Small Biz Survival

The 15 year overnight success story of SweetSoaps

2010-03-15T07:32:00.001-05:00

Every so often, someone tells a story on Twitter that just needs to be captured and repeated. This is one of those. On March 2, Ellen Cagnassola, aka @SweetSoaps, suddenly started telling the story of her business.

Let me share her story with you, just the way she shared it on Twitter, 140 characters at a time. I've kind of split it into topics, but it's still a collection of Ellen's thoughts, shared spontaneously. [Remember that Twitter is a pretty informal place, so typos, abbreviations, and the occasional curse word are to be expected.]

A dream, creativity and never say die attitude.

My business was started with 0 dollars. A dream, creativity and never say die attitude.
Was started by me in my kitchen as a way 2 work from home to raise these 2 daughters http://yfrog.com/3588315899j
My oldest was 3 years old when SweetSoaps was born. I hoped that after my second child was in school my biz would b profitable.

Truth is I had no idea what I was doing when I started SweetSoaps. I used the Internet to learn everything while at home with my daughter.
Built a small web site selling one product that is no longer even made now.over time learned biz,got more creative ideas, grew slow
My hope was,be fearless,don't listen 2 nay Sayers,create things no one else could dream up,slowly it grew

During the growth life happens,tradgedy. Death of BIL,FIL, [brother in law, father in law] then in 2002 my 59 year old mother passed away.had been taking care of her
2002 was so devestating to lose my mom, we were very close. Thought about quiting soap biz.couldn't pull anymore rabbits out of hats

Then article in Womans Day mag came out. Had my products as great gift on shoestring budget. BOOM! Magic!!!!
Rabbits popping out of my magic hat.. Bunnies everywhere!
Thought someone is listening 2 me when I vocalized should I quit in 2002 after my moms death. Watching over my dad was also priority
So much multi tasking at times took a toll on me physically & mentally as I handmake all products myself! Not kidding very physical job
There were nights I was working til 3 AM then doing life all day 2 kids, grieving father, laundry etc
I stayed the course but everyday asking myself do I want to keep doing this? #normal

2003 sent a sample of my gold monogram soap to Neiman Marcus. 2 weeks later they call me #What! Yes!!!!
Timing is everything, creativity is everything, hard work is everything, #sacrifice!
I get my gold monogram soap in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog 2004 plus Horchow cuz they own that too! Double slam dunk!
Am I prepared 4 Neiman Marcus answer no way! Intitial order was 75 pices/sets. Catalog mailed- first week 750 pieces holy sh*t!
First thing I do, not jump up & down, I cry. Think omg what and how am I gonna do this.I call my sister @inspirationsgal she fixes me
Ask can we divide po in half 2 dates so I can do this right she agrees as I'm sure this was huge surprise 2 her as well
So I work harder than I ever have in my life. Hire 2 part timers. Get product out door on time every order. I'm in all catalogs 4 NM/horchow
For a year orders flying in thousands $$$ every week. Very little sleep hard work.
Then small biz customers are finding me as well cuz I put my website on my labels
I grow more. My monogram soap is on gift tv segments with big names like Nike that holiday season, have video soon going on my site
Phone ringing off hook
Like all good things I part ways w/ Neimans as things change & sometimes u don't know why- life goes on
I struggle to replace this loss of customer.so fantastic! Paid on time some of best most savvy buyers I've known.
I've been in sutions catalog, touchstone catalogs, many quality places. Urban Outfitters called me in 2007. Then credit crisis

My point 4 telling this very personal true story the good the bad the ugly. It's life- business is like life u must carry on no matter what
U feel alone, u r not alone. 12 years later I still ask myself everyday Ellen how bad do u want this? It's normal

Feb 2009 I use Twitter and blog for first time. Feb 2010 I have like 6000 new friends. If I need help I tweet= never alone
2009 bacon soap & candle are born as result of my goofy off handed remark on Twitter--overwhelming response. Huge sales holidays
June 2010 issue of cosmo mag u will see my bacon soap. I again ask myself do I continue this biz? U bet your sweet ASS I am!!!
Moral of the story work harder than u ever thought u could.be kind to others.focus.family.pray. U can do it!
Do I now sit back rest on accomishments? Never, it's never enough.if u want to cut the edge Be ON IT always!

The magic of the Fleur de lis

2005 Katrina hits Nola I have one fleur de lis soap --2 weeks later getting tons of calls from Nola shop owners thinking weird?I then start adding more fleur de lis products-- more phone calls & emails. I hear stories that break my heart of loss from Nola
2005- present have grown many new designs in fleur de lis, ppl in Nola think I'm from there but am jersey girl
Grow very close to my Nola customers.went to Nola in 2007, had wonderful time& feel like I have known this place 4 ever
2009 my logo becomes the fluer de lis& I am the #1 fleur de lis in Nola and other parts of Louisiana.

