ASR Blog

'Pushing Daisies' Does Small Biz

I'm a big fan of ABC's new show, Pushing Daisies. It's best described as, well, charming. If you haven't seen it yet, it's about a pie maker named Ned (Lee Pace) who owns his own pie shop and moonlights as a private investigator. By touching them, Ned can bring dead things back to life; if he touches them a second time, however, they go back to dead. Ned has brought his childhood love, Chuck (Anna Friel), back to life, and the series revolves around their relationship. Because they can't touch, it makes for a really fascinating, entertaining and oddly romantic dynamic.

The reason I bring up the Pie-Maker here is that Wednesday night's episode was all about small business. It guest starred Molly Shannon as Dilly Balsam, the vindictive owner of a new candy store called Bittersweets across the street from Ned's pie shop, The Pie Hole.

"Do you know what I find exciting?" Dilly asks Ned upon meeting him. "Competition."

Intimidated, Dilly launches a war against her neighbor and competitor, sabotaging both his signage and his health inspection in an effort at putting The Pie Hole out of business so that she can steal Ned's real estate and his livelihood.

"We all know that the world of small business is nothing but a big sexy game," Dilly declares. "Call me old-fashioned, but I like to win."

Small business, a big sexy game? Hardly.

Or is it? I laughed a big "Ha!" upon hearing it, but I think there might actually be some truth to it. In a perfect world, entrepreneurs would collaborate as often as they create. The world isn't perfect, however. So while many of us small business folks want to be Neds — amiable, friendly, cooperative and maybe just a little bit shy — we can't help but be a little bit Dilly — vengeful, combative and extremely territorial. We're playing a very serious game — LIFE, anyone? — and we're all out to prove that we've got the dice to win it.

So, is competition healthy or harmful? Like so many things, I think the answer is "neither and both." If you're Ned, you get eaten alive by more aggressive entrepreneurs. If you're Dilly, though, you've got some major bad karma coming your way.

Maybe it's best to focus on the "sexy" in Dilly's proclamation rather than the "game." Sure, most of us aren't models, but when it comes down to it, we've got to strike our best pose and do our little turn on the  figurative catwalk. So forget the competition; just smile, strut and do your thing. The rest is up to consumers.

When Home Equity Funds Your Business

While many small businesses are based in the home, how many are financed by the home? According to a Q&A article in TheStreet.com, millions of Americans refinance their home when their small business needs extra capital.

Is this a risky practice? Hard to say. But Steve Strauss, author of The Small Business Bible, says "because of the subprime crisis, banks will make continuing to do so more difficult... even Bank of America, probably the largest small business bank in the country, recently decided to lay off 700 workers, stopped offering home mortgages through brokers and bring the operation in-house."

So, if you've been relying on home equity to help your business, what do you do now? Strauss recommends five alternatives.

Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success - Spokesperson Tips

Interview with Dr. Nat the TechnoCat– Part 2

On Monday, we learned insights on finding a niche and becoming a spokesperson from Natalie Petouhoff, Ph.D. Known as “Dr. Nat the TechnoCat.”

Dr. Nat has established herself as a national spokesperson for various consumer products. Here are her additional tips for pitching the media and becoming a successful spokesperson.

What tips can you offer other entrepreneurs?

One of the first things an entrepreneur needs to do is know their expertise. For instance, if you are going to pitch yourself or have someone pitch you to the media, you need to be able to say concisely what your expertise is, what your unique spin is on that particular expertise and how you will uniquely do that.

For example, I am a former, rocket scientist and my tagline is, “When you want to be in the know, Dr. Nat is where you go!” And the longer description of what I do is, “The beauty of science and the science of beauty and well-being is that science and technology mixed with wisdom can make our life better, easier and more fun!” I know that you don’t have time to figure everything out so I do that for you by reviewing products, teaching you how they work! Once you decide what your “guest expertise” is, then you have something interesting to pitch to a producer or news director.

