BCPWN Blog

How to get started using AI for your website

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:06:11 GMT

The landscape of website optimization has been transformed by artificial intelligence. What once required expensive SEO consultants and months of trial and error can now be accomplished in hours using AI tools that deliver professional-grade results. Whether you're running a small business website or managing multiple online properties, AI has democratized access to sophisticated SEO strategies that were previously available only to enterprises with deep pockets.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through exactly how to leverage AI to analyze and improve your website's metadata, boost your search engine rankings, and drive more qualified traffic to your business. You'll discover practical, actionable strategies that require minimal technical expertise but deliver measurable results.

Why AI is a Game-Changer for Website Optimization

Traditional SEO has always been a time-intensive process. Writing compelling meta descriptions, researching the right keywords, analyzing competitor strategies, and optimizing every page on your site could easily consume 20-40 hours per month. For small business owners already wearing multiple hats, this level of investment simply isn't feasible.

AI changes this equation entirely. Modern AI tools can analyze your entire website in minutes, identify optimization opportunities that human analysts might miss, and generate SEO-optimized content that resonates with both search engines and real people. The technology has matured to the point where AI-generated recommendations often outperform manual optimization efforts, especially when it comes to technical SEO elements like metadata.

Understanding Metadata: The Foundation of SEO Success

Before diving into AI tools, let's establish what metadata actually is and why it matters so much for your website's visibility.

Metadata is the information that describes your web pages to search engines. While visitors don't typically see this data (except for page titles and meta descriptions in search results), it plays a crucial role in how Google and other search engines understand, categorize, and rank your content.

The three most critical metadata elements are:

Title Tags - These appear as the clickable headline in search results and should be 50-60 characters long. They're the single most important on-page SEO factor and should include your primary keyword while remaining compelling enough to earn clicks.

Meta Descriptions - These are the brief summaries that appear below your title in search results. While they don't directly impact rankings, they significantly influence click-through rates. Optimal length is 150-160 characters, and they should include a clear value proposition and call-to-action.

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3) - These structure your content hierarchically and help search engines understand your page's organization and main topics. Your H1 should contain your primary keyword, while H2s and H3s should incorporate related semantic keywords.

Step 1: Conducting an AI-Powered Website Audit

The first step in using AI for your website is conducting a comprehensive audit of your current metadata and SEO performance. This baseline analysis reveals exactly where your site stands and identifies the highest-impact opportunities for improvement.

Using ChatGPT or Claude for Manual Page Analysis

Start by selecting 5-10 of your most important pages (homepage, top service pages, key blog posts). For each page, provide an AI assistant with the following information:

Your current title tag
Your current meta description
Your primary target keyword
Your page's main content (or a summary)
Your target audience

Then ask the AI to evaluate your metadata against SEO best practices and provide specific improvement recommendations. A good prompt might be:

"I need help optimizing the metadata for my [type of business] website page about [topic]. My current title tag is '[your title]' and my meta description is '[your description]'. My target keyword is '[keyword]' and I'm trying to reach [target audience]. Please analyze these elements and provide specific recommendations for improvement, including rewritten versions that are optimized for both search engines and click-through rate."

This manual approach works well for small sites or priority pages, but for comprehensive optimization, you'll want to leverage more specialized tools.

Automated AI SEO Tools for Complete Website Analysis

Several AI-powered platforms can crawl your entire website and generate comprehensive metadata reports:

Screaming Frog (with AI integration) - This technical SEO tool can export all your page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags into a spreadsheet. You can then use AI tools to analyze this data in bulk, identifying patterns of missing metadata, duplicate descriptions, or length issues.

Surfer SEO - This platform uses AI to analyze your content against top-ranking competitors and provides specific recommendations for improving your on-page SEO, including metadata optimization suggestions based on what's actually working in your niche.

MarketMuse - Leveraging AI to understand topic relevance and comprehensiveness, MarketMuse can identify gaps in your content strategy and suggest metadata improvements that align with search intent.

The advantage of these tools is scale—they can analyze hundreds or thousands of pages simultaneously, prioritizing which pages need attention most urgently based on factors like current traffic, ranking potential, and business value.

Step 2: Keyword Research Using AI

Effective metadata optimization requires understanding which keywords your target audience is actually searching for. AI has revolutionized keyword research by uncovering search intent patterns and semantic relationships that traditional tools miss.

Finding Your Primary Keywords

Use AI tools like ChatGPT to generate comprehensive keyword lists based on your business offerings. Provide context about your services, target market, and geographic focus, then ask for:

Primary keywords (high volume, high intent)
Long-tail variations (lower volume, higher conversion)
Question-based keywords (what people are asking)
Local search variations (if you serve a specific geographic area)

For example: "I run a plumbing business in Bergen County, New Jersey. Generate a list of 20 high-intent keywords that potential customers would use when searching for plumbing services, including emergency services, routine maintenance, and installation. Include both broad and long-tail variations."

Understanding Search Intent with AI

Modern AI tools excel at understanding the nuances of search intent—whether someone is looking for information, comparing options, or ready to make a purchase. This insight is critical for crafting metadata that aligns with where users are in their buyer journey.

Ask your AI assistant to categorize your keywords by intent:

Informational (how-to guides, explanations)
Navigational (looking for a specific company or page)
Commercial (comparing options, reading reviews)
Transactional (ready to buy or hire)

This categorization helps you write metadata that matches what users actually want to find, dramatically improving your click-through rates.

Step 3: AI-Generated Metadata That Converts

Now comes the exciting part—using AI to generate optimized metadata for every important page on your website.

Crafting Perfect Title Tags with AI

Your title tag is your first impression in search results. Here's a proven AI prompt for generating effective titles:

"Create 5 variations of a title tag for a webpage about [your topic]. The title must:

Be 50-60 characters total
Include the keyword '[your primary keyword]'
Include our brand name '[your business name]'
Create urgency or demonstrate unique value
Appeal to [your target audience]

Provide each variation with a character count."

This approach gives you multiple options to choose from, each optimized for different angles. Test different variations to see which generates better click-through rates over time.

Writing Meta Descriptions That Drive Clicks

Meta descriptions are your sales pitch in search results. Studies show that compelling meta descriptions can increase click-through rates by 5-20%. Use this AI prompt structure:

"Write 3 compelling meta descriptions for a page about [topic]. Each description must:

Be exactly 155-160 characters
Include the keyword '[your keyword]' naturally
Highlight a specific benefit or unique advantage
Include a clear call-to-action
Create a sense of urgency or curiosity

Target audience: [describe your ideal customer]"

The best meta descriptions answer the implicit question: "Why should I click on this result instead of the others?" AI excels at generating multiple angles you can test to find what resonates with your specific audience.

Optimizing Header Tags and Content Structure

Beyond title tags and meta descriptions, AI can help you structure your page content for maximum SEO impact. Provide your AI assistant with your page content and ask it to:

Suggest an optimal H1 tag (should include your primary keyword)
Create a hierarchy of H2 and H3 tags that cover semantic keyword variations
Identify opportunities to naturally incorporate related keywords throughout your content
Recommend internal linking opportunities to other relevant pages on your site

This structural optimization helps search engines understand your content's topic coverage and authority, often leading to featured snippet opportunities and better rankings.

Step 4: Implementing Your AI-Generated Metadata

Once you've generated optimized metadata using AI, implementation depends on your website platform:

WordPress Sites - Use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to easily edit title tags and meta descriptions for each page. These plugins also provide real-time feedback on your optimization efforts.

Shopify Stores - Edit metadata directly in your product and page settings, or use apps like SEO Manager or Plug in SEO for more advanced control.

Custom Websites - Work with your developer to update the HTML <title> and <meta name="description"> tags in your page headers.

Squarespace or Wix - Both platforms offer built-in SEO settings where you can customize metadata for each page through their user-friendly interfaces.

Remember to save your old metadata before making changes, so you can revert if needed. Track your performance over 4-6 weeks to evaluate the impact of your AI-generated optimization.

Step 5: Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization

SEO is not a one-time project—it's an ongoing process of testing, measuring, and refining. AI tools make this continuous optimization cycle dramatically more efficient.

Setting Up Performance Tracking

Connect your website to Google Search Console and Google Analytics to monitor:

Changes in search impressions (how often your pages appear in results)
Click-through rate improvements (percentage of impressions that turn into clicks)
Ranking movements for your target keywords
Overall organic traffic trends

Review this data monthly and identify pages that improved significantly after metadata optimization—these successes reveal patterns you can replicate across other pages.

Using AI for Competitive Analysis

One of AI's most powerful applications is competitive intelligence. Provide your AI assistant with examples of top-ranking competitor pages in your niche and ask it to analyze:

What metadata patterns are these top performers using?
What keywords are they targeting that you're missing?
How is their content structured differently from yours?
What unique value propositions are they emphasizing?

This competitive insight helps you continuously refine your own metadata strategy based on what's actually working in your market.

Refreshing Metadata Based on Performance

Every 3-6 months, revisit your metadata using AI with fresh performance data:

"This page about [topic] currently ranks #[position] for '[keyword]' with a [X%] click-through rate. The current title is '[your title]' and meta description is '[your description]'. Based on this performance, suggest 3 ways to improve the metadata to increase rankings and CTR."

This data-driven approach to optimization ensures your AI recommendations become increasingly targeted and effective over time.

Advanced AI Strategies for Website Optimization

Once you've mastered basic metadata optimization, consider these advanced applications of AI for your website:

AI-Powered Content Gap Analysis

Use AI tools to identify topics your competitors are ranking for that you haven't covered yet. This reveals content creation opportunities that come with built-in demand and search volume.

Semantic Keyword Clustering

AI can group related keywords together, helping you understand which keywords should target the same page versus which deserve dedicated content. This prevents keyword cannibalization where multiple pages compete for the same search terms.

Automated Schema Markup Generation

Schema markup (structured data) helps search engines understand your content in greater detail, often leading to rich results in search. AI tools can generate the correct schema code for your specific business type and content.

Multilingual SEO Optimization

If you serve customers who speak different languages, AI can help you create culturally appropriate, properly localized metadata for each language version of your site—not just direct translations, but optimized for local search behavior.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Using AI for SEO

While AI is incredibly powerful, it's not infallible. Watch out for these common mistakes:

Over-Optimization - AI sometimes generates metadata that's too keyword-dense, which can actually hurt your rankings. Always review AI output to ensure it reads naturally and provides genuine value to users.

Ignoring Brand Voice - AI generates content in a generic voice by default. Always customize AI outputs to match your brand's unique tone, personality, and positioning.

Duplicate Metadata - If you use AI to optimize many similar pages (like product pages), ensure each page gets unique metadata. Google penalizes duplicate meta descriptions across multiple pages.

Forgetting Mobile Users - Title tags and meta descriptions display differently on mobile devices, which now account for the majority of searches. Test how your AI-generated metadata appears on smartphone screens.

Neglecting Local SEO Elements - If you serve a specific geographic area, ensure your AI-generated metadata includes appropriate location terms and appeals to local search intent.

Measuring ROI: How AI Website Optimization Impacts Your Bottom Line

The ultimate question for any business investment is: does this actually generate revenue? Research shows that businesses investing in SEO see an average ROI of 748%. Here's how to connect AI-powered metadata optimization to business results:

Track these key metrics over 90 days after implementing AI-optimized metadata:

Organic traffic growth - Are more people finding your site through search engines?
Lead generation increase - Are more visitors filling out contact forms or calling your business?
Conversion rate changes - Is the quality of your search traffic improving?
Revenue from organic search - Can you attribute actual sales or clients to improved search visibility?

For most businesses, even a 20-30% increase in organic traffic translates directly to new customers and revenue. When you consider that AI can help you achieve these results in a fraction of the time traditional SEO requires, the ROI becomes compelling.

Getting Started Today: Your AI Website Optimization Action Plan

Ready to leverage AI for your website? Here's your step-by-step action plan:

Week 1 - Conduct a baseline audit of your current metadata using Google Search Console. Identify your top 10 pages by traffic and your bottom 10 pages by click-through rate.

Week 2 - Use AI tools to generate optimized metadata for your top 10 pages. Implement these changes and document your starting metrics.

Week 3 - Tackle your low-performing pages with AI-generated improvements. These often provide the highest ROI since they have the most room for improvement.

Week 4 - Begin monitoring results in Google Search Console. Note any quick wins (some pages can see improvements within days) and plan your next round of optimization.

Ongoing - Establish a monthly routine of reviewing performance data and using AI to continuously refine your metadata based on real-world results.

Conclusion: AI as Your Competitive Advantage

The businesses that will dominate search results in the coming years aren't necessarily those with the biggest SEO budgets—they're the ones that effectively leverage AI to work smarter, not harder. By using AI to optimize your website's metadata and SEO foundation, you're not just saving time; you're accessing professional-grade optimization strategies that were previously out of reach for most small businesses.

The technology is here, it's accessible, and it works. The question isn't whether you can afford to use AI for your website optimization—it's whether you can afford not to while your competitors are racing ahead.

Start with the strategies outlined in this guide, measure your results carefully, and let the data guide your ongoing optimization efforts. Within 90 days, you'll likely see measurable improvements in your search visibility, traffic, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Ready to take your website to the next level with AI? The tools are at your fingertips, and the opportunity is now. Your future customers are searching for what you offer—make sure your website is positioned to be found.

Want to learn more about implementing AI solutions for your business? Visit njbusinessai.com to discover how AI automation can transform your business operations beyond just SEO optimization.

Why Every Professional Woman Needs a Powerful Portrait

Wed, 07 May 2025 15:04:46 GMT

These days, your first impression probably happens before you even say a word — on LinkedIn, Zoom, or your website. So here’s the question: does your profile photo reflect the woman you are today?

Your portrait is more than a headshot. It’s your brand. It communicates confidence, credibility, and authenticity — without saying a thing. Yet so many professional women are using outdated, overly formal, or just plain unflattering images that don’t match who they’ve become.

Here’s the truth: showing up confidently in your portrait isn’t vanity — it’s strategy.

When I photograph women in business, I hear this all the time: “I didn’t know I could look like this — but this actually feels like me.” That shift is powerful. Because when you see yourself that way, you start showing up differently.

So what makes a portrait powerful? It’s not about being “perfect.” It’s about alignment — choosing the right outfit, posture, and expression to reflect the real you: the one who’s built the business, led the team, or made bold moves.

Here are three ways to step into that power:

Wear something that makes you feel unstoppable. Stick to solid colors, classic pieces, and things that give you that "I’ve got this" feeling.
Own your expression. You don’t need a big grin. A genuine, grounded look always photographs better than something forced.
Stand like you mean it. Great posture = confidence. Shoulders back, chin slightly lifted, and take up your space.

If your current headshot doesn’t represent who you are anymore, maybe it’s time to change that.

Want to create a portrait that actually feels like you?
Click here to get in touch — let’s capture the powerful, professional woman you’ve become.

– Anya Day

Founder, AnyaFoto | Boudoir Photographer & Confidence Coach
anyafoto.com

How to be a Savvy Purchaser of Health insurance

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 20:34:26 GMT

How to be a Savvy Purchaser of Health Insurance and Employee Benefits

What is a Good Health Insurance Plan?

A good health plan provides comprehensive coverage that meets employee needs but does not exceed them. At the same time, the plan addresses the requirements of employees with special needs so they have access to care without financial hardship; and it rewards employees for taking responsibility for their well-being through preventive health programs.

Whether you are considering or renewing a health insurance plan for your business, there are several key factors to keep in mind:
· Most employees never meet their deductible (the average is 38%).
· The average number of claims per person is 5 per year.
· Younger employees rarely see a doctor.
· Most (if not all) employees do not get admitted to a hospital for care.
· Employees only appreciate the benefits they use.
Preparing for Your Health Insurance Renewal

When it comes time to renew your health insurance plan, the key to choosing the right benefits is to be prepared. I advise clients to start doing their research early. Mark the date your plan renews on your calendar and work backwards, starting no later than three months in advance of your renewal date.

A good place to begin is to survey your employees to find out how they are using the current health insurance. You might be surprised to find out that features you thought were essential are not used at all – and that your team depends on ones you never noticed. Important questions to ask include:
· Do they mainly stay in network?
· How many prescriptions do they fill per year?
· Are there physician relationships that are important to them?
· What might they be willing to compromise on?
· What additional benefits would they want if they could get them via an employer discount?
The next step is to review your current plan(s) to determine how well they fit your employees’ needs and expectations. You should be assessing your plan’s fundamentals, including coinsurance, deductibles, employee eligibility, single vs. family coverage, funding, and employee contributions. Also review whether or not the plans support your enterprise planning. Remember that it’s okay to have more than one plan if different populations have different requirements.

Talk With Your Broker, Other Brokers & Peers

Once you have completed your fact-finding, it’s time to explore your options. All brokers have access to the same plans and approaches. What separates them is their understanding of your business, the impact of current legislation, and their creativity in implementing programs to best suit the needs of your employees, budget, and enterprise planning.

Begin by talking with your broker about any changes in the marketplace, new legislative requirements and funding approaches. Review why you chose your current plan and share the information you have gathered about how your employees are using the plan and any problems they have encountered. Then ask your broker if there are other options you should consider.

Many brokers will only show an employer a limited number of plans, thinking it is a waste of time to educate him/her about all of the options available. They prejudge and, in doing so, miss the opportunity to educate their client about the second highest business expense they have. As an employer, you need to know about every relevant option in order make an informed decision about where to spend your money. That’s why it is a good idea to talk with other brokers as well as colleagues in your industry about the programs they are using or recommend. The more information you have, the better you’ll be able to plan for the future.

Things You Want to Know About

Here are some of the key issues that should be discussed:
· Additional options from the current carrier
· Options from competing carriers
· Self-insurance vs. fully insured plans
· PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations)
· Association Plans (if available in your state)
· State/Federal Insurance Exchange – for qualifying small employers there is up to a 50% tax credit in the first 2 years
· Tax Advantaged Programs:
o POP (Premium Only Plans) allow pre-tax contributions
o HRA’s (Health Reimbursement Arrangements) to self-insure high deductibles
o HSA’s (Health Savings Accounts) to encourage employees to become more aware of their health spending
o FSA’s (Flexible Spending Accounts)
· Incentives to encourage a healthy lifestyle
· Dependent Coverage
· Voluntary Benefits
o Allow employees to choose plans to fill in gaps in coverage
· Will the plan comply with price transparency requirements?
How to Compare Plans

When comparing insurance plans, make sure you look at the whole picture. The last thing you want is to save on the cost of insurance but end up paying more for care than your savings in bills. As for specifics, it is critical to closely compare the following:

Benefits
· Copays (office visits, hospitalization, Rx)
· Deductibles (in-network, out-of-network, Rx, hospital)
o Maximum out-of-pocket limits
· Internal plan limits (i.e. physical therapy)
· Authorization procedures
Networks
· Make sure the doctors that are important to your employees participate.
· Check to see that there are a sufficient number of doctors within 10 miles of employees’ homes.
Drug Formularies

Pricing/Funding

Putting It All Together

Don’t expect to do all of this work yourself! A good broker will handle most of the legwork for you. However, being a savvy health insurance purchaser means having a clear understanding of what your business and employees need – and making sure the benefits match those needs. To achieve these goals, remember to:
· Give yourself enough time to do your research
· Survey your employees
· Talk to more than one broker
· Don’t offer first dollar benefits for services rarely used (i.e. hospitalization)
· Offer more than one plan if you have a diverse population
· Use incentives to encourage healthy behaviors/lifestyles
· Pay a higher % for employees than dependents

Concerned about whether your health insurance plan is the right fit for you and your employees? Call us at 201-255-6239.

5 Spring-Cleaning Ideas to Boost Your Business

Lisa Pisano — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 21:39:33 GMT

Guest Post by Caylin Batt, BCPWN Intern

Spring is in the air!

Ahhh, spring. The time of year we all look forward to after the dark, cold days of winter. And let’s face it, it feels like we’ve been in “winter” for the past two years. Who isn’t ready for longer, sunnier days to spend outside? For some of us, this time of year usually begins with spring-cleaning: the process of thoroughly cleaning out a house or garage. But this ritual isn’t just for your home – Have you ever thought about applying this practice to your business? Here are five spring-cleaning ideas that can be beneficial to your business and give it a springtime boost.

* De-clutter - This can mean more than removing things that are no longer valuable. Take a more focused look at products or services that you offer and determine if they are still relevant.

* Repurpose – There are so many shows on HGTV that show you how to turn your old backdoor into a coffee table. You can apply this same technique to your employees as well – some of them may be better utilized and even happier if their talents and strengths are used in a different way.

* Sharpen your skills – some people head to the garage to evaluate their tools in the spring to determine if they need sharpening. Do the same with your own skills; do you need to take a class or learn something new to keep up to date in your industry?

* Clean out your digital files – take some time to not only go through your inbox to delete old emails, but look for those files that you no longer need but are taking up space that can also be deleted. And don’t forget to “empty the trash”!

* Spring clean your clients – everyone is busy and it’s easy to let some time pass without checking in with your clients. Are there some clients that need some attention? Take some time to review your clients and contact those you haven’t heard from. Sometimes just reaching out can lead to new business.

These simple tips and tricks will not only benefit you, but could give your business that extra boost it needs to thrive! Now let's open up for discussion, does anyone know of any tips that weren't mentioned that could come in handy for your fellow women in business? Feel free to share with the community!

How The Pandemic Has Changed the Way We Work

Lisa Pisano — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 17:25:12 GMT

Guest Post by Caylin Batt, BCPWN Intern

Regardless of what you do or where you work, there’s no disputing the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way we work and live. The constant uncertainty, isolation, and ever-changing guidelines have forced nearly every working American to adapt to a new normal, and have caused an increase in stress and burnout.

In New York City, some companies have begun experimenting with four-day work weeks in an effort to combat employee burnout, while others have already gone as far as to implement it company-wide. Kevin Daley, reporter for the The New York Times, wrote that a children’s clothing company called Primary began giving everyone Friday off in May of 2020. The company’s new schedule proved beneficial and was extended indefinitely that December. Soon after, several other companies followed Primary’s lead and either shortened their work week or announced that they plan to, including Kickstarter and Shake Shack.

The primary goal for shortening the work week is to prevent employee burnout during these trying times, as well as hopefully reinstate some sort of work-life balance. Elephant Ventures, a software company based in New York, also experimented with an extra day off, but had their employees work longer hours Monday-Thursday (10 hour days). KSAT News reported that it took several weeks for employees to adjust to their new routines, but “... after the first three-day weekend, workers returned feeling rested and excited. But at the end of that week they felt the toll of longer days…” (Jimenez). This experiment demonstrated that the shortened work week was beneficial for the employees, as well as the company itself. Workers were able to spend more time with their children/family, and some even began planning ahead in order to take advantage of the extra day. As for the company, it was reported that there was an increase in efficiency because longer work days allowed for projects to be finished rather than dragged out for multiple days (Jimenez/Massey).

How would you feel about a four-day work week? What other option can be considered to better balance employee and customer/client needs? Comment below...

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/business/dealbook/four-day-workweek.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/22/business/pandemic-work-resumes.html

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/03/02/new-york-based-company-puts-4-day-work-week-to-test/

Jop Opportunities - 1/25/22

Lisa Pisano — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 00:16:18 GMT

The following Job Opportunities are Available. Feel free to share this post with a colleague or friend looking for a new position.

Marketing/Public Relations:

Senior Account Executive Role: River North Agency

Email Resume to: Kelly Ferraro kelly@rivernorthagency.com

We are looking for experienced Senior Account Executives to join our dynamic and growing women-owned agency This team player will work on accounts across a broad range of industries including cryptocurrency, supply chain, LegalTech, and more. We are a small but mighty team, and this role will provide a great opportunity to help grow your media relations and client management skills. The sky’s the limit when it comes to career growth in this role. The ability to wear multiple hats, from strategic thinker to account support and execution, is highly valued.

This role will focus on driving results for clients and support in tackling the day-to-day client needs. We’re looking for someone that can bring a fresh perspective to internal and client-facing conversations – having a point of view and the ability to share that POV with empathy, compassion, and kindness are key.   

Responsibilities will vary with your level of experience, but candidates will:

· Assume a leading role in identifying opportunities and securing placements on behalf of clients, with an eye towards ensuring maximum exposure before targeted audiences.

· Develop and maintain strong relationships with reporters and editors at target publications.

· Place bylined articles in appropriate publications.

· Lead efforts of the communications team to ensure timely development of bylined articles

· Manage clients on a daily basis and execute communications programs.

· Develop corporate public relations, media relations, and thought leadership campaigns.

· Perform writing for a wide range of collaterals, e.g., press releases, bylined articles, media pitches, briefing documents/talking points, Q&A's, messaging platforms, etc.

· Provide strategic counsel on messaging and communications strategy.

· Pitch top-tier media with a wide range of targets including business/financial and industry trade press.

· Demonstrate the ability to pivot and problem-solve when roadblocks occur.

· Maintain media, investor, and influencer contacts, and continually build relationships.

· Participate in new business activities.

Ideal candidates will have:

· Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in agency public relations

· Proactive / reactive media relations expertise

· Exceptional written and verbal skills

· Excellent organization and attention to detail

· Excellent time management skills

· The ability to work well with others and manage a team as well as work independently when necessary

· A sense of adventure and curiosity to jump in whether it’s learning a new industry or a new skill

Location:
Remote!

Why you’ll love us:

We are a small, but growing team that loves what we do, but think it’s imperative to have fun while doing it. Moments of stress are fine, but weeks of it are not. We have a strict ‘no jerks’ policy, both on the client-side and the team side. It’s why we started our agency, and we think it’s what sets us apart.

You will also have a seat at the table and have direct input into how the agency grows over time including benefits, culture, and clients.

We are a proud women-owned business that is dedicated to creating an inspiring workplace for all. It is the policy of River North Communications to provide equal opportunities to all qualified persons, and to recruit, hire, train, promote, and compensate persons in all jobs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

Health/Wellness:

LAC/LPC Role: Healing Connections Counseling Center

Email Resume to: Denise Ardito, info@healingconnectionsnj.com

Healing Connections Counseling Center, LLC is a growing group psychotherapy practice based in Ramsey, NJ that provides psychotherapy services to individuals ages 11 & up. We are searching for clinicians to join our growing, supportive practice who are licensed in the State of New Jersey as LSW’s, LAC’s, LCSW’s, or LPC’s who are dedicated, empathic, and open minded. Fully licensed candidates would be credentialed with BCBS and possibly other insurance plans. (Clinicians in network with BCBS already would be a huge plus). Provisionally licensed therapists will receive free supervision to work toward clinical hours for licensure. While our clients range in age from ages 11 & up, the practice is not opposed to hiring multiple candidates to work with different populations. Client issues vary, but often include (but are not limited to) anxiety, depression, bi-polar, adjustment difficulties, relational difficulties, school aged issues, substance issues, eating disorders, etc. A minimum commitment of seeing 12 clients per week is required, with the opportunity to expand client caseload up to full time as referrals come in. The candidate will be required to commit to either two evenings a week, or one evening and one weekend day. Peer and individual supervision are provided. Compensation is $45-$50 per hour depending on licensure and experience; sessions may run 45-60 minutes, depending on client need. Candidate may come on-site into office or conduct telehealth appointments at this time, with the expectation of being physically in the office post-pandemic. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow professionally amongst a supportive team of talented clinicians who work together collaboratively and compassionately.

