Featured Series:
Parenting for Success Katherine Waddell, This Needs to Be Said, Inc.
Community Response How did you KNOW you were meant to be an Entrepreneur?
How much Should I Save versus How much Should I Invest? Wayne Bland, Financial Advisor
6 Ways to Jump Start Your Word of Mouth Campaign Teanna Ross, www.the-creativei.com
Rhonda Nails Project PUSH Founder
The UNDERDOG Platform
Featuring Terri Clay From Living Homeless to Living Purposefully!
Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker
Directory Issue 6 June 2012 Page
Directory
4
A Word from Rhonda
6-7
6 Ways to Jump Start Your Word of Mouth Marketing Campaign Teanna Ross
8-9
Featured PUSH Story Naturally Passionate
14-15
Students N2 Success
16
Motivating Moments
18-19
Parenting Success Series Katherine Waddell
20
How Much Should I Save vs How Much Should I Invest? Wayne Bland
22-23
Community Response
24-25
The Underdog Platform Terri L. Clay
A Word from Rhonda Project PUSH Founder I just want to give up… How many times have you had this feeling? It’s easy for an entrepreneur to give up….matter of fact you will probably give up several times. We are half way through the year and sometimes you get the itch to “give up”, quit or just leave it alone. I know that feeling. Perhaps you feel this way because “IT’s” not working. Or maybe “IT’s” not coming together the way you had hoped. Trust me when I say, it’s ok to give up. Sometimes giving up is the best thing to do. What is NOT the best thing to do is to give in. Give in to the idea that “IT” will never work or give in to the idea that “IT” won’t happen. Giving up allows you to reset, readjust and reexamine where you need to RE-BUILD. Giving up makes room for fresh ideas and new concepts. I Dare You to Give Up, Take a Breath and Try Again. Whatever you are pushing toward WILL happen. Take heed to one of my favorite quotes well said by Russell Simmons, Business Magnate... “ There are no failures...Only quitters.” We have 6 months left in 2012…. I Dare You to Give Up and Try Again Till Next Time….
Rhonda
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Give them something to talk about 6 ways to Jump Start your Word of Mouth Marketing Campaign Teanna Ross www.the-creativei.com
Definition of Word of Mouth Marketing: an unpaid form of promotion - oral or written- in which satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product, service, or event. We have all recommended a business to friends and family. We have rant and raved about how good Sandy's Cakes are, or how wonderful Teresa's Baskets are, or even how amazing John is with customer service. This is all free advertising that we've all participated in at some point in time in our lives. The next question is are your customers ranting and raving about you and your services? Are you getting a flood of clientele from referrals? If so how many? Which clients are referring you more often than not and are you providing them with some type of incentive to let them know you appreciate them? Word of mouth advertising is one of the oldest forms of advertising. Before the internet and social media long behold the power of word of mouth, still one of thee best and most effective marketing tools business owners can utilize. The best part about it is that it's FREE! Please don't and I repeat please don't under-estimate this form of marketing. You'd be surprised how many businesses only operate on referrals only and have no problem with cash flow. It's a win-win situation. You provide an excellent service, your clients are happy with your service, and then in return bring you more clients! It doesn't get any better than that. A company's best critic is one of their existing customers. So yes, give them something to talk about. If you haven't be as proactive with your word of mouth advertising campaign as you do with your print and social media. Hurry up and implement creative ways to get your clients talking about you.