The role of social media

Social media is not a fad no matter what ppl say. This is an awesome way 2 connect and learn.have met so many wonderful ppl here
@gerirosman got me in an article at The Star Ledger about using Twitter for my biz.then Verizon Fios filmed me for thier channel in NJ
Also other media I was lucky to attract like @spfpatch did a very nice price on me which is on my website they r owned by AOL
My Santas coal soap literally sold thousands !!! At Christmas and in part due to being in Real Simple Mag @realsimple big thnx!
Now my Twitter pal @producergal in Tampa wants to put me on her show when I go to Florida in 3 weeks. Looking fwd 2 meeting u!
So I'm totally addicted to Twitter. In a good way as it enriches my life by friends,biz& just fun time. Find your voice here
If u have been following me u will also know I don't market like this " hey look at this soap now buy it" #fail
What and how u connect must be natural to u or does not work
I am rarely serious so I use humor in real life so it is natural to me. Humor has pulled me out of darkest of days
Know that in the future of your bizsocial media a must, video a must formulate your ideas, practice put yourself out there!Know that I am here I will help u as best I can. Know also I won't yes u if it sucks I tell truth toughen your skin
Need help ideas I'm a tweet away. I ask nothing in return. I become more creative helping others that is my reward
Always pay it forward! #karma
You will succeed because every over night success takes 15 years! #truth

Thank you, Ellen, for sharing the story of Sweet Soaps.

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Why no screening process for entrepreneurship

2010-03-13T07:29:00.003-06:00

Our friend Liz Strauss was kind enough to introduce us to Carol Roth. She has a straightforward style that I think you'll appreciate.

By Carol Roth

If you want to become an NFL football player, first you need to be an outstanding college player, usually from a major school. If you want to become a lawyer, first you need to have excellent undergraduate grades to be accepted into law school, survive school, then pass the “bar” exam. How about a doctor? Pre-med courses, med school, internships, etc.

Most careers with big risks and big financial, emotional or achievement-oriented rewards have a screening process, which identifies talent or predisposition for a given career path and also helps those participating in them learn about many aspects of the career before they make a commitment to it. Going through a screening process also ensures you are really, truly interested in that career path. Spending the time and putting forth the full effort that it takes to get through the entire screen helps you demonstrate to yourself that a particular path is something worth pursuing and that it is a good “fit” for you.

So, Here’s the Situation:
Being an entrepreneur is a risk. Starting a small business in a small town is more work than it might seem. Unlike other career paths, you actually have to put your own money at risk (as well as your time and effort) in order to become an entrepreneur.
Sometimes you need to ask not could I be an entrepreneur, but should I be an entrepreneur.

Why Should You “Screen” Yourself?

The answer is in the statistics. It is widely known that the majority of businesses fail within a few years. This amount is projected at up to a 90% failure rate within several years of inception. It is impossible to know the actual number, as some businesses go into bankruptcy or some type of receivership, while others close voluntarily when the owners realize they just can’t make the business work. Many more businesses survive, but don’t actually succeed; these businesses just limp along making a modest profit each year, but definitely not an amount commensurate with the effort required to keep that business open. Often, the rewards (financial or otherwise) simply don’t justify the risks.

Where Do You Fit In?

You will fall into one of two categories:

Category A - people perfectly matched for entrepreneurship.

Category B -the majority of the population, who should run (not walk, run) in the other direction from owning their own business.

Category A people will evaluate the pros and cons, the risks and rewards and ultimately, they will decide that the rewards outweigh the risks. They will take an educated risk and move forward. These people have stacked the odds in their favor, per se, by gaining relevant experience, shoring up their financial situation and pursuing opportunities that provide an outcome that is worthwhile for the sacrifices they will be making.

Category B people will react in one of two ways (hopefully!). Then they will either (i) generate a list of areas they need to improve upon in order to increase their prospects for business success and prepare for business ownership down the line; or (ii) seek out a path that is a better fit for them and go on to be incredibly successful in something that they are well suited to pursue, saving lots of money (at least tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars), time and effort. They may even gain a new appreciation for their current job or be invigorated to pursue the next steps in their career.

What Does It All Mean?

Information and knowledge are power. An entrepreneurship screening process is something that has been so desperately lacking, so that the true entrepreneurs can take educated risks and that the 85-90% of the people who weren’t meant to be entrepreneurs could save their money, their time, their effort and their emotional well being and focus on excelling at something that is a perfect match for them.

How will you screen yourself to make sure that your small business can survive in your small town?