Requirements:

● Required Education: Master’s Degree

● NJ State Licensed LPC, LCSW, LAC, or LSW

● Be willing to go in-network with BCBS and other insurance companies (already in network is a huge plus.)

● Either one evening/one weekend day or two evenings required

● Minimum of 12 clients per week, but up to full time eventually available

Benefits:

● Get the perks of private practice without the hassles!

● Flexible scheduling: See clients as your schedule allows.

● Determine for yourself what types/ages of clients with whom you will work

● Have NONE of the hassles of dealing with the insurance companies

● Don’t worry about where your referrals are coming from; they are supplied for you

● Group owner handles all problems collecting fees from clients or insurance companies

● Grow professionally and personally through provided individual and group supervision

● CEU reimbursement, amount to be determined based on hours worked

● Future benefits will be pursued as practice grows

Duties include:

· Providing 45-60 minute therapy sessions with clients weekly

· Performing initial intakes

· Coordination of schedules

· Maintaining clinical documentation, including initial diagnosis, treatment plans, and weekly therapy notes

· Communicate with collateral contacts as necessary for client treatment plan

· Taking and logging payments

· Providing documentation as necessary for insurance companies

· Participating in peer and individual supervision

Please e-mail a cover letter and resume to: Denise Ardito at info@healingconnectionsnj.com

Tips for Creating Thoughtful Content During a Crisis

Lisa Pisano — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 23:57:36 GMT

Tips for Creating Thoughtful Content During a Crisis

by Liza Fonti, Highlight Content, LLC

Creating content for social media posts and blogs is stressful for many small business owners on a normal day – throw a pandemic into the mix and we’ve hit a whole new level of “touchy”.

Should I post? Shouldn’t I post? Is it insensitive for me to be pushing my business now when so many are hurting personally, professionally, financially and health wise?

Not surprisingly, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. have reported significant usage increases during COVID-19. Your followers are online A LOT while they’re on lockdown. Should you post? Yes, you should. Staying connected is more important now than ever. However, during these times, you should be focusing your energy on thoughtful, meaningful content.

1.    Offer your followers valuable information.During these unprecedented times, many are looking to keep busy, while learning and growing as individuals and professionals. Think about what you have to offer your community and share your gifts, whether or not it brings you immediate sales. Offering this information will help you build rapport with your followers; trust that they’ll remember you when things turn around. If you own a spa, feature a soothing DIY mask. If you own a bar, share your sangria recipe with your followers. (Don’t worry – knowing how you make a specialty on your menu won’t keep them from coming back to you once you reopen.) A local hairdresser that I love to keep up with on Instagram is keeping her followers entertained with fun, short tutorial videos and hair care tips while clients are unable to visit with her in person.

2.    Be authentic.This is one of my favorite pieces of advice, even when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic. Don’t get me wrong - I appreciate a pretty, well laid out Instagram page more than most. However, it’s a good time to ditch the fancy filters (literally and figuratively), be honest and raw. Real is always appreciated. A great way to let your authenticity shine through is via video, whether it’s in your feed or in your stories. Let your followers get to know the real you behind your brand.

3.    Engage. Engage. Engage.From my years of experience creating content and managing various social media accounts, I’ve learned that people just want to be heard – period. Don’t talk AT your audience - talk with them. Ask questions, encourage them to comment, let them know that what they say matters. If you’re genuinely interested in your followers, they will engage with you.

As you’re fumbling to come up with creative ways to market your products and services during this time, I encourage you to keep it simple. Just as we are pulled to be selfless in our actions, this is the perfect opportunity for us to be generous with our content and the information we have to offer our communities. We rise by lifting others.

Do you need help creating content or managing your social media accounts? Let’s talk! lizaf@mac.com

Business & Personal Worlds Colliding during COVID-19 Crisis

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:49:26 GMT

Business owners count on routine, structure and having some control over each day . Today, and for the foreseeable future, that routine will be disrupted. Parents managing school closures, distance learning and anxious children, face unprecedented challenges. Experts from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers offer valuable advice about how to keep your balance in the world today, which can only improve the stability of your business. Read all about it here: http://bit.ly/7Guidelines4Parents and contact me any time for more information or advice about being (or becoming) a divorced parent in this difficult situation. Amanda S. Trigg - ast@njlawfirm.com - 201-845-9600 x185 - www.amandatrigg.com, Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney. Local, knowledgeable, available.

Ridgewood Job Opportunity – Wealth Advisor Associate

Mary Adams — Fri, 31 May 2019 17:03:51 GMT

Please send resume to bsturmak@rlpwealth.com

RLP Wealth Advisors is seeking a detail-oriented individual who is enthusiastic about working at an independent wealth management firm based in Ridgewood, NJ. Exciting opportunity to join a talented team at an established firm well positioned for growth, in a positive, family-friendly work environment. The position entails a variety of client service support responsibilities. The ideal candidate is hard-working, disciplined, organized, collaborative in a team environment, with exceptional communication and presentation skills.
Responsibilities
• Successfully complete regulatory licenses – including 7, 63/65, 66
• Shadow Client Meetings
• Shadow Investment Decision Making
• Client Meeting Preparation
• Shadow Financial Planning activities to include;
o Development of Financial Plans
o Delivery of Financial Plans as directed by Principal
• Ongoing evaluation and critique of Financial Planning software to meet leading edge best practices of the firm
• Technology - oversee client access to web portal/albridge/emoney
• Marketing – oversee marketing communications, email campaigns via constant contact, newsletters, website, client marketing materials, powerpoint presentations
• Seek out opportunities to enhance and expand your personal capabilities in all areas relative to your assigned responsibilities and your personal development.

Qualifications
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Organization and multi-tasking skills
• Working knowledge of Microsoft office suite
• Engaging and friendly attitude
• Prior work experience in finance preferred
• Bachelor’s degree preferred

What Sets Us Apart?
Today’s environment demands transparency, accountability, responsible citizenship and the highest ethical standards. As an independent, employee-owned, sustainable wealth management firm, RLP Wealth Advisors proudly stands apart from traditional Wall Street financial companies. We proudly service high net worth families and institutions.
Please send resume to bsturmak@rlpwealth.com

The Healthiest Habits to Reach Your Best Self

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 21:07:26 GMT

The Healthiest Habits to Reach Your Best Self

Dr. Jennie Luna Feature

Understanding How to Eat Healthy

Before diving into what food our body needs to thrive, we need to understand our food behavior. Let's face it, ladies, we don’t always eat because we are hungry. We eat because we are stressed, bored, tired, and the list goes on. Lucky there is a biological reason why we eat the way we do. Food can trigger our brain reward circuit; it’s what makes the rich chocolate cake wink at us when we have a crummy day. Having an awareness of our food behavior is the first step to changing it. Once we take a moment to pause and reflect why we are eating the way we do, we can start thinking about changing it for better. Luckily, the more we learn a new behavior it begins to replace the old habits.

Eat Real Food

Yes, mother nature gives us everything we need to have a healthy body. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains has been proven consistently in medical research to promote health. On top of all the nutrients they provide, they also naturally contain fiber. Fiber supports our gut flora, regulates bowel movements and burns energy while digesting. A bagel could never do that for us.

Here are My top 6 Tips to Eating Healthy:

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it avoids overeating.

2. Add some protein to your breakfast to enhance satiety.

3. Avoid deciding what to eat when you are starving. Plan your meals to optimize your success.

4. To increase your water consumption throughout the day, have a glass before each meal. This will also help with satiety.

5. You could never go wrong with eating food in its natural state.

6. Eat slowly and savor every bite, put your fork down halfway through the meal to check if you are satisfied. It takes 20 minutes for satiety to kick in. Remember, there is no need to overeat. If you are satisfied, save the rest for later.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

What does the research show us on how to maintain a healthy weight? The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) has identified some common behavior in individuals who have successfully lost weight and kept it off.

• They eat breakfast

• Exercise at least 1 hour per day

• Frequently weigh themselves

• Low sedentary time with <10 hrs/week of TV time

Battling fatigue

Some common causes for fatigue are stress, lack of physical activity, food quality and lack of sleep.

Here are My 4 Tips to Address Fatigue:

1. Keep a food journal

2. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep

3. Go for a walk in nature

4. Stress management (meditate, journaling, support)

Lastly, but the most important, don’t forget to be kind to yourself. It’s beautiful to be female. Keep shining, stay consistent, and enjoy the journey.

Kindly,

Dr. Jennie Luna

Founder of Nido®

Member Spotlight: Maria Nadel of Virtual Assistant World and Clean Living Matters

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 15:06:29 GMT

What's your "elevator pitch"? Tell us what you do.

As a Virtual Assistant I help business owners create time by taking over marketing, automation, scheduling, web design, system updates, research and other admin tasks and allowing them to focus on areas that will benefit the business growth.

As a Evolve Lifestyle Coach I lead my clients through chapters in life they need support with and help them use their experiences as tools for growth.

I can teach what I have been through and experience, the rest I can only have an opinion about.

What's your favorite networking tip?
Focus on making friends not clients.

What is some of the best career advice you've been given?
Your career is tightly connected to your personal life. If these two are not in balance your success will only be temporary. If you are passionate about it, it will never feel like you are working hard. If it doesn't work, it's ok to move on to the next. Always. You can change your mind at any moment :)

What are your hobbies and interests outside of your job?
Travel... times a million! Wellness, non-toxic living, essential oils as a lifestyle, volunteering in the US and outside. Any kind of art, from designing objects and fashion to creating life.

Where do you find the most inspiration?
In my daughters. In seeing the world as we travel. I am inspired by different ways of living and my close friends.

Learn more about Maria and her businesses: Virtual Assistant World and Clean Living Matters!

www.virtualassistantworld.com

www.cleanlivingmatters.com

What is your legacy? By Kirsten Bunch, Founder of the Changemaker Mentorship

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 18:59:25 GMT

You’ve moved mountains and built empires in your career and life. And, yet, even after all your accomplishments and successes, your legacy is still on your mind. You want to figure out your “next act” and how you will use it to answer that question that has been sitting on your mind: What is my legacy? What imprint am I leaving on the world?

On June 19, I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours over breakfast with an inspiring group of BCPWN members who care deeply about their communities. We talked about how they can live their legacy and use their next act to change lives, whether that means reinventing themselves through a new business or nonprofit, or adding a transformative give back component to their existing business.

BCPWN member, Mary Ziegler from Certified Financial Services, recognized a couple of her clients in the stories I shared of women wanting to create positive social change in the world in their next act but who aren’t quite sure what to do or how to start.

I am both humbled and thrilled to watch the growth of this movement of women using their power to change our communities (watch out for my story in the upcoming O, The Oprah Magazine).

Thank you, BCPWN, for opening up your hearts and minds to consider how our collective legacies will create healthier, safer and more justice communities for everyone.

About me: I’m Kirsten Bunch, the author of the upcoming book, Next Act, Give Back: How to Live Your Legacy That Will Change Your Life and Community. I work with successful women who want their next act to be bigger than simply making money or furthering someone else's dreams. Through my Changemaker Mentorship, I help them create healthier, more just communities by starting heart-centered businesses, nonprofits and foundations. You can find me at www.kirstenbunch.com and (917) 754 0274.

Are Your Ears Ringing? By Mary Adams, CMP

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 23:03:50 GMT

Are your ears ringing? I am so excited for our BCPWN community, and I’ve recently had opportunities to share it. On April 6^th, I had the pleasure of hosting Congressman Josh Gottheimer and local female leaders for a Women’s Roundtable at our offices in Ridgewood. In response to the importance of small business owners working together in order to thrive, I shared how BCPWN is a great source for hiring and partnering.

Equally important, the Congressman speaks about the need for all of us to get involved and pay attention to the decisions that are being discussed, because what they do impacts our business and our businesses impact the community. He not only listens; he hears the challenges we face as business owners in New Jersey. And he takes action; by working to lower taxes, cut out-of-date regulations, train our workforce, invest in infrastructure, and support small businesses!

It’s no surprise, then, that he received the prestigious Spirit of Enterprise award by the US Chamber of Commerce. At an event that was hosted by the Paramus Chapter at Garden State Plaza, I was honored to speak in his support. I reinforced the contributions of groups like BCPWN and described ECG’s recent WBENC certification; something that other women business owners may want to explore. I promise to dedicate more space to its value in a future post, but for anyone who’s interested, you can visit them here.

So it’s been an exciting time for our growing community. As I mentioned in a recent Facebook post from my business, I’m committed to keeping the conversation going and helping address the issues with actionable steps.

I look forward to working with you to make sure that our voices are heard, and to help make an impact on each of our communities.

Beth Donalds The Business Doctor: Five Fun Fabulous Ways to Say Thank You on a Budget

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 19:44:23 GMT

When it comes to business relationships, it’s important to focus as much on the word “relationship” as on the word "business." It’s often the small, personal gestures that mean the most to people.

Saying “thank you” is one of them.

It’s amazing how far a simple “thank you” can go. Research shows that customers spend more and vendors are more likely to pay on time if they’re thanked regularly.

Here are five fun and fabulous ways to show your appreciation:

1. Send a Treat. Who doesn’t love presents?

2. Spend Quality Time Together. Schedule breakfast or lunch at your customer’s office. Invite the entire team – and then just chat.
3. Write a Note. Can you remember the last time you received a handwritten thank-you card? This old-school approach is a proven way of showing gratitude.
4. Start a Loyalty Program. Customers love the red-carpet treatment. Keep it simple – the easier your program is to understand, the more value it will have.
5. Reward the Social Media-Savvy. Pop-up promotions and exclusive deals are the way to your followers’ hearts.

Never underestimate the power of a sincere expression of gratitude. It’s a tried and true strategy for keeping the lines of communication open between you and your customers while keeping your business top-of-mind.

May Member Spotlight: Keri Riccardi

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 03:55:25 GMT

Keri Riccardi, co-owner of the Video Marketing Group is this month's member spotlight. Below, Keri shares her thoughts on networking, offers valuable career advice and gives us a peek at her interests when she's not working!

If you have your own news to share (our community is over 2,000 strong and growing!) and would like to be featured in an upcoming profile, complete this short survey and ensure that your membership is in good standing.

Enjoy!

Mary E. Adams
Executive Director, BCPWN

Member Spotlight: Keri Riccardi, Co-Owner of the Video Marketing Group

What's your "elevator pitch"? Tell us about your business.
I love helping others express their passion, purpose, and mission. Through video content produced in my studio or on-location, corporations, small businesses, and non-profits have the power to convey their message through meaningful and deliberate video clips for their websites and social media, which engages their viewers/potential clients 24/7.

What's your favorite networking tip?
Leave your business cards in your office because networking is not a card game that involves dealing out your cards. It’s all about getting to know others and cultivating relationships with them.

What is some of the best career advice you've been given?
Seek opportunities to collaborate with non-profit organizations that strive to help, educate, and empower others.

What are the words you work by (or what is your motto when it comes to the way you approach your career)?
It’s all up to me! I am the one who is solely responsible for my decisions, words, actions, thoughts, and beliefs. No one ever is to blame.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of your job?
I love snowboarding, acting, writing, fashion, yoga, running, and promoting others (restaurants, businesses, people, charities, events.)

Where do you find the most inspiration?
I’m always invigorated by someone’s commitment to improving or enriching the lives of those in need. I’m also inspired by those who are open to growth and change.

Click here to visit the Video Marketing Group website and check out Keri's business on Facebook!

April Tips from Jennifer Collard, PT

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:25:13 GMT

Working in today’s world is rushed, fast…you don’t want to miss a beat. Don’t want to miss a meeting. Don’t want to miss any information…but when your body and physical health issues slow you down, your work (and even your social life) can become compromised.

At our upcoming May 2018 BCPWN First Friday Luncheon, we’ll be joined by Jennifer Collard, a local Physical Therapist, who specializes Women’s Pelvic and Abdominal Health at Total Health Associates in Waldwick, NJ. Jen will speak openly and honestly about core and pelvic floor health issues, and the effects they have on the lives of women.

She’ll explore easy ways to work your core and pelvic floor during your work day and commute, to help improve confidence, productivity, overall health and decrease stress. And also share how a variety of daily postures and activities leads to a healthy core.

Here are Jen’s 4 Tips for setting yourself up for core and pelvic floor success:

1. Learn How to Properly do a Kegel: Alignment of your body can influence success. Remember to fully relax the pelvic floor after activating it. Muscles need to strengthen and lengthen…even the pelvic floor,which is comprised of a series of muscles. Lots of different cues can help a person learn to perform this muscle activation and relaxation properly. Try thinking to yourself: “squeeze and lift your bottom as if you are sitting on a cold seat”, “exhale and squeeze and lift.”

2. Eliminate These Items from your Diet: Coffee, artificial sweeteners and carbonated drinks are among the items that can irritate the bladder and cause increased frequency to the restroom. Avoid or limit these right before an important meeting that you need to be present for the entire time or during a long commute. While on the flip side - dehydrating yourself (voluntarily drinking less or no water) is NOT the solution, either. Deydration irritates the lining of the bladder. The solution? Simple: 8 glasses of flat water each day.

3. Be Posture Perfect: Variability in posture, position and activity level throughout the day is important for core, pelvic floor, respiratory, circulatory and especially stress management. Set these systems up for success by moving and changing position every 20 minutes or so, align your ribcage over your pelvis to normalize pressure and activate core with proper pressure, avoid contracting or gripping your buttocks or abdominals throughout the day as this put overbearing pressure onto the pelvic floor organs, respiration and circulation. Take a deep, slow cleansing breath each hour or even more often if possible.

4. STOP “JIC’ing” (Just In Case) toileting: JIC’ing trains your bladder to “go” too frequently. Normal urination frequency during the day is between 4-6x’s/day. To defer/inhibit urge to use the restroom: Breathe slow, stay calm, distract your mind to decrease the signal to bladder, do a few Kegels (the right way). Slowly and calmly proceed to restroom if urge can not be delayed.

How to Avoid These 5 Networking Mistakes

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:36:51 GMT

By Donna Gould, Founder & Chief Storyteller, Open Heart Creative

Networking is a powerful tool for building professional relationships and strategic partnerships. Like all successful business endeavors, getting the best result takes time, effort, and a clear understanding of the possible pitfalls.

Here are five common networking mistakes and tips for how to avoid them:

1 – Thinking You Know Everyone

Cultivating relationships with people you know is vital, but making new connections can result in gaining valuable business insights in addition to generating leads. Look for opportunities to stretch beyond your current circle of colleagues. At BCPWN’s Work the Room, you can simultaneously learn from the experiences of people you’ve just met and find out if you have common services, interests, or needs.

2 – Taking Without Giving

Thinking only about what’s in it for you is arguably one of the biggest networking faux pas. Instead of launching onto your sales pitch right off the bat, focus on getting to know your new contact. Ask questions to discover what services or support you can provide for them. When you go the extra mile for someone else, they are far more likely to reciprocate when you ask for a favor or referral down the road.

3 – Not Being Specific

In order to get the most out of networking, you need to make sure people understand what you do, what makes your product or service special, and why they should refer you. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for new contacts to ask questions and determine how they can help.

4 – Limiting the Playing Field

If you limit your networking to professional groups or industry events, you may be short changing yourself. Be open to the possibility of making a business connection any time you step out the door. Strike up a conversation with someone while waiting in line or in the elevator, and you may be surprised to find they know the perfect vendor or job candidate.

5 – Forgetting to Say Thank You

We all know follow-up is essential to effective networking. But it’s easy to overlook the importance of showing gratitude to new contacts for sharing their time and resources, regardless of whether or not you came away with a referral. Sending a simple thank you note lets others know you appreciate them and their ideas, and lays the groundwork for building meaningful business relationships that provide genuine value.

Sources:

https://www.inc.com/5-networking-mistakes-ive-made-so-that-you-dont-have-to.html

https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2015/09/16/the-top-10-networking-mistakes

Beware the Bogus Phone Call from the IRS!

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:33:18 GMT

by Beth Donalds: The Business Doctor

Despite repeated warnings from the IRS, taxpayers continue to fall victim to this scam: Criminals claiming to be IRS officials call and demand payment of a bogus tax bill, conning victims into providing personal information and sending cash.

To date, taxpayers have collectively paid over $23 million to scammers. With tax season in full swing, here is what you need to know to avoid becoming a victim:

Callers use scare tactics to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim.

Scammers alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling.

Cons make it look official, often providing an actual IRS address where the victim is instructed to mail a payment receipt. Others use fake IRS documents or official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail.

The IRS will not call you to demand immediate payment. If you owe taxes, the IRS will first send you a bill in the mail. They will never demand that you pay your taxes a certain way or ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Don’t be fooled! To report a scam call, contact the U.S.Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) using the IRSImpersonation Scam Reporting webpage or call 800-366-4484.

Kirsten Bunch: Our BCPWN Member Spotlight

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:06:55 GMT

As many of you know, one way we learn about what inspires our members and helps drive their career success is our monthly Member Spotlight email.This month we're adding the feature to our blog!

We're excited to hear from Kirsten Bunch, Founder of The Changemaker Mentorship, who helps women start nonprofits, foundations, socially focused businesses and other "changemaking" initiatives. She's also writing a book!

What is your networking philosophy or best tip to share with the group?

Get out and meet new people, even when you don't feel like it. Don't ever cancel a networking opportunity or just not show up, unless you have a really good reason. Listen without judgement and ask questions. Be interested instead of interesting.

What is some of the best career advice you've been given?

If your job or career doesn't feel right, change it. If your heart is pulling you in another direction, don't let fear keep you from exploring it.

What are the words you work by (or what is your motto when it comes to the way you approach your career)?

I'm in the business of making our communities healthy, safer and more just. I know I am on the right career path when my clients want to create a better world as much, if not more, than I do.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of your job?

I play roller derby in order to give my brain a break from work. It takes a lot of focus and is completely exhausting!

Where do you find the most inspiration?

In my clients. They come to me with ideas to change their communities and I am floored every day by what they are able to accomplish.

Do you have a favorite software system or app that helps you in your business that you would like to share with the group?

I love Canva because I can create good looking marketing material without spending tons of money. Also, Calendly makes it easy for my clients to book time with me.

Click here to learn more about Kirsten and The Changemaker Mentorship. Follow Kirsten's Facebook Group to find out how you can be part of her upcoming book launch; inspiring successful women to give back to their communities in a powerful way.

Members in good standing who also wish to be profiled can take this short survey.

Mary

Mary E. Adams
Executive Director, BCPWN

Dreaming into Reality

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 17:22:16 GMT

by Jill Eras, MS, MFT

We all dream – whether or not we remember, this phenomenon is one we all share. Have you ever wondered why? Dreams have a profound and sacred purpose in our lives, indeed, they are gifts given to us night after night because they are our teachers and because we are loved. Each dream is designed by your own psyche (soul) to teach you about you in your own language. Our bodies connect to our souls through the feelings and experience of dreams – we learn how to decipher our own unique “road map” by thoroughly and consciously relating to our dreams. When we value the possibility to grow through engaging our dreams, the process begins almost immediately.

Here are some tips to jumpstart your dream life:

1. Keep a clean and orderly sleep space.
2. Have a bedtime routine that includes a predictable bedtime, soothing sleep aides such as aromatherapy or music, and screen-free downtime.
3. Limit caffeine and alcohol.
4. Keep a journal or voice recorder handy so that you can quickly scribble the memory of dreams as you awake each day.
5. Most importantly: set your intention to remember your dreams.

Looking forward to the opportunity to hear about some of your dreams when we meet on April 6th! This is my invitation to step into the world of your dreams; what you will learn about you will enthrall. - Jill

Our Strong Connections

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:55:03 GMT

The recent tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took on special significance for the people in Bergen County. Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the 17 victims, and her family used to live in Woodcliff Lake. And many of us know other students and families from Parkland, Florida.

Over the weekend, my colleague’s niece, Ruby, was on a TV news segment, along with her classmate. Both girls attend MSD and retold their experiences. Both girls are also using their creativity and their connections to raise money and help the community rebuild. I am inspired by all the powerful voices of change, coming from the students and faculty at MSD.

Ruby and her sister Peri, another Parkland student, are also performers at Broadway Bound, a woman owned business in Coral Springs. For those of us who happen to be in South Florida on March 9th, or wish to contribute, Broadway Bound is performing a tribute concert to the students and staff of MSD.

And here in Bergen County, Alyssa’s family and friends will be celebrating her life and “all the children of our community” at Superdome Sports on March 18^th, with an evening of sports, activities, music and dance.

Through our connections, our creativity, our voices and our contributions, together we can all be #MSDSTRONG.

Ask The Business Doctor with Beth Donalds: Why don’t you haggle?

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 20:46:24 GMT

The idea of negotiating can be intimidating. As consumers, we have been trained to pay the price marked on goods or services without question. If we feel the price is too high, we abandon the sale and look for cheaper options. But we have the option of asking for a lower price…so why don’t we? Because it makes us uncomfortable ... Because we are embarrassed ... Because we don’t want anyone to think we can’t afford it!

Get over it! Step outside your comfort zone...ask
for a discount! Follow the “Rule of the 4 B’s”:

Be Brave: Ask the question “Is that the best you can do? It’s a simple question to ask, and politely posing it to the right person is absolutely free. Put the ball in their court and see what they’ll do in the interest of winning your business.

Be polite: It’s hard to resist a pleasant person with a positive disposition. Being kind and courteous can net you discounts anywhere you wish to flash your pearly whites. Many times you can make someone’s day just by being nice to them – once you win them over, you’ll be surprised just how far they’ll go to help you out.

Be Powerful: You have the money and they are selling a product. Before you interact with the sales person, settle on the maximum price you are willing to pay for your item and never exceed that price. Take control of the buying process.

Be Green: Merchant credit card transaction fees can range from 2% to 5%. Offering to pay for your purchase in cash could easily save you money if the vendor is able to slash these built-in fees from a cash-only sale. Hint: Ask to see the Manager. The Manager knows the merchandise markup, and can discount instantly.

The 1st time is the hardest...then you will never pay full price again!

What Resonates With You?

Mary Adams — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 20:53:57 GMT

Do you ever feel like sometimes you have too much of yourself? I don't mean "me time", because goodness knows we don't have enough of that. I mean, all you hear is your own voice and the same ideas and methods for accomplishing your goals.

Even with a staff and others around me, it can be isolating and I remain in a rut. A close friend of mine who is a financial planner for a big firm approaches her business in a very entrepreneurial way.

Over the years she has said to me, why don't you get out from behind your desk? Go to lunch with someone in your network. Troll LinkedIn and reconnect with colleagues or create a new connection. Because I don't have time. Why don't you go to the gym at lunch time? I used to, but I am so overwhelmed right now.

I am more than a quarter through Arianna Huffington's book Thrive and she really gives it to me straight. You can't afford to ignore your body or to settle for status quo. She drills into being mindful - and not in a way that requires you to sit cross legged near a brook for 3 days. It becomes a part of everyday function. She likens these practices to recovery for athletes Huffington touches on the teachings of Carl Jung and archetypal dreamwork, which our BCPWN First Friday Luncheon speaker Jill Eras will delve into on March 2nd. Our connection to ourselves and to our network of colleagues, friends and family is essential.

