Women Grow Business

Still think SM’s a shiny new toy?

I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to the quite-interesting findings of the Small Business Success Index (I mean, who could pay attention to *real* news when Kevin Smith got booted off Southwest Airlines and kicked up a stink about it).

Anyhoo… there’s a lot of cool stuff in it but what’s very interesting is that it finds (and by it I mean the research & report sponsored by Network Solutions – this blog’s home and host – and the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business) that the adoption of social media by small business has doubled since last year.

Let me repeat that: the adoption of social media by small business has doubled by last year.

Not only that, but 45% of the businesses surveyed expect social media to be profitable within 12 months.

12 months? Take that, ROI-doubters!

True, it’s not all champagne and roses (50% say it takes more time than they expected and 17% are concerned about the potential for folks to use SM to criticize their businesses online) – but overall it’s very interesting. Go take a look at it (and while you’re about it, I strongly recommend you download a copy of the SBSI).

There’s a Twitterchat tomorrow night to discuss these findings as well as clue small business owners into how they can use SM effectively to grow their business. It’ll be moderated by Anita Campbell, editor of Small Business Trends, so do mark your calendars and join the chat on Twitter from 8 – 10 pm EST, using the #sbchat hashtag.

(I’d join you but I’m going to be in jolly old London, so you’ll just have to fill me in).

Adoption has doubled in the last year. Quite something, eh?

Image: Jason Rhode, Creative Commons

Shonali Burke is editor of Women Grow Business and one of the country’s leading business communicators, who was named to PRWeek’s inaugural top “40 Under 40″ list of US-based PR professionals. She specializes in creating and implementing integrated (online and off), results-based, measurable communication programs for clients both large and small at Shonali Burke Consulting. An accredited business communicator, she is also Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications program and active in the local communications community as President of IABC/Washington. Talk to her via her blog, Waxing UnLyrical or Twitter.

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Happy Labor Day Weekend!

(Image Labor Day 2008 by Disco Modjo, Creative Commons)

Quick reminder on some great news
A range of Women Grow Business bloggers are scheduled to present at the first GrowSmartBiz Conference this September. …agenda to be released soon so please check back shortly!

And(!) WIRED’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson, also great author of The Longest Tail and Free will keynote the event.

So get ready for these panelist topics:

• Driving Small Business Performance with Marketing & Innovation
• Raising Capital with Effective Finance Strategies
• Getting Ahead in the Current Economy
• Integrating Traditional Marketing with Social Media

Check out more info and RSVP.

More events for entrepreneurs and your small biz:

• Small business events and write-ups, plus suggested networking events for women entrepreneurs per Women Grow Business.

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Quick reminder on some great news!
A range of Women Grow Business bloggers are scheduled to present at the first GrowSmartBiz Conference this September. …agenda to be released soon so please check back shortly!

And(!) WIRED’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson, also great author of The Longest Tail and Free will keynote the event.

So get ready for these panelist topics:

• Driving Small Business Performance with Marketing & Innovation
• Raising Capital with Effective Finance Strategies
• Getting Ahead in the Current Economy
• Integrating Traditional Marketing with Social Media

Check out more info and RSVP.

More events for entrepreneurs and your small biz:

• Small business events and write-ups, plus suggested networking events for women entrepreneurs per Women Grow Business.

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Great news for one Women Grow Business blogger, one apple pie baker, and tons of small business owners seeking more about content sharing (…more in this fun conversation below).

The skinny:
I met Mayra at DC’s local Channel 8 studio for her live interview with the Washington Business Report (just search for Mayra Ruiz to find her archived interview!). A long-time Women Grow Business blogger, Mayra has also submitted a recent blog post to Grow Smart Business about making a sale and creating loyal fans (sparked by a farmer’s market apple pie baker, no doubt). And it’s that timely and apt post that launched the above video chat about content sharing for small business (and Mayra’s great feature on Channel 8).

Guest post from Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, regular guest contributor to Women Grow Business. Mayra works as an independent marketing strategist and social media enthusiast. With over 14 years of marketing and communications experience, Mayra helps businesses and non-profits with all aspects of their brand identity, outreach communications, and competitive positioning. She produces the blog Marketing Misfit and can be reached at www.twitter.com/marketingMisfit.

