You see, when rumors develop about your company and spread online, they can gain serious traction, especially if people start talking about them on social media sites. Once this happens, negative information about your company could go viral, popping up in Google searches for your company. For the most part, as soon as people see something negative about a company surface, they run in the other direction. Can you imagine the impact of sites posting negative material about your business outranking your own site in an online search? You’d be in serious trouble.

This is the kind of problem you want to avoid. That’s why it’s important to understand why fast action is so critical.

Think ahead.

Let’s say you’re just getting your business off the ground floor. While you’re buying a domain name for your site, consider buying up the domains for all variations of it. That includes all domain extensions as well as sites that contain your business’s name along with negative words. This way, none of those domains would be usable for throwing up a site to disparage your image. It would be difficult to create a domain that’s directly related to your company name, which would make it difficult for them to consume your site traffic.

Another way to prevent spreading of negative net information is to invest time in proper web marketing. By having your site search engine optimized, it’ll always show up at the top tier of search results (i.e. the first page), making rumors harder to travel up the ranks.

Take a stand and face rumors head on.

If the rumor is really persistent, you can always address it head on by including information about it on your company’s website. While this could have the negative effect of informing users unaware of the rumors, this tactic is a good way to show you’re open and honest about your business practices, and have nothing to hide.

Should a nasty rumor take hold about your company, sometimes all you can do is address concerns on social media sites, as well as your company site. If people ask you about it, take the time to answer. You don’t want to appear as though you’re hiding anything. Instead, provide honest answers to people’s questions, even if their tone is negative. Of course, you don’t have to respond to people who are abusive.

Many companies find that after going through the experience of suppressing a rumor, they’re more solidified in their mission, and thereby, more driven to pursue their goals. Ideally, you will never have to address false information about your business, but, because we live in the information age, sometimes misinformation will contaminate the web. Do your best to face these challenges head on and your company shouldn’t experience lasting negative effects.

This is a guest post by Jackie Asta, the founder and owner of Wedding Bliss Lane and RSVP Custom Creations. 

Many would-be entrepreneurs don’t pursue their dreams out of fear of failure. Many also shy away from the demands and stress that come with forming a small business. It’s a difficult decision to sacrifice relative comfort and employment security in the corporate marketplace in order to focus solely on your business ideas.

Luckily for you, it’s becoming much easier to create side ventures. Technology is rapidly evolving around us, and marketing strategies have appeared that were not even possible fifteen years ago. It’s important to examine the positive and negative aspects of the corporate and startup business worlds, and see the benefits your company could gain from each.

Motivation

Creating and maintaining your own business takes a great deal of motivation. A lot of people are uncomfortable with the high level of drive required. You alone must create the business plan, seek investors, design your marketing campaign, provide customer service, and keep track of your books. It’s more than a busy day.

Of course, this work can be shared if you decide to go the partnership route; however, startups still require a great deal of focus, energy, and efficiency. You empower yourself and your business through energy and promise. Your work can potentially lead to handsome profits for you, as well as a great sense of fulfillment and ownership.

In the corporate world, it can be easy to view yourself as just a cog in the machine. You might have great ideas and supportive bosses, but ultimately, your hard work is only servicing the corporate entity. Your motivation to stay those extra hours or work that Saturday for a corporate employer is not going to compare to working similar hours for yourself.

The bottom line is that you usually do not directly benefit in most corporate situations. However, corporate employers can offer reliable schedules and steady work. As an entrepreneur, you have to be prepared for times when business is slower than you anticipated and adjust accordingly.

Customer Service

It’s obvious that customer relationships are more personal and intimate on an entrepreneurial level. Startups have the opportunity to get to know clients on a personal level and strive to benefit their lives with a product or service. Entrepreneurs have the chance to really shine and connect to create repeat business from these clients, as well as build trust and confidence.

Customer service provided by a corporation is not going to be as direct and personal. It’s difficult to feel that same sense of connection with a huge entity. However, the corporate world can offer the fact that customer service is provided by a team of individuals. Unfortunately, some customer relationships go sour for one reason or another, and as an entrepreneur, you’re solely responsible. The corporate world can provide a certain buffer or outreach system if customers are dissatisfied.

Personal Direction and Accountability

As an entrepreneur, you are your own boss; you might be surprised about what changes come with that fact. Many small business owners (myself included) quickly discover that they are micromanagers. You might feel you need to manage every aspect since, after all, it is your business. However, for your sanity’s sake, it’s okay to release the reins and have confidence in others’ work, especially if you have started a partnership.

