internet) So, given a finite amount of time to work ON your business, as well as IN your business (especially if you’re like me and are a one person operation), what are the most important things for you to concentrate on? I read an article not long ago that was talking about the four important parts of running a business and asked us to rank them from 1 to 4. Production, marketing, price, and customer service were the different parts, and what they believed to be the #1 item was marketing. They showed that you can have the best widget in the world, but if people don’t know about it, they can’t buy it. Price, while important, is not number one because people will pay a high price for something if they deem it valuable enough. Customer service, too, is very important for if you buy something and the service that surrounds it is not high quality people will tend to not come back, even if the product is great. That leaves marketing. If a company markets something well, it doesn’t have to
be the best item, and people will still want it. The price can be high, but if marketed well, people view it as valuable and will pay the price. And even if customer service is not all that great, with good marketing, people will flock to the product anyway. Interesting, huh?
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
Successful small business owners recognize the need to educate themselves on a tremendous variety of subjects in order to stay current and relevant. Small business marketing is at the top of the list! So, my advice to you is to find everything you can on marketing – and ask yourself, does this make sense for you and for your business? How do you incorporate similar marketing? What all is involved in marketing? Once you have these questions answered, then sit down and draw a plan that uses different marketing techniques to showcase your business!
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/smallbizjunkie Connect with us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin/in/nancybecher Twtter connect: https://twitter.com/smallbizjunkie
About Nancy Becher Nancy Becher is the Creative Director of Business Success Unlimited, an educational and training program for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Ms. Becher started this organization in the Washington, DC area in 1990 when she realized that there were a great many solopreneurs and homebased businesses that were looking for ways to share in networking, ideas and philosophies. Hearing “I’m so alone, I don’t know where to turn”, she felt that it was time to create a program that not only brought people together so that they weren’t so alone, but to help guide them through training and education that brought out hands-on, “been there, done that” experiences led by experts in their fields. She has also owned and managed The Work Place since 1978. During her college years she started this administrative services organization to help pay tuition, but before long she and her parents ran 5 offices in Michigan and two in the DC area. Here, Ms. Becher worked with various businesses (both renting them office space and handling all aspects of their administrative needs). She put her research background to work in writing and documenting many different projects for her clients, and was instrumental in creating a joint business between an American firm and a Saudi business doing import-export. Much of her work has been in helping her clients write business plans, as well as doing marketing research. Ms. Becher has been involved in various organizations both in Washington, DC area and in Michigan.
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Five Keys to CUSTOMER Retention The purpose of being in business is to grow you business over tme. I can’t think of too many businesses (not any really) where the goal is to open and remain exactly the same size.
The most effective way to grow your business is by retaining your present customers. Customer retention is important to the long –term success as the cost to gain a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 10 times the cost of retaining an existing customer.
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According to the Technical Research Assistance Program (TARP), 68% of customer defections occur because the customer feels poorly treated. This next statement is shocking: only 4% of the defecting customers bother to tell the business owner why they chose to do business elsewhere – the other 96% of defecting customers just silently disappear.
Retention efforts must be a priority for the following reasons – 1. Retention is the key to long-term growth. 2. Retention efforts create loyal customers. 3. Loyal customers help to establish your brand in the marketplace. 4. Loyalty leads to referrals. According to a TARP study when interviewing marketing executives from 200 companies, all state that at least 25% (and in some cases as high as 75%) of their new customers were obtained via referrals. Here are 5 keys to customer retention that will turn your customer into a low cost marketing department:
1. Determine what’s important to your customers. This is done during the initial contact with your customer. Assess what your customer needs/wants and get agreement on what your customer expects to receive. This sets the tone for the relationship. 2. Meet or exceed your customers’ expectations. Deliver what you agreed to deliver and what your customer expects you to deliver. You must be consistent here if you hope to retain customers. Get this one right! Your reputation is at stake. How much will it cost you to fix any issues in order to meet your customer’s expectations? Let’s do the math: if your
service is worth $75.00 per hour and it costs you 2 hours to correct an issue, that’s $150.00. Now remember, you could have possibly utilized those 2 hours to service another customer, so that’s an additional $150.00. The inability to meet customer expectations may result in a lost customer. How much is that customer worth? Let’s get the calculator out again! If your customer spends an average of $150.00 per month, that’s $1800.00 annually. Not much you might say, but what if that number increases to 10 lost customers? That’s possibly $18,000.00 in lost revenue! Now remember, customers talk to others about your business, even more so when their experience is negative. If 10 other people are told about the not so pleasant experience, that’s another possible $18,000.00 in lost revenue.
