WBO Members Business Guide This guide is filled with knowledge passed down from business women that have started their own businesses, built their own businesses, and closed some businesses. These women are from all walks of life, and each one is sharing something special she has learned. Some will be in forms of questions. Others will merely be comments or thoughts. Each one is provided to help you on your journey of business ownership. We wish you much success, and hope by our sharing that your journey will be filled with less bumps and more celebrations! Learning from those that have gone before us, will help us use the wheel that is already created, and not waste our time on re-creating it. But in fact, giving us the precious time we need to perfect it! We are very excited to have you as a member of Women Business Owners (WBO). http://www.womenbizowners.org
Business Goals: What is your biggest dream for your business? Where will your business be once you have reached this dream?
How will it effect you and your family? Who will benefit from this dream? What are the steps (goals) you will take to get there? Submitted by: Anna Campbell with Women Business Owners http://www.womenbizowners.org Marketing - how do you plan to get the word out about your business? Do you know how the market a business? Where do you see your market plan in 1 year? Submitted by: Corrie Petersen with Virtual Freedom 4 You http://virtualfreedom4you.com "Love what you do and the money will follow". If you are absolutely in love with your business this will create excitement to others which will produce SALES for you! Barb Ireland~ Founder OF MADC http://www.makeadiapercake.biz
“Assuming you had all of the courage you needed, what action would you take that would have the greatest impact on your business?� If you know the answer to that question and are ready to move forward in powerful ways, call me for a complimentary consultation. Sabrina Schleicher, Ph.D., ACC Business & Life Coach http://www.tapthepotential.com To start, promote, grow and manage your business, you will need to have a consuming desire, clarity and a purpose. You will also need to be equipped with the necessary tools to take your business above and beyond anything you will ever imagine. Cynthia Boyer Moms In Slippers http://www.momsinslippers.com/
STAY MOTIVATED One of the hardest aspects of a small business or home based business is creating the discipline or motivation to work each day. It is so easy to get distracted and put off the essential tasks that need to get done. Keep your work place and hours separate from the rest of your responsibilities. Develop a to-do list EVERYDAY. Set goals for the week. Review how you are doing against them. We all struggle with this and it is one of the key elements of success when starting a business. NETWORK It's easy to get isolated in a home business or your own small business operation. Force yourself to get out and meet with others that can provide a business support structure for you. One of the benefits of a corporation is the workings of teams and the on going support structure it provides. You need to create that for yourself. Don't think you can do it all by yourself; By talking to others in business you will find out great ideas and it will help motivate you. STAY INVOLVED Join an industry association related to your product or offering. Subscribe to all the magazines that cover your business. (They are tax deductible!) Look at joining an organization like NASE ( National Association of Self employed). They have great sources of advice and information as well as great discounts on insurance, rental cars, and other business expenses. Read and constantly be researching topics about your business. It's easy on the internet! Mary McCamphill with Send Out Cards ~ http://www.gaincustomerloyalty.com
Marketing
Networking
Brand your business. Don’t use generic business forms and stationary. This tells your customer that you may not be around the next time they need you. Show permanence and professionalism by developing your brand early and establishing it in every marketing and business piece you use.
Tip: Be a giver first! And follow up with everyone you meet, whether they appear to be able to help you with your business or not. You never know what you might need in the future or who they know that might help you. Automate this follow-up, but also be sure it is personalized. For a free report, "7 Keys to Claiming Your Follow-up Fortune", visit www.MillionDollarFollowup.com.
Ginger Marks, CEO DocUmeant http://www.DocUmeant.net
Sherrie St. Cyr Million Dollar Followup www.MillionDollarFollowup.com
Getting Started On The Internet A Basic Guide for New Entrepreneurs Getting started on the Internet is not just about putting your site up and submitting it to search engines. After you have found a reliable and reasonable place to host your site and a domain that matches your site objective, you need to do several things to get your site promoted. Here are a few basic tips to get you started in the right direction: A new site must be optimized for search engines with keywords that target your niche (topic/market). ie: toddlers, moms, etc. Exchanging links with other sites that relate to your niche, but are not in direct competition is also recommended. Developing links back to your site is important in making your site appear important to search engines and helps your site move up in importance to the search engines. So instead of being on page 100 when someone does a search for your target keywords, your site will eventually move up to hopefully page one, once you have persistently and consistently built quality backlinks, as well as quality content that targets your market. (Note: There are other ways of doing this as well.) Creating a blog related to your site and niche is also recommended to get you started in the right direction and help build backlinks to your site as well as a way to keep your content fresh and communicate with your site visitors. Many online business owners are creating their sites in Wordpress which is/was used primarily as a blogging platform. However, because of it's popularity, many site owners are creating their sites with Wordpress to make updates easy and customization easy. This is something that I have not done myself yet, but am definitely considering! Blogger is also a great, free, site to get your blog started and you can submit posts to your blog via e-mail which is a feature I truly appreciate. Finally, marketing your site online and off line are the most effective ways to get visitors and potential customers to your site. Online networking has become very popular in getting the support you need to market your business or to find potential customers. Using social networks like myspace, facebook, ryze, and linkedin are a few of the more popular social networks for personal or professional contacts. Whatever you do, make sure you remain persistent and diligent and that you are passionate about what you are doing so that when things are slow or seem impossible you are able to get through the hard times! Patricia Garza with Little Bytes News ~ http://littlebytesnews.com
1. Do what you love and the money will follow. 2. Keep track of all business expenses. 3. Market regularly, online and off. 4. Network regularly to keep good relationships. 5. Take the leap of faith with ideas that YOU KNOW are worth it! 6. Keep your chin up no matter what the outcome of each step... this is how you learn and build! 7. Remember those that help you along the way and dont' forget to be charitable and helpful to others when you can. Kristine Sheehan The Merry Bird...pen, ink and design "Your Stationery in Flight"
1. Define your target market/niche 2. Define your brand - logo, tagline, etc. 3. Organize your collateral marketing materials - website, business cards, brochures, etc. to all be consistent and send the same message. 4. Devise a strategic marketing plan: articles, press releases, etc. 5. Network - both online and offline. Cindy Clark Virtual Assistant & Business Services Manager http://www.ccdesignz.biz
Networking: For your business, networking both online and offline can be very effective if done consistently as well as persistently. Find a local networking group you enjoy. If there isn't one available, start one with the contacts you already have. For online networking, I would recommend a networking group that caters to your client/customer base. If you want to reach realtors, find a networking group for realtors and join. Ditto for coaches, financial advisors, women business owners, photographers, etc. You name your niche group then get yourself in front of them. Public speaking to networking groups is always a great was to reach a multitude of people without incurring a cost and getting lots of exposure in the process. Good luck with your business and God bless. Gazelle Simmons Virtual Asst/Owner of Admin Services http://www.admnsrvcs.com
We would like to thank all of the members of Women Business Owners (WBO) who contributed to make this e-book possible.