Your health is your businesses biggest long-term investment
By: Rachel MacPherson
Certified Personal Trainer (ACE),
Founder of Radical Strength
Your diet may have taken a back seat to your business if you find Yourself…
Constantly seeking out whatever is convenient after you've already gotten to the point of extreme hunger and lack the ability to make good choices. As a busy professional with a lot on your plate, you are required to make decisions all day long. Studies have shown that willpower is finite and when it comes to food when hunger is motivating you, you aren't thinking about properly balanced macronutrients, you are thinking about that street-side burrito or giant muffin.
Setting aside time for meal prep can be challenging when you don't have a lot of free time leftover during the day or week
Needing to be ever vigilant and responsible as an entrepreneur means you don't have typical work hours and off hours where you can consistently schedule in time to prep meals. This means that you need to write it into your planner as an important meeting with your own needs. Knowing that a healthy, well balanced and energizing diet will make you much more proficient and efficient at your job. Less brain fog, less fatigue, and improved concentration will result from a well-balanced diet and good sleep habits.
Set aside a certain amount of time to choose healthy, easy-to-prepare and quick to make meals that are also easy to store and reheat well if necessary. Write out a grocery list and purchase everything you need for all the meals. If you will have meals with clients or friends during the week, take that into consideration. Remember that perfect is the enemy of the good and aim to make meals that are acceptably healthy and easy without being overly complicated or time-consuming. As motivated as you might be in that moment, you want this to become a sustainable habit.
Foods that are ideal for sustaining energy are key
This means avoiding highly processed, sugary carbohydrates and making sure to get in all three macronutrients at each meal. Whole, complex carbs are best such as oats, rice, potatoes, quinoa, and high fiber fruits and vegetables.
Fiber is also a key component, helping to aid digestion and balance blood sugar to prevent energy spikes and crashes. Adding some healthy fat such as avocado, dairy, olive oil, and nuts will also slow down the release of glucose from carbohydrates into the bloodstream and increase meal satiety and satisfaction. Lastly, make sure to include nutritious sources of protein such as eggs, red meat, chicken, and fish, or tofu and beans if the meat isn't an option. Try not to eliminate or restrict macronutrients, especially carbohydrates if you are lacking energy and focus. Carbohydrates are the body's preferred fuel.
Making your health a priority as a business owner is imperative if you want to accomplish everything on your giant to-do list.
In order to perform optimally, continually crush decision making and goal setting, you will need the right fuel. If you are irritable with clients, you will hurt your business. If you are feeling hungry, sluggish or stressed, you will not be able to focus properly on climbing that mountain of competition. Most importantly, you will crash and have no energy to really enjoy your life, your family, and your downtime. Take care of yourself first.
Boundaries & Accountability
By: T-Kea Blackman Mental Health Advocate
& Founder of Fireflies Unite, LLC | Bringing Light Into Darkness
As an entrepreneur and suicide survivor, I have become self-aware through my recovery, as burnout can be a trigger for my depression. This is why it is important for me to check in with myself to see how people, places, and things make me feel.
A clear mind and spirit can help with not only being creative but also increases productivity and the ability to focus. I've noticed that when my mind is not clear, I am unable to put my best foot forward and become easily distracted.
Boundaries
Boundaries are key to ensure that I am mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy and have a healthy business and personal relationships.
This includes saying no when my plate is full and keeping my values at the top of my mind. For example, my phone goes on “do not disturb” from 9 pm-8 am so that I can have adequate rest and get up early in the morning to workout
This also includes scheduling time on my calendar to spend time with family/friends and taking time to unplug and rest.
Overcoming
I've overcome being in the darkest place of my life which motivates me when I'm presented with challenges. I remember positive experiences that bring me joy. I challenge my negative thoughts by telling myself thoughts that prove the negative thoughts are wrong. I also practice gratitude and focus on my spirituality by growing my relationship with God which has helped me to remain positive.
Credit Repair: Pay off Debt or Save Up for on-time Payments
By: Todd Christensen
Accredited Financial Counselor
Education Manager at MoneyFit
As an Accredited Financial Counselor(r), and a community financial educator since 2004, I have led nearly 2,000 workshops and counseling sessions on various personal finance topics.
In my mid-20s, I maxed out my Discover card to over $4,000 (twice that in today's dollars) then didn't pay at all until the company called to arrange monthly payments. We closed out the account, converted it to a monthly installment loan, and I paid it off in 12 months. I hated the feeling of not wanting to answer my phone because I knew it could be a creditor asking for me.
Always consult with a certified financial accountant. We suggest Bench Co for small businesses and freelancers which specializes in a monthly subscription platform for all of your expenses along with a hands-on accountant assigned to assist your process with no extra hourly cost.
Pay off Debt or Save to have current payments on time?
The answer depends on your goal. Credit and debt are connected, but they can also be separate goals. If your goal is to get out of debt, it might make more sense to focus on one particular debt while ignoring others. Unless this generally results in penalty fees and possibly even lawsuits, judgments and wage garnishments by the ignored creditors, in this case focus on one to pay bit more of than the others. The tip the scale process. Eventually one of the debts will fall off as you get it paid in full. If your goal is to rebuild your credit, focus on getting caught up on your monthly payments, starting with your newest account first. The newer the account, the greater the effect it has on your credit rating.
