4 Ways Mobile Devices Impact Your Business and Marketing

Mobile has been promoted as the next big thing almost every year for the past 10 years, but today it truly is becomingtheplatform,thetechnology you need to listen to (pun intended). Here are four ways that mobile is impacting your marketing efforts.

1. Mobile devices have a smaller screen. This is painfully obvious, but have you designed for it? Mobile screens are changing e-mail messaging structures. I read an Infusionsoft report that highlighted this and implored customers to pay attention to the mobile screen. Dozens of others have followed suit. What will your customers see on a smaller screen? Is the subject line more important than ever because it is all they might see?

It is frequently stated that e-mail is dead due to mobile and social networks. E-mail is far from dead.  Although stats show that many people are migrating to social networks to communicate, consider the fact that Facebook recently decided to create an e-mail platform. Why? Because people need and want more than short updates and chat to communicate.  If you’re wondering what your e-mail might look like on a mobile device, Web-based service providerEmail on Acidlets you test your e-mail as it will appear on many browsers and mobile devices.

The smaller mobile screen will also impact how a customer sees your website. Many mobile devices don’t allow or use Flash technology, so you have to think about that. It may be worth considering a mobile marketing platform instead. One of the top mobile site builders ismobiSiteGalore. Yes, it would be a pain to maintain two sites, but it could also be more cost effective.

2. Location, location, locationused to be the real estate world’s maxim, but should now be the marketing and small business owner’s maxim.  Location-based offers and services will change how customers engage in almost every way. Customers have the ability to be hyper-connected with their social networks.  You haveonly to look at Foursquare and Gowalla to get a glimpse of the power of location.

3. Use of mobileapps is growing.Whether you know it or not, customers are scanning and comparison shopping, on the spot, in your retail store.  Search and search engine optimization are rapidly changing. On the Droid X I’m testing and will be reviewing here shortly, one of the top apps was a barcode scanner used via the smartphone camera.  Think of how you can tie mobile coupons to your offers.

I worked on a project in Japan years ago; in that country, I could use my cell phone to pay for an in-store purchase.  Japan leads U.S. mobile technology by five to 10 years and possibly Europe and other parts of Asia by one or two years.  Along with your Google Places (or Facebook Places) page, you can add a QR code (like a barcode) to your site, to your retail store window and your e-mails. The viewer or recipient can scan that code with a smartphone and receive a special offer or welcome message.  There are a few easy QR creation sites out there if you want to create a code for your site, e-mail or storefront.

4. Text messaging still matters.Even with the growth of iPhones and Droid-powered smartphones, these are still only a slice of the mobile market. Millions of people are still engaging via text messaging and SMS platforms. Your customer will opt-in to text message (SMS) offers. You don’t have to wait for smartphone usage to completely dominate. Text is a favorite way consumers communicate, but is not used often enough as a way to market. Again, this isn’t spam, but permission-based marketing.

One of the best posts I’ve read about mobile marketing trendscame from one of our contributors, Paul Rosenfeld of Fanminder. Granted, Paul is in the mobile marketing (SMS) space and has some bias, but he paints a fair picture from all I’ve seen and studied about mobile.  One important note from that post:“Gen Yers (18-29) say their phone is the most important device they own.”I would argue that other generations are saying the same thing.

If you want to get just a taste of the many mobile applications for small business, read my19 Mobile Appspost.  What mobile apps are you using, developing, or researching?  Please share them here in the comments.

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Entrepreneurs Think Differently

Entrepreneurs think differently from other people. When technological changes make existing products obsolete, demographic and social changes alter attitudes, and political and regulatory changes adjust the playing field, most people complain. Entrepreneurs come up with solutions.

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) introduction of the backscatter scanner and enhanced airport pat downs is a case in point. John Tyner became the latest Internet celebrity for his response to the new security procedures – the “Don’t Touch My Junk” –watch the video. Others opposed to the new rules sought to trigger a pre-Thanksgiving opt out to draw attention to the new measures. And the vast majority of Americans either grumbled their complaints or stoically accepted the latest indignity of air travel in the post 9/11 age.

Not so for entrepreneur Jeff Buskewho saw a business opportunity in the introduction of the backscatter scanner. Buske invented a new kind of underwear. With parts made of tungsten that don’t trigger metal detectors, his product provides privacy to wearers by blocking the explicit images displayed on the new scanner.

The TSA might respond to Buske’s invention by requiring those wearing his underwear to go through enhanced pat downs, but that possibility doesn’t negate what he did. He responded to a market need that was opened up by a change in regulation – a concern about privacy generated by the better images on the TSA’s new machines – by offering a solution.

Academics like myself, study why some people, like Buske, come up with new business ideas in response to these changes, while other people don’t. What we’ve learned is that entrepreneurs think differently from other people. Rather than lamenting the problems created by technological, social, demographic, political and regulatory change, entrepreneurs view them as a good thing – they are the source of business opportunity.

Those who come up with new business ideas in response to these changes also seem to have a background– work or educational experience – that provides them with the necessary prior knowledge to think up a solution to the customer problem. In Buske’s case, his engineering background helped him to come up with the idea of putting tungsten in your underwear – not the first thing most of us thought of when faced with the experience of going through a backscatter scanner.

I don’t know if we will all be sitting around the airport googling on our iPhones in our part-tungsten underwear any time soon. Having the ability to see the potential for a entrepreneurial idea in situations that just gets others irritated doesn’t guarantee business success. But it does show a different way of thinking.

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Holiday Marketing, a Few Favorite Things

In the spirit of Oprah Winfrey’s favorite things and the twelve days of Christmas here’s a list of classic favorites for marketing during the holiday season.  Big business knows that Christmas is a big season for sales.  It’s the chance to get those finances in the black and clear out inventory for the next year.

It is no different for small businesses.  But true to the spirit of the season, the Holidays are a great time to connect on a deeper level with our customers.  You get the chance to leave them with a good feeling and good impression of the soul and the service of your company.  And that’s good for business!  So here’s our list:

CHRISTMAS CARDS

JR Griggs, author of10 Ways to Put Yourself Out of Businesssuggests that you“send out Christmas Cards instead of emails. People will hang a Christmas Card but they will not print and hang an email.”This way your business remains in front of your customer all season long.  As for that email, it’s discarded before the next business day.

