The Extra Ordinary Give - Maximizing a Communal Giving Day for Your Nonprofit

My nonprofit just participated in The Extra Ordinary Give - a full 24 hour giving marathon that represented 260 nonprofits, schools, and community benefit organizations in the Lancaster County. This year was a hit, raising more than $3.2 million dollars. There are many days of giving around the world and here is are 4 ideas on how to maximize them for your organization.

Lancaster County Community Foundation About Page

Craft Your Ask

Prepare a marketing piece that includes the event, all the particular, and your organizations specific link if provided. Make sure you can print it, post it, email it, and get it where it needs to go. Send it more than once. Create a reminder piece based on the first ask. People are busy and they won't remember your date no matter how much you want them to, so tell them to mark their calendars, remind them, and ask them to share it with friends.

Shout it from the Rooftops

Once you've got an email, give it to everyone you know. Send it to your mailing list of course. But never forget to get your supporters behind you. Tell your staff, board of directors, volunteers, and monthly givers to spread the word to everyone they know. Post it on your social media pages. Put it in your email signature and mention it while you're on the phone with clients and vendors.

Show and Tell

For yearly giving or annual events, it may be enough to just ask. However, days of giving sometimes have extra perks.The Extra Ordinary Give had a $25 minimum gift. That is an easy target to hit, but don't forget to show people what they get for that. Does $25 pay for meals, vaccinations, or hospital stays? Say so! Does each $1 invested in your organization leverage $5 in the community? Say so! And if there is a match being awarded as part of the giving day, you better tell them that too. Knowing that the money you donate could be matched is a great incentive to pull together communities.

Say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Lancaster County Community Foundation Thank You Page

Don't forget to follow up. This is a donation like any other and it requires letting people know that you have received the money and love them for it. It's also the time to give them receipts for their taxes and ask them to join your mailing list. Let them know if you have social media accounts to like and if you have any upcoming events you would love to tell them about.

Bonus: Live Blog The Day

Got the staff or volunteers? Get them to live blogging. Spend some time building up the day the week or two before the event and let everyone know that you will be "live" during the event. Start early and get people pumped. Let them know your progress and how many more donations you need to meet your goal. Thank people for donating and ask them to take one more step and tell a friend. Remember those show and tells you crafted before? Let them know that you've raised half the money for a children's program or you are 80% of your goal to increase safety in the neighborhood. Seeing your progress makes people feel involved and it is more likely that they will give an extra gift to get you there.

So. You Want to Start a Business? - A Book Review

If you are looking to start a business and really need something to sink your teeth into, I would definitely recommend buying So, You Want to Start a Business?: 8 Steps to Take Before Making the Leap. This is not your typical overview - this is a very in depth look at all the areas you need to think about when deciding whether to start and all the points that need to be addressed. Amazon reviews give it x stars from x people, so I'm not alone. Now let me tell you why.

It covers all the bases including your attitude

Some books focus on whether you have the salt to be an entrepreneur. Some focus on how to open a business in a specific industry or how to write a business plan. These are all great things. However, this covers all your bases, applies to any industry, and provides a lot of helpful insight into how to think about being in business. Many times, this is a mental game and you have to be prepared to think like a success. Get out of your own way, cater to the right customers, don't get blinded by your own products. These are all hit on throughout the book and shine a bright light on them.

It's easy to read and reference

This book is also laid out in a helpful and easy to read format. The chapters are broken into meaty chunks.

1. Can you be a successful entrepreneur?
2. Basic rules of business success
3. What is a good business opportunity
4. How do you choose the right customers?
5. How do you design your product?
6. What is the right price for your product?
7. How can you overcome customer inertia?
8. How to manage your business
9. How do you find and keep good employees?
10. How do you manage growth?

I think you can immediately see that they have included that some other books miss. These are complemented by helpful Business Rules that pop up throughout the book and all 55 of them are compiled at the end for easy reading. There is also a conclusion section that lists all the lessons learned by chapter. They are serious about you being able to find what you need quickly. 