Tangible Directive Steps
If you are late on your accounts, contact your creditors to notify them of what you can afford and what you will send. Have a plan worked out ahead of time. Creditors will appreciate working with someone who knows what their financial reality is.
Come up with extra cash to send with your minimum payment in order to accelerate your debt reduction. Use what we call PowerCash. Take 10% of your monthly groceries, entertainment, dining out, gift giving and vacation contributions to add to your monthly debt repayments.
Extra cash isn’t easy especially if your a new business owner. We suggest side gigs that don’t divert your attention away from your main business. For example you can try affiliate marketing with only brands you trust and have experienced knowledge with. If you have a strong social media, web, Youtube presence your simply sharing your own resources to your following and earning a referral commission. Try a program like Fiverr Affiliates to start, their program not only assists your followers and your commissions but also assists freelancers whose services are being utilized. Fiverr also has certified financial planners to assist you for an affordable price. Be sure to create a new Fiverr account that is not one you use for personal. Having a separate business account is vital. Create a separate Fiverr Business account Here before starting the affiliate program.
New Separate Fiverr Account Here (Sign out of your old account first)
Pay off any collection accounts on your credit reports. Until 2018, this was often a difficult decision, because by paying off your collection account, you also reset the reporting time period back to 7 years. However, starting in 2019, FICO's newest scoring model ignores all collection accounts that have a zero balance. To save the most money in interest charges, focus your PowerCash on the account with the highest APR (this is known as the debt avalanche method). If you want to see progress sooner than later, focus your PowerCash on your account with the smallest balance first (this is known as the debt snowball method). If your goal is to rebuild your credit, then you will have to focus your PowerCash on your newest account (this is known as the debt landslide method).
If you struggle to afford even monthly payments, find a nonprofit credit counseling agency (start at the industry trade group, Financial Counseling Association of America at FCAA.org). They can often get your creditors to lower your interest rates into the low to mid-single digits or, in the case of collections, work out a one-, two- or three-year repayment plan. Fees are minimal and capped by each state.
Todd Christensen
Education Manager
Money Fit by DRS (a nonprofit credit counseling agency founded in 1996)
www.MoneyFit.orghttp://www.moneyfit.org/
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho
(800) 432-0310
The Rebranding Process…From BEGINNING to END
How do businesses go through a rebranding process without alienating their customers and losing the trust they’ve built?
As businesses change, the brand may need to follow suit. Whether through setting up extensions to the existing brand or making design changes that reflect the services and products the business offers, there is a balance to strike that engages existing customers and helps to attract new customers. That balance needs to be a gentle evolution rather than a complete revolution.
Straying too far from your existing branding will give your existing customers a reason to reconsider their loyalty to you, which you obviously would want to avoid.
Your customers may query why your business is making branding changes. Firstly, you need sound reasons for rebranding. It should be because there is a business benefit in doing so. It could be a costly process. If you are convinced that the branding needs to evolve, make the rebrand something your customers should be excited about. Create a rebrand launch date. Use social media to advertise your rebrand and maximize your exposure through PR. Your energy and passion for your business will be the biggest factor in delivering a positive message.
Adding an additional product or service may require attracting a different type of customer. You need to balance keeping your existing customers and attracting new ones. You should start by analyzing the habits of your new customer base. Do they operate in the same circles as your current customers or does your business need to market to that new customer base in a different way? Then consider how you can attract your current customers to your new products and services. It’s much easier to keep a customer than it is to attract new customers.
If you use the dropship method try utilizing suppliers that have warehouses in the US to increase customer service and shipping time. These companies allow US suppliers, branded invoicing, etc.
Existing customers may feel alienated by a rebrand or by the business focusing on a new market. But you can use the opportunity to show how your business is growing, thriving and expanding. Don’t give the impression that your business is moving in a new direction because you’ve exhausted your existing customer base, even if you have. It’s important to recognize and respect that your business has the opportunity to move into exciting new directions because of the engagement you’ve had from your existing customers, so don’t forget about them. Show them, love.
Your business should really focus on why the rebrand is important and what you expect it will deliver. What new opportunities does it open up? A business rebrand is a significant investment. It’s much more than a logo. It’s about perception, language, identity, and belonging. Give your existing customers plenty of reasons to stay engaged with you and potential new customers a reason to be a part of your project.
Tom Jullings
Director at onefoursix Digital Marketing Agency
Being Organized & Methodical
Talk about your rebranding publicly on different forums. Use social media, press releases, and other public platforms to communicate with your customers and the general public. The more your brand is heard and seen, the more you’ll see an increase in your traffic. People will develop an interest in a brand that cares about its customers and is so sincere and honest with them. This will help in attracting new customers.
