Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Bring the Thunder! From Publicity to Profits – Why you should Hire a PR Firm

Picture this, you’ve been in business for a few years and you feel it’s time to position yourself for further growth but you don’t know where to start. Even worse, you’re noticing your competitors in the news and on social media, and bloggers and influencers are talking about them as if they are all the rage.

Or perhaps, you’ve created your dream business, you’re excited about serving your target market and you’re eager to let them know that you’re not just here, you’re the best in the market, and yes, they should choose you! But how do you get noticed when your competitors seem to always get the publicity? They have the media mentions, they are the talk of the town and they are drowning you out and driving you crazy.

Chances are, they have hired a public relations (PR) firm to tailor strategies to speak about their brand, products or services. But never fear, you too can get in on the action. The key to getting started on your goal is hiring a firm whose focus is on curating laser-like tactics that are geared towards sculpting your image. This company would ensure that it accentuates the positive buzz-worthy happenings in your business, reaching your key demographics and media outlets that serve as their main touchpoints.

When done right, PR is one of the most powerful tools that you can use for creating visibility and turning passion into profits. The effectiveness of any campaign with proper brand messaging is based on its repetition and proliferation across various media outlets, through the right influencers, and, of course, at the right time. The good news? A PR firm is ready to get you started.

 

There are several reasons you should hire a PR firm, and here are a few of them to get you started:

 

We Bring the Thunder

Not sure how to best represent your company? Need to conduct market research? Are you unsure about the main messages that you would like to communicate about your product or service? Not sure what media channels to use and how to put your best foot forward with owned media – your website and social media channels? A PR firm offers a fresh external perspective to find the answers to all these and more. Deciding what you want to communicate about your business and how you want to communicate it is of paramount importance to your success. A PR firm has the team to bring brainstorming power to get you hand-picked solutions that work – after all, you need brand awareness to build a demand for your product or services. There is more to communication than meets the eye, and the right PR firm can help you craft your message to make it irresistible. Then you’ll be on your way to more publicity and more profits.

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.

We’re Your Gladiators

We are your fighters. We’re experts in the business arena and we will wage war to get you the results you need to create long term value. We strategise, we go for the jugular to execute, and we make it look good. As gladiators, your PR team lives and breathes communication. That means we are highly skilled at curating campaigns that feature your key selling points and brand messaging. Not only that, PR agencies are highly skilled at media relations, meaning they have well-established relationships they have fostered over time with top tier media outlets, industry spokespersons, and potential investors. They know how to get your messages published via the most appropriate media outlets to connect with your target market where they live, work and play (think magazines, newspapers, TV, radio shows, high profile websites, blogs, and podcasts). A huge bonus in hiring a PR firm, too, is that the teams are typically made up of professionals at various levels of their career – from the intern to the veteran journalist or corporate communications specialist with accolades under their belt. Cue meme mastery or journalistic skills which gives them an insider perspective on what makes a compelling brand story, or a newsworthy angle that will have your audience clamouring for more of your content.

 

Visual Ninjas? We’re all That and More

There’s something inherently visceral about arresting visuals that pull you in – the power of the right colour combinations and just that perfect pop. It creates a lasting first impression. Visual content marketing continues to play a huge role in creating buzz about your business. Think about it, statistics show that people remember about 80% of what they see, and 30% of what they read. Your audience is most likely to form their first impression in about 50 milliseconds, and it’s estimated that posts with images garner 650% higher engagement than posts with only text. That said PR firms specialize in telling powerful stories to connect with your audience. From social media graphics, to gifs, posters, infographics, ads, videos, that can enhance your connectivity with your audience, your visual ninjas get it done with stealthy precision.

 

Media Monitoring

Monitoring your results is just as important as getting the message out about your business, after all, how else will you measure the success of your campaign? Media Monitoring is the  process of reading, listening, checking and recording the coverage that comes through your PR outreach efforts – whether through traditional media (print and broadcast) – online or social media. PR agencies subscribe to various media monitoring channels and contact databases that other organizations don’t use, but can tap into once they forge a partnership. That way, the monitoring process is automated and allows you to continuously scan various platforms more efficiently and at a much quicker pace. Was your story picked up? Was it ever shared on other channels/outlets? What was the reach of the outlet that published it? These important questions are answered through effective media monitoring, and the results can help you to improve on messaging, gain market intelligence, understand which influencers are having the most impact on your brand, and gauge how you plan media outreach for further campaigns.

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.

 

So there you have it – proof that a PR agency brings several benefits to the table. Defining your key messaging and reaching your target audience are important ways to get started. With the right tactics, your PR gladiators will deliver added value and build long-term relationships with the key media outlets and influencers that share your brand stories. And, of course, monitoring those results will help you determine the success of your campaign and to figure out whether to ramp up your current PR machinery or to finetune your message for the best results. PR firms are flexible with various budget-friendly packages and payment options to get you started on your journey to more publicity and profits, so don’t be hesitant to reach out.