Carol Roth writes Unsolicited Business Advice (TM) for aspiring entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and other small business owners, at CarolRoth.com. You can find her on Twitter as @caroljsroth.

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Applaud each other this weekend

2010-03-12T06:33:00.001-06:00

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

The basket is open all weekend, from March 12-14, 2010. I'm away at SXSW right now (I think that was a brag!), so I need you to applaud each other.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Small business time savers

2010-03-11T07:37:00.001-06:00

[Denise McGill is back, with another smart guest post. Today, she wants to help you save some time in your day.]

How many productive hours are lost in a typical day due to lack of training, standardization or outdated materials? Utilizing time management and having the tools to be productive can cause fewer headaches for business owners and increase employee job satisfaction. Removing the roadblocks and frustrations that employees come across, makes them more efficient.

If you or an employee is spending longer than necessary to prepare correspondence or a spreadsheet for a meeting in the morning, then these five tips will increase performance and save time normally lost during the workday.

Create templates or master forms for email correspondence – This is a huge time saver whether you are a sole proprietor or a large corporation. For instance if you have a technical support department and find the same questions popping up over and over again, design a standard email response to answer those questions. Of course, you are free to tweak those emails as necessary, but a template gives a foundation to build on. A well thought out email response presents a standardized response, appears professional and eliminates spelling errors as well

Include an automatic email signature – Full contact information should be included with every email sent. You can easily utilize this function within your email software. Don’t make customers search for contact information.

Learn to use the software on your computer – Hours of productivity and time management can be lost in a day if you have employees that cannot adequately use the basic functions available on a spreadsheet or word document. Not knowing how to format or use basic formulas can have an employee laboring over a project needlessly and ultimately missing deadlines. If the budget is tight, have an internal employee teach the basics of the computer software your company uses – it is well worth the day spent to bring everyone up to speed.

Prepare job function manuals – Lose the tribal knowledge mentality. As employees leave the business, they take their knowledge with them. Job descriptions with step-by-step instructions on how to perform the job should be created so new employees can step right in without skipping a beat. Nothing is more frustrating to a new hire than winging it until they figure out their new job the hard way.

Delete or archive outdated material on the computer – Are there five versions of the same document on your computer – each with slight variations to them? Using outdated material can cause havoc internally and well as with customers. Be sure to archive or delete information that is no longer in use. It is also handy to use the “view header footer function” in your document to insert creation or revision dates on forms. This assures you are using the most current version of the document.

Standardized information, updated documents, and clearly defined job functions are key to a smooth running business.

About Denise:
Denise McGill is a freelance copywriter specializing in catalog product description, copy makeovers, web content, landing pages, promotional materials, articles and more. Visit her website at http://mcgillcopywriting.com for more information on giving your business the competitive edge.

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You must have imagination

2010-03-09T00:08:00.000-06:00

A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing.

Charles M. Schwab

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Startup insights from the Entrepreneurship Conference

2010-03-08T07:25:00.002-06:00

At the Oklahoma Entrepreneurship Conference, a new feature was the Entrepreneur 360 panel. A group of startup experts offered insight and feedback to two actual start up founders.

I won't get into the details of their businesses, but I will share a few thoughts that apply to any startup.

Being an entrepreneur is like climbing a mountain. You get to the top and there is a another mountain, and another mountain.

Investors don't want to give you the answers. They want to know that you have the answers.

Presentations about your startup need to include your TEAM, not just your product and market.

Key startup question: Why are you and your team uniquely qualified to dominate this market?

Investors do not invest in technology; They invest in the team that knows the technology.

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What Third Tribe does for me

2010-03-07T15:41:00.000-06:00

As I work on building the business of Small Biz Survival and Tourism Currents, I'm learning and sharing what I learn at the Third Tribe Marketing site.

Besides the interviews and other resources, there is a forum full of some of the smartest people in marketing today: Chris Brogan, Brian Clark, Sonia Simone, and many more.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with Chris when he was in Oklahoma, and we brainstormed several ways to improve Tourism Currents. Now, if we could just do that every month or so, it would be wonderful. That's why I joined Third Tribe. It's a chance to hold those brainstorming conversations not just with Chris, but with a bunch of intelligent people.

If you are a blogger or social media person who wants to build a business, it's a good deal. It's not as much for small businesses looking to add social media.

Because I'm finding it exceptionally helpful to my business, I'm an affiliate. I believe in its worth that much. Right now, the cost to join is only $47 for a full month. To put that in perspective, you'd pay more than that for just one hour of my consulting time. And I'm far from the smartest person in the Third Tribe.

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Win an HP iPAQ Glisten phone

2010-03-06T14:38:00.000-06:00

HP and AT&T sent me a Glisten for a review (which I tweeted). As a follow up, they want to give one to one of you.

