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Three Small Biz Books Worth Reading
Dec 17th
If you’re looking for a business book to read on a holiday flight (or even one to read to get away from the chaos of family), here are some great ones to look at. Here we give you just a taste of three fantastic business books. It’s your job to read them!
Engagement from Scratch!
Engagement from Scratch! is written by Danny Iny (@DannyIny) of Firepole Marketing. The book is one part marketing, one part blogging and one part social media, all of which adds up to community, the theme of the book. Or rather, how to create and continue to engage your community through content. The book teaches readers how to build an audience that will rally around you and your cause, be that through your blog or a social channel.
The author, Iny, trains and coaches small business owners on marketing through his Firepole Marketing platform. He also blogs prolifically on sites like LifeHack, Problogger and Freelance Switch.
The book is a collection of essays from top marketing and small business experts (including Small Business Trends‘ CEO, Anita Campbell), who provide actionable tips you can actually use. In his review, blogger Steve Hill found it to be not just another internet marketing book:
“Engagement from Scratch provides ideas about getting started and generating results for readers who recognize the importance of building online communities. Also, most of the writers present their ideas in such a way that comes across as transparent and genuine rather than an attempt to get a few more Twitter followers or generate some leads (although I’m sure none of them would complain if that did happen).”
Managing with a Conscience: How to Improve Performance Through Integrity, Trust and Commitment
Frank Sonnenberg’s book, Managing with a Conscience, originally published in 1996, got an update with its second edition, released this November. The management book looks at nine factors critical to success for managers, such as “building an organization with passion that focuses on major priorities, reinvents itself every day, devotes itself to service excellence, adapts well to change, responds with speed, maintains a flexible structure, taps unlimited resources through networking, and puts integrity back where it belongs, right beside the bottom line.”
Sonnenberg (@FSonnenberg) is the author of four books, and often appears on CNN as an expert in marketing. He acted as National Director of Marketing for Ernst & Young’s Management Consulting Group for ten years.
Reviews of the second edition are as positive as they were for the original version. On Amazon, reader Barbara Kimmel, Executive Director, Trust Across America had this to say:
“Managing With A Conscience should be read by every CEO who wants to build a long-term sustainable business strategy, and placed on the “required reading” list in all MBA programs.”
Become a Franchise Owner
Franchise expert Joel Libava just released his book, Become a Franchise Owner. This book is full of the resources you need if you are seriously considering buying a franchise, including a self-evaluation to see if you’re cut out to become a franchise owner. As Libava says, most people aren’t cut out for franchises, so this book is an affordable tool to help you figure out if you should move forward.
Libava (@FranchiseKing), also known as “the Franchise King,” says he was a lousy franchise owner. But through his experience both owning franchises and consulting with franchise owners, he’s learned a great deal about what to consider when looking at a franchise.
Business consultant Jim Kukral recommends the book to anyone considering a franchise as a business investment:
“Bottom line, if you EVER thought about purchasing your own franchise, you must read Joel’s book. Joel will give you tips on how to locate information about franchises, current industry trends, interviews with franchisors, and hot franchise opportunities.”
Have you read any of these books, or do you plan to? Let us know what you like about them!
Three Small Biz Books Worth Reading
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
3 Awesome Corporate Blogs Worth Reading
Nov 18th
Some of the biggest companies in the world have been unable to get their blogging recipe just right. Then there are those that have figured out that sometimes the best sell is the soft sell. Here are three corporate blogs worth reading on a regular basis.
WEGMAN’s
Visit: http://www.wegmans.com/blog/
Wegman’s blog, dubbed “Fresh Stories,” is designed to keep customers informed and engaged. What makes the blog interesting is that you get an inside look at the journey food takes before it hits supermarket shelves, and eventually your table. Everything on the website reinforces the Wegman’s brand. You can learn about products, get recipe ideas, monitor the progress of store openings, and even pick up health tips. This is all done without beating readers over the head.
The blog is updated several times a month, which might go against the blogging adage that more is better, but when it comes to a company blog, I imagine most people prefer quality over quantity; you have better things to do than check in on a daily basis.
