Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Toronto Panel of Experts: Canadian Small Business Women of the Month of October 2015

Kelly Farrell, Arti Sharma, Dwainia Grey, Cheryl Rankin and Catherine McGillivray are five dynamic women who will round up our Panel of Experts this year at our Toronto

Expo.  These women are experts in their own right and have made themselves available to support aspiring entrepreneurs.  The topic of this year’s panel is Women in Business and Technology.  The Panel of Experts discussion will take place at The Atantis Pavilion on November 8th, 2015 from 12:30pm to 2pm.  Admission is absolutely free.  Find out about our ladies below and for how you can meet them and ask your questions, go to www.immigrantsmallbizexpo.ca

Panelist Kelly

Panelist Arti Panelist Cheryl Panelist DwainiaPanelist Catherine

Social Media Expertise Should Never Be Free

Karima

Social media today is more than just friends getting together with friends online. It is a redistribution of wealth through the spreading of information. Social media expertise which facilitates this is at the very core of capitalism. The only problem is that most social media experts have been giving away their expertise for free and now that has become the expectation.

It starts simple enough. First I get asked to have some coffee. Then we’ll have some small talk. It won’t be long until the questions about social media begin. I’ve even received emails from friends I haven’t seen nor spoken to in years asking for advice.

We take the “social” component of social media very seriously today. I propose we begin focusing on the “media” component a little more.

Social Media Expertise Is a Skill Which Must Be Developed

Let’s be honest: social media hasn’t been around for very long. If you really stretch out the definition of social media, then some might point to the AOL chat rooms of the mid-1990s as the beginning of social media, but that’s not really accurate. In just a few years, there have been a few people who have dedicated their time to studying this phenomenon to know how it ticks. It becomes their passion.

When we are passionate about something, we love to talk about it. I give out a lot of advice myself that can be executed elsewhere, often without meaning to do so. The bottom line is this: social media experts are practitioners, advisors, consultants… and professionals.

I will not go into details about my expertise, except that I have been in the industry for over 15 years and have been involved in launching and growing some of the largest accounts in the business. I am also a hands-on strategist with an on-going online presence.

The time of a social media expert is valuable. It is worth more than the price of a cup of coffee. $5 for gourmet coffee, that is.

Here’s the Industry’s Double Standard

If you called up the average lawyer to talk about a legal problem, would they offer their advice for free?

Or what if you had a medical emergency and instead of going to the hospital, you expected to go to the doctor’s home to receive treatment?

How many teachers will come to a home after school to tutor a child who is falling behind in class?

Maybe you don’t need a college degree to become a social media expert, but that doesn’t mean the expertise isn’t valuable. There are numerous financial and brand recognition gains that can be built up over time thanks to social media expertise that no other type of media can provide. You can build leads for just dollars per prospect on social media – what other platform can say the same thing?

Integrating social media into any business opportunity is important. Creative ideas, defined objectives, and strategic concepts are all part of the package that comes with social media expertise. Some organizations may feel like this is expertise that is only worth a cup of coffee, but now more than ever, one truth still remains: you get what you pay for right now.

Getting a tidbit of advice for a cup of coffee is great. Getting the full package of social media expertise will forever change a business. That’s why it is worth the investment. If you’d like to book some time to meet with me, feel free to visit my website RedDotDigital.net, send me an email to Karima (at) RedDotDigital (dot) net or follow me on Twitter.

Karima-Catherine is the co-founder of Red Dot Digital, a digital agency that strives to deliver top-notch solutions to various clients.  Red Dot Digital drives real, meaningful, quantifiable business outcomes for companies. Karima-Catherine is also the co-moderator of #MMchat, a Twitter weekly forum which focuses on business, marketing and social media.  

Connect with Karima-Catherine:

karima@reddotdigital.net

Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest

Don’t Feel Overwhelmed By Your Social Media Networks

Aviary Photo_130605261112039905

As a business owner, engaging on social media can often feel quite overwhelming. With continuously changing newsfeeds, tweets and posts, and so little time to go through everything, it is very easy to feel frustrated with real-time online content.

Quite honestly, we’d rather forget about this part of online marketing too. I mean, there’s nothing better than looking out a window, instead of having your eyes glued to a (small) electronic screen. Unfortunately, our ideal job as a professional window gazer will have to wait for now.

Seeing as this is no longer the 20th century, social media networks have significantly changed how we as people communicate and do business. Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay. No matter how uncomfortable or overwhelming it might make us feel, we have to use it to further maximize our business potential.