Hamna Amjad
Community Manager at Ridester
Options to consider when “Rebranding”
How to present (launch?) the new brand to the public? There are a number of strategies for this, the slow roll, (an introduction in ads and on packages as a specialty sub-brand of the parent or existing brand [Glow Wax, an S.E. Johnson company]), the gradual take over,(where one old brand is gradually taken over by the new one. The old one gets smaller and appears less often, and the new one gets larger in packaging and in ads and marketing as the old one fades away) the band-aid method, (where the new brand is launched in every media, in your face, all at once and the old one just disappears). Which one you select depends on the reason for the rebrand, and the level of expediency needed to accomplish the change. The slower you go, the more time the existing customer base has to adjust to the change and the fewer you will lose as long as the product QUALITY and FUNCTIONALITY remain the same.
Remain Loyal to your Customer Base
Keeping the existing audience is largely a matter of maintaining the core qualities that attracted them and making sure that they are shown not to have changed. Quality and functionality should remain staples of the brand to retain the audience they attracted initially, but can be updated and refreshed, potentially by adding new uses for the product or category, or by partnering with another brand to create a combined product (Cleansers of many different types containing Clorox comes to mind as an example).
Dave Poulos The Marketing Doctor
The main thing is, well two things...
1) Validate with market research and Time.
2) Do it in phases. Begin to phase out the old branding and incorporate the new branding. Del Taco did this recently with their focus on freshly made food. They are slowly changing their consumer perspective of a fresh and affordable brand rather than another fast food taco shop. But by doing it in phases it hasn't been a shock to their current customer base. When you shock the current customer base they can feel alienated and stop patronizing you.
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Rolling out the Changes to your Customers & Clients
All too often, rebranding is taken in a negative light; however, the move can actually open doors to a new customer base without dismantling the existing users. But, it's important to understand the consumer psyche, if you want rebranding to go in your favor.
Any customer, in a rebranding scenario, can get intimidated by one or the following things:
· Confusions about the changes happening to your brand.
· Resistance to the immediate change as they have established an emotional connection with your brand already.
In my experience, if you break the news overnight that you are rebranding and these are the changes to accept; your customers can get a bad impression or even get furious. It's like after spending so much of emotional currency on your brand, they don't have a say or involvement at all.
So, keeping them in the loop about the changes in advance and providing consistent updates during the transition can help your customers stay on the same page with you. This way, you are going to keep their trust. But, there is a caveat to the strategy. Simply keeping them in the loop isn't going to help. You have to assure them the change is only going to enhance their lives and there isn't going to be a single disruption whatsoever.
Narendra Kumar Founder, The Digital Education
Make It Public, Make it Known!
Talk about your rebranding publicly on different forums. Use social media, press releases, and other public platforms to communicate with your customers and the general public.
The more your brand is heard and seen, the more you’ll see an increase in your traffic. People will develop an interest in a brand that cares about its customers and is so sincere and honest with them. This will help in attracting new customers.
Hamna Amjad
Community Manager at Ridester
Encounters & Connections
Building genuine business relationships by taking notice and engaging with those around you. Focus on just one or two people who have similar goals or complementary target markets. Be aware of where they are in their business in relation to you.
Contributor: Beth Bridges The Networking Motivator
Beth Bridges Author of “Networking on Purpose,” Keynote Speaker “Love, Loss, and Networking” and Business Networking Coach
www.TheNetworkingMotivator.com
Summer vacation travel, destination conferences or long creative/working breaks can all bring us together with amazing people we've never met. When we're in the moment, it seems as if these new connections are momentous. They're huge! This could be a business relationship that could make everything come together.
And then... we return to the real world and that intensity and immediacy fades against the daily grind of getting work done. You hear from a few of them, but most of the people you met go back to their lives, too. Instead of thinking that you've failed or being disappointed in those people, here's how to make it work.
First, realize that most of them don't have a clear networking plan or strategy for staying connected, so the responsibility is on you.
Second, be okay with knowing that they may not have had the same feeling or that they just aren't willing or able to keep the connection going.
Third, have a concrete action or activity that you can do together - brainstorming sessions, idea-sharing or collaborating on a project but don't just let it be let's stay in touch!
Fourth, calendar your time with them in advance especially if you're not local to each other. Make it a video conference or phone call, not just a random email once in a while.
Finally, focus on just one or two people who have similar goals or complementary target markets. Be aware of where they are in their business in relation to you. Those who are far, far ahead or behind you in their business size or ambition may have a hard time relating to you. For your business growth, choose those who are a little further down the road and learn from them. For personal growth, choose those who are a little behind you and help them build. For business growth, choose those who are ahead of you that you can assist while they also advise you.
Unique Co-working Spaces that go Beyond the Norm! DC/Maryland Metro Edition*
As a creator, entrepreneur or new business one of the major cost factors can be owing or leasing office space. A space that is convenient for your customers and clients, parking, internet/WiFi, mail services, etc. These needs have caused a surge in co-working office spaces nationwide. As many have come and gone in a short span of time there are still many spaces that have been created with the focus of the entrepreneur and not only on leasing spaces. In our search for this article, our main focus was not only on office spaces but spaces that allow you to call it home. Spaces that are inviting for you to feel inclusive, collaborate with others or even find a quiet space for you to focus on your goals.