For me, it is useful, critical even, to hear the advice and practices of others. What resonates with you? Share it with our community of women.

In the Quiet of Winter...

Lisa Pisano — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:46:57 GMT

With the New Year comes a clean slate and a time to contemplate.

In the quiet of these early winter months, I like to carve out some time to reflect on how things went with my business for the year behind, and how I see things evolving, diverging or expanding in the year ahead. I also try to take a good hard look at HOW I spent my time during the year – how much time was devoted to my business, my blog, my home, my volunteer commitments, my family and friends…and myself.

Do things seem off balance? Or just right?

Where is there room for improvement?

What brings me most joy?

Where and how can I do my best work for my clients and my community?

These are questions I will let marinate internally over the next few weeks so that by late January, I can make better decisions about how to allocate my time for the year ahead.

As a result, perhaps I’ll explore a new layer to my business. Reconnect with old friends and acquaintances I haven’t seen in years. Reignite my blog with a fresh look and more regular, updated content.

There was a time when the doldrums of winter would make me sullen but these days, I’ve learned to embrace the quiet and stillness of the season to further invigorate my plans for the rest of the year ahead.

How do you feel about the early winter months? And how do you use them to plan for your year ahead?

Wishing you an inspiring Winter!

Lisa

Lisa Pisano is the President of Groupe a la Mode, LLC, a boutique Public Relations and Social Marketing firm based in Bergen County. She blogs at http://momalamode.net Reach her at lisa@groupealamode.com

Keeping the Spark Alive: Passion Projects

Lisa Pisano — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 14:28:11 GMT

Do you have a Passion Project?

Some call it a “side hustle” if it tends to bring in income, but I think a hobby or pastime can qualify, too.

Whether you play golf, knit, write novellas, garden or – in my case – bake, having a creative outlet away from your day-to-day work is a fantastic way to keep you vibrant, engaged and fulfilled in your work, and life. A passion project may also nurture relationships in your life, unlock a skill that you didn’t realize you have and enlighten you in unexpected ways.

For me, baking chocolate biscotti has been a passion project this time of year since 2001.

I was a young publicist working in Corporate Marketing at Liz Claiborne Inc. and it was the beginning of the holiday season. I struggled with what to “gift” to my boss and coworkers, which was a tall order, as fashion executives tended to have very specific taste. I was also told that “gifting up” was frowned upon in corporate culture.

What to do?

I Baked.

Who can say no to an elegantly packaged box of homemade double chocolate biscotti? And there was no concern with “gifting up” since it was a box of baked goods that could have been easily shared with the team.

That holiday season, more than one coworker came up to me to say, “These are so good….I’d pay you to make these for my own holiday baking needs.”

And a seed was planted. As well as a passion project.

I never really thought about launching a baking business. But that next holiday season, I did. LMD Biscotti Company was formed and word-of-mouth referrals propelled it forward.

Over the next few years, at the holidays, LMD Biscotti Company sold at house parties, continued to flourish via word of mouth, and even provided hundreds of packaged baked goods at an AIG corporate party in NYC (for 2 years in a row)!

Of course, there were a few years that LMD Biscotti Company turned the ovens off – when my mom was ill and when I was pregnant with my son and daughter. But the nice thing about a passion project is that you can just pick back up again and carry on where you left off.

My biscotti business is fulfilling for me and allows me to work outside of my everyday format (seated, at a desk, on a computer) in a commercial kitchen, alongside my dad and bring joy to others in the form of a decadently sweet chocolate confection.

I love what I do, and wholeheartedly believe that it shows in the product.

For now, my passion project is tied solely to the holiday season and Valentine’s Day. But as I continue to network and as word-of-mouth picks up, I’m coming across new opportunities to consider taking LMD Biscotti to the next level.

If you’d like to share in my passion project, you can learn more about LMD Biscotti Company here: http://momalamode.net/lmd-biscotti-co/

Happy Holidays!

Lisa Pisano

Lisa Pisano is the President of Groupe a la Mode, LLC, a boutique Public Relations and Social Marketing firm based in Bergen County. Reach her at lisa@groupealamode.com

Imitation – Is it Flattery or Profiting by Copying?

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 23:14:03 GMT

Oscar Wilde said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness, but as a business owner, the copying of your products and services by others can hurt your sales and may hurt your reputation. How do you protect the knowledge, ideas, innovations and brands that give you and your companies a competitive advantage? If they are protected intellectual property, you will have legal rights to stop the copiers of your products and services. The main types of intellectual property include patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and trade dress. We previously focused on trademarks in the post Business Assets You Do Not Want to Ignore, and we focused on patents in the post Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Now we will focus on copyrights.

What is a copyright? In its broadest sense, a copyright protects creative expressions with our U.S. Constitution giving authors the exclusive right to their works for a limited time in Article 1, Section 8. More specifically, copyrights give their owners the right to prevent the copying by others of original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works.

What can be copyrighted? The work must be original and must be fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Only a “minimum level of creativity” is required. Examples of works that can be copyrighted include poems, manuscripts, paintings, photographs, sculptures, musical scores, movies, dance, jewelry designs, architectural works, computer software, source codes, apps, video games, company websites, and product manuals

Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although the way these things are expressed may be protected. For example, a manufacturing method cannot be protected by copyright, but an instruction manual describing how to perform the manufacturing method could be protected by copyright. However, if there was a discovery that improved the manufacturing method in a new way, then the improved manufacturing method could be protected by a patent, which would provide an additional type of intellectual property protection.

The owner of the copyright can be an individual author, co-authors if it is a joint work, an employer if the work is a work made for hire, or the assignee where the owner has assigned the rights in the copyright to the assignee.

How long does a copyright last? A very long time. For a work authored by an individual, the term of the copyright is for the life of the individual plus 70 years. For a work authored by joint authors, the term of the copyright is for the life of the last surviving author plus 70 years. For a work for hire, the term of the copyright is 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter. Contrast that with patents, which have a term of 20 years from the date of filing. When the copyright expires, the work enters the public domain and is available for anyone to use.

The long copyright term means that valuable copyrights can provide revenue to a copyright owner’s heirs. Over the years copyright heirs have gone to court to sue infringers of their inherited copyrights. For example, in 2014, Marvin Gaye’s heirs sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, rapper T.I and their record company claiming that the song “Blurred Lines” infringed Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up”. A jury found Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams liable for copyright infringement and awarded millions of dollars in damages and 50% of future royalties to Marvin Gaye’s heirs. The trial court judgment has been appealed.

Do I have to register for a copyright? No, a copyright is secured automatically upon creation when it is fixed for the first time in a copy or recording, such as a phonorecord (vinyl is back!). Publication of your work is not required to register for copyright. For example, you have written a book, but your manuscript is not published. You can apply for a copyright registration for your unpublished manuscript. You do not have to re-register when the work is published, although you can register the published edition, if desired.

Why bother registering your work for a copyright? There are several good reasons for doing so in the United States in order to maximize the copyright protection for your work.

A certificate of registration can prove ownership because it creates a public record of key facts relating to the authorship and ownership of the claimed work. Registration, which can be made at any time within the life of the copyright, establishes prima facie evidence of the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the certificate when it is made before or within five years of publication.

You must have a copyright registration for a work made in the U.S. before you can sue an infringer for copying your work in U.S. courts. When you obtain a copyright registration prior to infringement or within three months after publication of your work, then you, the copyright owner, are eligible for the court to award statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, which can potentially amount to a significant award.

Your copyright registration also permits you to establish a record with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)3 for protection against the importation of infringing copies of your copyrighted work.

Is a copyright notice required on my work? You are no longer required in the U.S. to put a copyright notice on your work, but doing so informs the public of your copyright and can also defeat the innocent infringement defense. A copyright notice consists of three elements:

(1) Symbol ©, the word “Copyright,” or the abbreviation “Copr.”

(2) The year of first publication of the work

(3) The name of the owner of copyright in the work

Remember, placing a copyright notice on a work is not a substitute for copyright registration.

Protecting the knowledge, ideas, innovations and brands that give you and your companies a competitive advantage will add value to your business. By working with an intellectual property attorney to obtain and protect your valuable intellectual property, you will have the options to generate revenue by selling these rights, licensing them to others, or using them as collateral to obtain financing. You are creating business assets that you do not want to ignore.

Want to know more? I am here to answer your questions and help you recognize and protect your company’s valuable intellectual property assets.

Elizabeth Barnhard

Leason Ellis LLP

barnhard@leasonellis.com

(914) 821-3074

www.leasonellis.com

Work From Home Effectively. Here’s How…

Lisa Pisano — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 15:56:29 GMT

One of the things I love most about BCPWN is the varied and rich backgrounds and working styles of our members. I can count on at least two hands my fellow members who operate their businesses from their home offices. I think many would agree that there are pluses and minuses to when your commute is as quick as a walk up your living room staircase.

I’ve been running a virtual public relations and social media agency for about 6 years now. At first, it was a major change for me from the day to day of working in a corporate environment. The biggest challenge was – and if I’m being completely transparent, continues to be – setting BOUNDARIES.

Over the years, I’ve benefited from the advice from many of the coaches here in BCPWN, and presentations from organizational experts on the importance of setting boundaries, and how to do that in a work from home scenario. Here are a few tips that have worked for me:

1. Communicate: I make sure to share my posted office hours with those close to me. This is important for those times when I may have a very important conference call and when a pop-by visit or phone call from a friend is just off-limits. By simply being clear about my availability and when I CAN return a call, accept a visit or meet up for lunch has made a world of difference.
2. Put on your blinders: On my way up the stairs to my home office, there are times I’m distracted by the pile of laundry in my bedroom that needs to be folded, or the reminder that my son needs shin guards for soccer when I pass his room, or that the baby’s drawers full of outgrown clothes need to be reorganized and sorted. And then I put on my blinders, head directly to my office and shut the door, make a list on paper of these above to-dos and set it aside for several hours later.
3. Take a Brain Break: I read somewhere recently that you shouldn’t do the same activity for more than 20-30 minutes without taking a break. This can easily be applied to those working outside the home as well, and am proud to report that I abide by this rule on a daily basis. I find it especially effective after sitting on a long conference call. Get up, get a fresh glass of water, grab a snack, take a quick walk, or just stretch – spend about 10 minutes just doing something ELSE. It will improve your concentration and productivity.
4. Find a Creative Spot: Every now and then I need to get OUT of my home office to keep my creative juices flowing. I’ll head to an area café or a local bookstore, plug in and get to work. I don’t mind the background chatter or hustle and bustle around me and enjoy emerging from my little home office cave for a few hours.
5. Power Down: I’m working hard at enforcing this rule, but during key hours of my workday, I do completely power down to focus on family, dinner, my home, etc. I find that I’m much happier, balanced and productive when I can keep the boundary in place where work doesn’t spill over into family/me time. This is a work in progress (for many of us, right?)

I’m curious to hear from those within BCPWN who work from home – what tips do you have for an effective work experience? Please comment below.

Lisa Pisano

Groupe a la Mode LLC

lisa@groupealamode.com

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 02:28:22 GMT

Have you ever said there has got to be a better solution? If you said yes, then you are describing a need for something that can force you to find a new way of getting or achieving that solution. This may result in your creating a new invention. An old proverb, necessity is the mother of invention, sums it up. Can you protect an invention to add value to your business? Yes. Your invention can be protected with a patent. Fans of the show Shark Tank know that a frequently asked question is “Do you have patent protection for your product?”

What is a patent? A patent protects a new and useful invention by giving the owner the right to exclude others from making, using, selling or offering to sell the patented invention for a limited period of time. The quid pro quo for this patent right is that the inventor discloses information necessary to educate the public about the invention, which information is published in the patent. Disclosure of the invention enables the public to learn from the inventor’s technology, thereby facilitating further innovation. The promotion of the progress of science and the useful arts was considered so important when the U.S. was founded that the U.S. Constitution gives inventors the exclusive right to their discoveries for a limited time in Article 1, Section 8.

What can be patented? Any new and useful process/method, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement of these categories of inventions, or as the U.S. Supreme Court stated in 1980, “Anything under the sun . . . made by man”. There are three types of patents to protect inventions: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents.

Utility patents cover function or technical features and give the owner patent protection for 20 years from the date of filing a patent application. Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor from New Jersey, nicknamed “the Wizard of Menlo Park,” who obtained 1,084 U.S. utility patent patents and 9 artistic design patents. His many inventions included the phonograph, the kinetoscope, the Dictaphone, the electric lamp, the incandescent light bulb, the autographic printer, and a carbon microphone for the telephone. However, necessity is the mother of invention, which is why one of my favorite utility patents is the first practical dishwasher patented in 1886 by Josephine P. Cochran (U.S. Patent No. 355,139).

Utility patents do not just protect high tech inventions. The original Barbie doll was patented in 1961 (U.S. Patent No. 3,009,284). Do you love s’mores? A high school girl did and she and her father obtained a utility patent for a machine and method for making s’mores (U.S. Patent No. 8,156,859).

Design patents protect tangible, static articles, but can also cover animated articles, computer icons, web page features and web page layouts for 15 years from the date of grant of the design patent. The purpose of a design patent is to protect the ornamental appearance of products and to protect portions visible to users. Some examples include Apple’s design patent protecting the shape of the iPhone (U.S. D594087); Rolex’s design patent protecting the ornamental features of a diving watch (U.S. D404322); a design for a shank of a drill bit (U.S. D257511); an icon for a portion of a computer display screen (U.S. D649156); and, for golf lovers, a golf-ball shaped ashtray (U.S. D665125).

Plant patents protect plants that are stable and asexually reproduced for 20 years from the date of filing the patent application. Plant patents can also protect cultivated sports, mutants, hybrid, and newly found seedlings in a cultivated area, but not tube propagated plants. The first plant patent was issued in 1931 to Henry Bosenberg for his climbing, ever-blooming rose (U.S. PP1).

You can view copies of these patents at http://www.uspto.gov or http://patents.google.com.

Is there a catch? You can exclude others from making, using, selling or importing your patented invention, but your patent rights do not automatically enable you to make, use, sell or import your own invention. Confusing? This situation tends to arise where you have overlapping patent rights, especially in areas where there are improvements being made to existing products. For example, the smartphone wars between Apple and Samsung have included Apple suing Samsung for infringing its iPhone design and utility patents and Samsung suing Apple for infringement of its mobile technologies patents. The stakes are high for these two competitor companies who have been involved in more than 50 patent infringement lawsuits around the world, claiming billions of dollars of damages.

How do patents add value to your business? Patents help you create a competitive edge with new and improved technological innovations that you created to address an unmet need, and these patents may dissuade potential competitors from attempting to enter your market until after your patents expire. From a PR perspective, being named as an inventor on a patent is a significant achievement and you can market your product as being a patented product. When your business owns the patents for the inventions you have created, these patent rights can be sold or licensed to others to use to generate revenue, or they can be used as collateral to obtain financing. You can stop competitors from the unauthorized use or sale of your patented innovations.

Want to know more? I am here to answer your questions and help you recognize and protect your company’s valuable inventions.

Elizabeth Barnhard

Leason Ellis LLP

barnhard@leasonellis.com

(914) 821-3074

www.leasonellis.com

Novellas

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 15:28:37 GMT

Laura Ashland is a catering business entrepreneur that the IRS and her family don’t know about. She provides consultation and a special ingredient to her clients for them to prepare a last supper for someone they want dead.

Three novellas tell the tale of Laura’s catering business.

The third in the LAST SUPPERS series has recently been published. All are available on Amazon.

LAST SUPPERS, Part 3, LAURA, PENELOPE and GUS—A Dash of Poison

Briefly: Laura Ashland’s catering business was successful. Her special ingredient was in demand. She discouraged clients from repeating serving their deadly meals to people they didn’t want to live longer. No repeats were her rule. Unfortunately that rule required frequent replenishment of clients. Laura was ready to seize opportunities when they appeared. Without special advertising Penelope and Gus contacted her at the same time. They wanted to kill each other. One meal, two deaths would enhance Laura’s business plan. Why not?

LAST SUPPERS, Part 2 LAURA and EMMA LOU—A Taste for Murder

Briefly: Laura Ashland fed A.W. Legworth his last supper. The meal was deadly for him. There was no investigation. Laura was safe. Her catering business was born. Her clients wanted their spouse or lover dead. Laura provided the recipes and special ingredient for their last supper. She was successful until Emma Lou returned.

The first novella in the series is LAST SUPPERS, LAURA’S TALE--A Killer Recipe

Briefly: Laura Ashland had always seemed proper. She followed the course of action to gain a husband outlined in the book. Then, she met Tom. They married. After a while, life changed. Laura made plans that weren’t included in the book she read by A.W. Legworth. In this novella you could say her plan became her recipe for life and for a menu option. Her plan proved deadly.

These novellas are available on Amazon. Type Joan Lefford in the search field for the Kindle Store on Amazon and view the books. Or, click on this link.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=joan+lefford

Joan Lefford

joanle8@optimum.net

Business Assets You Do Not Want to Ignore

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 21:23:36 GMT

You have been working hard to grow your business and build a positive reputation. Whether you are selling products like BCPWN members Luxx Chocolat or Maya Crafts or services like the Business Doctor of North Jersey or WannaBee Chef, by focusing on your customers’ needs and the benefits they get from your products and services, you are building up the business assets of goodwill and brand recognition for your products and services. Of course, you say, but how do these intangible assets, goodwill and brand recognition, add value to my business?

These intangible business assets fall within the realm of intellectual property or “IP”, where knowledge, ideas, innovations and brands give individuals and your companies a competitive advantage. The main types of intellectual property include patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and trade dress.

How does intellectual property add value to your business? When your business owns the intellectual property it has created, these IP rights can be sold, licensed to others to use, or can be used as collateral to obtain financing. You can stop others from using your IP rights without your permission. That’s nice, you respond, but how does this relate to adding value to my business? Let’s answer that question in part today by focusing on trademarks and brands. We will discuss other types of IP in future posts.

What is a trademark? A trademark is an identifier of a brand and its source. It can be a word, name, symbol or device, or a combination of these items. Think of the Nike Swoosh, a distinctive symbol that is a trademark for the Nike brand. Your rights in your trademark are based on use of your trademark in connection with your goods or services. Registering a trademark in the U.S. and in other countries where your goods and services are sold provides additional rights and benefits.

Are you limited to one trademark for your business? No, you can have more than one trademark associated with your business. BCPWN member Luxx Chocolat has 5 active trademark registrations: “Luxx Chocolat”, “The Luxx Life”, “Hot Choxx”, “Chocovin Chocolate & Wine Tastings” and “Oh-Inspiring”.

What is the purpose of a trademark? A trademark promotes competition by protecting the trademark owner’s goodwill in his business and by allowing consumers to distinguish the goods of different companies. Look at the trademarks of the different car companies and how these trademarks help distinguish the car companies from each other and to you, the consumer. To protect consumers from confusion, a trademark that is the same or similar to another cannot be registered for the same products or services. Using “Luxx Chocolat” as our example, you can find plenty of trademarks that include the word “Luxx”, and plenty of trademarks that include the word “Chocolat” for different products and services, but you will not find a second company with a trademark registration for Luxx Chocolat for specialty chocolates because it would cause consumer confusion about who is making and selling these specialty candies.

Why register and protect your trademark? You are spending money on advertising and other marketing to build awareness of your branded products and services. You want your customers and future customers to look for your brand name because they will want the expected quality and benefits from using your products and services. So long as you are using your brand-identifying trademark in commerce, your trademark rights may be extended indefinitely. Over time, your investment in your brand and development of goodwill will add substantial value to your business that you can monetize if you decide to sell your business, to generate additional revenue through licensing, or to secure financing to fuel more growth for your business. How much value can you add?

Let’s look at Coca-Cola®, an iconic trademark. The Coca-Cola trademark was created in 1886 and has been in continuous use for over 103 years by The Coca-Cola Company. In 2017, Forbes reported that the brand value of Coca-Cola® is now 56.4 billion dollars. (See https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/.)

In 1976, three guys in a garage founded a new company to create and sell personal computers. You might have heard of it. That startup company, Apple, Inc., owns Apple®, the world’s most valuable brand with a value of 170 billion dollars. (See https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/.) It did not happen overnight. It took 40 years of making and selling products and advertising those products with the Apple trademarks to have consumers know that when they see that now famous Apple logo and other Apple trademarks, they are getting products that will have a certain quality from a company they trust.

Want to know more? I am here to answer your questions and help you recognize and protect your company’s valuable IP assets.

Elizabeth Barnhard

Leason Ellis LLP

barnhard@leasonellis.com

(914) 821-3074

www.leasonellis.com

Marketing Image Boot Camp

Wed, 31 May 2017 11:06:33 GMT

How hard are your images working for you?

By: Jean Terman

Have you seen the photo of the smooth rocks resting on a bed of sand or the one with the waterfall flowing gently into a pool of clear water surrounded by greenery? I bet you have. Now can you remember which website or which business used that image? Was it a reiki practitioner, a yoga instructor, jewelry designer or that organic living store you love? I saw an almost identical image on each of these websites and even on their business cards. I understand why they love the images and I even understand why they chose them for their marketing but it sure didn’t do anything to make them memorable or set them apart. It didn’t tell their story.

Now, think about the services and products that have caught your attention: the ones you remember. Betcha’ know who Captain Obvious is and what service he wants you to use. How about those thirsty polar bears, what image just popped into your mind? Can’t forget the talking lizard with the British? accent, can we? Your brain is storing so many services and products linked to compelling images that if you started listing them now you would still be coming up with additional ones hours later. That is the power of unique and compelling marketing combining product, service and image.

I know, those bears took some serious money to create but most of us aren’t going global right now. We can start smaller, unique doesn’t have to be big and flashy, just uniquely you.

We live in a visual age. People don’t want to stop and read text; they want images that convey the message. You want to provide them with information that is easy to digest, something that sparks their imagination and gets them to stop scrolling long enough to get interested in what you have to say. Your marketing needs to communicate your value to the customer. Powerful imagery helps communicate your brand story to the viewer. Still not convinced? Check out these recent statistics:

Articles with relevant images average 94% more total views than articles without images.
A press release with photos gets nearly 15% more online views than a text-only press release.
60% of consumers who use online search say they prefer to contact a business whose listing includes an image.
Nearly 70% of e-commerce website shoppers say the product image is very important when making their purchase decision. (Source: MDG Advertising)

Why are images so powerful?

It is how our brain processes information that gives us a clue:

Research at 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
Additional studies found that the human brain deciphers image elements simultaneously, while language is decoded in a linear, sequential manner taking more time to process.
The world is moving too fast and a page full of text is daunting to a viewer that just wants to know if your site is worth their precious time.

What does all this mean to you?

Simple, you only get one chance at a first impression and your images are going to be the first thing they see on your site or in your marketing collateral. You can use stock photos if you are strategic and clever about their placement, but you’ll catch the viewers’ attention faster with images of you and your products/services. It is you they came to see after all.

How to grab and keep your viewers’ attention

Great photographs are a sure fire way to show your business at its best. Beautiful images of your space, your products, your people, and you help portray your message and generate trust. I know it is easy to snap photos with whatever device is handy but a poorly lit, poorly executed image is too easy for people to look past. Once they have, there goes your first impression and your audience. They will have moved on to something that catches their eye and left you behind.

So now that we know how important those first few images are, how do we get the right ones? Creating images that complement your branding gives you a unified look across all your marketing pieces. Taking time to think through your marketing message and how you want to convey it to the viewer allows you to create a seamless approach.

Build your photo wish list:

Use what is already out there to spur your imagination. Looking at what similar, and even not so similar, businesses have done will help get your creative juices flowing. Make a list of the things that caught your attention. If you liked them, it is a good bet others will too.
Use those inspirations to start building your story ideas. Don’t recreate what you’ve seen, weave your own personality into the narrative and tie it to the text that it will be illustrating. e.g., if your specialty is helping young families find their first homes, what about a photo of you with a young family and a small child having cookies at their new kitchen table or having the child drawing a SOLD sign? Make it something that compliments your spirit and what your client will experience with you.
Don’t stop at the first idea, brainstorm different scenarios telling unique stories that illustrate your business.
Is there a certain mood you want to convey? An injury attorney and a child daycare center would need images that help the viewer feel something different. (I hope)
Make a list of any content that should be in the photos: products, lifestyle types, service offerings, mandatory branding, etc.
Work within your branding color scheme. Everything doesn’t have to be your orange and purple logo colors but a splash here and there ties the image to your brand.
Find a photographer that understands how to create branded images and make sure they are clear on your vision. If you trust the photographer, let them in on the process. Having someone walk you through the story boards and help you ‘see’ the finished product before you ever pick up a camera will ensure that your time and your budget is managed wisely.

Make sure the photographs tell your story in a meaningful way

Good marketing photography is so much more than filler. It tells your brand story and helps the viewer get to know you before they ever meet you. Maybe you make Zen rock gardens and that photo is a perfect illustration of your products… if not, ditch the rocks and dig up images that are all about you. That is the best way to have picture perfect marketing materials. (I had to, I just had to.)

Ironic Twist Alert:

This blog engine does not let you upload images! Want to see what a difference images make? Head over to http://www.jeantermanphotography.com/photo-blog.

Life Lessons from an Exhausted Ninja

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:30:00 GMT

You know the phrase: Do as I say not as I do.

When they asked me to write a few posts with helpful hints that would, hopefully, appeal to the BCPWN reader, my head was spinning with ideas for great photo tips and media library hints. They’ll be in the next posts, I promise. This time around I thought I’d share a recent experience and a few (we all know them but we never do them) tips that would have made my life easier and, hopefully, will inspire you. Feel free to giggle. I can laugh about it now too, almost.

March was an exciting month. I was asked to be the featured contributor for the Ridgewood Arts and Recreation Artist Showcase. It came together quickly and we had 36 large prints hanging on the walls by the end of the first week. Then they suggested an artist’s reception. I love parties! Yes! Great idea and I was sure that I could pull it all together … myself. I watch the DYI channel and the FOOD network. I’m creative, love to cook, have a healthy understanding of social media, I could handle this. I am a solopreneur, hear me roar!

I actually said to myself, ‘It is only 2 hours. If it was 3 I might need to rethink this.’ Yep, there is a HUGE difference there.

My To Do list:

Create event promotional material
Distribute event promotional material
Determine party theme
Obtain and coordinate party décor
Block out the 3 calendar days before the event for prep time – Yes, I honestly thought that was a good use of my time.
Determine party food
Buy and prepare party food – Yes, I said prepare because, remember, it was just 2 hours so I could handle it.
Get new outfit – Well, I had to look good!
Day of event: Get manicure and massage, get dressed, make 15 year old son load car and unload car at the event, set up and have a great time

See any problems with this?

I might have noticed a few if I actually saw it written out like this but I had my memory joggers on various sticky notes scattered around my work area. Note to self: when you write things on pretty, pink, tiny slips of paper anything seems possible. STOP DOING THAT!

Want to know what really happened? OK, here is the actual list.

