Small Biz Forward Exploring the Entrepreneurial World of Today Vol. 20. N0. 6
June Issue
BUSINESSES THE PLACE WHERE BUSI NESSES COME TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND SUCCEED Small Biz Forward
From the Home Office
——————— I was wondering if this was an appropriate title for this commentary, and without realizing it, I’m guessing most of the readers are home-based businesses. So, yes, from the HOME office seems just about right. Even though my business is not home-based, it was for many years, and I still work extensively from home when necessary. But even for those of us that do work out of an office, or a storefront, many of the issues we run into in our business lives are the same. It’s my hope and dream that by sharing our experiences and knowledge together, we all can see our dreams and goals grow into something bigger and better. So, this month, let’s all think about what we want from our businesses and start working towards those goals with determination, vigor and openmindedness! Small Biz Forward is published by
Celebrate Business Publishing Small Biz Forward receives unsolicited materials (including le ers to the editor, press releases, promo onal items and images) from me to me. Small Biz Forward magazine, its aďŹƒliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensa on of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials/pitches submi ed by freelancers in accordance with known industry prac ces. Statements and opinions expressed in feature ar cles are those of the corresponding business owner. While every care has been taken in the compila on of this informa on and every a empt made to present up-to-date and accurate informa on, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. Celebrate Business Publishing will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any informa on within these pages or any informa on accessed through their web site.
Printing by
Sturgis PostNet, Bill Martindale 2 Small Biz Forward
June 2013 Celebrating the success of entrepreneurs everywhere. Editor: Nancy Becher Advertising and feature inquiries send to: publish@celebratebusinesspublishing.com Subscriptions can be directed to: info@celebratebusinesspublishing.com 701 N. Prairie Street Sturgis, MI 49091 269-651-3555 http://celebratebusinesspublishing.com info@celebratebusinesspublishing.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Dream Begins
7
Security and the Entrepreneur
11
Lessons Learned (?)
13
Being Connective — Newsletters
15
When Metrics Fail
17
Master What?
19
Traveling Light
21
Ditching the Corporate Façade
25
Phone Hacking
29
Business is Business is Business
31
Security After A Social Media Firestorm
34
Mobile Marketing
36
Directory
37
CONTRIBUTORS
Ed Becher, (Ret.) US Marine and Former Chief Instructor, US Dept. of State, Uniformed Branch, Diploma&c Security Service. Owner, The Bodyguard Academy, Sturgis, Michigan.
Nancy Becher, Passionate about suppor&ng “mom and pop” businesses, Nancy is the Chief Everything Officer of Business Success Unlimited, an educa&onal training program and success mentor for entrepreneurs and small business owners. She is the author of many short ar&cles and published pieces in various magazines and online. An entrepreneur since age 12, she is known for her knowledge of running small businesses and caring about the people she works with.
Liz LaClair is the owner of Virtually Helps, a virtual assistant company. She is PASSIONATE about helping her clients with any and all of their office administra&ve work and is a specialist in her knowledge of Microso6 Office products.
Kenneth Nichols is a lifelong entrepreneur and the owner of Urban Appeal Mo bile Marke&ng. Kenneth started his first business at the age of 12, cu:ng grass around the small West Michigan town of Baldwin, Michigan. A6er gradua&ng from Baldwin High School, Kenneth a<ended Western Michigan University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and a Masters in Public Administra&on. Kenneth has 10 years of marke&ng experience in the nonprofit sector along with a wealth of experience in customer service, direct and business to business sales.
Greg is a business coach and marke&ng consultant that founded Delightability, LLC. where they believe if you delight customers – success will follow. He helps nonprofit and forprofit leaders to deliver more remarkable experience, tell be<er stories, and build community. He also serves as a volunteer Board mem ber for Oikocredit Northwest, the support associa&on for Global Social Investor, Oikocredit Interna&onal. Reach him at gregolson@delightability.com or 206.356.8811 or on social media at:
h<p://www.twi<er.com/fordoers, h<p:// www.linkedin.com/in/olsong, h<p://www.facebook.com/thebigideatoolkit, and h<p://www.facebook.com/ delightability 3 Small Biz Forward
CONTRIBUTORS Jerry Sarno is a Strategic Partner with Schooley Mitchell Telecom consultants, North America’s largest independent telecom consul&ng company. Jerry. Sarno@schooleymitchell.com 269-408-8679
Lauren Sorensen of Page One Rankings has been helping small to medium sized businesses acquire new leads since 2005. She specialized in Business-toBusiness service providers. Her services cross channel marke&ng services include website design/redesign, search engine op&miza&on, pay-per-click marke&ng, mobile marke&ng, social media, email marke&ng and tradi&onal direct mail. Find out more at www.pageonerankings.com or call 269.207.3554.
Since the launch of Simply Organized, LLC in October of 2005 Wendy has worked with clients to control the clu6er and set up systems to save them &me and money. Wendy's goal with her clients is to have them, "know what they have, where to find it and how to efficiently use it." Wendy has earned many awards through organiza&ons such as Board of Cer&fica&on for Professional Organizers, NAPO (Na&onal Associa&on of Professional Organizers), Wendy is also a trained provider for NAPO in the Schools., and is also a member of the ICD (Ins&tute for Challenging Disorganiza&on). Wendy has earned her Level II CD Specialist Cer&ficate as well as her Cer&ficate of Study in Chronic Disorganiza&on. Wendy has been featured in the media on TLC's Hoarding: Buried Alive, A & E's Hoarders, WNDU-Channel 16 news, Lakes Magazine, Momsmichiana.com, In Granger, Northwest Indiana Times and the South Bend Tribune as well as hos&ng Transforma&onal Radio on WVLP 98.3.
