snail mail, direct mail, small business marketing

Smart Small Business Marketing for Q1

2018 is right around the corner, and there is a lot of planning to do to set your business up for success in the New Year. Here are my top 4 challenges for you as you look ahead to January. Make a Marketing Calendar. Keep your goals, finances and expectations clearly outlined with a marketing[…]

Using pinterest to grow your small business

Using Pinterest for your Small Business? You should be.

Pinterest is often overlooked by many small businesses, entrepreneurs and even savvy marketers because it has been classified as a place to simply find recipes, crafts or home decor. Although food/recipes are the number one searched item on Pinterest, just ahead of crafts and decor, big brands like Lululemon, Chobani and Target are very successful at using[…]

facebook business page, optimize facebook business page, what to post on facebook business page

Tips to get ahead with your Facebook Business Page

So, what should you be posting on your Business Facebook Page? And what is the best time to post? And how often should you be posting? Let’s break it down. Let’s start with the WHAT: commit to the 80/20 rule of social media posting for Facebook. 80% of your content should offer VALUE – in[…]

free stock photos, small business tips, stock photos

Top 5 Free Stock Photo Sites for Small Businesses

When you are creating your visual marketing pieces, it is always a good idea to try to use authentic photos either taken by yourself, a team member or a photographer – but sometimes a great stock photo can really fill a gap in your marketing needs. You can find gorgeous stock photos on a variety of[…]

small business marketing, digital marketing, video marketing, network marketing

Where to begin? Helping Define Small Business Marketing Priorities

According to Pounce Marketing, it is so hard to know where to spend your money when it comes to marketing your business. There are more ways than ever to reach your potential clients – but before you start spending money out of fear or desperation – it is important to ask yourself; what is the[…]

summer marketing, marketing tips, Q2 marketing, Q3 marketing, social media

No budget for Summer Marketing? No problem.

It feels like everyone is on vacation during the summer months; spending time with family, hanging out at the beach. Often it seems that everyone is “out of the office” until September. Don’t let your business fall into a Summer state of mind. Consumers spend the most during the summer months, second only to the holiday season.[…]

networking, meet people, collaboration

Commit to Broadening your Sphere of Influence this year.

Each year, small business owners engage in exercises to determine where the majority of clients and leads materialized during the previous year. If you aren’t doing this exercise, you should consider it – the results may surprise you. For the past two years, I determined that the majority of my business comes from personal referrals[…]

marketing, small business, marketing planning

Don’t cool off on your Marketing Planning this Autumn

Is fall your busy season? Don’t get too comfortable! Although fall is a fairly steady season in most industries, winter can hit small businesses hard for a variety of reasons. No matter how busy you are finding yourself in Q3 and Q4, you should set aside time to have a plan for nurturing leads and[…]

mentor, mentee, mentorship, free advice

Mentorship or Free Advice?

I would argue that having a strong, level-headed mentor as you start out in your professional career can be as valuable as your education or training. What’s more, over time, building a team of mentors that you are able to turn to for advice or coaching can be solid gold. Mentors can inspire, educate, alleviate[…]

barbara corcoran, leadership, small business, personal growth

Terrified of failure? Take more risks.

Throughout my career, I’ve tended to internalize feedback to my work – especially negative feedback.  Even if criticism wasn’t intended, I would analyze every sentence, statement and word and roll it over in my head. It is not that I become defensive, or reactive – I just dwell a little too long on things I should[…]