Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Jaime Nacach. He has an extensive background in multiple fields and knows what it takes to take a business forward. He owns a marketing agency, Bloominari, which is on a mission to provide reasonably-priced marketing and design services to small and medium-sized growing businesses throughout the U.S. and Mexico.  For more information, visit: http://bloominari.com/

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR A SMALL BUSINESS TO GENERATE LEADS, BRAND AWARENESS AND POTENTIAL CLIENTS IN TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD?

Jaime Nacach: To develop Facebook advertising campaigns, taking advantage of its huge user base, hyper targeting capabilities, tracking, and reporting. Facebook has access and incredibly detailed information about its almost 1.7 billion users worldwide.

This is something that has never happened before, where a single company is able to figure out what you like, how you behave, what photos you enjoy, what content you comment on, and which events, ads, links, and content you click on. Facebook builds a “digital persona” of who you are, so that advertisers have advanced tools to target their specific audience.

Sometimes, when you advertise on Facebook you don’t want people to do anything except remember who you are. That’s brand awareness. For example, if Coke were to run an ad campaign on Facebook, they would not want the goal of the campaign to be for you to buy coke online. Instead, they just want to make sure you keep seeing and learning about Coke as much as possible, so that when you’re at a store, you buy Coke.

Why is Facebook cost effective? Because 1) It’s more affordable than most Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns (those are too highly competitive) and 2) in many ways it can better help advertisers to target their exact audience, better than Google keywords-based Ads can.

SmallBizLady: HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME TO GENERATE LEADS ON FACEBOOK?

Jaime Nacach: Whatever you’d like to invest, starting at $1, up to thousands. There are two main costs:

1) Developing the strategy and content for the ads, and

2) Paying to show the ads.

Point number 1 can be developed by either an individual (the Facebook small business trying to promote a company), or a professional freelancer who specializes on Facebook, or a marketing ad agency such as Bloominari. In the case of an agency, they should have a team of various members who work on a campaign. This includes a team of a Facebook marketing strategist, a content writer, and a graphic designer.

For part number 2, the cost of the ads, all you’ve got to do is give Facebook your credit card, say how much you want to spend/invest per day, and they’ll charge your card automatically. That’s the easiest part.

SmallBizLady: How can I capture new business leads using Facebook in THREE easy steps?

Jaime Nacach: In three short steps, this is what it takes to run a successful lead campaign on Facebook:

1) Create a Facebook advertisement campaign (or boost a post)

2) Send users to a landing page, where you can collect at least their e-mail address

3) Create an E-mail system to automatically reply to your users upon filling out the form.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL LEAD GENERATION CAMPAIGN ON FACEBOOK?

Jaime Nacach: The most important piece of the puzzle, is defining the right target audience. Identifying the best possible group of users who match the behaviors, interest, needs and demographics of your ideal clients. More than half of your success will be based on this.

SmallBizLady: WHAT METHODS DOES FACEBOOK OFFER TO RUN ADS. WHERE DO THEY SHOW UP? CAN I CHOOSE WHERE TO PLACE THEM, HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

Jaime Nacach: Facebook lets you view your posts/ads on Facebook’s desktop or mobile platform, or on Instagram. It also offers an ad network to reach an even larger audience. Ads mostly show up on your Facebook news feed, Instagram photo feed, or the “right column” on Facebook’s desktop version.

SmallBizLady: WHAT THINGS SHOULD I PREPARE PRIOR TO STARTING A FACEBOOK ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN?

Jaime Nacach: Brainstorm and write down at least three groups of potential types of potential clients you’d like to target, and define as many characteristics for each one (demographics, behavior, what they like, what they don’t like, where they hang out, how old they are, what they studied, etc).

Then, spend some time writing the content for the ads (A headline, sub-headline and the main “Text content” that goes above your graphic). You must then design a graphic to go along with your ad. The graphic must be 1200 x 628 pixels (or smaller, but the same proportion).

SmallBizLady: WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE CAN I TARGET THROUGH FACEBOOK? WHAT TARGETING METHODS DOES FACEBOOK OFFER? HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I REACH?

Jaime Nacach: You can target practically anyone on the planet who uses Facebook. With over a billion users, and tons of daily data about what everyone likes, what they comment on and what they do on Facebook. Facebook has a super-detailed idea of who each of us is.

When creating a target audience on Facebook (which defines who will see your ads), you can choose your audience based on these three broad categories:

1) Demographics (Age, Sex, Location, etc.)

2) Behaviors (How you use and act on Facebook and other ads) and

3) Interests (What you like, pages you follow, artist you’re a fan of, etc.).

You can reach pretty much anyone and everyone on Facebook if you’re budget is big enough.

SmallBizLady: DOES FACEBOOK PROVIDE EVERYTHING I NEED TO CREATE A LEAD GENERATION CAMPAIGN, OR DO I NEED ADDITIONAL TOOLS OR SOFTWARE?

Jaime Nacach: – Everything for setting up the Facebook ad campaign can be done using Facebook’s free advertising tools. You do need additional tools if you want to run a complete and professional ad campaign. This includes the use of a photo editing software for designing graphics, and a landing page or website to send your ad traffic to once they click the ad.

Now Facebook also offers “Lead Ads”, which let people create mini-landing pages right on Facebook. In this case, you don’t need a landing page, nor a way to capture a lead’s information.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR WAYS TO ENTICE MY FACEBOOK TARGET AUDIENCE TO CLICK ON MY ADS?

Jaime Nacach: In short, offer them something that’s valuable to them. When people get something from you for free, they love it and they’ll click your ad and exchange their contact info to receive your offer. Popular incentives could include:

E-book or whitepaper
Discount coupon/voucher
Contest entry
Free trial
Free consultation for professional services
A physical gift
Notification of a future product launch
Webinar registration

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE MOST COMMON ISSUE THAT CAUSES FACEBOOK AD CAMPAIGNS TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL?

Jaime Nacach: When the marketer thinks that the Facebook ads are good enough on their own. That’s the biggest mistake. The ads are just the starting point.

You must also have a well thought-out landing page with a valuable offer or valuable information, something to entice people to click your Call-to-action (CTA) button. Such as “Learn More”, “Download Now”, etc.

You must invest in great copy for your ad’s text, as well as a super attention grabbing graphic. This is just half way through success.

The second part of the battle is to convert the lead into a customer, but that’s a whole other topic. For that I recommend using marketing automation tools to help you do this quickly and efficiently.

SmallBizLady: IS THERE A WAY TO AUTOMATE THE ENTIRE LEAD GENERATION PROCESS, IF YES WHAT’S THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT?

Jaime Nacach: Yes.

You need:

1) A lead capturing form

2) A customer relationship management system (CRM)

3) E-mail marketing software

4) A way to sync everything together

Once you capture a lead, with a tool such as MailChimp’s newsletter sign-up form, you then want to create a contact on your CRM (for sales follow up), and you must then create an automatic e-mail campaign to constantly send out e-mails on your behalf.

We use a more complex, but easy to use system we’d love to share and talk about on another interview.

SmallBizLady: WHO CAN HELP ME CREATE EVERYTHING I NEED TO PREPARE A WELL-PLANNED, STRATEGIC FACEBOOK ADVERTISING AND MARKETING PLAN?

Jaime Nacach: If you want to spend the time to do everything yourself, you technically can. If you would rather get help in some areas, here’s who you need:

1) A marketing strategist to define your target audience, do research about your company, your ideal client, etc.

2) A content writer to write attractive copy/text for your ads

3) A graphic designer to create super nice graphics, and

4) A computer/technology savvy person to setup the actual Facebook ad campaign.

You can get an expert, or you can read everything there is to do on Facebook’s help pages.

P.S. From experience, I can just tell you that it’s probably best you hire someone with experience, you may be overwhelmed as to how much you’ll need to do.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz For more tips on how to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog  http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com. 

The post How to Capture Leads from Facebook for Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Barry Moltz. Barry has discovered the formula to get stuck business owners unstuck and marching forward. Barry’s fifth book  “How to Get Unstuck: 25 Ways to Get Your Business Growing Again” is currently available on Amazon. For more information, visit: www.barrymoltz.com

SmallBizLady: Why do Small Business Owners Get Stuck?

Barry Moltz: For many small business owners, running a company is not what they thought it would be like.  They would not exactly call their business a smashing success, but they have made enough money over the years to keep the company going. They have always weathered the ups and downs, but recently, it has become more difficult to grow a profitable business. Every month, they are in the habit of searching to find new customers and revenue to keep your business going. They are constantly worried about cash flow and replacing the employees who always seem to quit or get fired. They wake every morning feeling like they are on a never-ending hamster wheel. As a result, both their energy and interest are waning

SmallBizLady: What Do Small Business Owners Typically Do To Try To Fix This?

Barry Moltz: They keep looking for that magic bullet that will be “the tipping point” to take it to the next level. They hope that that the next big customer or new employee will make the difference. Unfortunately, that brave knight on a white horse never seems to come. They never truly make a commitment to the small changes that will get them unstuck and moving forward. They keep looking for that home run!

SmallBizLady: Which Areas Do Small Business Owners Get Stuck?

Barry Moltz: It mostly revolves around 6 major areas: sales and marketing, management and leadership, money, productivity, social media and customer service. Some of these areas they have experience, but most of them, they know nothing about and are ill equipped to deal with.

SmallBizLady: What are the most popular areas where small business owners get struck?

Barry Moltz: Their sales are up and downs since they don’t have a systematic way to keep identifying new prospects and covert them to customers.

They also do not know how to leverage the people they hire (and hire the wrong people).

They confuse being busy with being productive.

SmallBizLady: Why do you say that many small business owners treat their business like it is a job?

Barry Moltz: They are so desperate to earn enough money to support their family this month that they don’t make any future investments that would result in building a stronger business. They say yes too quickly to what customers want. As result, their business drifts from your originally focused mission.

SmallBizLady: Why do small business owners lets today’s owners let today’s “ Emergencies” dictate their plan?

Barry Moltz: They start each day by checking Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Their daily plan falls apart 15 minutes after arriving at the office. They are addicted to multitasking and constantly let themselves be interrupted by people and global electronic notifications.

SmallBizLady: Why do so many small business owners never take a break or a vacation from work and why is this problem?

Barry Moltz: They have a fear of falling behind or missing an opportunity. They let technology invade every part of your life. They measure success by being busy, not productive.

SmallBizLady: Do small business owners take to many risks?

Barry Moltz: They think success is about taking gigantic risks, so they waste their resources by jumping in without first testing the water. They take courses of action that satisfy their ego but don’t help their business.

SmallBizLady: Why do small business owners avoid sales?

Barry Moltz: They are afraid of the word “no.” They think that when prospects reject their product or service, they are rejecting them personally. This prevents them spending the necessary time doing sales and marketing. They avoid sales and hire an inexperienced person to handle it.

SmallBizLady: How can small business owners stop wasting time on social media?

Barry Moltz: They think they don’t need a strategy. They become more interested in gossip than helping business prospects. They think the sole purpose of social media is to promote their products.

SmallBizLady: Why do small business owners hire the wrong people?

Barry Moltz: They are afraid of people knowing more than them and making them look bad. As an “A” Player, they only hire “B or C” players in supporting roles. They continue to use a hub-and spoke organization where all important decisions come through them, so they never feel left out.

SmallBizLady: Why do owners let lousy employees overstay their welcome?

Barry Moltz: They don’t fire employees, even though everyone knows they are doing a bad job and hurting the company. They can’t admit they made a mistake, for fear of the repercussions if they actually let them go.

SmallBizLady: Why don’t small business owners ask for help?

Barry Moltz: They believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness. They think that small business ownership is a solo sport. They are the biggest “I” in “team.”

SmallBizLady: Why don’t small business owners review their financial statements?

Barry Moltz: They never review them or ask for help to understand what they mean for their business. As a result, they make all business decisions blindly. This leads to borrowing and spending money based on expected results, which gets them into more debt.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

For more tips on how to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com

The post How To Get Your Small Business Unstuck appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Che Brown. Che is the master of neuro-linguistic sales and writing copy that hypnotizes the reader and moves them to action. He has coached entrepreneurs to sales of over $400 million. He eats, sleeps, and lives sales. As the Sales Cardiologist, Che knows sales is the life-blood of any company and helps build 7-figure sales teams for small business owners. For more information, visit: www.BIGTicketSalesCamp.com

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE 3 WAYS TO ELEVATE YOUR SALES RESULTS?

Che Brown: 3 ways to elevate your sales results:

1) Inner game – your mindset

2) Outer game – the how-to’s of selling

3) Action – doing what you know to do

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY?

Che Brown: The ability to prospect. Which means finding people who have a problem and sharing how you solve it.  Small business owners need a pipeline of qualified prospects.

SmallBizLady: EXPLAIN HOW SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CAN INCREASE REVENUE.

Che Brown: Small business owners should write this down in their notes: people will pay you today if you help them solve a problem today.  We are in the people solving business.   Don’t focus on selling – focus on solving problems.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE KEY SYSTEMS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

Che Brown: I am going to start off the same way. First, every small biz needs a lead generation system. The second key is an appointment setting system which is a way to talk to people who have a problem. And third, a lead conversion system which is converting non buyers into buyers.

SmallBizLady: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

Che Brown: My biggest challenge was finding profit partners instead of power partners. Profit partners are business owners that you can help grow their business without being paid – yes, you focus on the profit partner’s success instead of your own.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS IN BIZ?

Che Brown: Let me share a story of my client, let’s call her Karen.  Karen had a resistance to selling. Imagine a biz owner not wanting to sell.  I told Karen to say each day “selling equals service” and focus on serving not selling. That caused a breakthrough in her biz where she went from earning less than $3k a month to over $7k each month.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE ONE SKILL EVERY SMALL BIZ OWNER MUST LEARN?

Che Brown: Small biz owners need to understand that their “words can make them rich.” Which means to get better at what they say, when they say it and how they say it.  My point? Focus on language patterns and connecting with the client to truly understand their needs.