Top 10 Business Rules

If you are serious about exploring a business, then run to buy this book. It provides timeless advice that you can rely on to help you grow. 

Branding Vs Sales: Online Marketplace Issues

Okay, long story short, I'm helping to build out an online marketplace. I've been reading the reviews of online sellers when they compare online platforms and one of the big issues that comes up is the lack of branding opportunities offered by the larger sites. Now, I think this is a very valid complaint, however I also believe that a business will probably miss out on a lot of sales through going it alone. Small businesses, for example, generally don't have the time, money, or know-how to brand effectively and this pulls those resources away from actually making money using the draw of a larger host site. So let's present the argument, shall we?

The ultimate showdown. Seriously, don't question my themes
too much here. Click picture for source.

Branding or Sales? 

For any small business owner or marketing guru, you will know the power of branding. Getting your name out there and connecting your message to your name in people's mind is money in the bank. Managing that brand can also be a beast. Since your brand is your image, anyone posting inappropriate messages on social media, using the wrong logo, or using your name can be detrimental to your reputation. But what is the priority of branding compared to your sales? That will depend on your focus and what you hope to accomplish. In the world of online marketplaces, which you choose will depend largely on what your product is. Especially for small businesses this can be a fine line to walk.

On one hand, cash is king and driving those sales in a marketplace geared towards sales using the power of the host site can help do that. However, once you get that sale you're next goal is getting a second sale, then a third from the same dedicated client. Chances are you were found randomly out of the sea of competitors. This is both good and bad for you. You were the best of the best for that purchase. Problem is unless you really drive home not only the value of your product but the value of your company, you may not be the best for their next purchase.

Now on the other hand, having the control to shape the user experience can be powerful. If you attract them to a handsome shop that is easy to navigate and allow them the opportunity to view the value of your brand everywhere then you might not only get them hooked but start to build the seed of brand recognition in their minds. The problem is getting them there in the first place. The marketplace - online and in person - is awash with a sea of similar companies all vying for their attention. So you may create a repeat customer but that's assuming you can snatch them in the first place.

This doesn't have to be an either/or scenario. You can quite easily take advantage of both approaches to take advantage of the benefits. But you're a small business right? Do you have the time? Especially if this is your side gig, you might want to seriously think about which approach might get you the best bang for your time and money so you can focus more.

Build Your Brand

If your product is something that is highly unique to you or your process, then going it alone might be a viable option. If what you do is truly irreplaceable or there are few competitors - think high end art, jewelry, fashion... yachts - then you can focus on drawing attention from marketing efforts in ads and publicity. It is much easier to build a fanbase for a highly sought after product or something that is not as easily found. Then you can vogue for all your worth and build a customer experience that's valuable or just build up your own name. It's easier to point people towards your own art showing than your storefront banner in the middle of the gigantic interwebs free-for-all.

Focus on Sales

Now if you're in retail, let's be real here: you are probably not unique. Not really. Yours might be the only product of its exact kind, but there are lots of nearly similar items that can be substituted. Some people don't like to hear this, but recognizing this fact will get you a lot farther a lot faster. I say throw yourself in the mix right away. Are there replacements? Yes, but find your advantage and work the shit out of it. If you make a mean Christmas stocking, then that free gift wrapping and holiday delivery option is going to hook someone. Once you get them, stand out by doing what you do well and asking them to come again.

The other consideration is capacity. Marketing is key for driving sales in the first place, but the size of your operation will dictate how much time you can spend on that. Be realistic about this guys; it takes more time than you think. Letting someone else draw people in for you saves yourself a lot of work, not to mention the money you might throw into other advertising efforts.

Tips for Working a Hybrid

Okay, yeah it's a liger. What hybrid were
you thinking? Click picture for source.

