A Thanksgiving Message for Entrepreneurs
Business advice and Thanksgiving Wish for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
A week from today is Thanksgiving and I can already tell women entrepreneurs are spreading their time between personal and entrepreneurial duties. It’s difficult at times to run a business during a major holiday. There are meals to cook, kids to bring home from college, and family planning visits. Juggling the business to-do-list and your holiday preparation list can be tricky. But today’s blog post is to simply remind you with a week to go before Thanksgiving what this holiday means and what I think you should do in the next week.
The “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by early Americans to thank God for guiding them safely to the New World. The first feast lasted three days, providing enough food for 13 pilgrims and 90 Indians. Then in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving which has become a popular holiday in the United States.
Everyone has a holiday they enjoy the most. I personally love Thanksgiving for a number of reasons. With two college age sons, the holiday means more because our family is reunited. Their presence in the house makes me feel complete. With most of my extended family living outside of New York, it provides a chance to have other loved ones at our table. As a special event planner, it gives me the chance to create, cook and serve a delicious meal on a table adorned with my grandparent’s china and pink roses.
As a woman entrepreneur, it gives me an opportunity to be grateful for my work and the amazing women I represent, see and promote throughout the year. Just like Thanksgiving, event days are my favorite days because different women in various regions around the state gather around tables to share lessons with others. Just like at my own dining room table, the conversation is warm, inviting and supportive.
Take some time in the next week before you leave for the holiday to:
1. Send a “Thank You” card to your largest accounts or customer telling them you appreciate their business.
2. If you have staff and a small budget, considering purchasing a grocery gift card and give it to them so they can buy the holiday turkey or ham with it.
3. If you have a corporate blog, consider writing your own personal “Thanksgiving” message for your readers.
4. Be thankful for your health and wellbeing since we need both to be successful entrepreneurs.
5. Remember to thank your significant other, if you have one, for their support of your entrepreneurial dreams.
Today’s blog post is also to thank all the women who have been part of my company Women TIES this year. Whether you read our blog, attend one of our 40 New York State events or have been a member for one month or eight years, your presence in this organization is something I appreciate. I hope you take time to thank the clients, vendors, staff and supportive women who have helped you and your business this year.
From my home to yours, I wish everyone a wonderful holiday. You will be remembered as I sit down and count my blessings. Thank you for living out the Women TIES mission, reading our blog, participating in our events and believing in the buying and selling power of women. Enjoy your holiday. Business can wait.
Serendipitous Business Moments
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
I love serendipity; those occasions in life when fate, fortune and destiny are wrapped into an experience. They can come in a blink of an eye or after an hour long experience. They can be watershed moments that confirm something you know to be true. They are powerful, purposeful and perfect.
As I sat with 60 women yesterday listening to Kitty Van Bortel, Founder of Van Bortel Cars, describe so beautifully the challenges and victories of becoming the first female car dealership in Rochester and growing her company to 280 employees and 150 million in sales, I experienced serendipity. It came as Kitty described her shear fortitude for success in a male dominated industry and then her validation of the importance of the Women TIES mission as she said, “Until Tracy spoke about the Women TIES mission of putting more money in the hands of other women, I wouldn’t of thought about it and yet it so important after experiencing what I have throughout my career. From now on, my company will start making more purchasing decisions based on the Women TIES mission and buying from more women owned companies.”
As a long time entrepreneur who wonders whether to share my mission at every single event even though half the audience already knows it, I knew in that serendipitous moment I should and so should every woman running her own company today. You don’t know who will hear your rationale for being in business and commit on the spot to doing business with you or spreading your message to others. For a woman with the buying power of this highly successful woman to say she’ll start putting more of her money in the hands of other women because I shared my message means more women will be earning money. As one attendee said to me as she left, “You must be so proud that she heard your mission and will act on it.”
Today’s blog post is to inspire you to share your personal and corporate mission more often than not; even when you think people have already heard it. There will always be new people in the room to be moved by it, act on it and then share it. We have to remain the strongest advocates for ourselves and our businesses doing whatever is necessary to convey its purpose in order to help ourselves and our clients.
I hope your week ahead is full of serendipitous moments when you realize with 100% conviction that your entrepreneurial purpose is exactly what it is suppose to be. Stay wrapped up in the moment as long as you can and let the memories of the feeling carry you forward to a more successful future.
Business Advice: “Running” Your Business The Right Way
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
The purple sneakers I wear every day to run have a new meaning for me after listening to Eileen Griffin, Co-Owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Syracuse, speak at the YWCA Spirit of the American Woman luncheon. Fleet Feet has a fantastic brand name in Syracuse because it is the number one place to get the perfect pair of running shoes.
