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Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

January 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Building Your Small Business, Networking and Having Enough Time to Spend With Your Family. Is It Possible?

by Frederika Angus

When you decided to go into business, your goal was probably to generate an income, a substantial income. Now it wasn’t all about the money, but the lifestyle that the additional money could provide for you. This business was supposed to be a bridge between the life you currently have and the one you dream about. You know, the life where you live comfortably without the stress of bills, are free to dictate how you spend your time instead of being told, and enjoy doing fulfilling work and serving your clients.

I wholeheartedly believe that entrepreneurship is a great vehicle to make all of those things happen. As an entrepreneur, I can also tell you that all of those things don’t happen if you don’t make enough money in your business to eliminate the need for a full or part-time job. One of the best ways to put money in the bank is to have a large enough funnel of prospective ideal clients.

Networking to expand your brand and reach of influence is a very smart way to to gain new customers. Unfortunately, the way networking is typically done does not produce a very good ROI, or return on your (time) investment.

I received a great question from a client requesting tips on how to add networking to an already full plate. What is a busy entrepreneur that loves time with their family, has an additional job and is even going to school to better their skills for their clients to do?

Really there are only two options (since we know not networking means no new work coming in). Either you decide to network live or online. Let me explain.

If you decide you will do in-person networking events, be selective. I value spending time with my family and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Every event that presents itself for networking is not necessarily the event for me. Select events where you know that the people in attendance are of high quality. These are the people that are not at events because they want to be seen or they have nothing else to do. Be mindful to associate and network with people who may know your ideal client or even potentially be your ideal client.

Also understand that at networking events you are the representative for the brand. Yes, especially at live networking events, you are branding via your business cards and your overall appearance and attitude. Because of the corporate clients that I attract, I understood the importance of being memorable in a very cookie cutter industry. My cards are intentionally not like most. It has a flair and quality that reflects me and allows me to standout days and even weeks after meeting someone. Just this past week I happened to run into a person from a past business function and he identified me first by my business card which reminded him I was unique in the marketplace and that we should talk further.

Learn how to network online from your couch and even while you sleep!  You have enough going on in your life that you don’t need “one more thing to do.” Networking usually takes time away from the things or the people that you would prefer to spend your time with. If you are not already making good use of the technology that is available, start today. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to help expand your online network. Developing relationships on these platforms is a good way to also expand your brand where your ideal clients hang out without being intrusive.

If your networking purpose is to generate new leads and prospective customers, there are strategic methods, systems and tools that you can use that will work for you even while you aren’t working your business. Weigh your return on investment. Would you rather spend 2 hours talking to a person in hopes that you will be able to schedule a meeting that might one day lead to a customer? Or would your 2 hours be better spent with friends, family, or even doing what you love and taking care of yourself while your lead generation is handled for you?

Over the next few weeks, we will further discuss how to build your brand online in such a strategic way that you are actively adding new prospects to your network because they are already looking for you. I’m looking forward to sharing these innovative strategies and techniques that will take your business to the next level.

In the meantime, be sure to post any comments or questions you have below.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Branding, Entrepreneurship, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Questions To Ask A Business Coach? Let Me Hear From You!

January 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
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Questions To Ask A Business Coach? Let Me Hear From You!

By Frederika Angus

The value of business coaches and mentors in my business has been enormous. They have helped me get out of my own way in several instances, answered questions as to how to price and position products and services in the marketplace and even helped me stay on top of my game by adding an extra level of accountability.
 
It would not have been possible to reach my first $100,000 in revenue, within the first 8 months of my company as a solopreneur, without the expertise of those who are succeeding in business and willing to share their wisdom.
 
I value each of you and I want to be certain to serve you all in the best way possible as you start, build and grow your businesses and organizations. 
 
I am honored to bring the past 11 years of experience I have from developing strategies, techniques and solutions for recognized corporate clients such as, DaimlerChrysler, Accenture, Allstate, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. I have worked with them to improve their business processes, enhance their marketing, cohesively brand their online presence, save and make them money.
 
Now, I’m bringing that knowledge to you.
 

Although my schedule is very limited to answer questions on an individual basis, I would like to hear from you!

If you had the opportunity to ask a business coach or a mentor, anything that would help move you and your business forward, what would you want to know more about?

Is it social media marketing?

Branding techniques for any budget?

The best software or tools to help you better manage your time?

Are you looking to learn how to add residual income into your business?

Take some time and ask me a question in the comments below.

No question is to small or for that case too big. The only stupid questions are those that aren’t asked. Your question may be the one that will help many others.

If there are areas where you are struggling in your business or need to gain clarity, ask a business coach.

Post your question now!

