LINDA P MORTON TO APPEAR AS AN ONLINE WBO RADIO GUEST

 SPEAKING ABOUT MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Houston, Texas – October 18, 2008 – Linda P . Morton will appear as a guest on an online weekly radio talk show sharing her expertise and answering questions about strategic marketing segmentation for small business owners on www.blogtalkradio.com/wbo-radio on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 11 a.m. (EST). The dial in phone number (347) 205-9229.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity to share my expertise with members of Women Business Owners on their “live” online weekly talk radio show,” said Ms. Morton. “It is quite an expense to hire a marketing agency to do this research for you. I plan to offer suggestions/tips for small business owners to have a better understanding of marketing segmentation in order that they might be able to complete these tasks themselves.”

Among the topics of marketing research and development that will be discussed are as follows —

*Analyzing the market

*Determining the target market *Developing a profitable and marketable product

*Marketing the product

*and, much more!

About the speaker

Linda P Morton, Ed.D., APR, is a professor emeritus, the University of Oklahoma and has studied and written about segmenting by demographic characteristics national column in “Public Relations Quarterly” for 9 years. And, Ms. Morton is listed in many Who’s Who. She has also written an e-book entitled “Know’em Sell’em: How to Discover the Best Appeals for Your Target Market which is available for purchase by visiting, http://strategicsegmentation.com/ebook-sales.php.

For more information regarding the WBO Talk Radio Show, please visit our blog, www.wbotalkradioshow.blogetery.com. Questions about Women Business Owners, www.womenbizowners.org, you may call (713) 516-1524 or email altha@womenbizowners.org.

Here’s a question I get asked all the time:

“I don’t know you how do it, Alicia…with two little ones to care for and so few hours in the day to actually focus on your work. Somehow you manage to write your weekly ezine, hold a bunch of teleseminars each month, run your 10-week group coaching program, AND be creating and promoting new offers and new products all the time. I’m so impressed and inspired by you, but more than that, I want to know how you do it all!?”

To be honest, sometimes I wonder myself! Something I often say to other, especially new, mothers is, “despite what everyone tells you to do, do whatever works for YOU.” In a way, that’s how I started running my business after I had my daughter. I just did whatever worked. I still do.

When she got a bit older, it was easier to manage both being a fulltime mother along with running a successful business. Then enter baby #2 and it was back to square one. It’s not easy but it is possible. And here’s what’s really interesting (mompreneurs, take note): I’m making about $3k more each month since having my son - and I’m working LESS.

A client recently pointed out to me that it seems the biggest growths in my business have been when I’ve been having babies - and she’s right!

Over time, I’ve figured out how to get the most important things done while still being able to focus the majority of my time on my family (after all, that’s one of the reasons why I went into business for myself in the first place).

Here are the top three things that are working for me right now:

1. Setting my work hours

My typical work day looks like this: I get organized the night before for the next day. This jump-starts my day and makes sure that when I do get those tiny pockets of time to get something done, I know exactly what to do. This makes me feel like I’m accomplishing stuff in-between having tea parties, blowing bubbles, crawling around on the floor, exploring the neighborhood or running errands.

But I don’t get any real work done until naptime. I work for about a total of an hour or so while the kids nap, five days a week. Then I put in some more time after they go to bed at night, whether I’m leading a teleseminar or catching up on emails. My biggest block of focused time, usually reserved for writing and product creation, is on Saturdays, when I work approximately 4 hours.

During a perfect week, that would give me about 12 hours of time dedicated to business. However, there’s never a perfect week (one or the other doesn’t nap, I have some pressing non-business-related task that I can only take care of when they’re sleeping, one of them is sick, etc.), so my best guess is that this gives me about 8-10 productive hours to work on my business each week.

2. Ignoring the phone

I’m serious when I say that I ignore the phone. Some of my clients get heart palpitations when I tell them that I NEVER jump when the phone rings and suggest they do the same. I don’t even have the ringer turned on on the business line. Does this mean I miss some important calls? Probably. But my virtual assistant checks my messages in a timely manner, takes care of what she can, and forwards the rest to me. I then call people back at a more convenient time for me.

3. Quick consults

When a prospective client wanted to speak with me about ‘just a few questions’, I used to gladly schedule a time to talk. But instead of a few questions, I’d be on the phone for at least a half hour, basically giving a free coaching/consulting session, and being frustrated with myself for not valuing my time more.

And until recently, when a potential client or customer requested to talk with me further about working with me or about one of my products, they could schedule a time to talk for a much smaller fee than my usual hourly rate, and if they decide to go forward with working with me, they could apply the fee they paid towards the program or product they were interested in. It’s fair and values both our time and investment in the process.

