Getting on Board with Women Grow Business
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Thanks to my (wonderful) friends, this particular cat got out of the bag before I could untie the strings, so I’m going to make this short and sweet (though I’ve been dying to tell you for a while): I’m really excited to be taking over the reins at Women Grow Business, an amazing community hosted by Network Solutions to help women do exactly that: grow their business.
With content from leading women entrepreneurs on a variety of subjects, Women Grow Business has really made a name for itself in an extremely short span of time, thanks to a great many people, but particularly, I think, because of Shashi Bellamkonda and Jill Foster; it’s the latter whose able hands I’ll be taking over WGB from.
Because of their efforts in building a vibrant, thriving community, WGB has received so many accolades, it’s a little mind-boggling: one of Forbes’ 20 best marketing and social media blogs by women, to name just one, not to mention Jill herself being listed by Forbes as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter (and whatever your opinion about Twitter lists, you have to admit that’s a pretty cool one to be on).
Fyi, Shonali Burke Consulting still lives
Quick aside: in case you were wondering whether I’m giving up my consulting business – no, I’m not. Shonali Burke Consulting is alive and kicking and open for business. Hey, that’s what Women Grow Business is all about, right?
Back to WGB
So, anyway. I’m pinching myself because I can’t quite believe I get to do this – but I need your help.
Women Grow Business will not remain, or grow from, the amazing community/community blog it already is if women entrepreneurs and business owners don’t join in.
So please, visit me over at WGB, send me ideas for guest posts, let me know how you’d like to be involved. Follow us on Twitter and stay tuned for more developments online as well as offline, that we’d love you to be a part of.
Thank you for the incredible warmth and happiness you’ve shown to me today, and I’m looking forward to growing this wonderful community with you!
Digital Divide Continues – eMarketer
This is pretty interesting – according to a study by the Internet Innovation Alliance, only 42% of African-American and Hispanic consumers use the Internet regularly.
What might change that? The article reads:
“It is very telling that of those respondents who do not have Internet access, 43 percent cited either not knowing how to use the Internet or not seeing the need for the Internet as the reason why they are not online,” said Internet Innovation Alliance co-chairman David Sutphen, in a statement.
“But interestingly, 44 percent of these same respondents said they would be more likely to subscribe to Internet services if they were provided free lessons on how to use the technology and 30 percent would be more likely to adopt if they had more information about how they could benefit from going online. It’s clear that digital literacy programs indeed are a crucial part of the formula for closing the digital divide.”
What a huge opportunity for someone – or several companies – to educate and cultivate a whole new customer base.
Verizon, AT&T et al… are you listening?
Read the entire article here.
Posted via web from simply shonali
3 Reasons Why Being a Volunteer Leader Helps Your Business
One of the great things about joining a professional development organization is that you can get hands-on leadership experience as a volunteer; experience which, they say, will serve you well in your “real” job. Certainly that’s a selling point for such organizations and in the PR/communications field, organizations such as IABC and PRSA thrive on it.
What kind of leadership skills do volunteer leaders actually gain though? And do these skills actually benefit them in their careers, or are they simply good volunteer leaders because of skills they’ve acquired through their day jobs?
At the end of the day, is being a volunteer leader—with all the time it takes—worth it?
I recently started my term as President of IABC/Washington after having previously served on the chapter board as VP, Professional Development, for three years until a couple of years ago. Before moving to the DC area, I served on the board of San Francisco Bay Area Publicity Club and now, in addition to my duties at IABC/Washington, I volunteer on IABC International’s Accreditation Council.
Lessons in leadership
Here are three leadership lessons I continue to learn that have been assets in my own business:
1. “Decision by committee” and “democracy” are two different things.
I’m all for healthy debate and respectful disagreement. Heck, that’s why we have boards—to discuss and debate the pros and cons of decisions that will affect chapter members as a whole and, possibly, be held up by other chapters as precedents or best (or worst) practices.
But if you’re in a leadership position such as president, you’ve got to know when to close that debate and make a decision.