You can read about the Glisten's technical specs from AT&T. My take? The screen is bright (like, readable in the sunlight bright), and the battery life beats the heck out of my old Moto. Even for a non-smartphone person like me, it was pretty easy to figure out. I also like the fact that it's a world phone: quad band means it can work on practically any cell network in the world. (In fact, I turned down the last phone I was offered for review because the carrier did not cover my rural corner of the world!)

Check out the sponsors' Twitter accounts: @ATTnews and @HP_PC .

Here's how you enter:

Send a tweet to me (@beckymccray). Include the hashtags: #HP #ATT. Tell me how using the Glisten would help your small business.

The one with the most convincing tweet wins! Mom will do the judging, and judges decisions are final. :)

Deadline: Monday, March 8, 2010, 10pm central time.

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Share some good news in the basket

2010-03-05T07:42:00.003-06:00

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

The basket is open all weekend, from March 5-7, 2010.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Are unpaid internships legal

2010-03-05T00:22:00.001-06:00

A big discussion at ChrisBrogan.com about unpaid internships spilled over into the question of whether unpaid internships are legal in the US.

I used to work in the field of workforce development (back in the dark ages), so I wasn't afraid to head to DOL to check. Here's what my research says:
Unpaid internships would not be legal when the intern would otherwise be considered your employee.

Quoting the US Department of Labor: "labor standards will apply in any situation where an employer/ employee relationship, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act, exists."

How could an intern be considered an employee?
The basic issue is control. For an employee, you have the right to control the details of how the services are performed. With independent contractors, you control only the results, not the means and methods. This is why interns are more likely to be classified as employees: they are not experienced enough to take full control over their work methods.

The big question:
Are you likely to get in trouble for offering an occasional unpaid internship, like Chris did? I doubt it. If you abused the principle with repeated offerings of multiple unpaid internships performing core duties in your business, you'd be at high risk.

For more info on employee versus independent contractor, check with the IRS.

Photo by Becky McCray.
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Cardboard wine racks and profitability

2010-03-04T07:39:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of some of the wine racks in the stock room of our liquor store.

You can actually buy specially designed metal shelving and wine racks for liquor store stock rooms. Instead, my mother scrounged up some book cases. Then she used cardboard wine boxes and their dividers to make perfectly functional wine racks. It's in the backroom, so appearance isn't critical.

This may be typical Okie engineering, or it may be small town creativity. Maybe Mom was just too cheap to shell out for the fancy stuff.
But....
This kind of thinking kept her in business, and profitable, for over a decade. I think other business people have a lot to learn from my mom.

We're still using these shelves, of course. Can I offer you a nice chardonnay?

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Manage your business or it will manage you

2010-03-03T07:22:00.000-06:00

Keys to Your Business Managing You

Desperately say "yes" to every opportunity.
Assume everybody is doing what you told them to do.
Assume everybody understood what you said.
Procrastinate.
Set yourself up as the only person that knows how to do it.
Constantly allow exceptions to the rules.

That list comes from David Gaither of HSPG & Assoc. CPAs. At the Oklahoma Entrepreneurship Conference last week, he presented a great session, "Manage Your Business... Don't Let It Manage You."

His central message was to find the right people to help you in your business. No matter how small or large your business is, you need to build a team of people you can trust and you can count on. Seek people who are honest and capable, willing to ask questions, and driven to succeed, Gaither said.

Small town people are good people
"I grew up in Henryetta," Gaither said. "We have a lot of success in hiring people who came from rural Oklahoma and came through college. Because to them, they are in the big time."

Empowerment is much more than just giving people the tools they need. It's giving them them the responsiblity, accountability and constantly following up, Gaither said.

Finding service providers
You need a really good tax accountant, Gaither said. In his opinion, they give you the most breadth of experience for the least amount of money. They process things through a filter of how it will work on a tax return.

"When it comes to something to outsource in your business, you need to outsource your payroll," Gaither said.

Payroll requirements are always changing, including frequent rule and rate changes. Errors in payroll tax, especially in withholding tax, are extremely serious matters with the IRS, Gaither said.

Unless you have a really unusual situation, you don't need an attorney to write contracts, Gaither said. Your accountant can connect you with someone who has a similar contract that you can plagarize, he said.

He has an engagement letter with every single client. It outlines what work will be done, and what the cost will be. It takes a lot of finger pointing out of future discussions, he said.

IT is another good outsource, Gaither said. Find a good, knowledgeable tech person who knows your network. It's expensive per hour, but worth it. Computer problems absolutely wear you slick, he said.

