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Gathering Stardust for Liz Strauss

September 14, 2020 by Jane Boyd Leave a Comment

Gathering Stardust - Liz Strauss

“If you love, you know that just as flowers need dirt, sad things can make a large heart even larger and able to love even more.”~ @LizStrauss

When news spread of Liz Strauss’s passing, the outpouring of love and support from those who love her has been heartwarming and full of stories, just as she would have loved.

Liz never wanted to be on a pedestal, nor the center of the universe. Knowing that, she touched so many lives in so many beautiful ways, and she leaves an incredible legacy.

Register here to be part of the informal, interactive virtual gathering (via Zoom) in celebration of her memory. Not a funeral, but something unique in the spirit that would make her smile.

Thursday, September 17, 2020 – Beginning at 1:00 PM Pacific Time

This time together will include:

1:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Pacific Time
Individual speakers
Opportunities to gather around a set of virtual tables and share your story of how Liz inspired and touched your life

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM – Pacific Time
Open Mic: the online room will stay open for additional hour at the end of the program and you are invited to stay in community for this time if your schedule permits

This event is being co-created and co-produced by Jane Boyd, Jeff Pulver, Gigi Peterkin, Rosemary O’Neill, and a small group of Liz’s friends, with love and gratitude from Eric Strauss.

Please follow this link to RSVP.

“No matter where in the world I might go, when I need them to, the stars always take me home.” ~ @LizStrauss

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Liz-Strauss

A message from Eric Strauss

September 10, 2020 by Eric T. Strauss 7 Comments

Liz and Eric Strauss

It’s Eric here (Liz’s son).

As many of you know, and I’m so heartbroken to say, my mom passed away yesterday morning. 😞

I miss her so much. It’s been hard, for me and also my dad. I know I’m not alone. I really appreciate everyone who has reached out to check on me during this time. It has helped more than you know. ❤️

I know she touched so many of our lives in so many beautiful ways. And she leaves an incredible legacy.

When news spread of her passing, the outpouring of love and support for my mom from those who love her has been so heartwarming and full of stories, just as I know she would have loved.

Many who knew my mom, as well as many from the SOBcon and GeniusShared community, have suggested doing an informal virtual gathering in her memory. Not a funeral, but something unique, in the spirit of what would make her smile.

Jane Boyd and a few friends of my mom are co-creating this.

If you’d like to join us, we’ve set aside Thursday, September 17, 1–3pm Pacific Time. More will be shared soon here and on social media

Love. ❤️

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Are You up to Speed on Your Business Finances?

September 2, 2020 by Thomas Leave a Comment

Running a business means you wear many hats and have a lot on your plate to deal with.

That said the biggest focus should be on how your business is doing financially. If you lose focus here, you could in fact end up losing your business if not careful.

So, how up to speed are you on your business finances?

Don’t Let Financial Issues Cost You Your Business

In looking at the impact various financial matters can have on your business, here are a few to focus on:

1. Bringing in enough revenue – How good of a job are you doing bringing in revenue? If you have been in business for a few years now, it is wise to compare revenue numbers from prior years. This can give you a good sense of if your business is headed in the right or wrong direction. If you see indications that revenue is heading south, you can at least be aware of it and try to turn things around. Figure out if it is only your business having financial issues or more a sense of the industry you are in. If the former, you need to put a stop to the bleeding sooner than later.

2. Knowing the financial rules you face – From taxes to commission revenues, be up to speed on rules you face. For instance, if someone asked you what is ASC 606, could you answer that question rather quick? ASC 606 involves the accounting of commissions and how they are tracked and reported. Things like this you need to be aware of and any changes that come with it. This is why having a top-notch accountant for your business proves crucial. Small financial mistakes at a company can oftentimes be overcome. What you do not want to have happen is having major ones put you on the brink.

3. Erasing debt – One of the worst things you can have hanging over your head as a business owner is a large amount of debt. With that being the case; are you dealing with sizable debt? If so, are you taking any action to deal with it? Not dealing with it can leave you in financial rough waters for years to come. An example here would be credit card debt. While it is fine to use a business credit card for some needs, do not rely on it all too often. If you do, you could see that balance become rather high in a short amount of time. In the event you only pay the minimum each month, think of those interest fees. Those fees are in essence like throwing money out the window. This is why using cash more often and paying down any credit card debt makes a lot more sense. If you do have sizable credit card debt, look to see about doing a balance transfer. You may discover another bank with better financing rates.

As you go about reviewing your company finances, be sure to look for any red flags.

If you find red flags with your finances, do all you can to lower them.

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Filed Under: Business Life, Uncategorized Tagged With: accounting, finances

How Businesses Use Social Media Marketing

May 14, 2020 by Jessy Troy Leave a Comment

Many businesses hear about the advantages of social media in terms of marketing their products or services, but some forget to look at other major benefits of social media beyond finding leads or making a sale.

Here are eight ways that businesses can use social media to learn more about themselves and their industry as well as get more involved with their clients and communities interested in what they have to offer.

