Her Business I a Centre for Women in Business publication

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CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 26 ISSUE 01

herB U S I N ES S a cwb publication

Women leading digital disruption power lunch review

Trends in Social Video

BUSINESS PROFILE ERASERHEADER

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CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS The Centre for Women in Business stands for the advancement of women business owners. We know it’s not just about building businesses, it’s about enhancing the influence and engagement of Nova Scotian women, who are making a world of difference in the prosperity of our province. For 26 years, with unwavering support from Mount Saint Vincent University and ACOA, we work with women throughout the full continuum of entrepreneurship. If you are curious about starting a business, maintaining your business, or want to take your business nationally or internationally we can help. We work with women in every business sector from agriculture to manufacturing, from professional services to personal services, health care and education – and so much more. Every day, women are entering new sectors and shifting the entrepreneurial conversation. The advancement of women in business requires a business landscape that understands the challenges, motivations and barriers experienced by Nova Scotia’s female entrepreneurs. It’s our job at the CWB to influence that business landscape and help shift that balance – to advocate for policies and processes that support the economic development of every woman business owner in Nova Scotia. We’ve been leading this shift for over 26 years.

CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS


Women leading digital disruption

Small business technology trends (Sourced from a 2018 Deloitte Report Commissioned by Google: Connecting Small Business in the US) www2.deloitte.com In this feature, the CWB sources and summarizes a variety of online topics, reports and articles written by industry experts for the purpose of encouraging our readers to learn more! Digital technology is driving many changes in consumer behavior and the business environment. With online tools, businesses have greater insight into customer preferences, and build lasting relationships with them. In today’s digitally-driven economy, many consumers now expect to be able to engage with businesses through online channels.

It’s no secret that using digital tools such as online and e-commerce marketing methods can benefit small business. Small businesses with less than 250 employees can access new markets and target new customers at a relatively affordable cost using digital tools. Deloitte’s analysis in Connected Small Businesses in the United States found that, relative to businesses that have low levels of digital engagement, digitally advanced small businesses realized significant benefits. They: • Earned two times as much revenue per employee • Experienced revenue growth over the previous year that was nearly four times as high • Were almost three times as likely to be creating jobs over the previous year • Had an average employment growth rate that was more than six times as high • Were also three times as likely to have exported over the previous year

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BUSINESS PROFILE

MEET BUSINESS OWNER Alison Knott CWB member, Alison Knott owns Eraserheader Design, a web consultancy that helps organizations find tangible, measurable solutions for online success. From website revamps to brand design, her mission is “to set you free from technical and logistical constraints, so you can get back to business.” What gets you out of bed in the morning? Completing projects with other people. What I do has nothing to do with products or selling something, all of my work requires collaboration with my clients. What gets me out of bed is knowing that I am responsible for someone else’s success and outcomes. Tell me a time you were up against your edge and what you did about it. As my business started to grow I started having issues with my scalablity. I was getting bigger clients with bigger needs and I couldn’t service them all, or couldn’t service the complexity of their issues alone. This is when I started looking into working with sub-contractors who I could trust to carry my brand forward and work collaboratively with me to deliver the level of results I expect. What does success look like for you? Success for me is all about retaining clients. It is great to have a lot of clients, but I am not looking for quick one-off solutions. My role is to become an intrinsic part of my clients’ ongoing success. Long term clients allow me to focus less on business development, and more on delivering solutions. It also allows me to schedule my time better and project my business work flow.

CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS

What is your entrepreneurial super power? My super power is to find the gaps where other digital professionals are missing out. Not only do I take on web and digital problems that others can’t or will not solve, I also get out into the community and make personal connections. I look to develop relationships with potential clients others in my field don’t consider. Who are your allies and how/when do you look for support? I make sure that I move in many circles, as I believe it is important to stay connected with a diverse community. That being said, I find that all of my closest allies and supporters are women. I look to women in business that have been in business longer than me, and women in a variety of businesses. When I need a sounding board for industry related challenges, I look to other women peers in tech. What was your Best Day Ever in business (so far!) My best day ever was when I presented at the Social Media Day Halifax conference. The room was filled to capacity with people who really wanted to learn. I drew on all my experience as an educator and a professional. I felt like I nailed my audience and gave them exactly what they needed - and landed quality clients directly after that presentation!