Get to know a banker long before you need to borrow. They need to know your story. They need to know you. Start with where you do your business banking. Talk to their business banker. Ask them about setting up a line of credit, before you need it, Gaither said.

Accounting
Part time stay at home mom CPAs are the best and brightest, a bargain, and interested in working 25 hours a week, Gaither said. They are a good fit for small businesses. How do you find them? You talk to everybody you know.

You will outgrow your initial accounting setup, whether it's a person or a software package, Gaither said. You will have to get over that and upgrade when you grow.

QuickBooks is easy, has lots of qualified users. He said he recommends it to all his small business clients.

Managing expectations
Any new business starts out with you personally spending a lot of time planning, setting goals, and communicating your direction for the business.

Desperately saying yes to every opportunity is one symptom of your business managing you, Gaither said. You may have to do that at the start, but then it becomes a trait. You get to a place where you don't have to say yes to everything that comes in the door, if it's not in your core competency. You have to develop the ability to evaluate every opportunity. Be willing to say no. People will respect that. They aren't not going to call you next time. If you say yes to every opportunity, your business will run your life.

Chime in
Where do you agree, or disagree, with Gaither?

Photo of the business owner repairing bar stools himself at Carl's Bar in Hutchinson, KS.

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How to track your daily marketing activity

2010-03-01T07:50:00.002-06:00

When it's just you in the business, or you're the boss, no one makes you keep hammering away at what needs to be done except you. Marketing may be the most important activity in your business, but it's also hard to be consistent, with everything else you have to do.

Here is one system you can use to keep yourself on track with marketing activity. Start with your revenue goal.

Divide the total dollar goal into pieces. If the goal is $1000 in the next month, that means ten ads at $100. Or two consulting jobs at $500. Or 100 sales of a $10 item. Figure out what you have to sell in your business to reach your total dollar goal.
Estimate how many contacts you need to make, on average, to make those sales. A common ratio I've heard is six contacts for one sale. So 60 contacts to sell ten ads. If you've blocked out five days to work on marketing this month, that's 12 calls per day. When you get to this point, you may find that you need to adjust the dollar goals based on a realistic level of activity. Twelve sounds pretty do-able, but 120 means you need to go back and re-evaluate your goal.
Use the daily goal to make sure you follow through on the marketing. You can track this on your work calendar or a separate sheet or card. You need to make 12 calls, so count your calls until you reach 12.

Here's an old telephone sales activity tracking system you can adapt to track your own activity.

Your goal for today is 12 calls.
Make 20 empty spaces: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o.
Dial the first potential customer, and fill in the dot.
If you just leave a message, put an M.
When you speak to the actual person, draw a slash through your dot: /
When the customer commits to the next step (appointment, sale, further contact, etc.), circle the dot: O

When you have 12 slashes for 12 contacts, you are finished for today!

To make it easy to follow through consistently, I put the o's on a mailing label template, and printed them out. Then I stuck one to each day on my paper datebook.

"When nothing seems to help, I look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps 100 times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet, at the 101st blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." -Jacob A. Riis

How do you make sure you are consistent in your marketing activity?

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How one Brag can change it all

2010-02-26T05:20:00.000-06:00

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

How can that change it all? By inspiring one person, by motivating you to achieve something new, or by introducing you to just the right person at the right time.

This particular basket is open from Feb. 26-28, 2010.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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How Suzy sold me a muffin with 6 lessons

2010-02-25T07:43:00.002-06:00

Suzy and Tracie make bread in a little strip mall in Mishawaka, Indiana. They have a franchise with Great Harvest Bread Company. They give you free slices to sample. (Apple Scrapple is very good.) They are like lots of bread stores in lots of towns.

Their store/bakery is only a couple miles from our daughter's college, but I never would have noticed it. It's one of many stores in that mall, and there are many strip malls along Grape Road.

So how did Suzy sell me a muffin and a coffee mug?

Debbie Huber reads my blog. I wrote a series of 5 question interviews, (including one with Becky). Debbie liked the idea and decided to write her own version. (Lesson 1: steal ideas wherever you can. Lesson 2: have a corporate blog.)
I found out about the post because I have a google alert to search for my blog (Lesson 3: link out from your blog.)
I noticed they have a location in Mishawaka. I commented on the post and told Debbie I'd check out Great Harvest. (Lesson 4: have your locations on your website.)
Debbie commented back and said she'd tell the franchise owners Suzy and Tracie that a social media chaplain would be coming in. (Lesson 5: interact with your readers.)

We stopped by the bakery. I asked for Suzy and introduced myself. She said, "Are you the social media, what, guru?" (Lesson 6: follow through when you say you will do something.)

The muffin was good. Suzy was friendly.

And Great Harvest has a new fan.