Gail Turluck is the President of Connec&ve Marke&ng of Richland, Michigan. Connec&ve Marke&ng offers communica&ons services including wri&ng, enewsle6ers, newsle6ers, web site content, edi&ng, proofreading, and more. She can be reached at gail@connec&vemarke&ngllc.com.
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The BodyGuard Academy Sturgis, Michigan www.thebodyguardacademy.com 269-651-3355 Execu've Protec'on Agent training programs. 3 day Execu've Protec'on Basic 7 day Personal Protec'on Specialist
Next class starts June 7, 2013
Bail Fugi've Recovery Agent training program,
3 weekends star'ng July 13, 2013 Learn the latest techniques in loca'ng fugi'ves from bail.
Women's Personal Safety Seminar 2 hour presenta'on on Awareness, Smart Phone safety, and how to use the items you normally carry with you day to day. Church groups, women's groups, civic associa'ons
Cost is $20.00 per person at a loca'on of your choice Do you have security concerns related to your business? Would you like a security audit? Believe you or a loved one are the vic'm of a stalker?
Contact The BodyGuard Academy and lets see how we can help! 5 Small Biz Forward
UPCOMING EVENTS If you’d like your events posted, send them to: publish@celebratebusinesspublishing.com Or join us on Facebook h%p://facebook.com/bsuconnector
Stay tuned for more events in the near future: A Monthly Talk Show Webinars and Tele-seminars
LinkedIn Dos and Don’ts for Growing Your Business. June 18th from 44-6pm at Na-onal College in South Bend, IN. We all know that social media is a great way to connect with others in the world of business. But many of us aren't really aware of how to do it "the right way". Come, be part of this interac-ve session on the use of LinkedIn. Cost is $35 a person or 3 for $70.
SAVE THE DATE: Small Business Conference and Retreat October 22, 2013: The Retreat will be hosted at Michiana Christian Service Camp, 4 miles north of Niles, and approximately 14 miles north of South Bend. It is a beautiful location with water, trails, and trees. It's the perfect place to go to think about your business, find inspiration and design the format of your success. Want to come? We'd love to have you. There will be speakers, vendors, food and fun. All too often we spend ALL of our time working in our business, and we never seem to have the time to think about what we want to do FOR our business. A retreat is a place of safety and peace where we can find fresh perspectives, new insights, new friends and colleagues. The idea of a retreat is to leave the office behind, and spend time relaxing and THINKING about YOUR dreams, goals, and business. This is truly going to be a great experience — whether you are just starting out in your business or are taking time to rethink, regroup and grow. Come and join us as a vendor, a participant or a sponsor. We love you all and hope to see you there.
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The Dream Begins All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Walt Disney
Nancy Becher, Business Success Unlimited
Do you realize how many quotes and speeches are about dreams? Martin Luther King's "I have a dream", is only one of many. I recently started researching dream quotes and my favorite is "If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.â&#x20AC;? I think that says exactly what I see as being the best theme for small business and entrepreneurs. For many of us in the state of Michigan, we find
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ourselves in a role that we had not considered even just a few years ago -- thanks to the economy we've lost our jobs, we can't find new jobs and in order to make ends meet we have started our own businesses -- and we've suddenly become entrepreneurs. And with that entrance into the business world, we have our hopes and dreams all tied up to our very souls. We so want this new endeavor to be a success.
Walt Disney's quote shows us that there are unlimited ways to make our dreams come true if we have the courage to just step off the edge and go for it. Sounds easy doesn't it -- well, it's not. Enthusiasm and energy focused on that dream and its goal are very important, but it is also imperative that we need to understand how to Work the Dream. You can't just say, okay this is what my business is, now open the doors and wait for the customer. You have to know about marketing, advertising, sales, customer service, finances, legal issues -- it goes on and on. How do you do that and still work ON your business? Go back to school and get a degree? Hire consultants to do all the work of running a business? Simply ignore the admin side in favor of the "stuff" of the company? None of that makes a lot of sense does it? Many well-known people have been quoted talking about starting their own businesses and the motivations that fuel them. Who doesn’t know the name Mary Kay Cosmetics? This woman built one of the largest cosmetics companies in the world. Wikipedia tells us that sales figures exceed $2.5 billion and are still growing, while the sales force is a whopping 1.6 million, inclusive of multilevel directors who work independently outside the company. She started this business with a capital of only $5,000 and a dream.
Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. -- Mary Kay Ash
Throughout the years, there has been adversity and much hard work. The business did not just start out strong and go from there. Again, according to Wikipedia, Mary Kay started out in the work world selling for Stanley Home Products, but after being passed over for a promotion she quit to write a book supporting women and business. This book turned into a business plan which was brought to fruition in 1963. However, before the first storefront opened, her husband died and she was left – along with her son –
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to start the company. There’s nothing much more devastating than that; but she moved forward and when she died in 2001 she was a major success. Can you think of any successful business owner that has not had to work hard at his or her dream for it to be a success? I can’t. What about Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame? His story is used in business schools to teach the art of perseverance. He started selling his chicken to people in his living room behind the gas station he ran. Then, moving to a motel and small restaurant, he made even more sales, until the Interstate came in and his customer market dried up. He then went on the road trying to franchise his operations, but after 99 refusals was just about to give up, when – lo and behold – there was his first yes!!! In 1964, he sold the company to a Kentucky conglomerate for $2 million dollars – not a bad sale in those days! How many times, however, during the course of that business development, could he have said, “I’m never going to make a success of this. I’m just going to give up.” He didn’t, and his falls made him a better person and a better business.