What truly sets the blog apart is the large range of bloggers that Wegman’s use, some have been with the company for decades, others are newcomers, each delivering an interesting perspective.
A Flickr stream of photos will make you feel as if you fresh picked the produce yourself. The Wegman’s blog puts the product first in a subtle way, all while giving the reader a local market vibe. And for anyone who has ever shopped at Wegman’s, you know that this is the same approach that has made the supermarket chain so successful. Kudos to the company for getting that messaging across on their blog.
ZAPPOS
Visit: http://blogs.zappos.com/
I know, you’re so used to seeing Zappos on a “best of” list that you are getting ready to click off this story. But wait! The accolades are well deserved. As a company that puts it’s customers (and employees!) first, the Zappos blog showcases a level of transparency rarely seen on a corporate blog. One day you’ll find useful shopping tips, the next, information on the company’s amazing adoption benefits for employees. Perhaps you will hear from upper management on why they are making a change to their backend system. Or maybe you just want to know what shoes are hot this season.
The Zappos blog was born in late 2007 but really found its legs in late 2008. If you are interested in improving your company’s customer service or just want to hook yourself up with a sweet pair of kicks, the Zappos blog is worth bookmarking.
FEDEX
Visit: http://blog.fedex.designcdt.com/
FedEx has a tremendous global reach, but the company is about more than just package delivery….and they want the world to know it. The FedEx corporate blog does that, dishing out small business best practices, a look inside of the company’s logistics, and even an eco-friendly section that is designed to make the company, and the world, a little more green. Team member stories make up a portion of the blog. Rather than read as overly-edited company fluff pieces, the stories have depth; character. FedEx’s philanthropic efforts get the spotlight center stage.
Overall the blog is professional and polished, but has just enough voice to make you feel as if you are reading an informal blog.
Which corporate blogs do you read on a regular basis — and what about them do you love?
Do you have your own blog? Get your blog reviewed and published at a PR6 site at Blogsearchengine.com, a perfect place to promote your blog
View full post on Business Pundit
Worth it?
Nov 16th
That’s a question you hear a lot. “Was it worth it?”
Not certain what either “it” refers to, but generally we’re saying, “was the destination worth the journey? Was the effort worth the reward?”
The thing about effort is that effort is its own reward if you allow it to be.
So the answer can always be “yes” if you let it.
View full post on Seth’s Blog
7 Business Leaders Worth Looking Up To
Nov 15th
Every young entrepreneur needs an example to look up to–someone whose story resonates with your own and inspires you to reach even greater heights. Whether it’s a personal encounter with Jack Welch or reading a biography of Steve Jobs, you can find inspiration from multiple sources.
We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, this question:
“Who is one well-known business leader over the age of 40 that you look to for advice on running your small business? Why do they resonate with you?”
Here are some of the leaders the YEC members look up to:
1. Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines
“Like many businesses, Southwest Airlines was born on a cocktail napkin, but it took a lot of perseverance to actually take flight. Numerous Texas airlines tried to keep Southwest grounded with lawsuits in its first years of business, but Kelleher was steadfast and fought through. Today Southwest is one of the only profitable airlines [in the U.S.] because it refuses to accept the status quo.” ~ Benjamin Leis, Sweat EquiTees
2. Jack Welch
“I personally resonate with Jack Welch because I admire his ability to lead and manage people. He believes that winning individuals and organizations create jobs, galvanize growth and give back to society. I had the pleasure of meeting him. He shook my hand, looked me in the eye and remembered my name. Named the CEO of the century, his management skills are unparalleled.” ~ Lucas Sommer, Audimated
3. Aaron Strout
“Aaron has been part of my professional and personal life since we met at SXSW in 2009. He’s done a lot in his marketing career, from big brands to startup digital agencies. His advice resonates with me because he’s one of my mentors and despite the fact that my path has changed from when we first met, he isn’t trying to shape me into a mini-Aaron. Though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.” ~ Sydney Owen, 3Ring Media
4. Richard Branson
“I read his book and love what he did. He created an enterprise that was built on a lifestyle brand versus a specific industry. This allowed him to expand anywhere because he had a big vision. I like having a big vision, as there is a lot to accomplish in this world. I also admire his ability to be well rounded.” ~ David Schnurman, Lawline
“I’ve read Barbara’s book Use What You’ve Got and I keep going back to it because there are so many juicy and wise words of advice there. I resonate with her because she is self-made and tells it like it is. She’s also got a great sense of humor and makes doing business fun!” ~ Nath Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media
6. Dan Kennedy
“Working in direct-response marketing and helping others build their own businesses is the business that I have found myself in, and no one has done that better, longer and within more industries than Dan Kennedy. From his bestselling books to his live events and masterminds, he finds ways to connect with me and my team that have exponentially grown our business and expanded my mind.” ~ Greg Rollett, The ProductPros