Create event promotional material
- Obsess over event promotional material. Rework event promotional material at 4:00am: who needs sleep? Distribute promotional material through known channels. Realize that a marketing person could have done this in 1/3 of the time, reached a lot more people and I would have had 100% of that time free. Kick myself and realize that Sabrina McEntee and Becky Livingston would smack me if they knew. OK, they wouldn’t actually smack me but Becky would think about it.
Determine party theme: it is me so it was lots of purple and comfort food - that was quick.
- Go to party store and purchase enough purple paper products (say that three times fast) for 6 parties. Italians always prepare for the invasion. Obsess over food platters. Go back to party store and exchange platters and buy more purple stuff because there is never too much. (The massive box of unused purple products in my dining room tells a different story.)
Watch freak snow storm hit the week before event week.
Use the days you had set aside for party prep to reschedule clients
Freak out!
- Try yoga and meditation to calm down. Stubbornly cling to the idea that you can get it all done! Realize you have two nights to make everything. Wish you liked wine.
Spend the first night making whoopee pies until the wee hours
Two days before event realize you have nothing to wear and race to the store between clients to grab something!
Spend the second night making cupcakes and cutting up cheese
Get the kindest call from Christine Figliuolo with encouragement, asking if I had any questions.
- YES! How do I get this done? Get great ideas on where to get prepared food. Awesome! Go to get prepared food. It was just crudité, I was going to buy it prepared but seriously, how hard is it to cut vegetables? Wonder if I need therapy. Realize I could have hired Christine who would have gotten all of this done for me and saved me the cost of therapy. Kick myself again.
Spend morning of the event cutting vegetables and cursing
Cancel manicure and massage, both of which were sorely needed, and settle for quick shower and massive amounts of caffeine
Bribe less than excited 15 year old to load car
Bring new clothes, and something else just in case, on hangers to event because setting up was going to be messy
Get to event venue and see 4 amazing women waiting to save me! Susan, Michele, Jennifer and Stephanie, you all have wings and halos in my book.
Run to change clothes while they set up.
- Realize I hate my ‘new’ outfit, put on the backup outfit and wish I’d talked to Martha Fickinger. I was wearing uncomfortable heels so when I kicked myself it really hurt.
Spend 2 hours with wonderful people who came to support me, praying I looked calm and collected.
At the end of the event, give away 80% of the food I made – the Italian thing, remember?
Go home and collapse

Lesson learned: Solopreneur doesn’t mean you have to do everything solo!

There are so many wonderful resources in this organization and I should have reached out to them. I survived the event but I didn’t have to make it a ninja challenge for myself. So, if you think you need to do it all yourself to ‘save’ time or money or whatever, please do as I say and not as I did. I know I will do it differently next time. (I hid the pink sticky notes.)

Oh, and here is where I would share the wonderful photos from the event… BUT I DIDN’T HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER! You have no idea how big the bruise was from that kick!

Signed,

Jean Terman - Recovering Ninja ;)

7 Organic SEO Tips that Won’t Cost You a Penny - Guest Post by Aparna Mulchandani

Lisa Pisano — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 13:39:03 GMT

When we are discussing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) we often lose sight of our top goal: To be found by prospects that will engage and become clients who we will have long lasting relationships.

To accomplish this goal we need to have a multi-faceted approach that includes: Marketing, Strategy, Keyword Enriched and Optimized Content, Responsive Design, Backlinks and internal links.

Here are 7 simple tips to help your website work for you!

1. Strong URLs:

If you can, include a strong keyword in your URL, you will come up higher in search. For example: www.XYZconsulting.com will rank higher than www.XYZLLC.com. Additionally, make sure that each internal page URL includes one of your key search terms already mentioned on that page. For example, if you specialize in logo design: www.XYZconsulting.com/logodesign instead of “www.XYZconsulting.com/1234”

2. Keywords:

Sprinkle them throughout the website. Select approx. 10 keywords and make sure your content includes them.

3. Alt Tags & Image Names:

Google cannot read images. So make good use of alt tag text as well as the image name itself.

4. Social Media Interaction:

Google LOVES socialization! Make sure your page has links to Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. and keep those posts active

5. Videos:

Google LOVES YouTube! Make sure you embed any videos you have on your YouTube channel.

6. Call to Action:

Tell them what to do! “Call Now”, or “Buy Now”, or “Get a Free Quote Today!”

7. Be sure to include a robots.txt file on your root directory.
The robots.txt file tells search engine crawlers which directories can or cannot be crawled.

Remember you can create something great, but clients won’t see it if it can’t be found! Learn more at TwoByTwo Design’s Web Site Programs.

Cracking the Code to Client Lifecycle Marketing

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:59:44 GMT

In a world where 47 percent of consumers would take their business elsewhere within a day of experiencing poor customer service, how is a company to keep customers for the long term?

In the “old” days, it was referred to a retention marketing. Today, it’s called lifecycle marketing and it’s a process where you nurture relationships with clients as they move through their life cycles.

Example

An accounting firm retains a new client, Grace, in need of wealth management services. She is relatively young, in her mid-thirties, and single. She’s inherited a fairly large sum of money from her grandparents and wants to ensure she’s using it toward a nest egg and to make sound investments.

As she ages, she buys a home, gets married, and has children.

How is the accounting firm’s staff touching base with this client? Do they simply provide quarterly wealth management reports? Or, do they encourage her to look at other services the firm offers, possibly college savings plans, estate planning services, and retirement planning.

The second option is called lifecycle marketing. You’ve taken the client’s needs, based on where she is in life, and helped her to use the money she inherited to grow and work for her rather than just accumulating interest.

4-Step Lifecycle Marketing Strategy

But as you gain new clients, what can you to do crack the code to client lifecycle marketing?

Be patient and avoid cross selling too early. Once a new client comes on board, avoid trying to cross sell products immediately without a complete understanding of her needs, goals, and life. Rather, take time to absorb how she lives and create a plan to help her reach a goal. In some cases, the client may not know they need a goal. A good way to do this is to add them to a marketing channel, such as a monthly newsletter or suggest joining the firm’s social media channel(s), that informs them of tips, news, and guidance they can think about.
Ensure staff understands lifecycle challenges and create marketing efforts to provide solutions. For example, after Grace purchased her home, inviting her to an event about home owner tax deductions is a good way to nurture her relationship and to begin maximizing your value. Other content that fits nicely in this area is personalized tips, case studies, and best practices you would share with her either in a personalized email, call, mail, or combination of efforts.
Once the relationship starts to take hold, and only then, consider promoting additional services. In Grace’s case, she’s gotten married. Inviting her and her spouse for a one-on-one meeting to talk about financial planning and personal goals is a nice touch. It’s personalized and offers them insight into their specific situation while providing a gentle nudge toward additional services the firm offers. Offer them marketing materials they can digest on their own time and invite them to another event or webinar series to help them understand the importance of their next step. Listening and learning to client’s needs are key behaviors for staff in this phase. Promoting services too early or too late could damage a relationship.
Keep track of data points, with customer relationship management tools, about each client as she moves through her lifecycle to help ensure you’re cross promoting at the right time. This can be time consuming for the business team, but in the long run you’ll be glad you were keeping track. It’s important to mind the gap here because if you don’t you could lose a client and not understand why.

According to Invesp, “It costs five times as much to attract a new customer, than to keep an existing one.” Keep that in mind as you create a lifecycle marketing strategy.

What’s your next step?

5 Trade Show Business Building Tips - Guest Post by Aparna Mulchandani

Lisa Pisano — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 15:42:36 GMT

The top 3 goals for exhibitors at trade shows are brand awareness, lead generation, and relationship building. 81% of Trade Show attendees have buying authority. (*Trade Show News Network)

If you are participating in a trade show you should really begin planning at least 3 months ahead of time. If you are in a service business – keep in mind that the exhibitors are potential clients too. 

Every time I participated in a trade show, I walked away with a client – another exhibitor!

5 Trade Show Business Building Tips:

Unfortunately, no one is going to stand in front of your booth display for 30 minutes reading the 2 paragraphs and 6 bullets of copy.

1. Your display is your billboard

Keep the words to a minimum – 5 words or maybe 6 – no more! People should get the message as they are walking by and stop in their tracks.
Visibility has to be clear. Logo at the top is always a good idea – so it can be seen from a distance.
Keep the images generic – and minimal. The idea is to draw people in and start a conversation. Keeping the images generic also keeps the backdrop timeless – so your product packaging may change but the booth doesn’t have to!
Decide what will fit best depending on the size of your booth. Do you have a small booth that will only fit a table? Place a pop up on the table so that it is higher than the backdrop! Get a custom tablecloth with your logo. They are easy to do and affordable. And please iron it :) thank you

2. Stand in front of the table

Walk up to people! Standing in front makes you much more approachable!
Rest when you get a chance with a nearby chair.

3. Have a clear call to action.

Print and clearly communicate your goals throughout your booth & materials. Do you want customers to purchase your product? Sign up for further information?

4. Swag

People love freebies. It’s like trick-or-treating for adults.
Plan in advance and find something that relates to your brand and your purpose.
Be clever, creative and memorable! A simple postcard may be great – with an offer to go to your website for a freebie that is tied to the trade show. This will help you keep track of visitors and capture their email address.

5. Follow – up

Email all the people you met within a few days of the trade show – whether you think they are prospects or not. They may know someone who needs your product or service.
A simple, personal “thank you for stopping by” is also good.
Add them to your networking database.
Even if you don’t get a single client at the show – you may find one in your follow up.

Remember—A Trade Show is an opportunity to meet many prospects at once as well as learning what others are offering in the industry. Being prepared with a crisp, concise and interesting message will make all the difference. To learn more click TwoByTwo Design’s Trade Show Programs.

SSL Certificates and the Impact on Your Website

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:45:30 GMT

In January, you might have heard that Google was implementing a mandatory requirement for all websites that appear in its Chrome search engine to have an SSL certificate applied.

The protocol uses an SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer), which encrypts information sent between your website and its server. Even if you have a sharefile, dropbox, portal, etc., on your site, SSL is an additional layer of protection for any forms that may be completed (e.g., contact us), emails that may be sent, and more.

What do SSL Certificates do?

Protect your website and user information;
Prevent “eavesdropping” and “phishing” via wifi connections;
Add SEO “credits” to sites that are professionally maintained;
Ensure encryption is applied to any site that takes payment transactions; and
ets the foundation for future eCommerce for sites not yet selling online.

What will this do to my site URL?

Once the SSL certificate is installed, your site’s domain will use https:// versus http://.

Do I have to change all the previous links I’ve shared with clients, in email, and on social media? No. Most hosting companies will use a 301 redirect to redirect traffic from the http:// domain to the https:// domain. This should happen instantaneously so the visitor doesn’t notice. However, begin using the https:// domain once the SSL Certificate is installed and your hosting company has alerted you to the change.

What will happen if I don’t do this?

Your website will continue to work. However, if searchers come across your site on Chrome, they will see a notification that the site is not secure. Also, your site will be downgraded in search. Finally, a notice will be sent to you and/or your site admin, about the insecure issue, along with a notification on the searcher’s results page, something like this:

Notice to the site admin: The new warning is the first stage of a long-term plan to mark all pages served over the non-encrypted HTTP protocol as “Not Secure”.

Search result notice:

In addition to implementing an SSL Certificate, if you have the option to use a site lock on your hosting server, consider asking your provider to implement that as well. Costs for both these options will vary from provider to provider.

For more information, please visit the Google Security blog about this change.

How Effective is Direct Mail? Guest Post By Aparna Mulchandani

Lisa Pisano — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:47:41 GMT

Have you seen one of these lately?

Chances are you probably have one – just like it - close by. I bet you empty it regularly. I am sure you look through its contents as you walk away from it, every day. Then you separate out what is important, what is interesting and what is obviously destined straight for the recycling container. And every once in a while – it prompts you to do something.

Yep! You guessed it. It’s a mailbox. And we are talking DIRECT MAIL!

According to a recent Epsilon Research Study, direct mail remains the No. 1 choice of consumers for receiving information. The same study found that social media and blogs are considered the least trust worthy channels by consumers. These findings highlight a challenge that small businesses face today: how to effectively balance marketing strategies both online and offline.

With 50% of consumers reporting that they pay more attention to postal mail than e-mail, both forms of marketing are essential for reaching your audience. The misconception that direct mail is “outdated” has been shattered, but simply employing direct mail is not enough to guarantee results.

Some of you may not know that I worked in one of the largest direct mail design agencies when I first graduated from college. I designed those “balance transfer” offers from large banks and credit card companies you are so quick to shred. I earned a great starting salary and felt very glamorous in my office in the John Hancock building in Chicago --- sadly I only lasted 6 months. Yes – it was awful. Here’s what I learned.

To implement direct mail successfully, here are 10 things that you should consider.

1. Determine your budget. Whether you have $500 or $50,000, a budget will determine what you can (and cannot) do. The USPS has recently introduced many innovative cost-saving solutions.

2. Define your goals. What are YOU looking to accomplish? Do you want to build your database? Do you want more customers to buy a certain product?

3. Develop clear, concise content. If you are in the service industry, focus on a particular problem your customer may be facing and offer a solution.

4. Use a clean list that is less then 6 months old. A bad mailing list can kill a very clever, expensive campaign. The best list is one that you create yourself from existing clients and prospects.

5. Consider an interesting dimensional mailing. Anything that is an unusual shape, size, thickness draws attention. They score the highest open rate.

6. Don’t be afraid of a design with color and varying text sizes. An attractive design that draws attention to key points is VERY powerful.

7. Include an offer they can’t resist. A strong offer, and a direct, clear call to action is key. Example: “Stop by our store for your free goodie bag”!

8. Include an expiration date on your offer. A sense of urgency prompts action.

9. Social media icons may be included – and can be tied to your offer for example: “Like us on Facebook to get a free sample”.

10. Repetition will keep you in the forefront. Be in front of your prospects minimally 4x a year.

Remember—a Direct Mail campaign can consist of an e-mail, a postcard, a letter, a brochure, a product catalog, a gift… and may be a combination of all these.

To learn more click TwoByTwo Design’s Communication Packages.

Aparna Mulchandani

Two by Two

201-684-1515

www.twobytwodesign.com

The Joy of Being Wrong (originally posted by Amanda Trigg at www.letstalkaboutdivorce.com)

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 16:16:14 GMT

Everyone knows the great feeling of being right about a fact, an expectation or the best way to accomplish a task. We learn from our achievements happily. Learning from our mistakes can be just as valuable and therefore, joyful - on some level. I learned this in a fun way over the holidays. I gloomily predicted traffic and long delays on my family's Christmas road trip. When we hit almost none, I realized that I am rarely so happy to be so wrong.

Shift this idea to thinking about your divorce. If you are certain that every possible settlement leads to mutual financial ruin, wouldn't it be great to be wrong? If your answer is

a resounding "yes! I want to be wrong" then ask yourself these next questions:

1. Why is your money currently invested the way that it is?

2. On a monthly basis, what savings are you creating in retirement and non-retirement funds?

3. How much equity is held in your home?

4. What are you doing to preserve or improve the net value of your home?

5. How are you going to pay for your children's education and is your co-parent agreeing with you now about that?

6. Is your disability insurance benefit enough to cover your typical monthly expenses?

7. If you were to unexpectedly die, do you have enough life insurance to house, feed, educate and protect your children until adulthood?

8. Are you and your spouse maximizing your earning potential?

9. What tax advice have you gotten to help you understand your options for dividing assets, arranging alimony and child support?

10. Who is giving you advice about how to adapt your retirement plans based upon the upcoming change in your asset base and income available for savings?

Give yourself one point for each question that you can answer without saying "I have no idea."

Then grade yourself:

1-3 points: You can do better than this but you need the right team of advisors to help you raise your score.

4-7 points: Nice work so far. Be sure to keep asking these questions and updating your answers until you get the deal done. Consult with new advisors to up your score as soon as possible.

8-10 points: Your financial savvy will help you during the economic transition of a divorce. Now is a good time to follow up with your advisors and to update your personal financial knowledge.

Divorce creates new financial challenges. The right lawyer works with a team of financial advisors to prove to you that if you are only expecting the worst possible outcome, you might soon be – happily – completely wrong.

What’s Your Magic Word

Sat, 17 Dec 2016 22:17:42 GMT

By Donna Gould, Open Heart Creative

What if one word had the power to help you connect more deeply with your customers? To see your products in a new light? Or to guide you on your path to something bigger and better?

I’m not sure where I first came across the idea of choosing a word to guide my year. But as the calendar turns to January, I find that doing so has now replaced my old habit of making New Year’s resolutions.

Think about how powerful words are:

They can make us look witty, sincere, generous, and trustworthy.
They make us sound foolish, cynical, shallow, and mean.
They can make us call in love and shudder with fear.
They can bore us to tears and keep us up half the night.

If words can do all that, then a single word certainly has the power help us keep our intentions in sight as the year unfolds. My word grounds me in the story of my business and my life. And as I joyfully address the concerns of clients and offer support to friends and family, it gently reminds me to make my wishes and well being a priority.

Ali Edwards, creator of One Little Word® says her words “have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They’ve helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer, and to grow.”

In addition to Ali’s year-long workshop, you can find other online “how to’s” for choosing and engaging with your word (check out Jamie Ridler and Susannah Conway’s websites.) But there is really no “right” way to go about it. Sometimes my word will simply come out of left field. Other years I struggle between two or three. Or four.

Once you invite your word into your life, you’ll discover the magic it holds. It will serve as your “true north”, the constant you will keep returning to, long after you’ve forgotten the resolutions you made this month.

Is there one word that will fuel your passion? Or nudge you to follow where it leads?

What’s that magic word?

Gift Yourself

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 19:49:37 GMT

By Donna Gould, Open Heart Creative

It’s that time of year!

When we get caught up in the mad whirl of shopping, decorating, candle lighting, and celebrating with friends, colleagues, and family. When we get ready to say “buh-bye!” to the old and ring in the new.

When work can feel like it’s all that stands between us and some holiday cheer.

What better time to rekindle a little joy– in your business?

As entrepreneurs or business owners, we love what we do or we wouldn’t be doing it. But our joy ebbs and flows and is often overshadowed by the demands of – well – working.

Before you start planning your goals for 2017, it’s a good idea to be in a positive frame of mind. To pause, step back, and reconnect with the passion and possibility that drove you to start your business in the first place.

Scroll through your website. Read your marketing materials. Revisit your mission statement. Why does it matter? Because your vision, your values – your delight – are the reasons your clients or customers choose you.

So “gift” yourself a little time to reflect and recharge.

Put aside the marketing plan and money worries, the vendor issues and client complaints, and ask yourself what you love most about your work. How can you translate your answer into words – and use those words in your marketing content?

If you’ve been in business for a while, think back to how you felt when you opened your first box of business cards. Launched your website. Got your first client. Let these feelings re-energize your interactions with clients and prospects.

If your business is relatively new, tap in to the excitement that propelled you to take your professional leap. Take advantage of networking opportunities and speaking gigs where you can share your enthusiasm with others.

Make a date with a business mentor and have a heart-to-heart about any issues or challenges you’re facing. You’ll return to your desk with a fresh perspective, a boost in confidence, and a renewed commitment to planning a bigger and brighter New Year!

What does applesauce canning and marketing have in common?

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 15:52:59 GMT

For the past few October’s my husband and I canned applesauce. As we were putting the jars into the boiling water – the final step, it got me to thinking how the process we just went through applied to marketing.

How It Applies to Marketing

Timing is key. Apples are at their farm market peak in late September to early October. In marketing, you need to know when the best time to market your produce or service is. If you have a seasonal product, you can market in the off-season, but usually at a discount. Your buyers may not be looking for your products in the off-season, so it makes your marketing job harder.
Choosing the apples. We chose our apples from the farm market. We do this because we believe the product was fresh and ready for canning. In marketing, making sure the product or service you are working with is ready for market helps increase a positive experience for customers.
Instructions and tools. We had to get our instructions and tools in place, organized, and cleaned before beginning. By putting our tools out first, we knew what we needed and how we could best set up our workstation to be efficient and effective. Just like in marketing. By creating repeatable processes and using tools to be efficient, you can complete the process even if you haven’t done it for a year.
Shelf life. When you can anything, the final step is to wait for the little “pop” noise the lid makes when the top is sealed. This ensures the product will have a long shelf life. When it comes to marketing, there is a waiting game sometimes. You have to wait until the market is ready for your product or service. You may have to wait for sales to take off or for something to go viral.
Consumption. We are eager to try our new product, so we often save one jar for dinner the weekend we make it. For your customers, product or service consumption may be quick or happen over a period of months; it takes us about a year to eat all the applesauce we make. Sometimes we forget we made it until one of us puts a jar in the fridge. Ensure your marketing campaign keeps bringing your customers back to buy or consume your offerings.

Keep these five steps in mind the next time you need to create a marketing campaign.

A Note of Thanks

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:05:38 GMT

By Donna Gould, Open Heart Creative

With Thanksgiving just a month away, a blog post about giving thanks may seem a bit too obvious. But this isn’t about going around the holiday table and sharing something you’re grateful for.

It’s a reminder about the incredible power of the Thank-You Note.

In day-to-day life, the words “thank you” can have a big impact on how you’re perceived. Saying them demonstrates respect, sincerity, and genuine appreciation. Forgetting to say them implies you’re someone who takes things for granted or, worse, is simply rude.

In business, it’s amazing how far a simple “thank you” can go. Research shows that customers spend more, employees accomplish more, and vendors are more likely to pay on time if they’re thanked regularly.

There are countless ways to express gratitude in the workplace, but the simplest – and often the most impactful – is to send a thank-you card.

I don’t mean an email or text. Though appreciated, these tend to become routine. I’m talking about a handwritten note. Slipped into an envelope that you put a stamp on. And drop into a mailbox (remember those?)

Think about how you feel when you get a note or card from someone you do business with. For me, it’s something special that I don’t soon forget – even when it comes from a company, not an individual.

Last month I made my first online purchase from a California-based accessories manufacturer. My new wallet arrived beautifully packaged (and I’m loving it!), but what struck me most was the lovely thank-you note they had tucked inside.

Is it a not-so-subtle marketing ploy? Of course it is! But the card made it personal. And as we know, being human is often key to a company's success. The extra few moments you spend purchasing and writing a card will show you truly value and appreciate whomever you are thanking – whether it’s a vendor, manager, or co-worker. And your clients will remember it when deciding if they’ll be return customers.

As Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy, says, “Only the companies that can figure out how to mind their manners in a very old-fashioned way – and do it authentically – are going to have a prayer of competing.”

It's often the small gestures that can mean the most. Something to keep in mind at Thanksgiving – and all year long.

Brand Storytelling: It’s Personal

Sun, 18 Sep 2016 17:45:00 GMT

By Donna Gould, Open Heart Creative

We hear buzzwords like personal branding and brand storytelling tossed around a lot. We’re told how important it is to find our brand voice and to be authentic.

But what the heck does this really mean?

In the spirit of Halloween, let’s say it’s about stepping out from behind the mask. Authenticity is having the courage to be who you really are – not some idealized, airbrushed version – and the confidence to know you will attract customers who appreciate that.

A strong brand comes from a place of truth about what a business authentically represents. As a content strategist and brand storyteller, one of the first things I often do with clients is help them understand that it’s okay to say what they think. To tap into the emotional center – the beating heart – of their business and talk about their passion for what they do.

In her book Everybody Writes, Ann Handley says, “At its heart, a compelling brand story is a kind of gift that gives your audience a way to connect with you as one person to another.” Dropping your mask – even just a little – can go a long way towards deepening these connections.

Here are three things to keep in mind if you are looking to build a truly personal brand.

1. Be human. For me, this is the most important aspect of brand storytelling. In order for your customers to care about your story – and keep turning the pages, so to speak – you must be open, vulnerable, and ready to connect with the vulnerability of your audience. This takes work – and for many of us, it takes tremendous guts. You have to be willing to show up as a real person, not as a marketer or a business owner.

2. Keep it Real. Being “real” doesn’t mean sharing your entire life story or pouring your heart out on your website or blog. It does mean strengthening your connection to what you and others value about you. Get clear about the kind of relationship you want to have with your customers, and how you want them to feel after working with you or using your product or service. Give yourself permission to relate to your clients as living, breathing human beings – not a demographic.

3. Get Personal. A brand “voice” is basically the sense of personality or culture that’s projected in a company’s communications. If your marketing tends to focus only on selling product attributes or touting your expertise, think about how you can inject more of your personality into emails, blog posts, or sales copy. Tell a personal anecdote to illustrate a point. Share a problem and how you resolved it, or a mistake you made and what you learned from it. When you own your story and share it without apology, not only will you differentiate yourself from everyone else in the marketplace – you’ll inspire your customers and win their loyalty.

Care to share your personal branding tips? Comment below.

Pokémon Go is Grounds for Divorce.

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:09:44 GMT

By Amanda S. Trigg ast@lmllawyers.com

A friend's Facebook status recently said: "Teaching the 8 year old about Pokémon Go is grounds for divorce, right?" As a divorce lawyer, was I supposed to "like" this? Answering it seemed out of the question. I have no idea whether, in the state where she lives, the unilateral decision to introduce a child to the maddening phenomenon of hunting and catching cyber creatures all day long, everywhere she goes, would be "extreme cruelty" or "irreconcilable differences" or any other legal reason for ending a marriage. It was an occupational hazard, though, to seriously consider the what my answer would be. After turning it over in my head for a few days, I decided that the answer was definitely, “possibly, yes!”

Before you ask, my teenager is playing Pokémon Go great enthusiasm and I admit that I will take a detour or make a special stop so he can catch them. So this is not about whether I approve or disapprove of Pokémon Go (or whether I actually enjoying this regression to his early childhood love of Pikachu, which included a Pokémon themed birthday party). The underlying question is whether my friend should have been consulted by her husband before he decided to enlighten their child about the game.

We usually say that all major decisions involving a child's wellbeing must be jointly decided if parents have joint legal custody. Until the 21^st century, that meant medical decisions, educational plans, religious upbringing and other big ticket items that would have long-term effects upon a child. Discipline could be within the scope and if so, permission should be as well. Pokémon Go raises questions of a child's independence, if you let him go out hunting in your neighborhood on foot or on bike. For some parents, that is unthinkable or unprecedented due to real concern about unsupervised children’s safety. Changing that standard should, in my opinion, be the subject of a conversation between the parents.

Playing Pokémon Go requires use of a cell phone with internet access and locator services. When to give a child access to portable technology definitely constitutes a major decision; just ask any divorced parent who has fought over when the kids get their own cell phones. Other parents struggle over what video games to let their children play based upon the manufacturer’s ratings. Pokémon Go is the perfect storm because it indicates a child’s presence on the internet, including his/her location so that “nearby” game features are revealed. What could more obviously impact a child’s long-term well-being in 2016? Again, therefore, letting a child be out in cyberspace as a gamer should be discussed between parents.

Connecting the dots, I believe that a deliberate refusal to communicate about children can be part of a pattern of behavior which could lead to the conclusion that the adults have irreconcilable differences, at least. For that reason, one parent’s decision to let a child play a game like Pokémon Go could, combined with other behavior, possibly be grounds for divorce. The friend who originally posted this, by the way, knows I am quoting her in this blog.

Now that I’ve settled this in my mind, I want to know whether a Pokémon, once caught, is marital property and whether once trained they have higher value for purposes of dividing that property in a divorce. But right now, it’s time to go hunt for Pokémon.

This post first appeared on www.letstalkaboutdivorce.com, the blog for the Family Law Department of Lesnevich, Marzano-Lesnevich & Trigg, LLC. If you or someone you know has questions about marriage, family law or divorce, please contact me. 201-488-1161 or ast@lmllawyers.com I will always treat BCPWN referrals with great care.