Now, however, prospects can talk with my virtual assistant should they need more information about any of my programs or products. If someone is interested in working with me one-on-one, they need to apply for a private coaching spot and if I feel it’s a good fit, we set up an interview to discuss moving forward.

BONUS: Make and use lists

I’d be lost without my lists! I’d never remember to do anything if I didn’t write it down. I keep a bunch of reporter’s notebooks around the house and anytime I think of something I need to do, I write it down in whatever room I’m in - whether it’s business or personal. Then I periodically gather the lists and separate them into three main lists; personal, business, and other (which includes the “someday I’d like to…” stuff; things that aren’t a priority but that I want to remember to do at some point), and check things off in priority order from there.

If you start applying some of these steps now, I guarantee the number of productive hours you spend on your business will increase. And you’ll also feel less overwhelmed and lessed stressed about trying to get it all done!

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & CoachT, founder of ClientAbundance.com and creator of 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success SystemT, teaches professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com.

How to Use Contests to Boost Your Business during summer

 

By Beverly Mahone

 

 

 

Is your business suffering because it’s summer?  The months between June and August are generally a slow time for online businesses.  People would much rather be outside enjoying the sunshine while shopping than be inside glued to a computer.     

 

If you’re an entrepreneur trying to get keep your business in the forefront of your customer’s mind, why not try running a contest? A contest is a great way to promote you and your business.  You can also capture names and email addresses to build your list for potential sales.  As you promote your contest, you are also promoting your website and what you offer.  Why do you think some companies advertise “free offers?” Once they get your email address they can also send you information on all of their products and/or services.  They’re counting on the fact that you will eventually see something worth purchasing. 

 

I have always been a fan of contests—especially trivia contests.  So when I created my website and started networking online in 2005, I immediately put some “just for fun” contests on my website and targeted my niche market—baby boomers.  Within a few months, Name that Baby Boomer Tune and Who’s that Boomer became popular with dozens of people coming to the site daily just to play. 

 

During the summer I decided to up the ante and started offering little token prizes ($10 gift cards), I saw those numbers double and even triple.   I started to achieve the desired result:  SALES of my book Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age.  At one point, I sold at least one book per day for 23 days straight.  Those same people who were entering my trivia contests were also checking out the rest of my website and making a purchase.   

 

If you’re a small business owner looking to increase your online visibility during the summer, contests are definitely a good way to go.  Here are some tips to help you get started:

 

1)  Research the Legal Issues:  It is important to know what the laws in your state say about running contests.  It is especially important if you allow entries from people outside of the U.S.  Your state may have some restrictions when it comes to dealing with certain states or countries. 

 

Another thing to check into is whether or not your prizes will require a 1099 claim form be sent to the winner(s) at the end of the year.  The 1099 form is normally generated if a contest winner’s prize is valued at $500 or more.  A good online resource is www.sweepstakeslaw.com;

 

2) Create a Contest to fit your Target Market:  Before you decide to run a contest you must ask yourself this question  “Do I really know who my target market is?”  If you sell herbal products on your website, to whom are you selling them?  Are you actively soliciting a particular group to purchase your products or does it matter?  Do the products or services you sell have the same appeal to a 25-year-old male as they would for a 45-year-old woman?

 

3)  Determine the type of contest:  Your contest should fit the image of your business.  If you’re selling weight loss products or a weight loss program, it might be insensitive to sponsor a Best Looking Babe in a Bikini photo contest.  On the other hand, you could be a little creative and hold a humorous writing contest that addresses the statement:  Why I’m glad I’m not skinny like Paris Hilton.  By all means, try to make the contest fit some type of summer theme. 

 

When I was thinking about holding my first big contest, I was advised not to ask people to write essays because many people generally don’t like to write.  I went against the grain and decided to do an essay-writing contest.  I had nearly 400 entries.  I’ll tell you why later.

 

Other types of contests are:

 

·       Trivia

·       Video

·       Multiple Choice

·       Find the Clues

 

Consider whether you want to hold a daily, weekly, or monthly contest.  You can tailor the contest any way you like.   It can be just for fun and bragging rights or you can offer a small token.  Giving away a “free item” or a coupon good towards the purchase of something from your business has a good chance of creating a new client. 

 

4)  Be Clear on the Rules:  Whatever type of contest you decide on, make sure the rules are clear and easy to understand.  There should be no loopholes that can be challenged. If it’s a daily, weekly or monthly contest, it’s important those entering know how the winner is determined. 

 

Will it be the first correct answer or the first five correct answers? 

How many times can a person enter?

How often can someone enter?