6 Ways to Jump Start Your Word Of Mouth Marketing Campaign 1. Client Reviews - Ask your best clients to review your business, but make it simple and easy for them to do so. 2. Use The Reviews to Promote Your Business - Asking for reviews is half the battle. Use these same reviews to promote your business. Add them to your website, post them to your social networking profiles, put them on your marketing materials, and send them in emails when corresponding with existing or prospective clients. 3. Make Reviews Apart of The Buying Process - Don't just do it sometime do it all the time. When clients purchase, sign-up, or renew services ask them for a review. Who says you can't ask the same client for more then one review. Non-sense, keep asking! 4. Incentives - Some clients are busy bees and may not have time to write a review for you. Here's a lil trick to get them to write one, provide them with an incentive. Provide them with a service you'd typically charge for. Now, now make sure this service is something you can actually do with out loosing tons of money. Just a lil incentive to let the client know they are valued and appreciated. 5. Celebrate Your Clients - Send them a special thank you, package it however you see fit i.e. thank you video, thank you card, or even a nice email. Either way this creates awareness and interest for your product or service. 6. Referral Campaign - Yes, yes, yes! Implement a referral campaign. Referral campaigns not only reward the client, but in the end clients are actually doing the selling for you. Referral campaigns are easy to implement and this type of selling highly effective. Whatever you choose to do, do something! Give your clients something to talk about. Word of mouth advertising is still alive and kicking. Don't under-estimate its value. Use it to your full advantage, it works and it's FREE! Until next time, "Branding is Everything!" ~ The CreativEye Teanna Ross, Creative Director Creative Influence - Graphic + Web Design http://www.the-creativei.com
Featured PUSH Story Dafina Laukam is Passionate…Naturally. She is Creator and Owner of Naturally Passionate a business dedicated to All Natural Hair and Body Products. She is not just some up and coming new cliché business that decided to ride the Natural party bandwagon. She is a Wife, Mother and Educated Entrepreneur who was on her way to obtaining a Masters in Administration of Justice when she grew tired of the hassle with her hair. She was not satisfied with the current products on the market so she set out to learn as much as she could about a “better product”. As any good woman would do, she found her comfort in butter…..Shea Butter. Without training, licensing or certifications, Dafina researched, learned and became passionate about her new product. She understood the benefits, characteristics and history of Shea butter. Once Dafina puts her “natural touch” on it….you will beg her to make a jar of butter for your body! So how does a Criminal Justice major turn her passion for All Natural into a sweet smelling business? It’s the butter…again!! Prior to launching Naturally Passionate, Dafina tried her passion at selling adult products but as irony would have it….the “passion” was not there. Turning to Shea butter was not only a valuable experience it helped create a line of safe and all natural products that is good for your hair as well as body. Shea Butter heals, protects and beautifies our skin...Naturally! This is not just one person’s dream to become the next best thing…it’s about being “Naturally Passionate” about what Dafina found in one little Shea Butter Nut…Her Passion…Naturally! Let Dafina create your next Shea Butter experience! Visit her at the Naturally Passionate Social Media Pages; Facebook: Naturally Passionate Twitter: NPJournal
Everything is SOOO much better with Butter!
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Students N2 Success: What is the 1st thing a new Graduate should invest in?
Proper business attire....You have to look like you already have the job you want! Then put your confidence under the clothes because you should have that on no matter what! They should have a portfolio of work that they have completed to let you know their abilities. This should be digital and hard-copy. Plus a LinkedIn account with recommendations. ~Chisa LadyBusiness Pennix-Brown
Hopefully they were getting the work experience while in college and sending out resumes. They should invest in time management with mentors, and work experience! ~Michelle Ifill
Hmm does this person know their next step like is a job lined up? If yes, they would need to invest in their future career. Do the things that people in that career do. Join associations to get better acquainted. If no, then the investment would be to explore options through volunteer work. They will at least learn what the don't want to do. -Katherine Waddell
Interview clothes ~Rosemary Leonar
A good fitting, work appropriate black/brown/blue business suit and a nice non-trendy pair of shoes to match along with a nice leather bag/brief case!!
Interview attire -April Joy Transportation! Whether it is a bus pass or a vehicle not the most expensive thing on the market, but you can't be dependent on others to get you from point A to point B - especially when THAT job calls!!! -DeVonna Hampton A pro or semi-pro makeover for their hair (and make-up for ladies). I've found that a lot of young folks don't know what is and isn't appropriate dress in the workplace, and sometimes that holds them back from getting the interviews that their peers are getting –Donna Johnson
I would say invest in establishing a good name and great credit score. Because a lot of college graduates leave with a load of credit card debt and student loans. Get one credit card that can be used everywhere, stay away from department store credit cards. BEWARE" ~LaTersa Blakely
Adult business attire and hair style (neither walmart nor bootleg..you don't get what you don't pay for), an updated professional resume, and an executive brief case... because you must set yourself apart and people still judge... ~Camille Gray
Motivating Moments… Words that instigate Success...