Do fear and creativity go together??

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 19:18:26 GMT

By Mirel Goldstein

The connection between creativity and fear is not a new discussion, but it is always an interesting one.

Recently a client talked about his fears of failure if he actualizes his long-time dream of being a professional podcaster. We came to understand that he wasn't only afraid of having his work unappreciated or unsuccessful, but was equally concerned about relinquishing a long-held fantasy of one day "wowing" everyone with a bigger and better production than they could ever expect from him, without having to go through the grind of working his way up step by step towards success. It was a wish to show his parents and the world, once and for all, that he could do it, whatever "it" was.

Another client found herself deeply depressed when the financial dream she had scripted her life around had finally come to fruition; it was an anti-climactic disappointment that left her feeling empty and dead.

Others struggle with grand ideas that they never seem to be able to turn into something real. One client explains it like this: "I'm afraid of the disconnect between the way I imagine things in my head and how it will turn out in real life". Trying to actualize our ideas means accepting the gap between what we can imagine in our minds and how much of this can actually be conveyed externally. It's a hard loss to stomach, for some.

I enjoyed this talk by Psychoanalyst and Editor Dana Birksted-Breen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Y3C6EBXbQ&feature=youtu.be

about unconscious anxieties that get evoked by the creative process.

In particular, she touches on anxieties like:

Fear of stealing ideas from someone else

Fear of being envied or punished

Fear of not having "enough" in oneself

Terror that things will never come together

Worry that once something is published, nothing else will ever be produced

Concerns about how good and big one's production is

Worries about needing to placate others who may be envious or angry, showing them we aren't displacing them by quoting them or including them somehow.

In my experience, fear of being revealed as a fraud or impostor seems to be a way that many writers/creatives describe some of what is at the heart of their anxieties about creating. Many other psychologists, researchers, and writers who are not psychoanalysts have also touched on these very same kinds of anxieties, often in different words and different ways. One of my favorite conversations is this one, in which Brene Brown interviews Liz Gilbert, author of Big Magic: Creative Magic Beyond Fear:

http://brenebrown.com/2013/12/17/daring-interview-series-meet-elizabeth-gilbert/

Liz Gilbert names some of the fears that get in the way of her creativity (as well as her tricks for working past these fears):

Fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear that I am washed up, fear that I am and have always been a fraud, fear that I will get a nasty review in The New York Times…

Sound familiar?

We each have our own idiosyncratic fears, secrets, vulnerabilities, and places of shame, and sometimes the fear and shame gets the best of us, while at other times creativity trumps. And sometimes, when we're lucky, we can manage to pull them together and use the creative process in the service of mastery of our fears and vulnerabilities. But the only way to get there is to try, and if not now, when?

To read more insights about creativity, see my post Frontier States and the Creative Process

More insights about relationships issues, anxiety, and the therapy process are available at http://goldsteintherapy.com/blog-html/

Apps and Programs for Making it Work

Lisa Pisano — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:19:55 GMT

In my work as Content Director for BCPWN communications, and as a marketing consultant on other business-to-business companies, I’ve come across a multitude of articles on productivity. It’s a hot topic and one that has peaked my interest over the years, especially as an entrepreneur who essentially runs a virtual public relations agency, working from my home.

I know there are many of you in a similar work situation.

Perhaps you have remote independent contractors or interns that help to support your business endeavors. Or have to keep track of your time. What kinds of tools and applications do you use to keep yourself organized and keep people communicating effectively?

I’ll admit, it’s taken me a little while to learn what works best for my work style and lifestyle but I’m happy with a few tools in my toolbox that have helped to keep my business dealings and me productive, practical and organized. I’ll share a few of them with you here today:

- Google for Business: From my business email account that is anchored in Gmail to my Gmail calendar, I’ve been very pleased with how user-friendly Google for Business has been. The best part for me is how EASY it is to search for emails, documents and messages.

- Dropbox: Stop what you’re doing now and sign up for Dropbox. Spring for the $99 all access pass. It’s worth it and your business will thank you. I use it not only for sharing large files with clients and media but as a backup for iPhone photos, as a central sharing location for the community club of which I’m President and as a backup to my most important personal and business files. It’s all in the cloud.

- Wunderlist: Admittedly, I use this iPhone app more for personal reasons but I do have a few folders for clients and blog posts. It’s essentially a centralized location for a series of lists. And is pretty fantastic.

- BestParking: For those of you who find yourself traveling to clients in cities with expensive parking (NYC), this is a must-have app to find the best prices possible nearest to your final destination. I never drive into the city without first plugging in where I’m headed to in BestParking.

What apps or programs keep you and your business on track? Comment below.

Lisa Pisano

President, Groupe a la Mode LLC

lisa@groupealamode.com

NJ Congressional Candidate Josh Gottheimer to Speak at BCPWN Event 8/5

Mary Adams — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 19:37:49 GMT

MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bergen County Professional Women’s Network Presents

Women-Owned Business

A Critical Component of the Economic Future - Spotlight on New Jersey

Featured Guest Speaker:

NJ Congressional Candidate, Josh Gottheimer

Friday, August 5, 2016 – 12noon – Allendale, NJ

Ridgewood, NJ (August 2, 2016) New Jersey’s 230,000 plus women-owned businesses, the 260,000 plus jobs they have created, and the roughly $45 billion they contribute to New Jersey’s economy are a vital, and growing, engine driving growth in the state.

According to a recent study by American Express that ranked the “economic clout” of women-owned businesses in each state, New Jersey ranked 41^st.

Bergen County Professional Women’s Network (BCPWN) will host a luncheon presentation this week featuring an interview style chat with speaker and advocate Josh Gottheimer. Gender topics to be discussed include:

How women can investigate wage discrimination without fear of retribution;
Expanding childcare tax credits, which are essential for working families;
Improving access to capital for women-owned businesses;
Expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses;
Ensuring that women and families have access to paid family and medical leave

Commenting on the event, Mary E. Adams, Executive Director of BCPWN said, "Although we cannot discuss politics at these events, I feel strongly about helping women succeed in business and I think Josh Gottheimer has some terrific ideas to help support that. He will have a positive impact on our community."

Event Details:

Date: Friday, August 5th
Place: Savini, Allendale
Time: 12-2 p.m.
Lunch included
$48 non-member/$38 members
Event complimentary to covering media
For more information and for tickets, please visit: www.bcpwn.com/events

About Josh Gottheimer:

As a husband and father to a six-year-old daughter, Josh Gottheimer understands the success of women directly affects the strength of our economy and America’s working families.

Gottheimer is a candidate for Congress in New Jersey's 5th district. He started his career in public service as a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. Prior to announcing his candidacy, he was General Manager for Corporate Strategy at Microsoft. Gottheimer has also worked at the Federal Communications Commission as its first Director of Public-Private Initiatives, Director of Strategic Communications at Ford Motor Company, and Senior Advisor to the Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. .

Gottheimer lives in Wyckoff, NJ with his wife Marla, a former federal prosecutor, and their two young children Ellie and Ben. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

About BCPWN:

The Bergen County Professional Women’s Network was founded in 2011 when 4 women joined together to establish a network of women executives, entrepreneurs and professionals. While there are many non-professional women’s organizations in Bergen County, there was a tremendous need for opportunities for women in executive leadership roles to connect. Today the BCPWN is a dynamic and growing organization of senior-level women representing a wide spectrum of professions. Our members look first within the network for connections they may need, and actively promote the success of fellow members where appropriate. For more information, visit www.bcpwn.com

Contact:

Mary E. Adams

Executive Director, Bergen County Professional Women’s Network

mary@eventgrp.com

201.445.7007 (office)

Day of Contact (8/5): Lisa Pisano - 201.390.6582 (mobile)

Pokémon Go is Grounds for Divorce.

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 12:53:11 GMT

Originally posted on www.letstalkaboutdivorce.com, on July 18, 2016. All copyright reserved.

Christmas in July: How a Holiday Greeting Can Land a Dream Client

Lisa Pisano — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 13:32:11 GMT

When I was working in the Public Relations department in-house at Liz Claiborne Inc. many years ago, it was customary to plan our holiday gift mailing to key members of the media, as well as send Season’s Greetings by way of corporate holiday cards to our various vendors, partners and colleagues.

We would spend THOUSANDS of dollars on pristine packaging, beautiful gift items and work diligently for weeks on snappy card sentiments with clever phrasing and eye-catching designs.

Our efforts were not done in vain – our editorial contacts would often commend our group for the thoughtfully packaged sentiments and our relationships remained strong and thriving, all thanks to a little holiday cheer sent via NYC bicycle messenger.

Fast forward 15 years later, and I’ve continued to apply the holiday cards and gifts to my work as an independent consultant with my Public Relations firm, Groupe a la Mode LLC.

Now, let’s be very clear about something – my budget is FAR LESS than that of the Liz Claiborne days. But the impact is just about the same.

Over the past few years that I’ve been in business on my own, I’ve made a point to keep a list of previous clients, current clients and prospects. Around the holidays, I send custom cards to them, while select clients also receive a personal gift.

It’s a personal touch that I bring to my business, and being in PR, it shows current and prospective clients the way I approach client relations, branding, etc. while at the same time, is just a nice thing to do.

Of course, the added bonus is when the phone rings or the email hits the inbox in early January with a new business lead – which I’m happy to report, has been the case for the past three years. In fact, I landed my biggest client engagement yet, all thanks to keeping in close touch over the years with a former fashion industry colleague via these holiday cards!

It may be the middle of the summer, but it’s not too early to start planning – both from a budget standpoint and a creative standpoint – what your holiday outreach might look like. Take advantage of the summer slowdown to canvass your existing and previous client lists, vendors, contacts and your prospects and start to pull together your target list. Then, find a graphic designer (there are many here at BCPWN!) or scour the web for an online card design service and take it away.

I know of some business owners who take advantage of more off-beat times to send greetings – some at Halloween, others at Thanksgiving. Some even on April Fool’s Day! Do whatever you think is right for your brand and your business to stand out in the mind of your clients and potential clients or contacts.

Lisa Pisano

President, Groupe a la Mode LLC

201-390-6582

lisa@groupealamode.com

How To Handle Questions & Turn Them Into Sales

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 11:17:14 GMT

Today is a personal story that came out of an extremely painful experience. Early on

in my business, I learned the hard way how to put together a successful speaking event for a group of professionals.

I prepared for two weeks, got together great content, and was eager to answer any and all questions from the audience. I was on fire!

Once I got up on stage, it didn’t take long for my enthusiasm to be squashed. I made three critical mistakes that day that sent me home with zero leads to follow up with afterwards.

I started my talk with the usual introduction, and then moved into content. As I was going though each of my points, the hands started to go up. Questions started flying my way, and I was actually quite happy with the way I was able to handle and fully answer them. The crowd loved it! The questions started to come even more fast and furious.

Soon after, there were so many questions, the room started to talk amongst themselves. Then, things got so out of control with side conversations, that another business consultant felt the need to jump in with their expertise and appease the hungry crowd.

I lost control of my room. I never got to finish my presentation AND now another consultant was wooing my audience! Nice opportunity for that chick, right?

I left there feeling terrible. My talk ran out of time, and people told me what a great presentation I had, but I heard from no one afterwards.

Hard lesson learned. Here are three keys ways to conduct a successful talk, lead the room, and walk out with gaggles of follow-up appointments.

Step 1: Always command the room: Drive your audience to look where you want them to look. Instruct them to take out a piece of paper and write down key points, get buy-in by asking them questions they will respond "yes" to. Get them raising their hands. This establishes you as the leader of the pack.

Step 2: Delay the Q&A: Have you ever owned fish? If you keep feeding them, they will keep eating! This is no different than your audience. Think of your “free” advice during Q&A like fish food. Your audience will consume it, and always ask for more…as long as you allow them to do so! If you answer all of their questions, then why would they need you going forward?

Step 3: Turn audience questions into a one-on-one conversations: Drive all questions to the back of the room after your talk. Invite people to schedule some complimentary time with you. Bring your calendar, an assistant, and schedule time with them before they leave the room. This way you don’t have to chase people, and fling endless emails back and forth trying to coordinate schedules. Everyone’s situation is different, and carving out special time to be focused and attentive to their issues is a much better way to serve your people. Be sure to get them scheduled before they leave the room. Because once they leave, you are now an afterthought. You will be competing with the 50 zillion other things that will come across their radar.

These steps are what keep audiences engaged, and gives them an opportunity to speak candidly about their situation once everyone has left the building. Being the great listener you are, now you can turn a room full of strangers into your best clients.

The Mid Year Hustle

Wed, 18 May 2016 16:54:13 GMT

Have you been looking at the calendar in dis-belief that we’re almost halfway through the year? And have you looked at your revenue numbers wondering, how am I going to hit my goals?

As I was clicking through at lightening speed with my remote this past weekend, and stumbled onto the movie Field of Dreams (with Kevin Costner).

Do you remember that catchy phase from this movie?

It’s also a HUGE pet peeve of mine when it comes to business.

“Build it and they will come.”

Much like what most business owners think when they start their businesses – I know I did!

We soon realize it takes more than a field of dreams to have a consistent revenue stream.

Remember? You set everything up for people to come knocking down your door.

But that didn’t last long.

You look out the window…nope, no one lining up.

Then you start to stare at the ceiling. You move your chair around your office, still gazing upward. Waiting for clients to drop from the sky, of course!

Everyone is looking for the secret sauce when it comes to creating more revenue for themselves. And it takes something a wee bit different than just building it.

And it’s not as difficult as you think.

If you dedicate at least one hour a day to money-generating activities, you can get that revenue rolling.

But why aren’t more business owners able to pull it off?

Here’s the problem:

1. Most business owners aren’t clear what a money-generating activity is

2. You are constantly distracted and robbed from creating focused time

Here’s how to get started with an action plan for revenue:

1. Focused time – create one hour with zero distractions. No phone calls, texts, Facebook, or emails. Leave your home for the library if you have to, and literally un-plug. Tell your loved ones what you are up to so they honor it. It’s only an hour…you will survive…and so will everyone else…I promise!

2. Set a timer – Put 60 minutes on the clock. Once your time is up, it’s pencils down. Get used to this! The point is to start training you to avoid procrastination, getting caught up in perfection, or delaying your decision-making. This is a strength that every successful CEO possesses – the more you do this, the more successful you will be.

3. Check In With Former Clients – did you know it costs six times more marketing dollars to get a new client than to sell a prior client? Check in with your favorite people and see how you can serve them based on where they are today – things change rapidly – get back up to speed on their frustrations and challenges.

4. MGAs – Choose and complete as many money-generating activity within one hour. Choose from this list:

· Reserve your attendance at a networking event

· Book a speaking event, workshop

· Schedule complimentary initial sales calls

· Call list of follow-ups

· Contact referrals

· Reach out to potential referral partners

· Process payments

· Track your numbers

Call To Action:

What is your easiest money generating activity you can do in less than an hour today?

Lean Marketing Is Like Summer Party Leftovers

Tue, 10 May 2016 15:48:42 GMT

Maybe your company doesn’t have a huge budget to spend on marketing initiatives. That’s okay. As long as you’re developing great content that is created in a way that can be made into “snackable” pieces people can consume over a period of days or weeks.

Here’s how.

Create one substantial piece of content that your clients would read, for example an eBook with problem solving tips and processes. Develop a landing page for the eBook to capture email addresses and lead information.
Each chapter from the eBook could also become a blog article that links back to the eBook using a call to action like “To learn more, download our free eBook.”
Since people consume content in different ways, consider short video tips from each chapter and post them on your video channel. Leverage the same call to action using in the blogs; but, create a unique URL for the videos to track link effectiveness in your website analytics.
Infographics are another popular way to display data in a fun way. Organize data from the eBook into separate infographics.
Share each piece of content on social media over a period of weeks, in client emails, within online ad campaigns, in staff email signatures, and more.

There are dozens of other leftovers you can make from a large piece, such as slide decks, podcasts, cheat sheets, checklists, how to’s, webinars, and so much more.

Make your marketing party memorable. Create a theme and then develop “snackable” pieces from the whole.

What summer “snackables” can you create from your company’s marketing assets?

Who Wants To Write Like a Blogging Pro?

Tue, 10 May 2016 15:46:39 GMT

Let’s face it, it can be daunting to write for the Internet; especially when you’re not a “writer.” But, don’t let that stop you. Here is an easy formula you can use to create compelling blog articles you can share on social media and email.

Let’s get started.

First, if headlines are the thing that hangs you up, here is a list of headlines formulas to start your creative mind to thinking.

Six Steps To Be Successful

Know what your audience wants.
Keep the content short and concise.
Use strong words and active voice.
Keep paragraphs short.
Use a list.
Identify a call to action.

Blog Format

Now that you have the basics, put your fingers to the keyboard and fill in the blanks, including the:

Headline
Subhead(s)
Bulleted or Numbered List
Call to Action

Remember to use action-oriented words (no passive writing) to stay focused, and to chunk content so you don’t overwhelm the reader.

Call to Action

Now that you’re armed, what are you waiting for? Download this activity sheet and get writing!

Welcome Spring! Is your site set to bloom?

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:18:03 GMT

Your website is your company’s nucleus, home base, heartbeat. When serviced well, it piques customer curiosity and fuels your brand as the most efficient and effective system to funnel business.

We live in a digital age, meaning your website is the brick and mortar of your company. Style, content, and functionality must flourish in tandem to best serve your online presence and thus — everybody’s favorite buzz word — search engine optimization (SEO).

But before you dive into developing a new site or launching a redesign, you’ll want to think clearly about the role your website plays as part of your company’s overall strategic plan. Here at Hype, we don’t set foot out the door without having a plan to best serve you and your team. Bring us the concept, and we’ll flesh out the ideas.

But captivating web design isn’t just about getting you noticed, and it’s definitely not about taking the cookie-cutter route. At Hype, we believe in building a site tailored to the specific needs of your business: one that directs traffic, offers a clear and compelling message, and promises customers an enjoyable user experience.

Today it’s not enough to just have a website —you need an online presence with a serious “wow” factor. Here’s a basic checklist we keep handy when working with clients, whether they’re building a site from scratch or upgrading their existing one to work harder and generate more business:

√ Know your website goals, i.e. increase traffic to the site, generate online sales, improve functionality, grow your email list, rebrand, etc.

√ Make sure your website is mobile-responsive. It should render well on all mobile devices.

√ Understand that function comes first and while eye-catching design is important, it must align with the goals for your site.

√ Invest in remarkable content that tells your unique brand story.

√ Consider a smart SEO strategy and let keyword research guide your copywriting.

√ Maintain ongoing and engaging content such as a blog, gallery, or social media pages.

√ Differentiate your site’s copy with graphics — let word and image share the spotlight.

√ Create conversion opportunities by having smart web pages and links that drive leads.

√ Measure the impact of your site with Google Analytics.

Spring has sprung, so now’s the chance to let your website bloom! Take some time to consider (or reconsider) your big-picture strategy. If you already have a site, evaluate what is and isn’t working. Determine your priorities and map out a plan using this checklist as your guide. Most importantly, create something that excites you.

What would you seek in a website?

We might be hopeless romantics, but we’re betting the result will be love at first “site.” I'm happy to chat with any BCPWN member anytime.

18 Writing Pet Peeves That Make People Twitch

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 15:13:35 GMT

As a writer for more than two-dozen years, there are some writing pet peeves that give me a twitch. But, I didn’t want this to be all about me; so, I conducted a friends and family test to see what bothers other people I know.

The Twitch List

Some of the items make me laugh, like “intregal,” while others make me sad, such as when to use to, two, and too. In the end, this list was fun to put together.

Incorrect Word Usage

Than vs. then
You’re vs. your
Their, there, and they’re
To, too, and two
Affect vs. effect
Advise when they should use advice. Loose when they mean lose.

Made-Up Words

regardless of context
Anyways
Fustrated
Shouldn’t of
Intregal, which people mash up somehow between INTEGRAL and INTRICATE
ESPRESSO with an “S” and not EXPRESSO with an “X”
Punkin
Definately
Supposably

Grammatically-Correct Twitches

Though these twitches are grammatically correct, several people found issue with them.

Starting the very first sentence of correspondence with “I,” followed by nearly every other sentenced started with “I.”
Starting a sentence with “So.”
Starting a sentence with “And.”

Want Help?

For those who would like writing help, below are four resources that might come in handy.

Awesome Is The New Massive, by Mary Norris in “The New Yorker”
Marketer’s Guide to Writing Well, HubSpot
Seven (or 7?) Tips On Starting A Sentence With A Number, by Michael Blumfield
Writing Tip: Don’t Be Haunted by the Ghosts of Repressive Teachers, by Michael Blumfield

Avoid These Deadly Sins of Pricing

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:05:25 GMT

As a business owner, do you ever wonder if your products or services are priced correctly for your target market?

If so, you are not alone.

Scenario

You are asked to bid on a project for a new client. You interview them to find out what they are looking for and provide an overview of how you could help solve their dilemma. The potential client sounds excited about what you have to offer and asks you to provide a proposal.

You toil over it for a few days to make sure you’ve got everything in place.

Then comes the hard part, the pricing structure. Some companies use a fixed-price method, where the product or service price is not negotiable. Other companies used a flexible-price model, where the price is open for negotiation between the buyers and sellers. In your case, you use a fixed-price model.

You share your proposal with the potential client, requesting a review and signatures to get started. You even invite them to be on a call to discuss particulars. To your shock, you received the signed agreement the next day.

You wonder, “Was my price so low, they jumped on it?” Or maybe, “That seemed really easy, my reputation precedes me.”

Let’s hope it’s the second. If it’s the first, it might be time to review your pricing model, and do some competitive research to make sure you’re not low-balling your pricing.

Lesson Learned

Pricing can be more complex than we realize, and we may end up shooting ourselves in the foot trying to figure out how cheaply we need to sell our wares, when in fact, consumers are willing to pay more!

Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, offers this great advice, “If you’re moving a lot of product at unsustainably low prices, it’s bad for your business. You must raise your prices or perish.”

The Four-Step Profitable Pricing Model

When it comes to raising prices in your business, you might be hesitant. Will the market and clients be able to handle the increase? How much should you increase prices? When should you do it?

In this four-step process, you will get out of your own way and begin to make a profit path you can live with.

Get Over It

You are your own worst enemy when it comes to price increases. You might be afraid you’ll scare away your existing customers and deter new ones from becoming customers. Remember, you can always increase prices, and then offer a sale or lower them in the future. However, if you never increase them and inflation does increase, it will eat away at your profits. If you have a range of services, try increasing only the most high-profile or profitable ones first. Then increase the others on a schedule. The increased margin will make your bottom line shine.

Tell Your Customers

If you plan to increase prices, alert your customers to the change in advance. This gives them the chance to digest the change and how it could impact their bottom line, and it also gives you a chance for good will. You may be able to offer some referrals, which could reciprocate in the end. Also, explain why you’re increasing costs. There could be a valid marketplace reason for the increase, such as the cost of goods, shipping increases, or perceived value. Consider this, if you feel you’re charging a fair value for your product or service, your clients will too.

Offer A Less-Expensive Option

When you offer a higher-priced item, remember to offer a similar version for a reduced price. For a service-based company, that may mean offering fewer services in a package, such as a basic, intermediate, and exceptional package. If you own a product-based company offer alternatives to the product, and share why it’s offered at a lower price.

Price Of Goods

You make money in the margins; that’s the retail price minus the cost of goods. If you can lower the cost of goods or services, then you automatically increase the profits. Find ways within your business to decrease costs of goods or services. That may include using out-of-state vendors, creating products in bulk, changing shipping companies, and more.

Check out the tips offered in the Accelerate: The Magazine, the Spring edition, for some creative ways several business owners are increasing their bottom line by focusing on the price of goods and services within their own companies.

Also, download this four-step process infographic or pin it to your wall or your online pinboard for reference.

Contact Me

If you need help finding cost-cutting measures within your business, or need assistance determining your pricing model, let’s chat.

5 Social Media Headline Formulas That Generate More Clicks

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:21:06 GMT

When it comes to social media engagement, think of your accounting firm’s (or any company) post headlines like newspaper headlines. If you cannot grab readers with the headline, you’ve already lost them.

Here are some social media headline formulas you can use to help increase clicks to your website, content, registrations, and downloads.

8 words plus a link: example, “Free Webinar: Awesome Quickbooks Payroll Tips and Tricks yourlink.com”
Social proof headlines: example from the AICPA, “Studies show people w/ flexibility to work where they want performed as well as employees w/ a traditional schedule http://spr.ly/6017Bd8BW”
Threat headlines: example from @IRSNews, “Don’t let the April 18th #tax deadline sneak up on you! Get your taxes done for free #IRSFreeTaxPrep. http://go.usa.gov/cXuqJ”
Gain headlines: example “Read this an in 5 minutes you’ll know how to reconcile more than one bank account in #Quickbooks. [link]”
Question headlines: example from @MarketWatch, “Guess which 65-year-old billionaire put this at the top of his reading list? #WorldBookDay on.mktw.net/1LCj3v2”

Bonus Tip

Rather than making a headline a statement, jazz it up using one of these tips.

Include “how to” in the headline to draw interest.
Communicate an aspect of time in the headline to create a sense of urgency.
Add fascination to tease the reader with curiosity.

Now that you have the formulas, which will your firm begin using?

Additional Resources

How to Write Killer Headlines That Get Read – The Formula

The Shark Tank Mogul That Nearly Lost It All

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:26:08 GMT

I recently listened to the Daymond John interview on LIVE with Kelly and Michael about how this high-powered Shark and American entrepreneur started out, and was amazed at how his story sounded so much like many of my clients and other business owners I knew.

I waited to hear the ah-ha advice he had for those looking to expand their business and wasn’t disappointed. Below are some of his tips about becoming a successful business owner, plus his insights on how to get out of debt.

Realistic Tips For A Successful Business Owner

Daymond said in the interview, that if you’re afraid to fail, you might not be passionate about your business. Because when you’re passionate, you may fail, but you’re also going to learn and grow. He had these other tips for business owners who want to be successful at what they do.

1. Surround yourself with good people.

2. Leverage other people to help expand your business, other people’s money, marketing, manpower, and manufacturing when you can.

3. Read your goals every single day, and prepare them for review at six months, five years, and twenty years. Also, be sure to include goals for your health, family, and business.

4. Look to long-time business owners in your community as a mentor. They have been through everything – recessions, gas shortages, and competition.

5. Take affordable steps to move forward rather than large sums of money, especially if you haven’t sold anything yet.

6. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

7. Understand you’re going to fail more than you’re going to succeed.

8. Know that the business you start may not be the same business you end up with.

Tips About Getting Out of Debt

During the interview, Daymond confessed he nearly went broke due to his lack of financial intelligence. Here are several tips he shared for staying out debt and avoiding going broke.

1. Have separate checking accounts for the important parts in your life, such as children, vacation, mortgage, etc.

2. Keep the small things in check. For example, if you buy three coffees every day, that’s maybe $3 – $4 each, that adds up to $10 per day, $50 per week, $200 per month, and $2,400 per year, plus tax, that’s $3,500. If you make just $40,000 per year, that would be eight percent of your annual income – on coffee!