How will you handle duplicate entries from one person?

Is the contest international or just for U.S. citizens? 

If cash is involved, what form will the prize be in—cash, check, money order? 

Who will be responsible for shipping and handling charges of the prizes? 

How many prizes will be given away? 

Will you base the prize giveaway on the number of entries? 

Are there any age restrictions? 

When is the entry deadline

 

If it’s an essay writing contest, what is the word limit?

Is it supposed to be humorous or serious or in poetry form? 

What will be the entrants be judged on?  Is it on creativity or spelling and grammar? 

Who will judge the entries?  

 

5)    Form Venture Partnerships (Sponsors):   One of the benefits of online networking, is connecting with fellow entrepreneurs.  You can form relationships that develop beyond the “social.”  When preparing to do a contest put the word out to your networking groups. Show them the benefits and ask them to team up with you. You may offer free promotion for their business in your press releases or on your website for a specific period of time.  In exchange, they may offer the grand prize or make a cash contribution to help offset any costs (like shipping and handling prizes to the winner).  This is a great way to increase your visibility and further build on those business relationships. Present your potential partner with the idea that teaming up will be a win-win situation for everyone!    

 

Using Contests to market your online business is an effective way to drive more traffic to your website and ultimately increase sales. 

 

 

In addition to being the author of the best selling book, Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age, Beverly Mahone has also earned the nickname “Contest Queen” for the number of successful contests she has run on her websites.  She is also a member of Women Business Owners and creator and founder of Boomer Diva Nation—an online community for women 40 and beyond.  To contact Beverly, send an email to:  Beverly@talk2bev.com or visit her website:  www.boomerdivanation.org

copyright 2008, Dr. Sally Witt, The Center for Healing & Training, Inc.

215/736-0900

 

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When we were in High School, there were some things we were good at, some things we were great at, and some things that did not help us to shine!  Hopefully, our parents and some teachers loved us anyway.

As entrepreneurs, we have a few very short moments to show our best.  In this fast paced age, the three to five minute rule for first impressions is down to less than 30 seconds.  That impression is already made before we even get to meet anyone is person.  Today, our impression is already set in quick-drying cement by our blog/web page/profile that is found online.

Most people now use a search engine to check up on someone before they do business with them, or even make an appointment to meet with them.  What do you look like when someone types your name or business name into Google?

The average person will never go to the second page.  They will notice how you rank in that first page.  Then they will read the little partial sentences there.  If they LIKE what they see, or are intrigued, then they will click through to your blog/website/profile.

Most days if you type my name in a search engine, you will find 8 or more listings that are for me and 1 or 2 that belong to a woman with the same name in a similar business in Chicago.  I actually met her at a convention for the National Guild of Hypnotists one year while in line for the ladie’s room.  It was like the Twilight Zone to see MY name tag on the woman’s chest in front of me.  She is tall, dark haired and slim.  Let’s just say that I am pretty much the opposite!  I am fortunate to only have one person in competition for my name most days.

Now, we have a prospective client or customer actually clicking through to a page about you.  How does the photo look?  How do you present yourself and your services or products?  Within a few seconds, those impressions are made.

One thing that they should not find are embarrassing photos of your social life.  Assuming that the photos and blog posts are relevant to your professional presentation, can they be better?  This is where a professional might come in handy.  Have a web or blog designer spruce up your look.  Have a copywriter tweak the content of your pages.  Update, modernize, and freshen your look and content at least once a year.  Things change so fast now. 

Professionals can give you the best opportunity to showcase your talents, services, and products in the best light.  They can work with you to let your personality shine through.  Think of the difference in the presentation of the American Idol contestants when they go to the auditions, and then the final handful compete onstage.  You want your potential clients and customers to see the polished and experienced you, shining in your best spotlight!

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Dr. Sally Witt is a Breakthrough Coach and Hypnotherapist. She has a Ph.D. in Spiritual Counseling, and has a unique background in traditional psychology as well as intense alternative and metaphysical training. She not only provides individuals and families with coaching and individual therapeutic sessions, but she provides support groups, corporate consulting, trainings and demonstrations on a wide variety of topics.

Dr. Witt is also known worldwide for her intuitive and energy healing gifts. She has been a frequent guest on national television and radio programs to talk about her work. She is the author of “Your Mind Holds the Key to Health, Happiness, and Prosperity”, available on Amazon.com. You can contact her at the Center for Healing and Training, Inc. at 215/736-0900. Her website is www.drsallywitt.com. Skype=drsallywitt

email drsallywitt@gmail.com

Positioning Statements What it is and Why it is important

Your professional profile needs to include a positioning statement. A positioning statement is a single sentence or paragraph that explains exactly what you do, what your business is all about, the purpose for existence is AND very definitely outlines the benefits your products or services provide to customers.

