2010 will be a Very, Very Good Year for Entrepreneurs

By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au

I have good news for me and for you. Phil Ruthven who has spent decades charting the growth and change in Australian business says that 2010 is going to be a “very, very good year for entrepreneurs, no question.” Fantastic!

2010 is the year that I’m launching my online business www.happychild.com.au, a website for parents about raising children with emotional intelligence. I’m excited, a little apprehensive, impatient to get started, mad keen to succeed and loving all the learning and challenge that comes with starting a new business.

In each blog post, I’ll share with you information, tips, books and websites that are helping me on my entrepreneur’s journey. Please do the same; I’d love to hear your ideas too. ABN Startup and Growth Members: I bet you’ve got so much to share and the ABN is a wonderful supportive community in which to do this.

2010 is going to be a “very, very good year for entrepreneurs, no question.”

Surround Yourself with Honest Believers
As I’ve had a few hiccups along the way, including a website that never got launched, I’ve found it’s crucial to be surrounded by people who believe in me and my business idea. Even though I’m convinced that my business will be fabulous, it’s so valuable to have the constant encouragement and feedback of friends, family and mentors to keep me going when things inevitably go wrong. These ‘believers’ as I call them, have been honest and generous in also pointing out where I may need to rethink my plans, and have helped me solve numerous challenges over the past year. An example of a great source of this support has been my pod member from MentorNet, Alycia Edgar. Make time for lunches, coffees and phone calls with your ‘believers’, and don’t forget to let them know how important they are to your success.

Read Widely
If you’re like me, you love good books about developing your business and books that inspire you to keep working towards your goals. There are so many great books; here are three I’ve been reading lately:

1. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk - about building your personal brand, and in particular doing it using social media. It’s a high energy book, informative, engaging and motivating.
2. You Tube for Business by Michael Miller - plenty of practical detail about how to leverage online video to market your business.
3. Getting Things Done by David Allen - systems to use if you want to be more organised and more productive in your day and in your office.

And just a reminder, Phil Ruthven from IBIS World says “the conditions are never going to be better… if you wanted to start a business from scratch” - I’m definitely a believer in that!

---

Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.au Yvette is pursuing her passion - to take action that helps children develop great social and emotional skills as a foundation for a happy and successful life. Formerly a lawyer and then successful executive coach specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Yvette was encouraged by her experience of MentorNet to launch her business - a website for parents that publishes practical and engaging information about raising children with emotional intelligence. Yvette looks forward to sharing the challenges and successes of her experience as she navigates her way through the adventures of launching a website, and tackles online sales and marketing, an evolving business plan, and the growing universe of social media. Yvette hopes that by following her personal and professional development as an entrepreneur you will also be inspired to follow your passions. Phone: 02 9889 0999 Email: yvette@happychild.com.au Website: www.happychild.com.au Twitter: www.twitter.com/yvettevignando LinkedIn: View her Public Profile Member Profile: See Yvette’s Member Profile

My Top 5 Books for 2009

When you see the list of my top five books for 2009 you’re bound to notice a pattern. I’ve had a bit of a one-track-mind this year. Most of 2009 I studied online communities, technology and social media.

I don’t know exactly how many books I’ve read this year, but many of them have been on similar subjects. I immersed myself in podcasts (more on that in a few days), courses (both online and live) and especially books — as I endeavoured to learn and implement as much as possible about the changing online landscape. My goal: To master the ability to connect and work with my online community of business women - and to use what I learn as I implement the new information to pass on to the community skills and tools that they can use to run their businesses better.

Now… for the list.  If you’re working on building an online community, want to better communicate within your social networks, want practical ways to build your social capital, then I recommend these titles.

I’ve included Amazon links below so you can read up further on the books. Dear Australian Readers: Don’t write to tell me I should order from Aussie retailers - I’m yet to find Aussie bookstores that satisfy my book needs, who delivery quickly and inexpensively and who have the books that I need, when I need them.

The Whuffie Factor - Tara Hunt

After hearing Tara Hunt speak at the South by South West festival in Austin I ordered this book (which was released in July). It’s about how to build your social capital. The author offers a no-nonsense guild to how what grows and what diminishes your online reputation and how to educate and empower your connection. (Here’s a post I wrote about this book when it was first released.)

Trust Agents - Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust - Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

This one is terrific. The authors describe trust and the most important currency today. I’ve listed to the audio book (which is read by both authors) and am yet to devour the printed version. How to build trust, maintain a good reputation, build relationships online, what breaks trust and what empowers trust.

Free - the Future of a RadicalPrice - Chris Anderson

In the digital marketplace, the most effective price is no price at all, argues Anderson (The Long Tail). Great examples of companies using ‘free’ to build big businesses. The concept can be a hard one to accept and to see the application in you own business, even harder BUT get it and you can transform an industry and your business.