When I bought my sneakers a year ago, I was greeted by a friendly staff person, who escorted me to an inside track so she could evaluate my running style and footwear needs and then proceeded to show me a number of sneakers until we found the perfect ones. I didn’t know when I was buying the shoes this top-notch business was run by a woman.
Yesterday Eileen shared her story with the audience. I took away many business nuggets to share with my readers today:
*Eileen said, “I don’t want to be called a running store or a retail store; I want Fleet Feet to be in the “changing life business.” Entrepreneurs sell and produce specific items but shouldn’t we all be looking at our business the same way Eileen is by believing and acting as if what we do is “changing the lives” of our customers?
*Like most entrepreneurs, Eileen and her husband Ed performed every business duty themselves. They did their jobs so well that they got a lot of referrals so they had to “grow” and add staff. They have done this well by making sure their staff always has an outlet for feeling good and giving them more leadership opportunities in management.
*When the Griffin’s opened a second location, they wanted to make sure the brand experience from the first store was exactly the same as the brand experience in the second store. They want anyone walking into either storefront to know “This is Fleet Feet.” Make sure you are consistent with your branding especially if you expand.
*In order to keep growing, Fleet Feet added sponsoring races and even creating their own race to bring more visibility to their business. Eileen said it’s not possible to stand still in business; you must keep looking ahead and adding new services to enhance your company. By adding races, they expand their outreach and client base.
Eileen’s last piece of advice was simply “to have fun running your business.” The next time I put on my purple Fleet Feet sneakers to run off my entrepreneurial stress, I’ll keep that statement in mind. I hope you do to!
Improve Your Business: Be Helpful
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
As I stood in the breathtaking TD Boston Garden after watching my son help manage the Boston College Men’s Basketball team in a Coaches vs. Cancer tournament this weekend, I wondered where to go in this vast arena to meet my son after the game. He had instructed us to follow the other parents on the court to the gathering space near the locker room. As we approached the court, we were hindered from going further by a young man who didn’t believe my story. After asking me 15 minutes of questions about exactly where I was suppose to go and why and then seeing the crowd of parents disband, I got very frustrated with his inability to trust what I was saying and letting us down to the court.
Determined to not let this person stop me, I walked into the concession area and found an elderly security guard, told him my plight and asked him to help me find our son. He immediately trusted what I said, showed me down the back stairs to the private locker room area and left me there. With a warm, trusting smile on his face, he relaxed my tension and gave me back my faith in Boston Garden employees.
The business lesson I learned from this experience was, “Either you decide to be trusting and cooperative to a customer or you don’t. It’s that simple.” I’m sure security is tighter after the Boston Marathon bombings but at some point you have to trust that people are good, innocent and need your assistance.
My question to you today as an entrepreneur is, “Are you a trusting, cooperative person? Or aren’t you?” If you are, can you imagine the pleasure you bring to people who contact you or work with you? It’s not always easy to do but it’s a gift to the people you are dealing with.
If you are someone who makes doing business with your company or communication difficult on a regular basis, have you stopped to realize the negative impact your behavior causes vendors, customers or employees? Not only do you dampen the interest and energy of someone returning to do business with you, but they leave with a poor image of your company that might be shared with others.
Life doesn’t have to be hard. Business doesn’t have to be difficult. Making life easier for others – whether in business deals, helping clients with simple problems or handling complex situations – is always a better way of living and doing business. Choose to be helpful. It will set you apart from others.
Landing Major Media Coverage
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
As I checked my website statistics yesterday, I realized I had an increased amount of hits coming from different sources. As I clicked on the source links I discovered business tips I had submitted to different media sources were picked up and posted in several online articles. Yesterday’s date of 11-12-13 was suppose to be a lucky day and to tell you the truth it was a lucky marketing day for the Women TIES website.
Women entrepreneurs are always hoping to get some airtime either on their local TV station, in the newspaper or in a industry print publication. What I’ve learned after two decades in business is it is up to us as the leader of our company to be constantly reaching out to media to get our names published. Luck doesn’t just come our way, we have to make our own luck – especially when it comes to major media attention.
The main source of receiving national attention for my company which has landed Women TIES in Inc., Self Magazine, Family Circle, SmallBizTechnoloy.com and even a Chicken Soup for the Soul book called Power Moms, was using HARO or “Help A Reporter” who connects news sources with journalists looking for their expertise. Three times a day I receive a news feed with media looking for people to contribute information for articles, books, online stories, television and radio appearances. It’s a daunting task to review the long list of requests but in doing so just this past month, I have landed two major national media appearances and two regional online stories for Women TIES.
My time spent every morning reading and responding to queries is because I want to gain more attention for my company and ultimately my members hoping the additional PR will help their SEO rankings, land them a new client or just brand their corporate name. By dedicating one hour a day to securing national attention, I keep giving Women TIES major media visibility.