Offer them something they can't find by staying on the host site. More than likely, that's where they will find you and make their first few purchases. However, you can control your brand and make a higher margin selling on your own without the fees associated with most sites. The bottom line is that they won't see value in your own site if it's the same thing. So offer your most special pieces on your own. Make it easier for them to place custom orders or buy in bulk. Offer gift-wrapping options or the ability to create baskets of related items as presents. Offer free gifts, discounts, or frequent buyer programs. If you make it a special experience with value that speaks to them, then you can draw them in and still make sales from everyone else that you can't make a repeat customer. Just make sure you have the time to spare to do it right that won't detract from your quality of product or customer service.

Wednesday Links 8-14-2013

Since I'm still wading into the deep end of foreign exchange markets and international trade, I decided to round-up another best of for small businesses looking to go international. Did I miss anything? Tell me in the comments!

• Interested in working abroad or finding groups to help connect with once you're overseas? The U.S. Department of State has a huge list. 

• According to the SBA (Small Business Administration), 97% of the United States' exporters are small businesses and 96% of the world's market reside outside of the U.S. They provide tips and a brochure to help you take your business international.

• Here, the Washington Post gives you a brief 5 step guide to expanding into international market. According to them (as of 2012), small and medium-sized businesses only account for 70% of those exporting which is still a huge number. Go get your share.

• And in case you missed it, get a crash course in the history between Japan and China in case you were looking to invest, and another one in the history of exchange rate schemes. Great for looking like you were aware during class or actually watch the news. 

Wednesday Links 7-24-13

It's been a while, huh? I have been doing quite a bit of good reading here lately, but much of it is textbook-related which is a little harder to share. However, I'm ready to come back to Wednesday Links! This week is all about tips for getting your business up and running on the net and how to take it global!

Actually, I had to watch this video below for a class. Granted, it's a bit dry, but I didn't know the U.S. Commercial Service even existed, let alone what they did. I thought this was some great information to pass on if you are thinking of going global because this is a great resource. Make sure to check it out and let me know what you thought!

• What is the U.S. Commercial Service and how can they help you go international? (video above)
• Dropshipping: The Easiest Way to Sell Online and some tips to get you started
• 42 Timeless Ideas for Attracting More Visitors to Your Website - Think Traffic consistently gives great advice that you can act on today
• 3 Steps to Getting Started With Social Media - The Social Media Examiner is a go to blog for marketing professionals and you can learn a lot just by surfing around for a few minutes, so here's something to get you started. 

No one likes a bullshit artists. Now, a healthy amount of self-confidence is a good thing. It's something we all strive for and encourage in others. However, we all know that one guy, or that one business, that just takes it to a whole new level. If you talk the talk, then you've got to walk the walk. Here's the top three things than can happen if you turn into that guy.

3 Reasons Why Talking a Good Game is Hurting Your Business

Source

Customer's Tune You Out, or Worse, Call You Out

"We pride ourselves on customer service..." Oh yeah? How about the fact that it takes me 15 minutes every phone call to get to a real person and they still can't answer my questions? Been there? I bet a lot of us have. So when I see that same company tout their fantastic customer experience, I get mad. Red hot, tell all my friends mad. And so do other people. When you are already sub-par at something and your customers know it, you don't throw gas on that fire. Put up or shut up.

You Offend Your Employees

You can't kid a kidder, son. So preaching to the choir is a move that makes us scratch our heads. In good companies, perfection is a goal that we're all working toward. In bad companies, having the top dogs praise themselves to the skies is infuriating. We talk to other people in our industry and we see all the chinks in your armor. Don't tell us how great we are as a company when we're taking yet another pay freeze or fluffing our stats again, thanks.

You Become An Easy Target for Skeptics

If your employees don't call your shit, your skeptics will - especially if they're your competition. Remember all those customers and employees who talk about you behind your back or in the forums, yep. So does your competition. You just served yourself up on a plate and now all they have to do is prove it to everyone else. This puts you on the defensive, which is never a good place to be when you've only got one leg to stand on. Remember the difference between confidence and overconfidence? Yeah, we bet you don't have the numbers to actually back up all those claims you made. And now is the time you actually need them.

