Womanpreneur – SiMar

Success Tips For Small Biz Womenpreneurs

Allison Todd — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 23:58:17 +0000

Small business is continually soaring to new heights. With the local industries continually making waves in the market, it is only fitting to start building your business goals today more than ever. Entrepreneurship is definitely one of the most lucrative opportunities to root for in the years to come. Aside from flexible work hours or being your own boss, the potential of making it big in the market is definitely something to look forward to.

Running a business, however, is not for the faint of heart. No matter how big or how small, there remains one thing—risks. Even when you have enough startup capital or expertise in the industry you wish to pursue, such risks will still be there. However, one can never achieve anything without taking risks. When thinking of achieving success with as little risks as possible, here are some important tips to remember when starting up a business today.

Be socially enabled. This means you need to have social media presence as a conduit to your marketing arsenal. The key is to define your market niche and find what platform caters to their interests. You may delegate it to an in-house team composed of employees as page administrators or to hire third party service providers who can deliver results. Maintain at least two to three social media accounts by posting relevant and timely topics. Visuals are highly recommended, too.

Build, build, and build some one—in connection, that is. As a small business womenpreneur, it is wise to gather and nurture a highly dependable support system. Family and friends as well as old work colleagues can be your first line of defense. A good coach or mentor or business consultancy firm also provides valuable and objective guidance to steer you to the right direction. These people provide no-nonsense ideas, solution, and feedback.

Don’t micromanage, but rather learn the art of delegation. You cannot do it alone. Controlling every inch of your business is laudable, but it can burn you out leaving more gaping holes in the business. Be on top of things but learn to flex your muscles to avoid snapping into pieces.

Hire the right people. When choosing employees, go for the ones whose attitude align with that of the company’s core values and work ethics. Employees who embrace what you believe in via their personal and professional words and actions will easily integrate into your business and deliver the results you need.

Keep a growth mindset. Study business leads and always be on the lookout for fresh new ideas in the market. It’s a highly dynamic business arena out there. Learn how to swim with the current to ensure that your business will not drown in obsolescence.

Be a compassionate leader. This will help engage your employees and strengthen your connections with them. This will also help increase their creativity and engagement levels.

Count your blessings and learn from your mistakes. At some point, you will make mistakes. Forgive yourself but make sure to remember the lesson—and do something to ensure it won’t happen again in your future initiatives.

Womenpreneurs are meant to rock the small business arena. Why wait for tomorrow when you can start working on your success NOW!

Personal Spring Cleaning From A Womanpreneur’s Perspective

Allison Todd — Sat, 07 Oct 2017 23:54:17 +0000

After the wintry spell, fall is nearly upon many businesses. Sure thing, this is the perfect time of the year to rev up your engine and crank your accelerometer to optimize your business goals. Spring brings a certain promise to every womanpreneur who wants to start anew particularly after a huge slump. It is also meant as a wake-up call for those procrastinating due to perceived risks in the future of the business.

Like vegetations that sprout as the sun’s magical rays finally seep through melting snow in its path, this is a time to start from a clean slate and to look for signs of opportunities and growth. Business spring cleaning is going to challenging. No doubt about that. But womenpreneurs may have the advantage.

So, how will you harness the invigorating energy that spring brings to your business? Are you ready to begin a new business cycle on a high note? Here are tips on how to start the new business cycle right.

1. First stop: de-clutter. Nothing is more distracting than a table filled with papers, files, folders, and such. It is high time to segregate the necessities from the undesirables. Clean up your table as fast as you can. Beneath those mounds of paperwork, you may stumble upon an agreement or a business plan that may sound ridiculous last year but useful now. Dust. Scrub. Repaint if you must. Basically, do not leave any flat surface remain untouched.

2. Give your computer a breath of fresh air. Open an account on DropBox and lodged past files and documents in there. Consider also having a backup hard drive to hold those files. Label them carefully. The more you will extract old files, reports, and documents that’s so last year from your laptop or PC, the more it will run efficiently.