HOLIDAY ATMOSPHERE

Create a holiday atmosphere on and off-line.  For brick and mortar companies, consider playing Christmas music and giving away seasonal treats.  It sticks in your customers mind, and that’s the goal, to be the top thought for whatever the service or product that you provide. As for web based companies consider adding a little Christmas tothe site.  You could spruce up your header or banner.  Or create a special Holiday page.  Use it to connect with customers.  Conduct Holiday themed surveys, promote Christmas discounts or any Seasonal newsworthy events on that page.

FUND-RAISING

Yes, we are talking about marketing, so that we can raise our funds.  But in this case, let’s focus on the season and give something away first.  Cait DeStefano, owner ofCait’s Classic Designsuses fundraising to support a cause that she believes in.  This same action also promotes her business.  She says,“It puts my companies name out there for a good cause and brings me in sales and new customers. Right now I’m doing fundraisers for the MS Society and Philabundance. They already have a large marketing campaign in place and add my name to their lists of ways people can help out. I look at it as free marketing.”

BRANDED GIFTS

Provide the giveaway item at the next party or local event, and make sure the gift items are tastefully branded with your company and contact information.  Barbara Wells, SVP, Staples Promotional Products, says that“according to the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), 52% of recipients do business with a company after receiving its promotional item.”I know it works for the cake ladies in my community.  They provide baked goods for our annual October youth event, and receive orders throughout the entire holiday season.

COUPONS

“Coupons are a winning strategy holiday season or not,”says J.W. Arnold ofPRDC, a public relations and marketing company based in Washington, DC. “Times are still tough and while consumers will spend more during the holiday season, they are still very cost conscious and will jump on a coupon offer.”Make sure that it:

1. promotes a product that clients will respond to, and
2. is time sensitive in order to encourage a prompt purchase.

Most of these tips are classic, Christmas marketing tools (some of which can be used all year round).  Consider this your Holiday reminder.  And although we are already in the season, you can implement these quickly.  The best marketing plan is the one that you actually implement.

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Innovate IT, Management, Employees and Social Media With Empowered

Now that everyone has received the memo– or tweet– on social media,  a new memo has arrived on your office table: How does an organization manage employees who daily use social media to get things done?

That’s the question Forrester execs Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler answer in their fine book,Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business(Bernoff co-authored the bestselling bookGroundswellwith Charlotte Li). I met both authors at a New York mixer, and had also listened to Bernoff on a Harvard Business Review podcast.

Just as it has empowered customer choice online, social media has also empowered employee productivity.Empoweredencourages businesses to make the most of that power shift.  A quote on page 16 sums up the authors’ mission:

“The tools to change your business, to become more responsive to these empowered consumers, aren’t the problem.  It’s the way your business runs that needs to change.”

Explaining the nuances of social media’s impact on customers

Empoweredis a great read for the informed business owner. It’s grounded in Forrester research, naturally, and studies from various sources, but not excessively academic.  The insights are splendidly clear. Take the following quote on the traditional customer acquisition funnel, for example:

“In the funnel people became aware of your company, consider its products and then a few of them buy.  But now the mass influencers among your customers are broadcasting information about your products… This suggests a different view of the funnel, one in which sales is no longer the endpoint.  Once you have sold a customer, good service will create happiness.”

The first chapters elaborate on mass online influences, differentiated by social media personae called Mass Connectors and Mass Mavens.  Mass Connectors are people who share links in social networks, while Mass Mavens share opinions through blogs and discussion forums.  Examples demonstrate how success connecting to personae can come in unexpected ways.  For example, read how Ford’s well-regarded Fiesta Movement campaign had to create Fiesta enthusiasts first:

“Ford’s challenge is this: The people who talk about cars are well-off and influential, but rarely own Fords… Ford had to create customers by letting them drive the cars for a while to prime the pump and get the discussion going.”

The examinations have the right depth and scope to explain why certain social media contain nuanced opportunity. Mobile and text message topics are a welcome delight, advancing the social media discussion to territory where other books have failed.

How HEROes can save your business

Here come the HEROes, employees who take initiative to solve customers’ problems through the same social media tools customers casually use. As a result HEROes are in the best position to engage customers, increasing brand value, improving customer service and elevating awareness that leads to sales. Anyone can be a HERO, such as Leonard Bonacci who developed GuestAssist, a text messaging system to manage disruptive Philadelphia Eagles fans.  Fans with a problem send a text to a short code that matches their seat so that a rep can arrive to discreetly resolve the issue.

“Despite the ease of the system, only a few hundred messages get sent each season, few enough that they’re far more likely to help with satisfaction than to overwhelm the staff… Two years later the NFL made what the Eagles were doing a leaguewide practice.”

Although the case studies involve corporations, the ease of implementation implies that small businesses can use similar techniques.  Read the segment “If you sell to small businesses, marketing and customer service need to connect” to gain some ideas.

Create accord between IT and management to best serve your customers

Later chapters examine the implementation of HERO activity organization-wide, asEmpoweredoffers solutions to help innovate and collaborate on HEROes ideas to create effective strategic advantage.

“The problem in a HERO-powered business isn’t coming up with ideas. The problem is figuring out which of those ideas should be nurtured and which should not.”

One definitive step is to not block social media usage among HEROes.   You’ll hurt your business more in terms of productivity and costs by trying to block a genie that is already out of the bottle, according to Bernoff and Schadler’s interviews with employees.  Instead, the authors advocate “speed and collaboration” to systematically:

• Build collaboration systems that extend existing tools
• Make sure anyone participating gets value instantly
• Dedicate people to the rollout
• Solve 80 percent of the problem, then stop and listen
• Build adoption slowly and virally

The authors also suggest aligning HERO social media usage to business objectives through management’s assessment of project risk and IT’s re-imagined role as educator and risk mitigator. Here’s a quote about the role of the IT department in a HERO environment:

“IT has two new jobs:

1. Train and educate information workers about how to keep themselves safe
2. Help HEROes assess, manage and mitigate risks associated with their projects.

Note what is included here: IT is not responsible for risk. Instead, people in IT must advise workers to keep them safe, and help them to improve the security of what they do.”

Savvy insights on IT and management roles abound, particularly useful in a world now acclimated to cloud computing and SaaS. Cross-organizational councils are also suggested, as well as a HERO“compact” to best promote roles and responsibilities.

