Small Business | DemGen Inc. - Your Virtual Team - Part 16 :: DemGen Inc.

Archive for Small Business

Work IN Your Business While You Work On It

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Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Many entrepreneurs find that as their company grows and they spend more time working on their business, they feel they are losing touch and the business is starting to suffer because of it. They realize they are no longer clear on the crucial elements of the business, have lost sight of where they want their business to go and have a hard time communicating with those they’ve hired to work IN their business.

If this sounds familiar, you CAN work in your business while you work on it. The first step is a major organizational overhaul of where you spend your time. Many business owners work only as managers. Once they take a closer look, they find that a lot of this time is wasted. After all, just how much time can you spend managing? Do the extra hours actually show anything for the effort you have put in?

By working in your business more than you have and spending time with your employees, you may find that they have many creative ideas that you weren’t aware of. Because small business is constantly evolving and also extremely competitive, keeping up on new industry ideas and techniques may fall by the wayside while you are expanding. Others find that as they spend less time working in the business, their enjoyment level drops accordingly. What they once loved to do has just become another job. By once again engaging themselves in day to day marketing and hands on work, the spark that first interested them in entrepreneurship reappears.

Feedback from your team is important. Immersing yourself, at least part of the time, in the same tasks as they perform, gives the business owner a hands on idea of where his business actually stands at the time. It also may help you delegate tasks more efficiently and become more aware of your team’s genius abilities. Supporting your employees by being more accessible means better productivity and more room for growth.

Become part of your team. It will keep you more involved in what is going on and where your industry is headed. Balancing both parts of the business may not be for everyone. One size doesn’t fit all, but for a huge percentage of small business owners, it gives them back the part of being a business owner that they miss the most.

Categories : Productivity, Small Business, Virtual Teams

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How Great Leaders Inspire Action

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Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Simon Sinek’s Ted talk explains how great leaders inspire action using a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership, starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”

This video is a must-watch for business owners and entrepreneurs that are striving to be great leaders and communicators.

Categories : Marketing, Small Business

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Why Startups Fail

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Friday, March 22nd, 2013

The Startup Genome project produced this data-driven infographic outlining the primary reasons why startups fail.

Having supported countless entrepreneurs, through each phase of business growth, in creating successful, scalable businesses – we’ve realized similar insights.

Why Startups Fail infographic by visually.

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Small Business, Starting a Business

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Client Spotlight: Pierce Words

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Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

You may have noticed our guest blogger this month, Roger Pierce.

Roger is a long-time friend and client of DemGen. We hope you’ve been enjoying his blog posts this month and thought this would be a great opportunity to interview him and share more about what he does.

Please tell us more about PierceWords.

Pierce Content Marketing (www.PierceWords.com) creates blog posts and videos to help B2b marketers engage small business customers. For example, we might produce a short video offering advice about managing cash flow in a small business. Or a 400-word article on niche marketing. The corporate customer then posts these pieces on their blog, website or newsletter.

Business owners have many questions about starting and growing businesses. Corporations want to meet business owners. It’s an opportunity to connect the two and make a living at doing what I love: advising entrepreneurs.

Corporations are after the small business market because it is very lucrative – they spend bigger bucks than most consumer categories. So I’m not surprised to see more and more companies ramping up strategies to connect with entrepreneurs. Plus, with tight budgets, content marketing is a natural fit because it’s very inexpensive when compared with more traditional tactics such as direct mail or advertising.

What’s the most rewarding thing about what you do?

The most rewarding thing I do is prepare some practical information that can help a small business owner in a small way. If one article we write about succession planning or social media sparks a thought or solves a problem for an entrepreneur, I’m happy.

How has working with DemGen benefited your business?

I’m happy with the market research and business development work DemGen is doing for us because it frees me up to work on my business.

I’ve worked with DemGen within two of my companies now, and each time I hire them I feel a sense of relief because I know the work is in good hands. They really function like an extended part of my company, handling tasks and projects just like an employee or manager would. DemGen holds my complete confidence, and that’s the sign of a great partner. The attention to detail is astounding – often they think of things I never would!

How has ‘going virtual’ benefited your business?

Going virtual has long been a goal of mine. I’m moving must of our company operations to the cloud, by embracing tools such as VoIP, Box.com, BaseCamp and online conferencing solutions. DemGen seems like a natural extension to those manoeuvres because they easily set up our communications, project tracking, file sharing and reporting to the web.

Has DemGen lived up to your expectations?