You are rememberd for the rules you break. –Douglas MacArthur You don’t find your PURPOSE… You become the PURPOSE. –Rhonda Nails
Stay Hungry...Stay Foolish -Steve Jobs
There are no failures.. only quitters. –Russell Simmons
Jealousy means you don’t recognize the POWER of your own God given talents. –Rhonda Nails
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Featured Article Series: You are a Single, “Parenting Success”
Katherine Waddell This Needs to Be Said, Inc. Being a parent is a challenge because there are not instructions or picture diagrams with your children when they arrive. Tougher still is the role of being a ‘single’ parent. Each moment of your child’s life you hope that you are doing the right things. Some common questions I’ve had personally have been: 1. Am I away from my children too much? 2. Do they know I love them even after I fuss? and 3. Am I a good mother? As these questions and many more have gone through my mind I came up with some ways to see if what I’m doing works for me and my children. The most basic thing I found helpful was to just ‘ask’ my kids. If I felt the guilt rise I would ask, “Do you know that I love you?” They would respond, “Yes” to my surprise. I had determined in my mind how awful I had been. I recommend being gentle with yourself. Not only was I a single parent, but I was a teen mother. I remember leaving home one day yelling over my shoulder with my two small children in tow, “Imma be a betta momma than you!” I will have you to know that I have not reached that goal to this day. In my 15 year old wisdom I was letting my mother know that she had not done a good job at that point. I was certain that I knew what a better parenting job would look like. Over the years I flailed around through this parenting journey making mistake after mistake with my boys. Finally, in the middle of fussing at my oldest son for whatever he had done for the millionth time to work my nerves I said, “Listen, this is my first time being a parent to a child your age. This is new to the both of us.” I was frustrated. I felt that there was no one that truly understood what the hell I was going through. Maybe they did, but I could not feel it. I was angry at their dad’s for not being around. (or did I run them off? Who knows) I was angry at how stupid I believed I was for even being in this situation. I was mentally kicking a can and feeling sorry for myself.
Boy was that a waste of valuable time. There were so many lessons in those experiences with my boys that I grasped many years later. I won’t make you wait years I will share some of them with you now. Realize even with the lack of knowledge you feel you have you are the best parents your children could ever have. Without you being the way you are, they will not be molded the way that they are purposed. You see I told my mother that I would be a better mother than she was. There were a few problems with that proclamation. First of all, I had no idea what made her the way she was. In order to become better that someone else you have to understand where they came from. Secondly, placing myself in the judgment seat of believing I knew what was best for any child was inaccurate. This was proved by all of my children being different. Totally different personalities taught me one size of raising a child does not fit. Finally, having all the answers to all the real and perceived problems is not a prerequisite. Until next time know that you are a “Parenting Success”. I would love to hear your feedback about any of the things I have suggested. Your responses may be a part of an upcoming article. Feel free to email me at: letstalk@thisneedstobesaid.com and tell me your “Parenting For Success” story.