I’m looking forward to it.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship

Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

January 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Keeping Up With the Joneses – Free Tools That Will Help Your Business Hear the Marketplace

by Frederika Angus

How much time do you spend researching your target market? Your industry? What about your competition? How consistently are you obtaining feedback from your clients?

If your answer is not enough or not at all, don’t feel badly. Most solopreneurs and many small business owners don’t have dedicated research and marketing departments. Unfortunately, not knowing what the marketplace desires or needs could really be hindering your profits and your branding.

If your small business is just starting up or hasn’t been involved in the marketplace for many years, you may not have much insight into target market research or industry trends. You may only recognize the terms because you know they are included in formal business plans. The benefits of being able to “see” what is upcoming and having your ears to the ground are numerous.

What would it be worth for you to know the needs of your customer, provide them and be the sought out industry expert?

Fortunately, there are tools available for free that can work for you while you continue to get the work of the business done. In this article, I’ll discuss my two of my favorites. They will help you keep up with the Joneses, whether your Jones is Customer Jones, Industry Jones or Competition Jones, and enable you to make informed business decisions.

Google Alerts

Google has a very innovative group of tools that has changed how we use and even refer to web searching and the internet. Google Alerts are emails sent when Google finds new relevant information that match your specific search terms. The results provide you with a listing of newspaper articles, web pages and blogs allowing you to monitor anything on the web.

You can set up alerts for your business name, your name, keywords, your website address, even on your competition’s company name to “hear” what the world has to say. You can even decide how often you want the alerts delivered to you. For more critical terms, like your name (if it isn’t a common name) or the name of your company, it may be best to have at a minimum a daily delivery. For industry terms, you may only want to receive information once a week.

Twitter

I am a social media enthusiast (read: I am a social butterfly that loves spreading her wings via social media). As a researcher, consultant and strategist, I absolutely love the power of being able find out anything, immediately, with social media. As a marketer, coach and encourager, the ease of being able to share valuable information with people I may not otherwise have met is one of the highlights of my day. As much as I enjoy Facebook, I have to confess Twitter is my favorite when it comes to hearing what people are saying.

The biggest bonus to Twitter is the search functionality. Pop in your company name or industry keyword and you are instantly connected to real-time updates. Depending on which Twitter app you have installed on your smart device, you can even save those searches for future use and see what new information is available in the palm of your hand.

Hearing the marketplace has just gotten easier!

Do you have any favorite tools to listen to what marketplace is saying? I’d love to hear them!

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tebowing Your Brand – What Your Small Business Can Learn About Branding From Tim Tebow

January 9, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Tebowing Your Brand – What Your Small Business Can Learn About Branding From Tim Tebow

by Frederika Angus

Hate him or love him, Tim Tebow, NFL quarterback for the Denver Broncos, has become the sports media’s favorite topic. The more I observe his style of play and how he handles himself on and off the field, there are a few lessons for entrepreneurs that will help you with your own small business branding.

Faith in the face of adversity. Being a business owner can be tough. While I believe that anyone can be an entrepreneur, it takes a very dedicated, strong person that is willing to face challenges head on to actually be and entrepreneur. There will always be naysayers, competitors and obstacles to overcome.

Because Tebow hasn’t played like most quarterbacks in the league, he has been discounted by the analysts, football fans, and even the management of his team. Nevertheless, Tebow has stood steadfast in his belief in himself. He is unwavering in his stance that he has the skills and ability to be a quarterback, not a running back or tight end, in the NFL.

In order for your business and brand to last, you must have faith that you are not only designed to be a business owner, but also that your skills and abilities are ready for the challenges. As I expressed in Start Your Small Business Brand Strategy By Bringing You to the Table, you have to be the brand as an entrepreneur. Your business success in branding will go as far as your faith will allow you to believe.

Clear conviction of who you are and what you are here to do. One quality that sets entrepreneurs apart from the rest, is their ability to get clear and obtain laser like focus and run with their business vision. In the beginning stages of business planning and mapping out products and services you can offer, the clarity you have in knowing exactly what your value and uniqueness is in the marketplace is critical. Your brand has to stand out from the crowd. Clearly communicating those factors that are different, valuable and relevant to your customers with consistency is important to branding.

Tim Tebow is a good example of knowing who he is purposed to be and what he must do. He very clearly and consistently communicates who he is in every interview so that there is no mistake about his value and why he does what he does. He stands out so strongly that those who wouldn’t normally follow sports have heard of him.

Be consistent on and off the field. Your clients as well as your competition are always watching you. This is especially true if you are on social media. Do not project yourself to be one way in front of your clients and then present yourself differently on Twitter or Facebook. Doing so is a sure fire way to ruin your brand credibility.

