Successful Blog

Thanks to Week 364 SOBs

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Successful and Outstanding Bloggers

Let me introduce the bloggers
who have earned this official badge of achievement,

Purple SOB Button Original SOB Button Red SOB Button Purple and Blue SOB Button
and the right to call themselves
Successful Blog SOBs.

I invite them to take a badge home to display on their blogs.

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They take the conversation to their readers,
contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger.

I thank all of our SOBs for thinking what we say is worth passing on.
Good conversation shared can only improve the blogging community.

Should anyone question this SOB button’s validity, send him or her to me. Thie award carries a “Liz said so” guarantee, is endorsed by Kings of the Hemispheres, Martin and Michael, and is backed by my brothers, Angelo and Pasquale.

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Want to become an SOB?

If you’re an SO-Wanna-B, you can see the whole list of SOBs and learn how to be one by visiting the SOB Hall of Fame– A-Z Directory . Click the link or visit the What IS an SOB?! page in the sidebar.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

We Will Not Let You Fail: Reactions To SOBCon NW 2012

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Photo by Angela Wheeler

{updated 10/8/12} SOBCon NW 2012 in Portland is history, and we’d like to extend our grateful thanks to our sponsors, event partners, presenters, hosts, vendors, and attendees for making it an awesome experience.

It’s always humbling and inspiring to read the stories of those who have been kind enough to write about their experience at SOBCons, and this event has been no exception.

We are pleased to share just a small sampling of these stories, and will continue to share them as they are posted.

SOBCon is a unique social conference experience

By Jeff Bunch

Quote: “There are events that can instantaneously change career and life paths in unforeseen ways. SOBCon is one of those”

How to Find The People Who Won’t Let You Fail

By Dusti Arab

Quote: “SOBCon is a unique conference in that it is small, intimate, and whether you like it or not, you get to know many of the people in the room – because after every presenter, you mastermind with your tablemates. And it works.”

What Impossible Idea Would You Attempt If Surrounded by People Who Won’t Let You Fail?

By Glenda Watson Hyatt

Quote: “Founder Liz Strauss kicked off the conference by pointing out we were surrounded by people who won’t let us fail. I definitely felt that. No matter who I shared my crazy idea with, they were all supportive of my intention to become a motivational speaker.”

A Few First Day Observations From #SOBCon NW 2012

By: Roger Courville

Quote: “Ideas are cheap, execution is what matters” – Lara Feltin, Biznik

Most Memorable Things Said At SOBCON NW 2012

By: Jane Boyd, on List.ly

Quote: “It’s tough to read the label when you’re inside the bottle” – Howard Mann, Brickyard Partners

Community “in the wild” – SOBCon NW edition

By: Rosemary O’Neill

Quote:  “It’s not a blogger conference, it’s not a small business conference, it’s not a revival meeting, it’s not a personal development gathering, but it’s a powerful mixture of all those things and more.  It’s a true community.”

Just How Secure is Your Business?

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For the small business owner that has to deal on a daily basis with making a profit, keeping up with the latest in products and/or services in their industry and taking care of his or her customers, worrying about security should be the last thing on their mind.

That being said, many small business owners do just that, wondering if their business is susceptible to a number of forms of theft.

From a physical break in to stolen data, business owners are finding more and more that security needs to be one of if not their top priority. But can internal threats be just as dangerous if not more than external ones, especially given today’s troubled economy?

Just as you would want the best home security system to protect your family and possessions, having a security system in place on the job is critical too.

So, for the small business owner who is not sure where to start, what should they look for in order to protect all they have worked hard for over time?

The first order of business should be to complete a Threat and Risk Assessment (TARA), allowing you to decide the best security route to travel. Take the time to look at your company’s assets and decide what their value loss impact is. Next, look to see what possible threats are facing your business, be they from the outside or possibly within. Lastly, put in place the needed procedures to make your business as secure as possible.

