Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions for your business:

Resolution 1: Get a Handle on your Taxes

With the New Year fast approaching, it is important to get a firm handle on your taxes.  To claim certain tax benefits, you need to act no later than Dec. 31.  According to the IRS, here are “Six Year-End Tips to Reduce 2011 Taxes:”

1. Install Energy-Efficient Home Improvements
2. Make Charitable Contributions
3. Consider a Portfolio Adjustment
4. Contribute the Maximum to Retirement Accounts
5. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution
6. Don’t Overlook the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Resolution 2: Understand Your Finances

This is extremely important for the health of your business.  As a new or growing business, you need to be diligent about your finances.  The NUMBER ONE reason that businesses fail is due to lack of control over finances.

Some experts suggest reviewing your profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow reports on a monthly basis.  To manage this, there is accounting software such as QuickBooks specifically for small businesses.  Also, hiring a CPA or bookkeeper can be a wise investment.

Resolution 3: Create a Monthly Budget

This is crucial to controlling your monthly expenses. By creating a budget, forces you to examine your income and expenditures to track how much money you make and spend. Of course your living expenses, i.e., mortgage, utilities, vehicles, insurance payments and food are a must, but additional payments should be allocated to pay off bad debt.

A few handy financial tools:

• HomeBudget is an expense tracker designed to help you budget, track and control your monthly expenses at home.
• Moneytrackin is a free online web application that allows you to track all your expenses and income easily and without effort, thus allowing you to have a clear view of your financial situation. It intends to be a simple yet powerful online budget management tool.
• MySpendingPlan is an online tool that provides consumers with the latest tools to help them manage their personal finances track their budgets, save money and keep up on the latest information about managing money and leading a better financial life. 

Resolution 4: Get Out of Debt

Easy to say, difficult to do!  According to some experts, Americans charge over one trillion dollars per year using Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.  For many, money is a big source of stress; and it doesn’t help that we’ve had to deal with economic issues over the past few years. This coming year, make it a priority to resolve your money woes. To get started check out the amazing series Courtney Wiley wrote, starting with My Journey Out of Debt: How This Single Mom Paid Off $93,000 in Less Than Three Years.

Resolution 5: Set Specific Time Management Goals

Why do you want to set specific goals to manage your time effectively?  Well, setting simple goals will force you to plan your time wisely, thus, allowing you to get a sense of achievement and reduce work and life stress. For example, if spending time with your family is important, try working fewer hours on Friday so that you can honor that goal.

By scheduling your time based on your goals, you can assess if your goals truly align with the core values, both professionally and personally.  If you find that your goals are out of align, then you are able to identify key areas that need adjusting before they get out of control.   

Resolution 6: Delegate!

As your business grows, so should your ‘tight grip’ on controlling every aspect of it. The worst thing that you can do is become a slave to your business.  This attitude can cripple you!  I know this first hand; as a former owner of a building maintenance company; I was president, HR generalist, payroll specialist, trainer, janitor, sales woman and more!  It took me a while to realize that not only could I not effectively wear every hat, but in order to grow and regain my sanity, I had to trust others.

It is important that you delegate non-core business tasks to your staff or consider outsourcing.  Play on the strengths of others. The lack of delegation will stifle your growth, or worse, cause you to run your business and yourself into a pit fall.  

Resolution 7: Prioritize your Day

It is essential that you start your day with a ‘to do’ list.  It doesn’t matter if your business is small or if you run a large corporation, having a daily plan will keep you on track in effectively running your business.  Start your day by scheduling uninterrupted time to plan and create your list of tasks for that day, and rank your list in order of priority.  For example, if you have 10 tasks on your list, of those, how many do you need to complete?  Can you save the least important tasks for another time?

If you don’t accomplish all the tasks from your ‘to do’ list, it doesn’t mean you are having problems managing your time.  It simply means that you only have limited time per day to get everything done and you may be trying to accomplish more tasks than you have time in the day.  

