Once you strike out on your own, your relationships with recruiters change. When you were looking for a full-time job, they represented a way to get your foot in the door at a company. As an entrepreneur, their roles shift slightly. They still help you get a foot in the door, but now they also bring the ability to provide new projects. The one thing that continually frustrates … [Read more...]
Retaining and Developing Talent that Represents the Future
Jill is an African American woman with ten years of experience in consulting. She is certified and versatile in the areas of practice in which she might contribute now and in the future. She has deep community roots in the major metropolitan area in which she works and she has shown great promise in promoting the organization in the market. She has demonstrated ability to … [Read more...]
The USPS Lesson
The post office is nearly bankrupt, the cost cutting is not working. We are in danger of losing a service that is vital to many small businesses. So while other business blogs are looking at this situation and wondering what went wrong, I’m asking “what can we learn?” The postal situation is not unique and what it highlights is how the wrong type of organizational culture can … [Read more...]
The Cost of Business
In our current situation many companies are cackling about how much money they have saving on services and are doing their fair share to keep pushing prices down. On the surface this savings looks good to many companies, but as soon as the economy turns around these services are going to go back to the increased costs they deserve and then what? Well in my years I have observed … [Read more...]
Repurposing Content: It Works for Social Media, Too!
The life of a single tweet or Facebook post may be quite short, but they perhaps have more value than you realize. As women in business, we are always "on"… and with social media it's no different. Between LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, the newcomer Google+, and our blogs, we are sharing massive amounts of information on a regular basis. But how do we make it work for us … [Read more...]
Inc Magazine’s 10 Tips on How to Research Your Competition
Inc. Magazine recently ran a piece titled, "10 Tips on How to Research Your Competition." If Tweets, Likes and LinkedIn Shares are any indication, this piece by Darren Dahl, has generated quite an online buzz. Must be a compelling topic... The interest and importance of researching your competition is a no-brainer. Obviously it's important, no matter what industry you're … [Read more...]
3 Important Things I Learned About Social Media in 2010
Mixing "social" with "business?" Is that rather like the division of church and state? Not really. But you'd think so when you see the proliferation of articles, everywhere, about what to do and what not to do when it comes to utilizing Social Media and your business. What's a girl to do? This year of 2010 has been a revelation to me as to the ins and outs of Social … [Read more...]
Nine steps to developing a social media plan
Social media is not longer an option for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is a must. Just as having a website establishes credibility and provides information to potential clients, social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn do the same thing, as well as show you are in touch with the latest technology and coolest tools. How does an already overwhelmed business owner … [Read more...]
Getting Beyond Unconscious Bias
We are all guilty of bias. It is part of being human. One of the issues facing women in business is continued stereotyping , unconscious bias and the unintended consequences that result. This is one of the most difficult issues organizations face when they are working on culture shifts that must take place if women are to participate on an even playing field. The most … [Read more...]
Killing Your Competition with (Client) Kindness
Five Core Principles for Turning Clients and Prospects into Raving Fans Once upon a time customer service meant more than pressing 2 to wait (and wait and wait) for “the next available representative.” Companies valued those who bought their goods and services and went the proverbial extra mile to make them happy. Today we’re more likely to hear about a company that’s … [Read more...]