Tebow is known for consistently expressing his faith whether he is on the field after making a game winning play or at a hospital visiting with children.

The Tim Tebow brand is one of the most talked about in all of sports. Even those who don’t like his style of play can’t help but to continue to talk about him. This is a powerful place to be as a brand. Utilize these tips and build a brand for your business that is the topic of discussion of your customers.

Talk to you soon!

 

Filed Under: Branding, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , ,

Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read

January 5, 2012 by 4 Comments
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Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read

by Frederika Angus

The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything – Guy Kawasaki

A no-nonsense approach to business start-up. Guy really breaks down the best approach to starting a business and what stops people from starting one. Sometimes the thought of starting a business seems so complex. This book will simplify business concepts. He does write from the perspective of one that has started up technology companies nevertheless, there are lessons for anyone looking to start a business in any industry. Learn how to stop thinking so much about starting and move to actually starting with this manual. He interjects humor and has tons of practical application to guide you from the starting block to actual movement.

Purple Cow – Seth Godin

This book encourages you to examine what you are doing or not doing to be a leader in your industry. It challenges you to think outside the box, and create extraordinary campaigns, messages and results. We live in a world where ordinary has become invisisble. Business owners or those looking to revolutionize their thinking can benefit from the mindset adjustment that comes from reading this book. To succeed in business products must have high, lasting value, be talked about often and be outstanding. Purple Cow will inspire you to stand out from the crowd.

 

The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

Each of you were made on purpose for a purpose. The War of Art discusses the force of nature that anyone living on purpose has to face and master. Resistance is internal and external and is usually a huge roadblock that prevents people from moving forward. While the author of this book is a writer and typically recommended to those with writer’s block, this book will eliminate the excuses that you use to tell yourself that you can’t do exactly what you are designed to do. Pressfield says, “Our job in this lifetime is to find out who we already are and become it.” This book is great encouragement to pursue your dreams and get started while kicking resistance out of your way.

How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie 

Why would an entrepreneur want friends in business? Don’t they say friends and business don’t mix? Being an outstanding businessperson will depend on the relationships you can develop with current and potential customers and clients. This book will teach you how to do just that. Sure there are other books you could read regarding customer service. Thankfully, Carnegie’s classic is bigger than customer service. It really guides small business owners into how to translate people skills into leadership, sales and public relations skills with very practical and easy to implement solutions.

 

Good to Great – Jim Collins

Good To Great is a must read for any entrepreneur or CEO. It reminds every reader that the most effective leaders are humble and that leaders of great companies don’t start with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. Once you have the right people in the right seats, the journey doesn’t matter, you’ll succeed.

What books have you read that are on your must-read list for current and prospective entrepreneurs? Share them and other comments below.

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , ,

Is This the Year You Finally Get Serious About Your Business?

January 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Is This the Year You Finally Get Serious About Your Business?

by Frederika Angus

It’s the first work day of this new year. We’ve celebrated and wished each other a happy and prosperous year. While we are thinking of all the things we want to accomplish in our lives and through our businesses, I need to have a serious conversation with you.

Is this the year that you will get serious about your business?

I know you have new ideas, vision boards, and strategies you would like to implement. Some of you may even have years of business ventures written down. You’ve put off starting your website. You haven’t opened your business checking account or even gotten a business license. Or maybe you’ve already started a business but you haven’t invested money into marketing and branding. You know there are trainings you need to take and conferences that you can attend that will accelerate your businesses growth but you continue to talk yourself out it.

So what exactly are you waiting on?

I remember when I stepped out of fear and into faith to start my current business. Now, I had done business activities for pay previously. I wasn’t a newbie to business ownership. Only this time, this wasn’t the side job that brought in enough extra money for me to buy shoes. When I started this business consulting and coaching firm, it was for all the marbles. It was time to sink or swim and I was filled with “what ifs.”

I later learned that all those what ifs were intended to keep me from doing exactly what I am designed to do, what I am uniquely prepared for and great at doing, serving businesses and business owners in such a way that moves them from their current state, to their next level.

Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art, calls that inner voice that questions if this is the right time, or the right move, if you can afford it or even if you are good enough to even compete, resistance. He says of resistance, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”

If that describes how you’ve felt about your business endeavors, if you have the same inner voice, the same fears, CONGRATULATIONS! You are likely on the right track. Maybe you need some additional help to refine the details and design a roadmap but the big picture show that you ARE positioned for forward movement.

Being positioned is a great start now YOU have to step on the gas to actually move and gain momentum. If you are ready to be serious, it is time NOW to kick fear out of the driver’s seat and regain control of building the life you desire through your business. Let’s do it together.

“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

Talk to you soon!

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship Tagged With: , , , , , ,