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Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru 
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Archive for the ‘Business Coaching’ CategoryThe Beauty of Branding: What It Means to Your Business SuccessJuly 07th, 2015The benefit of consciously shaping a Personal or Company Brand is focus. When you know with utmost clarity what you want you, or your company, to be known for, it is easier to develop an effective brand platform…and that will impact everything you do as a small business owner, book author, or professional speaker! So, what is a “brand”? It is a person’s emotional feeling about you and your company and it is a promise for a specific experience with you and/or your business. Your branding touches everything pertaining to your company…everything you say and don’t say, and everything you do and don’t do.  Lisa Orrell was voted one of the “Most Influential Brand Gurus in the World” in 2013 & 2014 by over 22,000 industry professionals. A key concept that I strongly recommend burning into your brain is this: When someone has contact with your brand in-person or virtually, one of two things happens: your brand is reinforced…or it is weakened. This is why it is so important to know what your brand value, brand differentiators, brand positioning, brand promise, and brand personality, are. They need to be reinforced and reflected in everything you say, do, write, and create. However, many small business owners don’t focus on this and then wonder why their business isn’t doing well. Once you “know who you are”, it makes it much easier to express it to potential customers. Plus, it enables you to have consistency across all of your business-building efforts, such as: your website, social media networks, marketing & sales materials, PR efforts, etc. And, for those of you who have (or will have) employees or contractors working for you, they need to be aware of your brand promise and values, too. As the leader, you’re the brand evangelist of you and your company, and that means making sure anyone working for you focuses on also positively reinforcing your brand, not weakening it. Basically, they are not only representing themselves, but they are also representing you. One of the best things you can do to create a positive brand platform is focus on being people-centric. This means to: always be open to listening to feedback; have a top-to-bottom commitment to making your customers, employees and co-workers your #1 priority; and always look at your decisions from their perspective, not just yours. Think about it as a consumer of the brands YOU like. You’re a customer for a wide variety of products and services. Why are YOU loyal to their brand(s)? I bet it’s probably because they promise a specific experience with their product or service and consistently deliver on it. So if you can make a person’s experience with your Personal and/or Company Brand consistently consistent with your brand promise, you are heading down the right path. However, it ALL has start with you getting clarity, and then effectively projecting that in everything you do. And, although you may have a tight budget, please be mindful of how your marketing materials look, especially your website. If you need help, hire a Consultant to help you! That may sound like common sense BUT it’s not common practice…think about how many awful websites you come across! Be aware of these fast facts:
Make sure all of your marketing, business, and sales tools look professional, and that things like colors and fonts are consistent across all of them. Don’t have purple and green the main colors on your website but then use yellow and blue on your business cards, collateral, or even on things like your invoices. You also want to make sure your social media page designs are consistent with your website. Again, branding is not just about how you describe and run your business; it’s also about how your business appears visually. In a nutshell, Personal or Company Branding becomes the “behavior barometer” for you as a small business owner. Once it’s established, you’ll find yourself often asking: “Is this decision going to support or weaken my brand?” And THAT type of mindset will enable you to build positive awareness for your brand, increase your sales, and grow your business!  Tips for Using Instragram to Grow Your Small BusinessMarch 04th, 2014Hi All! With social media ruling the roost in business promotion, it’s hard to ignore any social networking platform these days, and Instagram is no exception. What started as an iPhone only app has expanded into one of the fastest growing and most vibrant social media networks; Instagram for business is a great marketing tool, especially those targeting younger audiences. With over 150 million users already, Instagram is the ultimate visual marketing tool to showcase to your prospective customers your social and human side. Instagram is all about pictures and videos, and thus is a great marketing tool for your business. After all, pictures directly appeal to emotions, increase interaction rate, and strike a chord with prospects, thus making your brand visible to a larger audience. Here are a few tips for using Instagram for building your brand, increasing sales, and growing your small business: Introduce your employees You may not know but most of your followers are keen on knowing the people associated with your brand, especially those who keep your company going. By introducing your team through Instagram photos, you humanize your brand, thus building a connection with prospects and customers while enhancing their experience. Cultivate a following It’s easier than ever to increase your following on Instagram for business by