Source

Friends don't let friends become the butt of jokes (if they can't get an endorsement deal from it). If you recognize any of the above signs in a company that you love or coworker you don't want fired, find a hotline to call. Has anyone else had to deal with this, because I know if can't just be me! Tell me below in the comments. 

Data Tracking Programs: A Comparative View

I've recently started an internship for an online company interested in launching an ecommerce section to their site. I love getting a chance to geek out over their ideas and delve into areas that I find so interesting. For as long as I've been blogging, there are gaps in my knowledge of programs that I'm starting to fill in. Data mining programs is one of them. 

Google Analytics has been my go-to, but there are large areas of data that I feel it cannot adequately flesh out. As I was searching for other useful tools, I took the chance to review several of the programs suggested and felt that other people might benefit from the review. If you have any experience with these programs or know of others, please comment below to let me know! Or if you know other tech-savvy people, please share this post with them and see what they have to say.

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Terms and Ideas

One of the new terms I learned is "K-factor". I had no idea what this meant and had to look it up. Generally speaking, it's the measurement of how your ideas go viral with social media, tracking how far and fast it spreads. It's a very useful measurement to keep in mind. I would posit though that you may not need to rely on one of the above programs to track your k-factor. A combination of programs might do the trick. Conversely, if you do not have a presence on social media than it may not be a factor at all.

The idea of data mining is something I think has not gotten quite as much attention as it should. I previously worked with a company that was obsessed with updating their website regardless of the fact that it was unattractive, hard to navigate, and no one knew where there traffic came from, how they used the site, or how to get them more engaged. Their social media followed the same path of logic. It's hard to answer questions about who your audience actually is and make plans to further engage them when you're not mining your own data. You can do this many ways including tracking how they use your site (events, triggers, funnels), studying the demographics, and finding your referral and action correlations.

There are plenty of tools out there, both free and paid, that will get you where you need to go. You can start slow and go as deep or as shallow as you like. Just start somewhere. However, this is one area where if you want the full impact of opportunity you have to dig in. It is not enough to know; you must understand. That is the true core of this "big data" craze.

Programs

Below is a quick review of some of the larger available programs for data mining and analytics. Granted, every company is different and has its own short list of what they would like to see and accomplish so keep that in mind as I have reviewed the systems to our own end.

I have bulleted some notable points and written a usability summary below with suggestions for use.

As a general rule and drawing from past experience with implementing other systems, I always like the idea of using something “ready-made” before attempting to build an individual system. It allows you to try out features you might not have implemented yourself and gain some knowledge of how similar systems work, what stat you like, and how the pieces fit together before taking on the task and cost of creating from scratch.

Kissmetrics

•  Unlimited (multi-step) funnels that would allow for very good tracking once tests are set up
•  Cohort reports available
• Customer profiles available, to track individuals
•  Ruby compatible
• Funnel focused
•  More expensive, but scaled to volume

Kissmetrics looks like a good tool for very precious detailing of where customers drop-off or initiate actions. Makes it easier to track, optimize site, tweak conversion process, and estimate what might attract a buyer back to make repeat purchases. Also helps with tracking efficacy of out of site campaigns and various other modules. However, this is one of the most expensive options and some reviews have mentioned that it has what I like to call "funnel-vision" wherein it operates beautifully for tracking funnel operations at the expense of the other modules.

Flurry

• Free
• Able to use funnels for events
• Focuses on aggregate numbers and not individuals
•  No K-factor or ability to see virality

Flurry is a mobile-based tracking program similar to Google Analytics though provides much more information for apps. This may be something to use in tandem with Analytics to focus on that section of advertising and activity, but does not look like it can offer the level of detail required to really target customers, especially on an individual basis, necessary for ecommerce. 