SmallBizLady: IS THEIR A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLIENT NEED AND WANT?

Che Brown: Yes. A huge difference. We are taught to focus on a want or need – the client could need to lose weight or want to lose weight but not take action. However, if you focus on the desire, the client will find a way to change their situation with your solution. The key is finding the clients desire.

SmallBizLady: WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS IN THE INDUSTRY?

Che Brown: One of my many mentors who had a profound impact on my life is Jim Rohn who is no longer with us.  He said, “Don’t wish it was easier just wish you were better” and “Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skill”. I quickly put my effort into improving my sale skills.

SmallBizLady: HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS PROFESSION OF SALES TRAINING?

Che Brown: Life before being a small biz owner – worked for two jobs my entire career, got laid off March 31, 2004, started my biz, lost my home, went through a divorce, raised my two sons, filed bankruptcy, had my car repossessed – then finally heard one idea: “selling is a learned skill” and I committed to teaching others how to sell so they could fund their passion and change lives.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF 12 YEARS AGO?

Che Brown: Focus on 3 areas with energy and effort:

1) Attract – got to attract people with a problem;

2) Engage – got to consistently interact with clients on the best solutions for their problems; and

3) Convert – got to close the deal and use skills that don’t come across as pushy, arm-twisting, or like a used car salesperson – instead sell from a place of honesty, integrity and compassion.

SmallBizLady: FINAL COMMENTS TO HELP SMALL BIZ OWNERS INCREASE THEIR INCOME?

Che Brown: Keep it simple – do these three things each day and you impact lives, inspire people and increase your income.

1) Stay humble – always come from a place of service;

2) Remain hungry for knowledge, constant improvement and never ending learning; and

3) Always hustle to give your best every moment of every day and I promise you success, happiness and increased income because the best is yet to come.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Build A 7-Figure Sales Team For Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with A. Fitzgerald Hardnett. He is a forward-thinking game changer and a sought after strategic marketing consultant for service professionals and brick & mortar small businesses. He believes visibility & lead generation are keys to success. Fitzgerald creates customized programs that deliver breakthroughs in visibility, and position you as the local expert & recognized authority in your field. For more information visit: www.LocalMarketAuthority.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DOES VISIBILITY MEAN IN RELATION TO SMALL BUSINESSES?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Visibility pretty much has the same meaning that you would expect in any other situation. It is simply the art of being seen, and recognized. We all have been driving along, and seen road crews wearing those bright green and yellow florescent vests. They wear those in hopes of being noticed before it’s too late. The workers are trying to avoid being hit by traffic. However, as a business you want to be hit by traffic, and you want to be seen, just like the road crews, that is what visibility does for a business it makes consumers pay attention to you!

SmallBizLady: WHY IS VISIBILITY IMPORTANT?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Have you ever been driving your car and all of a sudden you hear a noise but you ignore it. You get out and go on about your business. However, each time you get in your car you hear this noise. 5 days go by and you finally stop and turn your full attention towards this persistent noise to see what it is all about. Well, visibility is like that noise. If you keep doing it long enough people will turn their complete attention towards you to see what you are talking about. The lack of visibility is one of the main causes of small business failure.

SmallBizLady: WHY DOES LACK OF VISIBILITY CONRIBUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS FAILURE?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Let us imagine you are a small business that sells steaks. I mean grass fed, tender juicy steaks. If we did a survey of local people and asked them where the best place for steak is, and they started naming every place other than yours, you have a visibility problem because you are not top of mind. You are invisible during the consumer’s vendor selection process. That lack of visibility will prevent customers from finding you and supporting your business. No customers means an absence of revenue which leads to doors being closed!

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING MORE VISIBILITY?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Well the first step is treating your business as if it’s your home and you are expecting your mother-in-law to come over. The first thing to do is CLEAN UP!! Yes clean up your internet homes: social media profiles, websites, and landing pages. Make sure they have up to date information, pictures, logos and contact information. You would not invite people over to a junky messy house.

Once you start gaining visibility, people are going to look you up, and based upon what they see, either confirm their decision to do business with you, or brush you off. Make sure your house is in order as a first step!

SmallBizLady: WHERE SHOULD AN ENTREPRENEUR BEGIN?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: What I know to be true is start at home! Make sure your immediate circle of friends and family know what it is that you do. You must invest the time in them. Explain your business so that they can, in turn, express it in a way a 10 year old can understand.

Give your friends and family 5 business cards apiece so when they are out and about and hear of a situation where your skills and ability fit, they can refer you out through the business card. Turn your friends and family into your personal sales force!

SmallBizLady: CAN I JUST BUY MORE ONLINE VISIBILITY?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Yes, you can buy visibility! Companies do every day. They spend money on television ads, print media and the like. The reality is that most small businesses and entrepreneurs don’t have the kind of budget to sustain such a large scale media blitz. Google Ads allows you to position an ad in front of potential buyers targeted by keywords. Another option is to buy Facebook ads and pinpoint a certain geographic region around your business or your desired servicing area. Buying visibility is certainly an option.

What I advocate is preparing for the long haul by creating epic content. You want to infiltrate consumers mind, influence their buying habits towards your product and service. This approach is systematic and an investment of time. There is not a magic bullet to expedite this process.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME LOW COST, OR FREE, PRACTICAL WAYS TO GAIN MORE VISIBILITY?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Produce epic content in such a way that your ideal market cannot ignore you. You are the expert in your field; you know the pain points that your audience has. Create content that effectively addresses those points and publish it for them to consume. You can easily produce 30 pieces of content in 5 days!

SmallBizLady: HOW CAN I PRODUCE 30 PIECES OF CONTENT IN 5 DAYS?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Because you know the pain and pleasure points of your market, compile a list of 5 questions that you recommend a potential client ask an expert like yourself to qualify them to render services. Then create your list of top 5 things your clients should do in order to fix. You now have 10 pieces of useful information.

Next, you shoot a quick 5 minute (or less) video that addresses each point. You do 2 of these a day for the next 5 days. You now have 10 videos. However, the goal was 30 pieces of content. Ok, next you extract the audio and have it transcribed for each video. This will yield 3 different types of media x 10 videos = 30 pieces.

Now sprinkle that in the path of your potential clients and your chances of increasing your visibility have just shot up exponentially!

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Remember this phrase, “The money follows the mic!” Public speaking at niche specific events will put you in a position of authority. You will automatically increase your visibility because of being on stage. You will also inherit credibility because of the trust the participants have in the organization hosting the event. Public speaking allows you to speak 1 to many, instead of the normal 1-1 conversations. Thus amplifying your reach, and increasing visibility

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO I DO IF I CAN’T FIND EVENTS TO SPEAK AT?

Fitzgerald Hardnet: It is never a lack of resources, just a lack of resourcefulness! Create your own stage. This “live streaming era” that we are in gives ANYBODY a platform and a chance to speak when they want, where they want. Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube Live are just a few of the vehicles that can carry your message. They all provide opportunity for you to get your epic content out to the world.

SmallBizLady: SHOW OFF YOUR BRAIN!

Fitzgerald Hardnett: Leverage your time on social media. Become social and join the conversation! Add meaningful dialogue in the groups that you are a part of, especially industry specific ones. Invest the time to give detailed answers to even the simplest of questions.

Why? Because others will turn up their noses at the inquiry, and say stuff like… “ugh, they should know that”, and think it is beneath them to respond. They totally miss the opportunity to be of service. Yes, there is a good chance the person will never be a client, however they could be.

It is a chance that someone watching will see the care and professionalism that was used in YOUR answer, and seek you out. Or even better, tag you in a conversation, which is an endorsement and referral all in one!

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE KEY TO INCREASED VISIBILITY?

Fitzgerald Hardnett: If I had to use 1 word, it would be “consistency” Consistency is the key to break through. It’s not what you do one time; it’s what you do ALL the time.

How do you catch butterflies? Some get a giant net and run through the field chasing them down. While others take the time to plant seeds that will be attractive to butterflies. They cultivate the garden and take extra precaution to ensure the garden is just the environment the butterflies need and want.

This is the road less traveled, but it will yield the results that you are seeking! Exchange the word butterflies for your ideal customers and you will have the hidden concept to increased visibility!

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Get Game-Changing Visibility for Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Cathy Larkin. Founder of Web Savvy PR, Cathy add social media tools to the traditional Public Relations toolkit to help small businesses and entrepreneurs; non-profits and speakers; bloggers and authors build their businesses, and expand the reach of their brands. She excels in explaining geeky things in a non-geeky, easy-to-understand way. For more information, visit: www.websavvypr.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE 4 MAIN WAYS A BUSINESS CAN INTERACT ONLINE IN WAYS THAT BUILD TRUST?

Cathy Larkin: Being helpful. Solving customer issues or soliciting customer feedback. Interacting in positive ways with colleagues and competitors. Being real, human and showing your brand’s personality weather it is serious or sassy.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

Cathy Larkin: The purpose of online interactions is to build trust. Each interaction is an opportunity to bring your clients a step closer to choosing your brand when they need help and a product like yours.

Start with online activities where you provide useful tips or links to actionable info that help people solve problems (your links AND other’s links). You can also directly answer #CustomerService questions/issues or get customer feedback. And engage with customers in ways that let your brand’s personality show through, that make your business real, not just a “bot.

When you engage with colleagues and competitors – you look professional, trustworthy and puts you more on a level playing field with some companies who might be larger than you are; it can also lead to referrals over time.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I KNOW WHAT ONLINE ACTIONS WILL WORK FOR MY CUSTOMERS?

Cathy Larkin: First, ID your ideal customer: who already buys from you or who has the highest potential to buy? Also identify your secondary customer – who else might use your services?

For example, when we launched @SmallBizlady’s Twitter account in 2008 we knew that people WANTING to start a business were her main customers. But we also knew that existing #SmallBiz owners were also customers. Eventually her market also included companies that want help reaching new #smallbiz owners.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S NEXT? IS FINDING OUT MY IDEAL CUSTOMER’S DEMOGRAPHICS IMPORTANT?

Cathy Larkin: Secondly, once you’ve identified your primary & secondary customers, get to know their demographics. Who they really are (age, gender, income, location) is important; you don’t want to just guess, AND it is also important to find out what online/social sites they use.

How do I find this? Check out these folks: @Forrester, @PewInternet, & @PewResearch. Here is a link to my Twitter lists for trends research: https://twitter.com/CathyWebSavvyPR/lists/research-n-trends/members.

SmallBizLady: THEN WHAT? WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT/INTERACTIONS WILL ATTRACT MY IDEAL CUSTOMER?

Cathy Larkin: Third, with research from the above in-hand, brainstorm 3-5 topics that your customers need help solving or are interested in. What makes them happy, what frustrates them? Then develop your website content, blog posts, email blasts/newsletters and social media activities to focus on those topics.

For a math, language and #STEM kids tutoring client – we rotate the topics of Math, Kids Reading/Books & Writing/Grammar, Cool Science Stuff, Studying tips and info that Helps Parents.

SmallBizLady: IS A WEBSITE AND BLOG AN IMPORTANT PART OF BUILDING ONLINE TRUST, CAN’T I JUST HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE?

Cathy Larkin: A website and blog are crucial pieces of the online trust building puzzle. You control the content here, and how much activity and the email outreach you do. It also makes a business look legitimate, and the tone of the content on your site can convince people to work with you.

Facebook keeps decreasing the reach of their business pages – they are in control there, not you – they can be an important site for your business, but don’t put your eggs in one questionable basket.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I CONNECT TO MY #SMALLBIZ CUSTOMERS ONLINE – HOW DO I FIND THEM?

Cathy Larkin: You should have an idea of what sites they use from your demographic research. Survey your existing customers too. Post engaging stuff on those 3-5 topics you researched, start on the 1 or 2 sites they use most.

#Hashtags work on some sites of used selectively to help spread your content (on other sites – No: Yes on Twitter & Instagram, no on Facebook). Some sites you can look people up and follow them – like on Twitter, just don’t follow too many at once.

Mom’s were 1^st on Pinterest but the audience is broader now. Foodie sites do really well there. LinkedIn is still great for many businesses, and Twitter still works for many small biz folks – especially service businesses. Instagram and SnapChat are popular among younger audiences. Video can also work for many businesses.

SmallBizLady: I’M OVERWORKED ALREADY, HOW DO I HANDLE ALL THIS ONLINE INTERACTION STUFF?

Cathy Larkin: Realize that online activities like blogging & social media CAN connect you to customers whom you would never have had access to before. I got a $500- $1000 a month client in Canada from a twitter chat (I’m in the US), and a $3K/month 3-month gig from another connection I met on Twitter.

Get up a little earlier, schedule posts using @Buffer or @Hootsuite while you watch TV, hire a Social Media Consultant or a Virtual Assistant (VA). Find out who likes/is good at social media/blogging on your team, reassign a % of their tasks to others, then create a strategy with them, monitor & adjust. They CAN also be a distraction – creating a strategy is crucial.

SmallBizLady: THERE ARE ALWAYS NEW SITES POPPING UP. DO I HAVE TO BE EVERYWHERE?

Cathy Larkin: No, only consider them if your customers are new-adopters and likely to be active on new sites. But do dabble a bit and set up a page, as you never know which new site might be the next Twitter or Facebook. If your customers start using it, or you start reading on those research sites I mentioned that your customers are being active then consider the site.

We got @SmallBizLady active on Twitter during its upswing in popularity with small businesses and catching that wave helped her to grow her business. Pay attention, but only jump on board if it really provides new functionality that will really help you reach your ideal customers. But don’t stick your head in the sand either.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS ALL WORK?

Cathy Larkin: Having selective CTA’s or Calls To Action – if done well, can really drive activity and even sales. My tutoring client is launching a #STEM (science, tech, math & engineering) program for kids 10-14. Once it is up on the website (with a CTA of “call to find a center near you”) I will promote it by tacking on a link to that promo page sometimes when I post my “cool science” links to articles from NASA or about some cool thing a kid invented. Finding the right CTA and posting it at the right time, or placing it in the right place on your site, with the right incentive (coupon, white paper, free book chapter etc) can help.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE ACRONYM “S.T.A.C.K” THE DECK IN YOUR FAVOR MARKETING?

