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SmallBizTechnology

Books, Velcro, and Celebrating Success

by Daria Steigman on December 27, 2011

12 Candles for 12 Books on Business, Entrepreneurship, and Social MediaHow do you measure success?

There’s a lot of conversation around business success, what it means, and how to measure it. (And we probably talk even more sometimes about lazy metrics and poor measurement.)

I’m not going to talk about measurement at all today. Just success. Because sometimes you need to celebrate the small victories.

One of my 2011 goals was to read more business books. I set two goals: (1) to read at least one book a month about business, entrepreneurship, and/or marketing communications; and (2) to review a book a month.

Velcro helps.

Velcro was one of my three little words for 2011. In a blog post to start the year, I wrote:

I’m good at coming up with ideas, but sometimes I need more focus to see them come to fruition… I need to keep the velcro handy to keep me locked in.

It worked. I started the year thinking about how 21st century businesses are putting the power of collaboration and openness to work. I also read about what makes a good entrepreneur and how to tap into your entrepreneurial DNA, received tips on how businesses can leverage social media to thrive, and ended the year thinking about being weird.

12 Books for 12 Months

Here’s what was on my 2011 reading list:

As for 2012? I have four books in the queue, including Mastering Uncertainty and The Introvert’s Guide to Business. Stay tuned.

What successes are you celebrating as 2011 draws to a close?

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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Is There a Techie on Your Team?

by Daria Steigman on March 3, 2011

Technology, Business, Independent Thinking, Steigman CommunicationsFrom a business point of view, I never feel as helpless as when something goes wrong with my Web site. I am fine with DOS, but SQL and PHP just stump me. Maybe it’s because I’ve yet to find a For Dummies book that walks me through how to do this stuff.

And, yes, things do go wrong. On February 26, to be precise.

I was doing a routine WordPress version update install when I got a fatal error message. The net result was that most of the functionality in my WordPress admin area was gone. Really not good.

Monday morning, I put out feelers for a good techie/Web designer. (It was overdue anyway, because I have several design upgrades on my “To Do” list, and I let everyone know that I was looking for someone who could do more than just solve the install glitch.)  Hilary Brooks earned the business because:

  • She was responsive. (This may be a “duh” factor, but it’s worth noting that we’re all more likely to work with the person who picks up the phone–or, in this case, e-mails back–the fastest.)
  • She recognized my immediate need (reinstalling WordPress manually).
  • She gave me a quote.
  • She told me what information she needed (log in info, etc.) to get started.

It’s probably no surprise that I value working with people who understand the business side of running a business. Brooks does, which is why she’s now the go-to techie on my team.

What vibe is your business sending out?

Photo by Aofie City WomanChile (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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technology, business, entrepreneurship, Independent Thinking, Steigman CommunicationsWhat happens when companies leverage emerging technologies to better understand their customers, help their employees collaborate more effectively, crowdsource, or otherwise improve their core business functions?

They become companies with a competitive edge—and part of what author Phil Simon calls The New Small.

In The New Small, Simon posits that five emerging tech trends are making it possible for smaller companies to compete—and beat—larger, more-established corporations. But don’t be fooled into thinking this book is about technology. It’s about business, and the workplace trends that smart companies are adopting to be competitive in today’s global environment.

Read my complete book review.

Want to Win a Free, Signed Copy of The New Small?

Phil Simon has graciously provided me with a signed copy of The New Small to give away to one lucky reader.

To enter to win, leave a comment over at Overdrive about what your company is doing to leverage one or more of the five emerging tech trends identified in the review and/or one specific step you’ve taken to use these technologies to improve your business.

The best answer (as judged by me) wins a copy of The New Small.

*Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for agreeing to review it–but without any restrictions on what I might say.

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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3 Tips to Turn Prospects into Customers (or Clients)

by Daria Steigman on September 30, 2009

It’s not often that I spend a full day listening to other people talk–and sit through it all (or at least most of it). But the GrowSmartBiz conference yesterday held my attention.

There was a lot of terrific content, and I’ll post more fully over time. But I thought I’d pass along 3 tips from SmallBizTechnology‘s Ramon Ray on how to turn prospects into customers | clients:

  1. Be flexible about what you are offering (and don’t nickel & dime people).
  2. Follow up. You should “date your leads and marry your customers,” said Ray.
  3. Be a true resource (including educating customers & providing value).

What would you add?

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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