These Co-working spaces in the DC/Maryland Metro area have been proven to be spaces that spark creativity on any entrepreneurs' most doubtful days. Baltimore Co-working spaces to Washington DC Co-working spaces may have priced a bit higher than those in the southern region, however, the ones we have listed offer options to help you build, instead of landing your finances into a bigger hole.
Startup Nest- Baltimore
Created by Kyle O'Connor. Whose mother, in 1989, Estelle O’Connor opened the first minority- and woman-owned coffee shop in D.C. called Roasters on the Hill. Start-up Nest, Minority-owned with the focus on access and inclusivity opened its doors in 2016. 25,000-square-feet Located 5 minutes from Downtown Baltimore. With ample access via driving or public transportation situated by the Baltimore Stadiums. Not only does it provide co-working spaces and private offices but also includes entrepreneurial mentorship by those in the community who have tested the waters. Free coffee, onsite cafe, gated parking, full-service kitchen, and lounge area are just a few of the amenities offered. Let us know how your time at the Startup Nest went, we would love to hear about it! Rental spaces start at $25 for the day, $100 a week & private office spaces with prices that can vary.
https://thestartupnest.com/ 1401 Severn St, Baltimore, MD 21230
Full-Service Radio- Washington DC
Internet Radio Station and Community Podcast Network located in the Lobby of "The Line Hotel" in Washington, DC. Featuring over 40 local podcasts hosts and programs with a focus on culture from music, to food, to politics and more. Offering emerging podcasts & media influencers space and professional equipment to elevate their journey. A few of our favorite SoundCloud podcasts are happy to have made Full-Service Radio their new home. Matter fact, we began listening before the existence of Urban Freedom Magazine and were thoroughly inspired by many of the podcast hosts. It is no wonder how the station operates 24/7...a great community! If you are looking to learn, start, or grow; be sure to head over to Full-Service Radio.
www.FullServiceRadio.org 1770 Euclid St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Perfect Office LLC- DC & Maryland
With locations spanning the entire DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia) Perfect Office LLC emerged from Perfect Staffing LLC. A full-service Co-working & Private office space environment with multiple building locations. Mail services, free parking, 24/7 secure access, receptionist service and more. What makes these spaces so special is it allows for creative influence but also a perfect place for those who may find typical co-working spaces to be distracting. A bit quieter than most shared offices as many respect those who are introverted or require privacy for their clients. From make-up artists to tax services Perfect Office LLC is the home to a variation of entrepreneurs. Spaces start at $49 for a virtual office, $99 for co-working space- $499 for private office space.
https://goperfectoffice.com/
Take the Mask Off
By: MiraZyra
Amethyst Design
I'm a millennial entrepreneur, and I've been running my own business for 3 years now. I run a small agency with my business partner. We have a few employees and are growing steadily.
I, like all other people who decide to start a business, have had to navigate the challenge of creating balance in my personal and professional life.
When you run a business, especially as a Millennial (because let's be honest student loans add a nice cherry on top of the rest of your worries) your personal and professional life blend together and there's so much grey area. It's foolhardy to think that you can cleanly compartmentalize the two, and both ultimately affect each other in ways you may never even realize.
If your personal life is turbulent, even if you keep your composure at work, it still undoubtedly affects the quality of your leadership.
The only real way to know how your personal baggage affects your business is to be truly in touch with yourself and your needs. You also have to be honest about what you may have to give up in terms of personal comfort while your company is going through growing pains. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, and you need to really examine what you can do without (time with family, hobbies, privacy, social life, down time). You also have to make sure that when those sacrifices are in your personal life, you still maintain balance. It's hard and it takes a lot of trial and error to get it right.
This isn't easy and you've got to work at it every day. One thing that helps a lot is to have a business partner who will call you out when necessary. Giving your employees license to speak up in an honest and constructive way without fear of backlash is also key. Anybody who surrounds themselves with “Yes Men” is never going to gain the skill of constructive introspection.
A clear mental state will ultimately mean that you're not devaluing your own ideas. You're not nervous to voice your creative ideas. You've got the confidence to lead with them.
Imagine if you let anxiety get the better of you, how many missed opportunities that would mean. If you're not confident in yourself, how can you expect to be a leader to your employees and be respected by your peers?
You need to cultivate confidence in yourself.
It's a practice like any other. I think of this the same way I think of meditation, and in a way I think it is.
There are few tricks I use to keep myself on track. I keep a glass jar on my desk in my office so that I can see it every day. Whenever I notice something positive that happened in my life, I write it down on a slip of paper with the date, and put it in the jar. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I look through the jar and remember all the little things that made me feel that glow of positivity and gratitude for all the good in my life. It's important to me to write down as many of the small things as possible like my friends were emotionally supportive today and it helped a lot, or my cat fell asleep in the cutest way today or even the fact that I had a good day. The really helpful ones are the ones where I was in a bad situation and a small act of kindness made it better, like my neighbors unexpectedly cleaned my porch when I was laid up with a back injury.
Whenever I have a bad day, I go through the jar and feel grateful for everything good that I've taken note of.