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Quick reminder on some great news!
A range of Women Grow Business bloggers are scheduled to present at the first GrowSmartBiz Conference this September. …agenda to be released soon so please check back shortly!

And(!) WIRED’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson, also great author of The Longest Tail and Free will keynote the event.

So get ready for these panelist topics:

• Driving Small Business Performance with Marketing & Innovation
• Raising Capital with Effective Finance Strategies
• Getting Ahead in the Current Economy
• Integrating Traditional Marketing with Social Media

Check out more info and RSVP.

More events for entrepreneurs and your small biz:

• Small business events and write-ups, plus suggested networking events for women entrepreneurs per Women Grow Business.

Tweet This Post

Great news
A range of Women Grow Business bloggers are scheduled to present at the first GrowSmartBiz Conference this September. …agenda to be released soon so please check back shortly!

And(!) WIRED’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson, also great author of The Longest Tail and Free will keynote the event.

Seeking your opinion
So on a related note, would you cast your vote?

The GrowSmartBiz Conference needs your help. Do you have ideas or topics such as green business or how to secure government contracts that you’d like to discuss with other small business owners? Now’s your chance. We’re leaving one panel discussion (for our September 29th conference) up to you.

The topic winner will be announced on August 10, so make your suggestion and cast your vote today!

Just quickly click here to cast your vote.

Thank you!

The panel suggestion that you vote in will be accompanied by the following planned topics for the Grow Smart Business event:

• Driving Small Business Performance with Marketing & Innovation
• Raising Capital with Effective Finance Strategies
• Getting Ahead in the Current Economy
• Integrating Traditional Marketing with Social Media

And want to save $100 on conference registration?
Read more about the GrowSmartBiz Conference and register by August 7 to receive $100 off registration.

Thanks again for casting your vote and helping to make this the best conference possible for small business success.

See you there!

More events for entrepreneurs and your small biz:

• Small business events and write-ups, plus suggested networking events for women entrepreneurs per Women Grow Business.

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Are you working a full-time salary gig and wanting to launch a side-time business?

Has the down economy motivated you to get your side-business more organized and prepared for the economic re-bound?

Are you a self-employed expert or even freelancer who has sought-after skills the market could use (and you are wondering how to penetrate markets more?)?

Then you’re likely an unintentional entrepreneur ready for resources and next steps.

The Unintentional Entrepreneur Event: join us August 5th

A unique segment of new business owners (and you?)
The event – Unintentional Entrepreneur – is an initiative brought to you by SCORE, Outright.com and Network Solutions to support the challenges facing a unique segment of new business owners: Unintentional Entrepreneurs.

With little help from the credit market, government, or economy, we’re a country with explosive growth amongst self-employed professionals, side business owners, recently laid-off employees or freelancers who have marketable skills, experience and knowledge that they are using to start or run their own businesses during the economic downturn.

An emerging entrepreneurial movement and 5 state tour
The D.C. workshop is part of a five-city tour (Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C.) for Unintentional Entrepreneurs; providing an opportunity to learn from veteran entrepreneurs, network with local small business owners, and gain insight in the following areas:

• Managing financial transactions
• Bookkeeping basics and small business tax tips
• Getting started online; building your web site and brand
• Effective and efficient marketing methods

More on presenters
Bob London, President & Founder, London, Ink

Our resident Social Media Swami Shashi Bellamkonda

Please join us!

Find more on how to RSVP and event info at Unintentional Entrepreneurs on Eventbrite.

(image Make It Happen, Creative Commons, by Headphonought)

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Guest post from Mayra Ruiz-McPherson, regular guest contributor to Women Grow Business. Mayra works as an independent marketing strategist and social media enthusiast. With over 14 years of marketing and communications experience, Mayra helps businesses and non-profits with all aspects of their brand identity, outreach communications, and competitive positioning. She produces the blog Marketing Misfit and can be reached at www.twitter.com/marketingMisfit.

For those who cannot attend socStardom3 tonight (June 1) @ Johns Hopkins University’s Montgomery Campus, I’ll be live blogging as much as I can using CoverItLive.com.

Online video:
I will also try to get some video clips to share as well. Not sure yet if I’ll do YouTube or 12seconds.tv … but I will figure it out in the end and do what I can to collect as much material on video to share with those who cannot attend this event.