MAY-JUNE 2012
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3. Communicate regularly with your customers. Provide timely updates and progress reports. Solicit performance feedback via customer service surveys or phone calls. Your customer feels valued when you seek out their opinion. Advise of new offerings, upgrades or product/service enhancements that create a better experience for your customer. Find ways to say “Thank You” on a regular basis. 4. Empower your employees. Provide your employees with the proper “tools” to service your customers. The “tools” that I am referring to include product/service knowledge training and customer service skills training. Give your employees options for resolving customer issues. Proper “tools” create confident employees who in turn create loyal customers. 5. Value customer complaints. A complaining customer is your best friend. I can already hear you saying “Come on Errol, how is a complaining customer my best friend?” Glad you asked! A complaining customer provides an insight into areas of opportunities within your business before a negative pattern develops, possibly resulting in a defection of customers. In bringing their dissatisfaction to your attention, the complaining customer is providing you with the opportunity to retain their business by correcting the issue versus just silently disappearing and telling 10 to 20 others about their negative experience. Create a database to monitor complaints by type and occurrence. Develop corrective actions to insure that you are consistently providing a great customer service experience. Take the time to focus on your customer retention strategy. Your long – term success depends on your ability to get your present customers to be your referral ambassadors. Errol Allen has over 25 years of experience in the customer service industry including 13 years in a management role. Errol has worked in several industries within the service sector. He has hands on knowledge of interacting with customers whether in person or over the phone. Having held positions as an Internal Customer Service Consultant, Call Center Quality Manager and Operations Analyst, Errol understands the need for a “systems” orientation to providing excellent customer service. He is experienced in facilitating interdepartmental process improvement projects to insure efficient service delivery to both internal and external customers. Errol has also designed customer service training programs for the “front line” associate to insure employee confidence when interacting with customers. He is a member of the American Society of Quality which promotes the practical application of quality knowledge across multiple industries. Errol is the publisher of “Now That’s Customer Service!”, a monthly online newsletter offering practical customer service tips and real life customer service experiences.
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Written by Robert New
R
ecently I got into a discussion with a friend about podcasts. A few years ago podcasts were all the rage and everyone was jumping on board. There are podcasts I would subscribe to and after just a few weeks the authors would lose interest and the feeds would stop updating. Today most of that has run its course and weeded out the ones who are less serious. Podcasts today can be very entertaining, but also very educational. I’d like to take a minute to share with you some podcast tips on how to improve your business. Podcasts can be a very good way of keeping up with new business tools, technology, and ideas during the day, on your commute, or while you are exercising.
podca Grea to learn
Just about any MP3 player, smart phone, tablet, or computer will play a podcast. I have an iPod I use just because my Bionic battery struggles enough getting through the day. I also use iTunes to update my podcasts although there are many ways of subscribing to updates and putting them on your device. You can search and find one that meets your needs easily. Some of my favorite podcasts that I would recommend are from a variety of sources. I listen to a lot of tech heavy podcasts. Leo Laporte is considered by many to be the definitive source for tech podcasts. He has built an entire brand around this This Week in Tech podcast. He now has that one as well as This Week in Google (which also talks a lot about cloud technologies). These are two of my favorites. Leo and his guests are entertaining and informative and all of his catalogue of podcasts is very professionally done. The Wall Street Journal also has an excellent catalogue of podcasts. My favorites from them are Wall Street Journal This Morning, Wall Street Journal on Small Business, and Wall Street Journal’s Your Money Matters.
