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Self-Bailout Contest for Small Businesses

Survival of the smartest! Office Depot is awarding more than $1,000,000 in prizes in the Office Depot—Adopt a Small Business Contest. 500 small businesses will win more than $2,000 in prizes!

Want to enter? Upload a two-minute video about what your business is doing to survive during these hard times and how Office Depot can help you get through the challenges. The entry deadline is 11:59 PM EDT on July 31, 2009. Click here to enter.

By entering the contest, you have a chance to win $1,300 Office Depot gift card, one year of Tech DepotTM services tech support ($599.00 value) and $110 gift card toward copying, printing and shipping services. Gotta love free tech support and gift cards. For official contest rules, click here.

Good luck!

Summer (Business) Reading Recommendations

Summertime is here! And that means choosing a few great books (or magazines) to take along on vacations…to help your business.

Here are a few recommendations:

• Marketing to Women: How to Understand, Reach and Increase Your Share of the World’s Largest Market Segment by Marti Barletta

• How to Run Your Business Like a Girl: Successful Strategies from Entrepreneurial Women Who Made it Happen by Cogswell Baskin

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler. One woman entrepreneur swears the book saved her partnership.

• The Naked Truth: A Working Women’s Manifesto on Business and What Really Matters by Margaret A. Hefernan

If reading magazines is more your style, try:

• PINK Magazine
• Inc.
• Ad Age
• Fast Company
• Enterprising Women

And of course my summer favorite, Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It always gives me inspiration.

What are some of your favorite summer biz reads?

Finding the right entrepreneurial community for you

Finding a women’s community that is just what you’re looking for can often take some time. To help you out, I’ve listed a few different online women’s communities that I think are fantastic.

Startup Princess—Startup Princess is a community where women can grow together while learning from one another. If you are looking for a fairy godmother (mentor), this is the place. The site is full of stories from women just like you. Features on the site include a blog, directory of women-owned businesses, videos and more. They recently featured me in a blog post. (Thanks, Kelly!)

Savor the Success—Here women come together and share trials and tribulations about business and life. You can connect with other members through blogs, message boards and events. For those living in the New York or California area, there are chapter events you can attend. Find a chapter near you! In addition to being a networking site, Savor the Success also features a PR Co-Op. Providing tools and references for you to use in expanding your business, this is a great resource.

Metromom—Their slogan is: Connecting Women. Creating Change. The site has a blog and hosts events for members. Events range from free calls to virtual and live events. They also have a marketplace where members can sell goods and post opportunities for other members. In addition to their free community, Metromom also has a paid membership club.

EMwomen—Based in Hot Springs, AR, this community focus is Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today. You can upload your blog and join forums and special interest groups. The site also features recipes and cooking demonstrations. They also offer two levels for paying members.

Real You—(Of course I had to include our community.) The Real You community features success stories of women entrepreneurs, member brand boards, podcast interviews and updates, the Real You Chart Creator and more. Each Friday, I publish my tip of the week. Click here to get your weekly dose of inspiration!

Now go out and explore the wonderful world of women’s entrepreneurial communities!

Ready, Set, Launch – Gulp

As an entrepreneur, you know the feeling! Whether you’re a solopreneur, mompreneur, intrapreneur (an entrepreneur within a company), a multi-million dollar entrepreneur—whatever level—that moment when the project is finished and you launch it to the world is daunting. You *think* you’ve thought of everything, dotted all your I’s as they say, but invariably, something isn’t quite perfect.

But it’s still great. That gulp feeling, that nervousness, is all because we put too much expectation on ourselves, and our team, to be perfect. Perfect isn’t sustainable or real. Perfect is a place where there is no room for improvement, and there always is. Always. So if you’re like me, and you’ve for too long held on to that perfectionist feeling, try to work it through. Realize, as I had to, that each mistake is a chance to learn and that when you’re being realistic, you realize nobody—and no product or service launch—will ever be perfect.

