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Jul282010

Coaching for Women Business Owners

Posted on

Jul 28 in

"Make your optimism come true." - Author unknown, Quote provided by Lael Johnson

Lael Johnson is offering 30-minute complimentary phone coaching sessions to help you discover what you want and to decide if you and Lael are a good match for each other as client and coach.

Her coaching style is ideal for:

1) Women who struggle to ask for what they need, without compromising themselves.
2) Women who question their life direction.
3) Women who desire to jumpstart their creativity.

The results? Lael can help you:

1) Discover your true voice.
2) Identify your life direction and jumpstart your creativity.
3) Move out of your stuck zone and into your abundant zone.

For more information, contact Lael Johnson by email or on Twitter.

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Web Presence: Apps, Websites, and Advertising

Posted on

Jul 20 in

Smart Growth

According to a study done by Pew Research, “59 percent of U.S. adults over 18 [are] now using wireless devices regularly. The Pew Center surveyed 2252 people asking them about their daily online habits and how often they access the Internet using a laptop's Wi-Fi or mobile broadband connection, or via a mobile device.”

With 59% of U.S. adults engaging in wireless devices, it is imperative for marketers to take notice—and many have. E-mail marketing for instance is a way to reach consumers easily, and is cost friendly. Now more and more people are not leaving home without their mobile phones.

According to Moto Message, “over 90% of text messages sent are opened and read by your customers in 15 minutes. No other advertising medium has that relationship with the consumer.” So how can you start implementing a better web presence on both a cell phone and other mobile devices?

Social Media

Say what you want about social media, but Old Spice seemed to hit the nail on the head with their Old Spice guy ads. Not only did their Youtube videos go viral, they were updating their channel in real time—addressing people’s tweets and Reddit comments. Social media experts preach about engaging with your audience and keeping the conversation going, and this is one example that takes that advice and runs with it.

If you are a B2B company, doing something similar to the Old Spice strategy may not work. If your clients aren’t engaging, you would be talking to yourself—and I don’t think anyone wants to do that. Do some research before diving into social media, to see if it is a viable option for your company.

Apps

TechCrunch reports that, “there’s a ton of opportunity for corporations to tap into this vast audience with mobile apps, research2guidance [the company who executed the study] adds, according to its research only 10% of Fortune 2000 companies are targeting their customers with a smartphone application to date.”

Much like social media, apps are something not to just dive into. You need some careful planning and need to decide on what you want to gain from your app. Do you want to buff up your opt-in email list? Keep customers up to date on sales and promotions? Or do you want both.

There are free services as well as paid services to get an app up and running. Sites like MobileAppLoader, Mobile Roadie, MyAppBuilder, Mother App, and Sweb Apps are just a few of many options available.

Website

If social media campaigns and apps aren’t your cup of tea, you need to make sure your website is up to par. Having a blog and taking care of the content available on your website is a must. The best way to get your rankings up in search is to have unique content that people find interesting. If they like what they find, more than likely they will continue to visit—and tell people about your site. PPC campaigns are also a great way to get traffic to your site. But again you need to be skilled, or the campaigns will end up costing more than they are generating in revenue.

Let us know about what ways you are using the web to gain more exposure for your company in the comments below.

Shannon Suetos is a writer based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.

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One Entrepreneur On Balance: Sandy Abrams

Posted on

Jul 19 in

Smart Living

This is part of a series called "The Entrepreneurs On Balance." This interview is with Sandy Abrams.

What are your general thoughts on balance (do you think it's realistic, achievable, a top priority, etc.)?

Balance is absolutely achievable if you make it a priority. You have to schedule time for exercise, family, friends, vacation. If having a life in addition to working is important to you, you just have to commit to allowing yourself to enjoy your "balancing" activities. Be present while you are doing your fun activities, don't go to the beach and bring your documents to scour over. Go to the beach and enjoy the beach! You will be that much more refreshed and energized when you return to work.

What have been your biggest struggles when it comes to finding or maintaining balance between your business and personal lives?

It's a constant juggle to try and fit in everything I'd like to fit in for both biz and personal. Unexpected events pop up all the time, I tend to feel guilty about missing events that I'd like to attend. But over the years, I've learned that the guilt is worse for me if I miss a personal event, so those now take precedence.

What have been your keys to success when it comes to finding or maintaining balance between your business and personal lives?

Learning what matters most in my life and letting myself make balance a priority. I love what I do for work, but I also love my rich family life, my time in a yoga studio or on the beach or biking. So, I make it a priority to feel balance, as ultimately it makes all aspects of my life better.

Do you have any techniques or routines that help you maintain balance (example, keeping a daily journal)?

Yoga practice clears my head. I like to begin the day simply thinking about or maybe writing goals and end the day reflecting a little bit and tweaking the goals. Allowing just a few minutes morning or night to just think allows me to feel centered and focused rather than scattered and overwhelmed.

How important is balance to your success as a business owner or entrepreneur?

Balance is critical for success of a biz owner/entrepreneur. Otherwise, burn out is inevitable. I take full advantage of today's technology to allow me to have more balance and productivity. I recommend services such as eVoice and eFax, as they enable a true virtual office. eVoice is perfect for individuals like me who manage both business and family matters from a home office or cell phone, but still want business calls answered, routed and handled professionally. With eVoice, I can be out of the office, while still being accessible and know who is trying to reach me. In addition, eVoice enables me to receive messages via audio files or text transcriptions to my computer or mobile phone, allowing me to respond regardless of my physical location and respond immediately.

Any final thoughts on finding and maintaining balance?

Once you allow balance in your life and get a grip on time management, you realize how productive you can be in a full day. Having time for family, friends & fun makes for a more whole person, which I believe makes for a better biz person. Making decisions from a place of balance and focus beats making decisions hastily and frantically. You will feel more energetic, creative and focused in your work life if you are balanced rather than exhausted.

Sandy Abrams: CEO/ Moisture Jamzz, Inc. Founded in 1993 around her signature Moisture Glove, Moisture Jamzz has counted among its clients Bath & Body Works; the Estée Lauder Company,H2O PLUS; Crabtree & Evelyn; Bare Escentuals; Bed, Bath, & Beyond; Linens 'n Things; Stroud's; Bloomingdale's; and, QVC.

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