Shannon's thoughts on marketing, public relations, social technology, entrepreneurship and other things

Accentuate the Positive...with your Passion

Fashion gurus have told people for years to accentuate the positive, translation, highlight your best features and down play your less optimal ones. This adage can guide you through business as well.

If you enjoy public speaking, then why hasn't anyone heard you?
If you like building, fixing and doing it yourself, then why are your neighbors calling strangers?
If you get excited telling stories, then why are you an accountant?
If you have an eye for fashion and love shopping, then why are you stuck behind a desk?
If you have dreamed of owning your own business, then why does someone else give you a paycheck?

Tens of thousands of manufacturing and corporate jobs have been lost over the past year, and the economy is puttering along at a snail's pace. This is the time to step up, step out and use your creativity to accentuate your positive. There is a market for whatever product or service you have to offer, and you don't have to do it alone. It's time to accentuate your business positive:

Elongate your neckline with v-neck tops: Talk about what you want to do...to everyone. You will find encouragement, support and future customers are all around you.
Know your particular body type, be it petite, slim, long/short-waisted: Do research to learn about the your new industry. There are websites, blogs, newletters and listservs available for you to peruse.
Invest in well-tailored suits and properly fitted shoes: Get advice from others in the field. Seek out people who are where you want to be, some may offer advice, council and possibly serve as mentors.
Slim your body by wearing one color head to toe: Preparation and planning will serve you well in your new endeavor. Take time to choose a business model, write a business plan and find funding.
Accentuate your greatest assets, your mind and your spirit with an attitude of gratitude: If you believe it in your heart and can see it in your mind, then the only thing left to do is to do it.

You are the one, today is the day and you look fabulous...get started!

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Lessons Learned From Vacation

It is August and a lot of people are vacationing this month. The process – having passion and a purpose, doing proper planning and careful preparation – to execute an enjoyable time away from work, traffic, email, et al is the same process for launching a new venture, be it a business, a blog or personal improvement.

Passion
You want to go to a place about which you're passionate. You will end up spending a lot of time and money getting there and enjoying yourself once there. It is a place that brings a smile to your face when the thought of it crosses your mind. The same holds true for your next venture, the mere idea of it gets your mind racing with ideas and your spirit excited with anticipation. Your enthusiasm about the project is contagious.

Purpose
You know exactly why you're going on vacation. You need time away from "those people" and "that place" to relax and rejuvenate. This is time for you to reconnect with yourself: your body, mind and spirit. Similarly with your venture, there is a reason you're heading down this path. You dream about it or wake up in the middle of the night with ideas. There is an unction in your spirit to do it, if you don't who will, if not now, when?

Planning
You have done the research: you Googled, purchased guidebooks and talked to family, friends and colleagues. You know exactly where you are going, how you’re getting there, where you’re staying and what you're doing. You know how much it is going to cost and you know it is going to be fabulous. For your new venture, you have researched the industry, your competition and the gaps in products or services you can fill. You know the big players in the field, the up-n-coming and where you want to fit.

Preparation
You saved the money and made the lists: to do, packing, emergency numbers, etc. You put in for the time off and you set your email and phone to the out-of-office auto-replies. Likewise, you have secured capital, the domain name, P.O. box, phone number and business cards. You’ve put a support team in place and set-up your home office.

Now…GO!...DO!...BE!

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Examining the Defense -- Not Offense -- of Business

Remember the saying, “offense sells tickets and defense wins games championships?”

We yell, scream, hug strangers and plain go crazy for a goal, touchdown, home run or slam dunk. It’s what we come to see, what we pay money for and what gets our hearts pounding. But lately I’ve been thinking, what about the defense? Aren’t these plays equally important? What would happen if the defense didn’t play?

Does anyone specifically come to see the sack, catch, block or save?

The offense of business

In the offense of business, we congratulate each other for getting a new client, landing the account or closing the deal. We networked, followed-up, went to lunch, had meetings, sent emails, made phone calls, did more follow-up and eventually got the brass ring.

We were playing offense, attacking, going for the score. Regretfully the defense is often underutilized, overlooked and ignored.

Let’s consider the defense of business.

Website and online profiles.

You and your business have to be searchable on the Internet. A website provides clients a sense of legitimacy about your business, and according to research from eMarketer, 70% of consumers trust brand websites. Long gone are the days of “letting our fingers do the walking.”

Business cards.

A good business card has your name, your business’ name, with correct and complete (email, website, profile URLs, land line and mobile numbers) contact information.

Creativity is nice; however, this is not the time to use every color in the box of 64. And don't foget to use the back of the card, it's wasted space, therefore wasted money.

Say it loud and say it proud.

Can you convey your passion, products and services in the time it takes to cross the street? Can you tell me what your business does in 15 seconds or less? Can your family and friends tell others what you do in order to generate referral business?

Hardware and software.

Now is the time to upgrade from your 199X desktop to a laptop or notebook from this century. You want to get the latest operating system to offer more functionality and the new hard drive will provide more memory. Further, if you need some information from your computer, it will be with you. If you do not have the resources at this time, do not make the investment… use what you have until you can get what you want.

Infrastructure.

These are the uninteresting, tedious things we must do to manage a successful enterprise: register with our city or county for a business license, keep track of every single solitary receipt. If you’re working from home, some local governments require a zoning permit, and protect yourself via an umbrella insurance or LLC.

Often entrepreneurs are so busy doing business, they forget to manage and maintain their businesses.

These few defensive steps go a long way to making your offensive work more productive and more fun.

This is a post I wrote for Women Grow Business and was originally posted on March 16, 2010.

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Shannon's thoughts on marketing, public relations, social technology, entrepreneurship and other things

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Accentuate the Positive...with your Passion

Lessons Learned From Vacation

Examining the Defense -- Not Offense -- of Business