Connectivity
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A new group is organizing to support women whose businesses are ready to take the next step.
WISE — Women In Successful Enterprises — aims to help women business owners who are past the start-up phase and are ready to grow, said Floriza Genautis.
Genautis, owner of Management Business Solutions Inc., a Grand Rapids staffing and recruiting firm with six employees, is working with Connie Sweet of Connection Group in Lansing to organize WISE, an outgrowth of their participation in the local group Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs.
WISE plans to sponsor events quarterly for established women-owned businesses in central and West Michigan, Genautis said. The first occurred last week, with a session on sustainability at Cascade Engineering, followed by a brewery tour and networking time at Schmohz Brewery. She said she expected about 50 to attend.
The next event will be a full-day conference on leadership May 21 in conjunction with Ann Arbor-based Michigan Women’s Marketplace, an online forum for women in business, at Davenport University’s Caledonia campus.
“It’s created to be a resource group for women in business who are already established.” said Genautis, who launched her firm less than three years ago.
“When we were looking to find a name, we really said, ‘You know, these are wise women,’” she added. “They are looking to grow their business to the next level. They’re certainly not start-ups. They are not in the entrepreneurial phase. … We want to be the vehicle to provide those opportunities as well as resources to get them to that level.”
The organization is not membership-based, she said.
Genautis said she has often attended events for women business owners on the east side of the state.
“There’s something missing here in our area in West Michigan, because there’s nothing here available. There are a lot of great, great … events, organizations available to help you get started, networking opportunities, but never focused on established companies. Really, that’s where we came in.”
More information is available at www.wiseconnections.org.
“It’s very inclusive. You don’t have to be a business owner to join in,” she added, noting that executives in larger businesses may participate in WISE events.
Among the issues that established businesses face that may be addressed by WISE are public relations and employee retention, Genautis said. “We do face different types of issues as we grow our business,” she said.
Article Written By: Elizabeth Slowik
Wow, nearly a full month without an entry. Funny, right after my last post I found other subjects right away I thought would be appropriate blog posts. Now here I am nearly a month later and I am having to remind myself to do a blog entry before the end of the month.
As you can easily see I haven’t embraced the blog-sphere. For me it is a reminder of the many tasks we all strive to meet each hour, each day, each month, each year. I do like the idea of sharing new ideas and expressing my view point. What I don’t like is the challenge of fitting yet another item onto the monthly list. Does it seem to you like more items get added than get taken away?
So, how important are blogs and social media for Web site marketing? Some people are saying they are spending upwards of 20 hours a week with their LinkedIN, Facebook and Twittering. Social Media Marketing Industry Report by Michael A. Stelzner, March 2009, as reported by WebProNews, outlines the value of social media in regard to SEO.
Statistics show this little blog has helped to bring our Web site numbers up. No doubt dedicating regular time to social marketing each week would help increase SEO as well. The bigger question I am posing when it comes to SEO is what is the amount of time required for service businesses to reap the reward – actual buyers to the site? We’ve all recognized that social networking marketing helps in other ways besides SEO, it is worthy of dedicated time. It needs to be added to the monthly list – ugh! More likely, it is tIme to determine what I can turn over to a staff specialist! That’s the ticket, don’t add anything new to your list, find a reliable resource to handle it and save your precious time. And now I get to take “make blog entry” off my list – at least for this month.
Attention Readers! How do you keep your newsletter interesting enough for people to read and share it with others? Before you start compiling copy, and adding postage, take a few steps back…
read these newsletter tips before jumping in…
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
Our personal and cultural associations affect our experience of color. Colors are seen as warm or cool mainly because of long-held (and often universal) associations. Yellow, orange and red are associated with the heat of sun and fire; blue, green and violet with the coolness of leaves, sea and the sky. Warm colors seem closer to the viewer than cool colors, but vivid cool colors can overwhelm light and subtle warm colors. Using warm colors for foreground and cool colors for background enhances the perception of depth.
Although red, yellow and orange are in general considered high-arousal colors and blue, green and most violets are low-arousal hues, the brilliance, darkness and lightness of a color can alter the psychological message. While a light blue-green appears to be tranquil, wet and cool, a brilliant turquoise, often associated with a lush tropical ocean setting, will be more exciting to the eye. The psychological association of a color is often more meaningful than the visual experience.
