Successful Blog

Add This One Crucial Thing to Your Goal Tracker for 2017

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Today’s post is going to be brief, but may just change the way you approach 2017.

We’re all sitting down in the next few weeks, reviewing the past year and setting up a goal tracker for next year.

Part of that process is looking back at projects that may not have panned out, numbers we didn’t hit, or (ahem) pounds we didn’t lose.

  • What about your successes?
  • What about things that made you laugh/smile?
  • What about accomplishments?

Wouldn’t it be valuable to see a consolidated list of those things too?

Here’s how you set yourself up so that in December 2017, you actually have that information.

In whatever time management system you use (I’m a Moleskine + paper weekly planner kinda gal), create a space to track weekly successes and wins.

Then at the end of the year, you can look back through your weekly items and pull together a big list that catapults you into the next year.

Your “wins” don’t have to be new multi-million dollar clients. It could be your daughter mastering the cartwheel.

Those little day-to-day successes get lost in the noise.

  • Did you guest blog for a big website?
  • Did you move to a new accounting software?
  • Did you run a half-marathon?
  • Did you get asked to speak at a local event?

Capture those moments throughout the year and you’re set up for more successes down the road.

You can still take five minutes to beat yourself up if you need to (those last 5 pounds are a killer), but then stand up, shake it off like Taylor Swift, and head into 2017 with a smile on your face.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Make Room for Wonder

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This is the time of year when it’s easy to envision wonder. The holiday season lets everyone lower their defenses.

  • The slack jawed two year old walking up to Santa in the Mall.
  • Waking up in the morning to a fresh blanket of snow and silence.
  • Videos of Hallelujah Chorus flash mobs.

It’s time to allow wonder to trespass into the rest of the year.

Being in a state of wonder leaves you vulnerable. It exposes you and makes you feel like a child, because children aren’t self-conscious. Children are experiencing everything for the first time, and they aren’t afraid to show their excitement.

Wonder puts the pause to our analytical, logical, data-driven minds.

We let ourselves feel wonder every once in a while, on special occasions:

  • The birth of a child
  • Visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time
  • Watching the Monarch butterflies migrate through Pacific Grove, CA

I’m proposing that we intentionally go to that innocent mind-space on a more regular basis.

Wonder-Generators for Your Daily Life – Some Ideas

Appreciate the wonder of space – remember when you wanted to be an astronaut as a kid? Did you know that NASA has some amazing social accounts you can follow? Feed your inner astronaut and subscribe to NASA’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/nasa/.

Dream about technological innovations – I’ve attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas many times over the years. It is one of the places where you can get hands-on with technology and inventions that are several years from reality. If you can’t be there in person, you can follow their Twitter feed to see some of the latest goodies: https://twitter.com/ces.

Add some scientific exploration to your diet – visit the Scientific American website and find out whether Michelangelo encoded messages in the Sistine Chapel. Add National Geographic’s photo of the day to your routine, and marvel at the beauty that surrounds all of us.

Weather inspires awe – many of us are amateur tornado chasers, or become glued to the Weather Channel when a hurricane approaches. One element of wonder is the idea that you are not necessarily in control of everything. Weather watching reminds us of our place in the natural order. I’m currently obsessed with the Dark Sky weather app, which includes an amazing global weather tool. In case you need to know the temperature in Antarctica.

OK, you’re up. Where do you go when you want to put yourself in a state of wonder?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Tom Hall

Keep Your Eyes Focused on Global Expansion

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smartphone-695164_640With the recent American presidential election in the books (or seemingly so despite some recount efforts), many U.S. business owners will have a keen eye on where President-Elect Donald Trump takes things in 2017 and beyond.

Will there be opportunities for some U.S. companies to eye new business around the world under Trump’s leadership? Will some foreign companies be looking to partner with American companies on global projects? Lastly, will the dollar find strength worldwide with a new leader in the White House?

What seems like so many questions and so few answers right now is exactly the case.

If your American business is thinking about global expansion, would the next year or two be the time to go for it?