So, here are three easy steps to lower your social media anxiety:

  1. Master One Social Media Platform At a Time

Each platform is going to have its challenges, limitations and advantages. It is important to take the time to understand each platform’s functions, as well as the company’s ability to integrate new features to better suit market demands. For instance, did you know that because Facebook is currently gaining ground on Youtube video posts it is ready to promote your video posts over you picture posts? Or did you know that Instagram users are 58 times more likely to like, comment, or share a brand’s post than Facebook users, and 120 times more likely than Twitter users?

Really mastering how to use a social media platform, and understanding its significant tech changes, is important to the well-being of you, your business and your clients. Don’t rush into it, take your time and learn through observation and research.

  1. Scheduling is Your Best Friend

Quality content is Queen when it comes to social media. Have thousands of followers doesn’t guarantee engagement, especially if your content is not relevant, hard to read or outdated. This is why you should take a time or day a week to sit down and research trends, events or news related to your sector or field of business. Combine this with your company’s latest product events and promotions, and you should more than enough material to start scheduling posts for the following week.

By using tools such as Hootsuite, Sprout Social or Buffer, your life will be a whole lot easier. Schedule the time and day for your posts (and in some cases even the perfect target market), and forget about the days  when you wondered if you have the time to post online.

  1. Make Time to Engage with Your Followers

Social media is called ‘social’ for a reason. That’s why I like to recommend clients to set time aside to engage with their followers. Retweet, share or repost followers’ interesting, relevant posts. Interact, connect, follow-back and ask for feedback whenever possible. By doing so, you’re actively building brand-recognition and working towards customer loyalty and trust.

Most importantly, be respectful and have fun while engaging with others online. Give your business that unique voice that only you can give it.

Written by Marisol and Silvia Fornoni, Founders of JDC.

JDC supports socially conscious organizations with finding sustainable ways to tell their stories using visual design, engaging content and non-traditional media. We help you with anything from organizing fundraising campaigns to web design and social media management.

http://www.joint-development.com

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

The Biggest Mistake Made When Networking!

 yvonne

A few months ago I attended a networking event where someone walked up to me, and the first thing they did was give me a business card, spoke barely a few words and walked away, and I noticed they did the same with others, distributing their business card. I was at another networking and business event, where someone brings out a BIG bundle of business cards to give me one, and this left me speechless, but with a strong desire to revisit the art of networking.

Considering the amount of information out there on effective networking, one could be forgiven for assuming the art of networking would be common knowledge. The biggest mistake that unfortunately is still happening is when people see networking as an opportunity to ‘sell’, ‘promote’ or ‘get’ as much possible to their benefit.

Networking can be described as the process of interacting or engaging in communication with others for mutual assistance or support. Note the word ‘mutual’? When networking is done properly, its benefits can be endless, and includes making business contacts, establishing new friendships or relationships, or seeking advice and information.

Networking is not a race to distribute as many business cards or get as many cards as possible. Yes networking is effective for building your professional career or business, and I can testify to having great results from networking, but this happened when I was being present in the moment, being authentic, and interested in the other person.

From my own experience, trainings attended and reading done, one key point that cannot be overemphasised is that ‘Networking is about building Relationships’. Only in getting to know someone and vice versa can a need be met effectively. We need to change our mindset from focusing on not just what we can get, but to also what we can give. The law of nature and reciprocity has proven that in giving we are bound to receive.

 How to Network Effectively

  1. Prepare beforehand by having a positive attitude and think of what you would like to achieve from attending i.e. meet two new people today. However, keep an open mind at the event, which could open you to receiving more than you expected.
  2. Have your elevator pitch/speech ready on how to introduce yourself effectively; short, to the point and effective.
  3. If you feel lost, nervous or struggle to join a group that is already in conversation, find someone on their own and introduce yourself.
  4. Develop the art of small talk; start a topic in relation to the event you are presently at, a related current affairs topic or admire something about the person you want to start the conversation with. Some simple conversation starters include ‘great event…’, ‘Is this your first time here…’
  5. Listen and focus your attention on who you are talking with, imagine how you would feel if you were talking with someone and they are constantly looking around or at their cell phone.
  6. Use open-ended questions that will help keep the conversation flowing, as opposed to closed-ended questions that solicit a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
  7. When you receive a business card. Write a note on it to help jog your memory for the next time you look at the card.
  8. Make sure you follow up after events; it could be call to say hello or how well you enjoyed meeting them. This helps to create a connection that you can work towards building.
  9. Networking does not start and end with formal events, you can also network effectively at social events and online on social media.