POWER LUNCH SERIES

POWER LUNCH Trends in Social Video This article is a review of the CWB Power Lunch presented by Denise Alison, CEO and Founder of Stratigro. Videos have become the most efficient format to connect with future customers. It creates human connection and allows business leaders/ owners to show their true selves and brands. During a recent Power Lunch workshop led by Denise Alison of Stratigro, three different types of social video features were discussed; Stories, Live Video and Prerecorded Videos. Each social media video tool offers different opportunities based on your needs and goals. The social media video tool called Stories are an exclusive way to share your business’ brand culture and are very effective with its viewers. Stories are a feature on different social media platforms, most popularly used on Facebook. Stories are in the moment and only exist for 24 hours and then they disappear. They are not a part of your actual News Feed, but appear at the top of the News Feed. Stories are fun, creative ways for business leaders to have real time interaction and help followers better connect with you. Some of Stories’ most popular features include highlights, stickers,

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and GIF’s, allowing you to add your own style and personality to your Story. Live videos were the next trend to be discussed. Denise’s company actually began to grow after she started using Live Video. Some of the reasons they are so popular is because it has a true sense of authenticity, and allows your viewers to see a less rehearsed, real self-version of yourself. Similar to Live Videos, Prerecorded Videos are beneficial because audiences can actually see and hear you and feel much more of a connection. What makes Prerecorded Videos so beneficial is because it allows you time to plan and edit it before publishing. Both these forms of video are typically used to use to share expertise, a call to action or give “how to’s”. These social videos and all of their unique features have the flexibility to be used on a variety of social media channels, allowing you to better connect with your current and future customers and grow your business.

NETWORKING BREAKFAST this month’s topic

How can your business realize its full digital potential? Networking Breakfast Sponsored by

Every month our CWB Community gets together for a hot breakfast and even hotter topics. herBUSINESS


connect FALL EVENT Digital disruption is a reality and is affecting all sectors and businesses at warp speed! It can impact the value proposition of existing goods and services, for example the way customers now search, shop and interact with brands has changed. Even successful businesses need to change if they want to stay successful. The Centre for Women in Business in partnership with RBC, Accenture and NSBI hosted a breakfast event that brought women tech leaders, business owners and students together to discuss the role women play in shaping the future of business in Nova Scotia. Women business and industry leaders attended the CWB Connect event to learn more about how technology is changing the way we live and work. Discussions highlighted how to re-imagine human and business connection through digital technologies, and how future job trends and work opportunities are changing as technology is adapted across various industry sectors. Participants left with more information on how technology is transforming businesses; re-shaping traditional business models; and opening doors to new product and service offerings. Feeling inspired and with a renewed sense of urgency, women business owners are placing themselves at the forefront digital disruption, adjusting their business and leadership approach to embrace the technological advancements that amplify connectivity and business growth.

CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS


Upcoming Programming November 28, 2018 Professional Services: Doing business with the Federal Government January – March, 2019 Export Sales & Marketing 10-week certificate program, Halifax April 2019 WBE Canada Automotive, “Women Accelerating in the Automotive” Toronto April 2019 CAMSC Diversity Procurement Fair, Toronto May 2019 CWB Finding Your Fit in the Supply Chain June 25-27, 2019 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair, Baltimore MD For More Information on the CWB Supplier Diversity Program contact Gordia Macdonald: Gordia.Macdonald@msvu.ca

With inclusion comes innovation. With innovation comes flight. Gordia MacDonald Supplier Diversity Specialist Centre for Women in Business

The CWB Supplier Diversity Program infuses fresh, disruptive insights into the Atlantic Canadian supply chain. This program is a 12 month, multi‑faceted approach that connects women‑owned businesses with major (often multinational) corporate buyers. Through a variety of outreach and educational activities, both parties become aware of each other’s needs and challenges – and learn how to capitalize on the competitive advantages of the right fit.

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