To manage and prioritize my time, I rely on Microsoft Outlook’s calendar and task manager to plan my personal and business schedule.  I then sync Microsoft Outlook to my I Phone.  This helps me to stay on task and set priorities for my daily activities.  Find what works for you and make it a daily habit to have a productive and organized day!     

Resolution 8: Network Religiously

A successful way to promote your business is through networking.  You are in business to grow, so make networking a key part of your marketing strategy so that you position yourself to connect with the right people.

Networking is a lifestyle in which you need to incorporate onto your “To Do” list. By networking, you are developing your social skills by engaging or interacting in an informal gathering to communicate with others for mutual assistance or support. By acquainting yourself with other business owners or executives, you are building meaningful relationships. There are many organizations that you can become involved in such as the Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI), online communities or a professional organization related to your industry. 

Resolution 9: Know your Credit Profile

Do you know how important it is to establish business credit profile?  According to some industry experts, “fewer than 10 percent of all entrepreneurs know about or truly understand how business credit is established and tracked-and how it affects their lives and businesses.”

Make sure you contact the major business credit bureaus that compile and provide copies of your credit reports.  For a list of business credit reporting agencies, here’s an informative article by Marco Carbajo, “Top 10 Business Credit Bureaus.”

Resolution 10: Spend More Time with Family and Friends

An important reason we go into business is the idea of being flexible with our time.  So, the idea of having time for family and friends seems like it should be a no-brainer, right?  According to recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year.

You have control over your time, so make sure that you balance work and life to be able to spend it with those that are important to you.

Last but not least… 

If it’s not working, drop it quickly.

Don’t waste your time or invest any unnecessary energy nursing something that isn’t working for your business.  Time = Money and in our current economic crisis, both are a very precious commodity that a small business can’t afford to gamble with.  Move on and don’t look back!

By incorporating these simple yet effective strategies, you can position your business for significant growth.  Here’s looking at a great 2012!

Women Entrepreneurs: Power Up Your Business With 10 Resolutions for the New Year is a post from She Takes on the World

Natalie Sisson and Natalie MacNeil in LA

A Grand Vision for Women Entrepreneurs

When I started She Takes on the World almost four years ago, I had a big vision for the blog and for women entrepreneurs. In June, Forbes listed She Takes on the World on “Top 10 Entrepreneurial Sites for Women” and women entrepreneurs are now considered one of the most powerful and growing demographics in the global economy. If you want to know just how powerful we are these days, be sure to read Erica Orange’s article, Women in Charge: The Emerging Global Sheconomy. Yes, my grand vision for us has been unfolding before my eyes.

An exciting statistic that often gets quoted is that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of their male counterparts. It’s pretty remarkable!

BUT, yes there’s a “but,” of the 40% of businesses owned by women, 70% of these earned less than $50,000 in revenue last year.

This is something that my new partner-in-crime, Natalie Sisson of The Suitcase Entrepreneur, and I want to change! One of the most important parts of a strong sheconomy is for women to start earning what they’re worth. So we started surveying you last year to find out what your challenges are and what you need moving forward. Over 1,000 women responded to the surveys and these are the 10 challenges and needs women said they have in trying to build a profitable business:

1. Being afraid to take the leap into a new business or the next stage of my business
2. Becoming an effective online marketer and feeling good about selling
3. Finding and carving out the right niche and then owning it
4. Access to a large and engaged network of women at a cost I can afford
5. Attracting high quality clients like national brands that people know about
6. Managing my time in the best way possible and being more productive
7. Adding more streams of income to my business and understanding the financials
8. Creating products that bring me a passive income and allow me to work from anywhere
9. Becoming more tech savvy and keeping up with the fast paced online world
10. Running a thriving business and actually leading a fulfilling, healthy and balanced life

And so we listened. Then we took action and got to work building a program that could help women meet their challenges, earn what they’re worth, and build profitable online businesses.