Accountability is huge in entrepreneurship, and even more so in small startup businesses. It can be difficult when a customer does not want to pursue further business with you.  Just remember the importance of reflecting on anything you could have done to make things work, and use those reflections to strengthen your resolve. Then, move forward.

Accountability in the corporate world is extremely different when compared to a small startup environment. For example, a corporate structure provides a variety of voices within a team. This means that many different personalities are involved in making decisions. Multiple viewpoints allow a team to see the whole picture in terms of potential outcomes, and this can be very beneficial to many companies.

In the startup environment, you can take this corporate approach and seek feedback from outsiders about potential business decisions. Entrepreneurs sometimes suffer from a myopic vision about their ventures and don’t see all the possibilities. Make sure you don’t limit yourself; branch out to consult with others.

In most cases, the corporate world can offer more job security. However, this comes at the cost of less personal attachment or investment in your work with customers. As a result, it’s difficult to attain that sense of fulfillment and connection that an entrepreneur thrives on in business. As an entrepreneur, you can benefit from outside advice that enables you to look beyond yourself.  The joys of positive customer interactions, internal motivation, and the power of using all of your business skills can make entrepreneurship a rewarding choice, both personally and financially.

Jackie Asta is the founder and owner of Wedding Bliss Lane and RSVP Custom Creations. She has been in the wedding/event industry for 4 years designing invitations. With the knowledge she gained working in the invitation design business, Jackie launched Wedding Bliss Lane, an e-marketplace dedicated solely to the wedding industry.

Your business wouldn’t thrive if you didn’t provide value and excellent service to your customers. But there is a fine line between putting customers first and letting them run all over you — or allowing them to come before your own needs and desires.

Many women entrepreneurs – including myself – have a hard time separating work life and personal life. We’re conditioned to be everything to everyone, to multitask, and to be polite and not make a scene. When this conditioning shows up in how we conduct business, it directly affects sales, profit, creativity, and mindset.

When we are so focused on our business’ needs, we lose ourselves in our work. We forget who we are. We forget what makes us happy, what drives us, and what brings us joy.

You are of no service to clients, colleagues, or employees if you are always putting others’ needs before your own and taking a backseat to everyone and everything else. The world needs your unique gifts. You cannot share your purpose and passion if you’ve lost yourself in the hustle and bustle of work or sacrificed your joy (consciously or unconsciously) for clients’ happiness.

The solution? Be selfish.

Develop a Selfish Mindset

Becoming selfish requires shifting your mindset; it asks you to maintain a constant awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This means you have to stop operating on autopilot and start acting with intention. Getting clear on what you want and then taking action on it is how you not only build the life and business of your dreams, but also serve others better in the process.

I see too many women business owners forget what they want because they put the company’s needs first. In order to regain clarity, ask yourself these questions:

• What does my ideal day look like?
• Who are my ideal clients?
• What do I see myself doing that I love to do?

Create an image from that list, and read it daily. Make a list of 5 tiny changes you can implement each week. Then act on it.

If you want more than anything to spend more time nurturing client relationships and less time working on setting up appointments, then make a decision to hire someone to set appointments for you. If you don’t want to work weekends, write it down. Then make an action plan for what you need to put into place so you never have to work weekends. Client relationships won’t suffer if you implement these changes, because you are finding a solution that will help you grow your business—a business based on your passion and vision.

Create Your Own Reality

Prioritizing your interests and likes means you create your own reality. You get what you focus on, and you’ll find you’re much happier and at peace when your days are filled doing what you love to do with the people you love doing it with.

Losing sight of your overarching vision, and getting bogged down in the daily minutia, leads to an unhealthy mindset. The more you sacrifice your wants and desires for the needs and demands of your business, the more likely you are to burn out, implode your business, or worse, wake up when you’re 80 and realize you’ve wasted your life.

Really, what this boils down to is creating a business built on what you love and what you do best. If not, you might as well go get a job.

Michelle Salater is the CEO of Sumèr, LLC, a full-service content marketing firm that helps high-end entrepreneurs and small business owners capitalize on their vision to achieve online exposure, increase sales, and generate a higher return on investment.

This is a guest post by Wendy Komac, author, speaker, and long-time turnaround specialist who has helped save companies by focusing on changing underperformers to exceptional workers. She is the author of I Work with Crabby Crappy People, a humorous and highly informative book about achieving happiness and success.