It’s ok if all decisions are not unanimous. That’s why boards have quorum requirements. What’s not ok is to drag on the debate until you’ve practically twisted everyone’s arm to agree with your viewpoint.
Debate the heck out of the issue, get the majority vote, make the decision (setting your ego aside, if you have to) and move on.
2. Boundaries don’t just work, they’re necessary.
It’s easy, as a volunteer, to get sucked into doing things that other board members should be doing, but aren’t, or delay on…because you’re passionate about the organization you’re volunteering with, and want to succeed. “If so-and-so can’t do it, or doesn’t do it, I’ll just do it myself.” That’s all well and good, but you’ll get very tired being Superwoman after a while.
Successful delegation is a critical aspect of successful leadership, management and growth. If you don’t learn to set boundaries on your time and activities, you’ll constantly be at the receiving end of unrealistic expectations and will burn out. So be clear about what you expect and when you expect it, and then—and this is the tough part—let your team work its way through its collective charge. You can’t do everything for everyone all the time and if you do, it’s an indication that your team has some serious weaknesses.
3. Setting benchmarks and measures of success is critical.
I write (you may have to log in to read this op-ed I wrote in PRWeek earlier this year) and present often on measurement in public relations, because that’s my field.
But measurement itself is intrinsic to the success or failure of a business—and it should be at a volunteer level as well.
Passion, by itself, does not make for success. By definition, success implies meeting or exceeding stated goals and objectives. Which means we’ve got to start at the end—what do we want to achieve? Put it in writing, and working towards it will be so much easier. And if you don’t meet your goals, there’s no shame in that. But tracking your progress will at least show you what’s working and what’s not. And when it’s time to pass the torch, the new set of volunteer leaders will be grateful for the lessons you can pass on to them.
It’s quite a ride, this volunteer thing.
It’s exhausting, energizing and exhilarating all at the same time (and I’m sure you could come up with a few choice words yourself). And it’s the very best thing I could have done for myself to grow not just in my profession, but as a leader, manager and now, business owner.
I very much hope it is for you too, and I would love to know what lessons in leadership your volunteerism have taught you.
Would you continue the conversation by leaving a comment so that we can all learn from each other?
This post – with a very few minor differences – is featured today as a guest post on Women Grow Business. Many thanks to Jill Foster for allowing me to cross-post here. And this great image, called “Out in Front,” is from monkeyleader’s Flickrstream (also found by the redoutable Jill).
My Virgin Trip on Virgin America
As I write this, I’m about two hours away from San Francisco en route to San Diego for PRSA09. I’m on Virgin America’s Flight 67, which is my first time traveling with the airline.
I’m sold… mostly.
I’ve heard quite a bit about the Virgin experience (mostly on Twitter), but you really have to fly it to get it. The minute you step on the plane, you enter this nightclub-like ambience … or if not a nightclub, then at least you get the feeling you’re stepping into the “cool kids’” zone. Their lighting is pinkish-neon and it stays that way throughout the flight. So there’s quite a bit of the “ooh” factor there.
Seats are very comfortable, particularly the neck rests built into the seats, because you can angle them up to about 40°, so you’ll pretty much be able to find a position that’s comfortable for you. Their approach to the standard safety video is very cool (slightly irreverent cartoons), and I actually watched the whole thing. Granted, it’s my first time.
I love the way you can order your entertainment & food/beverages directly from the touch screen. Very convenient. And they give you a gazillion different things to do, from watch movies, to listen to music/videos, to chat from your seat with other passengers, play games (there’s a dandy little handset thing you use to navigate through the entertainment menu, complete with keyboard), or chat from your seat with other passengers, either directly or via an in-flight chat room.
Different colored headsets (at $2, I’m pretty sure they’re cheaper than on many other airlines, and they’re cute). Clearly it caters to an audience that needs to be entertained all the time, but heck, seems to work.
Clearly the in-flight wi-fi. It’s VERY cool.