When dealing with a Mental Health Diagnosis
I struggle with ADHD and Depression and I'm on medication for both. I know there's stigma surrounding mental health issues and I'm hesitant to talk about being on medications for my issues but I also know that the only way to de-stigmatize it is to talk openly about it. I've also had to manage employees who were going through mental health struggles and that's a uniquely challenging thing to navigate since it's not openly talked about by people in real leadership positions, and there's also the question of employee privacy. I make a point to have open discussions with my employees about mental health, how the workload I assign may affect it and how we can all work together to help each other out.
You've got to draw a clear line in the sand between recognizing when your mental health issues genuinely impede your ability to perform certain tasks, and when you're using it as a crutch or excuse. For me, that line is when communication breaks down, and/or you're not actively working to improve your mental health.
I believe that the mind is far more powerful and influential over our lives than most people are willing to acknowledge.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and you don’t need to be afraid in reaching out to others when you need help. It's tricky and there's no one blanket answer, but you need to build up your available resources. Go to therapy, journal, make time for fun things, list out your problems and tackle them systematically, try different things until something works. The only real advice I can give on this subject is to try in earnest and keep trying even if you're not making progress as quickly as you'd like. Sometimes, it's one step forward and several steps back but that's just part of the journey. It's messy and it takes grit but most people are a lot stronger than they give themselves credit for, and progress looks different for everyone.
Finding what works in terms of mental health is just a process of elimination. If you think of it that way, even failures are technically successes because you've discovered what doesn't work and that's a step in the right direction.
When your personal relationships are taking a toll… Balancing Love & Business
By: Melissa McKinney with The Hive Law
When I first started out on my own, I was forced to do a lot of hustling. I didn't have partners to feed me clients or a well-known firm's name attached to my business card. This meant I had to go on a lot of coffee dates, networking events, and call up other small firms to see if they needed help.
I was so focused on building this monster of a business that my home life took a toll.
At the time, my husband and I had only been married for a little over a year. So the honeymoon phase had passed and we could no longer excuse the fact that I was spending almost every waking second thinking, planning, or talking about “The Hive”.
Eventually, I had to face the facts: “I wasn't present in my marriage.” So
I had to make a change; it came in increments, though. It was difficult for me to just stomp on the breaks and automatically have a perfect balance. It took a lot of purposeful planning to help me really let go of the workday and transition into my non-working self.
Since most of my work was done from home, I made sure to keep the office door shut after office hours. So from 4 pm to 7 am the next day, I wasn't allowed to open that door. It helped for me to physically turn off my work mode. That was probably my biggest struggle. Work was so accessible; it was literally under the same roof.
Next step I took was to basically disconnect from my phone after 4 pm altogether. Since I have all my work emails, contacts, etc. at the press of a button on my phone, I decided to just be phone-free (as much as possible) once my husband got home from work. This forced me to be in the moment and not jolt at the sound of an incoming email. It also helped me to unwind before bed, so that was a huge plus.
Finally, I made a conscious effort not to talk about work in a negative way.
When “The Hive” was first starting, it was very easy to complain.
Complain about all the work that needed to get done, all the clients I wish
I had, and how law school doesn't prepare you for this. I was a real wet diaper when I think about it. I was bringing all of that negative energy into our house. Now, I make sure not to complain on and on about how hard work is. For starters, everyone's job is hard; it's not like my husband's work is a walk in the park. So now, I make sure to talk positively about my day, clients, and opposing counsel. I can definitely tell that it makes a difference in the mood of the house but also with how I see work.
Too Many Networking Event Invites? When is it worth your Time?
#1 Identify Your Purpose for showing up:
One of the most critical aspects of obtaining value from networking events is identifying what you have to gain. Recognizing your weaknesses is an effective way to identify how you can benefit from a networking event. Pinpointing areas of improvement in your business model can aid in discovering what takeaways you should seek out. Once you’ve identified where you have room for growth, whether it be operational, managerial, or even personal you’ll be able to identify what you have to gain. Identifying areas for growth can assist in deciding which events will be most beneficial. If technical aspects are your bread and butter, but interpersonal communication is your weakness, seek out the latter. Once you’ve recognized what you need to learn or improve on, being excited and motivated for your event should come naturally.
#2 Build Relationships:
Business professionals need to be reminded of why the best business relationships are built on trust and accountability. By placing these values at the forefront of your mind, you’ll be motivated to familiarize yourself with attendees personally before seeking out a business relationship. Getting to know attendees before trying to build a business relationship will help you decide to recognize the value of building relationships in relation to developing their careers. Before attending a networking event, take time to think about the values you would seek out in a co-worker, business partner or employee. By focusing on what values are important to you, people are sincerely aligned with your values and business ethics. If not, you should decide if it is truly the best idea to make future business decisions together.
#3 Get Out of Your Comfort Zone:
Truthfully, if attending a networking event isn’t pushing you outside of your comfort zone, then you likely aren’t benefiting from it. If the idea of attending a networking event alone makes you nervous, then that is exactly what you should be doing. Going to networking events alone may spark a sense of excitement, even if it is accompanied by nerves. Excitement and nerves are better than boredom or absent-mindedness. By attending networking events outside of your normal social circle, you may find yourself more receptive to new ideas and with a refreshed sense of energy.