Each day, we’re presented with choices in our professional careers and personal lives that will affect not only us, but all of those associated with us. When faced with challenges such as crabby people infiltrating my surroundings, I refocus my view on life to look through a lens of love, in an attempt to better myself and those around me. I take these opportunities and try to run them through a process that I’ve seen work in my own life, in the hope that I can have a positive impact.

Be Virtuous With Your Actions

I’m a recovering alcoholic. My opportunity to be better was presented to me through my 12-step recovery program, and it transitioned into the workplace. I was able to apply some of the same principles, such as forgiveness, to the work environment in a way that wouldn’t be offensive to my colleagues. I hoped for a new way of building professional relationships. While hope alone cannot be a strategy in the business world, when it’s mixed with love and faith, then fueled by action, it can be part of the equation. This starts with how you view the people around you, even when they are not the most inviting individuals to show kindness toward.

Kindness doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can be kind to those who accept it, but it’s how we act toward those who need kindness most that determines our character.

My personal philosophy is to strive to view people through the lens of love. That means giving others the benefit of the doubt rather than attempting to capitalize on them when they are having a bad day. I double-check my thoughts and actions by asking myself, “Is this for the greater good of all involved?” If it’s not, I stop and reexamine all thoughts and actions that led me to that conclusion. It may sound like a lot of work, but truth be told, when I limit my thoughts to those that are only for the greater good of all involved, I have a lot of time on my hands. It takes much more energy to be angry than it does to be happy. Just ask yourself: are the streets of your mind safe for everyone to walk? If your thoughts about others are critical, then at some point, those thoughts will manifest into words – words that will most likely turn into destructive criticism. Nobody wins in that environment.

Take Advantage of Your “Stuff”

You’re going to deal with crabby, crappy people each day who lay low, waiting for the right time to strike. Dealing with these people can create a sense of constant fear and anxiety. We can let it cripple us or we can think of it as an opportunity. I constantly remind myself that we are all created from the same “stuff”; it’s what we do with that stuff that makes each of us unique. “Stuff” is like electricity: it can light up a room or electrocute people. When I run into people who are deadly to deal with, I try to bless them. I have no idea what happened in their yesterday that has made who they are today. I forgive their behavior and look for the cause so we can work toward changing their choices – and their lives. Sometimes, the most difficult people are the ones I need to seek out most; they need help shifting away from whatever is ailing them. As a leader, the most critical part of my job isn’t some skill acquired in the classroom. My most important task is to be on a search-and-rescue mission, looking for those who are wounded, and then love them back into wholeness. My employees can’t thrive professionally if their minds are on personal problems. The reason my approach works is because I’m empathetic to their problems and will work with them to solve any crisis. We’re not necessarily born with grace and patience, but we are given numerous opportunities to be graceful and patient. By seizing these opportunities with our own “stuff,” we can become more virtuous people, both professionally and personally. Helping others is medicinal for you as well. When you wish someone well, you’re blessing them and, simultaneously, blessing yourself. Sending good thoughts out to the universe for others creates a chain reaction, and good thoughts come right back to you.

How to Deal

At points in my life, I have been the toxic, mean, maniacal, oblivious person. You can’t change any of these characteristics; you can only change how you respond to them. By responding (not reacting), you take time to assess the situation, finding something (anything!) good about the person. Everybody has something we can appreciate; sometimes, you just have to look harder to find it. It comes back to looking through the lens of love. If someone is looking at you through a lens of anger and you look back at them through that same lens, the problem is just magnified. Change your lens to love. You may not be best friends, but it will cancel the destructive components of anger and hate so you can learn to live in a world of mutual respect.

Think about love, faith, and forgiveness; pay close attention to the roles they play in your life. Think of your body – physically and mentally – as a gift from the universe. Don’t abuse it. Take time for meditation, prayer, exercise, and a healthy diet. Spirituality isn’t a religion; it’s a practice to make sure you’re operating at optimum capacity. Think of it as a way of life and a way to success. Once you take care of yourself, all the other pieces will fall into place and you’ll ask yourself, “What took me so long?” Be the best version of yourself, generate positivity, and your attitude will reflect like mirrors among everyone around you.

Author and speaker Wendy Komac is a long-time turnaround specialist who has helped save companies by focusing on changing under performers to exceptional workers. She is the author of I Work with Crabby Crappy People, a humorous and highly informative book about achieving happiness and success.

Like most small business owners, you’re probably using a personal computer to run your business. And since most personal computers do not have the proper security software setup right out of the box, you may be unwittingly exposing yourself and your business to unsavory types who are looking to exploit the holes and steal your personal information. This could lead to IP theft, identify theft, and more problems for you and your business.