Today’s post is to encourage you to sign up for HARO at www.helpareporter.com and spend one hour a day reviewing the list of topics they post. Write a short response to the request the day you receive the email. Keep a copy of the query and your response in a file on your computer. You won’t land promotion every time you submit something but I am proof you can land major media attention if you are dedicated to trying.
Remember you don’t need a lucky day like 11-12-13 to be the catalyst behind extraordinary media attention, you need to commit to going after major media on a daily basis to elevate your company’s brand nationally.
The Importance of 150% Business Moments
Yesterday as I listened to Francis Battisiti, Ph.D., Professor at SUNY Broome Community College, speak at a conference for women entrepreneurs, he asked the audience to think about their 150% business moments. What is a 150% business moment? The moments when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are doing exactly what you are suppose to be doing with your life.
The significance of the question settled in my heart as I choose to spend my 49th birthday traveling very early in the morning two hours to this event to support the woman who produced the event Ginny Roberts, Owner of Business Plans That Rock and the keynote speaker Joleene Moody of JoleeneSpeaks another member. Determined to spend my birthday supporting other women seemed like a perfect tribute to the life I was given.
Sitting amongst amazing women businesswomen when Dr. Battisti asked the question, I immediately wrote down my 3 powerful moments:
1. My first 150% moments occurs every single time two women from different regions meet and do business together. It was evident in this conference since Ginny from Binghamton hired Joleene from Pulaski to speak. There is nothing better than truly witnessing your entrepreneurial dream alive and working.
2. My second 150% moments are felt every time I write my weekly inspirational e-newsletter called “The Wednesday Wisdom” or a blog post and receive positive responses from women who say the writing helps them the moment they read it. Those moments inspire me to keep writing.
3. My third 150% moments are when I’m in the company of my husband and two sons peaceful and totally content. Little did I know when.
I arrived back home from the conference my youngest son, who went away to college this year, would surprise me by being home to celebrate my birthday dinner absolutely making my day.
So in the spirit of Dr. Battisiti, I ask you today, “What are your 150% moments?” What moments make you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, you are doing exactly what you are meant to do? When do you feel so satisfied that you know for certainty that you are living in your life’s purpose? Try to recall 2 to 3 times in your work and/or life when you were energized, engaged, and fulfilled. What moments brought out 150% of your energy, when you wanted to be doing the work, and the high performance and high fulfillment came together for you? What was it about that experiece that brought out your 150% percent?
In the spirit of my joyous day yesterday, I hope you make time today to think about your 150% business moments. Jot them down. Keep them close. Read them often. It is those moments to keep close so you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you are doing exactly what you are meant to do.
Election Day Advice: If You Have to Choose – Vote Women
Advice for Women, Business Owners and Women Entrepreneurs
In September 2007, I did something I had never done before. I threw my personal and business support behind someone running for office. It wasn’t just someone – it was a woman- Joannie Mahoney who was running to be the first women to hold the position of County Executive in Onondaga County, New York. I felt the male dominated government in Onondaga County and Syracuse wasn’t helping to progress our city or county. I knew if a woman was elected there would be positive movement forward. I had met Joannie before and thought she would be perfect to run the county and make it stronger.
I contacted Joannie’s office and told them I would support and promote her through my company Women TIES. One sunny afternoon, I took a photo with Joannie which her office turned into 500 invitations that were delivered to me. I handwrote notes on each card and sent them to my membership base and women I knew in the community. I wanted to share my passion for supporting this woman to an elected position. I didn’t have a lot of money to donate but I did have time, connections and women who might listen to my suggestion.
When I woke up the morning after election and saw the photo of Joannie triumphantly exuberant on the front page of the Syracuse Post Standard with her sons at her side, I felt not only excited for her but for our county’s future. In our community female politicians have a way of reaching across the table to make deals happen, to listen to all sides of a problem, and to progress agendas that use to be stalled. In fact I see it in all women who hold the highest positions in government and higher educational institutions like Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley, and Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor. Women want to make a difference in their place of work and community. It’s a reason we need more women working in elected and higher professional positions.
So today I ask you to consider voting for as many women as you can on your community’s election ballot. If you don’t recognize the male or female name running for a position, choose to elect the woman. We need equal representation in government. Women bring a different quality to negotiating and compromising in the workplace. We need more female voices to be heard.
Our world is made up of an equal amount of men and women. It only makes sense to have an equal representation in government too. Vote women. Thank you!
Creating A Profitable Niche Business
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
My cousin opened a quaint coffeehouse two and a half years ago. For a number of reasons including lack of staff, being overworked and not earning enough profits, he closed the café to focus on his other profession. With the coffeehouse vacant for a year and customers yearning for him to reopen the business because they loved the atmosphere and food, he resurrected the café a month ago.