Colors act upon the body as well as the mind. Red has been shown to stimulate the senses and raise the blood pressure, while blue has the opposite effect and calms the mind.
People will actually gamble more and make riskier bets when seated under a red light as opposed to a blue light. That’s why Las Vegas is the city of red neon.
For most people, one of the first decisions of the day concerns color harmony. What am I going to wear? This question is answered not only by choosing a style and fabric appropriate to the season, but by making the right color choices. And it goes on from there. Whether you’re designing a new kitchen, wrapping a present or creating a bar chart, the colors you choose greatly affect your final results.
How often have you caught your breath at the sight of a flowerbed in full bloom? Most likely the gardener has arranged the flowers according to their color for extra vibrancy. Have you ever seen a movie in which a coordinated color scheme helps the film create a world unto itself? With a little knowledge of good color relationships, you can make colors work better for you in your business graphics and other applications.
Color is light and light is energy. Scientists have found that actual physiological changes take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors. Colors can stimulate, excite, depress, tranquilize, increase appetite and create a feeling of warmth or coolness. This is known as chromodynamics.
An executive for a paint company received complaints from workers in a blue office that the office was too cold. When the offices were painted a warm peach, the sweaters came off even though the temperature had not changed.
The illusions discussed below will show you that sometimes combinations of colors can deceive the viewer, sometimes in ways that work to your advantage. They can also cause unfortunate effects in your graphics, so be sure to watch out for these little traps.
Sometimes colors affect each other in unexpected ways. For example, most colors, when placed next to their complements, produce vibrating, electric effects. Other colors, in the right combinations, seem quite different from what you’d expect.
The most striking color illusions are those where identical colors, when surrounded by different backgrounds, appear to be different from each other. In a related effect, different colors can appear to be the same color when surrounded by certain backgrounds.
When you look at a colored object, your brain determines its color in the context of the surrounding colors.
In this picture, the two bows are the same color, but because the surrounding areas are strikingly different in contrast, it seems to our eyes that they are different. Keep this effect in mind when creating graphics where color matching is critical. If you attempt to match your corporation’s official colors, you may find that even if you achieve an exact match, it may look wrong in context.
In the same way that one color can appear different in different surroundings, two similar colors may appear to be identical under some conditions. Even though the two symbols are actually slightly different tones, the contrasting backgrounds cause our brains to think that they are the same color. This effect is harder to control, but be aware of it because it can affect your graphics in hidden ways.
The feeling you get when looking at bright complementary colors next to each other is a vibrating or pulsing effect. It seems that the colors are pulling away from each other. It’s caused by an effect called color fatiguing. When one color strikes a portion of the retina long enough, the optic nerve begins sending confused signals to the brain. This confusion is intensified by the complementaries.
Mixing brilliant complementary colors gets attention, but it should be used with restraint. The effect is disconcerting and can make your eyes feel like they’ve been shaken around.
If you want to use complementary colors without causing discomfort, you can outline each of the colors with a thin neutral white, gray or black line. The outlines separate the two colors, which helps your brain keep them separated.
When two very similar colors touch in an image, both colors appear to wash out and become indistinct. This is because the borders between the colors are difficult to distinguish and your brain blurs the colors together.
If you outline each of the colors with a thin neutral white, gray or black line, the colors become easier to distinguish. This is called the stained glass technique and is a way to reduce this blurring of the colors.
Find more out about color at Pantone.com
Let’s face it the internet is a great educational and entertaining resource our kids can benefit from exploring, but there are areas we don’t want them to travel too! Setting some clear guidelines and rules upfront will help you feel more comfortable and keep them safer.
Visit www.netsmartz.org to download safety pledges that are geared to specific age ranges, print them and review them with the children and young adults you know. Outlining what you expect and having them sign the agreement to follow the safe practices will provide accountability, especially if you post the printed, signed document right by the computer they will surf on!
Following are some important points of review I have summarized from the a long list of safety tips posted on the netsmartz.org website. The site is a portal for educating adults and children on internet safety practices.
Content provided from http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/pledge.htm
Check the site for the age ranges and discuss them with your young ones. Print out the agreements and place them in view of your kids when they are in front of the computer as a gentle reminder of the pledge all of you have taken.