To RSVP!
Visit SocStardom3′s Eventbrite invitation to easily RSVP and learn more about this great event sponsored by Network Solutions’ Grow Smart Business, Mayra Ruiz McPherson, and Johns Hopkins Montgomery County Campus.

SocStardom3′s Guest Presenter Jay Berkowitz (and his Ten Golden Rules)
Jay Berkowitz is a small business internet consultant with more than 20 years of marketing experience. He has been behind the marketing for Fortune 500 brands: McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, developed online and offline strategies for AT&T, Sprint, and managed the marketing department for leading health and fitness website eDiets.com.Mr. Berkowitz is the CEO of Ten Golden Rules, a B2B internet marketing agency based in Boca Raton, Florida, specializing in internet advertising and marketing consulting services.

Questions?
If there is anything more I can do to accommodate virtual socStardom3 attendees, please drop me an email at mayra [@] mayraruiz.com.

[post was cross-posted with permission from MayraRuiz.com]

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Reminder (and re-posted from last week):
Please join us for next week’s fantastic webinar hosted by Grow Smart Business. Imagine a free-of-charge event packed with uber resourceful experts just waiting to help your business – with more info per last week to follow.

See you there!
*****

Some talented business thinkers, leaders, movers-and-shakers are headed to the Internetz near you!

Ideas will soar at this event (and you’re invited).

(image by Jody Art, Creative Commons)

Small business success, brainstorms, and you

At the end of this month, Grow Smart Business – a new Network Solutions blog, resource hub, and home to the Small Business Success Index – hosts its first webinar.

The What:
Learn from the risks taken, lessons learned, and success attained from a great webinar panel. Join entrepreneurs and business leaders for this free, live webcast. And get a chance to learn from their experience in securing capital and deciding their approach to marketing.

The When:
Thursday, April 30 from 2-3pm ET,

The Who:
Roy Dunbar, CEO of Network Solutions, will host the conversation. And the speakers include:

Kristina Bouweiri, CEO of Reston Limo, the largest independent limousine service in the U.S.

Anita Campbell, Editor of Small Business Trends

Kelly Muccio, Founder of Lost Boys, a fashionable clothing store recently featured on Good Morning America

Surfy Rahman, Co-owner of Indique, a popular DC-area restaurant chain.

Don’t just walk, run to register!
Visit http://growsmartbusiness.eventbrite.com.

More from:

• CEO Marissa Levin on valuing good personal credit & starting her business with a $50,000 Costco line of credit;
• Small Business Trends and the top (10) outsourcing decisions trending in small business;
• Truly Amazing Women blog interviews Kristina Bouweiri, discussing leadership and turning lemons into lemonade.

Tweet This Post

Some talented business thinkers, leaders, movers-and-shakers are headed to the Internetz near you!

Ideas will soar at this event (and you’re invited).

(image by Jody Art, Creative Commons)

Small business success, brainstorms, and you

At the end of this month, Grow Smart Business – a new Network Solutions blog, resource hub, and home to the Small Business Success Index – hosts its first webinar.

The What:
Learn from the risks taken, lessons learned, and success attained from a great webinar panel. Join entrepreneurs and business leaders for this free, live webcast. And get a chance to learn from their experience in securing capital and deciding their approach to marketing.

The When:
Thursday, April 30 from 2-3pm ET,

The Who:
Roy Dunbar, CEO of Network Solutions, will host the conversation. And the speakers include:

Kristina Bouweiri, CEO of Reston Limo, the largest independent limousine service in the U.S.

Anita Campbell, Editor of Small Business Trends

Kelly Muccio, Founder of Lost Boys, a fashionable clothing store recently featured on Good Morning America

Surfy Rahman, Co-owner of Indique, a popular DC-area restaurant chain.

Don’t walk just run to register!
Visit http://growsmartbusiness.eventbrite.com.

More from:

• CEO Marissa Levin on valuing good personal credit & starting her business with a $50,000 Costco line of credit;
• Small Business Trends and the top (10) outsourcing decisions trending in small business;
• Truly Amazing Women blog interviews Kristina Bouweiri, discussing leadership and turning lemons into lemonade.

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