All Posts (9530)
Sort by
3 Types of People To Avoid On Twitter
You know, Twitter rocks, or at least I think so. But not everyone agrees. My interaction with thousands of people on Twitter has lead me to believe that it is a valuable tool for meeting new people, learning new things and expanding your circle of influence as an Indie Business owner. For example, Indie Beauty Network member Marla Bosworth of Back Porch Soap Company, who just started Tweeting a few months ago, says that Twitter accounts for 30% of visits to her website, and that she was booked to speak at a conference directly because of Twitter networking. You can't shake a stick at that!
Let's face it, social media like Twitter is time consuming. And it is sometimes difficult and frustrating to deal with multiple personalities. This is especially true if, like me and most Indie Business owners, you are also managing a home and want to maintain some level of privacy. But the reality is that, marketing is time consuming, business is business and if you're home-based, you have to figure out how to connect everything in a way that works for you and your family. And with 75% of Americans on the Internet, this boils down to resisting the urge to maintain so much privacy that your business goes down the tubes.
The growth of Twitter and other forms of social media reminds me of rap music. Years ago, everyone said it was a fad, it wouldn't last and that no one would be paying attention in a few years. But love it or hate it, rap is an integral part of our culture. The same thing holds true for various form of online social media like Twitter.
That's why today, at The Nova Studio's Business Boot Camp, I am leading a workshop on using social media to "Become the News You Want to Be." I will have my laptop and projector, and so will the Boot Camp attendees. We will discuss e-commerce websites, online newsletters, Twitter, blogs, etc., and how all of them work together to help promote your brand and increase sales on the Internet. We'll launch a blog in the workshop so everyone can play around with being their own media outlet.
Back to Twitter
Whether or not to embrace Twitter, and to what extent, is a question you need to answer as an Indie Business owner. The answer will be different for everyone, but the important thing is that, you need to assess it on its merits vis a vis your own business.
Like everything else in business, making connections on Twitter has benefits and drawbacks. In my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Having said that, I have concluded that certain types of people are more suited for online social networking, including Twitter, than others. In my experience, it's best to avoid 3 types of social networkers.
1. The High and the Mighty
I was talking with a newspaper reporter a while back. Like so many other staff reporters around the nation, she was recently laid off from her job at a major metropolitan daily. "Leanne" told me that she would never use social media to interact with other people because "real journalists" just don't do that.
Leanne has nothing to offer anyone on the social media circuit because, at least for now, she thinks she better than them. Even if she joins a space like Twitter, chances are she'll have 6,000 followers and she'll be following 2 people. Unless you're a presidential candidate or something similar, that alone indicates a person who views himself or herself as somehow more important than others. It also indicates an attitude of superiority. A self perceived "queen-ish-ness" that says, "I have something to teach you, but you have nothing to teach me."
I like to connect with people who feel they have as much to learn as they do to share. They are naturally friendly and giving and tend to have roughly the same number of followers as they do followees. Rather than coming to the party empty-handed and expecting people to bow and worship, they come bearing gifts. They come seeking to help and be helped.
If someone is too high and mighty to mingle with the masses, explore new things and find out how the world of online networking can benefit them, they'll get nothing out of it. The high and mighty should stay away from Twitter. And I tend to avoid the few I've come across.
Connect online with people who are down to earth, approachable and who appreciate the value you bring to the table.
2. The Rude and the Mean-Spirited
A few weeks ago, after enjoying one of my favorite online marketing newsletters, I asked the publisher what he thought about Twitter. His response was this: "Groan." For real. That was the response.
So being my naturally curious self, I wrote back and asked him why he was groaning at me. First of all, he's a "marketing expert" so I thought it was odd that he didn't have a substantive comment (even if negative) about Twitter. Second of all, I was taken aback by the way he treated me as one of his readers.
I must digress for a moment.
I never groan at my newsletter readers. I may not like what one of them says, and they may not like what I have to say, but groan at one of my readers? Not so much. My readers are part of the reason why I have a business! I care about their opinions. I seek them out, even when I disagree with them. Unless it is clearly in jest, you won't catch me groaning at anyone, much less one of my treasured and valuable newsletter readers.
OK, so back to the topic of convo.
In response to my query, the marketing expert said, among other things, that he did not want to think about Twitter any more than he wanted to think about eating scorpions or buying a McMansion. (Scorpions are a delicacy in some cultures. But I knew he wasn't thinking about that ...)
I responded that I thought my blog readers would be interested in knowing the perspective of a marketing expert on a topic that is so relevant to online success, so I asked if I could interview him on the topic. The reply was biting, along the lines of: (1) I took his comments out of context; (2) don't share his comments publicly; and (3) don't email him anymore.
Wop! Bam! Boom! Wouldn't you say? Hmmm, I hope I get a newsletter this week ...