Presenting a Unique Online Coaching Program for Women

WE Mastermind is all about lucrative launches, a million dollar mindset, and killer coaching. It’s actually more than just a program, it’s a movement of women entrepreneurs creating profitable online businesses and dominating the online world. This is our bold mission:

WE are building a world-wide community of 10,000 + empowered women by 2014 who are building 6 and 7 figure online businesses through WE Mastermind.

What we’re passionate about is giving women the knowledge and platform from which to play a bigger game while creating a lifestyle that clicks with your aspirations, relationships, and family.You have been the driving force behind us spending most of 2011 creating WE Mastermind. Without you -your goals, your feedback, your support -there would be no WE.

Women Entrepreneurs, It’s Our Time

There has never been a better time for you to start a business around what you already know, what you’re good at and what you love doing.

“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

Natalie Sisson and I both love Dr. Seuss and when she quoted him on her blog post this morning I just had to do the same. The first place you should be “off and away” to is the official WE Mastermind site for our free video series.

Then you’ll want to head over to our WE Mastermind Facebook page because we are giving away a $5K dream business start-up package! Visit the “Win a $5K Dream Biz Package” link in the left sidebar to access our contest page. The contest is international so residents in most countries can enter!

I’ll leave you with this video introducing Natalie Sisson and WE Mastermind that we made on Manhattan Beach on a recent trip to sunny California:

Over 1,000 Women Can’t Be Wrong: 10 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Are Facing and What WE Are Doing About It! is a post from She Takes on the World

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Choosing your Video Background

A great way to communicate important messages to your target audience is the tried and true “talking head” video – where you speak directly to a camera. Simple and versatile – you can be humorous or serious, informative or promotional.

However, there are several elements that will make or break a talking head video. The purpose of our “making you look good online” series of articles is to teach you how to present yourself effectively on camera.

In my last article, I spoke about choosing the right equipment for making online videos. In this article I will talk about choosing the right location to set up your equipment. This should not be taken lightly or treated as an afterthought. A poor background choice will detract from you and your key messages.

Think “first impressions” and how you want to be perceived by your target audience.”

In “movie speak” everything done before filming is called Pre-production. I’m a big believer in the 6 P approach. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

If you have followed our online personal branding series to date, you will have already identified your target audience. Ask yourself, how you want to be perceived by your target audience? What is the visual impression you want to make on them?

With this in mind…

Many people make the mistake of using the webcam on their computers (see my previous article for why this is a no-no for quality reasons alone). But what I find most unprofessional about webcams – is that the background is by default the room the computer is located in. Maybe it is the presenter’s living room or kitchen in the background (which may be ok if you are presenting about interior design or cooking) – but alarmingly, some people have their computer set up in the bedroom. Unless you are in the adult entertainment industry – this is not the approach I recommend! Messy, cluttered rooms should also be avoided too.

Yes, you can certainly film your online video presentations in your home (I do) – but use a camera on a tripod and choose a background that ties in with your key messages. For most people a simple wall is best.

A thought leader may choose to…

• Film themselves in front of their library of books to reinforce the “I’m an expert” perception
• Some product placement in the background may be appropriate – for example, if you are a rising artist you might feature your art in the background
• Or if you are a jeweler you might wear your pieces while presenting to camera – but be careful that your products don’t distract from your key messages (unless you deliberately intend to refer to them in your presentation)
• Your company logo or your brand colors may also be appropriate for a background – but again – make sure they don’t distract your audience.

If in doubt, go for a simple, blank wall about 7 feet x 7 feet. It should have a matt finish (to reduce glare) and be free of marks and shadows. White walls are ok, but you will need good lighting to reduce shadows (more on that in future articles).

Please avoid…

TV’s or computer monitors in the background (again dependent on who your target audience is). Flashing images and pop ups catch the viewer’s eye and can seriously detract from your presentation. Don’t do what this banker did in the background of a live cross-over!