Crowdsourcing - Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business - Jeff Howe

How is collaboration (and the ease by which you can crowdsource using socialmedia) changing the face of business and product/business development? How to harness the power of the crowd. Great examples.

Facebook for Dummies - Leah Pearlman and Carolyn Abram

I love the “Dummies” books. I’ve purchased a number of the social media/tech titles (including ones on Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, SEO, You Tube, Blogging) because they are easy to follow and the authors walk you through many aspects of using social media tools or both business and personal outcomes. In this one you’ll learn how to optimise your profile, promote your business, create a business page - it touches the main aspects you need to master to get results with Facebook.

140 Characters: A style guide for the short form - Dom Sagolla

I haven’t yet finished this one but it’s definitely already worthy of being on this list. As relevant for status updates in Facebook and LinkedIn, the book covers basic grammar, creating your own style, writing for best effect using Twitter and other short-form vehicles.

If you have any book recommendations you’d like to share, I’d be happy to hear from you.

AUDIO VS PRINT BOOKS

I’ve been an audio book listener of a couple of years, but more so this year partly because I don’t want to wait (I can start the book now - I don’t need to wait to get the physical copy) and partly because of convenience (I can consume the material when I’m walking or driving).

These days I buy most books in both audio and printed version. The audio gets listened to pretty quickly. The printed version ends up more like a workbook with highlights, post-it notes stuck through it and as an easy to follow reference for implementation of the principles contained in the book.

To Kindle or Not to Kindle?

I haven’t bought a Kindle yet. I have the iphone app version of it and may get one (but I’m yet to be convinced of the extra benefits…. Right now I’m using my iphone to read/listen to the vook Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk (get the vook in the Apple Apps store). The iphone is plenty big enough for me to read on. Also, with the Apple tablet (hopefully) not too far away, I’ll be interested to see if that creeps into the same territory as Kindle.

Best wishes,

Suzi

Additional Resources

Tara Hunt on Twitter

Chris Brogan on Twitter

Chris Anderson on Twitter

South by South West Festival (I’m going. Hope you’ll be there too.)

How do you manage business resources?

Managing resources is hard for many businesses, especially for small business. How do you manage business resources?

e.g. What tools do you employ, Is there software you’d recommend? What do you outsource etc?

I’m currently compiling the next issue of our newsletter and would like to include your answers to this question. The purpose of this issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter is to show small businesses the myriad of ways that they can manage their resources to help them do more with less in their businesses.

A compilation of these answers along with your contact info (and permission of course) will be published for our community of women across Australia to learn from.

Here’s a sample of our current newsletter.

5 ways to use social media in your ecommerce website — #30DSM: Day 9 - 30 Days of Social Media

Integrating social media into your ecommerce website can help build trust, increase sales and create a sense of community.

Today’s post  from guest contributor Clare Lancaster of Dot Marketing shows you 5 ways to use social media in your ecommerce website.

How can you integrate social media into your website?

Let’s get back to basics.

Social media is about two things:

1. Connecting with other people
2. Creating and sharing content - as conversations, articles, videos, images, recommendations

Social media happens wherever these two things happen. They can be on social networking platforms, news websites, forums or on your own website.

Here are 5 ways that you can use social media in your ecommerce website.

1. Add customer reviews and ratings

Social media technology allows you to go beyond publishing your own product descriptions and reviews – and allows your visitors to contribute their views about a product.

Internet users are valuing the recommendations of others in their network higher then advertising. As an eCommerce website owner you can help sell products by allowing visitors to add reviews that are published on your website.

Visitors can read the opinions of people other than the business owners - therefore building trust that will help you secure transactions.

2. Add a Twitter widget that pulls through your latest tweets

The keyword to remember when using Twitter is that it is social networking. It’s about sharing, not selling.

That’s not to say that you can’t talk about your business – engage with your followers and use your products to illustrate interesting points, reflect the personality of your brand.

To extend the value of the time you’re spending on Twitter and integrate your ecommerce website with the social networking platform you want to add a Twitter widget to your website. The widget is available free through your Twitter account and will publish your latest Tweets wherever you place it on your website.

Add a “Follow me” link to encourage website visitors to connect on Twitter also.

3. Add sharing buttons

Another great feature of social media is its ability for visitors to share content from your website and distribute it through their own social networks.

Content sharing buttons like Tweetmeme take the title of your page, automatically adds a link and connects to the users Twitter account to post the information.

This is a free way to distribute your content – taking it from one visitor seeing it to potentially thousands. Add it to your product pages.