 

 

Kimesha is the CEO of Oasis Integrated Communications. She’s a seasoned PR professional with a passion for crafting meaningful stories that connect to people. An eternal optimist who thrives on perfecting solutions that marry creative brand experience with consumer engagement, she believes in tapping into the core values of a company and tailoring strategies that share their narrative and find affinity. Her experience spans public relations, corporate communications, marketing, social media and advertising across a range of industries. She has executed projects in Toronto, New York, and Jamaica where she has deftly managed some of the foremost brands across North America and the Caribbean.

 

IG@oasisintegrated

LinkedIn: @Kimesha Walters

 Website: www.oasisintegrated.com

Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Brand included in Gift Guides

You may not want to think about the holiday season quite yet, but with the introduction of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, you know it’s coming. That means you should be in holiday planning mode for your marketing strategy. What are you doing with your media relations? Being included in holiday gift guides can be a great thing for your business, but you need to do it right.

While you can take any approach and make it your own, here is a basic step by step guide to help you get your brand included in holiday gift guides.

Step 1: Plan your timing

Media outlets are in three general groupings when it comes to the lead time required. Lead time simply means how much time they need between when they decide to feature you to when the article gets published. The three groups are:

  • Long Lead: This usually includes magazines that are printed monthly or less. The lead time is generally 3 – 6 months in advance. If you do the math, you are already almost too late to hit up this group for their holiday gift guides if you want to see your brand in a print magazine. Keep in mind that a lot of publications are also shutting down their print publications and moving online exclusively.
  • Medium Lead: This includes publications that are printed weekly or every other week. They usually require 1 – 3 weeks lead time.
  • Short Lead: Short lead publications like daily newspapers, commuter papers, and online publications have a short turn around time. When it comes to gift guides, you can get away with pitching the same week, although giving more time is still advisable. They still have to work with an editorial team and an approvals process.

Step 2: Choose your featured product(s)

While you may love everything you sell, pitching too many products at once will get cluttered and confusing. Pick one to three products that you see as the best gifts to give. Ask yourself two questions:

  1. What type of gifts are they? (Eco-friendly, pampering, last-minute, stocking stuffers, under $20, etc)
  2. Who are they for? (For her, For him, your friend who has everything, the person who wants to save the world, etc.)

Get creative with your answers. It will help you make your products stand out more.

Once you have selected your featured products gather materials you may need for media. In particular, you will need high resolution product images. Your images should be on a white background. You can also have lifestyle shots as well, but the product images will be requested. In some cases, the publications will take their own pictures, but you should be prepared.

Step 3: Update your website

You don’t need a full overhaul of your website to get this type of campaign done, but you should make sure that your content and images are up to date, especially the pages with the featured products on them. If you are using the proper keywords on your site (ie. Eco-friendly, stocking stuffer, etc), there is also a good chance the media will find you if they are doing research for their gift guides (but you can’t rely on this hope, which is why you are creating a proactive outreach strategy!).

Step 4: Build your gift guide list

Create a list of at least 15 to 20 outlets that you want to target for your gift guide outreach. Indicate which ones are on the top of your wish list so you can give them extra attention if needed. Once you have your list, figure out the best person to reach out to. This requires a bit of internet digging or a media database like Cision to help you out. Larger publications will likely have a dedicated gift guide editor, otherwise it could be a section editor or a specific journalist.

After building your list of targets, look at their websites to see if they have an editorial calendar you can download. An editorial calendar is a planning tool for outlets. It lays out their topical publication schedule. Sometimes it is quite detailed and may give you insight into the types of products they are looking for for their gift guides.

You should also look at past gift guides to give you a sense of what types of products catch their eye and the language they use to showcase the products.

Step 5: Build your own buzz

The media likes to feature products that may already be getting some traction, so you should start pushing your product(s) out on social media more frequently. That way, when they see your pitch email, they can see some action happening and build on that momentum. Also keep in mind that the media does a lot of research on social media and they may come across your product without your pitch email if you are using the right hashtags.

Step 6: Pitch your product

Your pitch can make or break you regardless of how amazing your product is. To start, be specific with your subject line – not just that you have a great new product. Talk about a “great gift for a last-minute holiday gift guide” or “Eco-friendly gifts for your holiday gift guide.” Tailor your pitch emails and subject lines to each outlet to match the tone and topical focus for each audience.

In terms of your email, keep it short and stick to the benefits your product/service has rather than the features. Your email shouldn’t be longer than 4 short paragraphs at most (8 – 10 sentences). Utilize bullet points to help keep an easy reading flow (and to keep it short!). And make sure you include the price, where it can be purchases, and a link to your website.