linking it with your Facebook account. Connect specific brand images to your Facebook business page with a relevant, popular hashtag that aligns with your brand image or marketing campaign. This is a necessary step to show to your Facebook fans that you’re on Instagram. Use relevant hashtags (#yourbrandhere) to increase your brand exposure and reach out to a wider audience for leads while helping people find your account. Be polite to follow Do not forget to follow your followers on Instagram. It’s a good idea to follow other brands that relate to your specific brand so as to create strategic relationships on the platform. Give your followers a sneak peek into an upcoming event or a news feature often can help keep them hooked to your page. Not only this, make your loyal followers feel special by sending them updates about an upcoming product, the latest launch, or new releases. This is one of the easiest tips for using Instagram for business – helping build anticipation in prospects and keeping them coming back for more. Don’t be content with static As a multimedia platform, Instagram now allows you to upload 15 second video clips. So why remain static when you can use the visual feature to upload behind-the-scenes peeks at different business activities. A few businesses even use this video feature for customer testimonials and product demos, helping prospects see your human side. Further, you may wish to embed Instagram video in your website or blog to reach a larger community and boost your business exposure. Share positive emotion more often When using Instagram for business, carefully curate your photos considering the likes and dislikes of your target audience. Figure out what kind of photos they would be more interested in. It is human nature to like smiling faces more than sad ones. You may use a serious post occasionally to make an impact, but prefer to share positive emotion more often. Let the powerful imagery in the images evoke emotions that words often fail to express. Encourage followers to share their story with you to build a relationship and show them that you care, unlike most other businesses that merely focus on self promotion. What is Relationship Marketing and Why Care?October 18th, 2013Hi All! In this “age of the consumer”, smart marketers understand the true value of customers to their business and are increasingly focusing on becoming a Youtility for them; marketing what is wanted by them, instead of marketing what you THINK they want or need. Relationship marketing is the key to competing for attention today by appealing to the senses of the people you are trying to attract. Here are five tips to succeed at relationship marketing: 1. Changing from “What We Do” to “What You Need” While you compete for attention in the marketplace, the key to marketing and sales success lies in discovering precisely what your customer’s need, rather than wasting their time telling what you have to offer. The idea is to understand your customer’s basic needs and coming up with a solution they are looking for. If you can hold their hand at this time, it will be the beginning of a long-term relationship. 2. Communication is Key Constant and frequent communication with clients is the key to enjoying a successful relationship. If you’re not communicating with existing and potential customers, you are missing out on big business opportunities! Establishing a constant communication connection with your prospects and customers will boost your relationship marketing efforts. Lack of constant contact will give your competitors a chance to step in between the two of you, making you vulnerable to losing business. 3. Retain Existing Customers It is even more cost-effective to focus more on selling your services to present customers rather than splurging dollars on marketing to your target audience, as existing clients can help promote your business through word of mouth endorsement, build referrals, and reduce marketing expenses. Your success at retaining existing customers will pay off in the long run, and save you time and money. 4. Position Yourself as an Expert It is important that your audience sees you as an expert in the field, who has answers to their problems. The more knowledgeable you appear to prospects, the more attractive you become to them and the greater the chances of further engagement. Focus on building a Personal or Company Brand, that can be trusted on all levels! 5. Grow to Meet Client Needs One of the keys to improving business-customer relationships is by being flexible and scalable to cater to the ever-changing needs of them. It is crucial that you take time to ensure you grow to meet those requirements. Conduct regular surveys and polls to be aware of the changing client needs and market demands. Valuing your customer’s changing needs and offering solutions accordingly will help expand your relationship marketing campaign and boost your business and branding. Pay close attention to client feedback and use it to improve your offerings. The key to a long-term business-customer relationship lies in presenting yourself as a resource center and positioning you and your business as the obvious choice for consumers…but that won’t happen if you don’t focus on THEM first! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Customer Service Lesson from Carnival Cruise Ship DisasterFebruary 20th, 2013Hi All! By now I’m sure most of you have heard about the recent Carnival Cruise debacle that occurred on their Triumph Ship in the Gulf of Mexico on February 10, 2013 due to a fuel line leak, and that left 4,200 passengers stranded on board without power or working toilets for five days. Not a fun way to spend a vacation! And also certainly not a “fun” time for Carnival either. However, now that everyone is safely off the ship, this unfortunate situation made me think about what I could learn from Carnival’s recent public relations, business, legal, and Customer Service nightmare. I don’t plan to dissect “how” they handled everything on board during the fiasco, but rather wanted to focus on what they did during and after it from a Customer Service standpoint “off the ship”. According to news reports, Carnival is not only refunding all passengers 100% BUT they are also providing travel vouchers for future cruises. And, according to cruise experts, this type of compensation is not “normal” in the cruise world; normally passengers are only given a partial refund when things go bad (or even really bad) on a cruise. That said, all small business owners should adhere to the following: When you have a client or customer who is unhappy, go above and beyond what is expected of you to repair the situation! I know many business owners who look at customer complaints as an “annoyance” and complain the person(s) is simply whining…but that’s not always true and that’s NOT the right perspective. Here’s a personal example: Recently someone purchased my e-book, Promote U Thru PR: How to Get Mass Media Coverage to Build Your Brand and Income, and for whatever reason there was a technical glitch in my shopping cart for THAT one order, that one day, that caused his credit card payment to process but it did NOT deliver the buyer a link to download the e-book. I received a scathing email from the person saying they were ripped off. But, rather than just email them the e-book directly with an apology (for the sake of keeping the $17 bucks), I refunded their credit card, AND sent them the e-book, AND offered them a FREE 30-minute consultation. That was WAY more than I needed to offer for a $17 product ordering mishap, but the effort to maintain my brand integrity was worth it. Why? Because the person ended up hiring me for on-going Marketing, Branding, PR, Publicity and Social Media consultation…which yielded way more revenue for me than losing a measly $17 bucks on the e-book sale. However, even if he hadn’t hired me, I could walk away from that situation knowing I did everything possible to make him happy. My prediction is that MANY of the passengers who went on that awful Carnival Cruise WILL use their vouchers in the future with Carnival and have a great time…like a majority of people who cruise every year yet never experience any mishaps, large or small. So learn from this recent news story, and learn from the personal example I provided, and when things (possibly) go awry with a client you may have, go above and beyond to fix the situation…it’s YOUR brand and it’s YOUR job to protect it! How A Boomer Executive Got Fired and Launched a New LifeMarch 17th, 2012Hi All! I have 2 rituals that I perform prior to boarding a plane if it’s a morning flight: Buy a Vitamin Water and a USA Today newspaper. No matter what city I’m flying out of, if my flight is before noon local time, you can find me doing this in an airport store close to my departing gate. There is absolutely no point in my telling you that, other than recently I was on a flight, reading my USA Today, and came across an interesting article about a new book that I thought was very interesting and inspiring. But, before I jump into telling you about it, let me take a minute to explain why the article about the author’s journey and his new book grabbed my interest: Back in October of 2011, I published my third book, “Boomers into Business: How Anyone Over 50 Can Turn What They Know into Dough Before and After Retirement”. Basically, there are startling stats about how ill-prepared more than 47% of Boomers are to have enough money to retire (or to even cover their basic bills later in life!). So I wrote my latest book to provide career options that Boomers can consider to make more money now, on-the-side of their current job, if they’re employed, as well as what they can do after they “retire” from their current job or career to generate income past 65 years old. Again, almost 50% of Boomers are at risk of outliving their retirement savings so this is a serious issue…and will cause many Boomers to have to generate income, somehow, well into their later years. Okay, now back to the book I read about on the plane. It’s called, “Diary of a Company Man: Losing a Job, FInding a Life”, written by James. S. Kunen (Lyons Press). In a nutshell, at 59 years old Kunen was fired from a corporate job at Time Warner, and found himself in what he, along with many other Boomers, describe as a place of: Too young to retire and too old to hire. According to the article about his journey, 100 employees out of 500 were let go, and of those 100, 4-out-of-the-5 people let go in corporate communications were over 40 years old. He being one of the “oldest” at 59. So, there Kunen was, caught in that weird vortex many Boomers find themselves in where they find it hard to find a job, yet they’re too young to “stop” working because they don’t have enough retirement savings. Now, I don’t want to give away the ending and how he survived this, so you’ll either have to read his book or read the article I read online in USA Today back on February 27, 2012 to get more details. But I will offer you this brief book description to wet your appetite: The funny, insightful, and inspiring story of a 1960s campus radical turned corporate PR man who finds himself, along with his fellow baby boomers, in a place called “Too Young to Retire and Too Old to Hire”. James S. Kunen—author of “The Strawberry Statement“, an account of the 1968 student uprising at Columbia University—chronicles his adventures on the road to finding meaning in work and life. He traces