Cathy Larkin: Strategy and Tools: Don’t just jump in, create a plan. Figure out what tools and resources you need.

Audience: As noted above – define your audience/customers

Content (& Contact): Create website, blog and social media content that meets the needs/interests of your audience. Contact them and engage.

Keep it Simple & Karma: Don’t try and be everywhere at once, and be the good guy – be helpful and create good karma that will send them to you when they need your service.

This post has more: http://websavvypr.com/stack-the-deck-in-your-favor%E2%84%A2-strategic-marketing-plan/marketing-pr-and-social-media-strategies/admin/2009/12/

SmallBizLady: YOU TALK ABOUT BUILDING TRUST – HOW DOES THAT TRANSLATE INTO SALES?

Cathy Larkin: With social media, your website and blog you are trying to create a series of “dynamic touches” between your brand and your customer. They may not buy right away, but your goal is to get them to take one or more steps closer to your brand.

This post lists 10 types of responses/engagement you can hope to get from clients that can lead them to buy: http://websavvypr.com/content-marketing-should-make-your-customers-take-a-step-closer-to-your-brand-using-dynamic-touches/marketing-pr-and-social-media-strategies/admin/2015/02/#more-667.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Create Online Interactions That Build Trust for Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Jennifer Abernethy. Jennifer is America’s Sales and Social Marketing Stylist. After serving as an award winning executive with The Washington Post Company, Jennifer continued with a successful career in technology sales. In 2006, she joined the entrepreneur world and founded The Sales LoungeÔ. She is the author of the now ever-popular Complete Idiot’s Guide to Social Media Marketing. For more information, visit: www.SociallyDelivered.com.

SmallBizLady: IS SOCIAL MEDIA JUST AS POPULAR TODAY AS IT WAS BACK IN 2009?

Jennifer Abernethy: Yes absolutely in fact today many millennials use social media as the way to not only communicate, but to decide where to shop, eat, learn and whom to work for. Gen X and boomers are using social much more today professionally to work on their social brand.

SmallBizLady: WHERE DOES ONE START TO BEGIN BUILDING A STRONG BRAND ON SOCIAL?

Jennifer Abernethy: I believe it begins with the headshot. Get one that exudes your personality of not only where you are today but where you are going. We are in a visual social media space so it’s important to be seen.

SmallBizLady: SOCIAL CAN BE OVERWHELMING FOR A SMALL BUSINESS. WHERE DOES ONE START?

Jennifer Abernethy: A small business owner can begin by doing an informal survey. Begin asking prospects and customers what social media sites they are on and begin there. Also it is important to remember that your employees are your brand ambassadors. Make sure your teams social media profiles best describe your business too.

SmallBizLady: THERE ARE SO MANY PLATFORMS ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERENT?

Jennifer Abernethy: They really are. YouTube for example, is the place to be – especially if you are targeting Gen Z or Gen X.  They use this site as their search engine for information. LinkedIn is great for branding yourself to companies as an expert or talking to other companies to sell your products or services.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE THING THAT A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO CHECK OUT THEIR BRAND ONLINE?

Jennifer Abernethy: I would recommend Googling yourself. Google your name and/or your business name and see what pops up. If nothing? It’s time to get to work. If something is there look to see where it came from and ask does that reflect well on me and my business.

SmallBizLady: IS TRADITIONAL MARKETING STILL IMPORTANT TO A SMALL BUSINESS?

Jennifer Abernethy: One of the most traditional forms of marketing that is so important to a small business owner is networking. Yes, networking is marketing. By networking you are placing yourself out there in front of people. Then they will also begin to connect with you afterward on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ELSE?

Jennifer Abernethy: I also like to see press releases go out. I think press releases are still great for SEO and online credibility. One time I spoke at a conference with a celebrity and I hired a PR firm to do a press release. Not only did it land in online newspapers around the country, it gave my social footprint a nice boost. So when people searched for me this article came up and it led to more speaking engagements.

SmallBizLady: SO IS SPEAKING GREAT FOR A SMALL BUSINESS BRAND?

Jennifer Abernethy: Yes, absolutely. Get out there and get on panels and speak. This is great content to share on social too. It tells the world you are serious about your business and you can be seen by not only people at the event you are speaking at but the information will most likely be shared online by attendees and by you talking about it on social.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ABOUT VIDEO?

Jennifer Abernethy: Social video is growing each day. As a modern business owner you cannot be afraid of getting in front of a camera. Whether it’s your iPhone, laptop, tablet or a hand held camera. Share tips, share your journey and post the videos on social. People will get to know you and that is what you want.

SmallBizLady: IS YOUTUBE THE ONLY VIDEO OUTLET THAT REALLY WORKS?

Jennifer Abernethy: No, other platforms like Facebook now offer live video. Instagram offers video and LinkedIn just launched video. Video will eventually take over, that is my prediction.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ANOTHER TIP THAT YOU AN SHARE FOR SMALL BUSINESS TODAY?

Jennifer Abernethy: Care. Don’t make your social marketing always about you. Talk about your business comrades. Share tips that will make people’s lives better. Offer good energy online. Follow up with new connections ask how you can help. I’m telling you if you do that, you will really stand out in a crowd of millions.

SmallBizLady: LAST QUESTION. TO AUTOMATE OR NOT TO AUTOMATE YOUR SOCIAL? WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT PROGRAMS LIKE HOOTSUITE AND BUFFER.

Jennifer Abernethy: If you think about it, automating social isn’t really social. I really don’t like automation at all. In fact, I never automate my social. I’m online when I’m online. I connect. I listen. I share. I acknowledge. I interact. I engage. You can do this too. Again, those that are truly “social” will stand out in today’s crowded social space and it will do amazing things for your business and brand over time.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How to Transform Your Small Business with Your Social Media Program appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Yakinea Marie. Yakinea Marie, a certified business coach and Wealth Strategist™, is the Founder and CEO of the I Am Woman Network™, LLC, a business development and training company for women entrepreneurs. For more information, visit: www.iamwomannetwork.com.

SmallBizLady: ATTRACTING MONEY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH BUSINESS CLARITY. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE TARGET OF YOUR COMPANY?

Yakinea Marie: Knowing your company’s target product or service, target client, and target benefits are vital to attracting your ideal client and supporting them at their greatest need. A lack of clarity can deplete the company’s funds, confuse its brand message in the market, and serve clients with low impact.

SmallBizLady: WHEN DEVELOPING CLARITY WHAT ARE THREE MAJOR QUESTIONS THAT THE BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES?

Yakinea Marie: The owner should ask themselves:

1. What am I selling? This speaks to the advantages the products or services will offer.

2. What value am I selling? This speaks to how the product or service will benefit the consumer.

3. Who should be buying what I am selling? This speaks to your target market or ideal client.

SmallBizLady: KNOWING THE BENEFITS THAT YOUR BUSINESS OFFERS WILL ATTRACT MONEY. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A PRODUCT OR SERVICE’S ADVANTAGES VS ITS BENEFITS?

Yakinea Marie: When marketing the advantages to a product or service it allows the consumer to understand what it is, how it works, and what it does. When marketing the benefits, it speaks to the need of the consumer and the result they will experience after having purchased and used it.

SmallBizLady: CAN EVERYONE BE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT?

Yakinea Marie: Yes, if you’re selling water, but even then everyone isn’t your ideal client. Don’t try to serve the entire market only those who have a need for what you’re offering. You should know the demographics, basic habits, income and need of your ideal client.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO ATTRACT MONEY?

Yakinea Marie: Believe it or not…..give something away for free. It’s a simple strategy but it works. Give away free advice or How to Tips if you’re in the services business, with an upsell services attached. Give away products for a 7 or even 30-day trial period with the disclaimer if they don’t cancel then they authorize to purchase it.

SmallBizLady: CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU MONETIZED “FREE” OR “COMPLIMENTARY”.

Yakinea Marie: Absolutely. I’ve hosted free or complimentary workshops on how to grow entrepreneur’s businesses and at the close of the workshop I offered them a product that would support them as entrepreneurs. I’ve also given away free How to Tips as a PDF document and they opted-in at the thank you page and an optional upsell product would display to support them as entrepreneurs.

SmallBizLady: SO AFTER YOU BEGIN MAKING MONEY, HOW DO YOU MAXMIZE IT?

Yakinea Marie: Every business needs “Passive Income”. Income or revenue that recurs monthly like clockwork. This is established by creating a product or service that customers feel they can’t live without. For example: if you sell an all-natural skin product that helps dry skin with a convenient monthly auto-ship program with delivery some consumers would enroll. This is called Passive Income.

SmallBizLady: SOME BUSINESSES ARE GENERATING REVENUE WITH LITTLE PROFITS. WHAT ARE SOME STEPS TO NOT ONLY MAKING MONEY, BUT KEEPING IT?

Yakinea Marie: Many businesses are not generating a consistent profit because they:

1. Don’t know their business numbers, their expenses vs the revenue, which equals their profit. Every business needs a book keeping and/or accounting system in place.

2. They are overspending in areas that are not beneficial for the business, be it systems, employees, materials, etc. They must identify what their profit goals are and what is needed and beneficial for the company.

SmallBizLady: WHY IS BUSINESS BUDGETING IMPORTANT?

Yakinea Marie: I’ve been guilty of over investing and increasing my company’s expenses because I had the “I Want It Now” mentality but discipline, learning to say no, knowing your targeted revenue and profit goals, and understanding the Law of Process will keep you making and keeping money. Discipline yourself not to go outside of your business budget.

SmallBizLady: YOU MENTIONED OVER INVESTING. HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEED AND A WANT?

Yakinea Marie: A want is a temporary pleasure that often times lacks productive results. A want will lead you to making anxious decisions without thinking it through. But investing in the area of a business need will position the company for growth. For example: investing in a CRM operating system for the company to monitor analytics, products sale conversion rates, customer interest, etc. is a wise investment toward a need vs a want.

SmallBizLady: IS IT POSSIBLE TO OVER INVEST YOUR TIME IN ADDITION TO MONEY?

Yakinea Marie: Yes. Time is very valuable. Time is money and if you want to make more then you must figure out how to spend your time on things that give you the greatest return. Checking emails all day is not going to produce you money, so manage your time effectively and wisely.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER ONE OF THE #1 MONEY TIPS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS?

Yakinea Marie: Many are focused on making money. But it’s not how much you make that really matters, it’s how much you keep. Creating business wealth has little to do with your income and everything to do with your savings rate. If you don’t have one, then I encourage you to start a plan to save today.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Attract and Keep Money in Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Shawn Finder Shawn Finder is the Co-Founder and CEO of ExchangeLeads. Founded in 2014, ExchangeLeads is an automated software that helps small businesses identify new prospects to fill their sales funnel. Shawn is the author of 23 Mistakes That List Buyers Often Make. For more information, visit: www.exchangeleads.io.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I TARGET THE LIST I AM BUILDING?

Shawn Finder: It is very important that when you are building a list you identify your target market prior to building it. Are you looking to sell to c-level, director level or manager level? Also, do you know if the decision maker is the same person who is the end user? Therefore, always make sure you know who your prospects are while growing your list. 

SmallBizLady: HOW CAN I NEVER PURCHASE DUPLICATE CONTACTS?

Shawn Finder: When purchasing a list, it is very important that you make sure that you provide the list company contacts you already have in your database. This does not mean send them your database. This can be done by encrypting your emails through an MD5, so that they can provide you unique contacts while maintaining the integrity of your asset…. the list.

SmallBizLady: HOW CAN I PREVENT HAVING MULTIPLE CONTACTS FROM THE SAME COMPANY?

Shawn Finder: Talk to the company you are using and let them know how many contacts you would like per company. Any company that has been in the business will know that to provide you the maximum chance at an ROI, a max of 3-4 contacts per company would be ideal.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU HAVE AN OLD CONTACT LIST?

Shawn Finder: If you are using a list from 2012 or 2013 your list might be more than 50% obsolete. People change jobs daily and your data may be going stale.  I would always make sure your provider cleans the list prior to sending it to you. Also, I would have it cleansed every quarter as numbers show approximately 1.5% of data becomes stale every month.

SmallBizLady: ARE YOU USING THE SAME MESSAGE OR SPLIT TESTING?

Shawn Finder: One of the biggest mistakes people can make is use one email, one subject line, and one call to action. It is almost a necessity to always test different emails and subject lines to see what will provide you the best results.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU USE DOUBLE, SINGLE OPT-IN?

Shawn Finder: This is a battle that has been going on for a while. Double opt-in has been shown to get double the clicks and double the opens of single opt-in lists. However, single opt-in lists show a better conversion rate as every extra step in a process slows down the user.

SmallBizLady: HOW MANY TRAFFIC SOURCES ARE YOU SENDING TO?

Shawn Finder: Are you using that list only for email? Have you tried doing a cold calling campaign, or direct mailing campaign?  Also, you can use a list to add to your LinkedIn network, twitter followers etc.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU HAVE A FOLLOW-UP CAMPAIGN?

Shawn Finder: A follow-up campaign is the most important part of email marketing. Don’t send one email and expect results. You have to have a follow-up campaign and also different paths for each user that reads the email to go through.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU HAVE A LANDING PAGE/CONVERSION PAGE/CALL TO ACTION?

Shawn Finder: Statistics show that people want to fill out as little information as possible Therefore, a new strategy I have put together is to just ask for first name and email on a landing page. This way even if they don’t sign up for my platform I have their contact information for future marketing.

SmallBizLady: ARE YOU ASKING FOR SOMETHING WITHOUT A CALL TO ACTION?

Shawn Finder: At some point in your campaign you need to have a call to action. This might be for someone to provide you contact information and/or offering them a free trial. Make sure this is present and visual in your campaign.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU TREAT YOUR EMAIL LIST AS AN ASSET?