Your best bet is to a put a stop to these attacks before they begin. Protect your business computer from the start and you’ll never have to deal with the nasties of the Internet.

1. Protect Yourself from Viruses and Malware

Your first and best option for protecting yourself online is to install reliable anti-virus software. There are many affordable anti-virus software options available to small business owners, such as Webroot SecureAnywhere and Norton Antivirus 2012. Even if you scan your computer regularly for viruses, if you don’t keep the software up to date, the latest malware will still attack your system. This is why it’s vital to keep your software updated. Whenever a new update comes out, download it immediately.

You can also download web filter programs like Barracuda Web Filter that warn and prevent your browser from accessing sites that are believed to contain malware. Should you still experience an attack, this kind of software will allow you to figure out which site caused the problem and better assess the damage.

2. Stop Phishing Before It Starts

Nowadays, many a hacker’s method of choice for gaining access to your personal information is phishing. This involves someone sending you an email that convinces you to click on a link or download an attachment. Once you do this, your computer is infected with malware, which makes it so the phisher or hacker can get into your computer and obtain any information they want about you and your business.

Most of time phishing works because people are simply not clued in to this methodology and are unaware of the danger. Phishing can be prevented by following some simple guidelines:

- Never click on a link in an email from a person you don’t know.
- Scan attachments before you open them.
- Keep abreast of the latest phishing scams that are going around the web and monitor your inbox for them.
- Make use of your spam filters.

Following these tips should dramatically cut down the number of phishing scams you actually see in your inbox and will help prevent those that do get through from working.

3. Act Quickly

The moment you suspect something is up, take action. You can best prepare for this by having a plan of action in place in case a piece of malware infects your computer or you think vital information has been stolen from your company. If your computer suddenly starts running slower, you’re noticing a rapid influx of spam, or you have evidence that your identity has been stolen, like funds missing from bank accounts, you need to react immediately. The longer you take to make a move, the harder it will be to clean up the damage. As soon as you notice a problem, run updated anti-virus software, change the passwords on all of your accounts, and call your bank if money has been stolen. Usually, everything can be sorted out quickly, but only if you take the appropriate initial steps.

Many people are overwhelmed and confused, and are having a hard time assimilating the loads of information out there surrounding marketing. I’m here to save the day, and maybe even your year, and for some, your business!

NEW Marketing is the realization that Branding, PR, Advertising, Business Systems, and Customer Service are all forms of Marketing. To go one step further and simplify the BIG picture: any form of communication (words or images) is marketing and your level of confidence determines how your communication is delivered and received.

This is why I love Toastmasters International, because my supportive group always helps me to communicate more effectively and efficiently. I’m a firm believer that we are always a work in progress — thanks for the reminder Mom!

I’d like you to try what I have already done. Your communication starts with you, so let’s refocus on your business strategy, what matters to you, and how you can see successful new marketing results.

Grab a blank piece of paper and a pen. Relax for ten minutes and forget about everything else for now. Take the next ten minutes for you. Be assured you that you can do this and think about what YOU really want in order to find your answers.

Strategy: Take a bird’s eye view of your business.

• Where have you been?
• Where are you?
• Where do you want to go?

Here are the 3 steps to strategy success:

1. Minimize time spent on activities and people that don’t move you forward.
2. Fulfill all promises and don’t make any future promises unless they excite you.
3. Organize yourself and activities to move you forward to your desired future.

What matters: Take a bird’s eye view of you.

• What has made you unhappy?
• What do you need to make you happy?
• Why were you unhappy or happy?

Here are my 3 steps to figuring out what matters:

1. Make sure those are the real reasons for being happy or unhappy.
2. Start reducing what makes you unhappy, and increasing what makes you happy.
3. Continue to be aware of your thoughts and feelings to get to the “Why?”

See results: Tap into your vision and your “Why?”

• Are you trying to please everyone?
• Are you trying to do too many things?
• Why are you trying so hard?

Here are my 3 steps to see results:

1. Tap into why you are doing what you are doing and what you hope to achieve.
2. Picture what success will look like and the reason it will make you happy.
3. Map out the steps in order of priority and start taking small action steps.

As you continue to make progress, keep asking yourself:

What am I trying to communicate, what do I hope to gain, and why do I need this?

Once you have figured out YOU, the customer comes next. Next month I’ll cover customer service, content curation, and customer conversion.