Knowing When to Pull the Trigger

So that you are better suited to know when to consider expanding worldwide, keep your eyes on the following items:

  • Conditions on the ground – First and foremost, know the conditions in any country you consider doing business in. What are the economics in that area? Are there any political issues now or down the road that could impact businesses there? Have companies been leaving in droves or coming in droves? Knowing the metrics involved in any area you may want to expand to is crucial, especially for your financial well-being;
  • Are you ready to expand? Along with the conditions on the ground globally, you need to know if you and your brand are ready at this time to expand. Although that may seem like a difficult proposition to gauge at times, it is nonetheless an important one. If you are leaning towards global expansion to Dubai, Shanghai, Brazil, Russia, China etc. it is important to be ready when you actually pull the trigger on such moves. This means not only having the financial ability for such a move, but also being able to market and sell your brand overseas. If you are a little behind the eight ball when it comes to marketing, advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) etc. be sure to get those matters worked out before any possible expansion. The SEO matter is especially important due to the fact millions and millions of consumers turn to company websites and social media pages for information. If you are not meeting consumer needs in such areas, your brand and ultimately your wallet or purse will suffer for it. Reaching out to a SEO company in Dubai or similar business can put you on the right track for both website and overall business growth;
  • Necessary manpower – Finally, if expansion possibilities are on the horizon for you, do you have the manpower to push forward with them? Even though many companies in recent years have gone to more automation in handling daily business tasks, you can never truly replace the needed human element. As a result, making sure you have enough hands available to meet the needs of consumers is critical. If you’re an American business opening new offices overseas, you may very well end up hiring all locals to staff the places. Among the advantages in doing so is locals know the culture and speak the language of that given country and/or region.

Only Expand When Absolutely Sure the Time Has Come

As you ponder the possibilities of global expansion in 2017, make sure to give yourself as much information as possible.

In terms of getting that data and properly analyzing it, you should be sure of the following:

  • Having updated metrics with which to work with – How a country or countries did financially and politically even six months ago could have changed rather quickly up to now. If you have contacts on the ground, even better;
  • Having a website that continues to draw traffic – If your website is continuing to grow in terms of traffic (especially overseas traffic), study that data. It can tell you a number of things about potential for overseas growth. Use your website analytics to help forecast if moving to one or a number of places makes sense financially;
  • Having your brand front and center – Lastly, even though you want as much information about possible overseas expansion, you also want to give consumers (current and potential customers) reason to want to do business with you if you expand. By using blog content, press releases, videos, social media and more, you can do just that. Spreading the message when you are ready to expand is critical to successfully achieving such growth.

As an American business owner, when will you decide it is time to expand your boundaries?

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

How entrepreneurs can address top trends for 2017

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You should already have kicked off your strategy and planning for 2017 (while continuing to run through the tape at the end of 2016).

While you’re in planning mode, you should also consider what’s going on globally, now and into the next several years.

One great resource for staying on top of trends is the yearly report from the Trendwatching website. Many of their reports are free, but you can also get a paid account for additional access and insights.

The trends outlined in their latest report, “5 Trends for 2017,” can offer you food for thought while you address budget, resources, and tactics for the coming year.

VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE ECONOMY

We have all heard the buzz surrounding augmented reality and virtual reality; soon these types of digital experiences will become the norm rather than an exotic toy. You probably can’t turn your blog into a Magic Leap-worthy whale splash, but you can start to consider the importance of experiences over content.

Your customers are jaded with listicles and slides.

They want to know you and your world. Offer them digital experiences that reinforce your relationship and bring them closer.

The Trendwatching report states that experiences are becoming currency, as limited-access or insider style events make consumers feel like the brand is part of their identity.

Time to brainstorm the types of experiences (real-world and virtual) you can offer your customers/fans/readers.

WORLDS APART

Right now, I can instantly talk with someone in Dubai via video chat.

The world can participate in the #MannequinChallenge on Twitter.

News breaking anywhere in the world is readily accessible.

The new consumer sees a global community and is sorting out their place within it. How does my own relationship to home relate to my knowledge of world challenges? What impact can I have, at home and abroad?