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Geeks and Entrepreneurs converge in Oklahoma

2010-02-24T23:08:00.002-06:00

Last year at the Oklahoma Entrepreneurship Conference, we had two people tweeting: me and @stargardener. When we announced the hashtag we were using for the event, we got the oddest reactions. We had a tweetup, with just the two of us, and it was great. And the brand-new-at-the-time @OKCCoCo was there.

This year, there were 20 or so tweeters, and we had a tweetup with 17 people. Of course, @stargardener and I were back. The @OKCCoCo crew live-streamed video of many sessions. Conference organizer, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, picked an official hashtag: #OKEship, and tweeted a few photos. We had someone live tweeting from the audience in all the break out sessions. Heck, I live tweeted from the stage in one panel.

What changed? Convergence: more geeky entrepreneurs, more entrepreneurial geeks.

Plus, the conference this year emphasized social media. @chrisbrogan keynoted, and he drew in many of his local fans. Several local social media stars also spoke, including @malenalott, @deedradeterman, @blogging4jobs, and even me. I know I left some of you out who spoke! Remind me, and I'll fix it. (@Stargardener just reminded me that I left out @skygrrrl1272, who came over from Arkansas to speak.)

Where do we go from here? Who knows; but it will be exciting.

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What do customers want on tourism websites

2010-02-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

Our crack research staff (my husband) caught a discussion thread about tourism websites. This one happened to be on a hunting safari forum, but there are lessons for anyone's tourism website.

(If you don't like hunting, or hunting pictures, don't click through: here is the original hunting discussion thread.)

A hunting and tourism operator asked the forum what info people wanted on a website. Here are the top requests from the readers:

current prices and packages
updated photos of facilities and areas
description and bio of guides

A few choice comments from readers:

I just absolutely hate it when no prices are there... I have seen a lot of good websites that were missing this essential piece to give you a baseline of what things will cost.
Tim Herald

I hate websites that don't put in pricing. Matter of fact, I dismiss them right off, if they don't.
I also hate websites that put their print on dark colored, or pictured backgrounds. Maybe its my old eyes, but they are darned hard to read.
Mad Dog

Do not use any music. No continuous video. Up to date prices and accurate descriptions.
dogcat

I know the immediate reaction is to dismiss this. But lots and lots and lots and lots of tourism websites don't pass these basic tests. And I thought you might like to hear the input from real people.

The discussion question: to price or not to price?
Do you include prices on your tourism related website? Why or why not?

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Simplify your small business marketing plan

2010-02-22T07:53:00.001-06:00

Every small business has to market itself, but not many small businesses have a marketing plan of any kind. Even fewer have one they actually use. That's why I developed the Simplified Marketing Plan, back in 2006. It's high time to update it.

The plan is simple, so you'll actually do it. There are just four steps. You can create your plan in any form that makes sense for you: outline, mindmap, notecards, etc. Just be sure it addresses each of the four parts.

1. Name and describe each market.
Every business has more than one market to reach. A restaurant markets to hungry people, but also to event organizers. A local photographer may market to individuals, event organizers, families, schools and many other separate markets. For a chamber of commerce, your markets may be local businesses, people in the community, plus businesses you are trying to attract.

If you think in the broadest terms, a customer is anyone whose actions affect your results. (I borrowed that definition from Steve Yastrow, at tompeters.com.) If you are not sure about yours, sit down and brainstorm with a friend.

2. List potential methods you can use to reach your markets.
You may start with listing your traditional methods, including newspaper advertising, word of mouth, or printed materials. Add to that all the online methods you can think of. Facebook Fan Pages are a natural for small town businesses. Other ideas might be participation in local forums, contributing to groups on Flickr, blogging, uploading videos to YouTube, or updating your status and sharing links on Twitter or LinkedIn. The key is to identify the areas where your customers are online.

How do you find out where your customers are online? Ask them. I realize that sounds like an overly simplified answer, but it is the best way to find out.

3. Establish the cost in time and in money, and decide.
Go through your new list of potential methods. Start estimating the cost in time and money to use that method. Blogging might cost 8 hours of your time and $5 in expenses per month. Billboards might cost 18 hours of work to create and have posted, plus $1500 per month. (Those are just wild guesses. The point is to do your own estimates.)

Now, balance those costs against the benefits. Which methods get you more contact with your targeted markets? Which methods generate interaction and deeper connections? Which ones have the best potential to drive sales?

Finally, decide. Decide which methods to use and which to let go of. Pare your list down to just the most effective and do-able. Unless you are a brand new business, now is the time to get rid of some things you may have been doing for a long time that have lost effectiveness. Recapture that time and money for more effective methods.