Positioning though is a lot more than a good statement. It should be part of every aspect of your business. Every time your business is seen or makes contact with the any potential client, site visitor, vendor, banker, or anyone else,  the position it has in the marketplace and the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) must be clear. Anyone who comes in contact with you should instantly understand what it is you do. A weak, unclear message will have a negative impact on your potential clients and all others as well.

My Position

When I first started working virtually, my ability to market was very limited.   Coupled with the fact that I didn’t even know what exactly I wanted to do, I was at a standstill. In an attempt to increase my cash flow, I thought I would offer multiple services. Not a good idea! I tried to market several different ideas and services at one time, and found that I was quickly getting nowhere. It took me quite a while to figure out that this was not a good idea. I couldn’t pinpoint who I was or what my business was all about.

I spent a lot of time researching the Internet, learning all kinds of stuff. I learned enough about building a website and using html to actually build my own site. I learned a thing or two about using content management systems. I learned about blogging, forums, and discussion boards. I learned about search engine optimization. I was learning it all! I subscribed to so many lists and newsletters. I learned how to create a newsletter. I learned about using signatures in forum posts. I could go on and on with the list of things I learned. At one point, it occurred to me that although I was learning all these mechanics of working on the Internet, I still didn’t know what I was doing! I had no idea how to market my website once it was built.  I had no idea how to promote my services or myself.  Heck, I wasn’t even sure what my services were!

Refining My Position

Over the next four years a few things happened. I learned it was important to position myself and my business as an expert in my niche.   It took a while for me to figure out exactly what my passion is, where my interests lie, and exactly what I wanted to do with my business.  Once I figured it out, my  niche became clearly focused, almost like a laser beam! I was now able to clearly state my position in business.

As a result of refining my position, I am able to clearly state what it is I do, how I do it and for whom I do it. And let’s not forget WHY I do it!

I know what to focus on, coaching other entrepreneurs to create and use professional profiles that will get them recognized as the expert in their niche! What is the result for my clients? They get more clients and more clients, means more dollars!

Having a clear focus and position means I know exactly what I am doing and my potential clients know exactly what I am doing!

Your positioning statement should also be part of your professional profile. No matter where you are using your professional profile, you need to include your positioning statement. Sometimes you will find this statement is almost all you will need to use.

What Is Your Position?

Are you able to present your business positioning statement in one or two sentences? Do you offer a clear benefit to a very specific niche and target market? It is so important that what you present to your potential clients definitively separates you from everyone else who is doing the same type of thing. You are. Whether they are offering the same service, the same product, whatever it is, you must be able to show how you are uniquely different from the competition.  You must be perceived as the expert in your niche to succeed in business. Keep this in mind as you write and use your professional profile.

Anita Bruton is a professional writer, coach and consultant, specializing in assisting small and home based entrepreneurs write and use a professional profile as an effective marketing tool. She also coaches entrepreneurs to obtain top positioning in their niche as a recognized expert. You can read more about Anita at http://anitaspen.com/profile.htm. Anita offers a complimentary report as well: 20 Tips to Writing Your Personal and Company Profile. You can pick it up on her website.

Consider Pay-Per-Click Advertising for Your Business: Four Reasons Why You Will Want to

Would you like to bring targeted traffic to your website in as little as 15 minutes? Then you should learn about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, especially if you are starting to optimize your website for the search engines.

There are four advantages to pay-per-click advertising.

1. You only pay for the advertising that works…

… because you only pay for your ad when someone actually clicks on it to visit your website.

2. You can get your website in the search results within just a few minutes.

With search engine optimization, it can take several weeks to get listed in the search engines, but with PPC, you can literally jump to the front of the line.

3. You can be listed in prime advertising space…

…by simply outbidding the other advertisers. There’s a bit of science + art to this, but it’s still a much more simple process than trying to figure out the secret formula to the organic (free) search engine rankings.

4. You can have a very small budget and still make pay-per-click advertising work for your business.

In fact, my own ads are in the best positions on the first pages for several of my targeted keywords, and I’ve only spent about $50 to get there.

And it’s not hard to do what I’ve done!

Just open a free account with Google Adwords, follow the easy steps to setting up your own advertising campaign, decide on a handful of keywords you want to bid on (the words that people in your market are searching for online), put in a few dollars as a daily budget, choose the amount you’re willing to pay-per-click, and then watch what happens.

