At some point I thought it was best to move on to the next project, but through the support group I’ve developed over the years, I realized that I needed to put more effort into promoting Ask Others, Trust Yourself: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Key to Success.

The articles posted by our guest writers have actually given me more ideas into how I could do it. One of them is becoming more active with my social media efforts.

Here is my own new recipe for “When all else fails”:

• Brainstorm with your support group what can be done;
• Try a new strategy;
• Re-examine your goals;
• Create a new/revised plan of action;
• Stay focused;
• Take daily action towards reaching your goals;
• Revise your strategies and,
• Keep going!

If you have anything else to add to this list, feel free to post a comment below.

To your continued success,

Elisa Balabram

Editor, WomenandBiz.com

Author, Ask Others, Trust Yourself: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Key to Success.

There are loads of adages to help you commemorate the exact moment when things go left, but if you’re anything like me, you’d rather focus on the best, most effective way to get out of the mess you’ve found yourself in.

A portion of the title of this article is a bit misleading. Social media doesn’t fail people, people fail people; and many times people fail themselves because their expectations are skewed. Additionally, because most people are not social media “experts”, they’re not quite sure what it takes to extract themselves from certain situations and it’s at that point it becomes really convenient and easy to hang the blame on social media. Does, “I hate Facebook!” sound familiar?

To help you avoid that blame-infused scenario, here are some solutions to common sticking points to help you get back on track if you feel like you’re not getting the results you want from your social media activities.

1. Are you clear about why you’re using social media? This is the source of many, many problems. People just start using Twitter or Facebook…or they just start blogging and the end-game isn’t clear. Once you determine where you’d like to go, the exact action steps will stand out from the fray a bit; making your next step less dubious.
2. Are you being consistent? You get out what you put in. If you’re not blogging at least three times a week and using some sort of viral vehicle to connect with other people, you shouldn’t expect any results at all. Yes, three times per week. The average blog post is 250-300 words. You needn’t write a tome. If you don’t have 900 words of advice or insight to offer about your business over the course of a week, then you should consider another line of work. Yes, I said it.
3.  Are you connecting? I mean, really connecting? Are you taking time out of your schedule at least twice a week to pop into Twitter or Facebook and “show your face”. It doesn’t have to be for hours, but take the time to connect. People do business with people they like. And, if you say you don’t have time, then don’t expect results. That’s a simple solution.
4. Do you genuinely like your social media activities? If you don’t like to blog, stop doing it. Do something else. There are hundreds of social media activities you could be doing and some you’ll probably like. I don’t care what anyone says, when you don’t like what you’re doing, it comes through in the end product.
5. Are you organized, on-purpose and focused? If you’re not getting results, it might be because you’re all over the place. One minute you’re on Facebook and the next minute you’re tweeting. Social media connections should be authentic (there’s that word again!) but the use of the tools should be nothing short of methodical, pre-meditated and laser – especially if you’re a woman business owner – you just don’t have time to waste.

Take some time to sit down and get real with yourself about whether your expectations are in alignment with your efforts and approach, then adjust what isn’t working in a way that resonates with you.

——————–

Lena L. West is the CEO of xynoMedia http://www.xynoMedia.com a company that helps growing companies profit from the power of social media & the Internet.

Innovate

Whether you need to get control of your records, institute better account management or client service systems, update your hardware or spring for new software, chances are you can improve productivity and trim your overall costs using a range of affordable or free solutions. For database management, client projects, calendars, sales notes/tracking and a whole bunch of other great functions, check out Zoho.com, which offers lots of freebies as well as paid options. For more professional branded email marketing, including jazzier networking or sales follow-up notes as well as monthly newsletters using art, document links, art and multiple layout options, look into MyEmma.com. Break down and get a net-connected phone, so you can retrieve and send emails on the go, as well as surf the net. Verizon has three dynamic 3G options – the Blackberry Storm II, the HTC Eros and the Droid – for easier mobile surfing and more robust apps, in case you’re not ready to switch networks for an iPhone.