Once I had my thoughts together, I was ready to call producers and pitch myself to them. However, I would caution others about pitching to producers. I would only suggest doing that if you know how to interact with them. They are very busy people who are looking for something that will intrigue, inform, education, and/or entertain their viewers.

Be quick, to the point, don’t talk a long time, or send long e-mails. And if you don’t hear from them, call them back. If they say “No,” don’t bug them. Move on to the next show and the next producer. They may be saying “no” because they have all the slots full or they just completed a show on the topic you are proposing or involving your expertise. If you are not irritating, they will call you back when they have a segment that you are right for.

What suggestions can you give to people who want to be interviewed on television and radio?

If you want to do TV or radio interviews, practice reading aloud 20 minutes a day, every day, for a year. Try it once and you will see why. We don’t speak like one needs to on radio or TV in our everyday lives. And most of us, in second grade when we had to read out loud in our reading group, were terrible.

Write out your sound bytes. Do your research on the topic, be prepared for questions out of left field, and be able to use segways to get the interview back on the topic you wanted to talk about. Watch TV and listen to the radio. Figure out your TV and radio persona and then practice it.

Do you have any tips or recommended links you can provide small business owners related to increasing awareness, growth and sales?

• For media training in Los Angeles,  I would try CMeg.com and tell Marki Costello Dr. Nat sent you.
• For virtual team building, look at Melanie Brick Stenson’s program at Success Connections Report.
• If you feel stuck and want to learn from the next Anthony Robbins, check out Christopher Howard’s work at  ChrisHoward.com.
• If money (or the lack of it) is giving you challenges, check out T. Harv Eker’s seminars at MillionaireMind.com.
• To quickly and easily automate all your online sales and marketing, check out the Virtual Book Tour System.
• And this winter, I will be the Host/Professor of The Entrepreneurial Author University. They have some of the top experts in the world lined-up to share their wisdom that can help you build your business your brand, and widely increase your financial success. (Let Rick or David know I sent you and you may end with a nice discount!)

Thanks for all your advice Dr. Nat!

Check back on Monday for more PR tips to help your business grow. And if you have any questions or comments, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!

Holiday? What Holiday?

By now, Thanksgiving is a distant memory for most. The family's gone, the food's been digested and all that's left of the leftovers are the bits at the bottom of the dirty Tupperware in the dishwasher. For small business owners, though, Thanksgiving is still very much here. That's because most of us didn't really get a holiday, and those of us that did are swamped because of it.

It doesn't seem fair, but small business owners — who need a holiday perhaps more than anyone else — hardly ever get a day off; instead, they get hours off. It was a big deal, for instance, that I was able to work only for four hours on Thanksgiving instead of 14. Of course, the other 10 hours didn't just evaporate; they're still sitting there on my desk, waiting for me to work them away in a game of post-holiday catch-up.

That's the thing about holidays when you're self-employed. Sometimes it ends up being more work to take a break than to skip one. It's like a eating a plate of fried food when you're on a diet; it's awesome in the moment, but you end up regretting it later.

But you know what? It's important to indulge in your favorite foods sometimes, even when you're on a diet, and it's important to take a break, even when you're busy. So come Christmas, I'm going to take one. Here's three simple strategies to help me — and you — make a real holiday possible:

• Plan: Don't schedule projects with deadlines immediately after the holidays. Give yourself some wiggle room. If a project normally would take you three days, give yourself five.
• Plow: Work harder and longer prior to the holiday so that you can take a real rest. Plowing through an extra hour or two of work each night is worth it if it means being able to take a whole day off.
• Procrastinate: I'm not usually one for putting work off, but if the holiday comes and your plate's not clear, ignore it for the day. Be honest with your clients and say that the holiday put you a day behind; they should understand. Besides, they're also taking a holiday, and like you, they'll probably be playing catch-up upon returning from it.

Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success - Rocket Scientist to Spokesperson

Interview with Dr. Nat the TechnoCat Part 1

Many of you act as the official spokesperson for your small business. Since this is an important role to help build positive, brand awareness, I asked Natalie Petouhoff, Ph.D. for her recommendations.

Also known as "Dr.Nat the TechnoCat," Dr. Nat has established herself as a well-known spokesperson for various consumer products, and you may have seen her on your favorite, national television program.

She is a rocket scientist, Pepperdine business professor, author, inventor, television personality, and respected business authority who has won numerous management and engineering awards. Currently, she focuses on consumer advocacy and communicating valuable, scientific and technological information in user-friendly terms as spokesperson for various, international organizations. Recently, she gave me her insights for success. Here’s what she had to say:

How did you go from rocket scientist to Dr. Nat The TechnoCat?
When I went into schools for “Career Day,” I noticed that there weren’t a lot of little girls taking math and sciences classes. When I spoke about what I did for a living (everything from rocket scientist to top secret engineering for the aerospace industry, to consumer product development and working in consulting companies that helped other companies figure out their strategy and best course for business and profit), the young girls were very intrigued. I was asked a lot if I had a husband or a boyfriend. The question they seemed to be asking was, “Can you be smart and pretty (attract men)?” 

With this experience, I formed the premise of my business. I felt that if I could reach one young woman and be a role model (so that she could know for certain that one could be smart and beautiful) that it would be a good life.

How did you find your niche?
The area that I was most known for was working for tech companies. I looked at the other, on-air talent and saw the lack of female reporters, analysts and spokespeople in technology. And any time that there is a gap in the marketplace, that is an opportunity for a new business.

How I found my niche was really being myself. While I have a Ph. D. in Engineering (my thesis was in High Energy Particle Physics-Ion Irradiation of TiAl and the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties), I am what I would call a user, not a “tweaker.” In other words, I love technology and gadgets that make my life easier, simpler or more fun.

I don’t like to read manuals or fix things. I want to take it out of the box and use it. I want the benefit. That is who I am, and I found that many people have the same view on technology. You would not know though if you look at how product-companies market their products via features and functions vs. benefits.

Most spokespeople concentrate on the features and functions of a product. And my niche relates to benefits via personal stories – how that product will make their life better, simpler or more fun.

How can others find their niche?
Part of figuring out your niche in the marketplace is to figure out who you are, what you are passionate about and then believing that there are people like you who want that information. The more I talked to people and worked with them, I realized the majority of the pubic was more like me and wanted a less "technical jargon" account of new products. And hence my niche!

How did you take your niche and quickly turn it into a successful career as a spokesperson?
I have been a spokesperson for about three years and have been told it takes about ten years. The bad thing about me is I am impatient. The good thing is that I am impatient. To me, ten years seemed a little long, so to shorten the process, I began to look at who my customers were and what was important to them. I asked myself, what did product companies want and how could I provide that? And what did TV and radio segment producers need and how could I provide that?

I realized product companies want exposure for their product, especially on TV, radio and print. And TV and radio producers want the latest and greatest products or innovation for their tech segments. They also want a reliable, credible, on-air talent that is fun, interesting and enteraining. And they want to know that, if they risk putting you as an unknown on their show, that you would show up and be great.

With this in mind, I started taking media classes on how to be a TV host, how to be a TV reporter and how to read from a teleprompter. I took stand-up comedy classes and improv classes. (I had been a speaker, taught for years and given dozens of talks in corporate America. But something about being on camera notches it all up 1000%.) And by enhancing my skills and capabilities, I could make both my customers very happy.

After getting my training, I got my start on TV after I wrote to the director of Hammacher Schlemmer’s Invention Contest. We started talking, and she asked me to be a judge in the invention contest. Later on, that same director recommended me to another producer doing a tech segment for a holiday gift show with Mario Lopez. Each time, I got an opportunity I tried to do the best job possible and this lead to additional opportunities.