Shawn Finder: Every contact you have is an asset, a potential buyer, a potential opportunity. It is very important that you always maintain a clean asset so you can get the most out of it. I suggest, cleaning your email list every quarter.

SmallBizLady: HOW MUCH INFORMATION ARE YOU ASKING FOR?

Shawn Finder: People want to give out as little information as possible. Therefore, make sure you are asking for only the minimal information that you need. Once you build a rapport with your client, you will be able to get more information.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Avoid List-Building Mistakes In Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Gene Marks. Gene Marks is a columnist, author, and small business owner. Gene writes every day on business, politics, and public policy for the Washington Post and weekly for Forbes, Fortune, Fox Business, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur and the Huffington Post. Gene owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful firm that provides technology and consulting services to small and medium business. For more information, visit: www.genemarks.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY?

Gene Marks: If you’re a small business owner, you likely share challenges in common with your fellow professionals. One of the most prevalent challenges is the lack of a dedicated budget for IT resources and technology. Because of this, it often puts them at a critical disadvantage: they typically use outdated systems, which leaves them vulnerable to hack attacks. Unlike their enterprise counterparts, who have teams of internal experts, small business owners are short-staffed and do not have subject matter experts onsite to guide their digital/technological strategies.

SmallBizLady: HOW CAN BUSINESS OWNERS PROTECT THEMSELVES IN A DIGITAL AGE?

Gene Marks: The key is for small business owners to take a layered approach to security. A few components of this should include:

Limit Employee Privileges – this means employees should only have access to the data and applications they need to effectively do their jobs – and nothing more. Privileges must be managed and updated on an ongoing basis (promotions, transfers, or leaving/terminations must be accounted for)

Use Antivirus – It’s important to use antivirus software from a reputable vendor and ensure that it is constantly updated. Most solutions will catch nearly half of the viruses in circulation at a given time

You Better Backup – Every business should expect to get hacked, and if they want to survive the event, backups of computers and servers are a must. The best backup system is one that works automatically in the background

User Security Awareness Training – Every business gets bombarded with ‘phishing’ emails that contain virus-laden attachments and links to malicious websites. These are sent from outside cybercriminals, but it takes an action from a company insider to unleash the malware. Employees must be taught to identify fishy emails and what to do in the event that they click a bad link

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATA BACK UP AND DATA STORAGE?

Gene Marks: One of the most common misperceptions I see among small business owners is that they use storage as their backup solution. Unfortunately, users often learn the hard way that cloud storage does not offer the same protection from accidental deletions and costly disruptions as cloud backup. Also, many SBOs don’t realize that solutions like this do not back up all their files, or their desktop. Instead it backs up only the files shared through the service.

Cloud storage is fine for things like file sharing or accessing your files from mobile devices, but it won’t protect you from the most common forms of data loss. Only a true cloud backup solution will protect your files in situations where you’re most likely to lose it. A few benefits of backup that are fundamental to a small business’ security includes comprehensive, automatic backup that continuously monitors for file changes to back up the newest files. Additionally, backup solutions provide private encryption key for security and privacy and procvide compliance support, including HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA.

SmallBizLady: WHY IS DATA BACK-UP IMPORTANT?

Gene Marks: Backup has never been more important to small business owners than it is today. Research shows that downtime – from a computer or system crash, or data loss – can range from $82,000 – $256,000 for one single event. That is no small sum, and can be the difference between keeping or losing a business.

Today’s threat landscape is increasingly nefarious and complex, making solutions like antivirus inefficient to the point of becoming obsolete. We’ve seen this with the rise of ransomware, which preys on unsuspecting victims who click on a link and holds the user’s data hostage – shutting down a business – until a sum of money is paid. Antivirus won’t get a person’s data back; the ONLY solution to getting data back in this instance is rolling back to recent backups.

SmallBizLady: WHAT TYPES OF COMPANIES SHOULD CONSIDER BACKING UP THEIR DATA?

Gene Marks: All types. Every business is a data business in this day and age, and businesses of all sizes need to invest in a good backup solution at Day Zero.

A new survey from survey  shows that a majority of SMBs – 68% – consider data as their new currency. No longer are the highly regulated industries those who have to worry about critical business data being secure – data is critical in every organization and it’s up to the business to protect it.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE THREE SMB TECHNOLOGY MUST-HAVES FOR SUCCESS?

Gene Marks: It’s hard to limit technology must-haves to only three, so let’s consider them in segments.

First, it’s critical to have an online presence – such as a website, or web page within a social site – to promote your product/service and provide customers/prospects a way to reach you. It’s also critical you think about your communications platform – everything from email marketing, to customer relationship management, to social media platforms – so you can continue to market to and reach new audiences. Finally, it’s important that put your data first – everything from Google analytics, to data backup, to document management – to monitor your business running effectively and efficiently.

SmallBizLady: HOW CAN SMB’S BEST USE “THE CLOUD”?

Gene Marks: The most important benefit of the cloud for small businesses is data security, especially with a backup solution that stores copies of your business data in the cloud. With Carbonite, for instance, your files are protected with advanced encryption in climate-controlled data centers with armed guards 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also log in to your account remotely from any internet-connected device, so you never have to be in physical possession of your computer or external hard drive to access your files. Cloud-based software solutions, such as those specific to HR, Payroll, Customer Relationship Management, etc. will also let you save money, avoiding the expensive upfront investments that come with those traditional services. Communication tools such as GoToMeeting and Yammer will foster better collaboration and anytime-anywhere working, which is crucial to the modern small business.

SmallBizLady: WHAT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ARE BEST FOR A GROWING SMB?

Gene Marks: There are many excellent solutions out there, but I’ve compiled a list of a few I’ve seen work best in small businesses:

• Slack for communication
• HootSuite and Sprinkr for social media marketing
• Quickbooks for accounting
• Hubspot for CRM
• Canva for graphic design/marketing images
• Carbonite for cloud backup and data protection

SmallBizLady: WHEN SHOULD AN SMB BRING IN AN IT CONSULTANT OR IT PRO?

Gene Marks: It’s important to develop an IT environment that is unique to your company’s needs. However, there are a few signals that suggest a small business should work with an IT consultant.

First, if a technology has complex implementation, I advise trusting a pro with experience in that field who can handle the deployment. It’s also a good idea to ask for outside IT help if a system or service needs constant monitoring and maintenance, and there’s not already an internal IT expert onsite. Finally, a small business should think about calling an IT pro if upgrades or overhauls are required.

SmallBizLady: WHY SHOULD A SMALL BUSINESS BE CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING DATA?

Gene Marks: Today, there are dangerous cyber threats targeting small businesses to not only steal data but also to exploit it. Small businesses are particularly at risk because malicious actors suspect that small business lack the IT systems to defend against them. Small businesses need to start recognizing the serious risks they face if they don’t protect it: data is the lifeblood of every business. If you lose your data, your business will likely go with it.

SmallBizLady: I’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT RANSOMWARE EVERYWHERE. WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD SMALL BUSINESSES BE CONCERNED?

Gene Marks: Ransomware is a type of malware – software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems – that holds a user’s computer systems hostage until a sum of money is paid. The only way to recover data without paying the ransom is by reverting to previous backups. Even if users do pay the ransom, there’s no guarantee they will get their data back, necessitating cloud backup solutions.

Small businesses are unfortunately the primary targets of ransomware attacks because they can pay more than an individual would to get data back, but usually don’t have the IT security in place to prevent attacks. Small businesses should expect that they will get hit with ransomware and put best practices in place to prevent and recover from it.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE COMMON MISTAKE SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY DECISIONS?

Gene Marks: Failing to implement a data strategy at Day Zero. As previously noted, data is the lifeblood of every business. Small businesses product BIG data from everywhere: their emails, social media platforms, e-commerce systems. The most successful businesses are the ones who have a plan in place that allows them to not only leverage this data for insights but also protect it from looming threats.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post Simple Technology to Give Your Small Business an Edge appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Christian Karasiewicz. Christian is the CEO and Founder of Social Chefs (http://www.socialchefs.com/blog), a leading social media training and education site, where his goal is to make creating a winning social campaign as easy as following a recipe! He is also a Social Business Manager for IBM, avid supporter of Apple and frequent tennis player who loves helping other business owners succeed.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO?

C.Karasiewicz: It’s using your mobile device to broadcast live in real-time to your audience/tribe using Facebook.

You can use Facebook Live video for profiles, pages, groups and even events.

For Pages, by using Facebook Live you have another way to build a deeper relationship with your customers and fans on Facebook thanks to livestreaming!

By using Facebook live video in your group, this can be a great way to build deeper connections with your group members and to make your Facebook Group a destination that your customers visit regularly and recommend to their peers on Facebook.

For Events, when you are putting on an important event for your business, you can incorporate live video and promote it just to people who said they were attending your event on your Facebook Page. By using this Facebook tactic, you can engage prospects and customers before, during and after your businesses events!

SmallBizLady: CAN ANYONE USE FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEOS?

C.Karasiewicz: Absolutely! Right now, you can broadcast just yourself on Facebook to your friends or fans. If you’re a verified page, this week they rolled out a way for you to collaborate with others when livestreaming.

SmallBizLady: IS THERE A COST TO CREATE FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEOS?

C.Karasiewicz: There really isn’t any except for mobile data, your time and a few tools such as a mobile device.

SmallBizLady: CAN ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS GET INTO LIVE STREAMING?

C.Karasiewicz: Certainly. A restaurant might use Facebook Live to give customers a sneak peek of their evening specials. They could also tie-in an exclusive coupon code just for Facebook Live viewers.

People in banking or finance might use live video to answer common questions they receive from customers.

If you run a retail business, consider using live video if you have specials in-store or online you want to announce to your audience.

The same goes for bloggers. Instead of having readers post comments, you can bring readers together to discuss a blog post with you in real-time.

SmallBizLady: ARE VIDEOS SAVED?

C.Karasiewicz: Yes. Your live videos are stored in the photos/videos tab of your Facebook Page. They can also be saved on your mobile device immediately after you end the broadcast. You can also go back and download them later if you need them. While you can always access your Facebook Live videos from your account, it’s good to have a backup.

SmallBizLady: CREATING A LIVE VIDEO SOUNDS COMPLICATED. HOW MUCH PLANNING NEEDS TO GO IN TO ONE?

C.Karasiewicz: If you’re just getting started, it’s best to create an outline so you can stay on-track. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. No one creates a perfect video the first time. Experiment and then improve with each new Facebook Live video.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME WAYS I CAN IMPROVE MY VIDEOS?

C.Karasiewicz: Besides creating an outline, instead of just going live on Facebook, you can create a 30 second teaser to let your fans know you’ll have a special Facebook Live video on a set date and time and to tune-in.

If you have links you want to share with your audience, create an easy-to-remember Bitly short URL you can tell them in your video and post it in the comments as well!

SmallBizLady: HAVING QUALITY VIDEO AND AUDIO ARE IMPORTANT WHEN LIVESTREAMING. HOW CAN I MAKE SURE MY VIDEOS LOOK THEIR BEST?

C.Karasiewicz: Have a strong WiFi signal. For videos, I recommend getting a tripod such as the Manfrotto…so the camera doesn’t shake and use an external mic such as the RODE VideoMicro. Each runs about $50, but you can use them for Facebook Live Video, YouTube videos, Periscope and more! They’re extremely portable too! Stabilizers, portable lights, portable battery chargers, Bluetooth remotes, and additional lenses are also great to have.

SmallBizLady: IF SOMEONE IS UNCOMFORTABLE OR NEW TO BEING ON-CAMERA, HOW CAN THEY EASE INTO USING LIVE VIDEO?

C.Karasiewicz: I would recommend working with a friend to use Facebook Live video. You can start a video and have it where it is only shared with one other person. This would allow you the opportunity to practice using live video, while testing out the equipment. Be sure to keep the group small, but don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE WHEN ONE ISN’T SURE HOW FB LIVE VIDEO WOULD APPLY IN THEIR OWN SMALL BUSINESS?

C.Karasiewicz: Look at other major brands to see how they are using live video. Don’t forget to look at competitors as well to see what they are doing and consider borrowing some ideas from them. Another thing being done a lot with live video is to include subtitles in your videos. This is easy to do – you can hire a service to help create these. This can help you capture a reader’s attention if the video is auto-playing, but they don’t have the sound up. Look at all aspects of the videos someone makes. Not just the content, but how long the videos are, how they deliver it and so forth. If you really like a concept they use and want to implement it in your own videos, don’t be afraid to network with them and ask them for help.

SmallBizLady: WHY IS LIVE VIDEO SO IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS?

C.Karasiewicz: Live video used to be really expensive to produce. Today, anyone can create live video using just their mobile device. It is important because it enables small business owners to be able to reach their audience better and connect with them on a deeper level – for example, you can sense someone’s emotions and feelings over video better than you can through a picture. Video also presents small businesses with a more interactive way to connect with customers. At the same time, customers feel valued if a business owner can see they are watching their video and mention them by name. It gives people a sense of belonging.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE THING I AS A BUSINESS OWNER CAN DO TODAY TO USE FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO?

C.Karasiewicz: Come up with 3-5 ideas you could consistently talk about on video and schedule them on your calendar. What gets scheduled, gets done!

Review your live videos and see where you can improve and keep at it!

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Use Facebook Live in Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with James Muir. James is the author of The Perfect Close: The Secret to Closing Sales – The Best Selling Practices & Techniques for Closing the Deal that shows sales and service professionals a clear and simple approach that increases closed opportunities and accelerates sales to the highest levels while remaining genuinely authentic. Combining the latest industry drivers with the most recent ideas and best practices James helps sales and services organizations take sales performance to a higher level while remaining genuine and authentic to their value system. For more information, visit: www.puremuir.com.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO TRADITIONAL CLOSING EFFORTS FALL SHORT?

James Muir: 90% of closing methods are manipulative and damage trust. In most cases they have been proven to be counter-productive. That is, they actually hurt your chances of making the sale.  One study tested the 6 top closure techniques & results showed all damaged the basis of trust. Predictably, the most manipulative techniques damaged trust the most.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST MYTHS IN CLOSING?