During this changing business climate many companies are diversifying and others are closing their doors. Reinvention can stem from a need to increase revenue, a request to follow a new direction an industry has taken or a need to enhance skills in a niche sector.
It is important to evaluate how your company, product and services are going to weather the new way of doing business. Companies who will prosper in this changing environment will be those who are clear about who they are, who they serve, and what value they bring to the marketplace. One of the first steps in identifying the answers to these questions for my company was to complete a SWOT analysis. Getting key staff involved in some of the questions is beneficial too. Your staff are often the ones who have full insight of the daily functions and achievements of the company.
Once I honestly answered the questions my next step was to sit with my answers for a while. Some of you will get some ah-ha answers right away – others will get affirmations your company is on the right track. I found all of the above to be true. Whatever you do, don’t force the answers and don’t force a message that doesn’t fit.
Hopefully this practice will help you give you some clarification on your company direction. Keep ini mind, SWOT analysis can be helpful in many areas of your life. Along with the all encompassing business example posed here, SWOT analysis can help define your target market, your brand development, marketing, public relations and human resources approaches. Personally, it can help you with relationships and even home improvement plans – if you are that disciplined! If utilized regularly you may be amazed at the varied results you will get. Best of luck, have fun and stay connected to the big picture!
Download SWOT Analysis
Newsletters need to be professional, informative and accurate. It’s important to plan ahead and this doesn’t just mean choosing content. Before you start editing copy, let’s take a few steps back. Answer these few critical questions before you jump into the actual newsletter elements.
1. Who is your audience? If you have an existing newsletter ask yourself who is reading it. Next think of others who may benefit from receiving it. Also, consider if format changes may help get those who receive it but don’t read it interested in opening it again.
2. What is the purpose of your newsletter? To inform readers of upcoming events, new products, organizational activities or solicit funds or volunteers? Or is your newsletter targeted to employees to inform them on policies, benefits or new procedures?
3. Have you reviewed other newsletters? Is there anything in there you would find interesting, informative or inspiring? Is it newsworthy or just a repeat of information the recipients already know?
4. Is the layout attractive and easy to navigate? Are the fonts easy to read, type size too big or too little? Are there photos and graphics mixed in with the text to add interest?
Now we get to the meat.
Once you have answered the above questions think about how the identified weaknesses can be corrected.
* INCLUDE THEM – get your members, employees or customers involved to inject new life and a fresh perspective. Have them write stories and share successes.
* ENGAGE THEM – stories told in the first person stand out from the dry delivery of composed articles with a reporters tone.
* KEEP ‘EM LAUGHING – A joke, cartoon or humorous story can be a light touch that keeps the reader interested. Be sure to keep it in good taste!
* IMPRESS THEM – Clear, legible fonts with a good mix of professional photos and illustrations in an easy-to-read format attracts more readers.
* ENTERTAIN THEM – Crosswords, games, trivia, give-a-ways and contests get readers involved. If results are posted on the company site you get the added benefit of increased web site traffic.
* HELP THEM – Include a separate section with dates and pertinent information on any events or meetings you want your readers to remember. Including this information within the articles isn’t enough – be sure to make it easy for readers to find and look up. An index is also helpful.
* MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE – With the green initiative and people being in front of their computers more often than not these days consider if an e-newsletter would increase readership with your target audience.
* SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE – If your industry is in the news and there have been articles written which your audience will find beneficial include them in your newsletter. Be sure to get permission for reprint and add the credit of the source of the story.
* GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT: Your readers are your best source for information about what is working or what needs improvement. Ask them for suggestions and ideas.
Good Luck! Contact us if you need help.
If you plan to set time aside for a year end review, personally or professionally, visit our blog. In the most recent entry you can find some specific questions to get you started. Below enjoy another tip by another of our favorite coaches, Michael Neill – www.geniuscatalyst.com
Emma was struggling to keep her home-based business alive after about a year of very hard work and very limited profits. When she hired me to help her turn things around (or help her make peace with letting the business go), the first thing I did was introduce her to a thinking tool I use with many of my clients:
Imagine a robot who has been programmed with all the best business skills and business wisdom, but has no emotional circuitry whatsoever. No matter what is going on in your business, “Business Robot” will always make the decisions and take the actions that are most likely to lead to success both short and long-term.