Summer Ready: Automation, your Business Best Friend
By: Ricky Wolff
Founder of Markletic
Business and marketing automation tools are critical for the scalability of your company. I started using business automation tools to increase the productivities of my team and reduce the number of human errors.
The main marketing automation tools I currently use are CoSchedule, Hubspot and Marketo. I'll describe these tools below:
*CoSchedule*
CoSchedule is a tool very suitable for in-house marketing teams or growth hacking agencies. CoSchedule provides a platform that allows you to create an integrated marketing calendar with team management functionality.
When you are creating your content marketing plan, you need to think about timings. Where is your target audience based and what would be the best time to get blogs and social media outings in front of them?
· CoSchedule combines the marketing and social media calendars so you have a clear overview of your omnichannel marketing approach. You can even connect your email marketing platform to include that as well.
· The tool also comes with a neat feature called ReQueue. This essentially allows you to automate your social media and therefore easily enlarging your social media footprint. ReQueue will detect if there are gaps in your social media calendar and automatically fill the gaps with evergreen content.
If you have an in-house marketing team, or you are working at a marketing or growth hacking agency, CoSchedule can really save you a lot of time with managing editorial and social calendars.
*HubSpot*
The team at Hubspot are the kings and queens of inbound marketing. What I
love about Hubspot is their focus on customers. Hubspot supplies software for marketing, sales, and service to help you growth hack your company to the moon.
· Hubspot provides a free CRM platform and in addition has many packages available for lead generation, marketing analytics, marketing automation, email automation for sales, scheduling meetings, and much more.
· Basically, Hubspot provides all-in-one inbound marketing software for your entire team. It allows you to create landing pages without writing code, it provides real-time SEO suggestions, allows for advanced personalization, and lead management functionality.
Hubspot provides a bunch of tools for free, including chatbots for conversational marketing and live chat functionality.
*Marketo*
I’ve used Marketo a lot and it is a great tool for marketing automation, email marketing, and lead management. Marketo integrates with your website perfectly and helps you keep track of the entire buyer journey.
· With Marketo, you can track every move of leads on your website. If they download something, you will know. If they visit a webpage, you will know. If they watch a video, you will know. You might think, what is the difference compared to Google Analytics… Google Analytics data is anonymous whereas with Marketo you have personally identifiable data.
· Marketo lets you assign scoring to leads. For example, if a leads downloads a whitepaper, you give them 10 points. When the lead has reached 100 points, you can mark the lead as MQL.
· Marketo lets you segment the database and therefore you are able to create an extremely personalized experience. You can send your leads different emails based on their location, or if they clicked in an email, or if they visited a certain page and much more.
· Marketo also provides you with advanced analytical tools. You can track exactly the impact of your marketing campaign and calculate the ROI. You can track how many touches you need to average to convert a lead into an MQL and much more. A growth hacker should be data-driven and Marketo is a dream come true.
With growth hacking, you need marketing automation, email marketing, and lead management, and that is what Marketo is able to deliver.
Here is a link to 51 of the best tools https://www.markletic.com growth-hacking tools for exponential growth.
Event Planning 101: Start to Finish
When is the right time for your business to have an event? Business owners must remember event planning is a very big part of their marketing power, especially when combined with social media prowess. In financial services, as an example, I recommend scheduling your marketing plan over a 3-month (or 12-weeks) period and making certain it includes all of your events.
Think this through from the CLIENT'S perspective for it to be most strategic.
Questions to ask yourself, and answer them while planning
· How small or large do you want the event to be? Intimate soirees garner a system of inclusivity while larger events allow your client to bring a friend.
· What would your client's like to do? Would it be an event that supports a non-profit in your area (making your event more about others than yourself)?
· Would it be an event to support another client's business - a new restaurant that's opening and you have a wine and appetizer event to support local businesses while introducing new possible patrons?
· What RSVP system/process will your client prefer to use? Is it easy and straightforward? Does it require a bunch of steps they have to surmount just for them to let you know they are going to be there!
· Will your RSVP system/process be shareable through the client's social media presence (such as Eventbrite which allows your client to tweet out their attendance or Facebook Events which allows your client's participation in an event to be seen by their connected audience).
· When you're at the event - how do you intend to make every client feel connected? How do you plan to meet new faces - and how to remember their names? (Name tags help!)
· Who will be there to take pictures of the event to share on your social media sites? (Hint: NOT YOU - hire someone or ask a friend you trust to focus on this.)
· What is your follow-up process with the client? Not only about the event itself (great events need to be repeated!) but also to get referrals for a new business or new appointments? What is your follow-up process for marketing? Are you going to write a blog article or a follow-up post? Were there clients at the event who have a venue or offering to do another event at?
Think every detail through because there are tons of marketing nuggets that fall to the side of events - missed opportunities to make your brand bigger, bolder, and more amplified if you fail to pay attention. The ROI is about the Return on Impact which will affect your Return on Investment!
Sheryl Brown. CEO
BIONICsocial, LLC
@BIONICsocialite pretty much everywhere online!