4. Integrate it into your daily activities.
This is where things get interesting. You have a plan. You've decided on methods. Now use the plan to help guide your scheduling.

Line up your methods, and see where you can multiply your efforts. Write once, reuse or customize many times. Once you write the text for a blog post, it can automatically post to your Facebook Fan page. The same words could be reworked for a printed newsletter or a information sheet for customers. Status updates and links shared on Facebook can go automatically to Twitter and LinkedIn.

Use checklists to organize the work. Once you've selected your methods for reaching customers, draw up a daily or weekly checklist for actions to be completed. Here's a bit more about creating a checklist for your social media marketing actions.

After I presented this plan to the Bartlesville Marketing and Communication Association, David Austin interviewed me about the four parts of the plan. If you don't see the embedded video, click here for the full post.

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Brag Basket comes to Facebook

2010-02-19T07:25:00.010-06:00

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

This particular basket is open from Feb. 19-21, 2010. This will be our first Brag Basket that gets cross-posted to our new Small Biz Survival Facebook Fan community. (Hey, I think that was a brag in itself!)

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure, because that's part of life, too.

This is not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Social media summit for small businesses

2010-02-18T19:58:00.001-06:00

Small Biz Social Media Summit 2010 is a live, rub elbows, shake hands and sit down across a table from other small business owners event in Hutchinson, Kansas, on June 5 and 6, 2010.

Our friend Deb Brown, with help from our friend Grant Griffiths, put together some of the most respected social media, internet based marketers and small business peers to share their proven strategies. I'm one of them. We are all going to give you real life, no hype and the nitty-gritty details you need to know how to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer any small business.

The event website is www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com and you can download the event flyer.

This summit is designed specifically for small businesses to identify social media avenues (like Facebook, twitter, blogging), how to use them and walk away with a plan for their business. See, Deb noticed another social media summit in her area. She didn't like that it ignored small business, so she decided to fix that by putting together a better event, this event.

Hutchinson, Kansas, was chosen not only for its easy to get to location, but also for its early adoption of social media by their local businesses. If you are in driving distance, you'll want to be there.

Friday, June 4, there will be a reception at the Cosmosphere and Space Center, featuring several people who will share what they are doing with social media and answer your questions. Saturday and Sunday will be at Hutch Hall in downtown Hutchinson.

Speakers include Becky McCray author of Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns, Jay Ehret host and producer of Power to the Small Business podcast, Kim Dushinski author of The Mobile Marketing Handbook, Deb Brown, networked communicator at www.debworks.com, George Krueger and Mary-Lynn Foster co-hosts of the show The Bigg Success Show, Cody Heitschmidt from LogicMaze, Grant Griffiths publisher of Blog for Profit, and Justin Levy, general manager of New Marketing Labs.

Notice something about that speaker list? They are all small business people, and they are experts in social media. Let's see. There are a couple of marketing firms, a liquor store, an Argentinian steak house, a website firm, a network marketer, at least one farmer, and much more represented there. Real small business people.

There are now 1.2 million rural small businesses. It is estimated by 2015 one in three people will be self employed. This Small Business Social Media Summit is designed specifically for the rural small business. Attend and set up peer mentors in your arena, meet others in your industry utilizing social media, hear what works and what doesn’t.

Find more information online at www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com

Notes from an Oklahoma tourism forum

2010-02-16T07:45:00.002-06:00

Last week, Enid, Oklahoma, hosted a tourism forum, with over 90 people in attendance. Here are some of the best points captured in my notes.

Best silver bullet in travel: People want to eat like the locals. Recommendations from the locals of the hidden gems and "must eat there" places.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director

Travelers are making decisions right now based on eco factors.
Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma's State Tourism Director

I have a soft spot in my heart for diners. And I have a soft spot in my heart for the things that are a little off-beat.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma

What do tourists want to see? Beyond the obvious attractions, the hard part is looking for the little things that might be overlooked. Even the weird junky art guy who doesn't represent the best of town will bring people to town. Things you might be around everyday, and might never think about.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma

We have to be what we are. The little things make you what you are. Take advantage of them.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma

While you try to sell your attraction to the world, you also have to sell it to your people.
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma
(Locals suffer from "never been there" syndrome.)

People will pay to pick cotton. I don't understand the attraction, but I'm grateful for it.
(His brother found an old cotton sack with his name on it. "Do you want it?" "Burn it! Burn it and drive a stake through its heart!")
Ron Stahl, host of Discover Oklahoma

Top Reasons people come to Oklahoma:

Scenic drives
Restaruants
Historic sites
Outdoor recreation
Shopping
Museums

Sandy Pantlik, Oklahoma Tourism Department

The available volunteer pool is declining, as population declines. It's still 10 people who do everything, no matter how big the town is.

