Meet Liz Saunders-McManus. She’s A Virtual Assistant

May 142012
 

Liz Saunders-McManusLiz and I first met at the Toronto Business Development Centre in 2003 when I was her business advisor. We got together monthly for a year to see how her business was progressing. She reported on what she’d done and the results she got and I gave her support and business suggestions to help her move her business forward.

At the time I remember thinking that she would succeed. She was and still is passionate, knowledgeable, outgoing and above all willing to listen to and help her clients – all qualities of a successful woman business owner.

We met again when she did the registration (and remembered everyone!) for Louisa Nedkov’s monthly networking event that I attended.

Over the years I’ve known her, kept in touch and used her services and when I called and asked if I could meet her for coffee and interview her she agreed wholeheartedly. (To show you how good she is, when we met I had a tape recorder and so did she AND we both recorded the interview!)

Click below to hear our interview. If you want to save a version to listen to at a later time, click where you see “Download MP3″.



MP3 File

 

Liz can (and should) be reached via phone at (416) 425-3419 or 1-888-425-3419 after all, she IS virtual :-)   or via her email at liz@thevirtualalternative.com . Her website is thevirtualalternative.com  should you want to ask her any questions or use her services and ALL businesses should have a virtual assistant.

I interview these women business owners to demonstrate to you that  YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

Baby Boomers: “Recycle” Your Knowledge and Experience

May 072012
 

As a baby boomer you have a lifetime of knowledge and experiences. Each time I interview a woman business owner for this blog (see the Category on the right side?) I always ask about their background and whether it led to their current business. About one-third of them say they have their own business in the field they chose years ago.

recycleAll say though that they’ve used their past experiences in their present business. They were able to “recycle” their knowledge. (Photo by Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net )

It’s never too late to start a business. You may know little or nothing about running a business but you have gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in your job/ life.

Reusing your knowledge in many formats is not only done every day but it’s smart business. You DON’T have to “start from scratch”. You have a goldmine of knowledge already.

Here are 6 places you can take from:

  1. articles
  2. case studies
  3. live events
  4. print magazines or newspapers
  5. research reports
  6. print newsletters

Remember that the experience and generic knowledge belongs to you. If you use anything “as is” just be sure to ask permission and give credit to the company where you were at the time.

You can reuse this knowledge not only in your practice but also in many of your marketing activities.

I wrote a blog post about where to use the email replies you send to clients. Utilize the same places here:

  1. Write a tip.
  2. Put it in your blog (that’s another way to always have ideas for content).
  3. Make it into an article for your newsletter by rewriting it to be 500 to 800 words long.
  4. Submit it to online article sites like ezinearticles.com
  5. Put it on your website.
  6. Send the longer form of it to “physical” newspapers.
  7. Send the longer form of it to “physical” magazines.
  8. Have it be one of many tips in an ebook or physical book you put together.

 

That should get you started. Tell me in the Comments section any other places you reused your knowledge from.

Meet Eunice Robichaud. She Owns A Hairdressing Salon

Apr 302012
 

In 2002 when I was looking for a new hairdresser closer to my home in the Beaches area of Toronto, I found and went to Eunice and have been going ever since. Back then her shop Beachcomber was on Queen Street but she’s since moved to Main Street and I’m one of the clients who followed her there.

As one of many women business owners, Eunice believes that her development of relationships with clients (most of whom have become friends) has been the most important part of her business. She’s a natural at it. She had very few jobs before this (she’s had the salon for over 30 years) but has learned something from each client every time they sit down at her chair.

Owning her own business has allowed her flexibility and therefore freedom.

She’s a mom so flexible hours were important to her and now her kids are over 20 :-)

As a local business she needs local clients so she has done some local advertising as you’ll hear in the recording. She also supports local charities, causes, nursing homes and schools. That really helps her to help others and gain visibility for her business.

Click below to hear our interview. If you want to save a version to listen to at a later time, click where you see “Download MP3″



MP3 File

 

Eunice and her salon Beachcombers can be reached via phone at 416-691-7086 . She has no website since her clients all find her by word of mouth or referral.

I interview these women business owners to demonstrate to you that  YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

8 Ways To Use Emails To Clients or Prospects

Apr 272012
 

emailYou’re starting a business or growing one. Lots of people will tell you to reuse emails to clients or prospects but that’s why it bears repeating. (Image from: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Here are eight ways you can use an email to a client in which you help them and answer his/her questions.

What You Can Do With Emails To Clients

This can be the foundation for a lot of your writing.