So, the moral of the story is that if you can't generally play well with others, and be tolerant of their opinions, Twitter is not the place for you. On Twitter, most people are about sharing. Sometimes, they share too much about themselves but at the end of the day, if someone makes you nuts with self-promotion or "too much information," guess what? Unfollow! How easy is that??! You can wipe them out of your life just as quickly as you invited them in.
Connect online with people who are respectful, professional and who play well with others.
3. The Sweet and the Softy
I got an email a while back from a person who said she was quitting Twitter and maybe even her business because some people had said something mean and insensitive directly to her on Twitter. And to make matters worse, people started unfollowing her because of the exchange that resulted.
Amazing how cruel people can be in 140 characters or less.
Anyway, this business owner was hurt and disappointed, perhaps rightfully so. That may be true, but let's be real here. In order to be in business today, you have to have some pretty thick skin. Potential sales fall through for reasons that are unfair. People say mean and untrue things about you and/or your products online. Everyone's a critic and everyone has opinions. Not everyone is going to like what you have to say, how you look, that you eat animals or that you vote Republican or Democrat. That's life!
If you can't take the heat, get out of the Tweets. (I made that up.) For maximum business success, however, I suggest resisting the urge to throw the baby out with the bath water. There will always be mean-spirited critics, but no matter what, other people at Twitter and elsewhere will be in your corner cheering you on and helping you along the way. Seek them out. When you find each other, your life will be enriched both personally and professionally.
I think Indie Business owners are in the best position if they budget some time to communicate about themselves and their business online. Twitter is a great place to do that, but not if you don't have a bit of thick skin to deflect some of the comments that might otherwise be hurtful, even devastating.
Try to avoid Tweeting with these people. Try to avoid becoming like these people.
Connect online with people from all walks of life to increase your sphere of influence and expand your world view, but be careful of connecting with people who bruise easily in business. There are other ways to connect with such people, and social media may just not be one of them. And try not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
What do you think?
What are your opinions about Twitter, and social media in general? Love it? Hate it? Hate me for telling you about it??! Post your experiences here and help others decide whether Twitter and social media in general is or is not for them.
Related Posts
It Takes a Global Twitter Village
Ahhh, the Tweet Life
Who to Follow on Twitter
Tweet With Me
For more fun, Indie Business social media tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
I've used most of the blogging software and found that wordpress.org is the one that met my overall needs. It gave me the opportunity to post ads and choose from a variety of design themes for my blog. I also liked the option of having various pages for my blog. I will warn that one must be technically inclined to use this software option. I continue to use blogger for my travel blog -All About Vegas Travel. It meets my needs by allowing me to publish great content, share my blogroll and ads. It does not provide me with specialty page layouts that wordpress offers and there are times I cannot access my blog due to outages. I have not used Typepad, but I have a couple of friends that are using it and love it. My friends found that using Typepad did not require them to be technically inclined. They wanted something that was simple and easy to use. Below are some of the blogging software available on the market today. It provides pros / cons for use of each.HTML TemplatesWordpress.com (Free, Hosted by Wordpress):Wordpress.com is a free blogging software that provides a limited amount of customization by way of free templates you can download for your blog. It is very easy to learn and provides automatic features such as a spam blocking plug-in (Akismet), automatic pinging and more. On the negative side, Wordpress.com does not allow ads of any kind on blogs, so monetizing your free Wordpress blog through advertising is not an option.Wordpress.org (Paid, Third-Party Host Required):Wordpress.org offers free blogging software, but users have to pay to host their blogs through a third-party website host such as GatorHost or 1and1. For bloggers with some technical skills who need advanced customization, Wordpress.org is a great choice. The software, itself, is the same as Wordpress.com, but the customization options make it very popular among power bloggers, business bloggers and more.Follow the link to read a complete overview of Wordpress from About Web Logs.Blogger:Blogger equals easy. Many novice bloggers choose to start their first blogs with Blogger because it's free, very easy to use, and it allows ads to help monetize blogs. The downside of Blogger is it's prone to outages, so you may not always be able to access your blog when you want to.TypePad:TypePad is very easy to use, but it's not free. Even though it doesn't require a third-party host, it does have a cost associated with it. With that said, TypePad does provide great features and a high level of customization without the technical knowledge of some other customizable blogging software options.Moveable Type: Moveable Type is a great blogging software, but it requires users to obtain pricey licenses. The installation process is cumbersome and the features are not as rich as other blogging software programs provide. Many people like Moveable Type because it supports multiple blogs without having to install the software again and again.LiveJournal: LiveJournal requires users to pay a monthly fee, and it provides a limited amount of features and customization.Suggestions from About Web Logs:For bloggers who are looking for a free blogging software that allows monetization, you may want to try Blogger. If monetization is not important to you, then Wordpress.com might be a better choice.For bloggers who want full customization and advanced feature capability (and aren't afraid of technical challenges and out-of-pocket expenses), Wordpress.org and TypePad are excellent choices.Check out my blog - Ebonywoman