You MUST learn these things in order to move your business forward. And furthermore, you need to be active in relationship building with other business owners. Network, share your thoughts and ideas, create value for yourself and others. Isolation is a big problem for solopreneurs who work alone. They need to have contact with other, like-minded, individuals who also have a dream and a goal. By regularly taking time away from the work OF the business in order to work ON the business, an entrepreneur gets the rejuvenation needed to go on. And, if they participate in training programs, networking events and just some plain old FUN once in awhile, they can go back to their work feeling stronger, with new ideas to work around issues they might be dealing with. It's a win-win and the "dream and the mouse" can then become the next Walt Disney World. Now THAT'S a dream we all have isn't it?
Your Business Needs Fans Tip: Isn't it fun to be a part of helping businesses connect on Facebook? I love being able to share a post with someone specific. It's always nice to re-share otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s posts on our own page, but sometimes we want to be sure that a specific person sees a specific post. Once you hit "share" at the bottom, use the drop down box at the top (on my timeline) and once the drop down opens up choose "a private message". Type in the name of the person or the name of a business page you want to send the post to, then include a little note from you and re-share the post (with any links attached) to that person. The person will receive this as a message from you so they will also know that you were the one who forwarded something on to them. So much great information out there on Facebook to share with others. This is a great way to pass things on and let others know that you are thinking about them too. Need more ideas or help with your Facebook page? Call to schedule a one-on-one online session $45.
Visit our page at www.facebook.com/YourBusinessNeedsFans and click on the NOTES tab for more helpful Facebook hints.
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What is a guaranteed way to grow your business?
When you are a member of Business Success Unlimited, you not only become part of an exci ng group of like-minded business owners, you get access to training, networking, friendships, discounts and more.
Visit our web page at h%p://success4biz.biz and click on h%p://success4biz.biz/ Our_Programs.html to get more informa on on these programs and get signed up today! Business Success Unlimited is at 701 Prairie Street, Sturgis, MI 49091. Our telephone number is 269-651-3555 and our email is info@success4biz.biz. 10 Small Biz Forward
Keep Your Business Safe Security and the Entrepreneur Ed Becher, PPS, The Bodyguard Academy
Phone Hacks — Oh the world of modern technology: just think back 5, 10, 15 years ago and where we were with the cell phone back then. Almost every one of us now cannot go anywhere without our ‘SmartPhone’ as we feel we need to stay constantly connected.
Whether this connection is by text message, email or its ease to connect to the internet, we feel we cannot be without our phones. Trust me, I am one of them who has my phone close at hand 24/7. As a small business owner you want to know when that email comes through for a potential new client, or that call for your services. We don’t want to miss that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But what about its dangers and negative effects it can have on us, our families and our business if we are not careful? One of the things that we do at The BodyGuard Academy is assist those who are victims of stalkers and harassers. With that, one of the first things we do is ask to look at the cell phone and take a look at their apps; what applications do they have running and in particular which ones are displaying locations. “Locations? I’m displaying my locations?” If you use apps like Facebook, Twitter, FlickR. Foursquare or any of the others out there, at one time or another you received a request from that application
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to show your location. If you said ‘yes’, every time you post something on the app your current location is shown. This could be the name of the store you’re at, or if it is a photo you took it could be with the longitude and latitude grid location you are at. Additionally, there are now applications out there that let people track you by your cell phone number. How can this affect you or your business? Let us say you plan on meeting with a potential high value client and you are trying to keep the meeting low key and to an extent secret. Your competitor has learned of this meeting and has plans to beat you there and push their services to this client. You get to the location for the meeting early and post on Facebook that you are having lunch with a client. You have locations turned on in Facebook and guess what: you just showed your competition where the meeting is. As the client approaches the restaurant they get waylaid by your competitor and they never show to meet with you. Then the news comes out that they have signed a contract with….guess who…your competition just
iPhone
Android
Another issue is when to use and access unsecured Wi-Fi. By unsecure we are talking about the Wi-Fi you would find at places like McDonalds, hotels, the mall to name but a few which are out there. When using these type of networks you never want to access your banking information, make on-line purchases or any type of site which requires you to provide personal data and information. This data could be intercepted on another device and used against you. As was seen on the news recently, Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice had her phone hacked and as a result, semi-nude photoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s which were on her phone have been released on Twitter and other sites. So nothing you keep on your phone can be considered safe from a determined hacker. If you would like more specific information or help on this or any other security related topic, please feel free to contact us and let us see if we can help. Ed Becher PPS is the Owner and Director of Training for The BodyGuard Academy located in Sturgis, MI. He can be contacted at ed@thebodyguardacademy.com or by calling his office at 269-651-3355 to discuss your security concerns.
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Lessons Learned (?) Liz LaClair, Virtually Helps, LLC
Do you think you know everything there is to know about running your particular business? What makes the most sense — an LLC, a corporation, a sole proprietorship? Does the government see you as a business entity or is your passion only a hobby?