This is a guest post by Kelsey Meyer, the Senior Vice President of Digital Talent Agents. Digital Talent Agents is a niche PR company that helps experts and entrepreneurs improve their online authority and credibility while creating a pull strategy to their brand.

Attending a conference is intimidating. Being female at a predominantly male conference and appearing much younger than your actual age doesn’t help, either. I recently attended an extremely valuable conference in Phoenix; I learned many tactics that I took back and implemented in my business, and I connected with people from many industries who will be great to work with in the future.

Along with these strategic and knowledge-based lessons, I also learned a few things about how to deal with people’s perceptions (and quirks).

Lesson 1: Act flattered when people call you young.

On the first day of the conference, I was engaged in a conversation about how to wow your customers. I mentioned that we’d sent a desk heater to a client living in New York, and how well it was received by him. The man standing to my left aggressively asked, “You have clients? How old are you? Are you fifteen?” I looked him straight in the eye and simply said, “Thank you, that’s very flattering.”  I wanted to defend myself and scream, “No, I’m not fifteen! I help run a successful personal branding company!” Instead, I acted flattered and continued discussing the topic at hand. I realized that many people at the conference may have been thinking what this man voiced, and it did affect me. I learned quickly not to let others’ perceptions of my age, sex, or appearance control how I would conduct myself; I needed to exhibit the confidence that  proved I had just as much right to be there as they did. This confidence allowed me to meet more people and absorb more information because I wasn’t scared to ask questions and engage with the seasoned vets in attendance.

Lesson 2: Don’t be offended by the guy looking for someone more important to speak with.

It happened at least two times a day. I would be speaking with someone and see their eyes go past my head, peering around the room for someone they dubbed more important to speak with. This conference had its fair share of “big shots,” and I’m not embarrassed to say that I wasn’t one of them. I was, however, someone who may have been able to offer great referrals to these “over-the-shoulder” types. I might have been able to help them with their online authority or help establish them in their industries, but the quickness with which they dismissed me let me know that they were, in fact, not worth my time. The people I connected with the most throughout the conference were those who were genuinely interested in learning about all different industries. They didn’t discount me because I was female or young, and I’d be happy to help them out in any way possible. It’s easy to be offended when someone appears uninterested, but I learned quickly to let them search for the big shots; I would be perfectly content speaking with the real people. (Besides, if they were this status-seeking in our first encounter, how difficult would they be as actual clients? Yikes.)

Lesson 3: Make it clear that giving your business card is not the same as giving your phone number.

At a conference, a typical conversation goes something like this:

Person #1: “Are you enjoying the conference?”

Person #2: “Yes, it’s very helpful for my business.”

Person #1: “Oh, what business is that?”

After about 5 minutes of learning about each other’s companies, the conversation ends with an exchange of business cards. Obviously, not all conversations follow this pattern, but the point is that giving someone your business card at the end of a conversation is a normal occurrence. Here’s a problem we face as women (and I’m sure some men encounter this as well): giving someone your business card is not the same as giving a prospective suitor your phone number. However, the card has your cell phone on it, and texting has become more commonplace in the professional world, so it’s not far-fetched to imagine that some people get the wrong idea. After giving someone my business card earlier in the day, I was shocked to receive text messages that were far from professional. It upset me that someone would take advantage of what I thought was a perfectly normal business conversation and try to turn it into a romantic rendezvous. After calling a co-worker and expressing how extremely uncomfortable I was, I chose to respond to the texts with a short sentence about how I was busy meeting with a client that evening, but he was welcome to call our office number to set up a meeting to discuss business. I didn’t hear from him again.

The three lessons I learned at the conference don’t just apply to me because I’m a young female – they apply to all conference newbies. Regardless of age, sex, or status, every person should be prepared to walk into a room confident of his or her abilities. Others’ perceptions of us shouldn’t prevent us from getting what we need from conferences – or anything else. Ignore their bad manners and prove you know much more than any fifteen-year-old they’ll ever meet.

Kelsey Meyer is the Senior Vice President of Digital Talent Agents, a niche PR company that helps experts and entrepreneurs improve their online authority and credibility while creating a pull strategy to their brand.

Barriers do exist, namely in the realm of equal pay. Women still make less than men do in the same positions. Even so, women can absolutely excel in the tech field with the right focus, and it starts with the right education. From there, the sky’s the limit in terms of how high you can reach and what goals you can achieve.

Check out these interesting facts on women in tech below:

Infographic source: IT Manager Daily

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but someone.” – Coco Chanel