Mixpanel

• Able to use funnels (though seems to be harder than Kissmetrics and you have to pre-set them)
•  Individual and group models to analyze data in aggregate or individual basis
• Allows you to send e-mail notifications based on data
• The individual v. aggregate plans are separate monthly charges based on volume
• Some people suggest it’s harder to set up
• No k-factor or virality

Mixpanel seems to be able to dig deep into data to answer more complex questions. It is not expensive, but some reviews suggest that the ability to dig into date is tempered by some difficulty in setting up the account. For example, it seems your funnels must be pre-set as you either can't edit them later or can't add new ones. That seems like such a large hurdle that it seems like it must be in the works on getting fixed. It does not seem as user-friendly up front and would require tweaking and testing for anyone responsible implementing or using the program. However, this seems to be the most capable of using data to improve ad campaigns, customer experience, and influence buying behavior.

Sumall

• Aggregate of all social media plus analytics to see overall impact
• Pricing seems to be a “conversation” after a free trial

Sumall seems to be an interesting addition to other programs instead of something to replace them with, unless you wanted to replace Google Analytics. Does not appear to use funnels to collect data that would allow for conversion information. Upon signing into their interface, I couldn't make heads or tails of their graphs. It just seemed to be a big mess of lines and it was not intuitive enough to really figure out how to set our accounts in a way that would show us useful information. 

Foxmetrics

• Adds typical Analytics, but adds extra information for blogs
•  Integrates with existing CRM and email marketing services
• Ability to see application separately (blog, e-commerce, website, ect)
• Metrics at product and category level for e-commerce
• Tracks contents and conversions of shopping carts
• Triggered actions for e-commerce (abandoned cart of 5/15, send e-mail 6/15, ect)
• Analyze subscriber services and campaign tracking and seo keyword conversion
• Customer acquisition, conversion, and retention help
• Monthly pricing by volume/services offered

I admit that I got sucked in by this one and spent quite a bit of time there. The integration services and multi-faceted approach to e-commerce, data tracking, conversion, and marketing sounds like they really thought this through. I found this to be the most comprehensive and seemed that it could be used on its own as opposed to combining several options. However, it was hard to find many reviews to see what kind of obstacles other people have found and it appears that to receive full functionality that one must purchase the full suite.

Keen IO

• Can track analytics as well as cohort analysis, funnels, and segmentation
• Pricing based on volume and starts free
• They can help you set up and get started
• If you want to track something, you must insert code – cannot auto track anything to start
• Stats you want to track must be done individually across each device or platform

There isn’t as much information or reviews about Keen IO. Since there is a lot of “from scratch” work to track the data, you can customize it to fit your needs. However, that may require quite a bit of up-front work before you know whether you’ve tracked the right stats. It may be something that you move to after trying out another service or to replace it. It would also require a more in-depth conversation to see if it would be a true fit.

Kontagent

• Allows you to see the information relevant to your position within a company and industry
• Has an application specifically for tracking social media and gathering data
•  Funnels for mobile and social
• Access to user-level data with no data cap (meaning no sampling)

Interesting ability to quickly see which campaigns or product lines you are running and show both a cost and revenue per download/sale/click that leads to profits – on the same page. Pricing is a mystery and there are no reviews to speak of online, though it sounds like it might be a very flexible platform. Three separate applications provide 3 different services and probably price-points as well.

Source

Summary

Overall, we decided to start playing with Foxmetrics and signed up for the trial version. I had several questions related to usability and they answered all my questions thoroughly and in a timely manner. My contact, Ryndal, was really nice and explained things in a way that I could understand since I told him that the tech details were beyond me. I had a problem getting anyone on their live chat, but I'm not sure if that was because I was on the site too late at night.

The other downside is that the ecommerce tracking only starts on their large subscription. It's $120/month which is not the highest but it is still not standard on the smaller packages. I'll report back on what we end up purchasing and what we think.

If you have any experience using data tracking programs, please leave me a comment below and tell me how it went! Or find me on Google+ and let me know there.