Hmm, did I learn any lessons in starting up my business? I figured that since my business is that of a virtual assistant, I have been doing this type of work for years, how hard could it be? Already had a computer, printer and Office software, aside from clients what more did I need? Well, our accountant (we REFUSE to mess around with filing taxes) told me I needed to figure out what kind of business I wanted. HUH? Did I want to set up as an LLC or Inc? Then he told me all the legal stuff I needed to “hang my shingle” to legally be Virtually Helps, LLC. Just coming up with a name for a business isn’t all that easy either! Now, all sorts of advice came at me from all corners! So, yes I created a webpage – I knew that one from a previous business attempt and knew what website company to use. Then I was told I just HAD to use social networking if I wanted anyone to know about me. Social networking’s a version of “word of mouth” advertising, after all how is someone in Michigan going to be noticed by someone in Oregon? I had to have that explained! Social networking???? Then of course I just “had” to be on Facebook because everybody is there. Oh, by the
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way you need to be on Twitter and don’t forget LinkedIn. Then some of these people told me I needed a coach. Huh? Aren’t they just cheerleaders? That’s what family and friends are for. WRONG! Don’t ever go down that road. My business coach (a wonderful person) told me that my ideas were in the right place, but… I don’t know about you – not a big fan of that “but…” She helped me understand all the things I didn’t understand. WOW there were a lot. I need to build my business enough to get at least one team member to be in charge of doing the stuff that’s waaaay over my head. That I did learn from my business coach: learn what it is that I do that bogs me down in performing my business and work with someone who LOVES doing that kind of thing. It helps get stuff done, helps them acquire another client, and in doing that each of you can do the word -of-mouth thing about each other.
When your time is spent on things that are not the parts of the business that you are good at (and make your business successful) you lose income and become frustrated. BSU provides a variety of tools and resources for owners to empower them to see their business succeed.
Join the Success Club at BSU, get your business active through networking, training, and FUN, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see it GROW!
h p://success4biz.biz * h p://facebook.com/ bsuconnector
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BEING CONNECTIVE-CONNECTIVE--Newsletters --Newsletters Gail Turluck, Connective Marketing
One of the advantages of our electronically connected world is the ease in which small business people may communicate directly with their clientele. Every small business needs to have a systematically distributed newsletter. Newsletters are meant to inform the public about the benefits of what your business offers and how because your clients work with you that their lives are better.
There are two types of newsletters: printed and electronic. There are good reasons to prepare a printed newsletter. The recipient physically handles
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your business material, can flip through it, take it along somewhere, may leave it lying on a desk or table that others may see it, and will come across it
again as a reminder to follow up. You also may have high quality photographs or illustrations included in a printed newsletter that may gain attention to your point in a better way. While printed newsletters have the cost of layout, printing, and mailing, the benefit of their use should not be overlooked. Business owners on a micro-budget, though, may get started in their newsletter production by establishing an electronic newsletter. You may prepare a document in a word processing program and send it as an email, using the mail merge feature to distribute it individually through an email client such as Microsoft Outlook. You may elect to use one of the many internetbased mass email products. These include iContact, Constant Contact, MailChimp, Simple Email Service, MyEmma, Vertical Response, Campaigner, and others. Some, like MailChimp, allow you to send 1,200 or more messages a month (1 message to 1,200 people, 10 messages to 120 people, etc.) for free while you build your distribution list and business, while others have a fee schedule from the establishment of an account.
The mass email products often include templates, contact list management, event management, making conduct of showcases, open houses, expos and other business events relatively easy. While they often have a spell-checking feature, it is always a good idea to have a strong proofreader preview your newsletter before you hit "send." Whichever option you choose, you need to always be working to grow and maintain your distribution list. People move and/or change their email addresses frequently. Keep in mind you are doing your customers a favor by keeping their contact information up to date; this is a positive thing. You may consider hiring an assistant or an editor solely for managing, preparing and distributing your newsletter, simply so that it gets done on a timely basis. Keep your clients and prospects in the know about your business and its offerings by regularly communicating to them directly with a newsletter. You will find it to be rewarding, both in kudos and increased business.
SAVE THE DATE! Want time to spend working ON your business? Planning for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success? A day away from the office where you can commune with nature and other business owners, to reinvigorate, network and GROW? The Dream the Work Retreat is coming October 22, 2013. Stay tuned for more details, or go to https:// www.facebook.com/DreamTheWorkRetreat to register.
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When Metrics Fail it is Time to Change the Conversa)on Greg Olson, Delightability, LLC Reprinted with permission from Greg Olson at Delightability, LLC. Visit www.delightability.com/blog for the original post.
theft problem to the store's Loss Prevention Manager is a transportation problem to the "bus stop mom" or "urban retirement dweller." Once you get past the bias that this is a purely homeless problem, you'll see that kids, and moms, and grandpas all play a part in this problem. Even police are being called upon by municipalities to "do something about this menace." One police department recently posted on their Facebook page a reminder to the public, that it is a crime to take a shopping cart off of store premises. Each of the stakeholders, save the shopper themselves, have metrics, but who is right here? The world has shifted - shopping carts have gotten smaller and more maneuverable, the price of gas has continued to rise, and some have opted out of owning personal transportation in favor of walking or using public transportation. But, amid these changes, stores are probably blind to the transportation realities their customers face.
Lurking beneath the metrics you'll find the truth. This truth may have slowly crept up on you and suddenly poked you in the eye as a new reality. But, you say, "We have these metrics and this is the way we measure, and see, and do things around here." Exactly right, but exactly wrong too.
While stores have found more and more ways to understand our shopping preferences and probably have metrics related to the foods we buy and the prices we're willing to pay, they really have little understanding of why we choose their store, how we got there, and if a grocery cart will be on our list of items to take home today.
Here is an easy target to pick on. Abandoned shopping carts litter the landscape most everywhere. City Councils have metrics and want to hold stores accountable for their wayward carts. Stores have metrics and are stuck between cracking down on their patrons and giving them freedom to take carts as needed. Biases are at play too. What looks like a
So, there you have it, amid all of those metrics the human behind the customer has been forgotten and that is exactly wrong. Imagine if the metrics for a given store revolved less around how much orange juice we purchased and at what price and instead examined who the shopper is and what transportation they used to get to and from the store. That might just
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(Con)nued from page 17)
spawn some new services and brand loyalty to the stores with courage enough to change the conversation. "Don't get so set on your goal that you lose your humanity."