Also, try to find a place to film where you can reduce any background noises and hums can that interfere with your audio recording.

• Air conditioning, fluorescent lights and fridges should be turned off – just make sure to turn them back on when you are done!

In my next article I will talk about how to frame your shot correctly–and the psychological effect this can have on your audience.

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How to Choose Your Online Video Background is a post from She Takes on the World

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

We wouldn’t cross the road without looking both ways, we wouldn’t give away our social security number to a stranger. We take many precautions in our personal and professional lives and our use of Social Media tools should be no exception. 

Here are some helpful suggestions to keep your information secure:

Always Protect Your Passwords

Password protection is important if your small business has a corporate social media policy.  Users who have forgotten their network ID or have failed the number of allocated attempts (which could signal an intruder!) can sign in using another validation factor. This is appropriate for business Facebook accounts, content management systems for a company blog with multiple contributors or Twitter accounts. 

If you are storing information about your ‘followers’ / ‘group members’ on a laptop and/or mobile device, ensure the machine is password protected in the case of loss or theft. 

Don’t Just Opt for the Defaults

Popular social media sites have default security and privacy settings. Take the time to explore your options and set to a level you feel will secure your important information. Many sites will offer guides as well as links to Privacy Policies. Check out this example from Facebook.

Be Careful on Free Wireless Networks

Free WIFi is wonderful when you need to work outside of your home or office but offer additional risk. Transmitting data to a wireless router requires information broadcasting from your computer. This makes your informational vulnerable to programs specifically designed to hijack the broad-casted data. Ways to stay safe: look for an icon  on your browser, such as a padlock, that indicates a secure site. Keep your virus software updated and if you are not actively utilizing the wireless connection turn this function off. 

Don’t Hit the Headlines

Attempts to get individuals to click on a link for unseen footage or insight on a major news headline are all to frequent.  Do not be unsuspecting – if you do not know the contact sending you the link, do not click.  If you do know the contact, think twice -is this someone who would pass along information of this sort?  They may have clicked the link themselves and be passing the malware on to you.   

People will continue to exploit information and create socially engineered attacks.  This should not deter you from leveraging social media tools - this can offer an opportunity to connect with industry experts, build your brand awareness and reach your customer base.  Arm yourself by becoming educated on the latest tools available for protecting your digital brand or self identity, many adult education centers or universities offer courses on these subjects.  

Always impress upon your employees to follow the company social media policy, provide information, like this article, to help set expectations.  For other information related to social media from STOTW check out these articles: New Facebook Pages: Tips to Make your Page Rock, Blogging for Business Success and Confirm or Ignore: Is your Facebook for Personal Pleasure or Professional Networking?.

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to She Takes On The World and never miss a post!

Social Media Meets Security Challenge is a post from She Takes on the World

Natalie, Do I really need a Twitter Account? I have a blog and Facebook page for my blog. I don’t know if I have time for Twitter as well but everyone tells me it will help boost my subscriber base! -Natasha Mogilin, TheBlogWithBling.com

Hi Natasha,

I think bloggers should have a Facebook page and yes, a Twitter account. They are different platforms and by having a different strategy for each one you can greatly increase your subscriber base.

I see Facebook as the “having coffee with a friend” platform. You can have longer conversations and engage with people on a deeper level and really get to know them. I view Twitter as a “catching up and keeping in touch” platform, like when you see someone at the grocery store and say hello. You keep the conversation short and sweet which doesn’t take a lot of your time but it keeps you relevant and in people’s minds. I have connected with far more people in my niche on Twitter than I have with Facebook. On Twitter you can find and follow people in your niche whereas on Facebook people have to come to you unless you pay for Facebook ads. Twitter is my second largest source of traffic after Google and it doesn’t cost a penny!

I hope to see you on Twitter soon! Don’t forget to follow me @nataliemacneil

What do you think?

Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Which do you prefer and what’s your strategy for each one?