3. Don’t forget cleaning up your online DNA. Give your website and social media pages the necessary spring cleaning, too. Perhaps, it is high time to “re-dress” your website’s look. A quick run on your dashboard will be so much fun. Social media profile badges may also have to be changed. Turn off those notifications. Realign your settings in a manner that’s conducive to your goals.

4. Reassess what you have done to your business and to your life. Do a no-nonsense month-by-month blow on the things you have done vis-à-vis your vision and mission. Are the marketing strategies you and your team painstakingly craft followed to a tee? Did you exceed or fall short from your goals? Are customers staying or going? How powerful does your online presence become? Make past performances as your gauge in setting goals and action plans to ensure improvement and growth this year.

5. Boost your business prowess. You can do so by having yourself and the whole workforce re-trained. Enroll your steering committee into a training class or a seminar. Have your operation workforce go into training for new skills. It is time to stretch everyone’s capabilities to the hilt, including your own self.

6. Give your own self the break you deserve. Perhaps, you have toiled high and low in the past months due to a slump or various challenges of the business. After all other aspects have been addressed, now is time to give your own self the pampering it needs. Go on an off-grid getaway. Reconnect with loved ones and friends. Meditate. Cleanse and purge your system from all the toxicity of last year’s struggles. Strengthen your mind and body—and come back with a renewed sense of purpose.

Always regard every cycle of the business with care. Every womanpreneur know that like running a home, doing an annual spring cleaning for your business will definitely create more opportunities for growth. Do so regularly and enjoy newly strengthened motivation to forward your goals.

Posting Secrets To Rock Your Instagram Campaign

Allison Todd — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 19:08:08 +0000

Is timing also a concern in Instagram? Like Twitter and Facebook,posting time has also been a fodder of discussion to Instagram users. While recent polls mentioned that the best time to post on social media (regardless of platform) is between 7pm to 9pm, it cannot be held true for everyone as target markets can be varied– different geographical location, different audience and different time zones. But why find out the right time to post on Instagram though? Well, if you are not familiar with IG’s algorithm changes last year, you should know by now that highly engaging posts are being “prioritized” on your newsfeed. This means that a post with more likes and comments will be visible to more people, increasing its reach and success potential.

So, what to do to rock your Instagram campaign? When thinking of generating more engagement to your Instagram posts, here are some posting secrets to remember this 2017:

Off-Work Hours. Schedule IG campaigns on hours where your audiences are most likely not on-board any work commitment. Lunch break usually falls between 11AM to 1PM while dinner engagement is usually at 7PM to 9PM. People nowadays, if not socializing, are checking their Instagram accounts for updates. So, schedule your posts on Hootsuite or any social media scheduling platform during these times.

Weekdays and Weekends. To be sure, make your campaign run for the whole week including weekends to expand your reach. Week days are known to be effective for B2B companies as majority of businesses still operate on these days. Weekends are highly advisable for B2C companies and are also great for fun campaigns. Wednesdays and Thursdays are also known to deliver the most punch in terms of engagement.

Time Zone Savvy. Always take time to consider your target audience time zone. If you are in the East Coast, for instance, but the bulk of your followers come from the West or from another continent, then, adjust your posting schedule according to their time zone.

3 o’ Clock Habit. Considered to deliver the lowest engagement rate in many geographical locations, the hour between 3PM and 4PM must be avoided by B2B companies as this is where most deadliest deadlines rest. B2C companies, however, can have fun experimenting on this timeframe.

Indeed, timing is everything when it comes to business– social media notwithstanding. When trying to optimize your campaign’s engagement, it is of utmost importance to use analytic tools that can help you a head’s up on various aspects directly affecting your posts. Aside from pinpointing geographical location, age, gender, and buying habits, it is also best to check the time they are most active on Instagram and start your campaign rolling from there. Find an airtight scheduler and keep track of its progress. As always, your dedication and commitment will matter a lot on making your posts a success.