James Muir: There are many. I cover 7 in my book:

1. Closing Gambits (Techniques) Work
2. Always Be Closing
3. Closing Is the Same for Both Small Sales & Large Sales
4. Closing Gambits Show You Want The Business
5. Customers are happier after making a decision (so manipulating them is in their own best interests)
6. The Sale Will Close Itself
7. Salespeople fear asking for commitment.

The top two of these would have to be: #2. Always Be Closing and #6. The Sale Will Close Itself.

SmallBizLady: WHY IS “ALWAYS BE CLOSING” A MYTH?

James Muir: Thanks to Alec Baldwin we all know the ABC’s of selling – Always Be Closing. Unfortunately, science has proven that wrong. The truth is, past the first attempt there is a negative correlation between closing frequency & sales call success. In the Huthwaite study we even know how much less effective it is – it’s 33% worse.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT THE SALE WILL CLOSE ITSELF?

James Muir: I personally l fell for the myth that “The Sales Will Close Itself.” This has been studied and sales generally do not close themselves. In fact, statistically, the problem of not asking for ANY commitment is much bigger than asking for commitment in the wrong way. The percentage of encounters where salespeople and professionals never ask for any form commitment ranges from 50% – 90% depending on the industry. The average across all industries seems to be about 60%.

Neil Rackham of Huthwaite says it this way – “Traditional closing techniques are not the best way to obtain commitment from a customer in a major sale. But as we’ve seen, doing nothing isn’t effective either. The sale doesn’t close itself.”

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ADVANCE, A CONTINUATION AND A CLOSE?

James Muir: I use closing in a generic sense & I use Neil Rackham’s definitions in the book. Rackham defines them this way:

                Closing – “Anything that puts the customer in a position involving some kind of commitment.”

                Advance – “Progressing the sale forward in a little way.”

                Continuation – “Where the sale will continue yet no specific action has been agreed upon by the customer to move forward.”

Not knowing the difference between an Advance and a Continuation can make a big difference in sales success.

SmallBizLady: IS THERE A KEY TO CLOSING, AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

James Muir: If there’s a key to closing/advancing the sale, it’s in preparation. It’s important to go into any interaction with a few outcomes in mind. We want to consider what we’d like to happen as a result of this interaction. Salespeople should have an ideal advance and a couple of alternative advances.

Stephen Covey fans will recognize this as Habit #2 – “Begin with the End in Mind.”  With these thought-out advances it’s very simple to ask The Perfect Close questions.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS OF THE PERFECT CLOSE?

James Muir: There are 5 variations of The Perfect Close so let’s start with the basic one first. The first question is “Does it make sense to X?” Where “X” is your ideal advance. There are only two possible outcomes: Yes or no.

If the client says “yes” great! You just got your ideal advance with just one question!

If they say “no”, then we use question 2 which is: “What’s a good next step then?” With that question 90% of the time clients will suggest a very logical next step to advance your sale. That paces things perfectly for that client.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER VARIATIONS?

James Muir: With the other variations we can improve things even further. This is where we use the alternative advances you planned. Two of the variations that use these are the “fall-back” & the “add-on”. With these instead of just asking “what’s a good next step?” We suggest one of the alternates you planned.  For example: “Other client’s at this stage typically do Y. Does it make sense to do Y?” This can be used to add or fall-back.

SmallBizLady: HOW IS THE PERFECT CLOSE APPROACH BETTER THAN TRADITIONAL APPROACHES?

James Muir: The big thing is that “Does it make sense?” is not the same as “Will you buy?”

At its core “Does it make sense?” is a *timing* question not a closing question. Customers can’t say “no I will not do X” because we did not ask them to take any action. We only asked if it made sense at this time.

Because of that regardless of the answer “Does it make sense?” leaves us on emotionally higher ground than any other commitment question. This lets us travel at the pace the customer is ready for. Customers feel more in control of the process and see you as a facilitator and consultant.

SmallBizLady: HOW IMPORTANT IS MINDSET IN EXECUTING THE PERFECT CLOSE?

James Muir: The technique is cool but the mindset is even more important.  Intent matters more than technique. I devote all of chapter 3 to this in my book.

The psychology of your intent matters a great deal. This is because in selling situations customers weigh intent more than competency. If customers feel your intent is flawed, in most cases the show is off. But if your intent is good customers will continue giving you opportunities.

For this reason, it’s important that salespeople come into selling opportunities with a service mentality.

SmallBizLady: HOW SHOULD SALESPEOPLE BE THINKING ABOUT SALES THEN?

James Muir: Whenever we’re taking on something new or challenging we all want a coach to help us move forward at our own pace. Clients are engaging us because they want us to help them make positive change. If they could accomplish that on their own the would have done it already. They are expecting us to be that coach. They want us to guide them through each little commitment it takes to achieve their goals.

That makes selling less about advancing the sale and more about coaching and leadership. Most salespeople can do a lot better job of coaching and serving clients than they are doing today.

My challenge to them is to be a better coach, be a better problem-solver, be a better teacher, so you can serve your clients better.

SmallBizLady: WHAT FINAL THOUGHTS OR ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO THOSE SEEKING TO IMPROVE THEIR SALES?

James Muir: I would leave them with this: Sales is service. Once you adopt that mindset all pressure and awkwardness dissolves. Sales as a whole needs reframing—it’s not about selling a thing so much as it’s about serving another human. When we live that ideal everything becomes much more fulfilling for both us and our customers.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Move Your Sales Forward With 95% Success appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Dawn Fotopulos. Dawn is an Associate Professor of Business at The King’s College in NYC, the award-winning author of Accounting for the Numberphobic; A Survival Guide for Small Business Owners, which won Best Business Book of 2015, and distinguished professor in the Woodard Institute for accounting professionals.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS SUCCESS? WE TALK ABOUT IT SO FREQUENTLY, BUT NO ONE EVER QUANTIFIES IT!

D.Fotopulos: It’s living off your own cash flow. It’s having enough money to support the business and your household.

SmallBizLady: YOU ARE CEO OF DF CONSULTING, INC. YOU’VE BEEN AT IT FOR OVER 17 YEARS! WHY DID YOU START THE BUSINESS?

D.Fotopulos: I may run a business but more importantly, I’m on a mission! I really am. It’s outrageous that over 50% of SMB’s are failing in their first four years of operation. I’m dedicated to changing that statistic. Brad Smith, CEO of Intuit said from the big stage at QBC “if we could improve the survival rates of SMB by only 5%, we could eliminate the unemployment problem in the US.” Wow, Brad. We can do a whole lot better than that. In the last five years alone, my team has saved hundreds of businesses that would have gone bankrupt applying Numberphobic principles, some of which we’ll reveal on this call. There’s no better way to double SMB survival rates than to show SMB owners how to manage their cash flow.

SmallBizLady: IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER MUST KNOW HOW TO ANSWER?

D.Fotopulos:      1. Am I making money? (Showing a profit).  2.  Do I have enough cash to pay the bills for the next two months (Cash Flow).  3.  Am I building wealth or destroying it? (Net Worth)

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIND OUT THESE ANSWERS? WHERE DO I LOOK?

D.Fotopulos: If you can’t answer these questions and know the answers cold, you have some learning to do. If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. But if you do learn how to read your financial dashboard, your Net Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet your odds of survival go up dramatically. What if a two-week investment of your time could change the next ten years of your life? Is that worth it? You bet. If you read the comments about Numberphobic on Amazon, that’s what’s been happening with people who bought and read the book. It’s actually a funny book on accounting. No one would ever put those two things together!

SmallBizLady: WHEN PLANNING THIS CALL, YOU MENTIONED TO ME A PRETTY CRAZY STATISTIC: THE JPM INSTITUTE (IF THEY ARE CORRECT) STATES THAT 25% OF SMBS HAVE ONLY 2 WEEKS OF OPERATING CASH ON HAND. THAT’S NUTS!

D.Fotopulos: It’s not just nuts: it explains why SMB failure rates are so high. It’s not that they don’t have enough cash; they don’t know how to manage the cash they DO have. Anyone ever give blood? How come they never pump all the blood out of your body? Because you’d be dead! Blood is to your body as CASH is to your business; not profits, but profits that have been realized because clients pay their bills.

To improve cash, make sure you invoice on a timely basis; don’t let the sun go down without you invoicing a client if it’s time to do so. If you don’t think it’s a priority to get paid, I promise you, your client won’t think so either. Don’t assume they know what they owe you either. The longer they owe you money, the less the likelihood you’ll ever get paid.

SmallBizLady: HOW COULD A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IMPROVE CASH FLOW IF IT’S THAT IMPORTANT?

D.Fotopulos: Send out the invoice STAT. Second, negotiate for payment terms when you make the sale, not afterward. Most people are so excited when they get a new customer, they forget to do this. The customer needs to know upfront what the expectations are regarding payment. If the terms are net 30 days, that means you expect to get paid within the month AFTER the invoice has been sent out. AT day 31, the client is late. Just remember, the clock on payment doesn’t start ticking until you send the invoice out. That’s the trigger for payment.

SmallBizLady: CAN YOU SHARE MORE WITH US ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CASH AND PROFIT? HOW SHOULD I BE THINKING ABOUT EACH IN MY BUSINESS?

D.Fotopulos: Profit is what’s left over after you take all your expenses away from revenues. Think of revenues like a big pile of money. Then you have to pay everyone; suppliers, accountants, rent, insurance, web developers etc. Net Income is what’s leftover. But someone customers take time to pay you. Sometimes they take discounts. Sometimes they go out of business. So it’s extremely rare that profits and cash flow are the same in the same time period. That’s why you have to statements that help you track both; Net Income tracks Profits, and a Cash Flow Statement tracks, well, Cash Flow!

SmallBizLady: SO, HOW DO I FIND OUT A) HOW MUCH CASH I HAVE ON HAND AND B) HOW LONG IT WILL LAST ME?

D.Fotopulos: If you have an accountant, every month they send you statements. Usually, that includes a Net Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement. Look at them! If you don’t understand them, read the book, then ask your accountant in that order. If you have a bookkeeper, they can answer the questions too, for less cost. How long the cash on hand will last you is a function of how much you’re spending every month to run the business. That’s called your “burn rate”. If you’ve ever watched Shark Tank, that’s a favorite question Mr. Wonderful and Mark Cuban ALWAYS ask.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT MY MONTHLY “BURN RATE” IS?

D.Fotopulos: You should know this number cold. If you don’t, your Net Income Statement will tell you. It’s like the mirror to your business. Once you understand it, you’ll be running the business instead of the business running you!

SmallBizLady: ONCE I’VE NAILED DOWN THOSE NUMBERS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE A PLAN FOR HOW I CAN FORECAST MY CASH NEEDS IN MY BUSINESS OVER THE NEXT 2-3 MONTHS?

D.Fotopulos: YES! Look at your expenses from last year. Will they be higher or lower this year? Map it out month by month. Now add it all together. That’s the forecast for what you’ll need. Often there are surprises good and bad, but it’s a great starting point.

SmallBizLady: IF I WANTED TO FIND MORE CASH IN MY BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY, WHAT ARE THREE THINGS I CAN START DOING TODAY?

D.Fotopulos: Invoice your clients! 90% of SMB owners I’ve spoken to NEVER INVOICE THE CLIENT. That’s not only crazy, it’s financial suicide. Service providers are REALLY bad at this. Are you an SEO expert? Get that invoice out as soon as you finish the project.

Second, make it easy for clients to pay you. if you are working on a multi-phase project, invoice at interim stages. Don’t wait until the end and send one, huge invoice for the client to choke on. If you send smaller invoices with greater frequency, you will get paid faster. Try it. It works like a charm.

Third, get to the know the accounts payable clerk at the client. That’s the person who cuts your check. They get NO respect inside their own companies, but trust me, they are           the KEY to your cash flow. I always send a thank you note to these folks. I really do appreciate when they pay my bill. I know them on a first name basis. Get to know your                 A/P clerks and what will happen is, they’ll make paying your invoice a priority. Try it and LMK.

SmallBizLady: ARE THERE ANY OTHER “HIDDEN” AREAS IN MY BUSINESS WHERE I CAN FIND AVAILABLE CASH? OR ACTIONS I CAN TAKE?

D.Fotopulos: My book Accounting for the Numberphobic will take everyone through a super simple, step by step guide on how to make this real in your business. If you follow the easy steps laid out in the book (which won Best Business Book in 2015 btw) you WILL improve your cash flow almost overnight; for sure within 30 days. You’ll be struggling a LOT less to pay the bills.

It’s also a funny book! It’s illustrated by a Disney artist and makes all this finance stuff really easy to understand. The numbers are brush strokes on a canvas, they paint a picture. If you can understand the picture, you’ll make more money with half the effort.

BTW, should anyone purchase the book or the audio version, email me at dfotopulos@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to send you the study guide that goes with it as my gift to you. It helps make the ideas come alive.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Get Control Of The Numbers In Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Wayne Kimmel. Wayne is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist, tireless networker, and the author of Six Degrees of Wayne Kimmel. For more information, visit: waynekimmel.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU DO EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMITMENT TO NETWORKING?

W.Kimmel: Every morning after I get dressed, I fill up my right pocket with business cards while leaving my left pocket empty. My goal is to empty my right pocket of my cards, while filling up my left pocket with cards from those I’d introduced myself to. I want to make as many contacts each day as I am able to. I use my business card as an icebreaker to introduce myself to people and a way to ask them for their business card.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN ENTREPRENEUR?

W.Kimmel: I invest in smart and nice entrepreneurs who are trying to change the world.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST IF YOU WANT TO NETWORK?

W.Kimmel: Get off the couch! You’ve got to go there and do it. As you all know, you will not make a basket, unless you take a shot. So you need to do the same thing when it comes to networking. You need to go out into the real world and go meet people.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S REQUIRED TO NETWORK?