7. Who’s Next?
“I look to many older business leaders for advice as there is always an area of business to improve. Rather than looking to one person, I turn to many people, and usually to the person who has successfully navigated through the issue I am having at the time. This allows me to find the exact experience of the person who has been there and done that, rather than taking advice from someone who hasn’t.” ~ Louis Lautman, Young Entrepreneur Society
7 Business Leaders Worth Looking Up To
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
7 Business Leaders Worth Looking Up To
Nov 15th
Every young entrepreneur needs an example to look up to–someone whose story resonates with your own and inspires you to reach even greater heights. Whether it’s a personal encounter with Jack Welch or reading a biography of Steve Jobs, you can find inspiration from multiple sources.
We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, this question:
“Who is one well-known business leader over the age of 40 that you look to for advice on running your small business? Why do they resonate with you?”
Here are some of the leaders the YEC members look up to:
1. Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines
“Like many businesses, Southwest Airlines was born on a cocktail napkin, but it took a lot of perseverance to actually take flight. Numerous Texas airlines tried to keep Southwest grounded with lawsuits in its first years of business, but Kelleher was steadfast and fought through. Today Southwest is one of the only profitable airlines [in the U.S.] because it refuses to accept the status quo.” ~ Benjamin Leis, Sweat EquiTees
2. Jack Welch
“I personally resonate with Jack Welch because I admire his ability to lead and manage people. He believes that winning individuals and organizations create jobs, galvanize growth and give back to society. I had the pleasure of meeting him. He shook my hand, looked me in the eye and remembered my name. Named the CEO of the century, his management skills are unparalleled.” ~ Lucas Sommer, Audimated
3. Aaron Strout
“Aaron has been part of my professional and personal life since we met at SXSW in 2009. He’s done a lot in his marketing career, from big brands to startup digital agencies. His advice resonates with me because he’s one of my mentors and despite the fact that my path has changed from when we first met, he isn’t trying to shape me into a mini-Aaron. Though that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.” ~ Sydney Owen, 3Ring Media
4. Richard Branson
“I read his book and love what he did. He created an enterprise that was built on a lifestyle brand versus a specific industry. This allowed him to expand anywhere because he had a big vision. I like having a big vision, as there is a lot to accomplish in this world. I also admire his ability to be well rounded.” ~ David Schnurman, Lawline
“I’ve read Barbara’s book Use What You’ve Got and I keep going back to it because there are so many juicy and wise words of advice there. I resonate with her because she is self-made and tells it like it is. She’s also got a great sense of humor and makes doing business fun!” ~ Nath Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media
6. Dan Kennedy
“Working in direct-response marketing and helping others build their own businesses is the business that I have found myself in, and no one has done that better, longer and within more industries than Dan Kennedy. From his bestselling books to his live events and masterminds, he finds ways to connect with me and my team that have exponentially grown our business and expanded my mind.” ~ Greg Rollett, The ProductPros
7. Who’s Next?
“I look to many older business leaders for advice as there is always an area of business to improve. Rather than looking to one person, I turn to many people, and usually to the person who has successfully navigated through the issue I am having at the time. This allows me to find the exact experience of the person who has been there and done that, rather than taking advice from someone who hasn’t.” ~ Louis Lautman, Young Entrepreneur Society
7 Business Leaders Worth Looking Up To
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Change worth reading about: update
Nov 14th
About six weeks ago, we launched a massive multi-author book called End Malaria.
