There is never a need to reinvent the wheel as they say. So if you are trying to hone your style as a small business leader and employer look to great leaders in history for inspiration. You will become a more effective leader in your organization when you adopt these techniques modeled by Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist and first black president of South Africa: 1. Be a model in times of fear. A leader does not have to be fearless, but the best leaders appear to be fearless in difficult times so they set an example for others. Even as a prisoner, Mandela walked tall and proud. Tip: Speak with confidence about new initiatives and challenges your team faces. 2. Bring your followe

Today when consumers need help figuring something out they ‘Google it’ and often times a how-to video on YouTube is one or more of the search results. If you don’t have a how-to video created yet for your business, you might be missing out. How-to videos can be an invaluable resource in growing your business and offer you some public relations to position you and your firm as an expert. If you want to give it a go, here are some important things to keep in mind. First, how-to videos are focused around the need for instant information. Thanks to smartphones, that ‘I-want-to-know,’ ‘I-want-to-do’ and ‘I-want-to-buy’ need has grown exponentially in recent years. The most important thing you

Content marketing should be one of the key components of your business strategy, but I recognize it can be difficult to get started. However, I have you covered! Here are my nine best tips to help you focus on content marketing for the best engagement with your customers and clients: 1. Answer probable questions. Be the leading source for information about your products/services. By answering customer questions before they turn to Google for help, you establish yourself as an expert and it minimizes the chance they’ll end up going to your competitors. 2. Sell an idea. Sometimes you don’t need to know about a product to sell it. If you look at ads for Apple or GoDaddy, sometimes they

LinkedIn can be an invaluable resource for networking in the professional world, however much of the best practice advice for using it is meant specifically for large corporate brands. This causes small business owners to make crucial mistakes on LinkedIn when they follow engagement methods meant for large enterprises with more resources and far greater name recognition. Luckily, I have some expert guidance on how YOU can best leverage LinkedIn like a small business pro! 1. Don’t market. Studies show you can get the maximum marketing effect by concentrating your efforts where people spend more of their time such as Facebook and Instagram. Twitter is also easier to reach a lot of people as

I recognize that developing a compelling email newsletter program for your business can be challenging and time consuming for you as a small business owner. It is also one of the most vital components of a marketing strategy that can help you attract new clients and/or nurture existing ones. Here are my seven tips for sending an eye-catching e-newsletter with style that your subscribers will find insightful as well as enjoy. 1. Lay out your objectives. What do you want your newsletter to do? Is it there to spread the word about your site? Does it advertise your latest products and/or services? Are you trying to enlighten your readers? Clearly define your objective(s) before you even begi