But what I’m most impressed with is how refreshingly different the in-flight attendants are. They’re smart, funny, polite (which is not at all common these days), considerate and really seem to enjoy what they’re doing. There’s a little girl (20 mo.) sitting in one of the seats across from me. She’s been screaming up a storm intermittently (I was able to distract her with the laptop for a bit, but not long enough, apparently).
One of the attendants came by and, with the child’s mother’s permission, scooped her up in her arms and walked her up and down a bit. Later, when the eighth (or was it ninth? I can’t remember) screaming fit commenced, she gently tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted headphones.
Yup. You can pick your jaws up from off the ground now. (By the way, Bianca, the little girl, is now sleeping quietly on the floor in front of her seat, I’m keeping an eye on her while mom goes to the loo.)
What’s not that great?
I was under the impression that the wi-fi was free, so it was a little off-putting to find out it’s not. On the other hand, it’s the first time I’ve had wi-fi access 35,000+ miles feet (sorry, I got up very early today) up in the sky, so I’m just going to shut up about it. (But I think I’ll get to try it free when I head back to DC on November 10th, thanks to their Google promotion.)
I’m sitting in the main cabin (read cheap seats) and as I walked by first-class (or business class, whichever it is) it didn’t strike me as particularly ooh la la. Your standard business class on a continental trip. So if I were you, I’d save up (or build your points) and try it on one of Virgin’s transatlantic or international flights. That’s where I think the really cool stuff is.
I’m also not particularly impressed with the airline’s Twitter representative(s), since I’ve tried a couple of times to engage with them and have received either no, or a very late, response. Are they as non-responsive in other social networks and outposts? No clue. But they’re far behind folks like Comcast’s Frank Eliason or Express’ CMO, in my opinion.
But I was impressed with their phone support yesterday. As an aside, the guy I spoke to told me after flying Virgin, I wouldn’t want to fly any other airline ever again, and that’s pretty much how I feel right now… mostly.
Why “mostly”?
I say “mostly” because while I love all the “cool stuff” that Virgin’s bringing us, I’m not a brand loyalist so much as a price-watcher. The main reason I’m flying Virgin for this excursion was a promotion they were offering, which made their price comparable to or better than Southwest (another airline I’ve been pleasantly surprised by recently) or United (I have the most points and comparatively least-painful experience on United). Yes, it gives me a kick to be tweeting and Skyping from mid-air, but not that much of a kick that I would follow them blindly if another decent airline were offering a great deal.
Good Customer Experience is the Best PR
I’ve written before about how important customer service is to the perception of a brand or organization. Good customer service can be the best PR. As far as that goes, I give Virgin a 9 out of 10. And all other things being equal (which pretty much means price for me), that is what will bring me back to Virgin; if my customer experience is way better with them than any other airline, you bet they’ll get my business again.
So far, it has been.
What have your virgin experiences (on Virgin, or any other airlines) been like? How important is the in-flight experience to your flight purchasing decisions? What do you think about the link between customer service and PR? Do let me know by leaving a comment below.
The Business of Business Cards
Last week I spoke at Communitelligence’s “Rethinking Corporate Communications 2009″ conference just two days after the GrowSmartBiz conference. GSB was a veritable smorgasbord of networking and ideas, with Steven Fisher’s presentation on killer business cards definitely a highlight.
So when I met Mahmoud Arafa of designframe at RCC and saw his business cards, I couldn’t but help think of Steve’s presentation. Check them out.
And this is the back.
The idea is that having a choice of cards for someone to pick from is a conversation starter, which will make his firm stand out from the crowd. I liked the use of colors, textures and fonts, so I asked Mahmoud to tell me more about his cards.
How did you come up with the idea for your business cards?
Your business card and website are extremely important for your business. It’s part of your persona and who you are. People judge you from your business card and website. It’s the calling card to start a connection.
Our aim was to design stationery that meets the following goals:
- Raises curiosity, so the recipient asks questions and start a friendly conversation
- Stands out and challenges clichés
- Says something about what we do
- Reflects diversity (in the type of industries we serve and the cultures we come from)
- Sends a message to our clients that you can have many colors in your identity while maintaing a strong distinguished visual identity.