12 Steps To Starting A Successful Small BusinessWhether you want to work for yourself, earn some extra income or have more control over your life, people are starting small businesses around the world. These people are living the new American dream of owning a business.About eight months ago, I started a home based travel business due to wanting more flexibility and control over my life. Previously, I worked in Corporate America most of my life and felt I had little to no control over my life. I found myself going from one meeting to the next with no time for deskwork. My deskwork would occur after hours, which left my personal life non-existent. I knew this pattern could not continue. For one, I was very unhappy and knew it was time for a change. I put a plan together that would allow me to leave the corporate arena. After a year of executing my plan, I left Corporate America and started my home based travel business. I'm not quite where I was salary wise, but that's ok. I can say that I am much happier and right now that is what matters to me.Do you want to start your own small business? If so, check out the steps below to get you started.STEP #1 - ORGANIZE YOURSELF:Set up a planning notebook to keep track of appointments, things to do, calls to make, errands to run, shopping, etc. Finally, set up a work schedule so you won't get sidetracked.STEP #2 - SELECT BUSINESS CARDS, STATIONERY ADVERTISING BROCHURES ETC:They make a definite impression-good or bad- on the people who receive them. If you are not certain what is most suitable and effective, consult a graphics designer or advertising agency.STEP #3 - DECIDE ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESS:Make a list of things you like to do, your work and volunteer experience, and items you own that can be used in a business. Look over this line-up, and using ideas from it, list possible businesses to start.STEP #4 - CHOOSE A LEGAL FORM:The three basic legal forms are sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation. The most common is the sole proprietorship.STEP #5 - DETERMINE WHERE THE MONEY WILL COME FROM:There are three ways to finance start-up costs: use your own money, obtain a loan, or find investors. If possible, it is better to start small, use your savings, and not worry about repaying a debt.STEP #6 - GATHER INFORMATION:Spend a few weeks researching home-based businesses. A library or bookstore can provide numerous books on business basics, and on the specific type of business that interest you.STEP #7 - CHOOSE A MAILING ADDRESS:Using a post office or drop box as the business address down plays the fact you are a home based business. It also prevents customers from dropping in at all hours.STEP #8 - PICK A BUSINESS NAME AND REGISTER IT:If the business name you choose is different from your name, file an assumed (or fictitious) name certificate with the county. You are notified if another business already has that name, so you can select a new one.STEP #9 - WRITE A BUSINESS PLANA good business plan should include a description of what you are selling, who the prospective customers are, how you plan to promote, and how much money is needed for start-up costs.STEP #10 - SET UP RECORD-KEEPING SYSTEMS:Put together a simple and effective bookkeeping system for income and expenses. Use a pocket divider for each month's receipts, bank statement, deposit tickets, and canceled checks.STEP #11 - OPEN A BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT:Call several banks to find out what services they offer. Bank fees can be significant, so shop around for the best deal.STEP #12 - OBTAIN LICENSES & PERMITSIt's very important not to overlook any necessary license or permit. Some cities and counties require a general business license. If the product or service you sell is taxable, you need a state sales tax permit.Creating and operating a small business is a wonderful and rewarding challenge. The satisfaction is not only in the money earned, but in doing what makes you happy.Visit my blog - Ebonywoman
A side hustle is whatever job you do in addition to your 9 to 5 gig, to help you make ends meet, save money, or just find a lucrative release from the drudgery of your day-to-day biz. Some ladies are creative enough to make products at home, and they can sell their items online (through Etsy or Ebay). If you are not a crafty enough chick to produce products that sell, maybe you should consider the vast world of direct sales. This includes Avon, Mary Kay, Soul Purpose, etc.There are several ways to make extra money without burning out. You could sell your old textbooks on Amazon, or sell just about anything on eBay. You can babysit your neighbors kids, walk or groom dogs, or do some freelance writing. If you enjoy parties and/or weddings, look into becoming a wedding or event planner on the side. You could be a research assistant, a secret shopper, or conduct online surveys for extra cash. Become a class instructor at your gym or teach a class at the community college. Check Craig’s List in your city for several part-time, work from home, easy and very manageable money making hustles. However, beware of scams on Craig’s List and don’t ever pay anyone upfront for a job or give them any account information.If you already have a side hustle that is your passion, consider taking it to the next level and making it your dream career. Whether it’s writing, web-designing, event planning, fashion, or throwing parties. It can become your main money making gig if you take your vision to the next level. Start with creating a plan. Do not quit your day job until you have an exit strategy. Write down the goals you must accomplish before you quit your full-time job, whether it’s a