3. Take affordable, small steps and learn along the way. Avoid taking out huge sums of money to pay off debt. Chip away at it.

One of my favorite parts of the interview was when Daymond was talking about failing. He reminded us that you should take affordable steps and learn along the way. That’s exactly what a business is. You’re going to have moments of failure, but you’re going to learn from them and you’re going to grow.

Gather your passion and make the business of your dreams. Use these tips and find a mentor or two along the way to keep you focused, energized, and educated.

What’s your business dream and how do you plan to get there?

Additional Resources

The Power of Broke – Free Chapter and Goals Guide
Destroying Debt – A Simple System You Can Employ Today
Number One Way to Doubles Your Sales Revenue

Destroying Debt – A simple system you can use today!

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 21:52:38 GMT

When it comes to retirement, one of the first things that comes to mind for most people is saving for the future. Many of us start thinking this way, especially in our 40s and 50s, we take a deep breath and begin to wonder, how are we going to pay for that?

One of the ways, of course, is to begin saving now.

Another overlooked way is to focus on wiping out debt, such as credit cards, once and for all.

After spending decades on Wall Street, I know there is good debt, like having a mortgage (a fixed rate with the ability to deduct the interest!), and bad debt, like credit cards and abused lines of credit that can impact your overall wealth.

Most minimize the impact of debt.

Bottom line: Debt kills growth.

What does this look like? When interest rates go up, you will start feeling the pinch. Most lines of credit are not at a “fixed rate”, therefore, that minimum payment could DOUBLE. Talk about a slow leak in your boat!

“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” — Benjamin Franklin

Here is my six-point system to start becoming a debt destroyer.

Knock it out once and for all with these powerful tips:

1. Money Leaks – do you know what you are spending every month? Daymond Johns made a comment on a recent appearance on LIVE!(™) with Kelly & Michael stating that one of the keys to his financial success is sticking to a budget his whole life. Look at your credit card statements to start piecing together where you are spending and how much every month. Then look at your income to see how much you are overspending.

2. Pull The Plug – are you subscribing to a service you are never using? That could add up to well over $1,000 a year going out the door. But look at smaller “gotcha” expenses that are so small, that you don’t feel the pitch in the short term. Let’s start with those 2 Grande Lattes a day. At just say, $4 a pop – that is $40 a week, almost $175 a month and over $2,000 a year! Start looking at what you can cut out completely or cut back to to balance that budget.

3. Rally The Troops – create a list of all of your credit cards. Include the current balance, minimum payment, interest rate. Most people will tell you to attack the card with the highest interest rate. Resist…lower the bar for yourself, and focus on paying down the lowest balance credit card first. Make the minimum payment on the others, and put the rest on smallest one. That’s a faster path to victory. Once that is paid off, take that payment and apply it to the next lowest balance, and so on. Small victories will keep you in the game longer.

4. Secret Weapon – when large lump sums of money come into your business, don’t purchase the next shiny object. Once your bills are paid for the month, put that lump sum of cash toward the debt to help destroy it.

5. Commit And Don’t Quit – As with any goal, it won’t work until you implement. As General George S. Patton once said, “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”

6. Get help – If you need help, ask! This is the first place we work with our clients to cut expenses, crush debt and free up some desperately needed cash. It’s life changing…and preserves the longevity of your business.

Where can you find the extra money immediately? Your line of defense is this…Focus on cutting expenses and balancing your budget. Avoid letting money burn a hole in your pocket as soon as you get it.

Brandon Ballenger, a freelance journalist for Money News, writes, “Unless you can make your goal more powerful than your existing habits, nothing will change.”

I know what my next steps are. Do you?

10 Easy Ways to Overcome Content Development Challenges

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 20:30:57 GMT

There are a lot of moving parts to a content strategy and content development.

Here are a few reasons why you should also consider a content development marketing strategy.

Increase leads to your website at a low cost
Become a thought leader in your industry
Build relationships / excite influencers
Move leads through the sales funnel

In order to define where to go for content, as well as to determine the type of content you need to create, you must first know:

Where your buyer/customer gets his/her information—Internet, email, video, social media, stores, reading, radio, television, newspaper, networking, etc.?
What the buyer’s pain points are and challenges about getting a product like yours—price, availability, access, convenience, etc.?
What your key marketing message is when speaking with this persona? Focus on each persona when writing for that audience.

Where can you get content and content ideas?

Now that you know you need to create content based on platform type, buyer persona, and media, here are several ways to begin collecting content to help drive your development cycle.

News aggregators, like SmartBrief
Google and TalkWalker alerts
Comments posted from others on a blog you read often spur an idea
Current events
Tips sent to clients in email
Best practices and How To’s
Ranked lists
Comparisons
Question of the week
Interviews

Posting Formats

When posting the same content on each platform, vary the post style, such as a question, statement, or comment. Buffer offers this resource on how to write a social media update by platform.

Facebook posts usually have question or engagement element, such as a fill in the blank, content that is relatable from a human perspective, rather than just for informational purposes only.
Twitter is great for sharing quick updates, activities, information, and links to other content related to a conversation stream, i.e., hashtag.
LinkedIn is the “professional” platform, so sharing information about your favorite sports team may not be best use of this platform. Keep things informative, professional, and “linkable.”
Pinterest has beautiful imagery about topics of interest, such as fashion, cars, technology, homes, etc. The goal here is to entice people to like you’re Pins, but to also visit the link associated with the pin.
Instagram is similar to Pinterest in that it too is a photo-centric platform. That’s where the similarities may end. This is a personal platform as much as it is a business tool. One thing that sets it apart is its availability on mobile only.
Google Plus combines the efforts of Pinterest and Facebook. You want pictures associated with every post, but also make things informative. Ask engaging questions to entice the G+ audience to follow a conversation stream.

Scheduling Posts

Now that you’ve been creating your own content, and collecting content from other resources, it’s time to figure out how to schedule posts so you’re not tied to your computer. There are many scheduling tools on the market. Find the right one for you based on price, functionality, platform access, and convenience.

Remember scheduling posts does not mean you forget about them. You need to be monitoring comments, liking people’s comments, encouraging conversation in the posts, and thanking people for their engagement.

If you have content development tips you’d like to share, please add them in the comment below.

Your Turn

What is your biggest content development challenge?

How to Figure Out Your Competitors’ Revenue

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 20:24:46 GMT

As a Profit First partner, with Mike Michalowicz, I am happy to share these highlights from one of his recent blog articles.

Analyzing your competitor’s revenue is a helpful tool in measuring your own progress and potential. So how much are your competitors taking – or raking – in, and how do you find out?

If your competitors are public companies, than you get to read all about their top line and bottom line in the annual audit report available to investors. Of course they’re not always truthful (surprise!)

But some companies are honest about it – they’re not going to tell you how much they make and that’s that. It was nice of you to ask, but it’s none of your business. Okay. Fine. Time for Plan B.

To get to the truth, you’re going to have to do a little spying, but not as much as you think.

Find out how many full-time employees your competitor has. Most people will not dodge this question or fudge the number. If you have trouble getting the information, just call and ask the receptionist if she’ll participate in a three-question survey. Come up with two other benign questions she wouldn’t be afraid to answer, like “Where do you buy your office supplies?” or “Which crappy chain restaurant do you use for holiday parties?” Then ask the big one, “Approximately how many full time employees do you currently employ?”
Multiply the total number of employees by $125,000 and then again by $200,000. The company revenue is likely between these two numbers.
If your competitors are in trouble their top-line revenue is on the low end, and if they are doing well, it will be on the high end. If they are kicking ass and taking names their revenue will be above $250,000 per employee. I know one small private company that is bringing in $1,000,000 plus for each full-time employee – that is AWESOME!

How can you tell if a competing company is in trouble? That, my friend, is a spy lesson for another day.

Why does this calculation work? Because generally, when revenue increases so does the workload. For many business models, revenue is dependent on employees, such as agents for real estate firms or other sales staff.

Soon you’ll be calculating top line revenue in seconds flat.

What about your competitors keeps you up at night?

Your Sales Receipt

Tue, 29 Dec 2015 01:14:41 GMT

As a heart-centered entrepreneur, you just want to do good in the world. You want to be able to help people at a super high level, and make a difference.

You started your business, then realized you get tongue-tied when it comes to selling your services to potential clients.

Why does this happen?

Well, let’s see if we can start by re-framing what sales is for you.

As one of my mentors, David Neagle says, “Sales is not something you do ‘to’ someone; it’s something you do ‘for’ someone.”

Now, there is a difference! Going into a conversation thinking you have to “convince” someone to do something is setting yourself up for instant failure. NO ONE does anything they don’t want to do. And you will never convince or sell someone something they don’t want.

And that my friends, is where the gold lies. This is where sales gets really fun, and you get to do something “for” your prospects.

Picture it…a box with a big, red bow on it.

Now, here is what lies inside. People are coming to you for a reason. It may not be explicit, but they are there for some reason. They have a problem they feel that you may be able to help them solve. And they can’t get to the solution themselves. So, what do they need from you?

Clarity.

Welcome to Sales 101 ladies! It all starts with the “Gift of Clarity”.

In the initial sales conversation with prospects, it’s all about understanding three things:

1. What they want.

2. What’s getting in the way of what they want.

3. What’s their level of commitment to getting what they want.

People start a conversation with you confused, and leave that conversation with the big “ah-ha” moment of clarity. That gift of clarity is seamlessly starting to create the roadmap of how you can work together to get to what they want.

No one else is doing this for them. It’s all you baby!

As the heart-centered entrepreneur, sales is a gift you give your prospects. Because when your prospects don’t have clarity, they are living in a land of confusion. And being stuck in that state of confusion is not serving them. It’s causing them discomfort and even sometimes physical pain. They know it. That’s why they are talking to you.

So, congratulations. Keep on trucking with your sales conversations and starting out the relationship on the right foot.

Giving people the gift of clarity will put sales in your pocket; but, for your clients, it’s absolutely priceless.

5 Ways to Overcome the Blogging Slump

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 16:41:37 GMT

You’re a business owner. Not a writer. Blogging for your company may not be a high priority; nor may it come naturally for you. However, you know having a blog on your website helps with marketing efforts and generating leads.

Here are five tips to overcome the blogging slump, with examples focused on the accounting field.

Create a blogging calendar before year-end that will take you through 2016. Write one blog topic per month on an Excel spreadsheet based on your clients’ needs and industry ebb and flow. For example, November and December would focus on tax planning. January would be about personal budgeting. Summer months could include topics about mid-year estate planning tips, gifts for grads, or financial planning tips for those getting marriages or having babies.
Use a formula to help you create blog titles. Here are some examples from Buffer Social:
1. [Do something] like [world class example]. Example: Blog Like a Rock Star
2. Interesting adjectives + unique nouns. Example: Can’t Miss Takeaways
3. Who else wants? Example: Who else wants help with their taxes?
4. Here’s a quick way to [solve a problem]. Example: Here’s A Quick Way to Export QuickBooks Reports
Keep the blog short and focused. An estimated 300 – 500 words are sufficient. That is about two or three short paragraphs. Use short sentences for easy readability. Finally, infuse the copy with keywords related to the topic.
Pay attention to current events. Ideas come from many sources, and current events help to drive blog topics. The more relevant your blog the more visitors are likely to read it. For example, if a high-profile person is arrested for fraud, write a fraud-focused blog. Leverage trends and conversations to demonstrate your firm’s attention to current events.
Keep the momentum going. Once you start a blog, it’s important to maintain it.

What’s your biggest challenge with having a blog on your company’s website?

10 Things to Tweet When You’re Stuck for Ideas

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 16:39:13 GMT

When you’re stuck for content to Tweet, here are ten ideas that might spark some creative content while increasing engagement with followers.

Share posts from influencers. But more importantly, add your own comment. For example, here’s a post from HubSpot, “Holiday campaigns only run for a certain period of time. Don't miss out by starting late: hubs.ly/H01qBtX0.” I would add/change this to my own spin, “Are you on the naughty or nice list? Holiday #MarketingCampaign to do’s now. hubs.ly/H01qBtX0 @HubSpot”.
Inspirational quotes are great to retweets. Be sure to use the hashtag #InspirationalQuote or #QuoteOfTheDay.
Recognize Tweeps by giving them a shout out, such as “Woot! Thx 4 the Twitter luv this week. [list several handles]”
Post a trivia question, using the hashtag #TwitterTrivia. Here’s an example post from Auburn University (@AuburnCampusRec) @ Here's today's #TwitterTrivia! How long did the very first Thanksgiving meal last?” Remember to come back and post the answer and acknowledge those who got it right the quickest.
Link to old, but relevant blog posts. Do this by reviewing annual website analytics to see what the top blog articles were for the year.
Search for questions being asked in your industry or niche. Then answer them. Use Twitter’s search tool to help you find topics by hashtag.
Share your favorite website and why you love it.
Link to a podcast, Ted Talk, or video that you found inspirational and why.
Post information about upcoming events that might be relevant to your followers.
Share trending topic/current event news.

Here’s a thought, share this blog post! Here’s a tweet you can use:

10 Things to Tweet When You’re Stuck for Ideas. @Penheel #Tweetables #TwitterTips Pls ReTweet

No matter what your goals are for using Twitter, keep the content fresh, relevant, and linkable.

What tips would you add?

We all know that content is king, but what’s more important is the quality of the content.

When you’re stuck for content to Tweet, here are ten ideas that might spark some creative content while increasing engagement with followers.

Share posts from influencers. But more importantly, add your own comment. For example, here’s a post from HubSpot, “Holiday campaigns only run for a certain period of time. Don’t miss out by starting late: ly/H01qBtX0.” I would add/change this to my own spin, “Are you on the naughty or nice list? Holiday #MarketingCampaign to do’s now. hubs.ly/H01qBtX0 @HubSpot”.
Inspirational quotes are great to retweets. Be sure to use the hashtag #InspirationalQuote or #QuoteOfTheDay.
Recognize Tweeps by giving them a shout out, such as “Woot! Thx 4 the Twitter luv this week. [list several handles]”
Post a trivia question, using the hashtag #TwitterTrivia. Here’s an example post from Auburn University (@AuburnCampusRec) @ Here’s today’s #TwitterTrivia! How long did the very first Thanksgiving meal last?” Remember to come back and post the answer and acknowledge those who got it right the quickest.
Link to old, but relevant blog posts. Do this by reviewing annual website analytics to see what the top blog articles were for the year.
Search for questions being asked in your industry or niche. Then answer them. Use Twitter’s search tool to help you find topics by hashtag.
Share your favorite website and why you love it.
Link to a podcast, Ted Talk, or video that you found inspirational and why.
Post information about upcoming events that might be relevant to your followers.
Share trending topic/current event news.

Here’s a thought, share this blog post! Here’s a tweet you can use:

10 Things to Tweet When You’re Stuck for Ideas. @Penheel #Tweetables #TwitterTips Pls ReTweet

No matter what your goals are for using Twitter, keep the content fresh, relevant, and linkable.

What tips would you add?

- See more at: http://penheel.com/2015/10-things-to-tweet-when-youre-stuck-for-ideas/#sthash.DOCsgYsT.dpuf

We all know that content is king, but what’s more important is the quality of the content.

When you’re stuck for content to Tweet, here are ten ideas that might spark some creative content while increasing engagement with followers.

Share posts from influencers. But more importantly, add your own comment. For example, here’s a post from HubSpot, “Holiday campaigns only run for a certain period of time. Don’t miss out by starting late: ly/H01qBtX0.” I would add/change this to my own spin, “Are you on the naughty or nice list? Holiday #MarketingCampaign to do’s now. hubs.ly/H01qBtX0 @HubSpot”.
Inspirational quotes are great to retweets. Be sure to use the hashtag #InspirationalQuote or #QuoteOfTheDay.
Recognize Tweeps by giving them a shout out, such as “Woot! Thx 4 the Twitter luv this week. [list several handles]”
Post a trivia question, using the hashtag #TwitterTrivia. Here’s an example post from Auburn University (@AuburnCampusRec) @ Here’s today’s #TwitterTrivia! How long did the very first Thanksgiving meal last?” Remember to come back and post the answer and acknowledge those who got it right the quickest.
Link to old, but relevant blog posts. Do this by reviewing annual website analytics to see what the top blog articles were for the year.
Search for questions being asked in your industry or niche. Then answer them. Use Twitter’s search tool to help you find topics by hashtag.
Share your favorite website and why you love it.
Link to a podcast, Ted Talk, or video that you found inspirational and why.
Post information about upcoming events that might be relevant to your followers.
Share trending topic/current event news.

Here’s a thought, share this blog post! Here’s a tweet you can use:

10 Things to Tweet When You’re Stuck for Ideas. @Penheel #Tweetables #TwitterTips Pls ReTweet

No matter what your goals are for using Twitter, keep the content fresh, relevant, and linkable.

What tips would you add?

- See more at: http://penheel.com/2015/10-things-to-tweet-when-youre-stuck-for-ideas/#sthash.DOCsgYsT.dpuf

Critical Strategy to Ensure Best Return on Investment

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 15:17:11 GMT

Do you ever get caught up in shiny object syndrome?

I am such a sucker for a great social media training, a HOT advertising opportunity, and products… products… products!

My clients share my same penchant for investing in their businesses, as I’m sure you do, too.

Ask yourself, where does your next opportunity lie for the best return on investment?

The dilemma lies with being surrounded by GREAT opportunities to invest, but how do we do this in a way that will ensure a profitable return?

Even more importantly, while lowering your risk of losing your investment?

This is a HUGE problem for women in business.

Critical Strategy To Ensure Best Return On Investment

Purchasing services, products, and subscriptions are a big part of our everyday business. There are so many opportunities to help women in business GROW our respective businesses.

But then reality comes crashing down, and you soon realize, why did I spend that money after all?

Business opportunities arise fast and furious on a daily basis.

Here’s where we need to put our CEO hat on, and begin to learn the skill set of making decisions based on the best return on investment.

Here’s the problem. Many of us feel like we have to go "all in"… like going to Vegas when it comes to buying into business opportunities.

Others try to buy results purely by putting the money down and walking away expecting some sort of windfall.

The truth is, I could give you a 15-point checklist of every question to ask to ensure your investment will return a profit, but all of that means NOTHING unless you know this one thing…

The crucial key to ensuring the best return on any investment is...

Commitment.

Oh yeah, THAT "C" word.

Now, what does commitment look like?

Take an example...

Let's say you purchased a $500 online training on Facebook Advertising.

Ask yourself:

Are you willing to commit to showing up to the LIVE classes to learn what you signed up for?
If you can’t make the live class, will you schedule time in your calendar for the replay?
Do you even have the time for this program based on everything else you are already involved in?
Are you willing to TAKE ACTION and implement your new-found skills? And more than once?

The reason why so many people say… "Oh this didn’t work." is for the single reason of lack of commitment.

I encourage you to use this critical and powerful strategy with not just committing money to your growth, but double down on your dollars with 100% commitment… and watch your results catapult your best return on investment yet!

No Way, You Can’t Do That!

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 16:56:45 GMT

Have you ever had a really cool idea and soon it gets shut down with thoughts of, “No way, you can’t do that!” It could be the desire to connect with someone really big in your industry, a super star mentor, or even a rock star?

Do you even take the time to think BIG? Well, this week give yourself permission to do just that. Think BIG. What would be really cool to pull off in your biz? And what voices in your head are holding you back?

We often have these, “Who am I to do this?” or “I don’t deserve that,” negative thoughts. And we are not alone. It happens to EVERYONE.

The only difference between you and the ones that take action?

They flip the bird on the voices, AND DO IT ANYWAY!

That is the ONLY difference between what “they” can do and “you” can do.

Many of my clients have the same thoughts. Once they shut down the voices…here’s what happened…

>>>> one wound up designing a handbag for Oprah…

>>>> another got her handbags photographed with prime time celebrities….

>>>> another got a big TV doctor to tweet about her regularly…

And did they have some magic super power to make this happen? No. What they did was get their butts in action. Nothing more…no pixie dust involved, just action.

Sounds nifty, but does it work?

I had this wacky idea for a 50th birthday party for my husband. What would be so fantastical that I wouldn’t even be able to stand myself?

Forget the DJ, let’s get a rock star to play at his party!

And so it began…

…with a nervous phone call to a booking agent.

…followed by the screaming thoughts inside my head, “They won’t take me seriously, there’s no way…stop this nonsense…”

…and then the booking agent called asking how he could help me to make this happen. (OMG this guy was super nice!)

…next the bassist from the band called to coordinate dates and locations. (OMG and he was even nicer!)

A deal was on the table…

And the hubs got himself a private concert.

Seriously…that happened. And I still can’t believe it.

Your turn – what BIG connection are you wanting to make in your biz? Is it a BIG JV partner? An author of a book? A BIG stage event? Now, just take one action step toward it…and watch the magic happen.

Here are 3 hot tips to help you make your BIG idea happen:

1. Personal Rolodex – You’d be surprised who you and your colleagues know. Start with your own personal connections – which colleagues are connected to the same industry as the person whom you are looking to connect with?

2. Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon – The theory goes, you’re only six people away from your connection. Bring this theory to life using LinkedIn. This visually shows you people in between you and your desired contact. Remember, Kevin Bacon has got nothing on you!

(No offense Kevin…)

3. Social Media Savvy – Find your connection on social media and follow them. Don’t stalk them, follow them.

Retweet their content, share their posts on FB, leave comments on their blog posts. Start finding out where they have spoken or what podcasts they’ve been on, and see if you have crossed within the same circles. Reference that connection when you are reaching out directly.

Our next BIG leap is one you’re going to benefit from. We are in the process of connecting with an industry thought leader to interview for our upcoming June issue of “Accelerate – The Magazine.” Stay tuned!

So what is your big “No Way, You Can’t Do That” desire? And what action are you going to take to get one step closer to making that dream a reality? Let us know!

Looking for participants in a focus group

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:50:18 GMT

Good morning, colleagues! If you or someone you know in Bergen County is contemplating a divorce, I am looking to create a focus group for a divorce-oriented organizing product I have developed. Please contact me directly: Gayle@LGOrganized.com or 201-364-6833. I will keep everyone confidential and ask that participants keep the product confidential as well. Thank you!

Number One Way To Double Your Sales Revenue

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 14:48:28 GMT

If you’re feeling refreshed and renewed coming off of an incredible summer, why not challenge yourself by choosing a new sales revenue goal?

If you’re a money making entrepreneur, you most likely have hit money goals in the past. You have the plan in place, and you already know “how” to make money.

Maybe you’ve tried this before,

Without success . . .

Or maybe you’re just gun-shy about making that leap.

There is one piece to the equation that most guru’s haven’t told you.

You won’t find it in Entrepreneur, Forbes, or Inc. magazines.

But it’s a super-powerful insight that can shift you from doubt to determination.

This is probably best illustrated with a case study:

Lisa has a business where she was generating $10,000 a month in sales revenue. She wanted to up-level her income to $20,000 a month.

She worked her plan . . . achieved money goals in the past . . . She still couldn’t move the dial on her numbers.

Lisa is like many other women in business looking to up-level their sales revenue . . .

They aren’t aware of a crucial step, that if ignored . . . is setting themselves up to fail.

It’s not for a lack of doing all of the right things . . . She was just missing an important piece to the puzzle . . .

It came in the form of a question.

She needed an answer to her “why.”

Lisa needed to answer the “why” for increasing her monthly revenue.

At that time, her answer was, “Just because I want to see if I can do it.”

No go, chickadee.

Lisa’s “why” was not strong enough to move the money to make it happen.

She didn’t attach anything specific to the extra $10,000 a month.

Here’s What Lisa Did To Increase Her Sales Revenue:

Discovered a stronger “why” for the money;
Chose a specific intention for the additional dollars, where the money would specifically go or be used for; and
Attached her specific intentions for the money to an actual dollar amount, until all of the intentions added up to her number.

Once she got clear on what she would do with that additional $10,000, all of a sudden, it made sense, and opened the flood gates for it to come in.

Lisa is now at $15,000/month . . . on her way to her goal.

So here is your challenge:

Pick a new monthly sales revenue goal.
Map out what you would use each piece of that money for and attach it to specific dollar amount.

Now, women in business like you, have the crucial keys to up-level your revenue, and do more amazing things to serve your clients on a even bigger rock star level.

Hot Cash Flow Tips for Women in Business

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 17:47:39 GMT

I was having a lovely lunch with a colleague recently. She is generating multiple six figures in her biz, and is on track to double that in the next year.

In celebration, she whipped out a $50 bill gave it to the waitress, and said lunch was on her.

Soon, the joy in her face was completely gone. Once the waitress placed her receipt in front of her and she immediately went into a cycle of overwhelm.

She looked at that little piece of paper as if it had crapped all over her great day.

It’s a receipt that will need to be entered into her biz spreadsheet when she got back to her office. Ugh. Another thing for the to-do list, which is already a mile long… And quite frankly, the receipt will be lucky to make it back with her at all. She tends to misplace them constantly.

Many business owners have this problem.

By doing this, you’re actually creating a BIGGER problem for yourself.

And it’s showing up as a HUGE cash flow leak in your biz.

For more, read on….

Article:

Traditionally, nothing beats cash when it comes to paying for the things you want and need. As a business owner, that isn’t always the case.

It’s creating a HUGE cash flow leak in your business.

Here’s why – cash payments for anything business related has a good chance of never getting recorded.

Entering business receipts into a spreadsheet is time consuming.
Cash receipts seem to disappear or typically end up at the bottom of the washer in little bits and pieces.

And that is a cash flow leak you can plug in your business immediately.

Not paying cash for anything business related actually puts money BACK into your pocket.

But how?

Tax deductions. Let me explain…

By using a financial instrument (business check, debit card or business credit card) for all of your business transactions, they are captured automatically and electronically.

Next, buy desktop accounting software (Quickbooks on Amazon.com for $179 AND it’s a tax deduction!) and put that puppy on automatic pilot. Have the program directly connect to your business bank accounts and upload all of your transactions automatically. The only thing left is to categorize the receipts as they come in.

Another thing on your to-do you are thinking?

Do it yourself, or hire someone for 1 hour a week (yes, for a small business, 1 hour will do it!). Adios Excel spreadsheet!

You knew this break up was long over due anyways…

And at the end of the tax year, your tax preparer has more to work with. When they have more to work with, more cash flow, more tax deductions, and credits you can take!

And you know what that means?

More ching for you, less for Uncle Sam.

Making Bank Money Tip:

Ready to generate an additional cash flow stream for yourself?

This strategy is most likely already there for you, in plain sight ready to be activated.

This cash flow tip can begin to pay for your everyday personal items without ever having to take your wallet out of your pocket!

Here’s how you do it…

Use your business credit card for everything in your business, and use the points to purchase personal items. For example, here’s what we set up for my client Kristin….

She uses her business credit card for all business purchases and expenses.

Next, she pays it off every month using revenues allocated to her operating expenses. By doing this, the points she generates, has created a cash flow source to buy things for her personal needs.

Specifically, we tied her credit card points to her Amazon.com account.

Whatever she needs, Kristin uses her points to purchase, receives her packages within 2 days, without leaving her house. Cash flow, time back in her day, and tax savings all in one nice little package.

That’s what I call…making bank baby!

Is Your Biz Stuck In The Land Of Chaos?