Step 7: Follow up

You have three options here based on the response you get. If they said:

  1. Yes: Send samples, images requested, and any further information they need. Get it done as fast as possible (think same day!).
  2. No: Move on and don’t take it personally. Depending on the exchange, if you feel comfortable, you can ask for a reason (so you can learn for next time), otherwise, just cross them off your list.
  3. Nothing: Wait 3 to 5 days and send a follow up email. This is just a quick reminder, so keep it to one or two sentences long indicating you wanted to make sure they received your email and see if they were interested.

Step 8: Talk it up

You can get be included in 10 gift guides, but if you don’t make the most of the opportunity, you may not see the kind of return on your effort that you would like to see. Once the gift guide is published, it’s up to you to help spread the word and use it as an opportunity to build your own brand credibility. Some ideas are:

  • Put a link to the coverage on your website – create a “press” or “in the news” section
  • Share the link on social media – a lot
  • Scan a printed article and add the image to your website
  • Share the scanned image on social media

Doing gift guide outreach isn’t easy. It requires work and dedication to get it done, but it can help you increase your revenues and your overall brand visibility throughout the holiday season.

Candace Huntly is Founder and Partner at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Don’t Do Marketing & PR… Until you can answer these 5 questions

CHuntly

Marketing & Public Relations (AKA PR) should be an important part of your outreach strategy. After all, PR is defined as interacting with your public, and you need to do that to communicate your brand message to your audience. If you’re not trying to communicate with your audience, you are relying too heavily on the “if you build it they will come” strategy. In a world of social media and other online channels as well as all of the visual and informational bombardment on a day-to-day basis face-to-face, there is too much noise in the marketplace to wait for someone to notice you. You need to initiate the connection.

It can be tempting to jump on the first opportunity you see to get your brand “out there” without thinking too much beyond that you just want people to see you. However, just because it is the latest and greatest idea doesn’t mean it is the right one for your business.

You have a lot of options available to you when it comes to marketing and PR. The challenge for you as a small business owner is to pick the right options that will give you the highest return on your investment (of time AND money!).

Here are a few things you need to get straight before you jump on that latest and greatest idea you came across:

  1. What do you do? Be able to identify in detail what product or service you are selling.
  2. Who would be interested in what you have to offer? When you can answer this question, you will have identified your target audience.
  3. Why would your target audience want what you have to offer? This is an important step often skipped by entrepreneurs who are launching a business. You need to be able to articulate – in writing and when you are speaking to people – what makes your product/service so great. Along the same lines, identify what sets you apart from your competitors.
  4. Where does your target audience congregate? Do a bit of research to find out where they get their information from, what organizations they belong to, their social media habits, and what their buying habits are.
  5. What are your goals? Once you have identified who you are and who would be interested in what you have to offer, you need to set goals so you can identify what a successful marketing & PR campaign would look like for you. Is it sign ups? Website traffic? Awareness?

Once you have answered these five questions, you can sit down and use the information to decide what kind of marketing & PR strategy you should run. Your audience and your goals will dictate what channels you use to reach out and your product/service offering and differentiators will help you determine what type of content and messaging to use on each channel.

While it means you need to invest more time in the beginning to help set yourself on the right track, it is worth it in the long-term.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making the approach unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

How to develop your story for the media

CHuntly

Once you are ready to start planning for your media relations outreach campaign, the first thing you should do is make sure that what you have to say is relevant not only to your audience, but also to the media. You have to make sure that the story you are telling is the right mix of brand and human interest to make the media want to talk about.

Here are 5 ways to make sure that the story you are telling is media-worthy:

#1: Brainstorm

There are few things that are more satisfying than a great brainstorm session! The key is that whether you are having a solo session or a group session, no idea is a bad idea at the initial phase of the process. I like to get as many ideas on paper as possible then eliminate them one by one until I am down to the final 1 – 3 ideas. Then I look a bit deeper into those final ideas to make my final decision.

#2: Play Devil’s Advocate

I am sure you have heard that we are our own worst critic. Well, when you are taking your story to the media, this isn’t a bad thing. It will help you edit out the stuff that will weaken your story. Ask yourself tough questions and be hard on the idea. If you can answer to all of the things you are saying, then you know you have a great idea on your hands. If you are left more confused than ever, then you likely have to go back to the drawing board and tweak your idea some more.

#3: Compare to competitors’ stories

While you don’t necessarily want to get into a rut of “well they’re just doing it better,” you have to see what your competitors are doing so you can push yourself a bit when it comes to creativity as well as differentiating yourself. It doesn’t make sense to pitch the exact same story to the media as your competitors have done, however, you have to take into consideration whether they were successful with their story or not. If they were successful, look at similar elements you could focus on for your own story. If it wasn’t, then find a completely different approach.