Here’s what’s happened since:
- It became a top 10 bestseller.
- We raised more than $250,000 in sales and sponsorships for Malaria No More–every penny spent on the ebook goes to them, and the same amount from every paperback copy sold.
- The book received more than 30 five-star reviews.
- Conversations were had among hundreds of thousands of people about the ideas in the book–ideas that can jumpstart your projects, change your approach and grow your organization.
- Thank you for saving lives.
If you haven’t gotten your copy, you’ve missed something. Today is the best day to catch up.
View full post on Seth’s Blog
Is Your Startup Story Worth $10,000?
Oct 19th
Something every entrepreneur or small business owner has in common is that they have a story. Whether you quit your job in the middle of the recession (like me!) or you went from garage to glory in three years, we all have a startup story that is unique and inspiring to others. And now we all have the chance to win $10,000 simply for telling it.
Oh, you’re paying attention now, aren’t you? 
Hiscox, the small business insurance specialists, are challenging entrepreneurs, SMBs and consultants to share their startup stories for the chance to win $10,000 and other prizes through their MyStartUpStory Contest. What compelled Hiscox to put together a contest like this?
Hiscox’s Director of Small Business Insurance, Kevin Kerridge, said:
“The stories we hear on a daily basis from our customers and prospects are inspiring, and we wanted a way to share these and hear from other small businesses about how they got started and overcame challenges along the way. The submissions we’ve seen so far show the sheer will and determination of the U.S. small business owner and offer some advice for getting over the challenges that are part of every new business.”
To enter the contest, entrants have the choice of submitting a 500-word essay or a 2- to 5-minute video describing their startup and offering small business advice. Entries will be judged on their responses to the following questions:
- What does your business do?
- Why did you start your business?
- What is the best advice you’ve received?
- What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
- How did you overcome these challenges?
- What is the biggest lesson you learned from these challenges?
All submissions will be featured on the Hiscox Small Business Insurance Facebook page during the contest. Small business owners can also check the company’s Facebook page to find inspiration from the startup stories of entrepreneurs like Pete Cashmore (Mashable), David Karp (Tumblr) and others.
In addition to the $10K grand prize, the second- and third-place winners are eligible to win business essentials like a possible iPad, printer/copier/scanner, an office chair and other small business tools, as well as a free ticket to an upcoming small business conference from a list provided by Hiscox.
While the prizes surely sweeten the pot, the contest represents a great way for small business owners to share their personal experiences running a startup and to motivate those reading them.
According to Kevin:
“The MyStartUpStory contest is an opportunity not only for businesses to win prizes, but also to publicize their business and share their advice through our Facebook page, small business blog, Twitter account and other marketing channels. I think entrepreneurs will benefit from seeing others who have come through the tough times and lived to talk about it and share their experiences through this contest.”
If you want a chance at the loot, the contest runs through November 7, and is open to all U.S. small business owners and entrepreneurs. Full details can be found on the Hiscox Facebook Page.
Good luck!
Is Your Startup Story Worth $10,000?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Is Advertising Worth the Expense?
Oct 12th
Is Advertising Worth the Expense?
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
That’s the question on the mind of many a small business owner these days – particularly since there seem to be so many low cost and no cost ways to get the word out.
Well, for me the simple answer to the question posed in the title of this post is yes and it depends.
Wanna find out more about my thoughts on the effective use of advertising to generate and convert leads?
Join me for a special live tweet chat sponsored and hosted by FedEx Office® as part of their Boost Your Small Business Tweet Chat Series.
I’ll be live chatting on Twitter on Thursday October 13th at 7pm CT (worldtimebuddy.com for the time zone challenged)
The best way to participate is to create a TweetChat account if you don’t have one and then log in during the time of the call using the #fedexsmallbiz hashtag. That way you can follow along with the discussion and participate in the full conversation with the other participants.
The discussion will be moderated by @FedEx and you can expect a lively conversation on this important topic, including a range of opinions about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to advertising your small business.
As part of the promotion the folks at FedEx Office have given me four $25 gift cards for my listeners to use on things like printing and binding those super important sales presentations.
