Networking | TheCEOMamma Business Marketing Blog

Forming Strategic Partnerships for Your Small Business

All Categories, Business Productivity, Marketing, Networking, Social Networking No Responses »

Jun 022010

Successful small business owners and entrepreneurs have learned that having a solid and profitable business, first starts with a strong structural foundation. Smart entrepreneurs realize that forming strategic partnerships is a contributing factor to their overall long term success.

What exactly is a strategic alliance?

Strategic alliances are practical arrangements between two or more entities which are created to achieve mutual goals through collaboration. It is a way to connect with others and work together to reach a common goal while still maintaining individuality.

You can look at a strategic partnerships as a way of developing a team effort allowing all parties involved to reap the rewards and benefits. This type of alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. A strategic alliance can often be established more formally as a joint venture or partnership.

The most common partnerships can be defined as; promotional alliances in which each party promotes the others products or service for a set period of time, marketing alliances can be formed to market complimentary products, and pricing or cost alliances can be created to cut cost, share expenses or eligibility to receive discounts. There are a variety of strategic partnerships that can be designed to meet the needs of both partners.

What are the benefits of creating these alliances?

For most small business owners and entrepreneurs, the biggest benefit of creating an alliance is to quickly and easily be able to expand into a new market. Another great benefit is having the accessibility to additional resources, a network of new people and potential contacts and being able to develop new business opportunities with new products and services.

How can I find strategic alliance partners?

Starting within your current network of contacts and customers is best since you have already established some form of relationship or connection with them. You can also locate other businesses or entrepreneurs who provide products or services complimentary to your own. Depending upon your goals and needs, partnering with your competitors could be a good option as well.

Before you set up your alliance, you will have to establish your terms and create a plan that clarifies exactly what you need and want to achieve. Both parties must mutually agree and fully be aware of what is expected on both ends.

When choosing a strategic partner, you will want to make sure you first conduct your research. You will have to check their credibility, business integrity, make certain they are trust worthy and determine whether they are a good fit for your business to eliminate any possible conflicts.

To learn more, Smallbusinessnotes.com shares a useful article with tips to help you learn more about How to Set up a Strategic Alliance

What is it You Do?

All Categories, Marketing, Networking No Responses »

May 212010

How many times are we asked that question? How many times do we stumble over the response? Let’s see. . . I provide financial services to seniors. . . or I’m a research analyst at the university. As a coach the main problem I encounter with my clients is coming to grips with what they do and why they do it.

Most of us know what we do but to say it in a way that engages people is another thing entirely. It’s rare that I meet someone at a networking event who says what he or she does in a way that engages me. Usually I have to figure out how to get engaged with the person. Or worse still, after they say what they do, it falls flat. I’m not sure what to say next. In contrast our goal should be to tell people what we do quickly in order to peak their interest and engage them in a conversation.

Here are some tips I’ve learned about developing your quick, elevator speech in an engaging manner.

* Focus on the benefits your product or service offers. Instead of saying, I’m a financial manager, say: “I help people make money by investing.” What is it that you do, that others might benefit from? I have a colleague who says, “I help organizations turn sales into money.”

* When you say what you do, say it with passion. Give the important words emphasis. Recently during a workshop I asked the participants to tell me what they do. One woman went into a long description about how she finds the right jobs for the right people. When I challenged her to think of benefits and to give words emphasis, she came up with a new description of her services. Now she says, “I’m a match-maker. I connect the perfect person with the perfect job.” The excitement of her new elevator pitch came across in her words. She said it like this: “I’m a match-maker. I connect the perfect people with the perfect job.”

* Your goal is not to tell it all, but to engage. You want the person you are talking with to ask you that all-important question. How do you do that? Essentially you want to get the other person asking you questions.

* Remember your target market. Many entrepreneurs do not wish to limit their market. I have clients who tell me they do not want to create a niche because that limits their service reach. In reality, the target is exactly what it says. It’s a place where you aim. You might hit another spot and if you do, fine. But, you aim for your target. What does this mean? I have a client who finally narrowed her target to coaching for people in religious settings. She can focus on developing group coaching, seminars, written materials and all kinds of other materials for her target population. If, however, someone outside the religious community wishes to engage her services, that’s fine. Recently a skilled sales person defined this concept for me as “land and expand.” Once you land with your foot in the door, you can expand. The trick is landing!