Improve your Online Action

Any growth-focused business must get some serious skin in the game – in THE biggest brand and sales building portal there is – the internet. First – you will need to invest some time and a bit of money to update your 24/7 sales machine, your website. Working with professionals, make it an intuitive experience (well organized content and easy-to-understand menu tabs) so that browsers can easily find what they are looking for. Fix the content the consumer sees as well as the coding (metadata) they don’t, with strong, targeted keywords, descriptions and titles, as these are some of the primary elements the Search Engines use to rank your site. Next, get a strong business profile up in the most active social networks, including facebook and LinkedIn, as both are easy ways to help drive new, organic inbound traffic to your website. If you have not started a blog, do it this year! Tap into a freebie using Blogspot.com, or have your webmaster add a blog function to your existing site. Institute an overall Digital Asset Management plan, which should include regular (strategic) weekly updates, whether on your website, your blog, your online social networking portals, as well as bi-yearly tweaks by an SEO (Search Engine Marketing) expert. Post a few videos on YouTube, as well as on your website. Videos can work for you on various levels, whether they introduce a brand or product, focus on the benefits of your product(s) or services or feature happy feedback from clients. Submit editorial to several sites like EZineArticles.com, with valuable information that can help your current or prospective clients, while positioning you as an expert. Take a hyperlinked tile or leaderboard ad on the websites of several trade associations and/or your local Chamber of Commerce, whichever is a better fit for your geographic footprint. Trade links with other strategic partners, as inbound links also help to boost your “Google Juice” (giving your site a better ranking with the Search Engines). Get advice and do a 2 month PPC campaign, to drive more “hot” leads to your site or a special landing page. Measure the results of all your campaigns as well as your daily website traffic stats via Google Analytics, a free tool that details lots of critical data.

Reach out and Leverage Human Connections

While there’s no denying we are swiftly becoming a “net-centric” society, people still do business with organizations and people they feel comfortable with. So tap into your existing network, ask for referrals and advice. Act as a connector and facilitator in your own backyard, by helping another business owner, by supporting a community group or attending local charitable fundraisers. All of these are thrifty ways to get meaningful face space with business leaders and decision makers, which can lead to multiple open doors and new opportunities.

Honestly – I’d love for you to get everything in motion as soon as you can, because all these initiatives can help you achieve momentum and growth. Realistically, it won’t be possible, so don’t make yourself nuts by trying to do everything at once. Take on one major to-do a month so you’ll avoid burn out and have a manageable investment distribution plan! Use this 11 Month Business Growth Checklist as your guideline. Though I’ve ordered them in what I think is the most sensible agenda, do what you can, when you can, as each one of these will help keep you focused and moving forward in 20-10….

February – Address and fix website issues, using a webmaster, web copywriter, graphic designer, and SEO expert as needed. Get Google Analytics up and running, so you can begin to track the traffic on every page and link on your site.

March – Adopt better systems re account management, client and prospect databases, update hardware and software as needed. Seek out a good VA (Virtual Assistant) to manage tasks that are wasting your time or diverting your attention from more profitable tasks

April – Institute a Digital Asset Management Plan, after doing research about your industry, your competitors, your objectives and your strategy.

May – Investigate and create a business profile in one or more Social Networking sites, participating 2-3 times a week (total 1.5 – 2 hours per week). Additional social networking platforms include Twitter, Squidoo, and FastPitch.

June – Start sending out a monthly e-newsletter, or make improvements to an existing one using guest writers, new data, advertising specials, etc. Attend 1-2 new networking meetings and/or community fundraiser. Follow up with all new leads within 2-4 business days, with a targeted, special offer or incentive.

July -  Start a blog (posting interesting valuable information that your clients and prospects can benefit from) and post some responses on other blogs or on Twitter and LinkedIn. Aim to post 150-200 words at least once a week.

August – Produce and post at least one video on YouTube and on your website. Announce it via a Press Release in an online mass distribution site, as well as to all your trade and membership groups.

September – Assess where you are – do more SEO work on your site and start a 2-3 month PPC campaign.

October – Place several online ads in targeted industry or networking portal for 2-3 month campaign. Reach out to a variety of strategic partners, or tap existing networking or industry/trade memberships for online linking and business profile posting opps.