W.Kimmel: Business cards are required.  – Business cards are the best icebreaker. They allow you to introduce yourself to another person when you give them your card and say “here’s my card” and immediately you can ask them to give you their business card. You also need to dress the part…make sure that you are dressed appropriately. Figure out what the “dress code” is for that event. For example, wear a suit if that is the dress code or jeans may be appropriate…

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU SAY IN A NETWORKING SITUATION?

W.Kimmel:  

1. Hi my name is ________.
2. Here’s my business card.
3. Can I please have your card.
4. Then say, “Thank you.”

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE GOAL OF NETWORKING?

W.Kimmel: Get a business card. Then take that contact and develop it into a relationship by sending them a thank you note for giving you their card and also saying “hope we can find ways to help one another in the future.”  You can then try to connect with that person on social media networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU MEET THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BECOME YOUR MOST TRUSTED AND INFLUENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS?

W.Kimmel: You have to go out and find them. You never know who they’re going to be, so you have to cast as wide a net as possible. You must go where they are and what do I mean by that? If someone you want to meet is receiving an award, go to the event and introduce yourself to them and congratulate them. Then you can follow up with that person and work to develop a relationship with that person.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU TURN CONTACTS INTO RELATIONSHIPS?

W.Kimmel: By unconditionally helping others. If you are in the business of building relationships, just keep doing things for others and eventually your time will come.

I love birthdays, they are a great way to check into all the people in your network. You may learn things about your contacts that could allow you to develop a real relationship with them. You may learn that your contact is now the CEO of a major corporation or that your contact just got married or had a baby, etc.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS NETWORKING PERSISTENCE?

W.Kimmel: There will be nights when you would rather hangout with your family or friends instead of going to a networking, political or charity event. Go anyway. You never know who you will meet. This is a long game. Building relationships through networking is like a marathon, not a sprint.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MYTH ABOUT TOP TECH COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE, FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN?

W.Kimmel: That they were created by tech geniuses sitting around in their pajamas writing code in their bedrooms or in a garage. The dirty secret is that the success of these companies really came from collaboration, making contacts and developing relationships.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

W.Kimmel: I tell

all the CEOs and execs at all of my companies that, if you tweet or post something on social media at 9 am and someone’s in a meeting and doesn’t check their twitter feed until the end of the day, they’re never going to see your post. Don’t be afraid to post it again at noon or five o’clock or before you go to bed.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU HAVE ANY NAME TAGS TIPS?

W.Kimmel: I love name tags. They allow you to walk around and, without saying anything, promote yourself. The name tag lets others know who you are—which is precisely why you go to networking events in the first place. You should always wear your name tag on the right side of your shirt or jacket. When you shake another person’s hand with your right hand, his or her eyes will see your name tag while making eye contact with you.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Network Effectively To Grow Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Marci Hill. Marcie Hill, M.S., is a freelance writer, blogger, author, and speaker who left her job and 12-year career in human resources to pursue her dream of writing. Her written successes can be found in international, national, and local print and online publications. She has written over 3,000 blog posts; self-published seven books; and presented at national and local blogging and social media conferences. For more information, visit: www.marciewrites.com.

SmallBizLady: HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED IN FORBES?

Marcie Hill: It was not easy. I found the name of an editor on Google who provided tips on how to get published in Forbes. I sent her at least five topic pitches over a period of several months before she finally said yes to my bio article. Also, I followed her instructions on how to pitch to her.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND A PERSON TO GET THEIR ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN A PREMIER PUBLICATION?

Marcie Hill: Read and research publications before pitching. You want to find out if the topic of the article you want to write has been written. If it has, what’s missing from what’s been published and how can you add to it? You also want to find the writers guidelines by conducting a web search on “Writers Guidelines for (name of publication). Find the editor of the department you want to write for so you can pitch directly to him or her and not the general mailbox. Finally, write and edit your query letter/story pitch according to the writers guidelines and then send it to the editor.

SmallBizLady: SHOULD YOU EXPECT TO GET PAID FOR THE ARTICLE?

Marcie Hill: Typically, you won’t get paid for this article. Especially, if it is your first time writing for them. The publication will usually consdier your contribution a “guest post”. But having Forbes or something similar in your portfolio, along with a published book, can generate a ton of business!

Try to make sure your article is linked to something you are selling. Readers will look for you and can be ready to buy.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU GENERATE INCOME FROM THIS ARTICLE?

Marcie Hill: Before you pitch the article, you can publish an eBooklet with a similar title and sell it on your site and on Amazon. This eBooklet will generate sales for you as people read the article both when it is published and in the future. You are also far more likely to get requests for your services when people find your article. Finally, you can point prospective customers to your article. It gives you extra credibility and prestige!

SmallBizLady: HOW WOULD YOU PITCH AN ARTICLE TO A POPULAR BLOG?

Marcie Hill: The process for pitching publications and blogs is similar, depending on the size of the site. For larger blog sites, the process is the same. It’s sometimes easier to get your articles published on smaller blogs because the owner is usually the editor. So when you contact the editor, you’re reaching the person directly.

SmallBizLady: SO, WE’VE LEARNED HOW TO PITCH CONTENT, WHAT KINDS OF CONTENT CAN YOU USE TO GROW YOUR #SMALLBIZ?

Marcie Hill: First, I want to remind business owners that content comes in all flavors: written, images, video, audio, infographics, slides, memes, animated gifs and webinars. Even this #SmallBizChat is a form of content.

SmallBizLady: WHAT MAKES CONTENT COMPELLING?

Marcie Hill: There are several things that make content compelling regardless of the format.

1. You need to answer a question; solve a problem; or entertain your audience.
2. Use stories to capture and keep your audience’s attention.
3. Your results can be successes and lessons learned.
4. Visuals – photos, graphics, charts, infographics, memes – add impact to your message.

Originality = Your content + your personality + your creativity

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FOR WRITING AND CONTENT CREATION?

Marcie Hill: There are lot of things that need to be written for your small business: letters, emails, newsletters, press releases, business proposals, blog posts and social media content. Here is a general content creation process for all projects:

1. Brainstorm your topic idea
2. Outline your topics
3. Decide on a format – audio, video, images, text
4. Create the content
5. Edit and revise the content
6. Promote your content, if applicable

SmallBizLady: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE CONTENT?

Marcie Hill: It depends on the project and the project goals. A blog post can take an hour to write and edit but a business proposal can take weeks.

SmallBizLady: WHY IS CONTENT CREATION IMPORTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES?

Marcie Hill:

1. It boosts your credibility as a subject matter expert.
2. It helps promote your brand and your projects
3. It enhances communication with your clients, employees, vendors and other stakeholders

It’s important to remember that small business owners have to promote online and offline.

SmallBizLady: WHAT SHOULD A #SMALLBIZ OWNER DO IF THEY NEED HELP CREATING CONTENT?

Marcie Hill:

1. Start with the end in mind. What is your goal for the message?
2. Be realistic about your schedule and the time you have to create
3. Editing is crucial
4. Hire a writer if you’re not good at writing. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for
5. Be patient and creative
6. Depending on the project, you need to promote your content

SmallBizLady: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO WANTS TO GENERATE AN INCOME FROM A GUEST POST?

Marcie Hill: First, write about a topic that you want to create products and services around. Second, be strategic about which publication you post it in. It doesn’t have to be huge like Forbes; it could be a trade publication that caters to your ideal audience. Third, keep pitching if you’re rejected. 

SmallBizLady: ANY OTHER ADVICE?

Marcie Hill: Be patient and creative. In the event you publish an article and it doesn’t generate an income, repurpose that article and pitch somewhere else. Also, create workshops and other products around that topic.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Write Compelling Content For Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Roshell Rinkins. Roshell is a supply chain expert, and has leveraged her 10+ year experience in the consumer products industry to create a virtual beauty destination to serve the lifestyle of time deprived women on-the-go. For more information, visit: www.liquidcouragecosmetics.com.

SmallBizLady: WOULD YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS TO ALSO HAVE A 9 TO 5 TO SUPPORT THEIR BUSINESS? WHAT IF SOMEONE JUST WANTS TO START A BUSINESS, BUT NOT WORKING. WHICH IS THE BEST ROUTE?

RoshellRinkins: It depends. If you have the industry, domain expertise and enough capital to run your business and pay your personal expenses for 2-3 years, then having a full-time job wouldn’t make sense.  Spend every waking hour building your business. But if you’re like most small business owners and lack the money outlay to pay for business and personal expenses for at least two years, I highly recommend keeping a 9 to 5 while you work on your 5 to 9 start-up.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS LITTLE TO ZERO BUSINESS ACUMEN? WHERE SHOULD THEY START?

RoshellRinkins: Take care of the business basics. Register your business, file for patents or trademarks if applicable, open up a business bank account, etc. I suggest hiring a private attorney or tax advisor for advice about what type of business entity will meet your business needs, and what your legal obligations will be.

SmallBizLady: SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT’S THE RIGHT TIME TO MAKE YOUR 5-9 YOUR 9-5?

RoshellRinkins: Be realistic” and ask yourself, “what would need to be true?” to fully transition out of your 9 to 5 to working full-time on your startup. I’ve set a specific business revenue goal to help guide this decision. In my case, the decision lies on a specific revenue, but for others the measure could be learning a specific skill, making a specific connection in your respective industry, etc.

SmallBizLady: I NEED MONEY. WHAT RESOURCES HAVE YOU FOUND HELPFUL?

RoshellRinkins: I recently concluded a successful Kiva campaign where I raised a $5000 interest-free loan to expand the Liquid Courage PowHER brunch series.  Kiva is the world’s first online lending platform connecting online lenders to entrepreneurs. This was a great way to not only engage my family and friends but gauge interest on the idea from customers. I was pleasantly surprised by how many customers participated in the campaign. Kiva allows borrowers to make monthly payments over a specific timeframe to repay the loan.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LESSON IN YOUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOURNEY?

RoshellRinkins: Find your tribe and build your community. Spend the time to research and understand the habits of your “ideal customer i.e. what’s her preferred way of getting information i.e. e-mail vs. text messages, what’s her go-to media outlet i.e. social media vs. specific apps, age i.e. Millennial vs. Baby Boomer, where does she lives i.e. suburban vs. city living, etc. This will help you more clearly understand how and where to market to her, which ensures the highest level of return on every dollar spent to acquire a new customer.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON HOW TO MANAGE BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR WHILE WORKING A FULL-TIME JOB?

RoshellRinkins: Prioritize and Focus. I read a study that showed 70% of employees are only effective 3 out of the 8 hours during a typical workday. I don’t check personal e-mails or surf the web during core work hours. I figured the more efficient I became at my 9-5, the more time I created to work on my passion-based business. Optimizing your productivity will yield incredible dividends for your business.

SmallBizLady: WHAT TOOLS OR SERVICES ARE YOU LEVERAGING TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE?

RoshellRinkins: Creating and maintaining strategic partners is one of my top priorities so I spend an enormous amount of time scheduling meetings. Calendly is my go-to meeting scheduler that allows the user to show availability during a specific period of time through a personalized booking page link. The receiver uses the link to pick an available time and the event is automatically added to your calendar! Calendly removes the phone and e-mail exchange hassle for finding the perfect meeting time. The best part is that it’s completely free.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE THING YOU BELIEVE AN ENTREPRENEUR BALANCING A 9 TO 5 AND A 5 TO 9 MUST MASTER TO DO WELL AT BOTH?

RoshellRinkins: Outsourcing. Make no mistake about it I’m a recovering control freak so it should be no surprise why outsourcing is what I struggle with the most. As an entrepreneur, it’s vital that you decide what items you can outsource which free you up to work on growing the business. My go to resource for outsourcing is fiverr.com. Fiverr is a global online marketplace offering tasks and services, referred to as ‘gigs’ beginning at a cost of $5 (yes only $5) plus a $.50 per job processing fee.

SmallBizLady: IF MY GOAL IS TO ULTIMATELY TO LEAVE MY FULL TIME, SHOULD I JUST COAST UNTIL ITS TIME TO WORK ON MY BUSINESS FULL TIME?

RoshellRinkins: I view my full-time job as an angel investor in my early stage start up. It affords me the opportunity to invest in my passion. I have to do a good job in my full-time job because I depend on the resources and the capital to ensure that Liquid Courage continues to thrive. There can’t be one without the other.

SmallBizLady: YOU LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN SILICON VALLEY. WHAT HAVE YOU PICKED UP FROM FOUNDERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RAISED MONEY FROM ANGEL INVESTORS AND/OR VENTURE CAPITALISTS?

RoshellRinkins: Prove out your proof of concept. Acquire customers, solicit feedback from your customers, and use the learnings to improve your product or service. An entrepreneur has to be customer centric and market responsive to succeed.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU RECEIVED FROM A FELLOW ENTREPRENEUR?

RoshellRinkins: Done is better than perfect. Perfection can be an enemy of progress. The key to moving ahead is follow through and solid execution. You could always use more money, more people, and more time. Make the most out of the resources that are currently at your disposal and continue to build. You will never know how the market will respond to your product or service if you never execute. Once you have the feedback, you can begin to make adjustments to ensure continued growth and success. Innovation is an interactive process.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DOES BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR AND HAVING YOUR OWN COMPANY MEAN TO YOU?

RoshellRinkins: I’m wired to solve problems, so I know I was born to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs wake up thinking how to provide solutions to both known and unknown problems. The ultimate satisfaction is that I have the power to build a business that can afford me the freedom to have ownership over my own time. I also find it inspiring and part of my purpose to serve women.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post The 5-9 Startup: Launching A Business While Working Your Day Job appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Suzanne Paling of Sales Management Services has over 25 years of experience in sales management consulting and coaching, helping companies in all industries improve their sales performance and processes. For more information, visit: www.salesmanagementservices.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SALES MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS YOU SEE?

S.Paling: The 15 most common sales management problems I see in my consulting practice include:  The Inconsistent Sales Rep, Selling Only to Existing Customers, Social Media Paralysis, Salesperson Fiefdom, Trouble with Titles, CRM Non-Compliance, The Mysterious Remote Rep, Unethical Behavior, Misaligned Territories, The Selling Sales Manager, The Superstar Sales Manager, Loosely Defined Sales Cycle, The Mediocre Rep, Unqualified Vice President of Sales, and High Base Salary.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE HARDEST CHALLENGE A SALES MANAGER FACES?