William Osler was one of the foremost teachers and writers of medical education during the 20th Century. He was a great physician who paved the way for many young doctors. Before his death he instructed his friends what he wanted to be remembered for-not the many medical discoveries he made, not the textbooks he’d written-instead, he said, “I taught medical students on the wards.” That was his target and his elevator speech. What’s yours?

Joan Curtis, EdD is founder of Total Communications Coaching where she specializes in helping smart, capable professionals move ahead in their careers by becoming skilled communicators. How Effective is Your 10-Second Pitch? Take this free assessment
http://www.totalcommunicationscoach.com/how-effective-is-your-10-second-pitch.htm.

Dr. Curtis’ new book, Managing Sticky Situations at Work: Communication Secrets for Success in the Workplace, will be released in June 2009. See it at http://www.managingstickysituationsatwork.com

A Letter to ALL TheCEOMamma's

All Categories, Inspiration, Networking 1 Response »

May 122010

Dear Empowered Woman,

Thank you for seeing the value of your worth. You are filled with strength, the remarkable gift of intelligence and blessed with a spirit of courage. You are truly appreciated for the understanding you possess, that you are unstoppable! Through it all, you always manage to come out on top. Empowered woman, I respect you so much because you believe in your heart that you deserve the best and refuse to let anything stand in your way.

This is why you are deemed, TheCEOMamma.

You are a woman entrepreneur who sees the power of building your business on and offline. You market yourself and your business using the necessary tools and resources needed to help you grow your web presence. TheCEOMamma is you…a hard-working, self-starter who embraces the vision that inspires her.

You are dedicated to educating yourself and attaining the necessary training to become a success within your chosen industry and a viable asset to your company or business. As TheCEOMamma, you consider Networking a valuable tool and know how to incorporate it wisely in all of your business endeavors.

You see, being TheCEOMamma that you are, has allowed you to always value integrity and honesty in all your business practices. You understand the importance of partnering with like-minded individuals who can help you achieve your business goals.You are regarded as an expert in your field amongst your peers because of the knowledge and credibility you display.

TheCEOMamma has a passion and desire to inspire and empower other women to be and achieve their absolute best!

The connections you have created are not only business relationships but friendships that you continue to nurture. You keep your goals aligned with your vision and know how to stay focused on the direction to your success.

You ROCK Empowered Woman and I Thank You, for being YOU!

Your Friend and Fan,

Tamyka Washington

P.S. As you connect with like-minded individuals who will help you build your business, you expose yourself to new opportunities that help you grow! This is what TheCEOMamma Network Community is all about…I invite you to get connected!

How to Create Connections to Expand Your Social Media

All Categories, Marketing, Networking, Social Networking, Twitter 5 Responses »

May 052010

Let’s be honest, we ALL want a ton of loyal followers and raving fans chasing after us online helping us expand our business, right? Wouldn’t it be great to wake up each morning to find that over night, a flood of new people joined your fan page or your twitter account had a sudden rush of new followers? I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that this is the exact feeling most entrepreneurs would love to experience (myself included).

Even if you spend a large amount of time on social networking each day you still may not be getting the kind of followers and fans you want. The reason could be a few things but the main one could be your just not creating the right connections.

Let’s take Twitter for instance, if you are on there and your not actively seeking people to follow, more likely than not, you won’t have anyone following you back. If you do have followers and neither of you share anything in common, how exactly will you benefit from each other? Before you can establish the right connections on Twitter, you have to follow the right people.

Who are the right people and right connections? I’m glad you asked!

The good news is you can start creating the right connections today by simply tweaking your strategy. Before you jump back on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll want to think about the type of people you want following or connecting with you. Think about who you want buying your product, who you would love to work with, the type of people you’d like to partner with even consider the people you can learn from.

Those who want your product or service. Knowing what you offer, who are the individuals who will receive the most benefit? Are they women, are they mothers, are they mothers of children of a specific age… really narrow it down. These are the group of people you will need to start connecting with.

Those in your industry. Find and establish a rapport with people in your specific industry. Get over the competitive mentality, there is plenty of business to go around. It’s okay to “share” friends and followers of these people. Your not stealing business from each other, your simply broadening your network. Besides, people will do business with whomever they are drawn to and that’s a fact.