November – Submit expertizing and informative editorial to various online portals… check out revenue generating sites like Suite101.com and ArticlesBase.com

December-  Buy more online ads in new venues (if you’re marketing to well-educated women try a venue like DailyWorth.com) and continue to expand your inbound link building activities by Tweeting, trading links with strategic partners, and taking advantage of as many free listing/linking portals as you can.

So if you want to join the ranks of well-performing, growth-track firms – get up to snuff with the latest technology and use a range of online and face-space marketing tools. Take strategic baby steps, pursuing multiple initiatives and you will see happier results in 20-10!

#    #     #

Pattie Simone is a Viral Adventurer and Business Success Activist. As a Speaker, Writer and Consultant, she helps entrepreneurs and growth-track firms chart winning success paths via keynotes, workshops, PR, blogging, Digital Asset Planning & Management and other nimble marcom solutions. She has appeared on FOX 5’s Good Day New York and ABC TV’s nationally syndicated America This Morning program, has a sales & marketing column on WomenEntrepreneur.com and is an Ask Entrepreneur Expert. Simone is the thought-leader behind Write-Communications.com and Marketing-Advantage, print and viral marketing resources. She is also the founder of WomenCentric.net, a virtual directory of savvy & diverse women experts – keynote and motivational speakers, and career & life advancement professionals.

1. Social media – You’ve heard about it but are you using it at its maximum? Maybe you already have profiles on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Are you using your exposure on the sites to promote your product or service? Post daily and communicate to your network about your business, participate in discussions, join groups, answer questions and don’t forget to always include a link to your website. Over time, your participation will show you as an expert in your field and adding your link on each entry your will drive traffic to your website and help you build your list with targeted people. Be careful not to overwhelm yourself or get stuck socializing the whole day away. 15 minutes a day can be enough to get an effective edge via social media. Don’t waste your time spending hours to get the same results you can get in just a few minutes.

2. Blogging – Do you already have a blog? Check blogger.com or wordpress.org where you can create your blog in less than 5 minutes. You can even customize your blog to fit your business image and branding. Try to post every day if possible or at least a minimum of 3 times a week if you want to attract customers and get a high ranking on search engines.

3. Write articles – Write 300 to 500 words to give valuable information to help people solve a problem while show casing your expertise. Post your writing on articles directories for a better exposure and use your articles in your newsletter, blog and on your post on Facebook and Linkedin profiles.

4. Create partnerships – Contact people that you know and trust, who have the same target market as you but are not your competitors to create partnerships. You promote them, while they promote you and you both earn money by doubling your list of potential targeted people. You can organize a seminar or teleclass together, this will expose yourself as an expert to their list!

5. Follow-up, follow-up – You probably have a bunch of business cards somewhere on a drawer or on your desk from people you met last year at networking event. Did you use those cards in anyway to build your network and grow your business? For sure if the cards stay in your drawer you won’t get any business or referrals from those people. Pick–up the phone, call them to learn more about their business, ask them how you can help them. Give them advice, resources or referrals. Meet them for a coffee, contact them on a regular basis with a phone call, a greeting card, send an article of interest, send them your newsletter, or connect them with other people. Track what you do to make sure you are always in communication with them.

Done on a daily basis just these 5 strategies, which only take a few minutes a day, will help you build your network, grow your business and won’t cost you a dime. The key to success is consistency. You will have to repeat these steps throughout your days. Create your marking plan for the year and stick to it. Fasten your seatbelt and watch the results, because 2010 is a new year , a new decade AND a new you.

If you like this article, and want more networking tips, get my free e-course “15 Ways to Maximize Your Networking Secrets” and Free Audio “Networking Made Easy” at http://www.networkingmasterysecrets.com

Biba F. Pedron, Business & Marketing Consultant, founder of Biba4Network, also knows as “The Connection Queen”, helps solo-entrepreneurs to maximize their networking results and reveal proven strategies to attract more clients and double your business with simple but effective networking system. Biba is the author of “Start Your Dream Business Today! The Proven 11 Steps to Start and Grow Your Own Business”. And “Power of Networking Secrets” a program teaching you step-by-step how to turn more networking contacts into business boosting clients in 7 simple steps.
]]> http://www.womenandbiz.com/2010/02/01/5-simple-affordable-smart-ways-grow-network/feed/ 0 http://www.womenandbiz.com/2010/02/01/interview-nina-kaufman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interview-nina-kaufman http://www.womenandbiz.com/2010/02/01/interview-nina-kaufman/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:11:55 +0000 Elisa Balabram http://www.womenandbiz.com/?p=630 Dear Nina:

You have been one of our expert guest writers for the last several years, and our readers have received great advice from you. Thank you for your contribution. We would like to learn more about you and your business this time.