If you want to grow your business, read this book

I love the potentialEmpoweredhas to teach small businesses the nuances in social media, marketing and customer service to profitable result.  The book complements other social media and marketing books, as well as service books likeService Innovation, but it truly stands alone as a resource for how an organization can be revitalized from within and in the eyes of its customers.

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Convert New Readers With a Sneeze Page

New readers are stumbling upon your blog and joining your community every day. However, because of the nature of how blogs work, users who find your site today may never see all the great content you posted last week. They’re starting from today…which means they won’t benefit from all the information you’ve been working hard to write since you started your blog, because they don’t know it’s there. Creating a Sneeze Page for your blog can help them find it.

The term Sneeze Page was coined by Darren Rowse, aka Problogger, way back in 2007and describes a page that is designed to“propel people in different directions deep within your blog,” introducing them to posts that you’ve previously written. Basically, it introduces new readers to some of your best content and encourages them to engage with your website. You can create Sneeze Pages based on a time period (TheBest Posts of 2010), a theme (Top SMB Social Media Posts), a product (The Complete Guide to {Product Name}), an event (A History of BlogworldExpo), or anything else that you think may benefit readers.

How to Create a Sneeze Page

Because you’re essentially just repurposing content you’ve already written, creating a Sneeze Page takes virtually no time. To get started, go over your archives and decide which topics or content could benefit from a Sneeze Page. Where do you have a lot of overlapping content? What path are you trying to create for visitors? What do you want to highlight?

Maybe you notice you have a bunch of posts centered on one topic or you want to create a Best of 2010 post that you can point people to as we approach the holidays and the new year. Whatever it is, go through your archives and start grabbing the links for those content pieces and aggregating them.

As you put the page together, don’t just make it a series of links. Instead, you’ll want to create some new content to describe what each link is about and the benefit for the reader should they click through. Writing a few lines of content for each link will increase the page’s usefulness because you’re giving people a sneak peak at what they can find. Once you combine your links with your descriptions, that’s your Sneeze Page.

Once you’ve published your page, make sure you heavily promote it. That means displaying your Sneeze Page prominently on your blog and/or website, putting it in your sidebar, incorporating it in navigational elements, and placing it in any other high-activity areas on your site so that readers can easilyfind it. You’ll also want to promote the page via a post on your blog and link to it from all of your social media accounts. Basically, you want to make absolutely sure that people are able to find this page.

It’s really that simple. I love using Sneeze Pages to point people to evergreen content that they may have missed if they’re a new subscriber to the blog. As the holidays approach, you may want to consider creating multiple Sneeze Pages that you can point readers to while your business slows downfor the holidays. It gives you some time to step away from your blog, while also allowing your readers to familiarize themselves with content they may have missed during the past year.

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Show Your Support for Small Business Saturday!

This post is underwritten by American Express as part of itsSmall Business Saturdayinitiative.

Black Friday we know.  It is the biggest shopping day of the year here in the United States.  The Friday after Thanksgiving is famous for sales and crowds.  Some of you can taste the discounts now.  Even in this economy, faithful shoppers still dive in looking for the perfect discounted Christmas gifts.  Others shop for the thrill of the day.

But what about Black Saturday (my name)?

American Express declares the Saturday (November 27, 2010) after Thanksgiving asSmall Business Saturday.  It’s a new initiative to encourage buying from small businesses.  But why shop locally when national chains like Starbucks for my tea and Barnes& Noble for my books has everything I need?  Well, there are quite a few interesting and compelling reasons.  Consider the two below.

Small business makes local communities go round.

We live locally and we need our communities to thrive and that takes resources.  The3/50 Projectsays that for every $100 spent at local small businesses, $68 returns to the community.  That’s a lot returned to the community— thank you, small businesses.   But a better way to drive that thank you home is to shop.  Which brings me to another  interesting reason to participate in Small Business Saturday.

Shopping locally gives you a taste of the community.

It’s true my local bookstore has a smaller selection and my local coffee shop doesn’t know what venti is.  However, that book store features local authors and holds book signings and readings in a building that may be as old as the city.  It has it’s own flavor and when I am there I become a part of it.  That local coffee shop has music on Friday and Saturday nights and hot food with local names to remind me that I am not in just any old town.

Every time I shop locally I am pleasantly surprised by the interesting venues I find.   In fact, I think I’ll start celebrating Small Business Saturday now.

If you plan to join me then drop by theSmall Business Saturday’s Facebook pageand“Get Involved!”   If you “Like” the page then American Express will donate a dollar to Girls Inc. to empower them to become entrepreneurs of tomorrow.  Amex cardmembers get a $25 statement credit, too.   You can“Like” the Small Business Saturday Page on Facebook by clicking below:

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5 Tips for Working With Outsourced Designers

Your small business relies on a professional and consistent look and feel. But how do you achieve this when you don’t have the resources to have an in-house marketing design team? Print design, Web design and advertising copy – all of this can be quite complicated. Outsourced designers are a great way to bring in design expertise when you need it…but managing creative professionals has its own set of unique challenges.

Here are 5 tips for working with outside designers:

1) Provide context.

Help your designer understand what your business does. Explain the goal that you are trying to accomplish with the design work. Realize that the designer does not have the same view into your business that you do. By providing context around what it is that you do and what you are trying to accomplish, you not only help the designer create better work but also help focus his or her creativity on the problem at hand.

2) Use a style guide.

It is smart to have a style guide created so that all of your collateral materials will be consistent and professional looking. A style guide is a set of standards for design of your company’s materials/documents/manuals. For a small business, a simple style guide should have the preferred primary typeface/headline/header font and secondary typeface/body text font, primary and secondary colors and general rules for on-page spacing. The goal of the style guide is that if someone seesyour company’s mailing and then visits your website, they should naturally understand that they’ve come to the same company’s home page.

3) Use examples.

Provide examples ofboth designs you like and designs you do not. A good set of examples is a great starting point for your designer. You should not only have examples, but have specific reasons why you like or dislike them. Opinions/reasons will help the designer focus on using the elements that you like best and keep him or her from wasting time recreating elements you didn’t consider important.

4) Sketch and scan.

Another great way to share your ideas with the designer is to sketch the design on a piece of paper and scan it to share it with the designer. The goal is not to pretend to be Michelangelo, but instead to get your basic layout ideas across. Do not spend a lot of time with this, but instead just scratch out something as a jumping-off point from which the designer can begin to create something appropriate for your needs.