We are constantly faced with opportunities to network in the many facets of our lives, and what you do with your opportunity has the capability to positively and significantly impact your life or not.

Share some of your networking stories or tips with us below. What do you think of Networking?

To learn about Yvonne’s latest book on Changing your Mindset for greater results, visit http://www.oliveblue.com/changeyourmindset/

Yvonne is an Author, Speaker, Change Consultant & John Maxwell Leadership Coach who is passionate about working with Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Organisations to help implement change they want and achieve their goals.   

She can be reached at: www.oliveblue.com . www.facebook.com/oliveblueinc . www.twitter.com/oliveblueinc.www.youtube.com/ChangeYouWantTV

Kelly Farrell: Canadian Small Business Woman of the Month of February

Kelly headshot (2)

Kelly Farrell is the Founder and Chief Facilitator of Teach Me Social, a visionary company that has a mission to empower small business entrepreneurs to take control of their own online presence and manage it in-house to maintain an authentic voice for their brand. Teach Me Social has been providing valuable Social Media and online marketing support to small business owners for 3 years now, while Kelly’s personal experience in the marketing and Social Media realm extends over 15 years.

Kelly has been teaching elementary school professionally for over 10 years, 7 of those have been teaching Middle School at Star Academy in Mississauga where she also manages the school’s online and community presence. Before teaching in Ontario, Kelly taught Grade One for 2 years at an International school in Colombia, South America, gaining an international perspective on curriculum, child development and early engagement in internet communication to keep in touch with family and friends back home!

A well-travelled and well-read individual, Kelly is also an independent mother of an ambitious eight-year old daughter. As such, Kelly has a unique perspective to offer her clients, gaining participation and attention in her sessions by energizing participants and inspiring them to dive into the Social Media world while providing valuable skills, tips and strategies they can use to construct their online presence at their own pace.

Teach Me Social was launched in 2012, providing 1:1 tutorials and advice to small business owners to manage their social media on their own. The need for Kelly’s unique approach to teaching the ins and outs of Social Media was quickly evident and she began facilitating group workshops and seminars to a wide range of audiences. Teach Me Social continues to grow, offering small business owners a chance to understand and take ownership of their social media strategies, adding authenticity to their online presence.

 

Our Q & A with Kelly Farrell

 

*What inspires you?

I am inspired by the achievements of others. I love sharing in the success of others and revelling in the joy that achievement brings. I have always fed off the energy of others, and having a business where I constantly can help bring about growth and success for my clients energizes me to continue to do what I do.

*As a small business owner, what achievements make you most proud?

I am incredibly proud that my business has reached its 3 year anniversary! What began as a friendly endeavour to help fellow Mompreneurs gain control of their Social Media has bloomed into a unique approach to Social Media learning that has become sought after. Presenting at the Canadian Small Business Immigrant Women’s Expo was a huge milestone for me, as it was a diverse audience, full of new faces eager to learn and listen to what I had to say. I was humbled by the support and encouragement from the room full of passionate, driven business owners.

*What advice would you give to other aspiring small business owners?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a similar village to run your own business! I would never be where I am today without the valuable support and guidance from friends and family. Attending networking events has provided incalculable support and advice for growing my business and staying on track in a realistic, yet motivated way.

*What new things can we look forward to from your business in the upcoming year?

Teach Me Social will continue to bring cutting edge support and advice on Online Marketing and Social Media to small business owners in the form on group workshops, seminars and large group presentations. Stay tuned for announcements on a special “Boot Camp” style series of workshops coming in Spring 2015, with the possibility of online accessible workshops coming in the summer!

 

Connect with Kelly via Facebook, Twitter, Website, Instagram, Linkedin 

info@teachmesocial.ca or via phone at 647-894-3511

 

 

Dwainia Grey: Canadian Small Business Women of The Month of May 2014

Dwainia Grey

Dwainia Grey is the woman behind Awesome Biz Online and Supporting Small Biz.ca. Dwainia has over fourteen years experience in marketing / merchandising.

Since 2000, she has been helping small businesses develop business and marketing plans, as well as providing online marketing through web design, search engine optimization and social media.

Dwainia is dedicated to not only promoting what’s awesome and unique about your company but also helping you increase your sales with online marketing. Awesome Biz Online’s mission is to get every business online with custom websites and for every business to be found on the Internet via online marketing using such tools as Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Management and Online Reputation Management.