How much Should I Save versus How much Should I Invest? Wayne Bland
Before we address that question, it's important to first clearly define the meaning of saving and investing. What is the difference between saving and investing? Saving is the process of putting cash aside and parking it in extremely safe, and liquid securities or accounts. These assets can be sold or accessed in a very short amount of time, at most a few days. This can include FDIC insured checking accounts, savings accounts, short-term certificates of deposit, or United States Treasury Bills. Investing is the process of using money to buy an asset (investment) that you think will generate a acceptable return over time, making you wealthier with each passing year. An investment can include anything from a small business to fine art, rare wines to gold coins, comic books to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and antiques, just to name a few. While permanent insurance is not an investment, many are turning to the long term guaranteed values offered in insurance to offset investment risk. Saving has to always comes first. Think of it as the foundation upon which your financial house is built. The reason is simple. It is your savings that will provide you with the capital to feed your investments. There are two primary types of savings programs you should include in your life. They are: Emergency Fund: As a general rule, your savings should be sufficient to cover all of your personal expenses, including your mortgage, loan payments, insurance costs, utility bills, food, and clothing expenses for at least six months. That way, if you lose your job, you'll be able to have sufficient time to adjust your life without the extreme pressure that comes from living paycheck to paycheck. Any specific purpose in your life such as purchasing a home that will require a large amount of cash in five years or less should be savings-driven, not investment-driven. The stock market in the short-run can be extremely volatile, losing more than 50% of its value in a single year. After that these things are in place, and you have health insurance, should you begin thinking about investing. The only exception is putting money into a 401(k) plan at work if your company matches your contributions. That's because not only will you get a substantial tax break for putting money into your retirement account, but the matching funds basically represent FREE CASH that is being handed to you on a silver tray. If you have questions about saving for retirement, need and health or life insurance quote or want to receive a complimentary copy of our retirement newsletter, please feel free to contact the team at Bland Financial Services Group at anytime 704-535-4833 or info@blandfsg.com
Wayne Bland Bland Financial Services Group Office:704-535-4833/704-970-8336 Cell: 704-957-6608 Let us help you put all the pieces of the puzzle together....
Community Response: How did you know you were meant to be an Entrepreneur?
I've known since I was a little girl I wanted to own my own company. I use to dream about it! ~Mstete Ross I didn't necessarily know but since I was little I used to design businesses on paper...would draw the whole layout of the building and everything like I really felt like I would have my own business...both of my parents were entrepreneurs outside of their regular school teacher jobs so me and my sister always said it was in us to do something as well. ~AJ Wesley It was something that I realized after working for another company. I realized that I have unorthodox methods, have big goals and dreams and.I am a visionary. I realized that I like to create my own rules and schedule, as well as have a say in who I work with -Stevi Mills
...When I realized that I didn't know how to be politically correct in the workplace. Always having to be someone else at work, but me when I got home. I figured out that I just didn't play the corporate America game well at all! -Trish Curry
...Because I was called . ~Katherine Waddell When I knew I was missing out on my life being tied to a desk day in and day out. I despised working a traditional job because I always had a need to be FREE! -Tamyka Washington
The UNDERDOG PLATFORM Don’t ever tell an UNDERDOG what they CAN”T do...
Name: Terri L Clay Current Profession: Owner of Terri L Clay Enterprises, Author, Entrepreneurs, Life Coach Favorite Dessert: I love a good Cheese Cake Biggest Obstacle: My dreams are bigger than my pocket book One word Self-Description: Driven My turning point: My turning point was when I lost everything, my furniture, my clothes my place, my car, I was already a driven person before that BUT when I lost everything, I grew in God and in FAITH, that point made me KNOW that I had no power, and I could bust my tail building connections, working endless hours, and If God didn’t want me to move... I wouldn't. Learning that HE is all mighty and all powerful even in the mist of the storm. Why did you never give up? I was raised NEVER to QUIT and I didn't. I saw others believe the negative lies that people could tell and I said I would never believe the hype. Only what the Word of GOD said. I was not moved by the things I saw but moved by what the word of God said What is an Underdog to you? I believe in FIGHTING and WINNING no matter what it looks like. What does success look like? I think true success is God leading and directing your life. Obeying the word of God no matter what you see. Success God's way is different than success man's way its speaking and talking in FAITH and trusting in God to take care of you.
Meet Terri L Clay...A woman who knows the meaning of P.U.S.H.! Being a domestic violence survivor, beating homelessness while battling single motherhood have been the battles that Terri has overcome. Instead of allowing these situations to overtake her….she utilizes them for her success! After becoming a Nurse, she realized that… she hated it. Her answer to asking God for a more defined purpose…Terri Clay Enterprises! She now speaks nationwide (and soon International) impacting others with her inspiration and motivation with her message of “living her life on PURPOSE”. If you don’t understand what it means to “Live Purposefully!” I’m sure Terri has a few messages that will inspire you. Visit Terri online: www.TerriLClay.com Facebook: TerriLClay Twitter: TerriClay
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