If you are wondering just who may be a threat to your small business, consider the following:

* Outside threats – The most common threat comes from the outside. Many thieves will scope out a small business first before striking, so look for any unusual activity with people who come to your place of work. Are they there for actual business, or are they there asking questions and trying to get a feel for your operation? If you have customers coming into your business on a regular basis, it makes sense to have security in place such as cameras and detectors at entrance and exit points to curtail shoplifting. Proper office security should also be a priority to protect your employees while they come and go, meaning the proper lighting and locks for the building space you own or rent.;

* Inside threats – Especially given today’s challenging economy, it is not unheard of to find small business owners finding criminals right under their noses. Whether it is someone stealing funds or property from the company, in-house theft can cause major financial repercussions for the small business owner. In some cases, the theft/s may go unnoticed for some period of time, meaning the company’s financial stability can be greatly impacted by the time the crimes are discovered. Make sure employees with access to company funds, computers and other items are properly screened before hiring. Consider using tools such as performance review software from Halogen” to track employee performance and ensure that no suspicious behavior arises. Only give out office keys to those who truly need them to enter and leave the building;

* Threats from competitors – You may think your business is immune from threats from the competition, but guess again. Whether it is spreading untrue rumors about your company or actually doing something physically to tarnish your business like stealing your property, you can be financially impacted from actions by your rivals. Let’s say you run a weekly newspaper and you fill the local vending machines with your product each Friday. After filling up the machines, readers call to report they can’t find your newspaper in the machines. It may not be a case of the product was so desirable, but rather your competition had someone go around and empty the machines minutes after you filled them. As a result, readers can’t get the news they want, the coupons you supplied in the publication, while advertisers are upset people are not seeing their ads. The trickle down effect can harm you before you know it;

* Cyber threats – As more and more business finds it way onto computers, is your small business properly protected? According to a 2011 survey from Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance, 85 percent of small business owners thought their company was safe from hackers, viruses or a cyber-security attack. That being said, a whopping 77 percent did not have a formal Internet security policy for their workers, while 49 percent failed to have an informal policy together. Data theft can be a major problem for the small business owner who does not have the proper firewalls in place. Not only can company information be compromised, but customer data can be stolen. When the latter happens, customers are not only upset, but are more apt to take their business elsewhere. Make sure that not only are you protecting in-house business information, but also have security in place when it comes to online customer transactions and more.

Given you would not leave your home susceptible to theft, can you say the same for your small business?

Photo credit: Stealbreaker.com

About the author: With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of items from starting a small business to hiring the right employees.

How SMBs Can Steal Customers from Big Brands

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Jason Phillips

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There is a common statement that everything that has an advantage also has a disadvantage. Now this is very true regarding small businesses when compared with big companies or brands. Yes, a small business will most likely not have the kind of marketing budget that a big firm has, but this does not mean it cannot get some of the customers of its bigger competitors. So how can small and medium scale businesses achieve this? Well, by leveraging on their strengths or put in another way by taking advantage of their unique strengths.

How SMBs Can Steal Customers from Big Brands

Here are five simple ways that any small or medium scale business can adopt in order to get more customers and earn more.

1. By connecting with customers

This might be the easiest way yet. You see SMBs can leverage on the size of their current customer base to connect with them on a more personal level. Since customers like to say that they know the person that owns company XYZ. So if you own or mange an SMB let your customers know this, and make them feel like you have a personal relationship with them. This personal connection with clients can go a long way in making such people actively recommend your business or company to others. Who in turn will also do the same with other people? If you can’t meet them one-on-one, then consider connecting via social media, phone calls, emails, etc.

2. By simplifying everything

Ensure that every interaction with your business by customers; prospective or not is made simple. One of the challenges that customers have with big businesses is their bureaucracy. Reduce the processes involved in getting things done for your clients. One area that this should be seen is regarding your website. Users want to be able to navigate this easily. Also, they want products that they can use easily plus services that meet their unique needs. Therefore, making sure that every process, service or product is simple will certainly drive more customers from the big players your way.

3. By offering excellent customer service

Providing excellent customer service is another means that small and medium scale businesses have been using to get customers from bigger competitors. You know it; we all know it that dealing with an SMB will often result in us receiving better customer service. They do this by going the extra mile with their clients. This is why even if you are doing this very well right now; you should look for ways to improve on same.

4. By facing the core problems

Since SMB owners and/or their employees are usually in touch with their clients on a daily basis, this gives them the opportunity to know and solve the core problems these people are facing. The real-time feedback plus knowledge that SMBs have is something that big businesses want to, but cannot replicate. That is why any SMB should take advantage of this by continuously solving their clients’ core problems.