S.Paling: Regularly, I see really strong salespeople get promoted to a sales leadership position, receive little or no training, and then just be expected to do their job.  They put in long hours, trying to figure out what to do.  Often they just don’t know how to go about solving some of the most common sales staff problems.

As they progress in their career, especially if they work for smaller sized companies, they don’t have any type of mentor with sales management experience.  They need guidance on handling a tricky issue and wish they had a toll free number for a sales management hotline so they could talk to someone about it.

SmallBizLady: WHY DON’T COMPANIES OFFER SALES MANAGERS TRAINING?

S.Paling: Sales training gets put in the budget, sales management training does not. Most sales managers are either former superstar salespeople or solid producers.  Company presidents assume that this salesperson is segueing into a similar position and if they were good at sales they will be good at sales management.  They’ll figure things out.  They don’t need training.

The problem with that thinking is that the sales management position has almost nothing in common with being a salesperson.  It’s a totally different job.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SALES REP AND A SALES MANAGER?

S.Paling: A sales representative works for the customer, is an individual contributor tasked with an individual revenue goal.  They call on and regularly advocate for customers, get along reasonably well with their peers and use resources to make themselves successful.

Conversely, a sales manager works for the company, accomplishes goals through others, is tasked with a group revenue goal, accompanies sales reps on customer visits, upholds company policies and procedures, has hire/fire power over reps and provides resources to make reps successful.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO SALES LEADERS ATTEMPT TO SOLVE PROBLEMS?

S.Paling: Sales leaders have a “heart to heart” with a rep about a problem.   The rep improves for a period of time, the sales manager gets busy, the rep reverts to their old behavior and they’re back to where they started.

The other reps see this happen, they start taking the manager less seriously and a culture of non-accountability develops.

SmallBizLady: WHAT PREVENTS THEM FROM SOLVING THE PROBLEM?

S.Paling: Busy answering 300 emails, sitting in endless meetings, and getting bogged down with all the data in the CRM system, they have limited time to do their main job – working with and coaching the reps.  It takes time and ability they don’t have to address a problem with rep.

Then you have the hiring dilemma.  Right now, there’s a shortage of good salespeople.  If they address the problem with a rep, the rep might read the writing on the wall and quit.  Or if the rep doesn’t improve, the sales leader might have to terminate their employment.  Then the sales leader has to replace them.  How many weeks or months will that take?  What if they can’t find a suitable replacement?  The sales leader decides that putting up with the rep might be the better option

SmallBizLady: WHY DO THEY KEEP HOPING THINGS WILL CHANGE?

S.Paling: If the company has a decent product, good benefits and a lucrative compensation plan, many managers feel like that should be motivation enough.  Here is your quota.  I hired you with the understanding that you want to make a lot of money.  Now go do what’s necessary to bring the sales revenue in.  They hope the rep will wake up, realize what a good situation they have and start doing what’s necessary to make quota.

SmallBizLady: WHAT CAN A BUSINESS OWNER DO IN ADVANCE TO MINIMIZE PROBLEMS WITH REPS?

S.Paling: Business owners and sales leaders need to have a plan in place before they hire their first or an additional rep.  Prior to the rep’s start date, figure out new hire orientation, product training, minimum performance standards and quotas.  Think about how you will handle issues like missing quota or not doing any prospecting before they show up on day one.

Any pre-work you put in makes handling problems much easier from the start.  The rep understands the expectations and you are ready to take corrective action if necessary. 

SmallBizLady: CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF A PROBLEM YOU HELP SALES MANAGERS SOLVE?

S.Paling: In one chapter, I talk about the mediocre rep, the one who always just makes quota, year in and year out, while others experience 20 – 40% increases or better.  How do you handle that situation?

First, get the facts:  Compare their performance to the group average.  If the group average is 116% of quota and they come in at 101%, determine how much money their territory loses every quarter.  Next, solve the problem yourself first.  What would you do if no one could tell you no.  In this case the sales leader determines that if a sales rep goes two months or two quarters in a row (depending on the length of your sales cycle) they will go on probation.

I then recommend leaders show the plan to their direct supervisor.  Sell them on it.  Present some charts and graphs.  Work together to address the issue.  Compromise with them if need be.  Once that work is completed, the sales leader can approach the rep about the problem.

Put a timeline on solving the problem.  Give the rep all the support they need, but let them know they have to be performing at a certain level by a certain date or you will have to put them on probation.

SmallBizLady: HOW SHOULD SALES LEADERS SPEAK WITH THE REP ABOUT THE PROBLEM?

S.Paling:  Make no attempt to solve the problem during that initial conversation.  Approach the first meeting with the idea of doing a lot of listening.  Ask open-ended questions and hear what reps have to say.  Show them the information that you’ve put together and encourage them to look it over for a day or two.  Schedule a follow-up meeting during the first meeting.

During subsequent meetings, offer the rep your full support.  Provide the time and resources necessary for them to show improvement.  But put a timeline on solving the problem.  Let them know they have to be performing at a certain level by a certain date or you will have to put them on probation.

SmallBizLady: IS THERE ANYTHING A SALES LEADER CAN SAY OR DO TO LESSEN THE TENSION DURING THESE MEETINGS?

S.Paling:  On some level, this rep isn’t meeting company expectations.  That’s a tough thing for anyone to hear.  Think about any contributions this rep has made to the sales effort, big or small, and mention them during the meetings.  They will remember and appreciate the gesture.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO SALES LEADERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

S.Paling:  Managing sales people means sitting in judgement.  You have to be able to hold reps accountable and take appropriate action when goals aren’t met.  Some people find that concept very difficult to deal with.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Avoid Sales Management Mistakes in Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Andrena Sawyer. Andrena is an entrepreneur, author and consultant committed to helping women entrepreneurs succeed. She is the president of P.E.R.K. Consulting, a small business consulting firm in the Washington D.C. area. For more information, visit: www.perkconsulting.net.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR BUSINESS IDEA IS A BAD IDEA?

Andrena Sawyer: Businesses exist to meet a need. No matter how good someone thinks their idea is, if it does not solve a need, it’s worth considering whether it’s a hobby and not a business venture. Without a clear need in the market, you don’t have a customer base, which ultimately means that you are not able to make any money. In my experience, an idea can sound far-fetched, but if it meets a need, it becomes viable. The challenge for a lot of new entrepreneurs is not the idea itself, but the execution of the idea.

SmallBizLady: WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT LESSON YOU LEARNED IN YOUR FIRST YEAR OF BUSINESS?

Andrena Sawyer: In my first year of business, I quickly learned that you should not be all things to all men. I was eager to create a customer base and to make my idea profitable. I lowered my prices way below our competitors, and while that lured some customers, it hurt our company over time. As we tried to increase our prices to meet up with the cost of production, we faced some backlash from customers that were used to our low price point. This also affected our confidence when it was time to pitch our price point to new prospects.

SmallBizLady: WHAT CAN AN ENTREPRENEUR DO TO SET BETTER GOALS?

Andrena Sawyer: Create an accountability system. Practical accountability systems might include visual reminders of your goals, scheduling check-ups on your progress, or designating a team member to monitor your progress. Being intentional about your goals by creating these systems takes you from a reactive stance to a proactive stance, which increases your chances of success.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU THINK KEEPS MOST PEOPLE WITH A BUSINESS IDEA FROM ACTUALLY TAKING THE LEAP?

Andrena Sawyer: I think fear keeps many people from taking the entrepreneurial leap. Many people can appreciate the comfort of a steady paycheck, the camaraderie of an office, or benefits like health insurance. Entrepreneurship is a risky pursuit that may not include any of those comforts initially. The concern in understandable, but I believe that the rewards are great for those that do take the risk.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE JUST STARTING?

Andrena Sawyer: Many entrepreneurs initially struggle with finding their niche. Part of the charm of entrepreneurship is that you have full creative license to create whatever your mind envisions. Because of this, some entrepreneurs struggle with creating parameters for the work they do. This can result in challenges with branding and product development.

SmallBizLady: FOR OWNERS THAT LEAD A TEAM, WHAT IS ONE WAY TO MOBILIZE OTHERS ON YOUR TEAM TO MOVE FROM IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION?

Andrena Sawyer: Create rewards. Rewards are good for morale, and a happy team is a productive team. As your small business team sets goals, create rewards that highlight performance, promotes collaboration and other values that are important to your company. The rewards do not have to be financial, but consider ways to encourage action, rather than just discussions.

SmallBizLady: DO YOU REGRET STARTING A BUSINESS?

Andrena Sawyer: Absolutely not. Since I started my businesses, there have been incredible highs and lows—just like with any other pursuit in life. The highs of owning a small business motivate me to continue to keep pushing and scaling my business. The “lows” have taught me tremendous lessons that have made me a better person, friend and business owner.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR THOSE THAT ARE FEARFUL OF TAKING THE LEAP?

Andrena Sawyer: While entrepreneurship is inherently risky, you can mitigate some of the risk by planning well. There is no rule that says you have to dive right into business. You have the option to begin as a side hustle while you build your business until it can function in a greater capacity. Consider all of your options. It is also important to understand that you do not have to do it all alone. There are great local and national resources available to educate and equip small business owners. Do not be afraid to take advantage of those resources and opportunities.

SmallBizLady: WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF TRANSITIONING FROM YOUR PREVIOUS JOB TO OWNING A SMALL BUSINESS?

Andrena Sawyer: Initially, it was very difficult to change my worldview and habits from employee to employer. As a small business owner that built a team early on, I had the responsibility of juggling several roles simultaneously. It happened rather quickly, and adjustment was part of my daily routine. As an employee, my sole responsibility was doing my job well. Changing my thinking and habits to stretch beyond what I was used to required daily adjustment.

SmallBizLady: WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR?

Andrena Sawyer: Freedom. I enjoy freedom on all fronts—freedom to create work that I am proud of, freedom to build my vision, and freedom to own my successes as well as challenges. Entrepreneurship has taught me that many of my perceived limitations can be defied.

SmallBizLady: SHOULD BUSINESS OWNERS SET NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

Andrena Sawyer: Goal planning should happen more than once a year for business owners. When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, only about eight percent of people actually accomplish their goals. If you insist on setting a goal in the new year, be flexible. Recognize that things may not always go as planned, but many times that can be a good thing. Flexibility opens the door for creativity to flow, and for open discussion on alternative approaches to solving your business needs.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER WHEN MOVING FROM IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION.

Andrena Sawyer: Once you have decided that your business idea is viable, begin to map out a strategy for implementation. As you strategize and create goals, be sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Using this formula will break down the big task of implementation into bite-size, manageable action points.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Move Your Small Business From Idea To Implementation appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Mikael Lauharanta. Mikael is a digital media authority and one of the founding fathers of employee advocacy. As the co-founder and COO of Smarp, he has helped foster the expansion of the company from the founding team to a global organization with 60+ employees and offices all over the world. For more information, visit: smarp.com.

SmallBizLady: what is social selling?

MLauharanta: Social selling is the process of developing and utilizing your online and offline relationships during the sales process. It’s closely related to the social business trend and ties in well to the ongoing digital transformation that is changing the way companies do business and interact with the outside world. When it comes to social selling, social media networks play a key role in interacting with potential buyers to build revenue driving relationships.

SmallBizLady: how are potential customers approached differently in social selling?

MLauharanta: Social selling is a form of soft selling. Instead of aggressive pitches, prospects are approached in a way that delivers actual value right from the start. Social selling is all about answering questions, offering interesting content, and engaging with prospects until they are ready to buy.

SmallBizLady: why is social selling important?

MLauharanta: We live in a knowledge based economy where your potential customers are looking for information online and making comparisons to support their purchase decisions. 75% of B2B buyers are said to leverage social media to support their decision making, while 57% of the purchase decision is made before the customer even contacts the supplier. The effectiveness of cold calling and e-mailing prospects is diminishing as people look for less intrusive ways to make buying decisions and to interact with sales professionals.

SmallBizLady: why should salespeople be active on social media?

MLauharanta: Social media is filled with information that functions as the basis for decision-making for your prospective customers.

That’s where leads evaluate options and make purchasing decisions based on your and your competitors’ activity and presence on social media. SoMe is also filled with buying signals from your buyers and it can help fill your pipeline with highly qualified leads. Hence, according to Forbes, sales representatives leveraging social media outsell 78% of their peers.

SmallBizLady: how should companies approach social selling differently from traditional sales?

MLauharanta: If the traditional sales mantra is “Always Be Closing”, the social selling mantra is almost the opposite – “Always Be Connecting.” You should always be opening new doors and creating new relationships and go for the close when the prospect is ready for it. It’s difficult to close deals solely by using social media channels, but having an active presence on social media discussions provides an advantage in creating relationships before hitting the phone or setting up a meeting.

SmallBizLady: what’s the first step in getting started with social selling for an individual?

MLauharanta: First impressions matter. At the bare minimum, you should create profiles and have an active presence in the social media networks where you expect to find leads. Adjust your social media profiles to serve your purpose by making sure you appear professional. So get rid of those blurry photos and spelling mistakes and try to look as professional as possible but don’t forget to show some personality to make yourself more easily approachable.

SmallBizLady: what’s the first step in creating a social selling strategy for your organization?

MLauharanta: First, determine your target audience. Start by finding out who your potential customers are (their age, gender, occupation, location, etc.). This will help you to identify the channels they are using, and get into the right mindset to understand their needs and solve their problems.

SmallBizLady: which channels should businesses use?

MLauharanta: Define where and how you are going to trigger conversations. If you are doing B2B sales, it is likely that LinkedIn is the most relevant channel for you, in which case you may want to adopt a more professional tone. On the other hand, if you are selling surfboards, Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat could be your weapon of choice for more visual and laidback communication.

SmallBizLady: how often should one be active on social?