The cards come in six colors, and Mahmoud says they’re all equally popular.
So does the color a person picks tell you something about him or her?
That’s the hidden tactic, sometimes colors say something about the card recipient. [This is what I've seen] from personal experience:
- Blue: Conservative, more on the corporate side of life
- Green: Nature lover, cares about the environment, and his/her health
- Orange: Vibrant and energetic
- Yellow: Sometimes happiness and sometimes indecisiveness!
- Red: Passionate and strong character
- Purple: Mysterious person
Are there any colors your business cards don’t come in?
Yeah, there are more than 24 million colors out there we used only six! Actually that was purely for aesthetic reasons since we wanted to use colors that can work with our earthy brown.
Has this approach to your business cards resulted in more business development meetings for you and, ultimately, more business?
Absolutely. As the business cards create interest, they also trigger people to check our website. So when I follow up with them, they [are] familiar with what we do; then I take it a step further and [ask] them for a meeting.
I collect a fair share of business cards, as I suspect you do. In most cases, I’d be hard-pressed to connect a face with a card if I’ve just met them fleetingly (again, as I suspect you would). I’m not going to forget Mahmoud in a while, though. All because of a clever use of paper and color that are doing exactly what business cards are meant to do – open a door for you that will, ultimately, grow business.
With so much noise out there, this is an interesting approach, don’t you think? What steps do you take to make your business stand out from the crowd? Have they worked? I’d love to know. And if you’d like to learn more about Mahmoud’s work, just visit his site.
DC, #GrowSmartBiz Is Here
Update: This is a recap of my live-tweeting from the GrowSmartBusiness conference held today in DC. I did try to give everyone a heads up that I would be doing this, but if you didn’t get that (because I know you have better things to do than hang on every word I say), I apologize in advance for clogging your Twitterstream.
As far as the conference goes: in one word – WOW, what a day. But more on that later. I used the Twitter LiveBlog plugin for WordPress to populate this blog, which essentially means that all my tweets (which were duly hashtagged with #growsmartbiz) during the conference automatically provided content for this post. Hattip to Neville Hobson, from whom I learned about this.
8:42:09 AM: Roy Dunbar (Network Solutions) is welcoming everyone at #growsmartbiz. He’s got a cool accent.
8:45:04 AM: Roy’s presenting very interesting findings from SBSI (Small Business Success Index) at #growsmartbiz, find ‘em at http://www.growsmartbusiness.com
8:47:53 AM: Financial mistakes small biz are making: cutting prices, valuable employees & hurting company morale #growsmartbiz
8:50:58 AM: Learning: “If you have to cut expenses, cut early, deep, get over it and move on.” #growsmartbiz
8:51:36 AM: 51% of highly competitive businesses are businesses with multiple owners. #growsmartbiz
8:52:54 AM: Roy’s giving props to chambers of commerce for the networking & relationships they facilitate #growsmartbiz
8:54:09 AM: “Goals should be carved in stone, and plans written in the sand.” #growsmartbiz. LOVE it!
8:55:01 AM: Highly competitive businesses differentiate themselves (from their peers) by mastering 6 or more Internet tools #growsmartbiz
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
8:58:26 AM: Tools like co. email, co. site, online adv. in industry directories => leads, productivity, customers & mgmt of customers #growsmartbiz.
8:59:20 AM: RT @shashib: #GrowSmartBiz Live cast by @livestreamCOM at http://livestream.com/networksolutions Pls RT
9:00:52 AM: Almost 60% of Internet users make a purchase online as a result of a local business online search #growsmartbiz
9:03:00 AM: Common barriers to setting up a site: don’t know where to start, fear of cost & time, lack of technical knowledge #growsmartbiz
9:04:12 AM: One of the tools Reston Limo’s using successfully: wireless access in limos = employees are productive, so are customers #growsmartbiz
9:07:00 AM: I think Roy Dunbar could sell ice to an Eskimo. I’m sold. #growsmartbiz
9:10:46 AM: Love love LOVE that all the presentations are on the jump drives handed out w/badges at #growsmartbiz.