Your challenge as an entrepreneur is to plug into the global society and build bridges where you can. This ties into the strong wave of interest in corporate responsibility and charitable work as well. What types of actions can you take in your business that both support your mission and bond you to the global community at the same time?

POST-DEMOGRAPHIC CONSUMERISM

In the past, marketers liked to segment consumers along strong demographic lines, as if all 21 year old females purchased as a block. The trend now is to target the consumer as an individual, often someone who breaks the old patterns of demographics and behavior.

How does this relate to your business?

For starters, don’t get caught thinking of “Millennials” as a monolithic unit. Don’t assume your older consumer isn’t on Instagram. Start looking for ways to personalize your message.

Your customers aren’t thinking of themselves as 40-60 year old males, so you should stop looking at them that way as well.

Another part of this larger trend is the desire for consumers to be incognito individuals, free from tracking. There’s a wish to be anonymous, or to view the world through the experience of another person (how about the ability to switch your social feed to someone else’s, just to get out of your own bubble).

CAPACITY CAPTURE

We’ve already been educated about sustainability and the trend towards lowering your business impact on resources. The newer trend is toward looking for ways to use resources that might have gone to waste. Think “selling” back unused energy to the power company, or sending packages along with an Uber driver.

Brainstorm some ways that your business might have unused capacity that could be a positive value to someone else. How can you look at these new business models and turn your excess into gold?

BIG BROTHER BRANDS

Yes, we might start using the term “Big Brother” as a positive! Consumers will expect to be monitored and tracked, but will also expect to get value out of giving up some level of privacy. Isn’t it great when you can yell “Hey Siri, who’s singing that song?” into the air, and she responds? Already, my front door unlocks as I approach, because of technology we’ve installed.

As an entrepreneur, the way to take advantage of this trend is to seek ways to provide personalized service that delights the customer. At a micro level, you can leverage publicly available information (or information the customer has shared with you over time) to tailor your offerings, or even to surprise them with a gift. What if you looked at a customer’s Pinterest boards to find a small gift that suits their interests?

Just don’t be creepy about it. Always consider how you’d feel in the situation first.

These top trends for 2017 will certainly affect your business in the coming year. How will you move to leverage them? Are you already on top of some of these? Please share your experiences.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Knight Center for Journalism

Get More Social in 2017

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twitter-292994_640What would you say about your company’s social media efforts up to now?

If they have been helping you land new business, by all means keep up the efforts.

On the flip side, if your social media efforts have been less than stellar, do you plan to change course in the New Year?

Being a social media dynamo in today’s business world is nothing short of a necessity.

If your business is pushing itself on social media, it stands a good chance of getting noticed. If it is doing little or no social media promotions, the overall results for your brand can be damaging.

With that being the case, do you plan to get more social in 2017?

Social Plans for the New Year

Given there are many benefits and advantages of using social media, are you taking advantage of any and/or all of them?

For starters, social media gives you an opportunity to engage with consumers, something all businesses should jump on.

In today’s business world, more and more companies are dealing remotely with customers.

As more walk-in types of businesses become harder to find, consumers are oftentimes having to deal with automation, computers, and of course ordering goods and services online. With less of a one-on-one touch, businesses and consumers can meet in the world of social media.

By engaging with current and prospective customers on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (there are more out there to look at), you can get the pulse of what people are saying about your brand. You can also help those in need of information and/or solving issues when it comes to your brand or industry.

With that in mind, is it time you put more effort into social media heading into 2017?

If the answer to that question is yes, here are a few pointers to help you:

  • Mission – For starters, clearly define what your mission is with social media. Is it to engage with consumers? Are you only interested in having a social presence because the competition does? Does social media seem like a necessity to keep in touch with the consumer world, seeing what it is saying about your brand? Clearly defining your reasoning for being social in the first place is where you need to begin;
  • Efforts – If you’re a small business, you may feel you don’t have the time and/or resources to devote to social media. That line of thinking can prove very detrimental, so try and avoid it at all costs. Even if you have to outsource your social media efforts to make them work, do it. Having social experts manning your social networking needs is perfectly fine; though make sure you hire someone (or a company) with social media experience. There is much more than just posting a few messages each day or week. You should track and analyze (see more below) where you’re doing well and not so well on various social sites. Also look to see what times prove most opportune to engage in social media.