MLauharanta: Aim to share at least twice a week. Try to be especially alert after adding new connections and make sure you are visible to them. This will keep you top-of-mind and relevant to your network. Coming up with timely content may sound like a mission impossible but it really isn’t. And if nothing else you can always comment on and react to something your prospects are sharing.

SmallBizLady: what type of content works best when social selling?

MLauharanta: It is important to produce content yourself to showcase your expertise but not all content has to, nor should be, produced by you or your company. The internet is full of interesting industry news, articles, videos, etc. which you can and should share to your networks. By sharing content produced by someone outside your organization, you create credibility and look more authentic and trustworthy in the eyes of your audience. This way you are also creating new relationships and attracting the attention of other influencers.

SmallBizLady: how can a company get real results from being active on social media?

MLauharanta: In order to persuade your prospects to take the next step in their buying journey, you should always place a call-to-action on the landing page where you are driving traffic. This can be a link to a trial, a newsletter subscription form or a guide (like the one you are reading at the moment). However, keep in mind that not all content you post to social media should link to your own content. Don’t forget to set up sufficient monitoring to be able to calculate the monetary value of the initiatives and optimize your resources.

SmallBizLady: how can a business tell what is working and what is not?

MLauharanta: It is vital to measure the impact of your shared content – what works and what doesn’t. Analyze and identify the type of content and the time of sharing, which generate the biggest impact. This will help you to plan your future content and make adjustments on the go. Platforms like Smarp are equipped with advanced social monitoring tools that help you to make educated decisions on optimal sharing times and analyze what content resonates the best. In addition you can track the incoming traffic on your website all the way to the conversions you have set up for your website.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Successfully Use Social Selling For Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Chris Sentz. Chris is a digital solutions leader with an extensive background in the development and implementation of customer-facing growth initiatives including marketing, interactive communications, and market development. For more information, visit: f13works.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS KEY TO SUCCEEDING AT SMALL BUSINESS?

ChrisSentz: There are a lot of skills that a successful small business owner will come to possess as they weave their way through the business environment. If I had to break it down though, I’d say you need to be flexible, and have a business that is GREAT at two of the following: Fast Delivery, Price, or Quality Product. If you are great at all three then you aren’t good at any. Positioning your brand early on and sticking to it is key to success.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I POSITION MY BRAND?

ChrisSentz: Positioning your brand should be done based on the market, not in a vacuum. So if you decide to be the fastest high-quality tire manufacturer in the world you need to decide if the market values those attributes in your product-line. Test early and test often is a mantra that has yielded success with every business I have worked with. Don’t try to create a market, rather position yourself within a market to succeed.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO YOU APPROACH TESTING IDEAS AND PROCESSES?

ChrisSentz: I preach and practice testing at every business I work with. I came up with a concept called A/B/Z testing that pushes people to not only take a standard multi-variant approach to testing but try to do something off the wall. These ‘z-tests’ as we call them will challenge you and your team to contrive truly innovative variables to test against your market. We keep track of everything in sharable docs so we see successes, failures and keep an ongoing history of our efforts.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY BUSINESS IS SUCCESSFUL?

ChrisSentz: Success lies in an individual’s definition and should be defined BEFORE you begin your business. Set goals on the appropriate timelines and constantly check yourself and your operations against these goals. The goals should be obtainable, measurable and meaningful. If you are not working towards a goal you are the proverbial hamster spinning a wheel. I have worked with business owners making tens of millions of dollars annually that lost their money because they did not define success; looking back they realized they had attained success but squandered it aimlessly striving for something they couldn’t define.

SmallBizLady: WHAT’S THE FIRST THING I SHOULD DO TO START AN E-COMMERCE STORE?

ChrisSentz: I’d look for a product-market fit. Don’t jump into something because someone said selling a certain product was easy. Find a market that you can reach, this could be Facebook groups you are in, Snapchat, or Instagram followers, etc. and determine what product they want to purchase. Often times people start with a product or a market but only find out after making an investment of time and money that they forgot to determine the fit.

SmallBizLady: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START AN E-COMMERCE BUSINESS?

ChrisSentz: Starting an e-commerce business is cheaper than ever before! There are a myriad of options to leverage in creating your e-commerce store and each one will have a cost associated with it. Also, it depends on your personal abilities, do you need to hire a designer, marketer, etc.. I recommend doing everything yourself to start and using a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce to build your e-commerce store. With basic packages starting at less than $50 a month you can get up-and-running quickly and test your idea with very little investment.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I FIND MY TARGET AUDIENCE?

ChrisSentz: Once you have established your e-commerce business, it’s time to reach out to potential customers. Research competition, find your niche, and develop a target audience before you begin any advertising or social media. Once you have your audience, it’s time to reach out to them with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. (Instagram will be very popular for sales this year)

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I MAKE MY FIRST SALE?

ChrisSentz: Getting your first sale can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be. Don’t be afraid to ask friends or family to buy a product and see what they think. If they like it, ask them to leave you a review on your site. If they don’t use their criticism to identify weaknesses in your store, and make changes accordingly.

SmallBizLady: BUT HOW DO I BUILD A LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE?

ChrisSentz: One of the most important aspects of any business is customer service. However, customer service isn’t simply responding to consumer complaints. A customer’s entire interaction with your store is an experience for them. This includes your home page, checkout process, payment options, etc. Remember to ask for feedback from customers to determine where you’re losing them or why they decide to come back and buy from your store again.

SmallBizLady: MY STORE IS GENERATING A 4 FIGURES IN SALES, BUT HOW DO I REACH THE NEXT LEVEL?

ChrisSentz: Once your store is providing at least $1,000 in revenue a month, you’re ready to ramp up your marketing and branding. This is when you will need to begin devoting more time to lead generation through social media. Launch Facebook contests, free giveaways on Twitter, or a special sale through Instagram. To reach 5-6 figures for your ecommerce store, social media will need to become a priority for you.

SmallBizLady: WILL I BE ABLE TO MANAGE MY ECOMMERCE STORE BY MYSELF?

ChrisSentz: Absolutely! Your ecommerce store isn’t necessarily passive income, but it can make sales 24/7 without requiring you to be at the helm all day. To reach the level of 5-6 figure revenue however, your 5-9 may need to become your 9-5. As you put more time into your store, it will become more passive and be a lot more manageable.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I CONTINUE TO GROW AS A BUSINESS OWNER DURING ALL OF THIS?

ChrisSentz: Study. Study. Study. Continue to learn new techniques, business practices, and methods. It is okay to look over at your competition to find something new to try. Look for a mentor. Find someone inside of your industry that isn’t competition, but has the knowledge you seek to obtain. Never stop learning.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Create An eCommerce #SmallBiz That Earns 5-6 Figures appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Barb Giamanco heads up Social Centered Selling. She’s the co-author of The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media and authored the Harvard Business Review article Tweet Me, Friend Me, Make Me Buy. As a small business owner herself, Barb has spent the last 14 years implementing unique marketing approaches to drive revenue results. For more information, visit: www.scs-connect.com.

SmallBizLady: WHAT IS A PODCAST?

BarbaraG: A podcast can either be an audio or video conversation. Many people who host audio podcasts like I do, invite guests to be interviewed about their topical area of expertise. Think of it as a radio show.  Listeners can then download the podcast to listen in their car, at their office or while walking on the treadmill. Podcasts are unique because once a user subscribes to a podcast, new episodes will be automatically downloaded as a new episode is released so subscribers don’t need to check for updates manually.

SmallBizLady: WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER CREATING/HOSTING A PODCAST?

BarbaraG: In short, it is a great way to share valuable, educational content that helps you market you and your business. You don’t have to interview other people. You could also create short podcast sound bites. For example, a small business sales tip of the day that would expose your message to more people.

Remember that not everyone consumes content in the same way. Some people like to read, some like to watch and other people like to listen. Podcasts have surged in popularity the last few years for that reason. They are portable and you can listen any time. A podcast also helps you demonstrate your expert authority as you interview guests on topics that your potential buyers will find interesting and lead to inbound inquiries about your work. Use a podcast to expand your following as people subscribe to your podcast, and grow your network as you invite a variety of guests to join your show. And don’t forget that guests will be sharing their interview with their networks, which also increases your exposure.

SmallBizLady: HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO SET UP A PODCAST?

BarbaraG: If your podcast is going to be simply tips and tricks that you want to share with people, creating a podcast can be as easy as using the Voice Recorder function in Windows. You could also record mini-podcasts from your smartphone. If you want to create a podcast in which you interview guests, it will take a little bit of time to set up your software and systems. You can plan on setting up the basics in 2-hours or less.

SmallBizLady: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRODUCE A PODCAST?

BarbaraG: The answer will depend on how much time you have. I release one podcast per week. To maximize my time, I record on Monday’s and Friday’s only. On each of those days I will stack the interviews, so that I record 3-5 interviews in one day. This ends up giving me plenty of content that I can then schedule in advance. You don’t want to scramble week to week to find guests for your show.

SmallBizLady: HOW MUCH TIME DOES THIS TAKE ONCE I’VE DONE MY INITIAL SET UP?

BarbaraG: You will spend time seeking out guests to interview. You’ll want to ask them to provide you with a brief bio, their headshot and 5-7 questions they want you to ask. If you have an assistant on your team, you can offload the communication process to them. Not every guest gets their information back to you in the time you want it, so plan for some follow up time. To minimize the hassle of going back and forth over interview dates and times, you can set up a calendaring system that lets guests choose the best interview date and time for them. I use Schedule Once. Once the guest books their time, it automatically is added to your calendar.

After the podcasts are recorded, it should only take you about 15-20 minutes per podcast uploaded to your host site. I always do a brief recap of the show and that takes a few extra minutes. If you don’t do that, you can get the time to about 10 minutes. Again, an assistant can help you. If you don’t have an assistant, plan to invest about an hour of time to upload 4-5 interviews at once and schedule them for the upcoming month if your host provider gives you that option and many do. This is why stacking interviews is helpful. My podcast content is already complete going into March 2017.

SmallBizLady: WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE DO I NEED AND WHAT WILL IT COST?

BarbaraG: If your goal is to produce a more professional podcast that people will subscribe to, here are the tools that I use for my podcast. I host and record my guest interviews using Skype (FREE) and a program called Callnote Pro. I pay for the pro version because it provides me with additional capabilities but the FREE Callnote Premium will give you what you need to record great podcasts. You will also want to invest in a decent microphone and or headset. I use an Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone, which you can purchase on Amazon for less than $100. If you like headsets, I also recommend the Sennheiser Century SC 660 USB CTRL Premium Dual-Sided Wired Headset. Whether you purchase a microphone or a headset, the quality is worth it. Don’t skimp on the audio investment. If your podcast sound quality isn’t good, people won’t listen.

As a backup option, I use Free Conference Call but you are limited to people having to call into the conference line. If you don’t plan to interview people internationally, as I do, a conference line (FREE) can work fine, especially when getting started. Keep in mind that using a conference line will give you good quality but not as good as using Skype with a professional microphone.

Most sites where you will host your podcast is free and you may want to check out their pro features to see if it is worth the investment. For example, I pay for SoundCloud Pro because I don’t want ads showing up in my podcasts.

SmallBizLady: WILL I NEED ARTWORK FOR MY PODCAST?

BarbaraG: Yes. Especially for your iTunes channel. High quality artwork attracts new subscribers to your podcast. You will want to include a title, brand, or source name as part of your artwork. You can use a source like Fiverr to have a someone design artwork AKA logo for your podcast. Or, you could hire a local graphic designer to do the work for you.

SmallBizLady: WHERE DO I HOST MY PODCAST?

BarbaraG: Sticher, SoundCloud, Podbean, Libsyn and Blubrry are some popular sites. All of them have their pro’s and con’s. If you are just starting out, you might want to go with a site like SoundCloud or Libsyn. Both give you different types of analytical data. But I also just heard about Blubrry, which I plan to use because it also includes a plugin that gives me even more detailed data and the ability to integrate with my Wordpress blog. This is certainly a more sophisticated way to go but if you have a technical or web person to help you, you might want to start with Blubrry.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I GET MY PODCAST ON ITUNES?

BarbaraG: You cannot host podcasts directly on iTunes. You must host media files and RSS feeds on your own web servers or use a third-party host (i.e. SoundCloud, Libsyn or Podbean). You can then submit your podcast feed directory. You need to apply and submit the RSS feed to your podcast. The host company you use will generally create the RSS feed for you.

SmallBizLady: WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER HOSTING SITES YOU MENTIONED, DO I NEED TO APPLY TO THEM TOO?

BarbaraG: Not all of them. Sticher does have an application process that you need to work through. Other sites like SoundCloud or Podbean simply require you going to their website to set up your account.

SmallBizLady: HOW DO I GET PEOPLE TO SUBSCRIBE OR FOLLOW MY PODCAST?

BarbaraG: Include the link to your podcast in your email signature, promote through your social media channels, embed on your website or blog and include in your newsletters. You could also include a link to your podcast in any presentations that you deliver. Increase the number of followers or subscribers by asking guests to promote to their networks. Don’t be shy about asking people to subscribe or follow your podcast channel.

SmallBizLady: AM I ABLE TO MAKE MONEY WITH MY PODCAST? IF SO, HOW MUCH DO I CHARGE?

BarbaraG: Yes. Many podcasters have paid sponsors for their podcast. The fee you charge will have a lot to do with how much data you know about your audience. The number of subscribers is certainly a big factor in how much you can charge a sponsor to advertise on your podcast. The standard approach to determine your pricing is based on something called CPM, which stands for Cost Per Mille. As it relates to podcasting, this means the amount of money an advertiser will pay per thousand people listening to your podcast. So if your CPM is $2, an advertiser will pay you $2 for every 1000 people that hear an ad of theirs that you put in your podcast. In the beginning, you won’t have a lot of listener data to base your advertising pricing but you could include numbers related to your newsletter or social followers reach.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9 pm ET; follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/1hZeIlz

The post How To Use Podcasts To Grow Your Small Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.