Here’s how you can grab one of the gift cards – tell me in the comments of this post about the most effective use of advertising you’ve ever employed. Effective can mean new leads, signups, and, of course, new business. (I’ll choose the four best from the comments so make them good). FedEx Office has no involvement in the selection of the winners. This is sponsored by @ducttape.
Look forward to a lively chat on the 13th!
Disclosure: FedEx Office compensated me to write this post and participate as a small business expert during the FedEx Office Boost your Small Business Tweet Chat program. FedEx Office also provided the $25 gift cards. The ideas in this blog post are mine and not ideas or advice from FedEx Office.
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
What’s a Facebook Like Worth?
Sep 16th
Facebook and comScore recently published a white paper on “How Brands Reach and Influence Fans Through Social Media Marketing.” The document is full of some pretty interesting case studies on Starbucks, Southwest and Bing, with regards to how they use their Facebook Pages to generate interest, buzz and business.
How to Measure a Like
What’s interesting to me is that we’re finally getting away from measuring ROI for social media in the terms of “this interaction = this in sales.” It’s about time. According to the white paper, Facebook fans can be valued in several ways:
- By increasing the depth of engagement and loyalty of fans
- By generating incremental purchase behavior
- By influencing friends of fans
So you can see, it’s hard to put a dollar amount on any one of these values, yet they are all tremendously valuable.
Why Friends of Fans Are Important
Another tidbit I learned from this report is the importance of friends of fans of a brand’s Facebook Page. If you’re a fan of, say, Starbucks, there’s a pretty good chance your Facebook friends might be interested in the brand as well. And brands realize this. According to Facebook, in looking at the top 100 brand Pages, they determined that for every brand’s fan, there are another 34 friends of fans that the brands can reach. So exponentially, you can reach a lot more people than just those who click “Like” on your Page.
From the report: “Starbucks’ Fans and Friends of Fans showed the highest average propensity to visit the brand website, with Fans 418 percent more likely to visit Starbucks.com and Friends of Fans 230 percent more
likely.”
Getting More Eyeballs to Your Page
According to the report, for brands that post updates five days a week, an average of 16 percent of Fans are reached. It’s all about what appears in that person’s feed when they’re on Facebook. Post too rarely, and your content won’t be seen. Post too often, and you irritate people. The report suggests that to increase the likelihood of reaching your fan base, you should focus on highly relevant content that your fans will want to read and share, and to post more regularly:
A Facebook analysis suggests that each incremental day of publishing branded content from the Facebook Page increases the reach among Fans by approximately 2.5 percent.
That’s good advice any brand, small or large, can use in marketing on Facebook. The report had some other great statistics, so I suggest you check it out for yourself.
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
How to Get What You’re Worth
Jun 24th
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Price is a function of perceived value – yours and the client’s.
Lots of ingredients go into baking the perceived value cake, but for the most part, what you can charge for your products and services is a function of the value a buyer attaches to the purchase and you attach to your worth.
Now, what you can charge and what you actually charge is rarely the same thing. Far too many business owners undercharge because they feel price is purely a function of competition or worse they simply don’t value what they do enough to get what it’s worth.
This is as true for the Etsy seller making iPad covers as it is for the consultant providing high level advice.
In order to charge more and get what you’re worth you’ve got to take some time and get very serious about measuring one thing – value or results that a customer receives.
Here’s how to do that
Create a process that requires you to meet with every customer for something I call a “results review.” How you do this will depend on how you interact with your customers – the key, however, is to position this process as a valuable to the customer and not as research for you.
I would advise you to present the idea in the selling stages - “we know you’re going to receive incredible value and part of the way we deliver on that promise is a results review that ensures it.”
Your results review must be seen as a way for you to ensure the customer received the value promised and measure actual value. It’s also a great place to ask for referrals!
One of two things will generally happen in these reviews a) you’ll find you didn’t deliver, and that’s okay, because that’s how you fix and improve b) you’ll discover a tangible amount of value the customer received and that’s awesome, because that can act as proof of value delivered and should give you the confidence to raise your prices.
Either way, this must be considered an integral part of the overall client experience and a wonderful gauge of where you and how you get better.
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