Cicero, Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC) If you are a grocery store leader, city council member, or other stakeholder to the problem and would like to talk, please contact us. We'd love to share with you the findings of a public workshop we hosted where we brought people together from all walks of life to discuss, dive into, and propose a range of possible solutions to the abandon shopping cart problem.
Seen Around Town Visit http://www.delightability.com/?p=2224 to see a few photos of abandoned shopping carts seen around town. This could be Anytown, USA or beyond.
Community Workshop Visit h p://www.thebigideatoolkit.com/ to learn more about the large format visual planning project tool that we used to guide our workshop discussion. To see the workshop photo album visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.402803246415793.106798.255855867777199&type=1&l=d5399368fb (you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to be on Facebook to see these photos)
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Say you saw this ad And get 13 months for the price of 12. As a member, you get free admission to several of the different groups.
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Master WHAT? Nancy Becher, Business Success Unlimited
That’s the response I get most of the time when I tell people that I lead online mastermind programs. They get this glazed look in their eyes and say, “oh, that’s nice.” I then ask them, “Have you ever been part of a Mastermind group?” They shake their heads, admitting that they don’t know what that means. In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill the creator of the term mastermind describes the power of the mastermind as, “the coordination of
knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” He continues, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.” Any clearer? Probably not. What this all means is that when several people get together and focus on one issue, the ideas that come out of that discussion have more meaning, and resonate more than if just one person, by him or herself, was trying to figure it
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out alone. AHHHHH! Now the lightbulb comes on. Large companies have boards of directors, charities have advisory boards, and now so too can the small business owner. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, I wish I knew what to do. My marketing just doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere. Should I do this, or should I do that? Which way do I turn? At this point I see the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, pointing with his arms crossed, saying “They went thatta way.” Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a group of people that were there to support you, and to share their thoughts on your questions and ideas: a sounding board that would tell you (without prejudice or presupposed values) whether your ideas make sense based on their experiences and knowledge? Having been part of such groups for years, I know the value. It is so invigorating to know that I’m not all alone and that I do have someone I can talk to about my ideas and my goals – my dreams for
success. I think that talking with people who have different experiences, who may have “been there, done that” before me is really helpful. Why should I do something that others have already tried (perhaps unsuccessfully)? Why not try something that someone else thinks has worked well in this environment? It’s very empowering to know that others have walked where I am thinking of going. Okay. You get the idea behind a mastermind now. Great. But how do you get involved in one? What’s the best place to look? There are several different types of mastermind programs out there. There’s the local ones where people get together, face-to-face, either weekly, semi-weekly or monthly. This is great as the people you are working with are local, they have their own businesses in the same place where you are running yours. They know the environment, the people, the atmosphere. And, with the in-person conversations you find yourself being held accountable for your decisions. When you say, I’m going to try that, and you come back and haven’t? You will hear about it (in a friendly and supportive way, of course). If you’re in the South Bend, IN area, I can recommend a great program. Run by Karen Bachert, of K Enterprises and Your Business Needs Fans, it meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month and has been a great help to me as well as many others who have been part of its formation. If interested, I highly recommend you check out Karen’s Facebook page at Your Business Needs Fans. There is a charge for Karen’s group, but I believe that that also creates a sense of accountability and helps in the decision to be active.
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There are other forms of group as well. One is where a group of people get together when they want, either in person or on the Internet. There are no charges for this type of group. In my experience these groups are often not as successful as those that have agendas, leaders and dedicated attendees, but others think that such groups are wonderful. It’s up to you to decide for yourself. You can find such groups by Googling Mastermind. Finally, there are online (Internet and phonebased) paid groups that run like in-person groups, but have members from all over the country. Business Success Unlimited has one like this. We meet twice a month and have an agenda in which we share successes, discuss a specific topic, and then share our questions, concerns and breakthroughs. One of the nice things about this type of group is that you get to share with people from different parts of the country (and globe – we have several members from Canada). Not only do you learn about the local environment and culture, but you can hear about other people, other businesses, and other cultures. It can really be eye-opening. Interested, call Nancy at 269-651-3555. Whichever sounds best to you, I highly recommend you check into one or another type of group. If you’re like me, I belong to Karen’s, I run my own, and I’m looking into joining another online group. I totally believe that when you hear about this issues and successes that other businesses are going through you become more aware of your own needs and successes. It helps EVERYONE. So, I encourage you all to check into one or another and get to masterminding!
Traveling Light Wendy Taddeucci, Put Clutter in its Place
Your home may be clutter free and organized, but how about your vehicle? Do you look forward to traveling – or dread it because your vehicle is a wreck? Keep reading to learn how traveling can actually be a moving experience!
Sort, De-Clu er & Organize These are the four steps to an organized, enjoyable car trip. Let’s take the journey together… Take a trash bag and a recycling bag to your car. Anything that is obviously trash or recycling goes into those bags. Don’t forget about the trunk of your vehicle and the compartments in the door and the glove box.
You will also need a bag or small box for papers that need to be shredded. You know – the insurance statements that have expired for example. Take the box into your home and shred those documents once you have sorted through your vehicle. You will also need a bag or small box for items that do not belong in the car and need to be moved into the home. For example, the cups, cereal bowls, blankets and clothing that have made their way into your vehicle.