1. Monitor Conversation About Themselves

There are many free ways to monitor what people are saying about your company through social media, including the following:

Google Alerts

Google Alerts will send you a daily digest email anytime your search terms come up in blogs, news, or other websites.

Social Mention

Social Mention monitors 100+ social media properties directly including: Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, YouTube, Digg, Google etc. You can have your mentions emailed to you daily.

Twitter Search

If you want to know real time what people are saying, you can setup a Twitter search in HootSuite, Tweetdeck, or just keep a RSS feed in your feed reader using Twitter search results. Include searches for your company, business owner, or unique product name.

Further reading: Set Up an Online Reputation Management Strategy That Wins You More Sales

A solid social media service could help you get the most of reputation management efforts.

2. Keep Up to Date on Their Industry

Along with keeping up with what is being said about your brand, as anyone with a business administration degree would tell you, you should also keep up to date on current events and news that affects your industry as a whole.

While there have been good company reactions to industry issues, such as pet food brands that assured their customers that their food was tested and 100% safe during the recalls and Toyota continuing to address their recalls assuring customers they are working to resolve the problems, I have seen some other fails where there was obviously no attention by the companies given to current events such as:

  • Auto warranty companies continuing their usual advertising while stories of auto warranty scams were on the rise.
  • A hotel chain in Hawaii sending out “last minute deals” about an hour before the tsunami was supposed to hit the islands.

If you’re keeping up with how the public feels about your industry, you can reformulate your next announcements and advertising to boost the confidence in your company even in the midst of a negative wave. Facebook advertising is particularly effective for that.

In the above examples:

  • The auto warranty companies could add facts to their advertisements which would prove their authenticity above the scammers so people could trust them.
  • The hotel chain could have simply sent out updates on the conditions and reassure the public once the threat was over that it was safe enough to take advantage of their special rates.

3. Give Great Customer Service

One great way to use social media is for customer service. For example, if you have a Facebook Page setup, your customers might ask specific product questions.

Answering them right on the page not only gives them the info they want right away, but shows other fans / potential clients that you are a readily available to help, as well as provide an answer to a question that other clients might want to ask.

You can also encourage phone calls from your social media channels and set up your small business phone service to turn all those calls into the leads!

4. Provide Emergency Updates

Lately, the way to find out if something is not working is to make a quick search on Twitter. The last time I couldn’t get into my Gmail, I went straight over to Twitter to see if others were having the same problem or if it was just me – it was the former, so I knew there wasn’t an account issue.

Customer service is never more important than during times of crisis.

Since many people now turn to Twitter to voice their complaints and concerns, those that respond through the same media show both their followers and others who are watching the events unfold that they are interested in helping their followers quickly. It helps add a positive light to a bad situation.

5. Gain Customer Feedback and Opinion

Social media can be a great research tool. If your company has unveiled a new product or service, maybe your customers will be talking about what they think about it in real time.

I’m sure that Coca-Cola monitors any comments on their latest drinks to see if people are enjoying it or hating it, which affects whether they will continue to produce a specific flavor or try out a new one. You can also query your followers to ask them their opinion on a future product to get their insight before it even goes into development so you can create something that you know others will be interested in.

It is also a good idea to create polls on Facebook regularly to gain insight into your audience.

6. Move Positive Information to the Top

Reputation management via social media can be a great way to boost positive information about your business to the top of search results in an attempt to get negative results off of the list.

So if your company had a negative review placed on sites such as Rip Off Report or individual blogs, the best way to counter it is to have your company website, blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social profiles ranking higher than that bad entry. It only takes ten strong, positive items to bump that bad one off of the first page.

7. Drive Traffic to Their Website

Social media can certainly help boost the traffic going to your website in a variety of ways. If you have a regularly updated corporate blog, you can post your blog articles on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and social bookmarking sites, which should help drive visitors to your post and then onward to your main site for products and services.

Also, you can monitor people talking about the products and services you offer and respond to them with your link if it helps answer their questions. Just recently, I mentioned migraines, and someone sent me an @mention with a link to learn more about natural homeopathic migraine remedies.

Social media is perfect for launching a new site as well as promoting an established one.

You just have to make sure that what you are sending will be absolutely helpful to the person you are replying to, and not look too much like a blatant advertisement (ie. maybe send a blog post link instead of a link to a product page unless some specifically says “I want to buy ___, where can I find it.”)

8. Create a Reference Library

Social bookmarking makes it easy to create a reference library of any news / press releases / mentions of your company.

Simply use your hashtag alerts to find the places online that talk about you, and use sites like Flipboard to bookmark them. This helps you keep track of all the talk about your company, as well as boost the article by giving it the bookmark.

More Tips on Social Media for Business

Looking for more ideas on how to use social networking for business? Check out this post on business social networking by a blogger whose focus is on helping small businesses use online marketing more efficiently and effectively.

Do you have a business that you use social media as an avenue to connect with clients? Or do you know of a business that does a great job using social media? Let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How Technology Is Changing Business Communication for the Better

April 30, 2020 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

By Kayla Matthews

heart made of ones and zeroes

Communication is central to running any successful business. From customer service to employee performance reviews, nearly every aspect of business relies on clear communication. As with many other areas, technology is providing new and improved ways to communicate.