his evolution from a rebellious youth who sees working as a kind of death, to a laid-off corporate executive who experiences not working as a kind of death, to a reinvented and reinvigorated individual who discovers something important and meaningful to do. The experience of falling victim to America’s recession-ravaged economy (and the people who run it) leads him along a career path far different from anything he had planned. After years of making a living, Kunen finally learns how to make a life. “Diary of a Company Man” will be a revelation not only to baby boomers but to young people trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Aside from publishing a book, what did he do to make a living? How did he reinvent himself? Did he become self-employed? Did he find another corporate job? If you’re a Boomer and find yourself in a similar situation as Kunen, let-go from a job close to 60, what can you do? Or if you still have a job but need to make more money for your retirement account, what can you do? Or if you’re looking for something you can do to generate income past 65 years old, what can you do? For starters, on Amazon you can pick up a copy of Kunen’s book, or my new book (mine is available in both Print and Kindle versions), for some ideas! Sadly, all of this is a reality for over 35 million Baby Boomers, and the time to start thinking about financial security in your golden years is now! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Why Not Understanding Social Media Etiquette is Impacting Your EffortsJanuary 11th, 2012Hi All! Back in 2012 I wrote a blog post entitled “Do You Suffer from Social ‘Me’dia Syndrome?”. It was picked up by tons of other blogs and also led to my being asked to write variations of it for several online business communities and magazines. I bring this up because yesterday I spoke to a good friend of mine who was asking me about Social Media tips. After my chat with her I realized that it was a good time to revisit this topic in 2012. Why? Because MANY people are still clueless about proper Social Media etiquette! Here’s the deal…you have to participate to make it work for you. If you make it all “about you”, you’ve lost the entire essence of what Social Media is about! I find that many new clients who come to me are not getting much out of their Social Media and online marketing efforts because they’ve forgotten ONE little detail…they forgot about the word “social” in their Social Media strategy. Here are a few tips that will quickly illustrate my point: 1. Comment on other peoples’ blog posts. If you have a blog and want people to comment on your posts, you have to comment on OTHER peoples’ blog posts to start generating traffic to yours. It’s simple: If you read a blog post you like or have an opinion on, don’t just “keep it to yourself”. POST A COMMENT! 2. Retweet other peoples’ tweets: If you like a tweet from someone else, take a split second to click on the retweet button to share it with your followers. That’s why the retweet icon exists! To SHARE info with everyone and help cross-promote each other to help increase awareness for other people. It’s amazing how much more tweet-love and traffic you’ll get if you retweet, reply and comment on other peoples’ tweets. AGAIN…it’s part of being “social” in tweet-ville…and it’s part of Social Media etiquette! 3. Comment or Like other peoples’ posts on Facebook or in LinkedIn Groups: If you want more people to comment and/or click on the “like” button on your Fan Page or Profile posts, then do it more for other people! It takes less than one second to click “like” under someone’s post and sometimes just a couple of seconds to write a comment. Again, if you see a post that you like or find interesting, rather than just THINK to yourself, “That’s funny!” or “That’s cool!” or “That’s interesting!” or “That’s really helpful info!”, move your cursor up to the word “like” under it and simply click. Or type a short comment to acknowledge what that person posted! This may all sounds like common sense BUT it’s NOT common practice…which is why millions of social media hobbyists and small business owners are involved in Social Media but frustrated with it. They constantly just focus on posting stuff about THEM, their businesses, their products or events, their books, their families, their vacations, their kids, the songs they like, food they like to eat, etc., but they rarely take the time to acknowledge what other people post and share online. So…here’s my challenge to YOU: If any of this describes how YOU participate in the world of Social Media, make “improve my Social Media etiquette in 2012” one of YOUR resolutions in the new year! You’ll be pleased with the results and will truly be participating the way the world of Social Media was intended! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Reverse the Risk and Explode Your ProfitsOctober 23rd, 2011 Jim Palmer: The Newsletter Guru Hi All! The following guest blog post is courtesy of Jim Palmer who is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru. Jim is the premier go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. So without further delay, let’s jump into his informative article, “Reverse the Risk and Explode Profits”: I have a question for you. Why don’t more of your customers or prospects buy from you? If your answer is “because of price,” you’re probably wrong. I coach a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and when our discussion turns to reasons for not buying, invariably the excuse is price. “My customers don’t say ‘yes’ more often because of price.” In reality, customers don’t say “yes” more often because of skepticism, or lack of trust or perceived value. It’s what Zig Ziglar emphasizes as one of