The Harvard Business Review also has the HBR Idea Cast with the tagline “Bringing you the analysis and advice of the leading minds in management”. The HBR is one of the biggest names in small business and entrepreneurship and I highly recommend this weekly podcast. It covers everything from work-life balance to motivation. page 40
MAY-JUNE 2012
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asts a way at learn
One more that I recommend is The Smallbiz Brain. This podcast is hosted by David Wolf and includes experts and leaders in the world of small business. This podcast is also a weekly podcast. There are many ways of finding new podcasts and I hope if you aren’t familiar with podcasting you will give a few of these a listen. Who knows you might hear a solution to problem or a get an idea for a great startup. If you find any not mentioned here, let me know, I’m always searching for new podcasts to check out.
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Be The Boss Magazine
SOCIAL MEDIA 101
JULIA HULL
MAY-JUNE 2012
Social Media has been a passion of mine for a number of years. Anyone that knows me, knows I know social media like the back of my hand. When I started this journey, it wasn’t with the intent of becoming an SM Guru, it was so that I can understand how these sites worked and how I can maximize them to increase my own network, sphere of influence and business opportunities. Through the years, I have found that the words Social Media boils down to only one word...
RELATIONSHIPS! Let me take a moment to hand off some of the pertinent information I have learned and save you some of the time it took me to solve this SM puzzle. Four necessary websites are... Twitter - Twitter is a site that allows you to search out keywords known as hashtags so you can find relevant information to you. Through the relationships you build, you will be able to find what you need when you need it. The key is to post or tweet at optimal times. Facebook - It can be used in any number of ways, but when used for business, it can expand your reach indefinitely. Post information that your network will use. When they are in need of your product or service, they call you first. This is called TOMA - top of mind awareness. Bundle Post - BP helps you find content in a matter of minutes instead of hours with the use of keywords through Google Alerts.
Hootsuite - Hootsuite allows you to schedule the content that Bundle Post has found so it looks like you are always on Facebook and Twitter. With that, connect, build and nurture your online relationships, they can make all the difference in your business and life!
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Work The System...
Be the Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
WRITTEN BY: DAN PEREZ
… because the system works. Anyone that has read my facebook page will see me post that statement whenever I get off the phone with clients. Let me define the system. The system is a specific number of phone calls you commit to making on a daily basis. However, it is not just the phone calls that define the system. There are other factors involved. A call script or bullet points to help keep you on track with your calls. A list of objections and rebuttals to assist you through the countless rejections you will receive. Have your leads ready ahead of time. Your schedule is necessary as well. But the key ingredient to making the system truly work is a zen like release of the results. Keep in mind, you can only influence the results, not control them. You have zero control over who answers the phone or when, as well as what is going on in that person’s life when they do answer the phone. They may have just gotten the call from the doctor to tell them that the cancer results came back positive. The only two things you can control are your attitude and effort, hence the reason for letting go of the results and commit to the process. The law of averages will take over in direct proportion to the number of calls you make on a daily basis and you WILL set appointments or make sales no matter what. Let’s delve further into the elements of the system. The Call Script or Bullet Points - the reason for this is simple, it will give you confidence when you call. You have a firm foundation to work from on the call. The confidence will come through on the call and will increase your chances of having positive results. Objection List and Rebuttals - when I first started with Cutco Cutlery and Vector Marketing, I had a
list of sixteen objections written on the backs of 3”x5” cards with the answers written on the other side. I would lay them out in front of me when I made my calls and when someone gave me an objection over the phone, I would pick up the card and read the answer on the other side. Lead Organization - I always, and I mean ALWAYS have my leads ready to go before I make my calls. Have enough leads present that you can call through each one and hit your call goal. Your Schedule - commit an hour on Sunday nights to create your schedule for the entire week. So, I will leave you with this, work the system, the system works! Happy Selling! page 43
Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
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SOCIAL OUTBREAK
KATIE WEGG
Be the Boss Magazine
Social media is a type of online media that speeds up conversation as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but doesn’t allow followers to interact. It allows you to participate in conversations, sharing and networking online. Giving you what Newspapers, Magazines, Radio and TV never could - a chance to be engaged and engage with others. Social media has gained the attention of people all over the world because it’s fun and a great way to connect with new friends and reconnect with friends and family. Thanks to social media, it’s easy to share your ideas, photos, videos, likes and dislikes, with the world at large - and find out what they think of them.