Technological innovations have always driven improvements in business communication. Just as the telephone and email revolutionized business communication in their times, modern technology is revolutionizing it again. Advancements like blockchains and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing how you interact with employees and customers.

1. Gathering Customer Data

Data collection and analysis are the heart and soul of modern business. With communication tools like chatbots, you can gather customer data from your communication with them. You can then use this data to tailor future interactions with them on an individual level.

More than 90% of customers prefer interacting with brands that offer personalized experiences. The best way to provide personalization is by logging customer history and preferences. With data analytic technology, every instance of communication is a chance to improve future customer interactions.

2. Protecting Privacy

In the digital age, keeping conversation private is a growing concern. But just as advanced technology presents new threats to privacy, it also provides ways to protect it. The desire for secure communication is one of the driving forces behind blockchain adoption.

Blockchains are encrypted, decentralized ledgers of information. Unlike traditional forms of communication, blockchains aren’t subject to the prying eyes of governments or telecommunication companies. You can send data to a colleague on a blockchain to keep it private and unchangeable.

3. Expanding Remote Communication

Modern technology makes remote work and communication a more viable option. Services like video conferencing expand the possibilities of long-distance communication. Now you can meet coworkers or clients “face-to-face” without even being in the same room.

Today’s remote communication technology also provides increased flexibility. With platforms like Google Meets and Zoom, you can participate in group meetings from home with minimal setup. Communication, both with employees and customers, is more convenient and reliable than ever, even across long distances.

4. Automation Through AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most promising technologies in the modern business world. It has applications in everything from logistics to organization, including communication. When businesses face staff shortages, they can use AI to take over customer relations.

AI-powered chatbots can hold natural and informative conversations, providing competitive customer service at any time. On top of being available around the clock, these systems can access customer data while speaking to customers. That way, they can provide relevant, personalized answers in real-time.

5. Increasing Collaboration

Business communication doesn’t just have to be clear and reliable, but it has to be thorough. Collaborative technologies like cloud computing enable you and your coworkers to communicate and collaborate across any distance. You can share documents through email, but on the cloud, you and your coworkers can edit them in the same place.

Other communication tools, like social media, allow you to collaborate more with consumers. You can interact with users on social sites to create or refine customer-centric experiences. By involving your consumer base, you improve your company image and offer more desirable products or experiences.

Improving Your Communication

In today’s day and age, flexible, thorough communication is a must. Novel communication technology allows companies to adjust to unforeseen circumstances like the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to these technologies, businesses can shift to remote work with relative ease.

To stay competitive in today’s business world, you need to communicate better. To communicate better, you need to take advantage of the technology available to you. Implementing new services for both internal communication and customer service will help you stay ahead of the competition.

Variation is key. If you rely too heavily on one form of communication, you’ll be in trouble if it fails or becomes outdated. But with varied and forward-thinking technology adoption, you can improve and secure your communication all around.

 

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash

Filed Under: Uncategorized

3 Keys to Better Brand Marketing Starting Now

December 11, 2019 by Thomas Leave a Comment

Would you say you are doing a good job of marketing your brand to consumers?

Some companies are spot-on when it comes to marketing their brands. For others, they have some work to do.

With this in mind, how are you going about marketing your brand to capture as much sales and revenue as possible?

Alert Consumers to Why They Should Buy Your Brand

In marketing your brand to be a winner, remember these keys moving forward:

  1. You define the message and not the competition – One of the keys to a successful brand is to get your message out. Even when you do get that message out, it is important you define it and not your competition. So, make sure the message going out is the one you want. If you let your competition define you, it can have negative repercussions now and down the road. For example, if you are an automaker or dealer, you want consumers to know why your brand stands out. Before buying their next auto, folks want many details about what their next auto can offer. Be sure you deliver that message.
  2. Use all available delivery – When trying to get your brand front and center, use many tools. For example, do you use social networking sites? Some brands are asleep at the wheel when it comes to using social media to their advantage. As a result, their competitors can get a leg up on them. There are a myriad of social media sites you can use to your advantage. Best of all, social media is in essence free for you to use. As an example, are you on Instagram? This site is a great one to use when you want to convey images of your brand to consumers. Twitter is a good one to run not only info on your brand but links to relevant articles and more on your industry. No matter the social site or sites you choose to go with, be socially active.
  3. Your customers are valuable – While you view your customers as valuable to you, do not only think they are a sale. Some of your customers can prove to be great for you when it comes to promoting your brand. If you have some customers willing to do testimonials for you, by all means let them go for it. Such testimonials can have more impact with consumers than ads you do on your own. This is because some consumers tend to be more swayed when they see a fellow consumer talking up a brand. You can offer those customers willing to do testimonials some incentives. These can include discounts on other purchases they make and so on. The key is having as many customers as possible deliver the good news to other consumers. Whether time to go car shopping or buy other items, first-hand experiences from others can mean a lot.

When you need to do a better job of brand marketing, where will you begin?

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes about marketing topics on the web.

 

Filed Under: Marketing, Uncategorized Tagged With: auto, brand, marketing

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