  1. Write a tip.
  2. Put it in your blog (that’s another way to always have ideas for content).
  3. Make it into an article for your newsletter by rewriting it to be 500 to 800 words long.
  4. Submit it to online article sites like ezinearticles.com
  5. Put it on your website.
  6. Send the longer form of it to “physical” newspapers.
  7. Send the longer form of it to “physical” magazines.
  8. Have it be one of many tips in an ebook or physical book you put together.

It’s not just a simple conversation by email. It can become much more!

What are you telling your clients and how are using this information? Share it with everyone – not just your client!

Boomers: Do You Only Have A Headshot For Your Business?

Apr 232012
 

Digital CameraWe baby boomers didn’t grow up with the technology of today. I’m in my early 60s and had a very early microcomputer in 1978 (even before they were called personal computers), one of the first fax machines in 1982, one of the first Macs in 1984, a very early cell phone in 1985 (when you “lugged” it and the battery was the size and weight of a car battery) – I could go on but you get the picture. We boomers didn’t grow up with technology. (Picture from  happykanppy / FreeDigitalPhotos.net )

Did you know that today there are three types of pictures? Do you know what they are and how to use them?

What The Three Types of Pictures Are and Where To Use Them

1. A Professional Photo

We should have a “headshot” for our business  which we get done by a professional photographer. Nowadays it’s what we “should” put on our website. But when someone looks at your website or facebook  and then meets you in person does it look like you? Make sure it’s up-to-date.

Where Can You Use it? You can use it in many other places both electronically and in print. Just be sure that when you get it done the photographer sends you the jpeg file of it in several sizes AND files for use on print materials and differnt ones for electronic materials like your twitter, facebook or linkedin profile as well as your website.

2. Royalty Free vs Stock Photos

Most people use the two terms interchangeably but they have different meanings.

Royalty Free photography allows you to pay one flat fee to use the image as much as you like. There are different costs depending on the resolution (like on a TV). A low-res file costs less than a high resolution image that can be used in both print and web. Once you’ve paid for it, you can use an image as many times as you wish.

The downside of these images is that you can see the same ones everywhere.

Where Can You Use Them? Put them on your website, your articles, your newsletter or your blog posts (remember that people learn best from pictures – use one in every blog post you write).

Stock photos cost more since they’re priced the same way a custom shoot is and a professional photographer takes them. The fee is based on where the photo will be used and for how long. Bib companies use them but if you lots of money then go for it :-)

Where Can You Use Them? If you want the exclusivity and have the funds to pay for it then you can put them on your website, your newsletter, your articles, or your blog posts.

There are many places to find them online. Just be sure they say “royalty free” if that’s what you want. Personally I use istock.com and freedigitalphotos.net

3. Your Own Digital Camera or Cellphone

Most of us have a digital camera. Even Polaroid stopped making the instant camera that we grew up with. I finally sold my 35 mm camera on ebay in 2008 and got a digital one that summer.  Why not use some of the pictures you take with it? It makes you seem friendlier and trustworthy. Or take some specifically for use in your blog? (I did – check out my Marketing Resources – Books page on my website. That’s my “pile of books”)

Some of us have cameras on our cellphones and we happily click everything around us especially our kids. Why not use some of these pictures? Remember that you make them very small for the internet so resolution doesn’t matter.

Where Can You Use Them? Place them on your website, your articles, your newsletters or your blog posts. I wouldn’t use them for printed materials though.

 

Does this help? Tell me where you used YOUR photos and how you took them.

P.S. There are lots of youtube videos on the web that will teach you how to use your cellphone to take pictures. Just search google to find them.

How SPAM is Different For Emails and Blog Comments

Apr 142012
 

spam or junkSpam is another name used for junk mail – it’s unwanted. (It’s different from a virus on your computer but that’s another blog post.) When we received junk brochures by physical mail (before computers) we threw it in the garbage. But now that we have computers and email, it has come back again. Most of us know what spam/ junk email is.

Our email provider (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, the our website hosting company, etc) has a junk mail filter (as it’s called) that they use to remove some of the spam emails before it gets to you AND many of us also have spam filters (macafee, spamassassin, symantec, etc). (Image: Patchareeya99 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net )

Why Blog Comment Spam Requires ANOTHER Spam Filter

Blog spam is done by automatically posting random comments or promoting commercial services, or other publicly accessible online discussion boards. Phrases used can be quotations, stolen comments, “nice article”, something about their imaginary friends, stolen parts from books, unfinished sentences, and nonsense words or the same comment.

I recently received “spammed comments” to my blog posts. Since these comments were positive I not only allowed them (my blog requires that I look at every comment and decide whether to allow or disallow it) BUT I even replied to a few

What a mistake – they were spam! Fortunately I realized after a couple of weeks that they were spam so I installed akismet which is a blog comment spam filter/ stopper.