Guess who reminded me of the whole problem with perfection? My middle school son. He is one of those guys—straight As, great at sports, a mentor, teachers love him, tons of friends. That guy. One night, tucking him in, I said something to the effect of you’re just such a perfect kid. He looked at me, incredulously, and said: “Mom, nobody’s perfect. I’m not. That’s too much to expect from yourself.” Yes, he said it. Now I call him my “almost-perfect” son, with a smile.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with doing your best. I just launched a new Web site for my Real You business—GULP. It’s a work in progress, but it’s a great start. I say that even while I acknowledge to you right now that I wasn’t going to tell you about it today because it’s not perfect. It isn’t. But, then again, it never will be.

So, with pride, and a nod to imperfection and the entrepreneurial spirit, I hope you’ll check out my new site: KairaRouda.com and watch with me as it evolves. Because a Web site, much like the business it represents, always evolves. And once you realize that fact, and the fact that your best is good enough—even if it isn’t perfect—you’ll be able to share more of the Real You with the world.

The best of you. The real you. And believe me, that is as close to perfect as you need to be.

Tips for Writing Effective Emails

While email marketing can be trying with those pesky spam filters, it’s a great tool to reach your target audience. Remember, a poorly completed email can negatively affect your brand. To put your best foot forward and connect with consumers, try these tips.

• Clearly state your purpose in the first couple sentences, and never mislead you reader.
• Use bold text, lists and bullets to make the most important parts of your message easy to find for your busy reader.
• Don’t write in all caps or use smiley faces and other emoticons.
• Avoid attachments.
• Don’t forget your call to action. Make it simple and clear.
• Include your contact info.
• Proofread your email. Having a friend or colleague proofread your message is best since you’re very close to the content.
• Use permission marketing—when people consent to allowing you to send them messages. You’ll get much better response rates when your reader wants what you’re sending.
• Be concise and clear in your subject line, putting your most important info first.

While overall shorter subject lines correlate with higher open rates, a recent study by Epsilon shows that subject line word order and content can be just as important. According to Epsilon, most people look to the first 38-47 characters of the subject line, and what they contain. It is important that the reader thinks the subject is relevant to them, and feels like they will miss out on something valuable if they don’t open the email.

Share your best practices for writing effective emails!

About Reinvention and what it really means to entrepreneurs

General Motors – fresh from yesterday’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy announcement – unveiled a new 60 second television spot titled Reinvention. The spot is full of Americana images – baseball, big cities, folks hugging, sports fans, a tattered American flag, some familiar product shots, and the now, also cliched, nod to going green: plants growing, solar panels, windmills. You get the picture. And in case you don’t, you’ll see the spot, along with newspaper ads, radio spots and the like soon in your market.

Nothing about a 60-second television campaign says reinvention, except for saying the word “reinvention.” You know and I know nobody watches television commercials anymore, and for a company in bankruptcy to spend our money (yes, we own GM now) on image advertising seems, well, business as usual. We all have a stake in seeing GM succeed now. How about a little reinvention here? (For more on the traditional campaign tactics being employed read this AdAge article.)

Which got me to thinking about entrepreneurs and how we must constantly reinvent ourselves and our products and services. Especially now, in these tough times. We know a federal bailout isn’t coming our way. Instead, we need to rely on good ‘ol American ingenuity. Creativity. Teaching ourselves new things – like twittering, and blogging. Pushing ourselves out of our own comfort zones to network, to pitch our business, to learn new skills everyday.

We know reinvention isn’t a word you try on – it’s a way of life. It’s not taught – it’s felt, it’s born through struggle, and worry and yes, from fear of failure. Can a huge company like GM ever really get it – get the true meaning of reinvention – if there is never a true fear of failure? I’m not sure.

But I am sure about this: women entrepreneurs are helping to reinvent the way business is being grown across the U.S. and beyond. They are helping change companies from within (although not enough are there yet) and they are launching companies that are defining success in a whole new way. I hope the “New GM” has some women inside helping it reinvent itself. The chair of the board of directors is a man, the CEO is a man, and well, you get the picture.

