Hot Off The Press: Savor The Success Holiday Catalog
Posted on November 25, 2008
Filed Under Hot Topics | 89 Comments
Just this past weekend, the founders of Savor The Success officially launched the 2008 holiday catalog. Savor The Success is a boutique social network and PR cooperative for female entrepreneurs and its goal is to help boost visibility and provide mutual support for fellow business women. It is quite an impressive piece that features female entrepreneurs from around the country and their products. These women, including yours truly, banded together in the midst of this economic mess to collectively produce something to help one another weather the storm. Please consider supporting a small business owner when it comes to gift giving this holiday season. Plenty of amazing and unique products are featured, and wonderful discounts are offered throughout.
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/ad62ea78#/ad62ea78/1
p.s. My new t-shirt is featured on pg. 36. Buy one for yourself or for the ambitious woman in your life!
Upcoming Workshops in NYC
Posted on October 7, 2008
Filed Under Education/Workshops | 88 Comments
I will be hosting two workshops in NYC in October and November on topics relevant to first-time launchers and entrepreneurs.
October 27, 2008 - Business Plans for Entrepreneurs
- learn the ins and outs of writing a solid business plan in an interactive workshop
November 11, 2008 - Writing Effective Press Releases & How to Post Them to the Wire
- learn about all the resources available to you to effectively and affordably write and submit your press releases to the wire
What is a Value Proposition and Why Do You Need One?
Posted on September 17, 2008
Filed Under Articles | 89 Comments
As an entrepreneur or small business owner, would you be able to clearly state what your value proposition is? Personal experience has shown me that nine times out of ten, people are unable to answer this question truthfully, succinctly, and confidently.
If there is any one thing you should do before you launch a new business, it is determining your value proposition. Before you let out that big sigh (you know the one… the one the accompanies the rolling of the eyes when you hear that you have yet another thing to add to your To Do list), relax…I’m going to show you how to craft your own and hopefully convince you that this exercise is well worth your time. Read more
Mompreneurs®: Real Life Wonder Women
Posted on September 17, 2008
Filed Under Articles | 87 Comments
In their own rights, being a new business owner and a new mother are some
of greatest challenges any woman can face. Doing both at the same time
requires a certain set of skills and characteristics including lots of determination,
patience, and multi-tasking. (And perhaps that occasional glass of red wine at
the end of a hectic day.) Introducing the mompreneur… Read more
The Art of Listening: How to Gain a Competitive Advantage by Listening to Your Customers
Posted on September 17, 2008
Filed Under Articles | 88 Comments
Do you really want to know how to differentiate yourself from your competition? Pull up a chair and listen…
One of the most valuable, but grossly under-utilized, skills that any business professional should have in his or her bag-o-tricks is listening. Read more
Small Businesses Feeling The Heat - What’s Next?
Posted on September 16, 2008
Filed Under Hot Topics | 94 Comments
An article featured in the International Herald Tribune on 9/14/08 claims that small business owners are hit hardest when the economy takes a turn for the worse. Oftentimes, this equates to closing up shop and returning to a “regular” job, working for someone else. I’m a big advocate of pushing forward in good times or in bad times, but at what point do you wave the white flag? Taking alternative action such as tweaking your offering or tapping into a new market or temporarily reducing fees may be the answer and a better alternative to throwing in the towel. Ironically, an ailing economy hungers for entrepreneurs and innovation, but they aren’t given enough support or incentives to keep their heads above water. So what’s the end result? What will happen to our economy - and our country - if small business owners begin falling like dominoes? Are there even any “regular” jobs out there to be had?? Where do you stand on this issue? What is your plan of attack?
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/14/business/owners.php?page=1
Business Plans Are No Longer “Optional”
Posted on September 14, 2008
Filed Under Food For Thought | 90 Comments
You’ve heard it before. You’ve resisted. But you’re certain you don’t need to invest the time and money in developing a business plan.
News flash! If you are planning to launch a business and secure any type of funding, this is no longer an optional exercise given increased restrictions, requirements, and economic uncertainty. Whether you choose to do this on your own or hire a specialist, you must have a solid roadmap if you want to be taken seriously (and if you want to succeed).
I came across an article on www.newsday.com (8/18/08) entitled ”What to avoid when making a small-business plan” by Jamie Herzlich. I thought I’d share the link as it was written with the entrepreneur in mind. Not surprisingly, the author emphasizes the importance of market research and doing your homework.
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzherz5805690aug18,0,1377275.story
Using Pull Marketing to Build Your Clientele
Posted on September 10, 2008
Filed Under Food For Thought | 97 Comments
I recently read an article published by the American Marketing Association on the importance and value of “pull marketing.” Now that so much our of marketing is done via the Internet, I thought I’d share a few tidbits to help you build a loyal customer base.
Instead of using “push” marketing techniques that are losing their effectiveness (telemarketing, unsolicited mailings), the Internet has given us the opportunity to improve how we interact with our target markets. Pull marketing is a strategy that essentially creates interest in your company/product/service using subtle, yet effective, long-term tactics. Examples include offering free content or advice to your audience via blogs, forums, white papers, case studies, speaking engagements, podcasts, videos, etc. The objective is to offer something of value to your customers that gets them interested in you or gets them engaged in a discussion, but it’s devoid of pushy, in-your-face promotions.