4. Create video and embed it into your website

Creating video is cheaper to produce than ever before – it gives visitors another perspective of your products and allows you to do a bit of selling.

You can use video to showcase your products and embed them within your product detail pages. Alternatively get creative and invent a fictional character that blends your brand’s personality with product reviews. Here’s a great example by ArteryStore.com.

Remember with video – keep it short (under 2 minutes) and keep it entertaining.

5. Add a blog and share the story of your products and your business

With the popularity of social media (emphasis being on social) it’s become important to not only add personality to your business, but reveal more of what goes on behind the scenes.

Adding a blog to your website is a good way to do this.

If you’re not sure what to write about – keep the focus on storytelling. Tell the story of how you selected a new product. Let people know how your week was in the office.

A blog is a good way to build community and get feedback from your customers. Mention emails that you’ve received or a conversation you’ve had on Twitter. Keep the focus on social and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal community and audience.

---

Clare Lancaster - Dot Marketing

Clare Lancaster is the founder of Dot Marketing an online strategy and marketing consultancy and has been working on the Internet since 2001. She writes a business and online marketing blog for small business owners and has recently launched www.twitterguide.com.au.

Visit www.clarelancaster.com.au to find out more or follow her on Twitter.

TODAY’S TASK

Can you implement any of these strategies into your e-commerce site? If so, which ones make the most sense to implement?

Tell us here.

Until tomorrow,

Suzi

Day 27 - 30 Days of Networking: What I’m reading may interest you. #30DNet

I’m a book lover. I consume books (many at the same time) both in print and audio books. My bedside table and bookshelves are full of yet-to-be-read books. It’s my little fetish and I don’t mind telling you. If Amazon had frequent-flyer points I’d be a Platinum member!

What may be surprising to you is that books have been a source of networking opportunities for me. I’ve connected with people (online and offline) through books, the reading of them and also by commenting about them openly.

When I was living in the US, friends and I would get together in person a couple of times a year and study a business book together. The core group would bring along others that we thought may be interested.  We’d read, debrief, share our points of view but mainly discuss the author’s point of view. I made good new friends and contacts this way.

A few yeas ago, the Australian Businesswomen’s Network held evening book studies for is members on Michael Gerber’s The E Myth and Jim Collins’ Good to Great.  While valuable these events were only available to those who could make it along on the night of the event. With the advent of social media and social networking (and because my ‘tribe’ is spread across the country), I have decided to host online book discussions on books that I think my clients (women in business) will enjoy. They start soon - and I’ll Tweet you when we launch.

Now… books and your network.

Education has been a connector for me and I find that I’m drawn to connect with others who share an interest in the same subjects. That’s in part what keeps me attending seminars and trainings all over the world. (Of course these events also provide face-to-face networking opportunities.)

Could you do the same with your clients? Could you instigate discussion about a book that is in line with your message or your business?

MY VERSION OF SPEED ‘READING’

Right now I’m re-listening to and re-reading Tim Ferris’s 4 Hour Work Week. Don’t think me a psycho but my weekend consisted of:

• Read a couple of chapters
• Jump in car to run errands and listen to a few chapters on iphone
• Back home and lunch in the sun while reading more chapters
• Walk the dog and listen to a few more more chapters

It sure helped me get through the book quickly - and, since I was rereading it, what I found was that I was hearing/reading things that I’d totally missed first time around. And, as you can see above, one of my tweets about the book was Retweeted. Andrea retweeting spread my message to her network.

TODAY’S TASK

Recommend a book to your followers/friends/contacts. Tweet the details of a book you’re reading that those that follow you may find of interest. Start a discussion. Remember to use #30DNet in your tweet.

Twitter - Social Networking Buzz Hits Time Magazine’s Cover

Being a self-confessed Twitter-holic (and a lover all things new media) I was thrilled to see Twitter on the cover of Time Magazine. Yes, Twitter IS showing up pretty much everywhere (and possibly that in itself spoils the fun of it for its original audience), but what I enjoyed about the article was the reference to the super-fresh web.

I’ve heard the advent of immediate updates/content/ news referred to as the real-time web and super-fresh is as accurate (and fun) a reference.

The magazine is worth picking up for this story. Of course you can also read How Twitter will Change the Way We Live online.

Here was my highlight (and what I think many ‘jump-on-the-bandwagon’ users forget:

“It’s entirely possible that three or four years from now, we’ll have moved on. But the key elements of the Twitter platform will persevere. Every major channel of information will be Twitterfied.”

This is really exciting. The conversation, engagement, super-fresh way of receiving and sharing ideas, information and resources is here to stay. And that’s something worth Tweeting about!