5) Keep in touch.

Have a regular schedule for when you and the designer will check in with each other. You’ll want to update the designer on any changes that might impact the design and promptly provide feedback to them as needed. Prompt and decisive feedback is crucial to a good relationship with a designer.

Bonus tip: Give constructive criticism.

Do not be afraid to provide criticism. The designer cannot read your mind, so you need to be honest when you do not like something. You should not feel bad delivering negative news if you can do so promptly and in a positive manner! Be polite as you state the negatives, but make sure you do state them– otherwise it will be close to impossible to get the design you want for your business.

Have you used outside designers? What have you learned from working with them? Any tips to share with theSmall Business Trendsaudience?

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New Webinars and Events for Small and Growing Companies

This list of small business events, webinars and conferences is brought to you every two weeks as a community service bySmall Business TrendsandSmallbiztechnology.com.

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The Science of Social Media Marketing 2010
November 23, 2010 at 2:00pm EST, Webinar

Join Dan Zarrella, Social Media Marketing Scientist, to learn best practices for spreading your content virally through social media. More and more people are using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to talk about companies and products with their friends and colleagues. Learn what drives people to share information and opinions online and learn scientifically proven best practices for spreading your content virally through social media.

Small Business Saturday
November 27, 2010,  Everywhere!

The first-ever Small Business Saturday is November 27, 2010.  It’s one day to support the small businesses that are getting our economy going again.  American Express is giving registered Cardmembers a $25 statement credit when they shop at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.  More information appears on theSmall Business Saturday websiteand alsoon the Facebook Page.  Show YOUR support– buy from small businesses on Saturday, November 27 (and each day)!

Note: American Express is a sponsor ofSmall Businesses Trends.But we still think you should buy from small businesses.

Women’s Leadership Exchange Connect with Your Customer Conferences
November 30, 2010, New York City
December 7, 2010, Los Angeles, CA
December 8, 2010, Fort Lauderdale, FL

These exclusive conferences, designed for successful businesses, focus on the leading edge social media and email marketing strategies and tactics to reach new customers and clients and keep the ones you have. You’ll hear from top marketing experts and business owners on what’s working effectively for them. Plus by meeting face-to-face with other business owners/leaders through WLE’s facilitated networking, you’ll have the opportunity to build relationships with new people. Get ready for growing yourbusiness in 2010.

Health Care Reform and How It Will Impact Your Business
November 30, 2010, New York City

This Event is Strictly For Business Owners& C-Suite Executives of Established Companies. Discussion Topics to Include:
* What do I need to do now?
* Will this reduce my health insurance costs?
* Will I have more affordable options?
* What are the penalties if I do not offer my employees affordable coverage?
* Am I eligible for the small business premium credit?
* What is a“Grandfathered Plan” and if so, is it valuable to stay grandfathered?
* What is the“Cadillac Tax” and will it affect me?

How to Manage Your Business’ Online Reputation– and Protect Your Bottom Line
December 1, 2010, 1:00pm EST, Webinar

For small businesses, managing online presence and reputation is critical. More and more consumers are turning to the web to find businesses and products, and more consumers (84%) rely on online reviews or“digital word-of-mouth” to make purchase decisions. One bad online review or blog post can devastate a business if it goes unnoticed and unanswered. An inaccurate or absent online listing can mean lost business and lost revenue. And while the digital landscape becomes broader and more complex, small businesses have largely been left behind.

In this webinar, Ryan Fritzky and Brooks McMahon from Marchex will outline the challenges small businesses face managing their digital footprint, the tools and tactics available to help them, and what the future of online presence and reputation management looks like.

Online Marketing: What’s the Right Mix for Your Small Business or Nonprofit?
December 1, 2010, 12:00pm EST, Webinar

Hitting the right audience with the right message means choosing the right medium for your message. Is it traditional, email, search engine optimization (SEO) or social media? In this free webinar you’ll figure out the most cost-efficient and effective media to reach your target audience.
You’ll learn to focus your e-marketing plan— especially SEO and social media— so your message hits the market: Your most likely customers or donors.

Right Selling to the Right People
December 2, 2010 1:00-2:00 PM EST

Do you have enough clients? Do you have the clients you want? This webinar focuses on identifying the best, most desired customers. We also show you a quick, easy-to-use tool for prioritizing hot, qualified leads versus cooler tire kickers. Joe Pessetto and Zach Karr, financial advisors with a successful client practice, will share their approach for attracting referrals, qualifying prospects and closing great, long-term clients.

Zachary Karr and Joe Pessetto, Wells Fargo Advisors and hosts of the popular weekly radio show“Two for the Money” will talk about how they were able to grow their practice while delivering better client service. How? By right selling to the right people.

Weatherhead 100 Awards
December 07, 2010, Mayfield Heights, OH

Join COSE and the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University as they celebrate Northeast Ohio’s fastest growing companies at the prestigious 2010 Weatherhead 2010 Awards Dinner.

Rocked the Recession: Startup the Nation
December 9-10, 2010, Chicago

750 members of Chicago’s entrepreneurial community will gather for a day of speakers and panels designed to give advice and inspiration to entrepreneurs. Sessions will cover starting a business, growing your business, selling, marketing, PR, funding, scaling, building a team, turning ideas into action, branding, creativity, social media, incubators, blogging, viral videos, and more.

How Facebook Creates Leads& a Community: A Real Case Study
December 14, 2010, 10:00am PST, Webinar

Social Media isn’t magic but when you take the right steps it can have a significant impact on your business. In this webinar, we will hear first-hand tips& lessons learned from Dan Kalm, an insurance agent who has seen incredible business results on Facebook. This session will be co-moderated by Clara Shih, author of the bestselling social media book The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Market, Sell, and Innovate& Chris Andrew, small business success manager at Hearsay who has partnered with hundreds of small businesses to help drive their social media success with Hearsay’s award-winning social customer management solution. Our session will be broken into three segments and will cover: The small business opportunity on Facebook; Discussion with Dan about his use of social media& Hearsay; 10 best practices for Facebook pages that result in real growth

Create A“Get Moving” Marketing& Sales Plan for 2011
January 6, 2010 1:00-2:00 PM EST

Want a plan that focuses your time and money? Rather than complex, time-consuming, dust-collecting volumes, you need a plan that gives you structure and flexibility. You need a live guide that you can look to for direction, and also for options. In this webinar we will help you focus on the key actions and key measures that can help you guide your business into the New Year.