Dwainia is an advocate for growth, personal growth and business growth and that is why she continuously looks for opportunities to learn and expand her business through customized solutions. By empowering herself she is able to help her clients succeed.

 

Our Q & A with Dwainia Grey

*What inspires you?

Helping and motivating others inspire me. What I do and my knowledge can make a difference for many small businesses. Being able to offer to help businesses inspires me to keep growing my business and helping others to succeed.

My son is also a big inspiration for me. As being a parent has driven my decision to become an entrepreneur.

 

*As a small business owner, what achievements make you most proud?

As a small business owner seeing other businesses succeed because I assisted makes me most proud. Knowing that a business has become more successful due to my efforts is just AWESOME!

On a personal level I am very proud of being an entrepreneur for ten years. My business is continuously evolving an I am currently expanding into new directions with coaching, training and consulting.

I am very excited to teach the WordPress Bootcamp on June 8, 2014 at the Microsoft Store  at Square One, Mississagua.  I am also now officially open for online marketing consulting.
*What advice would you give to other aspiring small business owners?

I would tell other aspiring small business owners that owning a business is not easy. Be prepared to put in work and get your hustle on!  Stay true to your vision and don’t give up. Also be flexible – the vision you started with may not be the one you end up with but as long as it’s still yours and your passionate about it you can succeed.

*What new things can we look forward to from your business in the upcoming year?

In the coming year, I will be providing more WordPress and Social Media Workshops, 1-on-1 online marketing coaching, and online marketing business consulting. I  also plan to release more Do-It-Yourself (DIY) online marketing tutorials to help businesses.  The first one is available now forFacebook.

Dwainia Grey has been helping small business succeed for over 10 years and is proud to be a contributor at Canadian Small Business Women. You can contact Dwainia at:

 AwesomeBizOnline.com,Facebook/AwesomeBizOnline, Twitter/@DeathOfAWebsite, Google+/AwesomeBizOnline, Pinterest/AwesomeBizOnline, Youtube/AwesomeBizOnline  and LinkedIn

How to Get Good Online Reviews

HWTGGOR

Online Reputation Management is not only about monitoring your online reputation it is also about soliciting reviews.

Below are some surefire ways to get people talking about you online.

Compliments

If someone says something nice about you, your employees, your products / services or your company ask them for permission to use it in your marketing.

Testimonials

As part of your sales process you should always ask for customer testimonials / feedback. Get your customers to write testimonials you can use on your website and other marketing materials, then ask if they would write a Google+ review.

Review Sites

Point potential customers to check out your review site profiles. Even before you start working let customers know that it’s part of your process to get customers to post reviews – this gets them in the proper mindset. When the work is completed don’t forget to ask them to write a review.

Promotions

Depending on your type of business you can use promotions to solicit feedback. A restaurant could offer 10% off your next visit after you post a review.  (Please note it is unethical to buy reviews and most review sites will remove paid reviews. However offering a discount to get any feedback good or bad is allowed.)

Email

You can send an email to satisfied customers to “Spread the Word” after your work is complete that will ask for a testimonial and a Google+ review.

Website

Have a dedicated page on your website for customer reviews / testimonials. Also make it easy for people to leave reviews either by email or via a form.

Be active in your Online Reputation Management and solicit reviews.

Dwainia Grey is an online marketer at Awesome Biz Online. She creates
awesome websites and blogs for businesses as well as working with
companies to optimize their websites with Search Engine Optimization and
Social Media. She can be reached at Awesome Biz Online or by phone at 647-799-1090 x 104. You a can also follow her on Facebook to get the latest on online marketing.

How To Succeed At Internet Marketing

Kerry George (1)

Internet marketing is no longer brand new. Many companies are having success with internet marketing. Some are using Google Ad Words, others are advertising on Facebook, many are creating YouTube videos. Each of these strategies can help, but here are five other simple techniques that you may not have thought of.

1. Use all of the free stuff.

You can have a Facebook business page, a Twitter page, a Google+ profile and a LinkedIn profile for free. YouTube, blogs, and Hootsuite are also free. When people look up your company they will usually look you up next. Give them something to see under your name by filling out your complete profile. When we look up your name the first page on Google should have a lot of current information that is all about you.

