For years now Black Friday has been the best sales day of the year for a lot of small businesses. This Thanksgiving however, what I noticed were not the great deals or the savvy shoppers. I noticed the grumpiness and discontent of the people that had to work, the increased security in the malls and the general cynicism of the average shopper. So what can small business learn … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2013
The Advantages of Building a Culture of Teamwork For Corporate Events
Great teamwork skills can send ripples far out, and it amplifies the effects of individual efforts, too. Great teamwork makes it possible to accomplish things that individuals working their hardest could never dream to do, and this is an important thing to consider when you’re conceiving or managing events. Looking at your staff members as a cohesive team can make a lot more … [Read more...]
Videos in Email Marketing – Getting Better [Infographic]
According to the data in a new infographic from Email Monks, 58% of email marketing message recipients will be able to view videos that you include in your campaigns without leaving their email programs. The other 42% will see a static image and have to click-through to watch the video online. Data from Wistia and Video Explainers tells us that using video in email training … [Read more...]
Women Small Business Owners Use Social Media for Marketing More than Male Counterparts [Infographic]
New studies by Web.com, reveal the differences between how women small business owners use the web and social media to grow their businesses in comparison to male small business owners. Web.com first interviewed 3,000 consumers and small business decision makers to determine if there are gaps between the two groups related to small business perceptions. Interestingly, the … [Read more...]
Women Business Owners Give Thanks for Support, Growth, and Ability to Impact Community
Without doubt, there are challenges that come with owning a business. There are websites and blogs and forums dedicated to advising one another on how to be better at work and at home and in life. We use these outlets to share our struggles and tips for overcoming them and to tell stories of persevering when staying open another day seemed impossible. Then, in quiet … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Get Your Employees Engaged
Engaged employees. Yea, right. You may be thinking this is just another pie in the sky article written by someone who doesn’t spend her days in the trenches. But before you relegate the idea of engaged employees to the realm of fantasy alongside mermaids and unicorns, consider these simple steps, and I mean simple, that you as a manager can implement to bring out the best in … [Read more...]
How Leadership Misses the Mark
Today I had an occasion to really explore something about myself that I already knew. I knew it, but I didn’t know what to do about it. You see I am nothing if not up front about what I like and don’t like, but I often skip conversations that are not productive. The end result is that the irritation builds and then you have a blow up. I learned that this is really passive … [Read more...]
71 Years to Gender Equality in Top Chicago Companies
The Chicago 50 2013 Census Report from The Chicago Network reveals that it will take 71 years for men and women to have equal representation in the boardrooms and executive positions at Chicago's 50 largest publicly-traded companies. In 2013, the census found the total number of top women executive officers fell to 74, down from its peak of 94 set in 2005. The percentage of … [Read more...]
Event Management Trends that Dominated 2013
It’s 2013, and more than that, 2014 is right around the corner. It’s time to look into the top event management trends. Things usually start trending in business or event management because they work, so it’s imperative that you pay attention to them and begin to integrate them into your event work for more successful events. 1. Mobility Tablet and mobile apps have become … [Read more...]
How I Got 10,000 Views To My Website And Built My Internet Business
When I was a teacher, it was hard for me to see a student fail. Not because it reflected on me as a teacher (it didn't) but because to see a child with so much potential waste it by not turning in homework or not showing up to class was heartbreaking. I had one student two years in a row because of this problem. He was extremely smart. When I found out he would be repeating … [Read more...]