If done correctly, pull marketing will entice your customers to keep returning to your site or blog because you have something valuable to offer, and it will create a buzz where people will naturally spread the word about you and what you have to say. And when those potential customers actually do need your services, your company will be at the forefront of their minds.
Consumers today are extremely selective about what they hear, what they watch, and how they spend their time and money. Marketers no longer have the control they once did. So take the high road and treat your customers how they want to be treated and focus on establishing yourself as an expert or trusted authority. Offer something of VALUE in exchange for nothing other than their interest and attention. This approach can pay off handsomely in the long run.
Does anyone agree/disagree? Do you have any experiences to share - good or bad?
Book Review: Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t by Michael J. Losier
Posted on September 1, 2008
Filed Under Book Reviews | 579 Comments
What a concept! Don’t we ALL have a desire to attract more of what we want and “86” the things that are holding us back or bringing us down?
Expanding on the work of Esther Hicks, Losier provides a practical guide as well as exercises to deliberately give your attention, energy and focus to the things you want to have and attract in your life. Sounds simple – and it is – yet so many of us get trapped in exerting our energy on things we don’t want or like. If you send out negative vibes and energy to the universe, the Law of Attraction states that you will get more of the same. In other words, you will continue to attract what you don’t want. Becoming aware of your behavior and understanding how to change it can induce a dramatic shift in your life. Similar to The Secret, what you receive throughout your lifetime has a great deal to do with your attitude, your perspective, and to be honest – your general outlook on life and the potential opportunities laid before you.
Losier provides a 3-step formula for deliberate attraction, each with accompanying worksheets: 1) identify your desire, 2) give your desire attention, and 3) allow it. The point is it’s not quite enough to identify your desires; you must also exert positive energy and attention to whatever it is you want out of your life in order for it to manifest. So this is something you have to work on.
He discusses positive and negative vibrations, vibrational bubbles, and deleting negative words from your vocabulary (i.e. don’t, not, no). In addition to the exercises, the author provides ten additional tools, such as keeping an appreciation and gratitude journal, to help readers with their new attitude adjustment. And one of the most powerful questions he poses to his readers is “So what DO you want?” Those are the things you should focus on.
I’m all for learning something that improves who I am and my quality of life, so I am now “in the process of” creating a more rewarding, fulfilling professional and personal life. I challenge you to do the same. Learn how to let go of limitations and self-doubt, and allow yourself to have everything you desire in life, whether it’s financial freedom, the perfect career, or fulfilling relationships. It’s definitely worth a try, isn’t it? I mean – why shouldn’t you have a life of abundance? There’s plenty to go around for everyone. Stake your claim.
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Book Review: The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander
Posted on September 1, 2008
Filed Under Book Reviews | 383 Comments
The Zanders bring a unique perspective and approach to finding opportunity and possibility in nearly every situation you encounter.
As entrepreneurs, we are naturally hard-wired to identify unique opportunities, but starting a business poses a variety of unique challenges as well. Altering your mindset and crafting a new framework can help you transform roadblocks, mistakes, and/or strained relationships into educational and growth opportunities.
Through personal experiences and colorful stories, Rosamund and Benjamin Zander share inspirational and practical examples of “redefining ourselves, others and the world we live in.” This is not your typical business book written by leading experts, nor is it a self-help book. As a matter of fact, it’s not a self-help book at all. It is a book about…
- turning problems and conflicts into opportunities and rewarding experiences by improving relationships between people and environments
- becoming a contribution in life that has implications well beyond you and your own life
- having a positive attitude and the ability to recognize the good in situations and other people
- being present without resistance
- including mistakes in the definition of our performance as human beings and as entrepreneurs
- recognizing the way things are, yet simultaneously identifying and articulating endless possibilities from where you are today
- taking responsibility for everything that happens in your life, but emphasizing making a difference rather than being a control freak
- creating vision-led goals and objectives
“On the whole, resources are likely to come to you in greater abundance when you are generous and inclusive and engage people in your passion for life. You are more likely to extend your business and have a fulfilled life if you have the attitude that there are always new customers out there waiting to be enrolled rather than that money, customers, and ideas are in short supply.”
Indeed, life often appears to be an obstacle course. This is especially true when launching a new business as you set out on uncharted terrain. One of the best bits of advice the Zanders offer is this: Whenever you make – or someone else makes – a mistake, mentally throw your arms up in the air and say “how fascinating”! Learn from the experience then reroute your energy to a greater purpose.
| On a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest): | |
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About
denken Research & Consulting is a boutique consulting firm in New York City providing end-to-end market research and professional writing services to small business owners, especially start-ups. Led by founder Christine Janssen, our specialty is helping entrepreneurs intelligently position their products/services in the market to build successful, profitable businesses. We are also huge advocates of female entrepreneurs. -
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