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:11:43 GMT

I remember trying to do it all. Taking care of my daughter, starting a business, managing two rental properties, and running the finances. I had a knack for all of it thanks to my career background.

Just because you are good at everything, doesn’t mean you should DO everything….

Sound familiar?

January, 2012. I was getting for a mini getaway with my family to visit an old college roommate. She was in town from Scotland with her new baby.

As I pulled up in the car, the hugs started flying, and the stories starting coming out like wildfire. It was the best time!

Then I got a phone call.

I left the room, and answered. It was a tenant. The garage door spring malfunctioned and her car was now trapped in the garage.

At that moment, all of the air got sucked out of the room.

More phone calls…

Repair people…

Two hours later, crisis resolved.

And two hours of my life, with my family and my friend were gone. I missed out.

That’s the day, I made a decision....no more chaos.

I sold the rental property and decided to commit to two things – my personal life and my business.

Anything else, someone else had to care for.

By making that one powerful decision, I learned that what you focus on grows. Universal energy guides us and needs to know where to land. And it doesn’t land in chaos.

Here are four steps to shut down the cycle of chaos:

1 Goals – write down clear goals. When opportunities come your way it’s clear when to say “yes” and when to say “no”. If the opportunity feed your goals, commit. If not…sayonara!

2 Delegate – if you’re good at website design but your business is wardrobe consulting, give it to an expert. The time saved is better spent on revenue-generating activities.

3 Focus – create focused time in your schedule to maximize production. Focused time means no phones, family, dog, nada! It’s amazing what you can accomplish.

4 Accountability – find a class, group, or mastermind with other like-minded women going through the same thing. You get a sense of “permission” when you see others working through the same issues. It makes it “ok” to stay on track.

Ahhh, doesn’t that feel better?

The Law That’s Crushing Your Competition

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:56:48 GMT

This month we are celebrating an anniversary! It’s 5 years since we started in biz. Looking at statistics, it’s a minor miracle. Almost 80% of businesses don’t make it past the 5-year mark. Fascinating! Looking back, I wanted to share some of the most crucial components that have kept the ship righted as we’ve weathered some storms along the way. And it’s not about keeping up with what your competition is doing…actually it’s quite the opposite.

The last 5 years have been an interesting ride, to say the least. There have been times when I’ve ridden cloud nine, and times I was scared I’d have to go back to my corporate job. What got me through it all? Well, as much as I love my big Italian hubby in my personal life, a little Italian dude has helped me crush it in my biz. His name is Vilfredo Paredo. Why do you need to know him? Well, he was an economist back in the day…and is the godfather of the 80/20 rule. Officially known as the “Pareto Principle”. It states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

Why is this so crucial for biz?

Because most businesses try to follow what most of their competition is doing. That’s the 80% of biz owners. They are spinning their wheels. You say to yourself, “I wanna be like them.” In truth, that just accelerates you to be a follower. And followers don’t get noticed. They don’t get picked by their prospects. They don’t stay in biz past 5 years.

Ask yourself, why keep busting your hump to be like 80% of all of the other businesses out there?

Here’s the crucial key – stop that and do this – take a look at what the 20% are doing. Those are the people standing out getting noticed, the sought after experts with staying power in their biz.

Capice?

This has been the secret to success. Hands down. Do what others aren’t willing to do. You’ll come out in front of the pack!

How can you use Pareto’s Law to shift this into high gear for yourself? Here are 3 ways to get you started:

Speaking – this is the fastest path to cash and jump starting your business. Eighty percent of US women will never give a talk in front of a room and speak to a crowd. They suffer from a real diagnosis called “speaking paralysis”. With speaking, you’ve already crushed 80% of your competition.
Follow up – when it comes to great biz leads, 80% of business owners never follow up with their best prospects. Crazytown, right? Put together a simple system to touch base with your best prospects once or twice a month. Mix up your communication to keep it fresh – call, email, comment on their social media, send them a relevant article, or even send them a handwritten note. Once again, crush your competition by converting prospects into clients with this simple tool very few are using.
Profit – statistically 80% of all US small businesses aren’t profitable. Mind blowing! Just to be clear, revenue is the money that comes into the biz, but profit is what you keep. You can profit in your biz from day 1. Yes…from DAY 1. Remember the old saying, “pay yourself first”? If you haven’t been doing this, go do this now! Even if it’s only 1%…5%…of your revenue, be sure to pay yourself each month. While you’re banking ching, your competition is blowing all of their revenue month after month.

Which one of these can you start with immediately? If speaking gets you jazzed, here is a link to a great resource to get you started:

https://thompsonpros.isrefer.com/go/rise/a451

If banking profits tickles your fancy…stay tuned for our next newsletter! I’ve lined up a blockbuster interview with a multi- million-dollar entrepreneur and New York Times best-seller to share the exact steps of how to become profitable in your biz consistently month after month!

Stay tuned…and in the meantime…crush it with Pareto’s Law.

5 Steps to Boosting Facebook Posts

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:48:23 GMT

If your company has a company business page on Facebook^® with a regular stream of posts, you can boost posts from that stream to help increase brand awareness and leads.

The best part is, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You can begin with as little as $5 per day. Note: Boosted posts only run for one day.

Boosting Facebook Posts – 5 Steps

Once a post is added to the company page, click the “Boost Post” button under the post you want to push.
Choose your audience (target market) by location, age, gender, and/or interests.
Choose the budget. Tip: A good place to start is $15-30.
Set up the ad payment, via credit card or branded debit card, like Visa, MasterCard, etc.
Once the post is boosted, measure the results via the company page “Insights” feature.

Now that you’re armed with this simple process, how many posts will you boost per month?

- See more at: http://penheel.com/2015/5-steps-to-boosting-facebook-posts/?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=5-Steps-Boosting-Facebook-Posts#sthash.4HbSnNY6.SQ58KjUL.dpuf

Proper FOUNDATION is the key to looking and feeling GREAT!

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 13:27:56 GMT

Ever have one of those days where no matter what you put on you don't like? It isn't that beautiful new blouse you purchased or that stunning dress, or even you...Its your foundation. By simply putting on the right size and style bra, complimenting panty or even shapewear you can transform any outfit. The simplest way to boost your confidence each day is by starting with the right foundation. Here at INTIMACY bra fit stylists we work one on one with you to find the best lingerie to compliment you and your wardrobe. As a BCPWN member you will receive $20 off your first bra purchase with us, because we know how important it is to present the best you possible!

Call us at (201)334-0803 or go on myintimacy.com to make your appointment today!

Need some help with public speaking gigs

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 20:03:04 GMT

Hello ladies,

As a financial planner and advocate for financial literacy, I am starting to set up some public speaking gigs. Topics include maximizing social security benefits, funding long term care, and creative financing for everything from business capital to college to retirement. I would like to partner with libraries, and any other civic minded organizations, throughout northern NJ to market and present these complimentary sessions. If you know of any venues, or have had a particularly positive experience with any, I would love to hear from you. Thanks in advance for any ideas and feedback.

Regards,

Lisa Keenan, CPA

lisa@keenaccounting.com

The power of commitment

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 17:49:17 GMT

Do you remember when I talked to you about making a decision and then acting on it?

Well, so many of us are afraid to make a commitment because we fear failure or the fact that we might not be able to stick to it.

This fear might be an old fear. Think of yourself at 5 years old. Most 5 year olds decide that when they want to do something, they just go for it. Sometimes they will succeed and sometimes they will fail, but firstly they focus on what they want to achieve, and then act on that decision.

A lot of problems start when an adult fails to encourage a child to keep on trying. Most of us have experienced this negativity; somebody told us to give up before we even tried because it was too hard, or we were too young to accomplish what we wanted to do, or that someone else was better than us. These kind of belief systems never come from inside of us; they come from outside and ruin our inner campus and courage. I like to refer them as lies.

As an adult you have the ability to fix that problem by re-training your mind to see the potential rather than the failure. Once you make a commitment to writing a book and set up a map detailing how and when to do that, you will get there in the end.

A few techniques that I use to stay focused on my goals are:

Affirmations. As I explained, our beliefs are just learned behaviors developed during childhood. While some of these may work well, others now can work against us and cause us to sabotage ourselves away from being able to achieve what we want. Every affirmation we use or develop is a reflection of our inner beliefs. Positive affirmations are short and positive statements which are targeted to challenge negative beliefs, replacing them with positivity and self-nurturing thoughts. A good example is: “When I believe in myself, so do others,” and also “Everything I want and need will eventually come to me.”
Visualization. This means to develop the mental ability to see something happening, before it actually occurs. A great example of positive visualization is to get yourself a white board and some pictures of the things you would like to have in your life, such as your name on a book cover, the new car you plan to buy when you make the money and an ideal vacation location. Look at these pictures every day and spend a few minutes with your eyes closed actually seeing yourself in these situations and places. Feel what it would feel like to be the person you want to be. The longer you do this, the easier those images will come into your mind. If you believe in the Universal Laws, you will find that you develop the power to attract these things into your life.

Keep in mind that this is not magic; it won’t help you change your old beliefs over night, but it will slowly create a better vision of a brighter future and help to erase the negative thoughts that were placed into your mind by your parents/teachers/friends/society.

The reasons to use these techniques are to remind yourself, on a daily basis, where you want to go and what you want to achieve. We all have the tendency to forget our goals if we have the slightest doubt about how and if we can get there.

For example:

If you tell yourself, “I want to write a book,” use the following:

Affirmation: “I feel great about being a published author and selling my book on Amazon.”

Visualization: How would it feel and look like to you to be talking with your peers about your book, and signing copies of it?

Once your mind is set in this way, you’ll find that it will force you to act on fulfilling your dreams. And this works because otherwise there will be too big a gap between your mind-set and your actions, and you will find that you will not feel whole until you will do something about it.

www.AllyNathaniel.com

College Doesn’t Make You Smart; Life Does

Mary Adams — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 19:00:13 GMT

My Mom hails from Toledo, Ohio.

She lost her mother when she was in her teens -- perhaps one of the most difficult ages in a young woman’s life, period.. Somehow, she knew that there was a world out there for her to see. And with great courage, she left The Buckeye State in her mid-twenties and took The Big Apple by storm. By herself, in the sixties…a time when women were supposed to be married to make such a bold move.

Mom never finished college, but she is one of the smartest women I know. She navigated the Mad Men era with grace and wisdom, working for CBS Records, Motown and other marquis organizations. She relays stories of Barry Gordy, Stevie Wonder and myriad of mad men as if it were just another day at the office.

She met and married my father off a blind date in NYC. They moved back to the Midwest to follow my father’s career. In 1977, they launched an advertising agency together. In 1999, my father was diagnosed with and died from cancer. Steadfast, she kept the business going for another 12 years all on her own.

She is an incredible Mom and truly my inspiration in business for so many reasons. Who is yours? Share your story and join us on July 23^rd for the Inspirational Women In Business luncheon.

Tips on Finding Career Inspiration This Summer

Lisa Pisano — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 22:52:38 GMT

Did you receive today's BCPWN Tips Email? Re-sharing here on the blog for future reference...Tips on Finding Career Inspiration This Summer: share your thoughts in the comments below!

Find a Good Beach Read. Pick up the biography of someone you feel in awe of or someone who has done something that gives you even an inkling of "could I do that?"

Network, Network, Network. “Often people will mistakenly wait for inspiration to reach out and tap them on the shoulder when in fact inspiration requires action … by you,” writes Nicole Williams in “Tips for Finding, Reigniting and Building Inspiration.” We happen to agree with this tip wholeheartedly, and highly recommend attending an upcoming BCPWN event!

Journal. Start by jotting down your thoughts once a week and see what comes to the surface. By clearing your mind and getting things on paper, you’ll invite in focus, creativity, and inner peace.

Learn Something New. Enroll in a cooking class. Try your hand at pottery or jewelry making. Learn html. Join a running club. Stretch your limits and expand your horizons to awaken those brain synapses.

Meditate. Find at least 5-10 minutes once a week to clear your mind, sit, and breathe. Try the Mindfulness guided mediation app, available for smartphones. Pop in your earbuds on the commute home or sit in the Starbucks parking lot and enjoy the quiet.

Source: “Tips for Finding, Reigniting and Building Inspiration” – August 29, 2013
Nicole Williams
US News and World Report.com: Money/Careers Blog

Inspiration is your engine’s fuel

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 17:51:47 GMT

“I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.” Albert Einstein.

Recently I was on a visit to the “Book expo America”, where I got to meet other authors as well as industry experts. Wow! I have to say, what an amazing experience. The whole thing absolutely inspired me, including the events and panels, but most of all it was some of the wonderful people I met, one of which was Cindy Ratzlaff who is a branding expert, (I will tell you more about branding in future newsletters.)

I also met Jon Fine who is Amazon’s director of ‘Author and publishing relations,’ and C.J Lyons who is another successful self-published author. There were many, many others, all of whom inspired me to keep moving in the direction of my dreams.

But how do you keep moving forward when it seems to get so hard? What do you do when you’re out of ideas or feel isolated? You find your inspiration from somewhere.

Inspiration is everywhere around you. All it takes is for you to be open enough to receive it. And when you do get that spark of an idea, welcome it with open arms.

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill.

I was supremely inspired by the time I went back home, and it made me decide to use that inspiration to make changes in my life, including writing more and ensuring that I move forward with my business. For me it’s necessary to use the inspiration I constantly receive from many sources as the fuel of my “get it done” engine.

For you, your inspiration could be the fuel to start your “write my book” engine, or “find the help I need” engine. It’s really down to you.

Make sure to get inspired on a daily basis and use that energy to promote your writing/publishing goals.

“The best dreams happen when you’re awake.” Cherie Gilderbloom.

Rebate Date

Mary Adams — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 13:14:49 GMT

Business is like dating. It’s a dance, a series of moves, part strategic and part serendipitous. How on earth do we navigate that? As we embark on the month of finding money in our networking follow up, a personal story comes to mind.

My dating mantra was the following: “I will always have a good time or a good story”. This one is my favorite.

A successful NYC doctor asked me on a date and I accepted. We planned to go to the movies on a Tuesday night, followed by dinner. He told me to arrive an hour and 15 minutes early. No way. I said no, I’ll be there 20 minutes before it starts. When I arrived he had purchased the tickets, popcorn, and a bottle of water for me. As he selfishly crunched away on his popcorn, I turned to him randomly and said, “sure, I’d love some” and jammed my hand in the bag of popcorn. We went to dinner. I ordered soup and salad and he ordered a full on steak dinner. The check came. He sat staring at it. He started mumbling “tickets, popcorn, water…you owe me $33.75”. I was stunned. I just subsidized this guy’s meal and he was charging me to the penny. So I went home and vowed never to go out with him again.

Four days later, I received an envelope from him. Inside was a note written on is Rx pad that said, “I miscalculated and charged you too much,” accompanied by a $10 bill. Henceforth my date with him is dubbed as the “rebate date”. In this case, the money was literally in the follow-up.

This month’s workshop is about how to grow our business through follow-up. How many times did you go on a date that you thought went well and then the phone never rang (not that we, as empowered women, couldn’t make the call)? How do you think our potential clients feel when they spend time with you, listening to your pitch, reading your proposal, researching your company, only to receive a cold, form email that says “just checking in…” (Or “hey, I charged you too much”, in my case)? Be thoughtful and strategic about how and when you engage after meeting someone.

Wait 'Til You See What's Inside

Mary Adams — Fri, 02 May 2014 19:55:33 GMT

A milestone birthday just passed for me (29, or course) and a dear friend mailed me a gift with a note that said “I’m not sure why, but I thought of you when I saw this.” I was intrigued. I ripped off the packaging to find a box with a photo of a white handbag/tote on it. I thought it wasn’t the greatest looking bag I’d ever seen, but it looked functional enough. As I opened the box I realized the potential of this bag… it has a plastic pouch for a beverage of choice (wine) and a pour spout on one end. Can you imagine what one could do with this bag??

The bag is just like us as professionals. We may see ourselves as good at what we do, but often overlook our potential. Well, it’s time to take a long hard look at what’s inside you. Michele Brown of IntuAction Coaching enlightened us today with some strategies to get out of our own way, recognize our strengths and soar as professionals. I encourage you to try one thing you learned today. If you were not able to join us in person, we’ll see you next month for the workshop with Mandy Schumaker, which is all about leveraging our follow-up to close deals. Network, learn and be inspired by BCPWN.

Up Level Your Business Breakfast- Tuesday, 2/18

Sun, 16 Feb 2014 19:31:51 GMT

Sorry Ladies...but the snow has caused me to need to reschedule and I can no longer make the Tuesday breakfast. I know that Irene will do a great job...and I encourage the members that have not yet been to the Suburban Diner to come on down and check out the new place!

W by Worth Spring Trunk Show

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:40:51 GMT

Yes, spring really is just around the corner. Please join Maria and Dot March 7th - March 13th in Montvale for the W by Worth Spring Trunk Show. View the entire line at www.wbyworth.com

10% off your entire order if you come with a friend to shop. Contact me now for an appointment. danderson@wbyworth.com or 201.264.4229.

Sit INSIDE the BOX for a Fresh Perspective

Mary Adams — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 21:12:34 GMT

Like many of you, I’m tired of the weather here in the Northeast. I don’t feel like going outside for fear of losing a limb to frostbite. I’m not always motivated to do things differently because I’m in “burrow in” mode with work and home. I have to maintain focus on what I do enjoy about my business.

One of my favorite parts of business is the overuse of clichés. People can string sentences together that mean absolutely nothing. “Put some fires out”, “square off some corners”, “tee it up” and “deeper dive” are a few of my top picks. So when people say “think out of the box” my eyes glaze over. Who sits in the box and thinks anyway? EXACTLY.

As many of you know, my son turned one on Jan 1. He is a continual source of entertainment, joy and inspiration. He was at daycare with all of the toys in the world around him. The sitter sent me this photo of him smiling from ear to ear. She had just unpacked a retail shipment and left the box out momentarily. Instead of playing with the same old toys, he gave sitting IN THE BOX a whirl. And look how happy he is.

As we listen to Johanna Baralle from Paychex at the BCPWN First Friday Luncheon talk about strategic planning and business cycles, remember to force yourself think differently for a fresh perspective. Immerse yourself, get inside the problems or projects you are facing. Let me know how it goes and if we can help you in any way!

Wardrobe styling session or closet audit

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:48:21 GMT

Ladies,

Now is the perfect time to audit your existing wardrobe and start updating and refreshing your style. Spring is appearing in the stores and why not try a new color, accessory or even a new bag. I am offering a Valentine's Day promo: 15% off any package til Feb. 14th.

Buy for yourself or give a gift certificate to your friend, husband, yourself or partner! Who wouldn't enjoy styling made easy!! "Fashion fades, style is eternal". Yves Saint Laurent

FIND YOUR STYLE!

Quality Sources for Children's (And Mom's) Gifts

Mary Adams — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 13:43:05 GMT

Entrepreneur Lauren Seise of Playground Talk entered the world of events yesterday at Bookends Bookstore in Ridgewood. She invited terrific vendors such as all American hand-made gifts from Oliver & Adelaide to a mother's workout haven Ridgewood Bar Method. The offerings were diverse and the products amazing.

I would say my favorite was Brandyn Randolph from Lady Savant. Her energy was inspiring and the company is all about supporting women's business. That's exactly what we do at BCPWN and I love that there are other companies dedicated to the same. Bravo Lauren for putting together a wonderful collage of people and businesses!

It's professional to be early!

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 13:37:49 GMT

Special invitation for BCPWN members! I am delighted to be selected by Worth to host an exclusive Preseason Worth New York Spring 2014 Trunk Show from Friday, November 15th thru Sunday, December 1st.

Location: 287 Anderson Avenue, Alpine

Contact Julie Cohen, Executive Wardrobe Consultant for your personal styling session.

Jcohen@worthnewyork.com

201-819-0976
www.worthnewyork.com

Small Trash Can

Mary Adams — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 21:58:01 GMT

Every month at the First Friday Luncheon I share with you a Seinfeld-esque story about my life. If you can't make the lunch, then I think you should know what craziness goes on out there...at least to me. The fun part is, I always find a lesson or a message in each situation.

I ran a professional conference two weeks ago for an educational institution. I left my house in NJ at 5:30 to arrive in NYC by 6:15. I pulled up in front of the University building and had to park on the bustling 9th avenue, right at an MTA bus stop. Stress.

I pop my hatch and unload the first of 3 large pieces. I run into the building with package #1. Out of breath. I hurriedly introduce myself and explain why I was there, fearing the tow truck and policeman were already at my car. The security guard looks at me - blank stare. Nothing I said registered. His response "You talk reaaaalllyyy fast. Could you repeat yourself?" Oh boy. I continue with my unload, park my car and take a deep breath, bracing myself for the day ahead.

Registration is set up and I ask a union employee for a "small trash can". Nope, he didn't start work for another 5 minutes. I was told I needed to ask again at that time. So I did. "What are you going to put it in it?" he asked. "Paper and small bits of trash," I replied. Five minutes later, I repeated my request for a "small trash can" and then again another hour later. Nothing. Three hours later, I walk out to registration. Alas, a "small trash can". The size of a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. I had to laugh. Although it held nothing and it had to be emptied every 10 minutes, the guy gave me what I asked for.

The lesson: Be specific about what you want from your clients and how you ask for it. They may just give you what you ask for.

W by Worth Fall & Winter Trunk show

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:22:24 GMT

Message me if you would like to stop by and see this affordably priced gorgeous youthful and professional line of women's clothing. Perfect for all busy women as there are items for all aspects of your business and social life. Showing from Friday November 8th until Thursday November 14th in Montvale, NJ. Conveniently located showroom right off Grand Ave. Maria and I will ensure that you have a great experience! Check out the entire line at www.wbyworth.com. Contact me at danderson@wbyworth.com or (201) 490-2058.

Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce welcomes Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno "Inspirational Women in Business" with a special luncheon honoring all business women

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 21:49:48 GMT

Ladies,

Check out this women's event on October 8, 2013. Register at MRCC website.

Inspirational Women in Business

October 8, 2013

11:30–12:00 – Open networking

12:00–1:15 – Luncheon

Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce welcomes Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, as we celebrate "Inspirational Women in Business" with a special luncheon honoring all business women.

Guest speakers include Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, Chamber President Martha Harvey, and Betty A. Garger, President/CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, who will discuss the Girl Scouts Alumnae Association. Come early to network and explore an exhibit area featuring local women-owned businesses.

The Mahwah Regional Chamber is delighted to recognize women who help our economy grow, and MRCC is pleased to create networking opportunities where local women-owned businesses can get together and inspire each other for greater success.

$50 GIFT CARD for BCPWN MEMBERS Worth New York's Fall & Winter Collections

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 11:24:58 GMT

Julie Cohen, Executive Wardrobe Consultant for Worth New York is showing the Fall & Winter Collections Friday, 9/27 thru Tuesday, 10/8 at her home in Alpine, NJ. Contact Julie at jcohen@worthnewyork.com or 201-819-0976 for a free consultation and showing of this luxurious and alluring collection, perfect for busy professional women! Check it out: www.worthnewyork.com.

Thank you to Joan Lefford

Sun, 22 Sep 2013 21:01:33 GMT

At our Tuesday breakfast we were treated to Joan Lefford's thought provoking insights...it was a small group which added to this special time. Thank you Joan...it was a great way to start the day!

Updating An Old Fall Wardrobe

Mon, 02 Sep 2013 15:20:42 GMT

Fall fashion is in the stores! So many great new looks, colors, and patterns. It is very easy to update an old wardrobe by bringing in a new silhouette, a litle color and accessories. The right amount of jewelry, scarves and even the right proportions make all the difference. Sometimes we need to "step" out of our comfot zone just a little!

As a special offer to members of the BCPWN, I am offering a free 15 minute telephone consultation to tell you about how I can help you bring your wardrobe up to date for the fall season.

Please email me at pam@EyeForDetailNj.com to make an appointment for your free telephone consultation.

W by Worth Fall Trunk Show - Coming soon!!

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 21:31:45 GMT

Yes, believe it or not Fall is just around the corner. Maria & Dot will be hosting our Fall W by Worth trunk show @ 2 Robin Hood Ct in Montvale starting September 6th. We are booking appointments already so contact us soon to reserve your preferred day and time. We have the clothes until September 12th. You won't want to miss this incredible Fall collection. You will love the price points and styling of W by Worth. Worried we won't have your size to try on? We will have tons of samples and we are trained to help you find the right style and size. If you are not 100% happy when it arrives - we will either exchange or return for you. Our trunk shows are all about having fun while shopping great clothes. Contact Dot Anderson @ 201-264-4229 or email me at danderson@wbyworth.com.

Third Year's a Charm

Mary Adams — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:45:34 GMT

Last night we gathered more than 50 people to celebrate Bergen County Professional Women's Network's 3rd anniversary. It struck me when I could not quiet the crowd to announce door prizes that maybe I should take that as a positive sign. People were talking. People were networking. Maybe I'm just not an effective public speaker (see our event - Speak Like a Pro), but I think that our members get it. They know the power of getting and giving business referrals.

Women come to BCPWN events to learn from our speakers and from each other. I mentioned it last night - I am most proud of this group of phenomenal women because they are making business happen for themselves and for fellow members.

So, in our third year, I challenge all of you to make it part of your daily business to actively refer, connect, brainstorm and collaborate. Let us know how it goes. There is nothing more rewarding than to know BCPWN is working.

It is said that we create our own luck. Make BCPWN's third year a charm.

W by Worth Sample Sale - Spring & Summer 2013

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 15:17:26 GMT

Huge W by Worth Sample Sale Spring & Summer 2013

July 12-15 @ my showroom in Montvale, NJ

4 Days ONLY!

Still time to pick up something great for vacation @ 50% off!

Dorothy Anderson & Maria Kistler

2 Robin Hood Ct

Montvale, NJ 07645

danderson@wbyworth.com

(201) 264-4229

Remember - W by Worth is 45-50% less expensive than the Worth New York Collection

50% off better price points means great fashion at a great price!!

Starting a Business? 3 Things You Must Know

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:05:00 GMT

Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Securing an Employer Identification Number (also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number) is the first thing that needs to be done, since many other forms require it. EINs are issued by the IRS to employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofit associations, trusts, estates, government agencies, certain individuals, and other business entities for tax filing and reporting purposes.

The fastest way to apply for an EIN is online through the IRS website or by telephone. Applying by fax and mail generally takes one to two weeks. Note that as of May 21, 2012, you can only apply for one EIN per day. The previous limit was 5.

State Withholding, Unemployment, and Sales Tax
Once you have your EIN, you need to fill out forms to establish an account with the State for payroll tax withholding, Unemployment Insurance Registration, and sales tax collections (if applicable).

Payroll Record Keeping
Payroll reporting and record keeping can be very time consuming and costly, especially if it isn't handled correctly. Also keep in mind, that almost all employers are required to transmit federal payroll tax deposits electronically. Personnel files should be kept for each employee and include an employee's employment application as well as the following:

Form W-4 is completed by the employee and used to calculate their federal income tax withholding. This form also includes necessary information such as address and social security number.

Form I-9 must be completed by you, the employer, to verify that employees are legally permitted to work in the U.S.

If you need help setting up the paperwork for your business, give me a call...973-768-6785

J. Hilburn Father's Day Discount

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 02:10:55 GMT

…Everyone wants to give a unique and personal gift. Nothing is more unique and personal than custom clothing! And with J.Hilburn gift cards, it's easy to give.