Those who are experts in other fields. Be open to partnering with experts in other industries who compliment your business and vice versa. Imagine how explosive it would be if you designed websites and you partnered with someone who has a web hosting company. The two of you could refer clients to each while both of you benefit from the almost effortless increase of income. Step outside of your comfort zone and reach out!

Those who are highly influential. I’m sure there is someone you know who inspires you on a regular basis. That person (or people) who has built your ideal business and has been your motivating force during your business journey. These are the individuals who already are, where you want to be! Connect with them, follow them, learn from them. You never know what could come of these types of connections.

Those who are your raving fans. These are the people who encourage you to keep going. They are not necessarily customers (maybe they can’t afford your product), they are everywhere you are (they could find you in the dark), they are the ones who comment on your posts often and share your links without being prompted (they totally support what your about). They are the ones who seem almost able to see your vision as you see it. You must connect with these people because they are the ones who truly believe in YOU! They sometimes get lost in the crowd or may even be considered the underdog BUT they are your virtual cheerleaders and even if you don’t realize it…you inspire them! They genuinely appreciate ALL that you do.

Making the right connections requires activity on your part, especially if your just starting out (or restarting). Put forth the actions now and you will reap the rewards soon enough. It doesn’t have to be a difficult chore if you start building relationships with the right people now.

So, take these tips and get to work!

Next up, I’ll share with you how to create your own network community designed around your business!

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Building Your Presence Online for Maximum Visibility

All Categories, Blogging, Networking, Social Media, Social Networking 7 Responses »

May 032010

Since the explosive growth of social media over the years, many entrepreneurs have learned how to take advantage of using various free marketing platforms like Facebook and twitter, to make themselves increasingly visible online. Social media marketing is by far the easiest and cheapest way to establish your online presence. But let’s be real, some people are clearly way better at building there presence online than others.

You may be wondering if there is some sort of trick to this social media frenzy or an exact blueprint to follow that will guarantee success (I know I did when I first started…no such luck)!

During my many hours of research on social media marketing, I did however, learn a lot. I started reading the blogs of the people who seemed to have it all – a large blog readership, massive amounts of followers across their networks and lots and lots of references to their information being reposted and retweeted by others.

I subscribed to those that were interesting to me and who are in my industry. After a short time of following my new favorite bloggers, I began to feel connected to these individuals as if we knew each other in “real life”. I started feeling comfortable commenting on their blog posts and sharing my opinion with them, I even found myself sharing their links with my personal friends whom I thought would appreciate and get the same value from this great content I had discovered!

Then, low and behold…I had an ‘AHA’ moment!

My favorite bloggers built their presence online by simply possessing a deep passion for what they do. Each article, blog post, product or piece of advice they shared originated from an idea or talent they enjoy sharing with others. Simple..huh?

Do you know what else I realized? Their success didn’t happen over night either. They were consistently writing and sharing value with their followers day after day (and they shared that same valuable content even when they didn’t have any followers…imagine that!)

The key points I learned when I set my desires on building my business around my online presence…be passionate about what your doing, be willing to give 100% all of the time and practice discipline and consistency on a daily basis…even when you think nobody is watching!

Are you ready to build your powerful presence online?
Check out a few of my tips you can use to help you get started!

Determine your specialty. What are some of the things you are really good at? Think about the skill or training you received from a prior job or career. Where do your passions stem from? Ask yourself, “what value can I bring into the lives of others?” This is a really important factor when determining how you will build your presence online because this is the way you will develop your brand and what you will be known for online.

Who is your audience. So you’ve figured out your specialty and your passions. Now you’ve got to figure out who wants to be connected to you based on what you can offer. It may sound a little selfish but you’ve got to give before you can get! If your a financial advisor specializing in small business, your ideal audience would be small business owners and entrepreneurs. Cater to serving the audience who can most benefit from what you offer and make sure you can give them what THEY need.

Where is your audience. Before you can connect with them and invite them into your space, you have to find out where they hang out online. Yes, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great places to expand your presence but they may not be the only places your audience chooses to congregate.