So far DemGen is exceeding my expectations in terms of customer service. It’s like the team is ‘always on’, and able to answer my questions or correspondence or requests. We have weekly production meetings to check in on progress against planned goals and everyone is punctual and organized and always professional.

I’m looking forward to more great work with DemGen!

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Small Business, Virtual Teams

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How to Start a Business With a Limited Budget

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Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

The key to a successful business is acquiring market edge over your competitors, such as superior products, better marketing, and more efficient business models. Regardless of what gives a business an advantage, it always boils down to having the proper vision and desire. If you’re not sure where you want your idea to take you or lack the motivation to realize it, you’ll never succeed.

Who is in Charge of Most Startups?

With that in mind, it should be no shock that a growing number of successful startups are being launched by baby-boomers, or boomerpeneurs. Who else in this economy is better positioned to craft a compelling vision of a business than someone with the experience, wisdom, and understanding of what it takes to succeed? The problems boomerpeneurs are facing don’t lie in their inability to construct a viable vision or find intense motivation; they know when to quit the job they’ve already found success at to pursue their startup idea.

Financing

Financing is one of the biggest factors when considering a startup. Financing for startups usually includes a loan, selling equity or using a business credit card. Depending on how much capital is needed and the rate of return expected, you should use a mix of these lines of credit. Extreme caution should be used when one mixes their personal credit with their business credit. Entrepreneurs should avoid using their own credit card and instead opt for a business credit card with a reputable institution like American Express. You’re APR can change if you use your card for business and it can be an accounting nightmare. Using a business credit card from American Express and other companies can provide you with small business perks and incentives that are unavailable to a regular consumer. Regardless of where your funding comes from, keep in mind the advantages of different sources and how quickly you plan to turn a profit.

When to Leave Your Corporate Job

Deciding to leave your day job and pursue market dominance on your own is a big decision and should be arrived at carefully. Once you know how you’ll initially pay for business expenses and when you’ll be able to recoup your costs, it’s time to turn your vision into a business plan. To do this, you will have to do your research and formulate an outline with specific deadlines attached to it. For boomerpeneurs, they’ve already amassed a level of expertise in a particular industry, which is one of the reasons they feel comfortable starting their own business. In this case the research should be focused on the nitty-gritty of running a company. Look at the different components of a business, assess your ability to run these areas and plan to hire others for the things you either don’t know how to or don’t want to do.

The intricacies of starting and running a profitable business are vast and, at times, tedious. If you have the experience, vision, and drive, you can become a member of a growing segment of baby-boomer entrepreneurs. You can start your own business today. Quit your day job and begin your dream job.

Categories : Business Tools, Small Business, Starting a Business

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Your Excuses Are Your Own

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Thursday, March 14th, 2013

It’s a harsh statement, I know.

It’s easier to blame. We blame other people. We blame the economy. We blame customers. We blame time. We blame our situation. We blame money. We blame the boss. We blame the system. We blame the weather. We may even blame a higher power.

Being accountable for your own success will make you successful. It’s as simple as that.

I read a lot of business books written by very intelligent and very accomplished businesspeople. Regardless of the author or the subject, one common theme emerges: Your excuses are your own.

Greatness in any form doesn’t come easily. It requires sacrifice, discipline, passion, commitment and perseverance against overwhelming odds. History is rich with examples of achievers who reached their goals despite possible excuses.

Over the years I’ve heard different excuses from struggling entrepreneurs:

“I don’t have the money to build my business.” Go find it.

“I’m too sick to work.” Hire others to work for you.

“I don’t have the time.” Make better use of the time you do have.

“I’m not sure what to do.” Work with people smarter than you.

Once we take full responsibility for whatever we aim to achieve – it could be starting a business, launching a new career, finishing school, finding our soul mate, raising a child – the excuses magically disappear. In fact, our former excuses may become a source of motivation.

Your excuses are your own. So don’t make any. Just get going.

Roger Pierce

This week’s guest blogger is Roger Pierce, one of Canada’s top small business experts. He takes what’s he’s learned from starting and running 12 small businesses and shares it with thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide.

His company, Pierce Content Marketing, creates advice-rich how-to articles, guides and videos to help large corporations to engage entrepreneurs.

Roger writes about small business issues for a number of leading Canadian publications. He’s also co-author of the book, Thriving Solo: How to Grow a Successful Business.

He may be reached at Newcomerstartup.com.

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Motivation, Productivity, Small Business

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Learn from Great Customer Service

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Thursday, March 7th, 2013

Whenever I am shopping, staying in a hotel, eating in a restaurant or speaking with a vendor, I try to pay really close attention to the quality of the service I’m receiving.