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At this point, what remains in the car – well, remains with the car. It just needs to be sorted and organized. So, keep like with like and let’s sort! For example – CD’s and DVD’s could be sorted together since they are both forms of entertainment. Books, pads of paper and pens are all reading and writing entertainment and could be stored together. Below are some products that will organize all of the items in your car for a smoother journey. www.trunkorganizer.com Wet Pack Carrier $11.99 Be prepared for a trip to the grocery store and those frozen goodies! Works great in conjunction with the 6 Way Folding Trunk Organizer (23.95) With the 6 Way Folding Trunk Organizer, you will never again have to waste time sorting through that dreaded pile in your trunk or back of your vehicle. And you will never again have to worry about your groceries toppling over after a trip to the store.
www.organizeyourride.com Cargo pack $18.95 - attaches to your rear seat. These work great for books, crayons, pet items and sports equipment. www.organizeyourride.com
www.organizeyourride.com CD & Visor Organizer $12.95 Great for organizing your favorite CD’s and DVD’s. Also stash some extra cash, pens and proof of insurance.
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www.organizeyourride.com Back Seat Car Organizer Pink 16.95 Size: 13 1/2 X 16 1/2"
They come in 6 colors and have 4 large pockets. Great for Gloves, books, toys, ice scrapers and many other items that seem to clu.er up your vehicle.
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Do you need to work out a strategic plan? Launch a project? Create goals for the upcoming year? Would you like support in gaining clarity and focus for your business goals? Are you ready to stop playing small? Do you need space and time for quiet reflection to work on those goals? Are you interested in learning new ways to work, manifest and prosper? Want to showcase your products as a vendor?
Then plan on attending the Michiana Dream the Work Retreat October 22, 2013 Michiana Christian Service Camp 8amâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;6pm Call for info on prices
Topics include: How to Turn Prospects into Clients Creating a Compelling Brand Secrets of Successful Networking Steps to a Perfect Elevator Speech And more
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Ditching the Corporate Facade Lauren Sorenson, Page One Rankings
Remember a decade ago when all the small businesses of America tried to dress up like big businesses in attempts to compete with them. With the recent demise of America's trust in corporate America, small businesses are now discovering what their power over "big business" has been all along. What big business doesn't want you to know is that they secretly pine for the ability to serve their clients on a close, personal level in the same way that small businesses can. But, up until recently, I watched time and again as small businesses ignored
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that asset and tried to replicate the success corporate America was experiencing. They tried like hell to conceal the small number of employees in their business, used impressive titles and referred to nonexistent internal departments to give the impression of an organization much larger than their own. But corporate is now a four-letter word and small businesses are ditching their attempts to appear large. In desperation to find a new marketing approach, they are capitalizing on what was their super-power all along: the ability to interact on a personal, one-on-one level with each of their customers in a non-intimidating manner. This in
turn builds into relationship marketing of which loyalty is a natural byproduct. Yet, still I come across clients who blow up like a puffer fish in order to look larger than they really are and, you know what? They stick out like a sore thumb. Here are some ways to live in your own skin as a small business: Take it Personally - Get to know your clients and their businesses or lives. Make a point of asking them how their daughter's sweet sixteen birthday went or how their newest employee is working out. There are some wonderful tools out there to help you accomplish this. We all want to support our friends, so the friendlier you can make your interactions, the more your bottom line will grow. Go Social - If your business is B2C, you are going to want to spend some time experimenting with social media, especially Facebook. This is an amazing tool when you figure out how to make it work for you. It's all about finding your "voice" and using that voice to build tight relationships with your clients. Speak to them as though you really want to
make their lives easier and they will inevitably develop a loyalty toward your business and your brand. Celebrate Milestones - Think about ways to celebrate the growth of your professional relationship. Keep close track of the number of times they've used your services or purchased your products and recognize when they reach milestones. This can be done with a simple "Happy Anniversary" or by offering an incentive. Think about using this as a chance to introduce them to new products or services that you're offering. A final caveat: getting personal with your clients should never be done at the expense of looking like an expert. Tweeting about a wild weekend binge or a less than desirable customer is never a good idea. At all times, you want to remain positive, professional and proactive. Get to know each of your customers' needs, offer solutions to them as a friend and you'll experience what corporate America can only dream of reaping - customer loyalty through repeat business and continuous referrals.
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JOBS, APPRENTICESHIPS and MORE … If you have a job you’d like to list here, send us a Word doc for possible inclusion in an upcoming edition.
Entrepreneurial based business is looking for an apprentice interested in supporting company in developing and implementing marketing strategies, while learning entrepreneur skills. This person should be prepared to work in a fast-paced team environment, and will finish the apprenticeship having gained experience in various aspects of marketing a successful business, as well as working with a team to achieve expected end results. Some of the responsibilities will include (this position will be shared with 1 - 2 others, so one applicant is not responsible for ALL the tasks on this list and for this position): Qualifications: •
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Research & reach out to organizations within target market for speaking & sales opportunities
High to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (Publisher & Adobe Photoshop a bonus)
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Social Media marketing experience
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WordPress experience a bonus
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Interest in collaborating ideas & making decisions while recommending and implementing courses of action
Implement social media marketing plan
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Write & submit press releases
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Assist with creating any presentation materials for speaking engagements
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Follow up with presentation attendees after event and enter new leads into the main database, as well as follow up with attendees to give them more information about the products/services they expressed interest in
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Draft sales pages and messages and post to web site
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It's essential that applicants be creative, self-directed, and comfortable in taking initiative in creating and implementing ideas, as well as have the ability and desire to think outside the box and come up with new solutions towards overall company objectives and find new results-oriented solutions.
