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“Creating Successful Leaders”

November 19, 2014 Are YOU Prepared For Small Business Saturday?

It’s right around the corner. On November 29th, millions of people will flock to small businesses to take advantage of sales and to support the local economy. Small Business Saturday is a great idea and a fantastic opportunity to promote your small business, but how on earth can you take full advantage of it? How can your small business stand out from the crowd?

Before I answer that, let me be clear about one thing: Your small business does NOT have to be a brick and mortar store. You might host house parties (think Norwex or Tastefully Simple), tutor math students, sell jewelry, or run an independent consulting business. In any of these cases, Small Business Saturday applies to you.

1. Run a Promotion

Nothing gets people to flock to your business like a good old fashioned promotion. If you’re a consultant, you might offer one free half-hour session for anyone who contacts you on Saturday. If you sell hand-knitted hats and mittens, you might give people a chance to enter a drawing for some free goods. If you run a pastry shop, you could give away free cookies. Whatever the case, make sure you thoroughly advertise your promo through all your marketing channels: social media, your newsletter list, your family and friends (you might be amazed by how willing people are to help you), etc. Need help getting started? This article gives you the basics on creating a great promo.

TAKE ACTION:

If you’re totally at a loss for how to create a successful promo, try creating a coupon (i.e. 50% off any one item from your Etsy store) and send it to all your email contacts and post it on Facebook.

2. Start Talking

Don’t be shy about advertising your small business! Use all the marketing resources you have at your fingertips. That includes social media, word-of-mouth, your email list, your book club or church group, and your past customers. Generate a buzz about Small Business Saturday and start creating dialogues with those around you. Make an effort to post something about your business (or Small Business Saturday) every day until the 29th. If you’re in any business-related groups on LinkedIn, start a conversation about Small Business Saturday and see what others are doing to promote their businesses. Engaging your social media platforms accomplishes two things: 1) It creates excitement around your products or services and 2) It boosts your SEO since search engines are designed to search for fresh content (and that includes social media updates).

TAKE ACTION:

One of your greatest resources is past customers. These are people who can attest to how great your products are or how fantastic it is to work with you. Collect as many testimonials from past customers as possible and post them on your website or tweet about them. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your past customers to spread the word about your business on Small Business Saturday.

3. Collaborate with Other Small Businesses

Make Small Business Saturday a party this year! Invite other small businesses to join you in marketing and promotion. These might be businesses that are similar to yours (i.e. jewelry shops) OR they might be physically located next store to you (then you can work on attracting visitors to your specific neighborhood) OR they might simply be businesses with whom you have a good, long-standing relationship. By pooling your resources, you can create a more in-depth, far-reaching campaign and you’ll be able to draw on each other’s creativity. Plus, this kind of relationship with other businesses opens the door for collaborating in the future.

TAKE ACTION:

After Small Business Saturday is over, be sure to compare notes with your small business team. What went well? What didn’t? What would you do differently next year? This kind of dialogue sets the stage for next year and helps to keep marketing at the top of your mind as you march into the holiday season and the upcoming new year.

Good luck out there and be sure to send me an email on Small Business Saturday with this code:

SBS 2014

Sincerely,

Margaret Smith Signature, UXL

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November 12, 2014 How to Befriend Your Boss (Or at least get noticed!)

Let’s face it, the key to achieving many of your career goals (that promotion, that next raise, etc.) is to pass through the office gatekeeper: your boss. Befriending your boss can be a tricky endeavor. You don’t want to seem like a brown-noser or disingenuous. What’s more, your boss might seem distant or guarded, reluctant to make new acquaintances with people from the lower ranks. If that’s the case, you might want to set your sights on making an impression on your boss, rather than a friendship. But, no matter the situation, there are certain steps you can take to become more visible in a positive way in your boss’ eyes.

The key is to approach your boss in a natural, authentic way and treat her like any other human being. The goal is to develop an authentic relationship with another person, not to feel intimidated or uneasy with a superior. Try getting to know your boss like any other person at the office:

  • Say hello
  • Ask about his or her family (and remember family member names when they come up in conversation)
  • Ask about their weekend plans or ask about what they did this past weekend
  • Attend company events and make small talk with your boss
  • Discuss shared interests (but do NOT pretend to like something your boss does just to fit in)

Notice that this list does not include things like “buy him small gifts” or “call her to have coffee.” Those kind of activities tend to cross the boss-employee line (unless, of course, you actually are close friends with your boss OR your boss is the kind of person who enjoys regularly going out for coffee with her employees).

The other way to gain positive attention from your boss is to make your achievements known. Stand out from the crowd by speaking up at meetings, volunteering for extra projects (and delivering excellent results), and involving yourself in extracurricular work events. Make yourself a positive presence—someone who is friendly and inclusive, rather than closed off and self-centered—and you will be noticed. Even if you do not quite reach friendship level with your boss, you can at least make yourself visible and visibility goes a long way toward reaching your career goals.

Are you having trouble with your boss? Not connecting with office leadership? Contact me and we can discuss some potential solutions.

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November 5, 2014 Happiness and Goldie Hawn

What does Goldie Hawn know about happiness?

More than you might think. Not only has the award-winning actress penned a book about mental wellbeing and mindfulness (entitled 10 Mindful Minutes), she is also immersed in a project called MindUP™, which is an education program designed to help children learn through a holistic and positive approach. Additionally, she runs the Hawn Foundation, whose mission is, in a nutshell, to improve the health and happiness of people of all ages.

Hawn hasn’t always experienced personal happiness, however. In her 2005 memoir, A Lotus Grows in the Mud, she revealed that she often suffered from anxiety attacks, depression, and nausea during her early years of fame. She underwent nine years of therapy and eventually managed to pull herself out of a long, deep rut. Now, she’s determined to teach others how to live a joy-filled life.

One of the tricks, according to Hawn, is to start your morning by “focusing on what’s beautiful.” Make an effort to think positive, affirming thoughts from the moment you wake up and soon it will become a habit.

Hawn also encourages us to think of three things every day that make us happy. If we keep those three things at the top of our minds instead of dwelling on all the negativity around us, we have the potential to be “more creative, constructive, and productive.”

What are some of your techniques for staying positive and happy?

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