As an entrepreneur, it’s a chance for me to learn how companies both large and small can improve customer service. Some experiences wow me, while others disappoint.

Often, it’s the little thoughts and niceties that catch my attention.

Like the clothing store cashier who took an extra minute to reassure me that I could return the item I just purchased. Or, the telephone company representative who voluntarily reviewed my phone bill and saved me $22 a month. Yesterday, a nice dental assistant wrote down my calendar availability and promised to call when a suitable last-minute appointment opened up.

Not every experience can be positive. Earlier this week, an assistant at a hardware store directed me to another hardware store because “they definitely have that part.” Sceptical, I called that other store to discover they did not have that part – saving me a half hour drive across town.

I’ll never shop at that first hardware store again.

It’s been said that customers vote with their wallets and their feet. It’s a wonderful expression because it helps business owners to remember the consequences of improper or inadequate customer attention.

Roger Pierce

His company, Pierce Content Marketing, creates advice-rich how-to articles, guides and videos to help large corporations to engage entrepreneurs.

Roger writes about small business issues for a number of leading Canadian publications. He’s also co-author of the book, Thriving Solo: How to Grow a Successful Business.

He may be reached at Newcomerstartup.com.

Categories : Customer Service, Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Small Business

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The Ultimate Social Media Sizing Cheat Sheet

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Friday, March 1st, 2013

We stumbled across this ultimate social media sizing cheat sheet produced by LunaMetrics and had to share!

This cheat sheet provides the key dimensions for all social networks. Enjoy…

Facebook
Timeline
Profile Picture	160 x 160 px	Must be uploaded at least 180 x 180 px
Cover Photo	851 x 315 px
About Us	255 Characters
App Preview Image	111 x 74 px
Total Length of Apps bar (including gaps)	350 px
Timeline Profile Picture	32 x 32 px
Shared Image	403 x 403 px	Photos can be viewed up to 960 x 720 px in the lightbox and expanded up to 2048 x 2048 px.
Shared Facebook Video	403 x 226
Status Update	63,206 characters
Shared Link Preview	156 x 116 px	Editable, can be set with the og:type meta property
Shared Link Title Tag	Up to 100 characters	Editable, can be set with og:title meta property
Shared Link Metadescription	Varies based on available room
Highlighted Post or Milestone	843 x 403 px
Highlighted Video Post or Milestone	843 x 475 px
News feed
News feed profile picture	50 x 50 px
News Feed Status update	Up to 5 lines of text before Facebook truncates & appends ‘See More’ at the first break after the fifth
Shared Image	Landscape	398 x 296 px
	Portrait	296 x 398 px
	Square	320 x 320 px
News Feed Sponsored Story Profile Picture	32 x 32 px
News Feed Sponsored Story Image	Landscape	358 x 268 px
	Portrait	268 x 358 px
	Square	300 x 300 px
Shared Facebook Video Preview	403 x 226 px
Shared Video Link Preview	130 x 73 px
Shared Link Thumbnail	90 x 90 px
Shared Link Title	Up to 100 Characters	Editable
Shared Link Description	Varies based on Thumbnail & Title Size	Editable
Ads
URL Ad Title	25 Characters
URL Ad Copy	90 Characters
Page Ad Profile Picture	50 x 50 px
Page Ad Title	Page Name
Page Ad Copy	90 Characters
Page Post Ad Profile Picture	32 x 32 px
Page Post Ad Title	Page Name
Page Post Ad Copy	First 90 characters of selected post	First 120 characters if post is text-only
Page Post Ad Image	90 x 118 px
Page Post Ad Video Preview	128 x 72 px
Page Post Ad Link Thumbnail	50 x 50 px
Sponsored Story Fan Picture	50 x 50 px
Sponsored Story Profile Picture	32 x 32 px
Premium Page Post Ad Profile Picture	50 x 50 px
Premium Page Post Ad Video Preview	185 x 104 px
Premium Page Post Ad Image	168 x 128 px
Twitter
Profile
Background Image	90% of visitors see first 78 px of the background
	67% see 204 px
	43% see 247 px
	21% see 284 px
Recent Image Preview	90 x 90
Profile Picture	81 x 81 px	4 px border
Tweet Length	140 Characters
In-stream
Profile Picture	48 x 48 px
Shared Media Tweet Length	140 characters, including link
Shared Link Preview	120 x 120 px	Must be at least 60 x 60 px
Shared Link Title	First 70 characters of twitter:title tag
Shared Link Description	First 200 characters of twitter:description tag
Shared Image	375 x 375 px
Shared Video Preview	435 x 244 px
Video Details	Video Title and first 160 characters of video description
Google+
Company Profile
Cover Photo	890 x 180 px
Profile Picture	250 x 250 px	5 px border
Horizontal Profile and cover photo gap	614 px
Status Update	100,000 Characters	Can include hash tags
Shared Link Thumbnail	150 x 150 px
Shared Video Preview	497 x 279 px
Shared Image	497 x 373 px	Can be uploaded and viewed up to 2048 x 2048 px
YouTube
Branded Channel
Content Container	970 px wide
Mappable Header	970 x 150 px	Can map links off of YouTube
Profile Picture	55 x 55 px
Featured Video	640 x 390 px
Video Thumbnail	288 x 162 px
YouTube Brand Channel Background Size	90% of users see 8 px on either side of the content container	Up to 1 mb in size
	67% see 136 px
	43% see 180 px
	21% see 216 px
Video
Title	Up to 100 characters
User Banner	Up to 170 x 25 px
Video Preview	640 x 390 px
Description	Up to 5000 characters
Tags	Up to 500 characters	Hidden, can be found in page source under “meta:keywords”
Recommended Playlist Details	Playlist Title
Recommended Playlist Large Thumbnail	120 x 67 px
Recommeded Playlist Small Thumbnail	40 x 25 px
Recommended Video Details	Video Title, Author, and Views
Recommended Video Thumbnail	120 x 67 px
LinkedIn
Overview
Horizontal Logo	100 x 60 px
Cover Photo	646 x 220 px
Company Square Logo	50 x 50 px
Company Comment Logo	30 x 30 px
Shared Link Thumbnail	180 x 110 px
Shared Link Details	Shared Link Title and up to 230 characters of description. The description is editable.
Careers
Careers Cover Photo	974 x 238 px
Products and Services
Products and Services Banner Image	646 x 220 px
Product Image	100 x 80 px
Product Details	100 character title and 2000 character description
Pinterest
Profile
Profile Picture	160 x 165 px
About Section	Up to 200 characters
Boards
Board	222 x 207 px
Big Thumbnail	222 x 150 px
Small Thumbnails	55 x 55 px
Pins
Profile Picture	32 x 32 px
Pin Image Preview	192 x scaled height
Pin on board	222 x scaled height
Pin
Profile Picture	49 x 49 px
Pin	600 x infinity