2. Use your photos.

Brand your face to your company and to your product by using your photo. Use your picture on your social media platforms. Use it at the end of your blogs with a bio and with contact information. In your computer store your photos with your name in the name of the photo. When you use your picture online add your name into the alt tag on the photo and also use a #yourname as a keyword when posting an article. When we look you up online we should find current and professional photos of you that dominate your name search. A few short months of dedicated photo posting can change your online persona.

3. Put your phone number on everything.

The purpose of using internet marketing is to get more clients and to write more business. The bottom line is the bottom line. In order to converts hits to a website into paying customers the website needs your phone number to be prevalent. However, there is a lot more that can be done with a phone number. Be sure that your phone number is on your LinkedIn profile right in the summary, not just in the contact information. Not everyone can see your contact info. If they have no LinkedIn profile themselves but instead found you on the first page of Google while searching your name, they can’t see your contact info. They can see your profile info. Also put your phone number right into your automated postings on Twitter and LinkedIn at least a quarter of the time. Phone numbers now show up on smart phones as something that can be immediately dialed. Why make anyone hunt for it?

4. Blog, blog, blog…

There are so many reasons to blog. Articles establish you as an industry leader. Google loves fresh content and ranks your website higher by your consistent blogging. Blogs can be posted on LinkedIn and Twitter and other social media channels drawing your following from those places to your website blog. You can have an engaged audience that regularly follows you and even establish raving fans that give you credibility and they repost your material spreading your marketing for you. Blogging should be posted at least once a week to build a loyal following, however it can be written once a month and programmed to post each week.

5. Post consistently.

You have them following you like the Pied Piper. Now give them something to follow. Twitter and LinkedIn should have postings every day of at least 4 times. Facebook needs different postings with pictures, positive statements and visual stimulus a few times a week minimum. If you have no time, use Hootsuite or another aggregator. Write your posts in one afternoon and program them all at once during the month. Then you can be living your busy life going from meeting to meeting and still be posting on an ongoing basis.

Hope these 5 tips help you to become more successful at your internet marketing!

Kerry George is the owner of the Canadian Imperial Business Network which is currently the largest business network in Alberta and rapidly expanding across the country. She is a serial entrepreneur/author and speaker with a zest for life and a passion to help others succeed in increasing their potential and their bottom line. Kerry has several publications and blogs that you can follow and welcomes most interaction online.

Twitter

@createloyalty2U

@CIBNtweets

@yycbiznetwork

Blogs

http://loyal2u.blogspot.ca/

http://calgarybiz.net/blog-3/

http://kidsincowtown.wordpress.com/

http://loyal2u.ca/category/social-media-2/linkedin/

Take Control of Your Online Reputation Management

TCORM

Many small businesses that don’t take online marketing seriously are unaware that their reputation online may not match their local reputation.

It is possible that a disgruntled customer, former employee, or even a competitor is putting up bad reviews about you.

When 97% of consumers use online search when researching products or services it pays to know what people are saying about you online.

It is just plain crazy to think just because your business does so well locally that no reputation management needs to be done online.

It is erroneous to think that your customers are so loyal that they will disregard bad reviews. Small business owners need to pay even more attention to Online Reputation Management (ORM) – If you don’t take control of your online reputation, someone else will!

Start Your Online Reputation Management Today!

1. Assess your online reputation

Start assessing your online reputation by performing searches on the major search engines: Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  Don’t just search for your business name but also search for your products, your highest-profile employees, your own name, and any usernames or handles you use on any other site.

2. Customer Service

Always address customers’ comments, and complaints. Be proactive about customer feedback and even more so about customer service. When customers reach out on social media it is usually because emails and phone calls have been ignored. When phone calls and emails go unanswered, customers feel as though they have no other option but to make themselves be heard.

Have a customer service policy in place to respond to phone calls and email in a timely manner.

Monitor social media sites for conversations about you and your business and be prepared to join the conversation.

3. Address the issue

If a complaint or bad review is legit, take the time to acknowledge and offer solutions. A mistake some companies make is to fight back but that only escalates the issue and makes you look worse. Remember to offer positive feedback.

Bonus

4. Reputation Repair

Sometimes it may be impossible to remove a false review or complaint. You can fight bad reviews by soliciting and posting good reviews. Get your satisfied customers online to spread the word about your great products and services.

It’s time to take your online marketing seriously and take control of your online reputation by monitoring, responding and getting positive feedback.