Check back Wednesday for more!
In my next blog entry, I’ll share more of Dr. Nat’s secrets and tips. And if you have some thoughts on this, or have questions for Dr. Nat, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear them!

Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success - Thank You Tips

On Monday, I discussed the importance of thanking reporters, customers, employees, and various business associates. As you probably know, a simple thank you is a valuable tool for creating relationships and customer loyalty. How are you showing your appreciation this holiday season?

After asking for some ideas, I received several suggestions from small business owners nationwide. Here are some of their tips:

“Try to give thank you gifts that remind customers of the service or product you provide. Every holiday we give customers cookies and chocolate in the shape of construction tools. It’s more creative than just a gift basket and about the same price. We always receive favorable responses … and more business!” Todd Andrew, CEO of Andrew General Contractors, Inc.

"We like to send some of our latest product - CDs, DVDs, clothing. It's cost effective and helps educate our clients on our latest and greatest products." Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit Training Systems.

“Have your picture taken with a client doing something interesting. Then have the picture professionally framed along with a momento of the event. I have done this repeatedly and smile whenever I visit a client’s office to find this hanging on the wall. Can you just imagine what my competition thinks when they walk in and see it?" Mary Cantando, WomanBusinessOwner.com.

Hopefully, you will take a few minutes to thank all of the people who have helped you and your business now, and on a regular basis in the months ahead. And with this in mind, I’d like to thank all of you for reading my blog and sharing your tips and insights with me.

Have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

The Importance of Shaking Hands

I just returned from a business trip to New York, the purpose of which was to finally meet in person some of my East Coast clients. Once I got past the rough start to my flight, which involved a long delay, many angry travelers and a smattering of even angrier babies, I found myself enjoying a successful and productive trip. The best part of it? Shaking hands.

It's a simple thing, a handshake. But it's important. I've been doing business with my New York clients by phone and by e-mail for the better part of a year. Seeing their faces and shaking their hands — and allowing them to see and shake mine — did something that all the e-mail signatures, subject lines and salutations in the world could never do. It created relationships.

If you're a small business owner, relationships are critical. They're all you have. You don't have the money or the resources of your larger competitors; you just have you. It's essential, then, to market yourself. And the best marketing for an individual isn't an advertisement, but rather a relationship.

Sure, you can initiate relationships virtually, by phone and by e-mail, but nothing solidifies and seals them like a handshake. If you're a small business owner, I suggest you get in the car or get on a plane at the first opportunity in order to extend your hand. More than a gesture, it's a strategy. Go forth and shake.

Rembrandt's PR and Writing Blog for Startup Success Just Say Thanks

As a small business owner, it is important to develop ongoing relationships with media members. And a key part of that process is thanking them for their assistance year-round.

The next time you see a quote or article in the media that includes information about your business, be sure to thank the reporter who wrote the story. After dealing with stressful deadlines, pitches from hundreds of publicists and interview-scheduling, media members appreciate a note of thanks and a few comments about their hard work.

With this in mind and the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, have you thanked your customers, partners, employees, and other business associates lately? By taking a few minutes to send a simple thank you, you can help build valuable relationships, increase word-of-mouth and grow sales.

I asked several small business owners how they say “thank you” during the holidays and was overwhelmed with responses. Here are some of their tips:

“To thank an executive for something I send a small gift to their children or their dog. Also, whatever they helped me with (say advice on a business problem) I follow-up and give them the resolution with a "your advice helped in blankety-blank." They are usually curious of the outcome when they've "helped." Debra Benton, President, Benton Management Resources, Inc.

"Special ways we can thank customers not only include thank you e-mails or letters, but also answering questions promptly and thoroughly, offering discounts for products or services, phone call follow-ups, and free tip sheets or reports that are applicable to the customer's needs." Jill Exler, Founder, jexbo™.