Categories : Business Tools, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media

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Goals Are Scored by the Skills and Synchrony of a Winning Team

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Thursday, February 28th, 2013

Sometimes it takes getting to the very end of your ‘solopreneurial’ rope to realize there is no more you can do, following your current game plan, without losing grip. The challenges you face may take you to the brink of giving up on your cherished dreams. You’ve been proudly—perhaps stubbornly—handling it all by yourself, and now a change of strategy seems inevitable.

Finding yourself in such a position is nothing to be ashamed of. Even Superman had his kryptonite. You may be a very creative, energetic and confident visionary who is simply living through a time when you are bereft of ideas, struggling to keep up with your tasks and faltering in self-assurance. You may even believe that you will not make it through your current situation because you don’t have what it takes to do so.

That realization could be the most critical—and hopeful—one you have, because finally, this ‘failure’ (of all your smarts, discipline, determination and talent) opens your eyes to a new way of being successful, a new truth:

It’s okay to enlist help to accomplish your goals.

In fact, it’s a very smart move. You are capable of accomplishing many more important things, and doing so on a timeline, when you have the support of a team of experts. Delegating to each of them the tasks that match their genius abilities and talents allows you to keep your eye on the prize and use your entrepreneurial skills on the most critical tasks for you to perform. It allows you to shine brightly like the star that you truly are.

Seeking help for your business can bring balance to your life, time for you to enjoy other pursuits, hobbies and precious time with your loved ones. It can transform the ‘end of your rope’ into the essential lifeline that your company needs to rise above its current struggles.

Make yourself and your vision a high priority in your business. Surround yourself with capable teammates to help you ‘score’ your company goals. Connect with expert coaching and assistance; that is how to become a superstar.

Julie Nierenberg

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Productivity, Small Business, Virtual Teams

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Archive for Small Business

Work IN Your Business While You Work On It

How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Why Startups Fail

Client Spotlight: Pierce Words

How to Start a Business With a Limited Budget

Your Excuses Are Your Own

Learn from Great Customer Service

Goals Are Scored by the Skills and Synchrony of a Winning Team

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Archive for Small Business

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