Introduce Yourself. Once you have determined your specialty, figured out who your audience is and where they are you can begin to introduce yourself to them (notice I said introduce yourself…NOT your business!!!) How do you introduce yourself? Simply by writing a brief yet compelling and descriptive bio of yourself and what you do. This way, you give people just enough information about you to help them determine if they’d like to connect with you.

Sharing value. The best way to build a solid foundation online is to of course…share your original quality content and handpicked resources. The best way to do this is to blog. Implementing the key factors mentioned above will come into play in your writing…be passionate about your topic, giving 100% all the time and being disciplined and consistent. These 3 factors alone will help you establish yourself online as the “real deal” and an expert in your industry.

Finally….don’t give up! If you are serious about not only creating your online presence but a community of loyal followers, you must be committed to making it work. Staying focused on your audience and keeping their needs in the forefront will assure you achieve the results you desire.

Stay tuned for my next post as I will share with you How to Create the Right Connections Online.

Working from Home in My Own Words

All Categories, Blogging, Marketing, Networking, Social Networking, Twitter 4 Responses »

Apr 222010

Guest Post By: Treshad Washington (My Son) In regards to Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day!

Hi my name is Tre and today I stayed home with my mom for take your kids to work day. Today I learned how my mom builds her business on facebook and twitter by making friends and talking to them. Every day she checks her stats on her blog and on hootsuite to find out how she gets traffic. She runs a Facebook fan page and shares inspirational quotes, blog post, and other information. She talks on the phone with people who want to learn how to start a business, and it’s called coaching.

Today I learned to blog and post on the fan page and I learned how to network on twitter and facebook. I helped my mom get friends on facebook and twitter so she could get more people on her website. I learned about her social network for other ladies in business. I learned how other women start their own business selling stuff online.

Now that I know what my mom does everyday, I think its cool to be a marketing consultant and coach. I think it is a tough job to keep up with and keeping track of what you are doing. I think you need a lot of time on your hands and patience.

Today I did a Facebook fan page quote that I found all by myself and somebody liked it, that made me feel special=[). If it was me doing all this marketing and networking I couldn't do it because you have to do a lot of typing and thinking and talking to people. My mom has to talk to people on the phone and help them and teach them about how to do their business. That's something I couldn't do because its scary to me.

In conclusion, I decided to never do marketing again because it was very hard, way to much work, and to much writing. Plus she made me write this blog post...just kidding!

by: Treshad Washington (my mom is TheCEOMamma >=])

The Traits of a True Woman Entrepreneur

All Categories, Inspiration, Networking, Social Media No Responses »

Apr 212010

If you are reading this post it’s probably because you are just like me. You either own a business or have just started your journey into the intriguing world of entrepreneurship. You are a creative being. You love utilizing your mind and huge imagination to purposely turn nothing into something…Amazing. Your crafty because you know how to use the different resources available to you, (no matter how small or obsolete) and some how make them work together and bring life to your vision. You are a dreamer and always think outside of the box.

If you can relate so far, you know without a doubt you ARE an entrepreneur. We are a different breed in a sense because unlike most, mediocrity is NOT an option. There is no satisfaction for us in working a regular 9-5 week after week. In fact, many of us see it as down right ridiculous. The words can’t and won’t are nonexistent in your world because you know how to make things happen. Being an entrepreneur is wanting something and figuring out a way to get it no matter what it takes…am I right?

Because our way of thinking is so different than the average person, it’s so important for us to use our abilities more collectively, wouldn’t you agree? We each have the kind of knowledge and information we all need for us to grow and succeed in our journeys. That’s why networking with like minds is such a viable asset to the life an entrepreneur.

When I started my business, I knew I would incorporate the needs of my fellow women entrepreneurs, and so TheCEOMamma Network was built with that exact goal in mind. Our Network is a place for women entrepreneurs from all walks of life, at various stages in business, in a variety of industries to come together for support and to share.

Deep in your heart as a women entrepreneur, you feel the need to connect with other women who share your same passions. We need each other for support while we build our dreams and partners as we grow our business.

This is the motto of TheCEOMamma Network: Connect ~ Build ~ Grow! I invite you to explore our online community and get connected with us. We are women who understand the value of networking, integrity and honesty. We are dedicated and passionate women in business who are achieving financial independence while inspiring and empowering other women to success!

If your ready to connect with a dynamic movement of go-getters, visit us today, we’d love to connect, build and grow with you!

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