MAY-JUNE 2012
What is Social Media?...Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube...
You can now find friends, business contacts and become part of many different communities. Businesses of all sizes are experimenting with social media marketing and many are gaining new customers by connecting, visibility and self-promotion. Facebook is the #1 social networking site in the world. With the new Timeline it is easier for entrepreneurs, non-profits, and small businesses to share pages/tabs and communicate with potential customers to increase profits, reduce advertising expenses and market business by leveraging the power and reach of Facebook. Jim Lupkin of Summa Social in a recent interview with Inc. Magazine said, “With a powerful social media plan in place, any small business owner can level the competitive playing field. If you have a product that people want and it is priced correctly, then you have no competition—except yourself.” He has been using social media marketing for 15 years before it was known as “social media” He and his partners recently launched the first-of-its-kind “Virtual Total Social Media Agency” service being marketed by consultants with Social Outbreak. Katie Wegg offers this amazing service that allows a small business to have direct access to a full-service social media agency for $50 a month. She also offers workshops in the Indianapolis area for businesses in a user-friendly hands-on format to help participants understand how to make social media work for them. Not claiming to be an expert in social media but is proof that anyone can learn. Social Media if used effectively your business will be thriving in 5 years, those that don’t won’t. So, what do you have to lose?
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Stay In
recipient. Send out seasonal cards – I have a client who swears by sending Thanksgiving cards Are you one of the 40% of sales people that do for his business. It is his moment to express his NOT follow-up with a prospect? If yes, I applaud gratitude for their relationship and business. By you. However, if you are one of those that do sending Thanksgiving cards, he believes he is follow-up, how do you keep in contact with those standing out among the traditional holiday card. you have networked with or met? How do you set yourself apart from others in your industry? While holidays are a great time to send out cards, you can get pretty creative when to send other The first idea someone has to stay in touch is using cards to have an opportunity to make those e-mails.Whileitisconvenienttosendemails,youneed customer/client contacts. Try sending recipe to make these attempts personal. Write and send a postcards or themed cards: “Spring Ahead – Set personal e-mails asking how the customer/client is Your Clocks Forward” or notes of appreciation: and briefly share a couple sentences what you have “Thanks for your business or Thanks for the been doing. This isn’t a sales solicitation. And yes, Referral” with a gift card to a coffee shop or such. the phone still works… pick it up, dial and say“Hello!” Send notes about career changes, marriage, new houses, babies and sympathy cards. The gesture The goal is to try to stay in touch with your goes a long way. These handwritten notes carry customers, clients and prospects on a regular a great return on the networking you began. basis. Eighty percent of sales are made between the 5th- 12th interaction. A hand-written note The underlying key no matter what form you use is a great way to show you care and stand out to stay in touch is to build the relationship. You from the crowd. Send the card to your customer/ will quickly learn that appreciation will “win” over client on special occasions and send them “just self-promotion every time and I have just the tool because” for fun & a positive contact with your to help you succeed. The first step is up to you. Written by: Danielle Mohr
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Touch
AIM FOR THE BULLS EYE WRITTEN BY: TONI HARRIS
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