 

So to summarize – you need an email spam filter and if you have a blog then you need a blog comment spam filter. Thank goodness I got one.

Do you have a blog comment spam filter? Which one do you use? Tell us so we know :-)

Can Baby Boomers Have A Stimulating Conversation With Gen-Yers?

Apr 122012
 

drinking coffeeThe answer is a resounding YES!

Let me tell you a real – life story. Picture this. Four of us had dinner recently. Three of us are baby boomers and one is a gen yer (also known as a millennial). It was just after we finished eating and we were still at the table drinking our coffee. We three baby boomers had all been elementary school teachers (me from 1972 to 1980, my friend from 1965 to 1979, her husband all his life until his retirement.) The gen yer is my friend’s son who is still at university. (Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net )

We boomers were “regaling” him with our experience and opinions about education, the school system and individualized learning. He was listening and contributing with his experiences and opinions too.

We had the most stimulating conversation each of us has experienced in years.

When I got home, I did some searching on the web and found this interesting comparison. Remember that this just the author’s opinion – Generational Differences – baby boomers, gen xers and gen yers .

Hmmm – interesting ….

What has YOUR experience been with gen yers? Have you had great conversations? I know we’re different but ….

 

Meet Barb Sawyers. She’s Always Been a Professional Writer

Apr 072012
 

Barb Sawyers of Sticky CommunicationBarb is one of many women business owners. She and I met at a networking group we both attended. When we found out that we lived close to each other I asked if I could have a ride to it. She said yes so once a month for about 2 years she would pick me up and we’d chat on the drive there and catch up on our businesses and personal lives. (relationship building!)

When the group folded we knew each other well. That was 3 years ago and the rest as they say is history !

Barb knew since she was young that she wanted to be a professional writer so she did a Masters degree in Journalism. You’ll hear in the interview that she has been a speechwriter, a journalist and is now the author of the book “Write Like You Talk – Only Better” (which can be found at her website under Book)

Just click below to hear our interview. If you want to save a version to listen to at a later time, click where you see “Download MP3″



MP3 File

 

Barb can be reached via phone at 416) 690-1473 or via her email at barb@stickycommunication.ca . Her website is Sticky Communication should you want to ask her any questions or use her to write YOUR newsletter.

I interview these women business owners to demonstrate to you that  YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

Resiliency – What Does It Mean. An Entrepreneur Has It!

Apr 042012
 

Resilient seedlingI was having coffee with a friend and the topic of resiliency came up. We talked about the fact that some people have it and some don’t. Why? We finally agreed that some people are born with this quality. (Image: kibsri / FreeDigitalPhotos.net )

Definition of resilient
Entrepreneurs (small business owners) are resilient. Merriam Webster online defines it as “… tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” I agree with them. It’s not just about being a positive thinker which is part of it. It’s more than seeing the good in something over the bad.

All entrepreneurs are resilient but not all resilient people are entrepreneurs. Hmmmm …

I speak from personal experience. In 2005 I had several strokes that left me “talking funny” and with poor balance. Not only have I recovered but I do many of the things I used to but some of them in a different way. Am I resilient? You bet!

I believe that the first thing one does is accept one’s current situation. It means you accept what IS and AT THE SAME TIME you do whatever it takes to change it.

What do YOU think?

Where Were You When You Talked About Your Business?

Mar 302012
 

Whenever you talk about business, you don’t know who is listening. You could be in line at woman listening the grocery store, at a health club, on the phone with someone trying to sell you a newspaper subscription, having a coffee or tea with a friend, picking up your dry cleaning or ordering a prescription and say something about your business. You never know not only who is listening but what they are interested in or who they know. (photo by Ambro: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Talk as if you are being heard (that doesn’t mean louder) when you’re a small business owner or be very quiet and secretive if that’s what you want or ne.

Find ideas everywhere

I subscribe to the weekly ezine from Joan Stewart , PRextraordinaire. She wrote in May 2006 that if you really listen, you will hear and thus find experiences to write or have special events about. As a writer for a paper for many years, she was always looking for new stories and for a new slant on old ones.

She’s right. I don’t get out often now and therefore get my ideas for my blog posts from “everyday” events. Yes I have a lot of past experiences and knowledge I can draw on as well but I also use things like movies I go to, buying groceries, or watching TV.

Talk about your business

I ALWAYS talk about my business no matter where I am or who I’m with. I could be in line at the bank, at a doctor’s office, in a taxi, or in a coffee shop. Always be marketing no matter wher you are or who you’re with. It’s a mindset – a way of thinking and seeing the world.

You never know who’s listening or where you’ll be when you get an idea. Tell me one of the most unusual places you were and got a prospect.

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