the five obstacles to a sale: no trust. Lack of trust is probably the biggest obstacle between your company and a sale. It’s rarely price. The reason more of your customers or prospects don’t buy from you is that you haven’t done enough to build your customers’ trust in your products or services. Why the 30- or 60- or 90-Day Warranty Is Not Enough! You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, usually at the worst possible moment. Well, there’s another variation of that, and it goes like this: The product will cease working exactly one day after the warranty expires. Enough of us have had that exact experience that it lends credence to the veracity of the law. We all take those 30- or 60- or 90-day warranties with a grain of salt. It makes us skeptical consumers. Your customers are no different. They’re wondering, “What if it doesn’t work? What happens when it fails? What if I don’t get the result I was expecting?” They may be on the fence about buying from you. You’ve done a lot to move them to consider buying from you, but they’re thinking, “Yeah, I kind of like it. It sounds like it will solve my problem. I think the price is fair, but what if . . . ?” Get rid of the “what if,” and you can close the deal. It’s easy to do. Easy? Yup. All you have to do is reverse the risk. Risk reversal means that you, the business owner, assume all the risks associated with purchasing the product (or service), so it’s going to work to your customers’ satisfaction. If they’re on the decision fence and have nothing to lose, they’re going to buy. Let’s be clear—square one is that you must offer a high-quality product or service. That’s a given. It’s a no-brainer. Some of my coaching clients assure me that they do (and I believe them), and then they go on to tell me about their 30- or 60- or 90-day guarantee. That sort of offer simply makes people skeptical because we’ve all been burned by that warranty version of Murphy’s Law. What happens after 30 days? What happens after 60 or 90 days? When prospects wonder about that, they’re going to be hesitant to buy. You haven’t gotten them over the trust hurdle. The L.L. Bean Approach: “Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.” As the story goes, a woman returned a pair of boots after fifteen years because the sole had worn out. She thought they should have lasted longer. They were replaced, no questions asked. That’s a rocksolid, stand-behind-your-product guarantee. A super strong guarantee shows that you are supremely confident in your belief that your products and services do what you say they are going to do. It should be paramount in whatever you sell in the first place. So if that’s true, and if you are supremely confident, then give an ironclad guarantee. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain—sales and higher profits. Your ironclad guarantee is just what your customers need to increase their trust and lose their fear of risk. When they have nothing to fear and nothing to lose, they have no reason not to buy. Your super strong guarantee needs a few things to really make it work. First, it has to have a specific name, and when possible, the name of your guarantee should be associated with the benefit of your product and the degree to which you back it up. Second, it needs a specific logo. A lot of entrepreneurs use a seal in conjunction with their guarantees, and that image resonates with customers. It’s like the Good Housekeeping “Seal of Approval.” That seal, and the guarantee behind it, have been around for more than one hundred years. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests products and only offers the seal on those that pass its strict standards. It’s an ironclad, rock-solid guarantee. Consumers know they can rely on the product if it has the seal. They can trust it! Jim Palmer is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru, the go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. Jim is also the acclaimed author of The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits and Customers for Life and also Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond with Your Customers So They Stay Longer, Spend More, and Refer More, and The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-Enhancing Strategies You Can Use Today. Learn more about Jim and all his programs at: www.NewsletterGuru.TV.
Startling Stats About Boomers Facing Retirement ChallengesOctober 13th, 2011Hi All! Read these statistics carrefully. They are fightening: According to this 2010 report, The EBRI Retirement Readiness RatingTM: Retirement Income Preparation and Future Prospects, by Jack VanDerhei and Craig Copeland of EBRI.org: 47.2% of older Boomers (56-62) are at risk of outliving their retirement savings. And 43.7% of younger Boomers (46-55) are at risk of not having enough money for basic monthly expenses when they retire. These sobering statistics have millions of Boomers currently wondering, “What can I do to generate income, full-time or part-time, that is flexible, interesting, fun, possible to start on a tight budget, and do way into my golden years?” I wrote my newest book, “Boomers into Business: How Anyone Over 50 Can Turn What They Know into Dough Before and After Retirement”, to answer those questions. I explain how to take what you know, from your career experience or hobbies, to develop a “topic expert” platform that can lead to consulting others, conducting training seminars online and offline, developing many strategies for on-going passive income, and much more. And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been an employee your whole career or whether you are currently self-employed. Nor do a person’s education level, career background, or business experience matter. The