Dwainia Grey is an online marketer at Awesome Biz Online. She creates
awesome websites and blogs for businesses as well as working with
companies to optimize their websites with Search Engine Optimization and
Social Media. She can be reached at Awesome Biz Online or by phone at 647-799-1090 x 104. You a can also follow her on Facebook to get the latest on online marketing.

How Much Should You spend On Marketing?

Kerry George (1)

The amount that you spend on marketing has many different factors to take into consideration. For instance if you are starting a new business and you are well funded or going for a grant you will want to spend a larger percentage on marketing. Nobody has ever heard of you. You need to break into the market place. You will want to define who you are with your branding and put together a website, social media platforms, printed brochures, business cards and more that matches. You will want to carefully select a few strategic partnerships that can work with you to put out your marketing pieces, such as taking a spot in an annual magazine or working with someone to take part in a larger tradeshow. You may want to gather email addresses and build a loyal following using email marketing. Some time and thought should go into this process along with some study to wisely select some of the best pieces to your marketing puzzle.

Sometimes we go online and we see what others are doing, but one needs to compare apples to apples. Your company may not be coming from the same place. A well-established company such as Coca-Cola may only spend 4% a year on marketing. That still equals millions of dollars and the percentage may be enough for them because they are maintaining a presence. They are not trying to create a presence out of thin air.

Your brand new under-funded start up may need to do a lot of online marketing using profiles and setting up free channels. That may work for a while but the reality is that your business is going to have ups and downs. While you are on an upward rise financially you get very busy and you stop doing the things that got you there. That is when you better have your automation in place or else you will need to hire someone to keep the posting consistent.

So what is the right amount to spend?

There is no set number but here is the deal: You can’t afford to not be marketing. Marketing cost money, but it also is the machine that brings in money. So you can’t afford to shut the machine off or even to let it idle. The cost to stop marketing is far greater in lost sales.

In 2013 I worked with a couple of partners and founded www.cibn.ca a business networking organization in Calgary, AB. This new company had a unique advantage. As the CEO I also owned an online marketing company called www.loyal2U.ca and therefore had access to a team of people who created marketing materials and already owned a platform that could promote the CIBN across the city. By using simple online marketing strategies over and over we grew the engaged following of the Canadian Imperial Business Network to over 330,000 people in less than 9 months. The phone rings on a regular basis now as people have found us. Our blogs are viewed by a vast number of people weekly. Our posts are re-posted by fans all across the region and beyond. Sometimes we get interest in attending our events from as far away as New York City. People recognize my face and the faces of the other partners when we are out in the community. I often hear them talk about how they have been following our progress for years. That is quite remarkable for a company that is less than one year old. Why do they think that? It is because of perception. In online marketing, perception is everything. We make a bold statement online. We are everywhere. Our LinkedIn profiles are pimped out. Our Facebook pages are regularly updated. We put out a lot of new content every month and we tweet about it regularly from multiple Twitter accounts. Perception has made us as huge as our market.

You can also grow a large following of people in a relatively short period of time. Use the simple steps of marketing over and over again and invest in yourself. We invested a lot into marketing. We pulled 16 hour days to get more onto the website after the day’s work was done or to get one more blog article written. We often went without other things and took smaller paychecks. We made careful choices, watched the results and then reinvested again when something worked. We partnered with others. We bartered when necessary. We spent and spent and spent to make it happen, but now it is happening.

Do not accept the reality that nobody knows who you are. Create a new reality. Use whatever is free. Use whatever you can trade. Use your connections. Use your head and be smart. Use boldness. Use a percentage if you need to but understand that nothing equals no return. The larger you pour out your marketing, the bigger the benefits later.

The Answer To The Question

The answer to how much should I spend is this: Spend whatever it takes. Keep spending and keep trying until you are making so much money you don’t have time to spend it all. Then spend some more, create an exit strategy and sell your business. When you successfully own your business and it no longer owns all of you and all of your time, you are good to go.

Happy Marketing!

Kerry George is the owner of the Canadian Imperial Business Network which is currently the largest business network in Alberta and rapidly expanding across the country. She is a serial entrepreneur/author and speaker with a zest for life and a passion to help others succeed in increasing their potential and their bottom line. Kerry has several publications and blogs that you can follow and welcomes most interaction online.

Twitter

@createloyalty2U

@CIBNtweets

@yycbiznetwork

Blogs

http://loyal2u.blogspot.ca/

http://calgarybiz.net/blog-3/

http://kidsincowtown.wordpress.com/

http://loyal2u.ca/category/social-media-2/linkedin/

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