Ever wonder why some people seem to get ahead in business while you struggle? It could be a result of their after-hours activities. Seriously! What you do after work could be as important as what you do doing your work day.
Many of you know me as an entrepreneur — others as a journalist. In reality, I’m a hybrid. My company, SBTV.com, is an online media outlet for small business news and information. Additionally, I write for several national media outlets and I’m a small business contributor for ABC News. Therefore, I get hundreds of pitches every week. But I also pitch to the media to help build by business and personal brand. I see the process from a unique vantage point. I know what works and what doesn’t. So I decided to share a few insider tips to help you capture the media you desire.
Thanks to the Internet, we can find out with a click of a button if anyone has had a bad experience with a product, a service, a small business or a local professional. A number of websites have sprouted up to provide a forum for online reviews. Some, like Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com), charge users a small fee in order to weed out bogus reviews. Most of these sites, however, including Amazon.com and Yelp.com (www.yelp.com) are free, which encourages anonymous postings. While most of these postings are valid and genuine, there’s a temptation for people with an “axe to grind” to post false reviews knowing they cannot be tracked down.
This week we celebrate America’s independence. On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed declaring our country’s independence from Great Britain. This national holiday, commonly referred to as the 4th of July, is typically associated with fireworks, parades and summer parties. But independence has a broader meaning for small business owners. The spirit of independence is what motivates many entrepreneurs — the opportunity to become your own boss and create your own destiny.
Every year during Women’s History Month, my thoughts turn to my mother. Why? Because my mom was a pioneer in the field of women business ownership.
Mom became an entrepreneur at the end of World War II which was unheard of in those days. The war left her a young widow, and she was determined to provide for herself. Partnering with her brother who was just returning from the war, they pooled their resources and opened a furniture store in a rural Missouri town. I’ve heard many great stories about my mother’s ability to sell! She was a dynamo, and the business thrived as a result.