There was a lot of desire for more networking and coordination between all the people trying to promote tourism in Northwest Oklahoma. I consider this a wonderful development.

Conspicuously Absent:
There was no discussion of social networks, new media, or any other online marketing. Sandy Pantlik did demonstrate the latest technology from the TravelOK.com website, and she did mention that video could be uploaded by local communities. There was a tiny amount of discussion of individual destination websites.

Given the general technology level in the room, that was probably just fine. I was the only one who brought a laptop. I was definitely the only one live-tweeting.

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Why the Census matters to small town entrepreneurs

2010-02-15T07:52:00.002-06:00

The upcoming US Census matters to rural small businesses because it will affect your community for the next ten years.

Census data is key to:

Federal grants, especially CDBG and Rural Development
Economic development efforts
Redrawing political boundaries from Congressional districts, all the way down to local political boundaries
Every single person counted brings $790 back to the community through grants and programs

(I heard that $790 figure from Brent Kisling, Enid (OK) economic developer at a meeting of the Northwest Oklahoma Alliance.)

Most small towns and small businesses can't afford to do their own research of population or demographics, so Census data is usually the best available data. That makes it in your own best interest to be sure the Census data is as good as possible.

Once big problem the Census faces is that rural people can be very private, and resent anyone prying into personal information. Good news; this year the Census form is only 10 questions. Also, the Census Bureau is forbidden by Federal law to share anyone's answers with any other agency, including law enforcement.

Getting Involved
Census day is April 1, 2010. Start by looking around the 2010 Census site for more information

What can your small business do?

Talk to your employees about participating.
Print the simple factsheet at the Census Bureau site and make it available to customers.
Use your marketing, online and offline, to promote participation. (There is a promotional toolkit available from the Census Bureau and even more materials here.)
Help other local organizations with their census outreach.

Photo: City of Alva utility bill encouraging census participation.

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Mistakes: Failing a customer

2010-02-14T12:59:00.002-06:00

Our friend Linda, @MissDazey42, is a retired business owner, with experience in sales, market research, etc. (Her motto: "If I had my life to live over, I'd pick more daisies.") Linda shared this story about her experience with a local business for our series on mistakes small businesses make.

Two years ago, I had the best experience with a small local shoe store when they special ordered a pair of shoes. They carry the brand of shoes I need for my arthritic feet. I told everyone about this wonderful caring store, including on a blog.

I went back and ordered another pair in middle of December; I was told it would take 2 weeks. OK, no hurry. By the middle of January, there were still no shoes. I called and the very young girl said she would tell the owner. OK, it’s now mid February, no shoes and no return calls from owner. I called again and got the same song and dance.

Yesterday since I was near there, I stopped by. The owner was on her cell phone at the desk, but the second she heard my name she went darting into the storage room. It was so very embarrassing for the young salesperson. All she could say was my shoes have been ordered. I asked if I could cancel, she went to ask the boss and got a NO. (By the way, the order was prepaid.)

I am a big promoter of good customer service. It’s a shame a local store that has a one of a kind specialty service has changed so much. It’s been in business here for years. Next time I will simply order the same shoes online at a lower price.

Read more from Linda at Elder Generation.

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Be sweet in the Brag Basket

2010-02-12T07:39:00.001-06:00

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news about yourself, or congratulate a friend.

And what better time to share something sweet than Valentine's weekend? This particular basket is open from Feb. 12-14, 2010.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate a terrific failure. It's not an ad; it's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other!

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Ways to deliver audio for tourism

2010-02-09T08:08:00.001-06:00

Imagine if your most enthusiastic and wonderful tour leader could guide every group of visitors. You know, that one person who tells the best stories, who makes it all come to life... what if that person guided every visitor?

The next best thing might be to record them and share that audio with your visitors.

The Shattuck, Oklahoma, Windmill Museum uses FM radio to broadcast "Windmill Willie's Story About Windmills." I think that is pretty cool. (I didn't tune in because I was headed to a meeting and just stopped long enough to snap this pic.)

You've probably seen audio CDs used to promote a tourism destination. One use that makes a lot of sense is a driving tour on CD. Pop it in the ol' CD player in the car, and head out on the tour.

How about getting even more modern? Let's take that same audio and go online. If you are not a technical wiz, get together with someone who is, to get started. And check out our friend Des Walsh's Basic Resources for Podcasting.

If you are technical, make an MP3 and upload it to your server. Or try out Utterli.com to host your files. Utterli will let you embed their player right on your site. (See an example of the embedded Utterli player here.)

The ultimate goal is to give your visitor another way to connect with your destination.

Do you have any examples of effective audio for tourism?

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