Now imagine that Business Robot has been hired to run your company or take over your job for awhile – what would Business Robot do?
When I asked Emma, her first response was “he’d quit!” (Not sure why most people seem to make Business Robot a “boy-bot”, but they do!) After further questioning, she realized that in fact, the business was mostly on track – what had been troubling her was the pressure she’d been putting on herself to “make” it succeed more quickly.
A series of insights followed, including:
* Business Robot would institute a strict ABC priority policy and stick with it, not letting himself get caught up in other people’s sense of urgency
* Business Robot would work less hours, recognizing the value of focusing on work when at work and renewing energy and resources outside of working hours
* Business Robot would go through and do an 80/20 evaluation of which clients were bringing in the most money for the least effort and vice-versa – and then would use that information as a basis for prioritizing certain clients and “firing” others
Perhaps the biggest breakthrough she got from the exploration was when she realized that far from working harder or longer, Business Robot would hire an assistant to take care of the majority of the tasks she herself found so tiresome, leaving her free and energized to do the work that she loved and excelled at.
Today’s Experiment:
1. Imagine that Business Robot has been brought in to run your company, take over your job, or manage your career – what would Business Robot do in the first week? What goals or targets would he set for the next month? Next quarter? Next year?
2. What longer-term vision would Business Robot create for you business or career?
3. Think of the biggest problem or sticking point you are facing in your work right now – what would Business Robot do in that situation?
The key to making this “thought-experiment” work for you is to realize that as Aristotle said, “a virtue is the mean between two vices”. Your goal is not to become more robotic – just to bring the wisdom of a mentally disciplined approach into balance with the wisdom of your very human heart.
Have fun, learn heaps, and happy exploring!
Micheal Neill
http://www.geniuscatalyst.com
Copyright © 2008 Michael Neil. All Rights Reserved
You’re corporate brochures looks awesome! But how does it read? As a design firm we specialize in making your marketing items look good. We don’t just stop at how they look though. To maintain your professional image it is important for your text to be clean and accurate too.
We know it’s really about how cool it looks, but some people do still read! If your budget is limited and you are writing your own copy, make sure you get another set of eyes to proof it. One of the first rules to learn is you can’t proof your own work. As independent as some of us are, there are times when another person’s insight is critical. As the writer, or designer we are often too close to the work to notice what are sometimes blatant errors others see right away.
For your next project hire an editor or have a coworker proofread for you. If you are not familiar with the shorthand proofreaders use to mark up your text be sure to take a look at the graphic below developed by Dynamic Graphics Magazine. Print it out and keep it for reference when needed. Dynamic Graphics Magazine does a great job offering tips to all levels of publishers.
Sometimes it seems like eons pass before a response comes in these days. There is a fine line between pestiness and persistence when following up with client project bids. Here are five tried-and-true techniques marketing guru, Ilise Benun, suggests to use to speed up the process:
1. | Ask for a simple “yes” or “no.” Author and physician Evan Lipkis got silence from a reporter from Lady’s Home Journal after submitting an article idea. So he wrote a simple e-mail message that said, “Just give me a yes or no!” He got a 40-minute interview and a story in the magazine. | |
2. | Put “Second Request” in the e-mail subject line. When faced with silence, Howard Stone, co-author of Too Young to Retire, sends the same e-mail message a week later with “Second Request” in the subject line. | |
3. | Give them a deadline to respond. Some people only take action when a deadline is looming. So ask your prospects to respond by a certain date, even if that date is arbitrary. | |
4. | Express concern. On a second or third try, express concern by saying “I hope you are all right.” This works especially well with people you know personally. It brings the interaction to a human level, reminds them that there’s a real person trying to reach them, and usually provokes a response. | |
5. | Put them on auto-drip. Whether or not you have a deal pending, you should have an automated marketing tool in place to help keep your name in all your prospects’ minds. The three best ways to remind them of the service that you provide are with a monthly (or even quarterly) e-mail newsletter, a print newsletter, or a direct-mail postcard. |
Read the full article at the link below:
http://www.creativepro.com/article/what-do-when-a-prospective-client-doesnt-respond-your-proposal
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