Some people are skittish to do a PPC campaign because they are afraid that it will run away with their money. You can eliminate that fear because you have total control over how much you spend. Once you reach whatever limit you’ve decided upon for the day, your ads are no longer shown until the next day, so you’ll never spend any more money on your PPC than you decide. You can also pause or delete your campaign if you need to at anytime as well.

If you choose good keywords, write an effective ad, and track your results, PPC advertising can be an excellent way to drive targeted traffic to your website, which ultimately will lead to more sales for you, in the form of new clients and customers.

Just remember that PPCs should be just one part of your overall marketing strategy. In fact, a balance of search engine optimization as well as running a PPC campaign is usually the most effective strategy for bringing your website the most targeted traffic overall.

Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & CoachT, founder of ClientAbundance.com and creator of 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success SystemT, teaches professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com.

BiztechDay - Take Action to Grow Your Business.
Put the Internet to Work.
October 25th, 2008 | San Francisco, CA

20+ Speakers including Tim Ferriss (Four Hour Work Week), George Wright (Will it Blend) and Megan Casey (Squidoo), 1 Day of Education, Genius Hour Exploding with the Latest Web 2.0 Business Ideas that you can apply to your business right away…and great Discount Deals too!

Register now and SAVE…BiztechDay’s discount pricing expires October 6th (Next Monday)!

BiztechDay is the one event where you’ll meet like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners, influential business experts, Internet mavericks, bloggers, podcasters, social media gurus, and technology experts such as:

Thank You to
our Sponsors

Watch BiztechDay Interview

Comcast / CNN

You’ll find plenty to spark ideas at the 2008 Texas Conference for Women! The power and presence of this amazing community of women provides the inspiration, information, connection and motivation you need to write your next chapter, whether your goal is to build your network, impact your community, achieve work-life balance, advance your career, improve your health, market yourself and much, much more. Join us! Inspiration
The non-partisan Conference features nationally recognized speakers, presenters and panelists who are leaders in business, media, health, personal development and finance. They’ll share their experience and expertise on everything from blazing new trails, tackling challenges and achieving their goals and dreams.

Information
In addition to the dynamic program, hundreds of exhibitors showcase a wide variety of products and services, providing a unique opportunity to connect like-minded individuals and organizations.

Connection
The Conference provides countless opportunities to connect with a dynamic community of women while also giving you the tools and resources to create the life and career your desire (and deserve!).

Motivation
The Texas Conference for Women provides financial scholarships to deserving female college students each year. Our popular Young Women’s Program features speakers and topics that encourage young women to overcome obstacles and maximize their potential.

We promise you’ll gain ideas, insights and tools to help you grow both personally and professionally, and we look forward to seeing you in October!

August 24, 2008, Houston, Texas: Women Business Owners (WBO) announces Office Max, Inc. as their Title Sponsor for their first annual “Free to be Me” National Business Convention October 10-12, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Office Max is the premier office store for everything from office supplies to office furniture and more.

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Watch My Groove Entertainment, LLC in association with Shabach Enterprise will present its second performance of:

 

Ms. Lily’s Groove

The Story of a Church Lady that lives a Double Life …as a Madame!

 

 

6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26^th

4:00 p.m. Sunday, July 27^th

Bayou Theater (campus of University of Houston - Clear Lake)

2700 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, TX 77058

 

$25 General Seating / $35 VIP Seating

The tickets go on sale online at www.QuickTick.com on July 1, 2008

 

This Performance is PG-13 for Mature Content and Language

 

Contact: Anissa Callaway at (903) 724-5917 or (281) 531-5183

www.MsLilysGroove.com or www.Myspace.com/MsLilysGroove or MsLilysGroove@yahoo.com

 

 

Synopsis:

 

Ms. Lily’s Groove  is a drama about a beautiful, elegant, high society woman that has it all. She is the wife of a supportive husband, financially secure and highly esteemed among her fellow church members. She is the respected deaconess of the town’s Missionary Baptist Church, and she just happens to run a secret business of the oldest profession around. Yes, you heard me right - Ms. Lily is also a Madame.

 

In an interesting turn of events, Lily meets a young woman, Ginga Faye, that is the mirror image of Lily just twenty years before. Instead of reaching out to the young woman to help her leave her destructive ways, Lily takes advantage of her vulnerability and tricks Ginga into working for her exclusively.

 

Is it too late for Lily to change? Will she find the courage to let go of all the anger that she hides from others? Will she find the strength to start again?  Can she forgive all the hurt that she has carries? What will happen that stops Lily in her tracks? 

 

The lesson of this performance: It is never too late to start again. As long as we are still breathing, we still have a chance to make amends and get it right.

 

You don’t want to miss this performance - It will make you laugh and cry, but most importantly,  

… it will make you think.