Do I Need Facebook AND Twitter? is a post from She Takes on the World

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

In my last post for this series I talked about affordable equipment for online videos and today I’ll be talking about framing. How you “frame” yourself on camera has a powerful subconscious impact on your audience, so it is worth knowing some of the basics.  In terms of online video presentations, framing has exactly the same meaning as a picture frame on the wall, i.e. it is the rectangular border that frames the image inside it.

Headroom

Headroom is the amount of space between the top of your head and the top of the frame. Ideally, you don’t want to cut the top of your head off.  The exception is if you are filming an extreme close-up shot or full close-up (where cropping is unavoidable).  If so, then crop the frame at the top of the forehead; keeping all of your face (the expressive features) fully in the frame – as well as your neck.  Do not cut your chin off.

Another common mistake is to show far too much headroom, which wastes frame space and can be distracting.

Background

Everything in your frame is important. Check if there is anything in the background or foreground that the viewer can see which is going to distract them (remember this guy)?  Also, pay attention to what the viewer can see at the edges of your frame.  Avoid cutting things off, i.e. don’t show half of an object or half of a person (showing half of someone’s face is very unflattering).

Also, try not to cut people of at the joints – the bottom of the frame can cut across a person’s stomach or waist, but not their knees. It just doesn’t look right.

You’ve been framed

There are three broad categories of camera shots: close-up shots, medium shots, and long/full shots.

• Close-up shots convey intimacy
• Medium shots are social
• Long/full shots are impersonal (generally used in films to set the scene, and not really relevant to these articles).

There are several sub-categories but I will keep things as simple as possible for the purposes of this article.

How close should you be?

Extreme close-up shots focus the viewer’s attention on a person’s feelings or reactions. For example, during interview shows like 60 Minutes, the camera will often zoom up close, making the interviewee’s face occupy the full frame.  This creates tension for the viewer – and can imply that a person is lying or guilty (whether they are or not).  Check out this sweaty interview of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Extreme close-ups are rarely used when filming important public figures however (that’s you right?).  In western cultures the space within about 24 inches (60 cm) is felt to be an intimate zone.  Getting too close can feel invasive or claustrophobic for the viewer.

“Getting too close with a shot size can feel invasive or claustrophobic for the viewer”

If you are going to film yourself standing, the medium shot is usually recommended.  The lower frame passes through your waist; so there is space for your hand gestures to be seen.  This is how you normally see a person “in the flesh” when you are having a casual conversation. You don’t normally pay attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.  My personal preference when I film myself standing is a medium close shot.

If you are going to film yourself sitting (e.g. at a desk), I recommend the frame passes through your waist. If you cut yourself off at the chest, it focuses the viewer’s attention on your chest (women please note)!  In general, I do not recommend my clients film themselves sitting – the reasons for which I will discuss in future articles.

Off-center

Rather than placing yourself in the dead center of the frame, the visual appearance is better if you appear slightly off to one side (often called “the rule of thirds”).  Artists, photographers, and filmmakers know this.

Start paying attention to TV and movies with these concepts in mind and you will begin to see clear examples of how the pros adhere to these rules.

In my next article I will talk about camera angles and the psychological effect these can have on the viewer – key things to understand if you are appearing on video and want to look good online.

Connect with me on Twitter @biancaterito where I tweet online personal branding tips and effective online video presentation techniques.

Looking Good in Your Online Videos: How to Frame Yourself is a post from She Takes on the World

Suffragette Rosalie Jones making noise for womens' right to vote about 100 years ago. Image provided by the Library of Congress.

Honoring Inspiring Women Who MADE NOISE

A century ago women were rallying together, marching towards a shared vision, advocating for each other, and making a lot of noise for the right to vote. These brave noisemakers dared to dream that their daughters and daughter’s daughters would grow up in a world where women and men are equal. Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of women.