Always Stay Positive

  • Engagement – Although it can prove tempting to respond in a negative manner to consumer comments on your social pages, don’t do it. Given your online reputation goes a long way in determining how much business you ultimately get, coming across as juvenile and/or nasty in social interactions is bad. For starters, it makes consumers wonder if you truly care about them. Secondly, it gives your competition an opportunity to seize upon, painting you and your brand in a bad light. Find a way to make a negative social interaction turn positive for your business;
  • Results – Last but not least, be sure to gather and understand the results you are getting with social media. To simply post blindly and not know if you’re making inroads or not is not productive. Also use your social sites to survey consumers on different aspects of your business. What do they like? What don’t they like? Are there practices you need to do more of (or for the first time) that you are not presently doing? Lastly, should you be focusing on one or more social sites to get the best results? Knowing where to zero-in on instead of spinning your wheels will benefit you and consumers at the end of the day.

If social media has been a bit of a foreign concept to you up to this point, will that change in 2017?

Photo credit: Pixabay

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

 

Is Your Business as Productive as It Should Be?

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business-841174_640If your business isn’t as productive as it should be, can you put your finger on the reason or reasons why?

For too many business owners, that problem is one that can ultimately cost them more than just money. It can ultimately lead to hanging a closed sign on the front door permanently.

So, how productive would you say your business is these days?

Being productive doesn’t just mean churning out products and/or services.

It also means giving your customers the best service possible, putting your employees in position to succeed, and showing investors (if applicable) why they should continue to support you (not to mention invest in you).

With that being the case, how productive is your business as you take it into 2017?

Business Productivity Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

In order for your business to keep productivity as a main staple, keep these pointers in mind:

  • Customer service – First and foremost, is your customer service as strong as it should be? Even if your products and/or services are top-notch, you can’t overlook the importance of customer service. When it comes to customer service, you have to always be better than your nearest competition. Keep in mind that customers today typically have numerous options when it comes to shopping; so many times you are not the only game in town. In order for you to stand out from the crowded field, your customer service efforts must resonate with customers. Go above and beyond the simple customer service initiatives, allowing you and your brand to grab and keep their attention;
  • Employee tools – Unless you are running a one-person show, you rely on your employees’ day in and day out to deliver for you. As such, it is imperative that they have all the resources necessary to be successful. From the latest in technology to educating them on how best to market and network in and out of your business, give them what they need. If that means taking a little extra time to find the best tools and/or spend a little more in money, certainly consider doing it. Whether their needs involve audio dictation for your business or countless other necessities that make time management more effective (see more below), give your workers as much assistance as they require. Remember, the goal when all is said and done is to give your customers more for less. When you allow your employees to get more done in a shorter amount of time, it is a win-win for both you and those doing business with you.

Time Management Can’t Be Overlooked

  • Time management – When it comes to running a productive business, time management is a huge factor. Stop for a moment to think about you and your customer needs when you play the role of consumer. The last thing you want is to be kept waiting for products and/or services. When left to do so, you might simply walk away, never to come back to that business ever again. The same oftentimes holds true for those consumers doing business with you. Most consumers expect to be waited on in a timely manner, along with that time being used wisely. If your time management efforts are coming up a little short, work on improving them sooner rather than later;
  • Customer feedback – Finally, do you truly listen to your customers? If the answer is yes, that is definitely something to be proud of. Unfortunately, too many businesses turn a deaf ear to those they are supposed to be taking care of. As a result, they can oftentimes end up losing those customers after a short period of time. Make sure you try and answer your customers’ questions whenever and wherever possible. If this means doing occasional surveys, do just that. In many cases, providing a little incentive (discounts etc. on products and/or services) will prod customers to take a few minutes to answer your questions.

When all is said and done, business productivity is essential to your company’s success.

Stop and see if you’re truly being as productive as possible as a business.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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