specific amount of money your side hustle must generate or a certain number of clients you must have. Next, write down the steps required for achieving those goals. Talk it over with colleagues or people who are already doing what you want to do. You might even want to invest in a book about how to start your own business. If you are getting a regular paycheck, then invest all the profits from your side hustle into the business. Buy supplies, create marketing materials, and put the rest in the bank.In order to maximize your time and energy, shift your priorities and think of your full-time job as the gig on the side. When you switch your perspective you will be able to focus most of your energy on growing your new business. Use your vacation days to meet with potential clients, or get ahead with your planning. Success takes sacrifice. If your days don’t seem long enough, consider getting up early or staying up late to work on your side hustle. During your lunch hour you can return client calls on your cell phone or do some research. Be careful using your full-time job’s computer, phone, or fax machine. Remain professional by keeping your jobs as separate as possible.To boost your clientele, work on marketing your business. Be sure to bring up your endeavors with friends and family. Even if you don’t think they have a need for your product, they may know someone who does. Spread the word! A key element of hustling is networking, so use your professional networking skills to advance your side hustle. Whatever you do, don’t give up. I know several people, including my aunt, who have turned their side hustle into a successful dream career. YouTube and Facebook were both side hustles at one point…and look at them now. The proof is in the passion and persistence. You can do it.Visit my blog - Ebonywoman
Earlier this month, I taped a segment for WUSA-9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC, on the topic of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. I wanted to share it with you because it's summarizes the heart of the issue. That is, if passed in its current form, it would put thousands of small and woman-owed businesses out of business, while doing nothing to protect consumers. Along with anchor Lesli Foster and IBN member Jamila White of j.blossom, this segment aired on September 18. Unfortunately, the station removes the video links from its site after a few days, and you can read the story here.
This whole process is such a fantastic adventure for me. It is such a pleasure to be in a position to inspire, encourage and advocate on behalf of Indie Businesses across our nation.
If you have not signed our Petition in opposition to the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, please do so by leaving your comment in the comments section of this blog post. You don't have to write a lot. Just say as little as, "I oppose the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Name, city, state."
Related Posts
Stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008
Preparing For a Date With Congress
Sample Letters You Can Send to Congress and the Media
It's Not About You
For more fun, Indie Business news and success tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
I Love Indies in San Francisco!
We had a fantastic time last night at Indies in the City in Point Richmond, California, about 20 minutes outside of one of my favorite cities: San Francisco. I am here for the next 4 days to share my knowledge and experience at Lori Nova's Business Boot Camp. I am always excited to do that, but especially for this event because Lori's Nova Studio is such a lovely and intimate workshop. While I like sharing in any venue, I really love it when I can be up close and personal with other Indies. Here's a picture of everyone smiling in the midst of the chicha.
L to R: IBN member Donna Lang, The Aromatic Way; Rochel Roland, Kelly Chadwick of Pure Indulgence; dM, Ann Walls, IBN member Joan Morais of Joan Morais Natural Body Care Classes & Workshops; IBN member Lori Nova of The Nova Studio. Throughout the next four days, along with other experts in various fields of small business success, I'll be addressing Lori's group.
My topics are:
- The New Brand of Business Leaders: Just look around at all of the failed examples of leadership in our society today. Politically, socially and especially in the real estate and financial worlds, people who have taken leadership seminars from the world's best have turned out to be some of the worst leaders of our time. Indies to the rescue! We are the new brand of business leaders. Gone are the days how to identify and embrace your own special form of Indie Business leadership
- Saving Your Business Before it Starts: Who has time for tomes and volumes of paper exploring ad nauseum how a business will start and become profitable. I take the evening bag approach to business planning: focused and detailed, yet efficient and realistic. I love this one!
- Your Hidden Intellectual Property Assets: Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Trademarks, copyrights and layers, oh my! Grasping this stuff is easier than you might think, and I'm going to share all of my attorney tricks from 20 years of practice so help avoid heartache and capitalize on assets that most people miss out on.
- Become the News You Want to Be: Skip all the expensive workshops about how to get your products featured in top fashion magazines and national television talk shows. Bring the world to your door using using time, your creativity and your laptop. Indies are the news today, and your own story is the world's most popular headline! I'm going to show 17 lucky people how it's done!
You can see a full list of speakers and topics at Lori's website.
Related Posts
Indies on Capitol Hill
Indies in the City: Washington, DC
Indies in the City: Columbia, SC (video)
Indies in the City: Washington, DC (Silver Spring, MD) (video)
For more fun, Indie Business news and success tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.
If you like Indie Business Blog, please share the home page with your friends using this link: http://tinyurl.com/6l5h79.