I am full of gratitude for the opportunities I have today that women a century ago could only dream of. I run a company, have a University degree, and proudly cast a ballot in the last election. The noisemakers who fought for me to have these opportunities would probably be proud but there are millions of girls and women around the world without these opportunities. I’ve seen the effects of opportunity disparity first-hand from my travels to sixty countries over the last few years. We still need women rallying together, working towards common goals, and advocating for each other. We still need noisemakers.

Announcing the Noisemakers Campaign

Last fall I received the honor of being selected as “America’s Next Inspiration: 50 Young Champions for Women.” Fifty of us were invited to the Women: Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) Symposium in New York City during the Millennium Development Goals Summit. Everyone at the event took a pledge and that’s what inspired the Noisemakers Campaign and this video for the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day:

Visit the Noisemakers Campaign page to watch the full video series and find out how you can become a noisemaker for girls and women in developing countries.

Connect With Noisemakers: Women Advocates and Organizations to Follow on Twitter

One of the most powerful things we can do as noisemakers is come together with a shared purpose to amplify the impact we have. As Christine Karumba of Women for Women International said, “One woman can change anything. Many women can change everything.” That’s why I put together this list of noisemakers you can connect with on Twitter. You’ll notice that this isn’t a “Top” list and we’ll be adding to it throughout the day and in the coming days so if you know someone who should be on the list or you’d like to be added, please leave a comment below and let me know. Or you can tweet me @nataliemacneil; I’d love to hear from you. Happy International Women’s Day!

• Christy Turlington @CTurlington -Model, maternal health advocate, filmmaker, and Founder of Every Mother Counts.
• Sloane Berrent @sloane -Social innovator and Founder of The Causemopolitan and Answer with Action.
• Melissa Stewart @melissaonline -Founder of She Owns It, tweeter of inspiration for women.
• Little Pink Book @littlepinkbook -PINK is a resource for women who have the courage to do what they love without compromise.
• Natalie Sisson @womanzworld -Founder of WomanzWorld Global Services and promoter of female empowerment.
• The Girl Effect @girleffect -The Nike Foundation’s campaign to empower 600 million adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and the world.
• Lauren Bush @LaurenBushTweet -Hunger activist, social entrepreneur, and CEO of FEED.
• Tammy Tibbetts @shesthefirst -Founder of She’s the First, a not-for-profit helping girls in developing countries become the first in their families to graduate.
• Sarah Brown @SarahBrownUK -Global Patron for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood and voice for girls and women worldwide.
• We Are EQUALS @WeAreEQUALS -EQUALS is a partnership of leading charities that have come together to step-up the call to demand a more equal world.
• G(irls)20 Summit @Girls20Summit -Brings together one girl from each G20 country and one girl from Africa to speak for 3.3 billion girls and women on how to economically empower girls & women.
• Selena Rezvani @nextgenwomen -Author of The Next Generation of Women Leaders and expert on women’s leadership worldwide.
• Annie Lennox @AnnieLennox -International vocalist for the equality of women and using her celebrity to promote the heck out of International Women’s Day
• Oprah Winfrey @oprah -Always taking action to empower girls and women worldwide we honor Oprah’s accomplishments and use of her platform for important causes.
• White Ribbon Alliance @WRAglobal -An international coalition working to stop needless deaths during pregnancy or childbirth.
• UN Women @UN_Women -The UN entity for gender equality & women’s empowerment.
• GirlUp @girlup -A UN Foundation campaign uniting girls to change the world.
• She Speaks Now @shespeaksnow -Inspiring wisdom from fearless women.
• Women News Network @womenadvocates -Lys Anzia and the team bring a voice to important issues worldwide.
• Elizabeth Scharpf @SHEnterprises -CIO of Sustainable Health Enterprises, one of the organizations we are proudly supporting for the Noisemakers Campaign.
• Robin Cohen @MissRo -Passionate about education and issues focused on women and girls, and Founder of Relevant Beauty.
• Because I am a Girl @biaagcanada -A global campaign to claim a brighter, safer future for girls.
• Women for Women @womenforwomenUK -Helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives.
• The Glass Hammer @theglasshammer -Online community for women to discuss the issues that matter most.
• Power Women Magazine @powerwomenmag An online publication that tackles issues and acts as a voice for all for women no matter their circumstances or location.
• Make Mine a Million @M3Award -Make Mine a Million $ Business provides confidence, community and coaching to women entrepreneurs creating million-dollar businesses.
• Rania Al Abdullah @QueenRania -An international advocate who speaks on behalf of those whose voices are not often heard.
• She Takes on the World Contributing Team -Follow the whole She Takes on the World team of women empowering women on this Twitter list.