EB. Could you tell us about your background and your decision to start your own business?

NK. I wish I could say it was a well thought out plan, complete with market research, long experience in my field, and a full-blown written business plan. Well, it wasn’t. I had been practicing law for about four years when I recognized four important truths about my experience working for other law firms: (1) I was not seeing women become partners of these firms . . . which made me concerned about my career advancement prospects; (2) the attorneys were not being taught within the firm to develop specialized skills–rather, they were hired from other firms because they already had those skills (for example, trial advocacy skills); and (3) I was not encouraged to learn about networking and to develop my own client base. The fourth “truth” was that I was really unhappy in these job situations. Deep down, I believed that the issue (for me) was not the legal profession itself, but that I had not yet found the place where I could feel fulfilled practicing law.

EB. What were the biggest challenges you faced as you started growing your business? How did you overcome them?

NK. My biggest challenge was I was starting from scratch without a clue of how to build a business. I had no client base to bring with me to get started.  I had no idea where clients would come from.  I had never built a client base before.  I had no business development role models:  both parents had worked for corporations; their lawyer friends had gone in-house; my then-business partner had mostly worked for other firms; no law school friends had started their own practice; none of my other friends were entrepreneurs.  I didn’t know how to ask for help, or what kind of help I needed.  Like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark, “I’m making this up as I go along.”  All I had was the burning desire to build my own practice.

Without support, training, or prior experience building a law practice, I needed to surround myself with like-minded people.  Luckily (and strategically), my target market was entrepreneurs and small businesses. And, while most people who know me would never believe it, I’m a shy person at heart. Attending networking events through the National Association of Women Business Owners, LeTip/BNI and other business-related organizations put me in touch with potential clients and the education I needed about rainmaking. They also gave me the tools to get out of my shell.

EB. When is the right time for a woman entrepreneur to consult with a business attorney?

NK. It’s never too early to speak to your friendly neighborhood business attorney. I The best time for woman entrepreneur to consult with the business attorney is during the planning stages of her business. Legal issues have a nasty way of smacking you on the bottom (or in the face) when you least want them to and especially when you don’t have the money to pay for them. By consulting with the business attorney from the get-go, you are able to identify the issues you’ll be facing, their anticipated urgency, and roughly what it will cost you to deal with them.

For example, if a woman entrepreneur hasn’t set aside enough funds to pay for her business formation, initial contracts, and website terms and conditions, she could find herself in a position where she’s afraid to spend money to have the things done properly and timely. And she may feel even more frenzied because she’s got to get this business up and running and generating enough cash for her to meet her personal expenses. So on the one hand, she may not have enough money to pay for legal services (because she hasn’t planned properly) and on the other she may be legally exposed in a way that could cost her even more money should something go awry. By getting a sense of the legal issues that are likely to arise and what it will cost, she can make a sounder decision about the timing for making the leap and the initial investment she’ll need to make. She will also have the added advantage of starting to build her “success team.”

EB. Tell us about your new program “The Entrepreneur’s Prenup: How to Choose a Business Partner Who Won’t [bleep] You”, and what inspired you to create it.

NK. They say that “experience is the name we give to our mistakes.” I had been working with business partnership issues for a number of years in my entrepreneur-focused legal practice. For marketing reasons, I started writing and blogging on the subject of business partnerships, and even self-published an earlier version of The Entrepreneur’s Prenup (under a different title). It listed 100 key questions in 10 different subject areas that I thought entrepreneurs would find helpful in screening and choosing their business partners. The odd thing was, in the course of writing the book, I was subconsciously asking myself all these questions regarding my own business partner at the time. And boy, was I uncomfortable with the answers I received!