And speaking of the picture, the images I see on the new TV spots are all of men (I think I saw a female hand, but I’m not sure), and the voice over artist is male. But GM’s customers are female. Women make or influence 85 percent of all car buying decisions. A reinvention without taking women into account – internally or as customers – is really no invention at all.

Real You in the Workplace: Act Your Gender

Women in the workplace often try to act like men in order to get ahead. However, this can sometimes backfire and cause more damage than it’s worth. Women just aren’t wired like men. And when women approach others with a male attitude, it can be a turn off.

Instead, I strongly encourage you to be yourself. Don’t put on a male front. We need to be strong and stand up for ourselves, but in the appropriate manner. It’s really the only way that people will take us seriously.

Women also need to remember we are natural networkers. So don’t isolate yourself—even if you are in a position of authority. Ask questions and get involved with mentors and other people in a similar line of work. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. In addition, don’t hesitate to ask questions. And definitely don’t live in a vacuum. It just won’t work.

You are smart.

You’re smart. You really are. And so are each of your kids, your spouse, your co-workers and your boss. But what kind of smart may be vastly different. I love the book 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Multiple Intelligences by Thomas Armstrong. His theory of multiple intelligences transformed my thinking about what it means to be smart—because in our culture, the traditional way we view smart is very limited. And limiting. Our society values logical and verbal smarts while often overlooking all the other amazing attributes that make each of us truly gifted.

So, you wonder, what exactly are the types of smart?

• Word Smart – expressing verbal intelligence

• Picture Smart – thinking with your mind’s eye

• Music Smart – Making the most of your melodic mind

• Body Smart – Using your kinesthetic intelligence

• Logic Smart – Calculating your mathematical and scientific abilities

• People Smart – Connecting with your social sense

• Self Smart – Developing your intrapersonal intellect

Oh, and he added two more in the revised edition: Nature Smart and Existence Smart, but stick with the list above and think about it for a minute. If you could get beyond your Myers-Briggs Personality and think about your wonderful type of smart (you’ll have a mixture of many, but one will shine), how would that help you appreciate the world? Couldn’t you see yourself being less self-critical?

Same with your kids. My oldest is off-the-charts on picture smarts. It’s truly incredible, but it doesn’t translate necessarily into SAT or ACT tests. Meanwhile, my youngest is the music and people smart guy, so he has a lot of trouble sitting still in school and following rules. My middle son is pure word, logic and body smart. He’s the scholar athlete of the group, and he’s got all the types valued in traditional society.

Think about at the office. It’s never great to have your office physically divided with people smart people clustered together and logic smart people clustered together and kept apart. It inhibits the ability to learn from each other.

How can you better utilize the skills of each type of intelligence on your team—and celebrate them? As business moves to valuing emotional intelligence, creativity, intuition and team work, understanding yourself—The Real You and your particular brand of smart—makes sense. (Plus it bolsters your intrapersonal intellect.)

Cut throat competition is being replaced by collaboration and networking, giving, reaching out to others through an appreciation of their unique personal brands. To do that effectively, you need to know yourself. And, once you understand you and how truly smart you are, use that new lens to appreciate everybody around you just a little more.

Navigating new jobs and new personalities

If you’re one of those fortunate people who have found a new job, you’re probably busy learning the ropes and getting to know your new team. Each business and office environment is different. They all come with their own set of quirks and personalities. When starting a new job, it’s often important to understand everyone’s personality and how they interact. This also allows you to figure out who to watch out for…those pesky snarks.

While it may seem difficult to escape their negativity, dealing with snarks is a part of life. Here are a few things that will help you navigate those snark-infested waters.

· Protect your ideas. Whenever possible, avoid the middle man and take your original ideas directly to the boss.

· Don’t share your contacts with people who you suspect might use your relationship for their benefit only.

· Don’t rely on people-pleasers. Their inability to make decisions—especially unpopular decisions—means that you can’t depend on them when times get tough.

· Don’t share confidential information with complainers and whiners.

· Don’t share your dreams with bubble-busters. They’ll only bring you down.

Find the real people in your new environment, and stick with them. Looking for more business advice or snark-busting tips? Sign up for my tip of the week!