5. By responding more quickly to opportunities

There will always be opportunities in the market. But the problem is whether one will be able to respond to this quickly. For big businesses it is often difficult for them to respond to such opportunities in a timely fashion. But this is not the same with small or medium sized companies that can feel the market and take advantage of the situation more quickly based what customers are saying. Such opportunity may be regarding a product offering or working with another in the same industry to form a strategic alliance.

Small business has the ability to leverage these 5 abilities as advantages by the very fact that small business is small.

Author’s Bio:
Jason Phillips is an expert writer on business related topics. He takes very less time to convey the message he intends to. Click here to go through his write ups to get the right tips ahead

Blogging on the Road: How to Keep Up When You Travel a Lot

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Ann Smarty

Understanding Online Business

When people ask about me, I usually have two main descriptions I go to: I am a travel-lover and a blogger. These two things make up so much of who I am and my life that they are the very first details that spring into my mind. Which is great, because they are two parts about my life that I truly love and would never change.

You would think the two would naturally intertwine, and in a way they do. I have plenty to say after each journey, and love showing pictures and videos taken along the way as I speak of my experiences. As I started out backpacking around the world in my earlier days, I have some serious stories about it. Which I am always eager to tell.

The problem is finding time to blog while I am traveling. This is something I have always wanted to be able to do, as my impressions and details would be much clearer and more accurate when it had only just happened.

It took me years to develop this skill properly, rather than relying on guest bloggers or hiatuses to get me through. It all comes down to a few tricks of the trade.


ImageCredit: Alex E. Proimos Learn the tricks.

Have Backups At The Ready

No matter how good your intentions are to blog while on the road, it won’t always happen. Your best bet is to have a small collection or prewritten articles in draft. That way you can publish on those scheduled days where you don’t have the time, ability or just energy to write.

Install Apps

Here’s a detailed guide on how to stay connected with your iPhone. Here’s another one for Android. It all comes down to which apps you choose to stick with as there are plenty!
Rely On Photo Or Video Posts

You don’t always have to tell about your day with words. Instead, you can post a vlog or collection of photos. It gives you a post, will update your viewers and also engage them visually.

Have A Blog Day

You know those days that you can’t bring yourself to go out and do anything? Even the most experienced travelers in the most beautiful and exciting destinations feel like this once during their trip. Take that day to lay low in your hotel room or hostel, and take advantage of the available internet connection. If they don’t have one, spend an hour or two at an Internet cafe or business with free WiFi. Knock out a few blog posts so they are ready and scheduled to go out. Then you won’t have to worry about it. If you are fast and determined, you will actually be surprized how much you are able to do in ten minites!

Fall Back On The Guest Bloggers

I mentioned before that I don’t like to rely on guest bloggers when I travel, and that was true. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like them at all. I love guest bloggers, and they have saved my butt more than once. I always have one on hand when I travel, who knows they will be called on to write at specific times. Or will just be expecting an email if I need them. MyBlogGuest is also always there to rescue!


This is one of my favorite ideas. Ask readers who are interested in writing for the site submit their ideas or blog posts on a relevant topic. Hold it like a contest with the winners having their posts published while you are traveling. You would be surprised by how many responses this tactic can get, especially from other writers looking for some exposure.

It isn’t always easy to keep up with a blog when you are a frequent traveler. But that doesn’t mean it is an impossible feat. In fact, it is quite simple to do if you just spend some time preparing for it. The tips above should help you out.

Author’s Bio:
Ann Smarty Ann Smarty is the blogger and social media gig launching Viral Content Buzz, the free social media promotion platform focusing on high-quality.


Thank you, Ann! Great information, Great guest post! Great birthday present to include SOBCon among them! 🙂

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Registration Is Now Open for SOBCon Chicago 2013

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Now that SOBCon NW 2012 in Portland is history (and what an event it was – more on that soon!), we’re pleased to launch registration for SOBCon Chicago 2013, to be held once again at the fabulous Summit Executive Center on Michigan Avenue from May 3-5.

Sign up before October 31, 2012 and save $300 off the regular ticket price.

Liz & I are very excited about the theme for this event, but I can’t tell you just yet – so save your seat now, and then bookmark our site, sign up for our Newsletter (use the box at the top of our home page), follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and stay right up to date on all the latest news about the event.

See you in Chicago in May!!

SOBCon Chicago 2013 Registration Page