Through the process of unraveling that business partnership, I began to see more clearly than ever what lead to its demise and how I contributed to it by ignoring red flags. Being a couple of years “older and wiser” than I was when I wrote the first book, I thought it was time to revise, revisit, and revamp the subject. Hey, if my program can save a woman business owner tens of thousands of dollars of heartache, it will have been well worth it.

EB. This month’s theme is “When all else fails…”, What would be the first step someone whose business partnership isn’t working should take?

NK. The very first step is to get yourself in the right mindset. The fact that a business partnership does not work out is not necessarily a failure. I learned just as much (if not more) about myself, my strengths, and my power as an entrepreneur in closing my business partnership as I did in the 12 years that it had been active.

The second step–and it’s something I didn’t do until it was too late–is to bring in a third party to help facilitate the difficult conversations you’ll need to have with your business partner. A threshold question is, “is this partnership worth salvaging?” If there’s something to be salvaged, but you and your partner have developed a dysfunctional pattern of working and relating, the two of you may not have the objective perspective you need to get the business back on track. That’s where a third party can help. Or, if you decide that the partnership can’t be saved, you’ll have to confront the details of dividing the partnership assets and winding up the company. Again, having a third party in the mix can help ensure that both partners remain accountable to the process, and don’t lapse into sabotaging behaviors. This is especially helpful if you don’t have a written partnership agreement.

EB. What do you find most rewarding as a business owner?

NK. I adore the freedom, flexibility, and creativity! I’m not chained to a desk churning out dozens of billable hours of work every day. I enjoy variety in what I do and how I structure each day. I love the creative opportunities to write articles, develop products, give back through legal education, and speak to entrepreneurs. And I control my destiny and career prospects (the control freak within appreciates that!). This would never have developed had I continued working for somebody else. And let’s not forget one of the great advantages to the Internet age: the ability to work remotely. I can be in my PJs, at a spa, or in Starbucks, and still be productive, engaged, and in touch with my clients and colleagues.

EB. What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur?

NK. Entrepreneurship is not a walk in the park–it’s more like a marathon. It involves a lot of long hours, a lot of trial and error, attention to detail, a certain amount of money, and an extraordinary degree of persistence and dedication. Do you have that? If not, you may be better off investing in a lottery ticket.

Assuming you have the intestinal fortitude to take this on, I think the most important thing you can do is to create a “success team.” There is no way on God’s green earth that you can know and be excellent in every area to get your business up and running. There are legal issues, tax issues, accounting issues, financial planning issues, insurance issues, financing issues, employee issues, marketing issues, administrative issues, client management issues–to name just a few. Maybe you know some of them, but not necessarily all of them. You want to be sure you line up the right people who can give you the advice you’ll need.

Another important component of your “success team” is having some sort of colleague or coach who can keep you focused on the vision, looking at the horizon, and give you the encouragement you need to keep plugging forward.

EB. Are there any other questions you wished I had asked, from which you feel Women and Biz’s readers could learn valuable lessons?

NK. Lawyers always love to get the last word in, and here’s mine: what. What made you want to be an entrepreneur? What made you want to start this business? What are your passions? And how can they be expressed through the business? What do you want this business to do for you? After all, the business needs to serve you, your personal dreams and goals, and your lifestyle. If all you are is the servant of your business, you have worked yourself into a job with a witch for a boss (you).

I have a bee in my bonnet about these questions because I spent years as an entrepreneur without a clear sense of where I wanted to end up. And as Yogi Berra said, “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Initially, I was so excited about the launching and running of my company, that I paid no attention to the “end game.” How much money do I need to earn from this business? Is it in fact generating enough to meet my needs and desires? What will I do if it doesn’t? After a time, I developed the habit of working for working’s sake (thankfully, that has definitely changed). That’s not an entrepreneurial life; it’s a life of self-imposed servitude. But your life and your business don’t have to be that way.

Ask yourself this: if you were working for someone else and putting in the hours you’re working for the pay you’re receiving and doing the kind of work you’re doing, would you be happy? Would that be enough for you? If the answer is “no,” congratulations! You now have identified an opportunity–an opportunity for change that can enhance your life.

For more information, visit http://www.greatbusinesslawresources.com/