On another note, after many requests from the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s community of women in business I will run a one-hour webinar on 17 June 2009 - Twitter for Business - to show users how to use this super-fresh tool in a practical way to grow their networks and their business. I’d love for you to tune in.

Recession Proof Your Life - A new book shows you how

Recession Proof Your Life is a new book by Lynelle Johnson. I was invited to (and accepted the invitation to) contribute to the chapter called “Preparing Your Business for Tough Times” in which I recount the experience of doing business in the USA  during the weeks following the tragedy of 911. Doing business was not a priority (not when thousands had lost their lives) but it was a necessity for my business and many other small businesses.

Recession-Proof Your Life helps you plan for those inevitable downturns, and give you the knowledge that you need to get through them. Packed with tips and real-life examples, this comprehensive ‘how-to’ guide offers practical measures you can take to prepare your career, finances, investments, relationships and business for a recession —  and to capitalise on the recovery.

The book covers:

• bulletproof your job
• manage your career
• deal with stress at work and in your relationships
• prosper financially
• keep your business afloat.

It’s available in good bookstores around Australia.

Improve your social capital, influence and make whuffie

One of my favourite presentations at South by South West was called Making Whuffie - Raising Social Capital in Online Communities, presented by Tara Hunt.

According to Tara whuffie is social capital, connections (both strong and weak) and influence, amongst other things. (Ok, that’s the super short version… and probably doesn’t do her topic justice.)

Whuffie is your reputation. It’s a score (that can go up and down) on your relationships and is the new order of connecting with your community.

Her new book (The Whuffie Factor) is out on 21 April. I’ve preordered mine… and am chomping to get my hands on it and share it with my own community.

A couple of question that Tara posed:

1. Are your connections to your community strong or weak?
2. Regardless how many friends you have on Facebook or Twitter… how connected are you to those people?
3. If your whuffie score is high the recommendations you make will be seen as credible. How high is your whuffie score?

Some tips for making whuffie:

•    Creating whuffie takes time and building trust.
•    It involves listening (rather than broadcasting)
•    It includes taking feedback on board
•    Become a part of the community you serve (not as a voyeur, not to sell anyone anything and give them a reason to give a damn
•    Create amazing customer experiences
•    Embrace the chaos (SD: I love this one cause it challenges my need for order!!!) In the book she gives you great ways to embrace the chaos including this one… “Stop moving and look around you until you see everything clearly.” (this to me means Be Present!)
•    Find your higher purpose

Being whuffie-rich makes sense. Everyone wins.

I am really looking forward to the book.







Are you fighting reality or really creating something new?

Are you trying to improve on something, to make it just that little bit better, or a lot better?

Are you trying to be a better marketer, write a better brochure, improve on a system, or do something better than your competition?

For some reason, quotes by the scientist/futurist R. Buckminster Fuller have popped up in my reality a few times lately.  Most recently, 2 days ago, he was quoted in an article I was reading.  Today, while listening to the audio book version of Crowd Sourcing I heard this quote of his:

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
R. Buckminster Fuller

So, I’m following my gut (though I’m not exactly sure what my gut is saying). I’m stopping to explore what he’s saying.

Many of us (me included) mostly create our future from trying to improve on what is there.

What if instead what we created was something so radical that it made the existing model obsolete?

Barrack Obama interview One of Jay Leno’s career highlights. What’s yours?

The other night Jay Leno ended his interview with Barack Obama by saying:

“This has been one of the best nights of my life.”

No doubt, being the first host to have a sitting president on your show was a career highlight for Jay Leno.

And understandably so. It was a solid interview where both men ‘held their own’, had friendly conversation and engaged the viewers.

Jay Leno has hosted The Tonight Show since 1992.  And, while I’m sure he’s had many career highlights - I was really happy for him to have had this highlight - especially as he moves towards the end of this gig as Today Show host.

A couple of things came into focus for me watching this show:

PRACTISING YOUR CRAFT
Jay Leno has ‘practised’ on many guests before this interview. He’s been honing his skills for thousands of hours. He’s interviewed the biggest names, he’s a masterful interviewer and he was as ready as anyone could be to host this interview.

Assuming we still have many thousands of hours left on the planet… what skills/vision for our lives do we want to spend time mastering?

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

In his newest book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell explains that studies have also shown that excellence at a complex task requires a minimum level of practice, and experts have settled on 10,000 hours as the magic number for true expertise.

Outliers: The Story of Success


I started to think about my career highlights - and while I’m sure the best is yet to come for me - there are a number that stand out for me already. (Will save those for another post!).

My notes to self:

• What am I practising?
• What have I put thousands of hours into becoming a master at?
• What am I (or do I want to) put time and energy into today that will influence my future career and life highlights?

Next Page »