Apprentice must be articulate, dependable and committed with an entrepreneurial spirit.
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Hours:
Details:
Flexible with 15 - 20 hours per week
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Primary role will be to support company in developing and implementing marketing strategies.
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Apprentices are required to work a minimum of 15 hours/week, and some weeks during launches may work 20+ hours with a minimum 6-month commitment to role
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Access to own desk, high-speed internet, and additional equipment and software necessary to complete all assigned tasks
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Weekly Team meetings (1 hour)
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Monthly Apprentice meetings (to learn and discover from one another, 1 hour)
Length/Availability:
Testimonials and recommendations as earned
6 months Benefits: •
Mastermind Business Building Membership
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Knowledge, experience, and practice in a supportive team environment
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Working with a team of highly skilled and motivated professionals
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Ability to discover and learn new resources in a supportive learning environment
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Feedback and suggestions to improve personal skill level
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Phone Hacking Jerry Sarno, Schooley Michell
Imagine opening up your monthly telephone bill to find tens of thousands of dollars in mystery charges. And then opening more bills from other companies – ones that you don’t even do business with – to find over $500,000 owing from long distance calls. The kicker? The calls originated from your office, but you didn’t make them. Long distance fraud is something that happens more often than we realize and businesses around the world are falling victim to the scam. Usually hackers gain access to the telephone system through something we take for granted in the business world: Remote voice mail access. Once they find a vulnerability, which can be as simple as guessing a weak or default voice mail password, they take over the phone system and use it to make international phone calls. This activity racks up hefty bills, which in turn sets you up for the shock of a lifetime when you rip open the mail. But employee voice mail isn’t the only way to exploit a system. Sometimes phone vendors will set up remote programming capabilities with weak passwords, allowing techs to make off-site changes and hackers to worm their way in as well. Improperly secured IP phone systems can also experience password breaches. Most businesses don’t realize until it’s too late. Some large telcos have fraud departments that monitor for unusual activity, but a compromised system is not always immediately detected. Many of the criminals
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"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." --Thomas --Thomas A. Edison
(Con3nued from page 29)
commit their nefarious actions during weekends or holiday periods when it will not be noticed as quickly. While you are enjoying a weekend puttering in the garden, crooks are busy calling far-off locales like Somalia or Saudi Arabia on your dime. What is being done to quash this epidemic? It is a struggle for authorities to track down and prosecute the offenders, thanks to their ability to cover their tracks and spoof the phone numbers from which their illicit activity originates. This makes it impossible to block the offending numbers. Volume is also a factor – the scam is so widespread it would take a significant amount of police time and resources to catch the culprits. Reviewing your system and taking steps to protect yourself is the best line of defence. Though not fail safe, strong passwords go a long way. We have been taught to use strong passwords for our online accounts – though some still fail to take heed to the advice – and the same applies to our voice mail passwords. If you are using an easy to remember, and an equally easy to hack password such as ‘0000’ or ‘1234’ you are leaving yourself susceptible to an attack. Choose a complex password and change it frequently. Sometimes hackers will change a voice mail greeting to fool operators into thinking a collect call has been accepted, so check yours often. Disable any features on your phone system that are not used, such as call-forwarding or out-of-office paging. A few simple actions could help prevent problems in the long run. 30 Small Biz Forward
Business is Business is Business. Right? Nancy Becher, Business Success Unlimited
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. 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
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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? 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!
3 people for the price of 2
LinkedIn: How and Why Business Success Unlimited National College Jefferson Street, South Bend — June 18th, 4pm—6pm Individual cost $35 0r $70 for 3
Tel: 269-651-3555 If you have a LinkedIn Account but don’t really use it because you’re not sure what to do, then this is the program for you. We’ll learn how LinkedIn is different than Facebook, and why you need to use both. What is different, what is the best way to use the system, and much more.
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Karen Bachert, K Enterprises & Your Business Needs Fans
â&#x20AC;&#x153;You believe in your business and we believe in you.â&#x20AC;? Mastermind Groups B2B Events Facebook Training & Consulta*on for Businesses www.YourBusinessNeedsFans.com www.facebook.com/YourBusinessNeedsFans email: Karen@YourBusinessNeedsFans.com 574.344.8895
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Security after a Social Media Firestorm Ed Becher PPS
It only takes a few seconds to look on any social media site to find someone being berated for a real or imagined moment of bad judgment. Whether this person is an entertainer (Lady Gaga or Justin Beiber comes to mind), or a business. Recently a local business in SW Michigan has been in the social media spotlight with over 3500 hits on a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I hate â&#x20AC;Ś.â&#x20AC;? Facebook page. Not only have both negative and positive comments been posted, but also on MLive where there have been numerous articles written on the incident which started it all.
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I am not going to get into the incident but discuss here briefly some post incident security concerns. How we ensure the security and safety of our staff and employees and continue on with business is a major concern for management. It is after such incidents that we need to sit down and do a security review starting with what has been written on social media. Each and every comment needs to be looked at for a potential threat and each such threat needs to be reviewed. Are there numerous comments by the
same person or persons and are these comments getting more aggressive? A big question is: are they local? Have any of these threats been directed to one person in particular? Another area to look at is the work site, how safe and secure is it? Questions I ask on site security are, 1) is there an alarm system, 2) What about Close Circuit Television, 3) Panic buttons, and 4) Are home phone numbers and addresses of management published. We also ask about written policies for safety and security; is there a plan in case something happens. Will there be protesters outside you business because of the bad press you are receiving on social media? Remember how widespread and how many people read what is on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and the others, and take what they read as gospel. At the first sign of protesters, it is time to contact local law enforcement and request their assistance. This may also be the time to consider bringing in a local security firm that has experience in handling protests or a Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) who is trained and experienced in threat management.