Event Purpose...
In my years of experience with leveraging events as a marketing tool, I have found many tricks to leverage the data received at events to drive present and future sales.
Events can be used to build a brand long term by making available to your desired
Customers; a platform to interact with your brand face to face with a positive experience. People are more likely to remember the last event they attended rather than the last website they visited. HOWEVER, when you pair potential customers who have attended your event with the correct marketing funnel, you can mine for gold!
Having different places and things for your potential customers to interact with while at your event, giving them the opportunity to ask questions, and play raffle draws for a chance to win SPECIFIC prizes, is another avenue to segment your marketing strategy to retarget for the CORRECT kind of relevant content your desired customers will love and appreciate because it's relevant to them! Every event should have a way for people to be tagged with their specific interests, so the follow-up content can be as relevant as possible to them. Even if people miss your event, send them a follow-up email the next day saying you’re sorry you missed them and show them some fun pictures of the event (this will make them less likely to miss the next event.)
If anyone signs up that day/makes a purchase, they should be given a special bonus gift they can carry around which shows the other potential customers in the room that other people are saying yes, so they should too! Be sure to have plenty of extra staff to take care of these customers so they will be more likely to make EVEN more purchases with you in the future.
In the past, I have always aligned my events with charities that are relevant to my marketing client’s goals for a few reasons.
1) It feels good to give back and help a charity
2) They usually have an email list and will invite their supporters
3) If a portion of your proceeds from the event are going to a charity, you can usually get alcohol sponsors and other companies to donate to your event
4) It’s a great way to network
Emily Paige
Director of Operations and Creative Services
EKOH Marketing- emily@ekohmarketing.com
After the Event: Make it Known that you Will Be Utilizing Media Coverage
Create a media opportunity for the guests to repost and coach them up on how to tag your business and the event on Instagram. You can also create custom Snapchat filters for your event that is geographic specific to within a mile of the location, so your brand can overlap fun photos taken. We specialize in event videography to showcase the event for our customers as a package when taking on the event project management.
Post event depends on the preparation of information gathering prior to the scheduled event date and the man hours to follow up...key:personally! Consumers hardly read all the way to the end of an email. Branding is about your dedication to your business industry and market. New relationships are forged at events, especially when unexpected B2B or B2C networking happens. It has the most gravitational pull away from our smartphones and tablet gratification when we connect with people again.
Branden Zavala
Owner of Open44,an events + media company in Arizona.
Do’s & Don’ts
1. Don’t add them to your email drip campaign without asking first. Seriously. In a way, you probably stand out by not doing this.
2. Connect on relevant social media if appropriate for your industry - real estate, for example, can generally be pretty comfortable regarding this.
3. Don’t harass people with calls, texts, and emails. People get freaked out - give them time to respond. Be courteous and have it in mind that they have their own lives too.
4. Follow up on any promises you made to people you spoke to. If you put someone’s email address in the margin of your notes because you said you’d send them something they requested, do it. Think hard! First impressions are important, and you’d be better off surprising someone that completely forgot they asked you for something than have someone left waiting and disappointed that you dropped the ball.
Devin Beverage
Business Growth Strategist at Dev Bev Co.
Dev Bev Co., Digital Marketing Agency
Mental Health as an Entrepreneur: Birds Eye-View
By: Kara L. Stachel, Esq.
“Transactional residential and commercial real estate and probate law”
Honest Self-assessment
Your personal issues will affect your business when you no longer enjoy your work - when it becomes work. People become entrepreneurs for the freedom it offers, but when entrepreneurship feels more like a ball and chain, it's time to do a mental health and personal check up on yourself. We all hit those walls, but when it gets to the point where you are no longer productive or your business stops growing, then it’s time to evaluate what is going on in your personal life that is holding you back. I have certainly had to do this more than once in my four (4) years of being a business owner and once
I pinpoint what it is that is holding me back in my personal life, and figure out how to correct it, my business relationships flourish, my productivity increases and my work becomes fun again. I remember why I do what I do and what I love about it; no one starts a business to do something they hate. When I put my mind in this mindset, it becomes a win-win for my clients and me.
Creativity Must Flow
It is difficult, if not impossible, to be creative when your mind is focusing on negatives and you are consistently stressed. When you are focused on the negatives and stress, your mind and body go into survival mode, rather than the creative mode. You are no longer thinking of growth and the future, but rather how to survive the present. It is like running on a hamster wheel - you will not get anywhere. Once you are able to clear your mind, you are able to think about the bigger picture with your business and how to foster growth and improvement. It is not only important but absolutely necessary in the formula for success. Clients and employees will never want to work in a negative environment, but a positive environment will always foster growth and productivity.
Be bold in business and in a balanced personal life
Scheduling is so important for balancing business and your personal life.
Plan everything and stick to that schedule, including when you are going to make your first cup of coffee in the morning and your children's soccer game or practice schedules as soon as you know them to ensure nothing interferes with that important time. Schedule breaks for yourself - you are human and we all need them.
Schedule specific days and times that you will set aside for meetings, networking and even exercise in order to develop a consistent schedule that you are able to stick to without excuses.