“One of the best ways we've found to say thanks to our customers is to give back to the community. This November, Peavy's Garage is hosting a food drive for a local, Katy, Texas food pantry. In the past, we've been a part of blood drives and other events. We believe that by bringing the community together to make Katy a better place Peavy's Garage is making life a little better for our customers.” Ken Peavy, Owner, Peavy’s Garage.

“We're sending Christmas-music CDs with our picture and contact information on them. And we're sending flowers for their Thanksgiving table and homemade candy for Christmas.” Jeffrey B. Harris, ChFC Registered Principal, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.

In my next blog entry, I’ll share more of these great, thank-you tips. Perhaps you’ll be able to use some of these ideas or be inspired to create your own appreciation efforts specifically for your customers and business associates! And if you have some thoughts on this, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear them! Thanks!

ID Theft Spawns Business Opportunities

According to a study by the research firm Gartner, in 2006 the average financial loss in a case of identity theft was $3,257. Whether that number seems high or low to you, don't forget the lost time calling credit agencies, banks and other organizations to sort through the mess.

How valuable would it be to find a service that prevents this kind of thing from ever happening in the first place? A new article in The New York Times looks into the new crop of businesses that can help monitor your credit. For about $10 per month, several companies like Debix, LifeLock and TrustedId claim they can help consumers to protect themselves from the major inconvenience of identity theft.

“We take a miserable and painfully confusing process and make it as easy as we can, given the constraints the credit agencies put on us,” said Scott Mitic, chief executive of TrustedID, a company that sets fraud alerts and freezes credit lines on request.

Debix, which claims to have signed more than 200,000 members, will call you when someone opens a line of credit in your name.

Thanks to these businesses, maybe Identity Theft will become a thing of the past.

Note From a Grumpy Business Traveler

I'm blogging this evening from amid a sea of angry travelers at Chicago's Midway Airport. It's been a sober reminder of what business travel is all about. I'd forgotten.

I'm headed to New York for a series of meet-and-greets with clients there tomorrow. It's the first business trip I've taken since I became self-employed and my flight's been delayed for three hours. Go figure.

I used to travel for work on a monthly basis when I worked my 9 to 5, so this is a familiar feeling. My adventures were never very glamorous, but they were always interesting. There was the trip to Dallas, where my cab driver tried to sell me his services as a pimp. There was the trip to Arkansas, where I found myself trapped in a rental car with a co-worker who was singing Britney Spears songs as we wove our way through a battlefield of fallen roadkill. There was the trip to Orlando when I missed my conference due to one too many drinks at the Disney hotel bar. Finally, there was the trip to Memphis, where I spent 24 hours straight inside a printing plant with the crabbiest of clients. No fun.

Sitting here at Gate B21 in Chicago, I'm flooded with memories of business trips gone bad. It doesn't matter if you work for a big business or own a small one; business travel is anything but fun. Here's a list of everything I hate about it:

• Packing business clothes: They take up all the room in my suitcase and no matter how carefully I pack them, they always come out wrinkled.
• Security: I don't mind going through security myself, but I do mind the people in front of me who act like they've never had to do it before. No, sir, you can't pass through the metal detector with a big ol' bottle of water, a lighter and a Swiss army knife.
• Babies: Yeah, I said it. It's not very "correct" to say, but I hate being a business traveler on a plane with a restless baby. I can't sleep and I can't work; I can only pop Advil.
• Recliners: The only thing worse than babies on a plane are recliners — the people in front of you in Coach who insist on reclining their seat into your lap; the extra comfort for them is minimal, but the extra discomfort for me is maximal.
• Luggage: My laptop is heavy. My suitcase is awkward. Sometimes I wish I could travel hobo-style with a knapsack that's made with a stick and a handkerchief.

There's plenty to like about business travel, too — I love the business part, for instance, including the new places and the new people; it's the travel part that I hate — but I'll save that list for another day. Maybe for next week, in fact, on my return trip home — assuming, of course, that I don't have another bad mood-inducing three-hour delay.