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Bringing in a security company or hiring a Personal Protection Specialist does not come without its cost. A security company will charge you per hour rate for each security officer assigned to the site. Personal Protection Specialists can also be expensive with charges ranging from $300 to $1000.00 per day depending on threat level and other factors. Being proactive in the handling of your business security needs is always the best practice. While we cannot stop people for expressing their opinions of us or our business on social media sites, we do need to keep abreast of what is being said about us. As a business owner you should be reviewing social media and doing internet searches on both yourself and your business to see what is showing up. This is one of the best ways to know what people are saying; good and bad; and to know if you need to increase the security posture of your business. While bad publicity and comments can be bad for business so is having a security incident turn ugly, which can cost you more then you bargained for.
Mobile Marketing — the Wave of the Present Kenneth Nichols, Urban Appeal Mobile phones are bought or updated every single day by people of all ages. What does this mean for your business? Your market potentially expands! Each cell phone represents a 1 on1 relationship and interaction between businesses and customers. My 5 step approach to Mobile Marketing is quite simple: ♦
Figure out what your market wants and offer it.
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Align what your market wants with your targeted outcome.
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Choose the right mobile marketing tools for your campaign
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Launch your mobile marketing campaign and market it.
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Track what is working and make any necessary adjustments.
Whether a business chooses to interact with customers via email, social media, mobile application, or text messaging, they have the ability to reach and engage those customers. The nature of the relationship, the type of interaction (1 way or 2 way communication), and what information that a business wants to learn, determines the mobile medium that they want to utilize. While budget could be a hindrance, a company can always start with the most basic to build a list of clients to engage by utilizing email or text messaging services. The great thing about mobile marketing is that as you initiate contact with each customer, you can collect names, email addresses, and phone numbers. The focus should not be on the ‘type’ of mobile communication, but on what you are trying to learn about your customers to engage them further! Please visit Urban Appeal Mobile Marketing at www.urbanappealmobile.com and fill out our contact form to learn more about our company.
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MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY AVAS, LLC
AVAS provides photo scanning, photo montages, social media consulting, and project assistance. h p://www.AVASLLC.NET | Cell: (574) 514-5193 ———————-
Connective Marketing provides communications services to small businesses: • Print and e-newsletters • Handbooks, Yearbooks and Directories • Web site content • Organization membership management • Editing and Proofreading • Event management Connective Marketing offers non-profit management and consulting services. Connective Marketing has a particular focus on sailing and sailboat racing organizations and events. Be confident you can drop your dock lines and sail away knowing your needs will be met. Connective Marketing /) 1245 West Gull Lake Drive (\ Richland, Michigan 49083 269.203.7130 T | 786.358.3605 F gail@connec,vemarke,ngllc.com | www.connec,vemarke,ngllc.com
Heartwood Renaissance Academy A private school dedicated to helping students succeed. We teach students to SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS. The staff and teachers help DESIGN, BUILD, and TEST each child's skills, confidence, and self-esteem to fly with courage into their adult futures with the ability to overcome obstacles and accept challenges. https://www.facebook.com/pages/HeartwoodRenaissance-Academy | (269) 273-0160 ———————-
MI Security Training/Bodyguard Academy Providing quality training for those working in the private security industry. http://thebodyguardacademy.com | (269) 651-3355 Premier Women’s Network To Uplift, Encourage, and Inspire all Women in Business and Career Seekers to Achieve their Highest Capabilities through Networking and Education https://www.facebook.com/PremierWomensNetwork/ info | (260) 747-5202 ———————-
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Membership Directory Continued …. River Country Journal Celebrating and nurturing life in Southwest Michigan river country. http://www.rivercountryjournal.com | (269) 279-8000 ———————-
Your Business Needs Fans Encouraging businesses create and maintain their online presence by teaching best-practice Facebook marketing and so much more. https://www.facebook.com/YourBusinessNeedsFans (574) 344-8895
Ways to Connect Follow us on Twi er @ http://www.twitter.com/smallbizjunkie
Like us on Facebook @ h p://www.facebook.com/bsuconnector
Join us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancybecher
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Success Club Where businesses go to connect | Collaborate | SUCCEED
Purchase a Platinum Membership with Business Success Unlimited and become a member of the Success Club, which gives you access to several different types of programs.
JOIN NOW
BENEFITS: (For only $100 a year) •
You get listings on the Business Success Unlimited website.
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You get the opportunity to submit an article to the magazine Small Business Forward for possible inclusion.
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A monthly FULL COLOR, full page ad in Small Biz Forward
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You may participate in: Mentoring Projects, Entrepreneurial Forums, Talk Radio, Business Abundance Networking, Lunchtime Learners Book Club (FREE); Mentoring Project [Mastermind] ($25 for 3 months); Entrepreneurial Forums ($10); Talk Radio (FREE) and you may be asked to be a guest; Abundance Networking (FREE).
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Job Listings, Referrals, Authors & Publishers, Events
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Tradeshows and EXPOs (Annual conference in October. Vendors booth will be $75 or just attendance will be $45).
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Other events as they come up
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Plus, other highly customized programs
If you’re ready to build a strong referral network, then JOIN THE CLUB! We’re here to support you and help make your connections count! As our community grows, we will add valuable enhancements to this site with new features and benefits for all our members. This business club creates unique opportunities to connect with other professionals. 39 Small Biz Forward
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