If you and your friends have a favorite yoga instructor on
Tuesdays, block that class on your calendar for every Tuesday for an indefinite period of time. That way, when someone asks if you are available on Tuesday at that time, you can let them know you have another appointment, but offer another day and time that you are available, preferably during your blocked meeting days and times. Also, try to maintain consistency with the days that you network, whether it is a group event or a one-on-one with a potential client or referral source. You are an entrepreneur and you chose to be for the freedom it offers. If you are not able to create your schedule then you are doing it all wrong!
Your Circle & Activity
Physical activity and surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is priceless. Your physical health plays a huge role in maintaining your mental health, so be sure to maintain a consistent schedule that includes physical activity.
I recommend at least three (3) days a week. Even if that means just taking a walk in the middle of your work day. There is no reason you cannot give yourself fifteen minutes of fresh air or to close your office door, put your phone on do not disturb and meditate.
Also, meet with other entrepreneurs and vent to them and use them as a sounding board for ideas of what works and what does not. They will be your best resource and lift you up on days when you are down and you will do the same for them.
Moreover, you will likely end up being referral sources for each other, so you can share in the successes.
I meet with two other law firm owners once a week and it has been a game changer for my mental health, in addition to learning from them things that
I can improve on to make my own practice more efficient. Also, I have discovered they face the same struggles and learning from them how they handled certain situations has made me feel less alone and more like I am part of a tribe of entrepreneurs that have come much further and experienced much more success than previously thought.
Remember, you are part of a small group that had the audacity to start your own business and you made it this far. There is nothing standing in your way of success, except you. Get out of your own way and own your success - you deserve it and you are more than capable!
Taxes for the Solopreneur
Always consult with a certified financial accountant. We suggest Bench Co for small businesses and freelancers which specializes in a monthly subscription platform for all of your expenses along with a hands-on accountant to assist your process with no extra hourly cost.
Don't forget about self-employment tax
When estimating how much to withdraw from your gross, don't just jump on Google and look up your tax bracket. For employees with a w-2, not only are they taxed in their bracket but they are also taxed on Medicare and Social Security.
Small business owners don't pay those taxes, but DO pay a self employment tax instead, to the tune of around 15%!
Consolidate banking accounts if you can
Even with an accountant to prepare my taxes when they are due, I still have to track all of my income and expenses (unless you want to pay a bookkeeper). Once you throw in business credit cards into the mix, it can be difficult to track deductible expenses each month as you have to switch between statements constantly. If you can, try and consolidate to just use one business credit card, or even just your debit card (so that all you have to do is look at your checking statement).
1099 forms and paying contractors
When you pay a contractor for more than $600 of work during the year, you have to present them with a 1099. Luckily, if you're paying with Paypal, Paypal will take care of it for you. This can be one less headache for a small business owner and is a pretty convenient and quick way to pay.
Andrew Sather
Founding Publisher ---einvestingforbeginners.com
The Sather Research eLetter
"Affect of the Election for Small Businesses"
By: Urban Freedom Guest Contributor
Brad Plothow, VP of Marketing & Communications at Womply
At Womply, we surveyed 5,000 small business owners to find out which political and policy issues are most important. This data sheds light on what’s at stake for small businesses in the 2020 election and beyond. A few key findings with analysis:
2020 U.S. Presidential Race
By: Urban Freedom Guest Contributor
Brad Plothow, VP of Marketing & Communications at Womply
At Womply, we surveyed 5,000 small business owners to find out which political and policy issues are most important. This data sheds light on what’s at stake for small businesses in the 2020 election and beyond. A few key findings with analysis:
Small businesses love Trump, not Congress. 44% of small business owners voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and 83% said they think he’s doing a good job of representing the interests of small businesses. So, unless Trump does things to really erode confidence, he’ll have a strong advantage with small business owners heading into the 2020 election. Not so with Congress. Only 13% of respondents in our survey said Congress is doing a good job of representing their interests, suggesting that congressional seats may be at risk of losing the Main Street vote.
Taxes are king. We asked small business owners to rank their top political and policy concerns. Taxes was the runaway winner, suggesting that Main Street businesses have really felt the weight of uncertainty around taxes in recent years. If the political winds shift toward tax reform that isn’t favorable to small businesses, optimism could wane.
Regulations and health care. Business regulations ranked behind taxes as the second-highest rated issue for small business owners, followed by health care. Obviously, the political environment can lead to significant swings on these issues, which are disproportionately important to entrepreneurs whose business profits are also their personal income. Small business owners will be more likely to vote for candidates who offer business-friendly plans on regulations and health care.
Pragmatism over politics. Some of the top political topics of the day—immigration, gun control, equal pay, and terrorism—barely registered on the list of top concerns for small businesses. If the election becomes a referendum on political issues, small businesses will likely lose interest and potentially lose out on seeing progress on topics that they care most about, namely taxes, regulations, and health care.
Which Presidential 2020 Candidates do you feel would benefit you in your business & personal life? Do you feel any conflict in your choice?
Send us your feedback to be published in the upcoming Digital & Print Issue- info@UrbanFreedom.org