When I asked him how the business was going since reopening he said, “Fantastic! We have better weekly sales than we ever had before.” Intrigued, I asked him why he thought the restaurant was more successful this time around. His response inspired me to create this blog post with his answers. I think some of his procedures can help other entrepreneurs’ businesses today:
• We realized we were losing money being open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., 7 days a week. We created a limited service time based on when we knew we would have the best revenue flow. We are now open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and make more money in those three days than we ever did before. Tip: Analyze when your business is bringing in the most money – what time of year, what week, what day, what time and trim your hours to service your client’s buying patterns if you need to save money. Make sure to advertise your new times to your customers too.
• We also limited our menu to produce easier, higher profit margin choices to make the business more profitable from the start. By spending less money on ingredients and saving time by deleting menu items that didn’t sell has brought more revenue to the business at a faster pace. Tip: Understand the profit margin on everything you produce. Discover ways to provide high quality services or products at a lower price to increase your profit margins.
• We are excited to be in a niche market now within our community. We made sure our customers knew our café would be different than others – opened during limited times but serving the same fantastic food and warm atmosphere as before. Our customers flock to our store knowing we are open a limited period. Tip: If you are in a large market, think of ways to create a unique niche that serves your customers and you. Make sure to market your company properly and to communicate what makes you unique frequently.
It isn’t quantity that always produces the most profitable business; it can be the special niche of the enterprise that makes it much more lucrative.
If you are in Rome, New York and looking for a great cafe, stop by Kikkos KoffeeHouse on Turin, Road. You can find them on Urban Spoon! Tell them Tracy sent you.
Looking Forward in Business
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners
The weathered pages of my favorite book greet me each morning and inspire me with its words. The content is always fresh even though I’ve had the daily inspirational paperback for 7 years. Inspiration always feels like a bright light to me any time I feel it. This morning’s reading was entitled “The Best is yet to Come.” Although it was not written for women entrepreneurs, I always take away business wisdom from each chapter so the rest of this editioral was created by what I interpreted in today’s passage.
If you feel like you have already had many unbelievable experiences with your business, met incredible people, and visited new corporate horizons, it doesn’t mean there isn’t more to come. We aren’t allotted a limited amount of good times in life even though there are times when we feel our luck is running out. Sometimes when we are at the end of a business relationship, major project or affiliation, we feel sad losing the bond and saying goodbye.
We must always be willing to move forward taking the memories of great times, excellent clients, and successful projects with us. They will be retained in our memories. It’s when we cling onto things too long that they limit our ability to welcome new beginnings. Every ending is tied to a new start, always. The best thing to do is to accept the loss of something you have loved, cherish the memories and move on.
Today’s post is to inspire you to keep yourself open to the possibilities that lie before you, not what is behind you. Our lives are full of abundant opportunities. It is up to us to embrace and embark on new experiences with open hearts and minds. There are so many more places to see, a hundred more people to meet, challenging lessons to learn and joys to be experienced. What is lying ahead for you that you just don’t see yet? It’s an exciting thought.
I hope you walk through the threshold of any new door that is opening for you right now with the thought, “The Best is Yet to Come.” Transcend any limiting thoughts and trust what lies ahead is going to be truly wonderful.
The Value of One Hundred Dollars
Business Advice for Women Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Today is the first anniversary of devastating Hurricane Sandy catastrophe. I wanted to re-post the blog post I wrote one year ago because it has a valuable life and business lesson within it. I hope it inspires you today.
This morning as I listened to the morning news, I felt a strong desire to help the Hurricane Sandy victims and donated $100 to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The $100 is being matched. I know my small contribution will mean a hundred times that to one family.
I know because when I was in my mid-twenties, my father lost his job and had 3 small children at home. He called me with the news. Immediately I wanted to do something. My husband and I decided to buy them $100 worth of groceries. $100 to us at that time was a lot of money. My family was extemely grateful for the donation.
Yesterday at one of my regional events where women entrepreneurs can sell products to increase their holiday sales, I bought $100 worth of gifts from a couple business owners. Giving them money and supporting their business was impactful for them and me.
If you have forgotten the value of $100 dollars and how it can help someone today. Remember these facts about what one hundred dollars can do:
* It puts a full tank of gas in two people’s cars who can’t find or afford fuel.
* It provides a week of food for a family that’s hungry.
* It supplies warm blankets to a family waiting for heat.
* It produces 20 cases of bottled water to a family who’s thirsty.
I ask that anyone who follows me through my business connections, family ties or friendship, sends a donation to the American Red Cross today. It is easy to do and will bring a small amount of relief to our neighbors in New York and New Jersey.
The value of $100 is truly priceless when you give it out of love and compassion to help people you don’t know. Give and live generously.
Women TIES 