...You will love the savings and you will be loved for this great gift!

...Best of all, J.Hilburn Gift Cards are available online at AndreaWhite.Jhilburn.com. When you log in to shop, select $100 gift card and you will only be charged $75! They are the perfect last minute gift!

...With gift cards you can take advantage of J Hilburn’s men’s fashionable made-to-measure suits, trousers and sports jackets, made with the finest Italian Wools, (same high quality fabrics and produced at the same mills as Armani and Burberry at usually half the cost). Also our custom shirts and ready to wear products are available. Our products fit most men 5' 6" to 6' 7".

...Please note our suits and tuxedos will have a price increase of $40 as of July 1st. Now is the time to order!

…What are your waiting for?…Do it now…easy and simple…Access my website, increase your purchasing dollars and shop… use up those gift cards and spruce up your wardrobe while enjoying huge savings. Please call for an appointment to be measured.

Please check February 2013 INC. magazine for J. Hilburn article pg. 64-70!.

….as we always say “Fashion makes the man”….I will be checking with you soon!

Yours in Fashion,
Andrea

Shop online at andreawhite.jhilburn.com or contact me.

Andrea White
201-797-0308
andrea.white@jhilburnpartner.com

7 Steps to Excellent Customer Service without spending a dime

Mon, 27 May 2013 16:18:19 GMT

Customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and reduce prices to bring in new customers, but unless you retain those customers, you won’t be in business for long.

Customer service is all about keeping your customers happy - happy enough to refer you to their friends and family.

If you truly want to have good customer service, all you have to do is:

1) Answer your phone. Make sure that someone (a live person) is picking up the phone when someone calls your business.

2) Don't make promises unless you will keep them. Think before you give any promise - because nothing annoys customers more than a broken one.

3) Listen to your customers. Show your customer that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

4) Deal with complaints. Givethe complaint your attention. It is much easier to keep a customer than get a new one.

5) Be helpful - even if there's no immediate profit in it. Givers gain…period!

6) Train your staff to be always helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Give every member of your staff enough information and power to make those small customer-pleasing decisions, so they never have to say, "I don't know, but so-and-so will be back at..."

7) Take the extra step. People notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.

The irony of good customer service is that over time it will bring in more new customers than promotions and price slashing ever did!

INVESTMENT DINNER AND DISCUSSION

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:27:37 GMT

SIGNATURE FINANCIAL GROUP PRESENTS 2013 MARKET
UPDATE and OUTLOOK

John Cardillo, Vice President, PIMCO investments, will be discussing the economic outlook impacting today’s investors. Complimentary dinner and discussion

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013- 6:30pm Biagio’s Restaurant 299 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ

RSVP: suethompson@mysfg.com or 201-655-7275

****BRING A FRIEND****

Registered Representative, Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Signature Financial Group are not affiliated

WORTH NEW YORK SAMPLE SALE 5/18 THRU 5/21

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:41:32 GMT

Need or want something new to wear now? Been busy with everything but your own wardrobe?

I'm hosting a Worth New York Spring/Summer 2013

SAMPLE SALE at my home in Alpine, NJ

40% Off

Cash or Check Final Sale

Saturday, 5/18 thru Tuesday, 5/21

Check it out: http://www.worthnewyork

Instant gratification

no shipping

no line

no parking challenge

no online size guessing

no shopping mall

I have 10 large boxes of beautiful samples grouped by size

Sizes 2-16 Petite to XLarge

Stop by any time during these hours:

Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm

Monday 9am-5pm, Tuesday 9am-12pm

Evening appointments available

you love it

it fits

you want it

you take it

super easy

at Julie Cohen's home:

287 Anderson Ave.

Alpine, NJ

Contact: jcohen@worthnewyork.com 201.819.0976 cell

Highlights from “Understanding How to Use Social Media For Personal & Professional Gain”

Lisa Pisano — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:32:09 GMT

Last Friday, a conference room of 45 women within the Courtyard by Marriot was a buzz with questions like, “what exactly is a hashtag?” “why should I care about Twitter” and “what makes a great Facebook post?”

Presenters, Lisa Pisano, Social Media Consultant and Creator & Editorial Director of mom a la mode and Pam Kirkbride, Social Media Consultant and President and Founder of Triple Threat Media, LLC were used to these questions, in their work with helping their small business clients find their Social Media North Star. Their interactive presentation provided helpful tricks and tips to assist attendees in understanding the value of social media, the importance of good content and striking the balance between the personal and the professional in terms of a social media presence. Below are some highlights:

In the spirit of social media, Lisa and Pam encouraged live tweeting during their presentation, with members using hashtag #BCPWGSocial to tag their tweets so that attendees could get the hang of being part of a searchable Twitter conversation.

As a recap of the Facebook part of the presentation, Lisa suggested the following tips regarding what makes great content for Facebook posts:

Be relevant. Add value. Be entertaining.
Posting for the sake of posting can backfire – be aware of content timing and tone.
Understand the Edgerank algorithm
- More than 70% of interactions occur during the first hour of a post which is why it’s critical to have as many LIKES, comments, shares and overall engagement within that “power hour” to ensure the content reaches as many users as possible.
Look into incorporating Facebook ads, sponsored stories and promoted posts into your business’ social media program. They are cheap and highly effective marketing methods.
Most importantly: a strong fan base is the most critical thing you can have. The more fans you have, the more likely your content will be seen by more users.

Luncheon attendees were all a flutter when it came to Pam’s discussion on Twitter. Pam did a great job of demystifying the “hashtag” and providing helpful tips for using Twitter for business:

Before you jump in to Twitter, read what is out there that is relevant to you. Find your voice.
Decide on a short-ish handle (name) that represents you and your business. (tweets are 140 characters including spaces, including your name)
Don’t follow everyone who follows you back.
Read the tweets; see what other people are saying. Search and follow relevant hashtags!
Reply back, RT if you agree or disagree. Make yourself known!
Don’t use more than 2-3 relevant hashtags in a tweet
Leave room for people to retweet you (RT), or to add a reply. So, make your tweets 120 characters long
Do a mixture of 5-10 tweets per day:
- Original
- Retweets (RT)
- Replies
Be wary of spammers (don’t click on links you can’t trust the source!)
Use Twitter as a 2-way communication; customer service
Tweet photos and videos. 76% of shared tweets had content attached to it (Mashable)
Tweets sent between 2-5pm PST 5-8pm EST generated a lot of response.
Twitter Parties, Sponsored Tweets and other paid promotions can be cheap and effective ways to secure more followers or promote a marketing message.

LinkedIn was also a hot topic and we touched on many salient points from this Forbes.com story that was published in 2011. Key takeaways from this portion of the presentation included:

Online resumes/portfolios are the wave of the future – which is why it’s so important to have a fully built-out LinkedIn Profile
Let your strengths and passion show thru the way you describe yourself and your work in your profile
Have a few solid Recommendationsundefinedthese can be used in place of “referrals” for potential clients or employers
Boost SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by:
Headshot
Links to websites, blogs, portfolios
Keywords in Job Position title, Skills and Specialties
Read the Updates from your Networks for job leads, networking and industry news

Pam and Lisa ended their presentation with the following general Social Media Hot Tips:

Social media is an extension of your Marketing Program – spokes in the wheel.
Be consistent with your name/handle (ex: @momalamode on all platforms)
Think about bandwidth and what you can manage. Are you a sole proprietor? Are you a large financial services company? You may not immediately need to have several social media platforms.
Clothing/Food/Lifestyle: visually-driven: having a Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram presence is important
Pick 1 or 2 social media platforms (i.e. Twitter or Pinterest or Facebook) and be really consistent and strong, and then think of branching out.
Be aware of helpful tools like HootSuite to pre-schedule or linking social media accounts for auto-uploads BUT
Be wary of pre-scheduling tweets/posts: we live in a Sandy/Newtown/Boston Marathon world
Be reactive to how your customers want to communicate with you
Not necessarily: “build and they will come” – a big part of driving engagement and traffic is you being actively talking to others

Lisa and Pam are available to provide consulting services to both small businesses and individuals, with their range of professional services that include:

Brand Strategy, PR and Marketing
Social Media Community Management
Influencer Outreach
Social Media Advertising
Event Planning and Execution
Brand Ambassadors
Content Creation
One-on-One Social Media How-To Sessions

Please visit their websites for more information: http://momalamode.net and http://triplethreatmediallc.com

Feeling like you have a newfound handle on social media? Follow and LIKE Lisa and Pam on Facebook and Twitter:

Mom a la mode on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/momalamode

Mom a la mode on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/momalamode

TripleThreatMommy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TripleThreatMommy

TripleThreatMommy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/triplethreatmom

Pamela Teagarden’s Strategy for Success

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:19:03 GMT

Thanks to Pamela Teagarden, MAPP, for sharing her tools and techniques to help improve our own personal business strengths. Pamela was the guest speaker at March’s First Friday Luncheon and really spoke to the audience as if we were all best friends, and we shared our fears and best practices.

Pamela’s message brought forward that the thought of rejection sometimes gets in the way of making good business decisions and encouraged us to utilize these tools and strategies to tackle decision making in a simplified and approachable way, brilliant.

My take way, we should stay focused on leveraging our strengths to achieve our goals, Pamela thank you for that empowering reminder.

Dealing with tax filing and payment problems

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:33:46 GMT

Dealing with Tax Filing and Payment Problems

Tax season is just around the corner. Few people look forward to it, but those who are concerned they may owe taxes approach this time with particular apprehension. The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) advises that there are options for those who need more time to file their returns or who are having trouble paying what they owe.

Getting an Extension
If you don’t have the information you need to file by the tax deadline, or will be delayed for some other reason, it’s possible to receive an automatic six-month extension for filing your return. That means that you will have until October to get your documentation to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, the IRS will still want you to pay the taxes you owe by the April 15 deadline, even if you receive the filing extension. In other words, although you are not required to make a payment of the tax you estimate as due, filing the appropriate forms for an extension does not extend the time to pay taxes. If you do not pay the amount due by the regular due date, you will owe interest and may be subject to penalties. Your CPA can help you determine whether an extension is a good step for you and what payment amount you may owe in the meantime.

Don’t Fail to Pay
What happens if you just can’t pay the taxes you owe? The IRS may be willing to work with you in this situation, so it’s important to get in touch with them and discuss your options. Your CPA can explain the choices to you and work with you and the IRS to resolve the problem. Be aware that failure to file a return at all will, at a minimum, subject you to penalties, so this is never your best course of action.

Your Payment Options
If you just need a little more time to pay, you can ask the IRS for up to 120 extra days through an Online Payment Agreement available at www.irs.gov. You generally don’t have to pay a fee for this arrangement, although you will owe penalties and interest for the late payment. If you need an extended time to catch up, then you may need an installment agreement. Under the agreement, you make monthly minimum payments of $25. Any future refunds for which you qualify will be used to pay off the outstanding debt. There are fees associated with an installment agreement that vary based on your income level and how the fees are paid. You can avoid the fee if you are able to pay your total outstanding taxes within 120 days. You will still be expected to file your tax returns on time and pay all future taxes in full and on time. The IRS generally doesn’t take enforcement collection actions if you are applying for an installment agreement or have one.

Get a Fresh Start
The IRS’ expanded Fresh Start initiative is aimed at people who have lost their jobs and are having trouble paying their taxes as a result. The program offers a grace period on penalties for some taxpayers who have been unemployed 30 consecutive days or longer. Self-employed people whose business income fell 25 percent or more in 2011 also may qualify. In addition, the IRS has recently begun offering more flexible terms to its Offer in Compromise program, with new penalty relief, a widened pool of people eligible to use streamlined installment agreements to pay back taxes and changed lien practices. Ask your CPA for more details if you believe you may qualify.

Your CPA Can Help
If you are facing challenges in filing your tax return or paying your taxes due, be sure to turn to your local CPA. He or she can offer advice on all your pressing financial questions. If you don’t have a CPA, you can easily locate one online using the NJSCPA’s free, online Find-A-CPA service. Just go to www.findacpa.org, and in a few clicks you can locate a highly qualified professional who can assist you.

Copyright 2013 The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

What A Good Hair Day Can Do For Your Business

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:40:42 GMT

The other day, Janelle Razzino, an executive recruiter from Westwood, gave a motivating speech about the importance of positive thinking, following your passions, and other things to be successful in business. She was the featured speaker at BCPWN's monthly breakfast held last Tuesday at Panera Breads.

There was positive energy and humor in Janelle's delivery, important attributes for an 8 AM meeting of women business owners and executives. At one point during her talk, she addressed the audience: “If you could accomplish one thing this year, what would it be?” The answers were predictable, as attendees offered their goals: get more cash flow, expand client base, etc.

Janelle took it all in before she offered hers: “My wish is to have a good hair day for the next 365 days,” she shared. Of course, that got a few laughs, but you know, most women would agree.

For most of us, having a good hair day makes us look good and feel good. It boosts our confidence, and gives us the push we sometimes need to make that a business call, walk up to a stranger, or give a board room presentation.

Having a good hair day can help us when I feel sad, and make us happier when we already feel happy. With a good hair day, anything is possible.

Thanks to a good cut and good product, some days, I can look in the mirror and say that my goal was accomplished. Off I go to face the world happier, confident and energized.

Now I know what Janelle meant about what having a good hair day can do. I think I’ll add it to my list of wishes 2013.

And by the way, Janelle, your hair looked great!

Amaizng Entrepreneurs Launch Stores With Customers in Mind

Mary Adams — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:35:38 GMT

When is the last time you can remember a positive customer experience in a retail store? I'm lucky; I just had two and both were with newly launched Bergen County businesses. Maybe I am just a sucker for entrepreneurs because I am one, but I think these are the real deal... go ahead tell them I sent you - this is a networking group after all!

Fabio & Co. Leather Interiors
Owners Fabio & Iana greet you at the door of the beautiful leather showroom. They make you feel at home by offering you a cappuccino or water and then personally walk you through the store of fine leather goods. They are straight forward and friendly, two qualities you don't see often enough in business. Visit the showroom on E. Route 4 in Paramus and check them out on FB - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fabio-and-Co/397707853622557

Olive Branch & Grape Vine
This clever boutique of finely chosen domestic and imported olive oils, balsamic vinegars, skin care and gift items recently opened its doors in Westwood. Owners Chuck Adams & Paul Karoyan approach the business from the "foodie" and the "retail" sides, as complimentary as olive oil and balsamic. Once again, Olive Branch & Grape Vine offer a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and carefully chosen, quality products. I think this is a great source for corporate gifts. Here is the OBGV Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/OBAGV

Try them out and let me know what you think!

Membership Stats, Events & More

Mary Adams — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:14:30 GMT

We hope everyone is enjoying a fun, productive & healthy summer. A quick note to remind everyone about some fantastic upcoming events for the Bergen County Professional Women's Network (also found at www.bcpwn.com):

- 2nd Anniversary Party - This Wednesday, 8/22, 6 - 8 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Montvale. Join us to celebrate 2 years of of tremendous growth and networking for the BCPWN. Enjoy appetizers, cash bar - and a chance to win some amazing door prizes including a Three Month All Access Pass to Equinox, a Two Hour Wardrobe Consultation with An Eye For Detail, A Beauty Master Class from Saks Fifth Avenue, a One Night Stay at the Courtyard by Marriott in Montvale, NJ, A Scarf and Gift Card from Worth New York, Dinner for Two at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, One Hour Consultation with Healthy Organized Living, and an Iridology Reading with A New View. Some of the best networking of the year happens at this event, so you will not want to miss out. Register today at www.bcpwn.com!

- First Friday Luncheon, Friday, 9/7, 12pm at Capital Grille. Join us for an exceptional panel who will discuss "Career Moves Made Smart: Expert Advice for Finding New & Better Jobs". Panelists include Leslie Martin, Practice Manager, IT Staffing, Gotham Technology Group and Carla Salerno, Executive Recruiter, Benchmark Search NJ, and the panel will be moderated by Amy Brinkman, Vice President - Client Manager, Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Last month's event sold out, and there are only a few spaces remaining for September, so please register ASAP at www.bcpwn.com to guarantee your seat.

Lastly, we are at 491 members of our LinkedIn Group and 87 members of the enhanced membership program at the www.bcpwn.com site. It would be great to be at 500 and 100 respectively by the Anniversary Party - so pass on this email and share the group with other professional women in Bergen County so they can join us!

Thanks again for all the support and see you Wednesday night to celebrate!

Transformation Tuesday August 21 at Saks Fifth Avenue

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 22:50:02 GMT

Hello Ladies-

It is my pleasure to announce Transformation Tuesdays with Gina LaMorte, celebrity stylist and modivational speaker on style and following your dreams will be with us on Tuesday, August 21 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

You can get all the details on what she will be discussing at the link below. Come prepared with your biggest style and fashion dilemmas and she will be on hand to answer any questions while discussing the topic of dressing for your age, body type and personality.

Space is limited so get yoru tickets today! Gift with purchase for all who attend from BCPWN!

Here is the link. http://saksfashionworkshopaugust.eventbrite.com/

Light refreshments and fare will be served.

Hope to see you there!

A Little Lipstick -- and 'Social' Networking -- Go A Long Way!

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:32:02 GMT

What woman can say no to a makeover, a photo shoot and a night of female camaraderie?

At last night’s "Polish Your Profile" event at Neiman Marcus, I met some wonderful new friends at my second BCPWN outing. I was welcomed with a handshake and a smile by a group of women professionals who were interesting – and interested -- in learning more about my journey.

Over lemonade, I found out I had a lot in common with many of my new friends. Some, like me, are reinventing themselves with second or third careers. Others opened up my world as I learned more about exciting new career paths. Everyone there was happy to share something in a warm and friendly way.

By the end of the night, many business cards were exchanged. I felt great with my makeover, and took home a new profile photo you’ll probably soon see on Linked In. But more importantly, I met some new BCPWN friends I know I’ll meet again soon.

Thanks, BCPWN – and Neiman Marcus -- for hosting this terrific event! See you at Panera’s.

BCPWN Reaches 60 Members

Mary Adams — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:30:32 GMT

We launched the formal membership platform in February and have already reached membership of 60 women strong - and growing. We're thrilled that the grass roots effort has drawn such quality, diverse women together to help one another professional.

A great credit to its founders, Bergen County Professional Women's Network is a very open, friendly and intelligent group who "get it". Members understand the intricacies of networking and take it seriously. We're looking forward to reaching the 100 mark. To learn more about member benefits, visit www.bcpwn.com

Exciting new events are popping up, including our "First Friday Luncheon" series, slated to launch on August 3 at The Capital Grill. Each luncheon will feature speakers or a panel discussion on topics relevant to you. Registration is open for August 3 - check out our powerhouse panelists.

We look forward to seeing you all soon.

Upcoming Polish Your Profile Event at Neiman Marcus

Mary Adams — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:46:46 GMT

Bergen County Professional Women's Network Members will be treated with an evening of make-overs and professional photos, hosted by Neiman Marcus at the Garden State Plaza on June 6, 2012.

This exclusive member only event will bring a night of networking and profile tips from the experts.

Women of all ages, industries and professions will join in the evening's festivities. If you are not already a member of BCPWN, visit www.bcpwn.com for more information on member benefits and other events.

On-Camera and Live Presentations - What's the Difference?

Mary Adams — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:56:44 GMT

Joe Vargas, president of MediaMix Studios in Allendale, hosted BCPWN on March 1 for an evening of learning and wow was it fun too. Attendees were able to use the teleprompter, sit in front of the camera, direct the camera and ask Joe for some of his insider secrets.

One participant who holds live seminars asked what different presentation skills are required for on- and off-camera presentations. Although it was much better articulated in person, he summed it up like this: you take up more physical space, act more animated and waste more time in person; on camera you should be more concise and more disciplined with gestures.

Carole De La Osa, owner, Transitions4You, asked how we could use video to promote ourselves as entrepreneurs. Joe advises that we do at least a basic video answering the question "what makes you different?". MediaMix is a great resource for accomplishing something like this - it was clear that they are true professionals.

Carole's take on the event - "Thank you for the best networking event I've been to in a long time. It was entertaining and fun - the food was great - and the ladies phenomenal. I look forward to seeing you at a coming event." Overall, the event was a great deal of fun and allowed our group to see (and try) technology we normally would not have. Check out the photos and the video is coming soon...

Thank you again to our sponsors Takeaway Gourmet, Worth New York (Montvale) and Ethos Fitness & Spa.

Ethos Fitness & Spa for Women Supports Stage Presence Skills Event on March 1

Mary Adams — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:59:32 GMT

BCPWN thanks Ethos Fitness & Spa for women for sponsoring the Stage Presence Skills event on March 1st. Members and non-members are encouraged to join us at this hands-on evening of networking and knowledge. Click HERE to register now.

Visit www.ethosfitness.com for full membership offerings - they are running a February membership special, so check it out!

Ethos Fitness & Spa

85 Godwin Avenue (at Goffle Road)
Midland Park Shopping Center
Midland Park, NJ 07432

T: 201-251-4500

Worth Collection Sponsors BCPWN Stage Presence Event March 1st

Mary Adams — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:19:16 GMT

The Worth Collection has just signed on as a sponsor for the March 1st Stage Presence event, hosted by the Bergen County Professional Women's Network.

"The Worth Collection is a perfect match for this event since it is all about making a good impression and stage presence," says event sponsor Dorothy Anderson, Worth New York. "That is why I wanted to jump on this as a sponsor! The event is just before my Spring show so the timing is perfect," .

We're thrilled to have Dorothy on board as a sponsor and member of Bergen County Professional Women's Network.

Registration and sponsorships are still available, so don't miss out on this and future events. Visit the website today - www.bcpwn.com. Members receive special pricing for events and sponsorships.

Membership in the group is not required to attend this event. Hope to see you there!

Stage Presence Skills Event Announced

Mary Adams — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:31:42 GMT

On March 1 from 6-8 p.m., Bergen County Professional Women's Network will host a hands-on event at Media Mix, a local video production company. A presentation will be given to help you improve your "live" presentation skills.

Don't think this event applies to you? As professional women, we can all use some pointers on stage presence both on- and off-camera. If you're up for it, you can even try reading from the teleprompter. We will be filming a BCPWN video to appear on the website - be a part of it!

REGISTER OR SPONSOR

Take Away Gourmet, the leading tri-state area cater will serve hors d'oeuvres at the event.

New Member Platform & Website Launch for BCPWN

Mary Adams — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:57:54 GMT

Today is the official launch of www.bcpwn.com We're thrilled you're here to register for upcoming events, read peer blog posts, search the member directory (for members only) and much more. Once you become a member, you can post blog entries and comment on others.

We are looking forward to living up to our tag line - "Expand your inner circle". So many of you are reaping the benefits of Bergen County Professional Women's Network. Let's grow together.

BCPWN Joins Twtter Follow Us! @BCPWN

Mary Adams — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:02:37 GMT

We've taken the next step in creating community. BCPWN has just joined Twitter, so follow us @BCPWN

The more useful information we can share with each other, the better. Keep in touch on Twitter @BCPWN

Bergen County Professional Women's Network Reaches 315 Members, Launches Website

Mary Adams — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:59:21 GMT

Bergen County Professional Women's Network started as a simple LinkedIn Group a little more than a year ago. It has reached 315 LinkedIn members as of today through referrals, successful networking events and informative posts. We are thrilled with the progress the group has made and are taking it to the next level.

We have been diligently working on creating formalized membership for a nominal annual fee, a website that includes information on events, sponsorship, a member directory and more! Remember, membership is open to women outside of Bergen County, so encourage your colleagues and peers to join the community.

We are excited to provide this service to professional women in our region - check back soon for an official website launch.

BCPWN Blog

How to get started using AI for your website

Why AI is a Game-Changer for Website Optimization

Understanding Metadata: The Foundation of SEO Success

Step 1: Conducting an AI-Powered Website Audit

Using ChatGPT or Claude for Manual Page Analysis

Automated AI SEO Tools for Complete Website Analysis

Step 2: Keyword Research Using AI

Finding Your Primary Keywords

Understanding Search Intent with AI

Step 3: AI-Generated Metadata That Converts

Crafting Perfect Title Tags with AI

Writing Meta Descriptions That Drive Clicks

Optimizing Header Tags and Content Structure

Step 4: Implementing Your AI-Generated Metadata

Step 5: Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization

Setting Up Performance Tracking

Using AI for Competitive Analysis

Refreshing Metadata Based on Performance

Advanced AI Strategies for Website Optimization

AI-Powered Content Gap Analysis

Semantic Keyword Clustering

Automated Schema Markup Generation

Multilingual SEO Optimization

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Using AI for SEO

Measuring ROI: How AI Website Optimization Impacts Your Bottom Line

Getting Started Today: Your AI Website Optimization Action Plan

Conclusion: AI as Your Competitive Advantage

Why Every Professional Woman Needs a Powerful Portrait

How to be a Savvy Purchaser of Health insurance

How to be a Savvy Purchaser of Health Insurance and Employee Benefits

What is a Good Health Insurance Plan?

Preparing for Your Health Insurance Renewal

Talk With Your Broker, Other Brokers & Peers

Things You Want to Know About

How to Compare Plans

Putting It All Together

5 Spring-Cleaning Ideas to Boost Your Business

How The Pandemic Has Changed the Way We Work

Jop Opportunities - 1/25/22

Tips for Creating Thoughtful Content During a Crisis

Business & Personal Worlds Colliding during COVID-19 Crisis

Ridgewood Job Opportunity – Wealth Advisor Associate

The Healthiest Habits to Reach Your Best Self

Member Spotlight: Maria Nadel of Virtual Assistant World and Clean Living Matters

What is your legacy? By Kirsten Bunch, Founder of the Changemaker Mentorship

Are Your Ears Ringing? By Mary Adams, CMP

Beth Donalds The Business Doctor: Five Fun Fabulous Ways to Say Thank You on a Budget

May Member Spotlight: Keri Riccardi

April Tips from Jennifer Collard, PT

How to Avoid These 5 Networking Mistakes

Beware the Bogus Phone Call from the IRS!

Kirsten Bunch: Our BCPWN Member Spotlight

Dreaming into Reality

Our Strong Connections

Ask The Business Doctor with Beth Donalds: Why don’t you haggle?

What Resonates With You?

In the Quiet of Winter...

Keeping the Spark Alive: Passion Projects

Imitation – Is it Flattery or Profiting by Copying?

Work From Home Effectively. Here’s How…

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Novellas

Business Assets You Do Not Want to Ignore

Marketing Image Boot Camp

Life Lessons from an Exhausted Ninja

7 Organic SEO Tips that Won’t Cost You a Penny - Guest Post by Aparna Mulchandani

Cracking the Code to Client Lifecycle Marketing

Example

4-Step Lifecycle Marketing Strategy

5 Trade Show Business Building Tips - Guest Post by Aparna Mulchandani

SSL Certificates and the Impact on Your Website

How Effective is Direct Mail? Guest Post By Aparna Mulchandani

The Joy of Being Wrong (originally posted by Amanda Trigg at www.letstalkaboutdivorce.com)

What’s Your Magic Word

Gift Yourself

What does applesauce canning and marketing have in common?

How It Applies to Marketing

A Note of Thanks

Brand Storytelling: It’s Personal