Wednesday Links 6-12-13

Planned transitions are lovely. Too often it seems like everything is a fire drill. But when you know change is coming, you can prepare. This is my last week (of freedom!) before I start grad school. On one hand, it's lovely knowing that I'm taking an entire week to get things ready for the grind. On the other hand, now I've got an entire week of doing things I've been putting off since I've moved into this apartment. So let's get motivated.


How can you not have this video when talking about motivation? You can't.

• Plan for your business like a pro with, surprise, Business Plan Pro Software that can guide you through it all with interactive charts and examples. 
• A whole pageful of articles geared towards preparing you for college and grad school. 
• An interesting article on how to deal with upcoming change, not by focusing on the change itself but by focusing inward on what should NOT change. 

Wednesday Links: Survival Edition 5-29-13

I have been less inclined to read this week as I've mostly been glued to the TV, obsessively watching The Walking Dead. So I thought we'd change it up a bit this week and get our learn on visually. Right now, it's all about surviving.

Survival of the Start-up Business        Survival of Women-Owned Business in the Recession

Can your Business Survive Internal and External Threats?

I had a lot more fun making this little infographic collage than expected. I didn't even know my blogger could do this. Who knew?

Wednesday Links 5-22-13

You've probably heard a lot that to sell a business or a product, you have to tell a story. A large part of business is just connecting with people. Maybe they don't need you today, but you need to stay in their minds for whenever they do need you. However, storytelling is starting to become a lost art. So let's unwind a bit with someone who enjoys telling them and have a little hump day laugh.

• Continuing with telling a good story, try writing something that people are compelled to read and share to increase your blog views and market presence. In other words, write epic shit.
• So much of how we judge not only companies, but also what to buy, relates to slightly superficial elements. We're shallow, people, we're shallow. So play to that and look at these 70+ Wordpress Themes for Business.
• More importantly, tailor your story to your clients. To do this effectively, get inside their heads. Analyze these 4 Personality Types to see which best fits your client or group and see if you can give a more compelling argument as to why they need you. 

Amy's Baking Company - A Study of the id

According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the id is the personality component made up of unconscious psychic energy that works to satisfy basic urges, needs, and desires. The id operates based on the pleasure principle, which demands immediate gratification of needs. When we are unable to immediately satisfy a need, tension results. The id relies on the primary process to temporarily relieve the tension ... creating a mental image either through daydreaming, fantasizing, hallucinating, or some other process. Source

I am a firm believer that we all need our fantasies. They protect us and give us something to focus on when real life is too painful. But there is a natural stopping point to where this becomes destructive. I think that line may be hazy and different for everyone, but you will reach it nonetheless. Or you will plunge over that line into batshit crazy.

I am NEVER in the loop with things, but I happened to catch the edge of something viral on a blog that I frequent. If you haven't heard of the horrific Amy's Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares then click here. For your own safety, I recommend only watching the first 8 minutes or so. I was emotionally stressed out while watching, but couldn't look away. Once I was finally done with the episode, I literally had to take a walk to calm down. Naturally, I ended up digging for more dirt because, you know, Americans do that.

The things I found were awful. Some people are just awful.

Now, this particular delusion had a good starting point. The restaurant was clean and attractive with a good-looking signage. But there was terror hidden in the wings. While I admire Samy's extreme devotion to his wife, some bitches be crazy. And while we have all deluded ourselves at some point - I'm still not sure life in general is not a delusion - some things are beyond the pale.

I wish that I had enough knowledge of psychology to give a good theory on why this happened (case in point, 90% of what I know about the id is from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), or give management or business tips that weren't obvious. Instead, I want to use this as a yard stick. On those days where the world really seems to be against you, when you feel like the worst version of yourself, when one of your fantasies comes crashing into your reality, just remember this: if you are not these people, you are still okay.

Humans are not all good or all evil. We are not all sane or insane. We are a muddy mess of all these things. But if you can rise above ABC Bakery levels of crazy, then your day is already better than you think.

Like a boss! Are you a boss or a leader?

Source

I'm the boss!