We’ll continue to update this list here and on Twitter on the Noisemakers Campaign List. Don’t forget to tell us who to add!

Are you a noisemaker? Share our badge!

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100 Years of Women Empowering Women: Women Advocates to Follow on Twitter is a post from She Takes on the World

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

With this article we answer the 3rd of the 3 questions your personal brand must answer from the perspective of your target market audience:

1. Why should I care?

2. What’s in it for me?

3. Why should I believe you?

In our previous article Marketing Success Favors a Specialist, I emphasized the importance of clearly and simply stating what it is that you do – or more specifically, what is the #1 benefit for your target audience to work with you or do business with you?

If you can succeed in making yourself known for doing 1 thing really well – you are far more likely to be remembered and recommended, than if you try to pass yourself off as a jack of all trades, 1 stop shop.

The challenge we face today with online personal branding, is that people are much less trusting than they used to be. Politicians, corporations, celebrities, sports stars, the news media – wherever we turn, it seems another person or organization that was previously put on a pedestal, is exposed for lying or deceiving.

Social media has helped expose these people. The ability for ordinary people to search for information and publish their views online provides a welcome balance to one-sided PR and spin.

The key lesson from all of this – is that you must tell the truth, and you need to provide your target audience with real reasons to believe any claims you make. It’s one thing to make a claim, but you need to be able to back it up.

To do this you need to provide evidence to support your online personal brand. This could include things like:

• Relevant experience and qualifications
• Testimonials from satisfied customers / recommendations on LinkedIn etc
• Personal media / press-kits / third party endorsements
• Evidence of achievement / professional successes
• Verifiable data and statistics
• Demonstrations – this is the ultimate proof. Don’t just tell them. Show them. Let them see and hear for themselves that you are the real deal.

What have you done to back up your claims?

As our world moves increasingly online, customers need to feel they are dealing with a real, authentic person. This is where the role of video will become increasingly important in online personal branding.

In future articles we will cover the “Do’s & Don’ts” of using video to promote your personal brand online.

Why Should Your Prospect Believe You? is a post from She Takes on the World

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

When I read the recent survey about marketing behaviors for micro businesses at Vistaprint, the statistic that jumped out at me was that 46% were actively using social media.

I’m not totally sure why, but I’ve been dragging my feet about getting into the conversation on Twitter. Perhaps I’ve gotten a bit too comfortable in my comfort zone?

I should know better, it’s my job as a personal and business coach to help my clients embrace new challenges as adventures. And as small business owners we’re faced with doing things we’ve never done every day…and that means being uncomfortable at times. Yet, if we let fear stop us from tapping into new opportunities and learning new skills, our business will suffer.

So the question I asked myself was “Do I really need Twitter?”

“Will it make an impact on my business or is just a fad?”

Edision Research just released a study called Twitter Usage in America 2010looking at three years of tracking data from Twitter users to determine whether this platform is gaining momentum.

Here as some findings that can’t be ignored:

• Twitter “awareness” has exploded to 87% in 2010

• Nearly two-thirds of active Twitter users access social networking sites using a mobile phone

• Marketing & business case studies for Twitter far exceed similar usage for social network sites in general

• 51% of active Twitter users follow companies, brands or products

Hey, numbers don’t lie…these stats have convinced me to get off my butt and take the leap into Twitter.