9:11:46 AM: And… Chris Anderson is up! #growsmartbiz
9:13:51 AM: “This is the golden age of small business,” says @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz.
9:18:38 AM: Most of our life, we live partly in the head and partly in the tail says @chr1sa. #growsmartbiz
9:20:31 AM: “The smallest sellers can have the most influence, because they can be most targeted & distinct” – @chr1sa at #growsmartbiz
9:23:24 AM: The Internet allows you to participate in a global dialog, find who’s just right for your business. #growsmartbiz
9:27:41 AM: Most companies don’t address the long tail. #growsmartbiz That’s the most interesting space.
9:42:09 AM: Not quite sure what’s going on with wi-fi at #growsmartbiz, I was kicked off.
9:47:48 AM: Chris has been talking about the “power of free.” #growsmartbiz
9:49:00 AM: “Freemium” allows you to sample the product, find its utility & understand the value proposition precisely. #growsmartbiz
9:49:52 AM: Customers whom “freemium” convert are more loyal; this is the alternative to traditional advertising. #growsmartbiz
9:59:48 AM: “Free” and “paid” work very well together, they don’t go head to head. Just requires smart thinking. #growsmartbiz
10:02:40 AM: Personal offerings are turning into software (e.g. Legal services, accounting). @chr1sa says next will be healthcare, LOL. #growsmartbiz
10:04:08 AM: Roy’s introducing Sen. Warner now. #growsmartbiz
10:07:50 AM: Love the way Sen. Warner says as a “new” senator, was “hired” last Nov. #growsmartbiz
10:18:56 AM: After much grappling with my laptop, I *think* I at least have TweetDeck access again. @rickdassler is very patient. #growsmartbiz
10:21:41 AM: Sen. Warner: Small businesses are the only people who pay retail. #growsmartbiz
10:28:54 AM: It “blows his mind” that IT has revolutionized almost every industry except healthcare, says Sen. Warner at #growsmartbiz
10:32:09 AM: RT @gwickes @DaniloB: Live feed of Mark Warner speaking at #GrowSmartBiz conference http://bit.ly/L75um #fb
10:37:33 AM: Disappointed in Sen. Warner’s address. Glad he commits to us as a “bipartisan radicalist,” but not much use for #growsmartbiz. 
10:59:13 AM: I’m headed to the #growsmartbiz learning center now. Laptop, stay on table.
11:52:54 AM: Sneaked back into the #growsmartbiz room for a bit. Marissa Levin’s talking about the importance of face-to-face connection.
12:06:00 PM: RT @rickdassler: John Arnold says #growsmartbiz communication needs to be 80% educational value and 20% promotional.
12:08:16 PM: Pick up the phone & call 2 customers/clients a week JUST to check in, says @londonink. Don’t sell anything. #growsmartbiz
12:09:30 PM: “Leveraging customer relationships” is calling, says @londonink. #growsmartbiz
12:16:30 PM: Q: is it ok to put together an email list of people you meet at a conference like #growsmartbiz using something like Constant Contact?