I wanted to write an article centered around the difference between a boss and a leader. So often these two terms are confused, but the person most likely to confuse them is your boss! Sifting through led me to several well written articles already out there. So maybe the focus shouldn't be how to spot the difference in the world, but how to spot the difference in yourself. 

It's difficult to be objective about your own personality. The way you deal with people is rarely to be talked about in front of you, but your interactions with those who work for you are tantamount to your success and theirs. So in the absence of being able to candidly talk with your employees and short of doing a survey, here are a few ways to identify what their behavior says about you.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself!

The points below are indicative of being a boss instead of a leader. Check to see if you're that guy in the office.

People talk negatively about you in public. 

• Ever have someone say that an employee gave you accolades at an event or to a client? When people speak about you and the good work you're doing unprompted, chances are they look at you as a leader. Obviously, negative speech would suggest that they view you as a boss, but saying nothing can just as likely mean the same thing. If no one is talking about you, maybe you're not doing anything worthy enough to be talked about.

They don't bring new ideas to the table.

• Many times people will not speak up when they feel oppressed. This is especially true of those people who used to speak out and perform well, but settled into only asking for directions instead of brainstorming with you. When people are afraid to speak, it probably says you're too busy talking to listen or do what you want regardless as a default. When you have no one else to offer great ideas, then you've bull-dozed your greatest chance for success - innovative and invested employees. 

They don't silence the squeaky wheel.

• Most offices will have at least one person who is complaining on a consistent basis. Are other people complaining about that person? Probably. But are they also disagreeing? If they complain about the attitude of that person, but agree with their arguments, then there's a problem. Also, if the only one negating them the guy kissing your ass, then you don't have a reliable source. 

Ask not what your employees can do for you...

• You ask what your team can do for you instead of asking what you can do for them. When is the last time you went out of your way to help an employee or asked what you can do to make their job easier? If it's more likely that you only ask for results from them and nothing else, your not holding up your end of the deal.

Everyone is your secretary.

• Employees spend more time doing what you don't want to or don't have the time to do instead of their own jobs. If you are the person in the office always asking others to make copies, schedule phone calls, or asking last minute favors, then you're the boss. You're no longer working for the good of the company as a whole and instead just having them work for you.

Thanks giving is just a holiday. 

• You're probably smart enough to know that taking credit for someone else's work or idea is bad form. But if your good ideas are yours and someone else's becomes "the company's", then it's still the same thing. Letting people know both privately and publicly how much you value their work is something a leader does to encourage growth, team building, and goodwill. 

You're only accountable to your superiors.

• Whether your superiors are your own boss or your board members if you're not answering to your employees or your community, then your not thinking about their needs. Like a boss. Leaders realize they're not the only fish in the pond and work to upgrade the whole ecosystem, not just pimp out an aquarium. 

Get a clue!

There are numerous ways to work towards becoming more of a leader if that's important to you. It could include management counseling, courses, or training, or just digging through a lot of good reading. Let me recommend starting with a few below.

Difference Between Leader and Boss

9 Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships

7 Tips To Becoming A Leader At Work

So what are the other differences in a boss and a leader? What have I missed?

Winks 5-8-13

Winks are Wednesday link round-ups of all my favorite reading over the last week to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.

• The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People
• Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well
• 8 Tips for Social Business, Part 1: Evaluating your Social Goals
• 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2013

Recently, I've been delving into the world of InDesign at work, trying to figure out how it works and make mini how-to's to get the marketing department up to speed quickly. As I was shuffling through the beginning pages of an old manual, I realized that this would be a great skill for a resume.

In fact, upon review I had several systems under my belt that I had been using for years - things that I have seen employers ask for specifically on job applications. It reminded me that I needed to update my resume by removing irrelevant items and replacing it with a skills section. Not only does my resume look better and more accuratley show my knowledge base, but I also reminded myself that I am more than capable of learning new programs quickly to benefit myself and my co-workers. What are you doing that shows your skills in a new light?