Have you ever played darts and hit the bullseye? Or shot a gun at a tin can? Hit a hole in one? Or more importantly, set a goal and achieved it? In all these scenarios it feels great when you actually hit the target. But before you have the success of hitting the mark, you first have to aim for the target. Picture this, you are doing target practice and you want to hit the bullseye but you just pick up the bow and arrow and let it go. Is it likely to hit the target? Not hardly. Now, let’s do it again. You see the target and you examine it for distance, size, and the center bullseye. You pick up your bow and arrow, you strategically use your eye, hand coordination and you aim carefully for the target. At the point when you think you have it lined up just right, you let go of the arrow with just enough force to reach the target and to hit the center. It’s the same way with hitting your goals and dreams. The number one thing is you have to know where you are aiming. What’s your vision? Can you picture it? Personally, my vision is to be on the big stage in front of more than 50,000 sharing my message of success. I am laying the foundation to get there and am on target to hit the bullseye. The second step is to have the right tools. If I was throwing a steak knife at the target would I likely hit the bullseye? Not likely! I have to have the tools of a bow and arrow to make sure I hit my target. What tools are you using to hit your target? Are you doing the right things and laying the foundation you need to make sure that you hit the target. Networking is my “bow and arrow” that I use to hit my bulls eye. As a result of networking, I have the privilege of speaking at the Frasernet Powernetworking Conference, the largest Black business conference in America, in Dallas this June; I have had a coaching session with the great Iyanla Vanzant who has her own program on the OWN network; and as a result of networking I have my own radio show beginning June 4th on 1230 KQUE AM. Certainly the tool of networking is serving me well in hitting my bulls eye. What tools are in your quiver? The third step is to shoot the arrow. It does you know good to look at the target, or get the right tools if you never shoot the arrow. When looking to achieve your goals, it is imperative that you take aim and fire. Execute your plans. Go after what you want. Ask your network to support you. Tell everyone what you are aiming at and they will help you. If you do these things you are sure to hit your target. Ready, aim, fire! Toni Harris, also known as the Turnaround Queen, is a speaker, Radio show host, Certified Dream Coach® and author. She is passionate about helping others to step outside their comfort zone to take drastic steps to achieve their personal, professional and financial goals. Contact Toni at 713-387-9273 or toni@ toniharrisspeaks.com.
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
Developing multiple
streams of INcome Written by: Kim Coventry
As a new business owner, we often look at our current salary and guess that we will make a bit less when we start out on our own. That at least, is what I thought. I figured that by going out on my own, I would easily still be able to pay the bills and make my dreams come true. This is definitely possible, but the secret to your success lies in multiple streams of income.
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First, identify what will be your core source of income. This will be your bread and butter. Think of the 80/20 rule-most of your income will come from 20% of how you spend your time. Write down this key competency and then think of ways to branch off of it. For example, as a certified nutritionist, I knew my core was going to come from meal planning and private nutritional consulting. However, I also thought that if I became a certified personal trainer, I could develop additional revenue. This was a fantastic move because I was able to do private personal training as well as write customized fitness programs. Next, find a close friend or colleague and brainstorm on different things you could do. Have them give you feedback on your strengths and weaknesses (honestly!). You may be pleasantly surprised on the possibilities. At first, you may think that these ideas are impossible-but I promise you they’re not. Every great thing in life starts with an idea. Write down these ideas and start with your first few steps for each on how you can get started.