book was written to take a lot of guesswork out of the process. Basically, most everyone knows something, from their career background, life experiences or from a hobby that other people will pay to learn about. Whether you’ve been an HR professional your whole career, or a construction worker, homemaker, lawyer, Life Coach, housepainter, or a lover of growing roses, my book teaches Boomers how to monetize what they know to create a good income, in a wide variety of ways, as a topic expert. And the book not only teaches how to determine a topic focus and how to create a unique brand platform, but it also outlines the tools needed to launch. Plus, I asked 15 other business experts to provide chapters on PR, marketing, and social media strategies, plus many more business-building and revenue generating ideas. The reviews on Amazon have been great so far, and here are 2 examples of how my new book is helping those who read it: “I’m now 50, a single mom with a teenage son, and I’ve worked at Title Insurance companies for over 20 years. I currently don’t have enough money to retire comfortably in my 60’s and have been trying to figure out what I can do make money on-the-side of my day job,” says Kathy F. in San Jose, CA. “ ‘Boomers into Business’ was a godsend! It opened my mind to possibilities I had never thought of before and I’m now developing ideas for an expert platform and consulting business that will provide me with the additional income I need to be more comfortable now and later in my life.” “This book was so helpful, easy to follow and really fun to read! It’s loaded with So, if you can relate to anything you’ve read in the blog post, check out my book on Amazon. It’s available in both Print and Kindle versions, and for a small investment it could bring you a serious return that can help your retirement picture! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Why Google Places Can Help You Attract More Clients: Online or OfflineSeptember 27th, 2011Hi All! The following article is a Guest Blog from Cindy Morus and Christine Wood, Co-founders of BizFinder Local (.com). They help businesses, offline and online, get more customers with the latest technology and online marketing tools, including Google Places. And in this easy-to-follow article they are going to explain what Google Places is and why you need to take it seriously! Why Google Places Can Help You Attract More Clients: Online or Offline: Search for your business on a mobile device and click on everthing that comes up (if nothing shows up, you’ve identified your first problem). Does it look like you’re active and “open for business?” One of the first things you should see is a listing of 7 Google Places entries. Are you there? What is Google Places? It’s a huge directory of businesses created by Google. These free place pages are available for both online and offline businesses, and show up when you search for a business. Even though you mostly serve clients outside your geographic area, are you willing to work with local customers? Then you need a Google Places page! Virtual Businesses and solo entrepreneurs qualify for a Google Places listing and “puts you on the (Google) map!” If your business doesn’t have a place page your are missing out on a huge opportunity and it’s easy to get one for your business! Imagine having Google promoting your services to everyone who lives in your area (even if you don’t have any articles and blog posts out there)! Local and Mobile searches are at the top of Google’s priority list. Did you know that 82% of local searches result in offline action (a visit, a phone call, a More people search for businesses online than anywhere else, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to be credible to local customers! And if you’d like us to do a FREE Google Places evaluation for your business to see how you show up in the search results, contact us today! Many clients who come to us do NOT show up in a Google Places search and that means they are missing out on attracting new business. Thanks, Cindy & Christine! Great info and great offer! Lisa Ten Common Mistakes Writing a Business PlanJune 28th, 2011Hi All! Inc. Magazine (online version) published a great article entitled: Top 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Writing A Business Plan. I’m going to keep this post short because you can click on the article link to read the details. But I will say that I am amazed at how many new clients come to me (small business owners, coaches, consultants, etc.) who are launching a new business, or currently have one, but never drafted even a basic Business Plan. It’s a step many people want to skip but it’s critical to the success of their company! You wouldn’t sail around the world without a map as your guide…why would you invest your money, time and energy into starting or running a business without a road map to guide you? That said, here’s the short overview that sets-up the article: Writing a business plan is often a crucial first step to getting your start-up off the ground. A good plan can help you raise money, recruit members of your management team, set your marketing strategy and, perhaps best of all, refine your thinking. A plan riddled with errors? That can sink you. Here are 10 mistakes that entrepreneurs frequently make when crafting their business plans, according to Akira Hirai, a consultant in California who advises start-up companies on elements of business-plan writing, including competitive analysis and financial forecasting. Click here to read the Top 10 Mistakes now! Cheers! Lisa P.S. Visit my Fan Page for more marketing, branding, PR, sales, social media and business building tips and resources!
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