12:17:37 PM: Both John Arnold & @londonink are basically saying it’s ok to begin with but to get permission…. did I get that right? #growsmartbiz
12:19:13 PM: I personally would hate to be added to a “formal” list by someone I meet for the 1st time at a conference. Get to know me 1st. #growsmartbiz
12:23:26 PM: Randy Windsor from Network Solutions up now, on SEO. #growsmartbiz
12:24:09 PM: RT @JayFleischman @cc_chapman @gloriabell ABE: Always be eavesdropping. Make yourself a student of what is going on around you #growsmartbiz
12:24:41 PM: Top 10 SEO tips. #10: use keywords in your internal page URLs if possible. #growsmartbiz
12:25:39 PM: #9: Use a descriptive domain name. #growsmartbiz
12:26:22 PM: #8: use a logical & simple navigation structure. #growsmartbiz
12:27:54 PM: #7: Create theme-based pages. #growsmartbiz
12:28:11 PM: #6: use tags & meta tags properly. #growsmartbiz
12:29:56 PM: #5: Use keyword rich anchor text for all links. #growsmartbiz
12:30:51 PM: #4: Target effective keywords; understand how your potential customers search & what words they use. #growsmartbiz
12:31:06 PM: #3: Create good original content, don’t copy. #growsmartbiz
12:32:37 PM: #2: Linking, linking, linking! 7 / 10 factors impacting natural search rankings have to do with links. #growsmartbiz
12:33:37 PM: #1: Know what you’re up against. Don’t think about beating the engines, beat your competitors. Use competitive analysis. #growsmartbiz
12:35:07 PM: Randy Windsor was very good. Kept it sweet and short. Nice job. #growsmartbiz
12:44:44 PM: Jeremy Brown of Rapid Advance says a bank loan is your best option, so if you can get that, go for it. #growsmartbiz
12:47:25 PM: Edward Tuvin (Capital Bank): have a clean application (don’t use 1 bank’s form with another) including a business plan. #growsmartbiz
12:47:50 PM: Tuvin says his pet peeve is that people don’t know what they’re asking for. You have to understand the talk of the lender. #growsmartbiz
12:50:13 PM: Good question from @restonlimo: Does every business need a business plan? Tuvin says no, but it’s a good exercise to do. #growsmartbiz
12:55:08 PM: Denise O’Berry says to do a cash flow budget where you’re looking ahead 6 – 12 months. Also, have a cash target every month. #growsmartbiz
12:55:48 PM: “Do a cash flow budget and actively participate in it.” #growsmartbiz (I like that).
12:57:23 PM: You are not a bank, and you need to do whatever you can so that you collect your receivables in a shorter timeframe. #growsmartbiz
12:57:47 PM: I love that. “You are not a bank.” Nice one, Denise O’Berry! #growsmartbiz
1:07:31 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Small business development counselors; womens business centers- all great small business resources #growsmartbiz
1:08:51 PM: Y’know, the thumb drive itself will be worth the price of admission at #growsmartbiz.
1:36:48 PM: Getting to know @CoachLynneB over lunch at #growsmartbiz.
2:16:19 PM: Great catching up with @debbieweil @geoffliving @angellino @digitalsista @dariasteigman at #growsmartbiz!
2:19:12 PM: After lunch, Rieva Lesonsky is up. Says most entrepreneurs are really uncomfortable with that term. #growsmartbiz
2:23:39 PM: Brands aren’t that important any more to consumers, they’re looking for value. #growsmartbiz Look at what other people are doing, add value.
2:28:32 PM: RT @LDpodcast: Do an ROI on potential clients, make sure you’re taking on work wisely, be willing to say no. Reiva Lesonsky #growsmartbiz
2:33:05 PM: Next up: Branding 101 by Anthony Pappas. #growsmartbiz
2:36:28 PM: Branding 101: Not about logo. About making an impression (emotional connection creates value). #growsmartbiz
2:39:54 PM: Make sure you understand what makes you different, says @anthonypappas #growsmartbiz.
2:42:05 PM: A customer needs to identify with the brand. A brand needs to identify with an audience (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz
2:45:55 PM: One of the main goals of a brand should be to influence “the decision” (@anthonypappas) #growsmartbiz.
2:47:11 PM: LOL! RT @chrisabraham: Can I hear a “shameless plug” from Anthony Pappas 
@AnthonyPappas @PappasGroup #growsmartbiz
2:48:30 PM: Tangible v. intangible: you want your brand to be more valuable than the sum of its parts (@anthonypappas). #growsmartbiz
2:49:57 PM: With @rajmalikdc & @newpr a short while ago. Food at #growsmartbiz is GREAT. http://tr.im/A86J
2:50:45 PM: RT @debbieweil: @growsmartbiz blog write-up of @chr1sa’s keynote for #growsmartbiz conference in DC today http://bit.ly/280V4P
2:53:37 PM: Measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, says @anthonypappas, see how you’re doing & constantly change. #growsmartbiz
2:55:38 PM: I have to run back to the #growsmartbiz learning center for a bit. Gotta make sure I catch @alexorfinger’s presentation.