Guess what I discovered? There’s a ton of great people over at the twitter party. I’m having fun! (gasp)

Plus, I’m getting connected to other bloggers I find inspiring, learning other small business owners have the same ups and downs as I do, and I’m feeling connected. And all of this happened in TWO days.

So today I play coach with myself and commit to be accountable to all of you.

• Add social media addresses to my email sig file
• Get new business cards with social media addresses
• Dedicate time and money to Twitter training
• Learn HootSuite
• Spend 30 minutes daily listening and learning
• Spend 30 minutes a day being in the conversation

So, how about you? Have you been sitting on the sidelines with Twitter? Would you like to join me as a “newbie”?

Twitter not on your radar screen right now?  Maybe it’s another tool or resource you’ve been dragging your feet about.

I needed to be courageous and step out of my comfort zone, willing to make mistakes as a “newbie” on Twitter.  But heh, I didn’t die, the world didn’t stop turning….and I actually had fun!

Make your business an adventure to transformation! ™
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My Own Adventures to Transformation™ with Twitter is a post from She Takes on the World

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Starting a blog to promote your business is a common practice and there are many benefits. I’ve seen many people start their blogs with enthusiasm only to let them fizzle out in 6 months or less. Here are some of the less glamorous realities of blogging that sometimes trip people up. If you’re prepared to deal with these, you can feel confident about getting good results from your blog.

There’s no avoiding the work!

One of the main reasons that people get discouraged is simply that they expect results (readers, comments etc) without any effort on their part. The results you’ll gain from your blog are directly proportionate to the amount of effort you put in. Actually in the beginning I’d even say they were disproportionate – you’ll feel like you are spending a lot of time setting up your blog, adding bells & whistles, writing content, and not really sure if it’s having any effect. The great thing about blogging is that your fate is in your own hands. If you create good content on a regular basis and are diligent about marketing your blog, and becoming visible in the relevant online communities, you will see results. The good news is that if your blog is on a topic close to your heart, you will actually have fun doing the work

Blogging requires a leap of faith.

A major reason why people ‘fail’ at blogging is because they give up too soon. It takes time to develop an audience and a strong, compelling blog. In the beginning it might be true that very few people are reading your posts but you must always write as if your ideal audience is reading. Invest time in building up your library of posts – consistent posting & promoting will lead to readers. If you look at blogging as a long-term strategy you’ll be in a better frame of mind to persevere.  It takes a while to reach a tipping point where the amount of attention you reap from your blog is greater than the labor that goes into it.

Your inner demons will surface.

For most of us the act of blogging can feel a bit vulnerable. What do I write about? Why would anyone want to read it? What if no-one reads it? Are my posts fit to publish? You’ll come up against all your inner saboteurs – procrastination, self-doubt and other charming goblins! This is all part of the process but it actually ends up being really rewarding if you stick with it. You’ll develop a blogging ‘voice’, have more confidence in your writing skills and find that you have lots to contribute and share with the world. Not to mention the satisfaction you’ll feel when you start getting good feedback from readers on your posts.

Aim for good, not perfect.

Blogging is a lesson in non-attachment.  To be a productive blogger you have to learn to work on a post enough to make it worthy of publishing, but not so much that you never get around to publishing anything.  Learn to make compromises with your inner perfectionist. Then release your digital baby into the world and move on to the next one. The more you can make friends with this process, the more productive you will become.

Becoming a ‘blogger’ is a process.

Give yourself time to deal with the learning curve. Don’t set unrealistic expectations such as posting something new every day. Unless you are already a prolific writer, that probably won’t happen and you may become discouraged when you don’t meet your own standards. Forming the blogging habit is the best way to succeed so commit to writing on a regular basis -30 minutes every day is perhaps a good start, and aim for 1 or 2 posts per week.

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What You Need To Know Before You Start Blogging is a post from She Takes on the World