Following this, take a time to entrust your future with God. This is hands down my favorite method for seeing more prosperity and abundance in my life. I will tell God what I would like to see happen, let Him know that I have no idea how it will, and just trust he will give me the wisdom to be competent. And guess what? So far I am batting 100% with Him on my side! It’s crazy, but even if you go into something feeling you are not competent and you can’t even fathom a positive outcome, He will help make it happen. It’s so amazing! Finally, stay cutting edge. What I mean by this is make sure you are staying current to see what opportunities comes you way. I just had someone find me on Pinterest and they ended up contacting me about nutritional consulting. I also discovered how easy it is to write your own book and self-publish it digitally-this is a great stream of revenue! So before you put all your eggs in one basket, take a look at your revenue stream and identify ways to expand that. Whether it is your core area of competency or a new idea based on current trends, you can easy generate many ways to earn additional income. Sometimes you have to take your initial perceptions and give them a new perspective-you may be pleasantly surprised at the results. r
MAY-JUNE 2012
Be the Boss Magazine
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Be The Boss Magazine MAY-JUNE 2012
PREFERRED Business Directory Danielle Mohr Cards and Mohr Connect with Danielle
T
he Preferred Business Directory is no ordinary directory. This is not just a list of businesses. This directory is designed to help you to grow your professional network instantly. Everyone in our directory is a business owner who is a true ‘business connector’, dedicated to helping others succeed while they grow their own businesses. Each listing features a live link that will take you directly to the person’s Facebook fan page or to their website. When you join their fan pages, be sure to leave a note and introduce yourself. Building a strong network is vital to business today. Be sure to connect with each person in our directory and start the process of building new friendships, alliances and referral partners. page 50
Melissa Allen Dominoe Barter Connect with Melissa
Laurie Sullivan Plexus Simply Pink Connect with Laurie
Margie Baxley Virtual Margie
Connect with Margie
Carol Smith
Connect with Carol 650-275-3817
Sabine Barnett Living Well with Healing Essentioal Oils
Connect with Sabine
Michelle Ketterman The Inventory Institute Connect with Michelle
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Dayna Offutt Day of Designing Connect with Dayna
Mark Werner Miracles Through Water Connect with Mark
Bob New Linton-Cole Connect with Bob
Katie Wegg Social Outbreak Connect with Katie
Kristi Willis Rodan and Fields Dermatologists Connect with Kristi
Marla Stoch Xocai Connect with Marla
Julia Hull California Real Estate Mart Connect with Julia
Alice Schmitt Kara Vita Connect with Alice
Patty Farmer Biz Link Global Connect with Patty
Catherine Morgan Point A to Point B Transitions Inc. Connect with Catherine
Amanda Parker Collective Alternative Connect with Amanda
Shelly Rice The Referral Machine Connect with Shelly
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Dana Mazurek SoZo Life Connect with Dana
Dale Little Business Strategist Connect with Dale
Linda Fitzgerald Affiliated Women International Connect with Linda
James Boggus Genesis Life Travel Connect with James
Bonnie Karpay CEO Space Houston Connect with Bonnie
Kathy Friend Fashion Writer Connect with Kathy
Angie Ryan iZigg Connect with Angie
K. Andre Ankton Innovarus
“Connect with K. Andre
Lynn Zettler Lifeaction Coaching Connect with Lynn
Darby Rae Merciful Law Connect with Darby
Debbie Murlin ItWorks! Connect with Debbie
Purse Party Inc. Connect with Purse Party 888-367-0416
Ronette Wood Organa Gold Connect with Ronette
Peggy LeNoue Rodan + Fields
Connect with Peggy
Jennifer Varnderhoff L’BEL Connect with Jennifer
Sandy Lawrence Perceptive Marketing Connect with Sandy
Toni Harris Tonia Harris Speaks Connect with Toni
Joe Chandler Connect with Joe
Robert Christiansen Chocolate Blues Director Connect with Robert
Susan Endriss Organo Gold Connect with Susan
Dawniel Patterson-Winningham Connect with Dawniel
Carole Garrett Organa Gold Connect with Carole
Dr. Carol Watson Juice Plus Connect with Carol
Sharon Rowley Dove Chocolate Discoveries Connect with Sharon
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Amy Barnes Corageous Creativity Connect with Amy
Errol Allen Errol Allen Consulting Connect with Allen
Nancy Beecher Business Success Unlimited Connect with Nancy
Michael Battaglia InsureYouToo Connect with Michael
Dan Perez Connect with Dan
Kim Coventry FitKim Connect wtih Kim
If you’re a business connector who would like to be part of our Preferred Business Directory, you can register on our website or contact Margie for more information. www.BeTheBossMagazine.com or Margie: 803.673.1487
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To subscribe, please send your request with your address label to: Address Company House, Business Park Tel: 01234 567890 Fax: 01234 567890 page Web: www.yourcompany.com 56 Email: info@company.com