SCORE QuickSTART Series Workshops
January 15, 2011 (first of six weekly sessions) Port Charlotte, FL

The six session QuickSTART™ Series workshops for the nascent entrepreneur (0-18 mo in business) will be presented on six consecutive Saturdays beginning January 15, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the Mid County Library in Port Charlotte. Attendees will receive an overview of how to launch a new business in Florida. DetailsHere.

Entrepreneur Magazine’s Growth 2011 Conference
January 20, 2011, Atlanta, GA

* Nearly a dozen hands-on seminars to help your business soar to your highest vision
* Growth strategies from top business authors, radicals and visionaries
* Meet& tweet with host Amy Cosper, editor in chief of Entrepreneur
* Networking throughout the day to build partnerships and connections
* Business growth perspectives from the Entrepreneur of 2010 winners

Tory Johnson’s 2011 Spark& Hustle National Tour
Multiple Dates and Cities Feb-July 2011

Whether you’re just getting your feet wet with this“business thing,” barely keeping your head above water, or finally ready to swim with the sharks, Spark& Hustle is the place to learn (exactly) how to transform your fledgling (or floundering) business into a wildly profitable venture.

To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit ourSmall Business Events Calendar.

If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through ourEvents& Contests Submission Form(We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing— it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.

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Tipping the Odds for the Entrepreneur

Wouldn’t it be great to have an entrepreneur’s handbook?   In it, you would find all kinds of sage advice and guidance about what it takes to run a successful business.   If something like this is on your wish list, then you need to pick upTipping the Odds for the Entrepreneur: Big Ideas on Success for the Small Business Owner.

I receivedTipping the Odds for the Entrepreneur: Big Ideas on Success for the Small Business Ownerfrom the author.  And I have to admit that it looked a little daunting because it looked somewhat academic.  But once I got into it, I could see that it wasn’t academic at all.  In fact, it’s a great book to be reading this time of year as you start planning and refocusing your efforts in areas that will benefit your business the most.

About the Author

Kevin Maki, Ph.D., has spent more than 25 years studying the factors associated with entrepreneurial success.  He’s the author or co-author of five books and hundreds of articles on topics in entrepreneurship.  Not only this, but he is also the founder and Chief Science Officer of Provident Clinical Research and Consulting Inc., a company specializing in the design and conduct of clinical research on food and pharmaceutical products.

I think it’s interesting that an expert in coronary heart disease is also an entrepreneurial expert.  I wonder if it’s safe to say that readingTipping the Oddsis good for your entrepreneurial health?

Inside the Book

There are two main sections of the book.  The first is called “The Big Ideas.”  This is the cornerstone information every entrepreneur should have at his or her fingertips. The meat of the book starts with Chapter 2: Loyalty, The Key to Running a SLEEC Business.

S= Sales and Marketing
L= Loyal
E= Engaged
E= Employees
C= Customers/Clients

The third chapter is focused on“Attitudes and Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs.”  This is really my favorite chapter because so much of our success as small business owners starts with what we think and what we believe about what’s possible.  Maki does a masterful job of getting to the point in each paragraph.

Take the paragraph called“Set goals for results and activities.” Maki references the movie “21,” where a team of brainy MIT students uses a card counting system to win.  Instead of wishing each other good luck, they would instead say “good fluctuations” when they headed out to play.  They knew that if they applied their system consistently, they would have an advantage and win in the long run, even if there were losses along the way.

Here is a quick fly-by of what you’ll find in the “Big Ideas” chapters:

• Pareto Principle: Using 80/20 thinking to achieve more with less effort
• Avoiding common mistakes that lead to failure such as lack of direction, insufficient sales, poor quality, impatience, greed, poor cost control and more.
• Marketing and sales ideas such as generating leads, Internet marketing and more.
• Maximizing lifetime customer value is perhaps the second most useful chapter in this book because it puts the focus on delivering value to your ideal customers.  Until you figure that combination out, sales and marketing will be expensive and frustrating.
• How management promotes employee engagement and enthusiasm shows you how focusing on employee engagement and enthusiasm will result in happier and more profitable customers and a more profitable business.

These“Big Idea” chapters are a terrific resource for entrepreneurs and business owners at any stage of their business life cycle.  Their advice and insight will help even the most experienced entrepreneur come up with new and exciting ways to take a business to the next level.

See the Big Ideas in Practice

The second section of the book contains case studies and profiles of successful entrepreneurs from every level and from businesses of all sizes. Section Two is written in an interview format; Kevin Maki asks questions and the entrepreneurs answer them. In this section:

• Learn how Vlado Lenoch and his family worked their way from farming to maintenance to real estate investors and finally hotel owners.  No MBAs were required as part of this success story.
• Meet Bill Child, a young man who didn’t let his age or inexperience stop him from taking over his father-in-law’s business after a sudden death.

There are several other wonderful interviews and stories here. You’ll be inspired and motivated by them–and ready to rock and roll in the next year.

Why You Should ReadTipping the Odds—Even if You’re NOT a Business Owner

There is one underlying lesson inTipping the Odds:we are all business owners.  Employees and managers are critical players in the overall success of the business.  In an economy where every person and every resource is essential, this is a book that everyone in your organization needs to have close at hand.

Tipping the Oddsis the scrappy entrepreneur’s best resource for succeeding today.

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eBook: How to Make Your Business Amazing

Hot off the presses comes the free ebook (PDF) with information on how to make your business amazing. This compilation of blog posts isnow available for download.

This PDF (or eBook as we call it) comes as an outgrowth of theHP SugarTone:  Making Your Business Amazing contestthat we conducted over on sister site BizSugar.com, along with the help of a multi-blogger site from Ireland called Bloggertone.com.  Of course, you didn’t need to be Irish to participate— the two sites attract an International audience.

The way the contest worked is that many bloggers contributed posts on the topic of how to make your business amazing. Then the BizSugar community voted on the posts (BizSugar is a voting site).  After some dramatic action, including unprecedented activity during the last 24 hours and record-breaking vote tallies— the contest ended with a tie for 1st place.