3:42:45 PM: Back at the #growsmartbiz conference room. They’re going through findings from the SBSI, I think, is that right?
3:43:24 PM: Key strengths of small businesses; customer service, compliance (w/laws & regulations, etc.). #growsmartbiz
3:48:51 PM: Now: effective use of the Washington Business Journal from @alexorfinger. #growsmartbiz
3:50:52 PM: “Always Be Eavesdropping” for us, says @AlexOrfinger.
3:51:50 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information, says @alexorfinger. WBJ has most local biz info.
3:52:16 PM: Go to WBJ’s site: find out information on competitors, go on client visits w/information. WBJ has most local biz info. #growsmartbiz
3:53:04 PM: 5-5-5 process: Try to find 5 leads in each section of the WBJ #growsmartbiz.
3:55:02 PM: Just to clarify, news, people moves & lists are the sections @alexorfinger’s talking about re: 5-5-5. #growsmartbiz
4:11:54 PM: Steve Fisher’s 10 Rules for Killer Business Cards. #growsmartbiz #1: Tell me what you do. Quickly.
4:13:41 PM: Rule #2: Include the ways you want to be contacted. #3: Don’t use your personal email address. #growsmartbiz
4:14:56 PM: #4: You can be cool, but be relevant to your audience. #growsmartbiz Loving the post-divorce counselor card example, LOL.
4:16:02 PM: #5: Biz cards make great promos, BUT promos don’t make great biz cards. #growsmartbiz
4:19:50 PM: #6: Make your business cards scannable. #growsmartbiz. #7: have an area on which you can write a note.
4:20:16 PM: OK, #growsmartbiz attendees, how mnay of you are surreptitiously examining your business cards RIGHT NOW? 
4:21:13 PM: #9: Use a professional printer. Your laserjet does NOT count. LOL! #growsmartbiz
4:22:24 PM: Rule #10: Give out 2 cards (they might be able to pass one along, but tell ‘em why so that they don’t think you’re a loony). #growsmartbiz
4:23:24 PM: #11 (bonus rule): Don’t include your cell #. If you write it on from time to time, it’s a way of personalizing it. #growsmartbiz
4:24:05 PM: RT @bjw72: Streaming live – The #GrowSmartBiz conference by Network Solutions. http://www.livestream.com/networksolutions
4:25:32 PM: Last panel getting ready to take its place at #growsmartbiz. Yea @jillfoster!
4:30:04 PM: According to @jillfoster, social media is “content published online by technology with the intent to provide value.” #growsmartbiz
4:40:12 PM: Great job organizing #growsmartbiz; would have helped to have speakers’ Twitter handles on tentcards/conf site so that they were handy.
4:50:36 PM: Uh, with all due respect, @jmpineda, $2.5K is not a lot to pay for “PR.” Ask anyone seasoned pro who’s been around agencies. #growsmartbiz
4:55:18 PM: Btw, folks on the last panel at #growsmartbiz: @jmpineda @brentleary @creativeblogs @danilob, moderator @jillfoster.
4:57:51 PM: Tips for newbies on Twitter (per audience qn) from @DaniloB: If you don’t know something, just ask. Don’t let it turn you off. #growsmartbiz
5:11:57 PM: We’re being bad in the bloggers corner at #growsmartbiz. Tellin’ ya, you want to be a fly on the wall near us.
5:13:40 PM: Last panel at #growsmartbiz did SM101 well. Not sure it addressed integrating traditional w/SM. @jillfoster’s a terrific moderator, tho’.
5:15:07 PM: Roy Dunbar’s wrapping up here at #growsmartbiz. It’s been a long day but a really great one. @shashib @geoffliving please pass kudos to all.
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Creating a Virtual Internship
It’s been one of those days that has passed me by without my realizing it, but I had to share this excellent presentation on creating a virtual internship from Heather Huhman. It’s full of useful tips that independent practitioners as well as businesses will value. Check it out.