Winks 5-4-13

Winks are Wednesday link round-ups for relevant reading to get you over your mid-week slump. Check out the links below for some great reading about improving yourself and your business.

• 5 Silent Warnings That Your Life is Unbalanced
• Why Successful People Leave Their Loser Friends Behind
• Productivity: 8 Things You Should Not Do Every Day
• Social Media Marketing World 2013: 7 Brilliant Lessons

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Pump Up Your Cross-Media Strategies Conference Recap

I had the pleasure of attending a conference recently about ways to increase your marketing capabilities using new and existing tools, as well as some great business advice in general. Conferences don't always hit the mark, but I love attending since there is always something to learn. This one in particular was worth-while though. I wanted to post a bit of a recap because I think our presenters really nailed it and it's a way for me to reference them in the future. 

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Dave Yunghans, Constant Contact

Dave was our opening presenter. I'd met other business people who were impressed with his knowledge and personality, and now I can see why. Dave is incredibly personable. The largest takeaway was that over 90% of all the billions of e-mails that people send out through Constant Contact a day are done wrong. I've said before that people are buying more than ever but none of us want to be sold. However, that's exactly what most businesses are doing. If every e-mail you send it a pitch, no one will read them. 

Dave's number one piece of advice is that these communications are the start of a conversation. The way to open up that line of communication is to present free, relevant information. Once you become the expert on something, people will remember and come back. Once they're in a position to need your services, then they already know you and bam! 

Donna Serdula, LinkedIn-Makeover

Two years ago, I started a Linked-In page at the suggestion of someone I met at a networking event. I knew I would be looking for a job after my internship and thought it would be a good idea. Fast forward a year later and I am on Linked-In usually once a week. My profile is has been at "all-star" status for a long time. I found that Linked-In was a great way to keep in contact with fellow professionals and clients. 

Despite the fact that I have learned a lot of tricks along the way, Donna's advice could help anyone. Things like you profile is not your resume is a big one to remember. She also encourages having a professional headshot and engaging tagline, as well as gives advice on how to use your connections to gain clients or business. Her website also has more great tips to help you build your best profile and make it work for you. 

Bob Kanoff, Mobile QR Solutions

Mobile websites are something that I am aware of, but very disconnected from. Since I still have an ancient flip-phone, I tend to not pay attention to such things. However, it seems like everyone has a smart phone now that is capable of so much more than making calls. Mobile sites are quickly becoming necessary since most people will immediately navigate away from your business page if it is too hard to read on their screen. 

If you run a business, this can kill you - especially if you are losing sales because they can't or won't buy from their phone. The more prominent this issue is, the easier it's becoming to fix it. There are a million websites out there now that help you see what your customers are seeing and free or low-cost ways to reel them back in with a new look. In addition, many companies can assist you with a fully integrated mobile design.

Thanh Nguyen, The Standard Group

Hey smartphone users, ready for another one? QR Codes. I've just become aware of what these things really are in the last year, but I'm starting to see that the possibilities are endless. QR codes are not just limited to the simple box format I'm used to seeing. Since most apps can read the codes even with some interference, that means that you can use different shapes, colors, or even put your own logo into it. Not to mention that there are new ways to track scans and help lead people to the actual content you want them to see. The key with QR codes though is to give people something special. If you place your code next to your website, don't direct your QR code to the website main page. There would be no purpose. Instead, direct them deeper into your content, get them a free download, or lead them to a video. Keep people engaged and they will come back. 

Dean Frey, The LIFE Company

It's so easy to get caught up in life and only view the world in one way. I think it's part of human nature, especially when learning can be seen as unpleasant, that you want to keep your head down and plow through. However, you can miss some of the best things in life. Balance is a huge part of maintaining your life and motivation long-term. In addition, retraining ourselves to look at all things as connected can teach us things we would have never known to look for. 


This conference was organized by Chuck and Alice at KeyConnections4Me. I've been to several of their seminars and have always walked away with great new information. If you are in their region, go check them out. You won't be sorry.