When you download this ebook, if you’re into LinkedIn and want to know how to use it better, be sure to check out Greg Fry’s first place entry titled“How Can I Look Amazing On LinkedIn?”And if you conduct conference calls in your business, you won’t want to miss Frank Bradley’s first-place article on“Creating A Successful Conference Call.”

Another notable article was by Lorna Sixsmith on“How to Build PR for Your Business– Effectively and on a Budget.”This post inspired the prize-winning comment (in addition to most popular posts, there was also a prize for the best comment on a post).

No matter where these entrepreneurs are from, one thing they have in common:  the blog posts submitted for this contest were among their very best ever.  Remember: they were competing for top honors!

And for those of you in love with technology and your mobile devices–there’s even a Kindle friendly version available.

Get your FREE copy of theSugarTone Sweet Blogging Contest ebookto read these awesome posts.

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Venture Capital: Manufacturing Is Not the Path to Stimulate Economic Growth

California has a high share of venture capital. But in a recent article, Where’s The Beef? Can Venture Capital Save California?, Gino DiCaro, Vice President of Communications for the California Manufacturers& Technology Association, makes an interesting point: point: All of California’s venture capital hasn’t created much growth in manufacturing. While California accounts for over 40 percent of all U.S. venture capital activity, DiCaro says, it is home to only“1.3 percent of the new or expanded manufacturing facilities in the last five years.”

DiCaro’s article raises an interesting question: Does it matter that California’s dominant position in venture capital fails to translate into growth in manufacturing in the state?

I think not for several reasons.

First, increasing manufacturing isn’t a path to faster economic growth. A study of the differences in state economic growthgoing back to the 1930s showed that manufacturing’s share of a state’s industrial structure actuallyreducesper capita income. So states like California are better off economically if they reduce their reliance on manufacturing.

Second,places with more venture capital have higher economic growth. Studies show that venture capital-backed companies are more innovative and have higher employment and sales growth than comparable companies not financed by venture capital.  Therefore, California benefits from its large share of the U.S. venture capital industry.

A quick glance at California companies shows that new venture capital backed start-ups can enhance economic growth even if they don’t create any new manufacturing businesses.  For instance, Google and Facebook don’t make anything, but are hiring workers and generating wealth at a rapid pace.  If a state can create companies like these, does it matter if venture capitalists don’t back a lot of manufacturing businesses?

Third,recent researchconducted by Larry Plummer of the University of Oklahoma indicates that efforts to increase start-up activity in manufacturing might hinder efforts to create more high tech companies.  Plummer’s study shows that places with more high tech new businesses tend not to have more manufacturing start-ups and vice versa. Because venture capital is designed to enhance the growth of high tech companies, not manufacturing ones, there’s no reason to expect the size of a state’s venture capital industry to be related to manufacturing’s share of state economic activity.

In fact, Plummer’s study shows that the same factors that increase the rate at which manufacturing firms are created actuallyreducethe level of new business creation in high tech.  For example, places with faster growing populations and a lesser share of the population that graduated from college have more manufacturing startups, but fewer high-tech ones.  Although Plummer didn’t look at the effect of venture capital, it’s possible that places with high levels of venture capital have more high tech start-ups and fewer manufacturing ones.

In short, DiCaro’s article is an example of argument-by-spurious-association.  He says that something is wrong in California because the state has high rates of venture capital activity but low rates of manufacturing firm growth.  However, if manufacturing firm growth isn’t an objective of policy makers, thispattern doesn’t matter.  Venture capital encourages the formation of high growth, high tech companies, which generate wealth and create jobs.  As long as venture capital does this, we should be happy.

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published atOPENForum.comunder the title:“Venture Capital Doesn’t Need to Encourage Manufacturing to Stimulate Economic Growth.”It is republished here with permission.

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Are You Attracting Facebook Fans or Driving Them Away?

You entered the world of Facebook with all the best intentions. You wanted to use the social network as a way to connect with current customers, attract potential new ones, and share a little bit of your brand with those listening. So every day you take to the site to post new content and engage, but is it working? Are you attracting Facebook fans–or are youdriving them away? How can you tell the difference?

Below are some activities known to either attract or repel customers. See which categories your behavior falls into. If it’s the latter, maybe it’s time for a revamp.

How To Keep Them

Offer discounts.Studies continue to show that the leading reason customers engage with brands on social networks is to take advantage of social media-based promotions or coupons. Customers are willing to“like” a page with the hopes that the brand will“thank them” by giving them a discount or special offer. When you’re creating these offers, worry less about the extravagance of what you’re giving out and more about making sure it’s something unique and an offer people will want to redeem. For example, a discount associated with breakinga certain number of fans is more memorable than a generic 10 percent off coupon they could get anywhere.

Solve their problems.Another reason customers will look to connect with you on social media is because they have a problem they need you to fix. Maybe their cable isn’t working, they got a bad burger or they can’t figure out how to get the battery out of their Blackberry. If you’re providing information to help them solve their problems or answering questions as they come in, then you’re providing value and enough reason for someone to want to stick around and remain a fan of your page.

Chat with them.Are you using your Facebook page to host conversations about community issues or are you simply using it as a datafeed, auto-posting your Twitter updates, blog posts, etc.? Users who join your Facebook page are doing it because they want that extra connection with you. If you’re seeing a lot of conversation and engagement between members, it’s a good sign you’re attracting them, not sending them away.

Get their feedback.Another good way to retain fans is to ask for their feedback about new releases, future products, etc. People like to feel like they have a say in the brands they love, and inviting them into the process makes them feel more connected and part of what you’re doing. The more invested you can make someone feel, the greater the chance you’re going to keep him or her on your side.

Entertain them.When I’m deciding which brands I want to engage with on Facebook, I look for brands that can not only keep me informed, but keep me entertained as well. Don’t go totally unprofessional, but don’t be afraid to have a little fun or post a link to something that made you smile. Showing the personal side of your brand is a good way to keep people interested in what you’re doing and make them feel more connected to you.

How to Drive Them Away

Disrespect other members.How do you treat the members in your Facebook community? Do you allow healthy debate to take place or do you hop in and criticize those who may share negative comments about your brand? Do you censor their messages because they’re not totally complimentary? Do you step in when other members are fighting amongst each other? It’s your job to create a healthy environment in your community. If you’re not, people aren’t going to want to hang out there.

Post too many messages.How many times a day do you post? Are you constantly flooding your wall with new updates, new blog posts, new links and new synced Twitter updates? If you are, you may be giving users more information than they can handle and driving them away from your page. Information overload can be quite intimidating!

Don’t post enough messages.On the flip side, maybe you never update, to the point where people wonder if you’re still there. While you don’t want to flood people with constant updates, you do want to give them a sign that you’re still part of the community and listening to what’s going on. No one wants to hang out in an empty house.

Ignore feedback.When you ask for feedback, do you acknowledge it in some way or do you let it fall on deaf ears? While asking for feedback is a great way to encourage people to become part of your community, if you continually ignore them, it may also backfire. You don’t have to act on everything that is suggested, but do give people a sign that you’re listening and appreciating their effort.

What signs do you look for that people are engaged in your Facebook community and aren’t secretly looking for the “unlike” button?

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How Much Money do Small Business Owners Make?

Many people are curious about what the average small business owner earns. The IRSStatistics of Incomeprovides some data on the average income of sub chapter S corporations and sole proprietorships, which helps to estimate small business owners’ earnings.

In the table below, I show the income and sales of the average sub chapter S Corporation in the latest year the data are available. The figure shows that the average S corp generated about $100,000 income on about $1.5 million in sales in the last year before the Great Recession.

While the income of the average S corp was less than seven percent of its sales, there was wide variation across major industry sectors on this measure. Income only equaled about two percent of sales for sub chapter S corporations in retail, but almost 55 percent in management of companies, and almost 29 percent in mining. Similarly, wide industry differences can be seen in the average income of these businesses, ranging from only a little more than $28,000 in other services to $692,000 in management of companies. In fact, in four industry sectors– utilities, manufacturing, mining and management of companies – theaverageSub Chapter S Corporation is making its owner rich by President Obama’s standards, generating more than $250,000 in income in 2007.

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More financially successful entrepreneurs tend to form sub chapter S corporations, and less successful ones tend to run sole proprietorships. The IRS Statistics of Income data also show how well the average sole proprietorship performed.

As one would expect, the numbers are much lower than for the average sub chapter S corporation. In 2008, the average nonfarm sole proprietorship had revenues of only $58,256 and net income of only $11,696.

But, as with subchapter S corporations, the the variance across industries in income and revenue is quite large. Because there sole proprietorships are more common than S corps, the IRS provides industry numbers at a much more fine-grained level for sole proprietorships. The IRS figures show that,in 2008, the average revenue of a sole proprietorship ranged from $11,862 for unclassified establishments to $1,073,406 for coal mines, and average net income ranged from -$47,455 for coal mines to $117,685 for dentists’ offices.

Clickherefor an Excel tablethat shows average income, sales, and income as a percentage of sales for sole proprietorships in 135 industries in 2008.

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What Is the Future Outlook for Small Business?

It’s that time of year when we begin looking ahead to the coming year. In fact, with 2010 drawing to a close (can you believe it?), it’s that time when business owners begin looking ahead to the coming decade. If you want to know what the next 10 years have in store, take a closer look at a new report from Intuit.

Intuit 2020 Report: 20 Trends That Will Shape the Next Decadebuilds on more than five years of research led by the Institute for the Future and Emergent Research. It is the first in a series of reports looking at key trends affecting consumers and businesses in the coming years. Subsequent reports will drill down into specific trends and industries, but the current report presents a broad overview.

What’s the takeaway?“The coming decade will be complex, volatile and uncertain, but it will also provide many new opportunities for small businesses and their customers in the United States and abroad,”the report notes. Here are some points I found especially interesting and that have big implications for the future of innovation:

Small businesses will get ever more specialized.Customers will increasingly seek customized products and services. The rise of innovations such as cloud computing, a flexible workforce and lower-cost manufacturing options will make it easier for small businesses to seek out product and service niches.

Startup will get easier and cheaper.In response to growing niche market opportunities, lower equipment costs and better technology, it will be easier than ever to launch a business without a big investment. This means more innovation, as new ideas can be tested without much risk– and startup companies will proliferate.

Big and small firms will join forces.Collaborative partnerships with big companies will increase, as small companies bring to the table innovative practices, market agility and intimate customer knowledge. What will big firms offer small businesses? Marketing and distribution power so that they can take their innovations to broader markets.

One prediction I’m not so sure I agree with:“The Web and mobile technologies will become the great equalizer of big and small, with customers no longer knowing – or even caring – about the size of the firm that provides their goods and services.”In a niche economy where personalization is sought after, will being a small company actually be an advantage? I think consumers may, in many cases, prefer to do business with small firms provided their needs are being met.

And here’s one innovation I particularly hope to see – and I think most busy business owners wish for as well:“The hardware and software we use on a daily basis will get smarter, helping people make everyday decisions and streamline complex tasks,”the report contends. That’s especially good news given that data will become even more critical to competitiveness. Information overload isn’t going away – so smart machines to help us deal with it will be very welcome.

Be sure to check out the full report. You can also find related materials at theIntuit website.

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published atOPENForum.comunder the title:“What Does the Future Hold for Small Business?” It is republished here with permission.

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Dive In and Employ Workers With Special Needs or Disabilities

While looking for new business subjects to review, I spied an unique book.  A quick perusal of the pages informed me of a group of workers who are more likely to stay with an employer long-term, consistently exceed productivity expectations, and are innovative because they’re accustomed to adapting to situations.

Wouldn’t you like to have such employees?If so, then look no further than workers with disabilities and special needs.

Dive In: Springboard Into the Profitability, Productivity, and Potential of the Special Needs Workforceis a solid guide on hiring, retaining and working with disabled employees .  The authors, Nadine Vogel, a corporate consultant, and Cindy Brown, an award-winning writer and consultant, speak from personal experience as they explain  the contribution of this particular group to a diverse work force.Vogel has two daughters with special needs, while Brown was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.  Their research and their experience makes this book worth the read if you are considering employing someone with special needs or disabilities.

Small Book Has Big Benefits for Employees With Disabilities

The advice inDive Incomes in a compact 130 pages, but you would be hard pressed to find a more informative guide tailored for the busy business owner. Dive Inexplores the advantages that a special needs work force offers a company, such as low employee turnover and a“halo marketing” effect with customers.

“A national survey reported that 92 percent of American consumers view companies that hire people with disabilities more favorably than those that do not….And don’t forget that by hiring the special needs work force, you are also marketing to them….The U.S. Census reports that people with disabilities and their network (family and friends) represent $1 trillion in discretionary spending.”

The authors maintain the swimming theme throughout the book asDive Inexplores the challenges of and solutions for accommodating a special needs work force.  Vogel and Brown wisely apply supporting material that challenges typical misperceptions that accommodating special needs is complex and expensive.

“In a 2006 survey conducted by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, 46 percent of the employers surveyed reported that the accommodations needed by employees and job applicants with disabilities cost absolutely nothing…Many would-be employers cite the cost of accommodations as a barrier to employing people with disabilities.”

Vogel and Brown also suggest establishing a Reasonable Accommodation Committee (RAC) to consider accommodation requests.  That may appear over-elaborate for a small company, but the authors convey the benefits of cost management and improved personnel morale from having a central decision-making source.

Learn How to Address Misunderstandings and Open a Dialogue

Dive Indelves into workplace perceptions that can impede honest discussion regarding accommodation needs.  Although companies with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodation by law, some special needs employees feel as though requesting an accommodation makes them a layoff target:

“It may be obvious that accommodation decisions should never be based on the current economic situation, but…equally as important is the perception that requests are considered in a fair and equitable manner. By centralizing your reasonable accommodation funding (and taking it out of the managers’ hands), you can help to counterbalance any fear that your employee may have.”

Quotes from corporate officers, such as senior level professionals at Starbucks, McDonald’s and Walgreens,  provide a range of thought, from hiring the best people regardless of background to understanding the value diversity has beyond a dollar.

Recommendations throughout the book have a broad context to cover situations with different needs, whether physical or psychological.  An example from an Ernst& Young executive shows how to reframe questions to keep particular needs in perspective while covering the possibilities in an emergency:

“ We don’t ask ‘Do you have a disability?’ but ‘Would you need help if there was an emergency?’ says Ms. Golden of Ernst& Young.  “This way we include people who might be claustrophobic, people with smoke-induced asthma, and women in their last month of pregnancy. They all self-register, saying that they would need help.”

Asides in Chapter 3 called“Please Do” and“Please Don’t” contain splendid reminders about behavior.  Other topics include differences between affinity groups and support groups, considerations of employees with special needs family members, and health insurance guidance for employees seeking therapies, home health care and medical equipment.

Dive Inends with a directory of additional government and nonprofit resources that can answer more specific workplace questions and concerns.

An Honest Guide to Developing Best-in-Class Practices

I liked that this book spoke to growing businesses that are beginning to hire employees as well as those that have been hiring for years. Dive Inanswers the“what ifs” well and makes the consideration of special needs employees simple and straightforward. Regardless of company size, your firm will have a terrific resource for basic training and for beginning the associated dialogue about employee behavior.

Dive Inbreaks through the misconceptions about special needs employees (and those caring for special needs family members) to show best-in-class formation of healthy business relationships.  Give it a read, and see how your business will prosper from a positive environment and increased productivity through the best care for all employees.

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Excel Tips and Tricks: Fudge Function

Every few months I download some data from my site and have to slice and dice it in Excel. This schedule is just often enough that I know what sorts of tricks are available to me, but not often enough that I know how to get them to work.

So a few times a year, I spend a day or so Googling Excel functions and formulas and plugging them into various cells until I get what I need. Someday, I’ll either be attentive enough to my data, or smart enough to write myself a note explaining what I’ve done, that this won’t be an issue.But until then, the dance continues.

Anyway, it was during one of my Excel“hunt and peck” sessions that the above cartoon came to me.

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Use Word of Mouth to Build Business By Staffing Your Store to Spread the Word

Amy’s Ice Creamsin Austin, Texas, is beloved for two things:the ice cream and the floor show.They are the ice cream equivalent of Seattle’s “flying fish.” Ice cream scoops are thrown from one worker to another and caught in cups balanced on their chins . . . while standing on one foot . . . hopping. You’ll see ice cream slingers sliding across the counters on their knees and bellies. It’s a carnival ride in there.

Finding people who are fearless and creative enough to come up with stunts like flinging ice cream balls across a room just can’t happen in the normal interview process. How exactly do you ask,“Are you a little bit nuts?”You can’t. So, at Amy’s, applicants receive a white paper bag. It must be brought back within a week turned into a creation that tells Amy’s about who they are. From this white paper bag, Amy’s finds the personalities to fill their shops.

Without the Right People, This Is Just Great Ice Cream

By using a plain white paper bag as its job application, Amy’s gets to know the creative soul lurking within the teenaged candidate standing before them. This idea began with an applicant who was given the bag instead of the boilerplate job application because Amy’s had run out of the forms. The applicant floated the bag back into the store with helium balloons; inside the bag were items about her life. She got the job. Now for all applicants, this is how Amy’s fills their shops with people who make getting ice cream like going to the circus.

Revel in“Being Real”

The Amy’s Ice Creams Web site says,“Amy’s looks at ‘going out for ice cream’ as a total sensory experience that can revitalize a less-than-stellar day.”Part of the joy of going to their ice cream shops is wondering what kind of floor show you’ll be greeted with. Getting the right people to work at Amy’s has spurred their growth from a single location in 1984 to over 14 stores today. In 1984, Amy’s sold 125,000 servings of ice cream. Now they sell well over 1 million a year, with gross annual sales exceeding $5 million.

Like many beloved companies, Amy’s Ice Creams doesn’t advertise. Word of mouth builds the business, and Amy’s redirects marketing money to community development, which fuels more word of mouth. Amy’s represents the power of the small business owner and how service and exceptional experiences can build a small business. Amy’s Ice Creams prospers because it revels in being real. Its employees revel in being their kooky, nutty selves–and people love it. This translates to Amy’s website, where the home page welcomes you with“Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!”Sound advice.

Go Try This

Get“real” in how you hire and bring people into your company

• First, define the core values of the people you want to fill your company.
• Next, determine the personality of your company. Are you serious and deliberate? Are you whimsical? (Have you thought about it?)

Next, examine your current hiring process:

• Are you deliberate about selecting people who will deliver your company’s dis­tinct personality to customers?
• How would your customers say you are doing?
• Do customers rave about how unique you are?
• Are you selecting“memory makers” or just filling slots?

Decide to be real:

• What’syourversion of a white paper bag you can use to select people who will become your company to your customers?

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