#4: Talk about it

Once you have either narrowed down your options or you have landed on that great story, talk about it to family and friends. Gage their reaction. You can generally tell whether someone finds your idea interesting or not, and, on occasion you might find that friend who will be totally honest with you. Take the reactions and constructive criticism and apply it to your idea where appropriate.

#5: Develop consistent messaging

After your idea has been tweaked and criticized, you should have a great story idea to pitch. Now you have to build the foundation for your outreach by creating messaging that will be used throughout your pitches, media releases, media kits, etc. Your messaging document should be short points that outline your brand story. Consistency is key, and repetition will get you remembered.

 

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an award-winning agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making it unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

How to Build a PR Campaign

CHuntly

Now you know all about PR and what it can do for your business, it’s time to put together a fabulous campaign so you can start seeing great results. But where do you start?

Here are nine steps to building a great PR campaign:

  1. Set goals: What do you want to achieve?

What does success look like to you? Once you decide what the end game is, then you can decide how to get there. There is no point in putting together a strategy if you don’t know what you want to accomplish. In fact, you will find that your strategy will lack direction, which means you could end up doing things that aren’t right for your brand.

  1. Decide on your budget

This always seems to be the toughest thing for any business to do, especially small businesses or start-ups. There are a couple of things you should do before setting your budget. First, conduct a bit of research to determine industry best practices. If you plan to hire a third party to help you put your strategy together and execute, that also has to factor in. The two most important things to realize are that you won’t get anything for free and you need to be honest with yourself. Even if it’s time spent knocking on doors and you want to do it yourself, that is time spent away from your regular business operation – time is money. When you factor in a third party (like an agency), they usually base their fees on an hourly estimate. The cheapest is not always the best option, but neither is the most expensive. Find an agency that will work with your budget. You have to make sure that you are honest with how much you can spend and work within those parameters. If you are working with an agency, it’s frustrating for both parties if you say there is no budget and then you complain when you see the proposed quote that it is too high.

  1. Decide on your timeframe

Depending on what your campaign’s objectives are you can determine when you would like to start/finish your campaign. Make sure you are giving yourself enough time to get all the prep work done at the beginning!

  1. Identify your target audience

Is this campaign meant to target a niche audience? Perhaps there is an audience that you think your brand would be perfect for, but you haven’t really had the opportunity to tap into it yet. Decide who you want to reach and then make sure you learn everything you can about them – where do they go online? Who influences their decision-making? How do they like to learn about new brands? Etc.

  1. What is your story?

Determine what story you are telling. That means finding the unique sweet spot that will make your brand stand out from the rest of your competitors. You need to be able to identify why this is important for your target audience.

  1. What channels do you want to utilize?

With so many options available to you, you need to reign yourself in a bit. Don’t spread your budget and time too thin by trying to target too many channels at once. Once you have identified your target audience, then it should become clear as to what channels you can and should use. Keep in mind that your channels may be determined partially by your budget!

  1. Research

At this point in your planning, you need to research different aspects of your strategic choices. If you are having an event, what other events are on the same day in your city/industry that would conflict? Have any of your competitors done similar things? Did it work for them? How can you make your idea unique? What are the costs associated with what you would like to do? Educate yourself on what you need to know before putting your strategy into action.

  1. Create a critical path

A critical path is just a fancy name for a timeline. Work backwards from your end goal and note major milestones you would like to hit in your campaign. Then flesh it out by putting in tasks and who is responsible to get each task done. The best way to track this is to set up a chart. I like to work in weekly increments. I identify the date, the task, and who is responsible in the first three columns. Always add one last column for “status” so you can get the satisfaction of writing “complete” when you have finished a task – it just feels good.

  1. Hit the ground running

Once you feel comfortable with your critical path, you are good to go. It’s time to set your strategy in motion. Don’t be afraid to track results along to way to see if you need to tweak your approach as you go!

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making it unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

Public Relations 101: What is it and what can it do for your business

CHuntly

Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to break into your industry or you are an established business of any size, your success is largely dependent on your reputation. Many different types of people can have an effect on your reputation such as customers, suppliers, employees and journalists. Their opinions of your business – good or bad – will affect the opinions of others.

Public Relations (PR) is part of your marketing strategy that focuses on managing your reputation through effective communication of your organizational message. It is the art of building and maintaining positive relationships and brand awareness in the public eye (AKA your target audience).

Simply put, PR is your strategy for getting your message – your story – out to your audiences. It is all about engaging your target audience(s) by connecting with them in some way. It should be complementary to your overall marketing and outreach strategies.

6 Key Factors of PR

  1. Media Relations: Building relationships with the media and other influencers with the goal of attaining editorial coverage (Not paid for). If you have ever read a story about one of your favourite brands, the latest celebrity gossip, or even a story about a politician, business owner, or prominent individual, chances are someone pitched that story angle to the media and they thought it was interesting enough to write about.
  2. Special Events/Experiential: Designed for both public and media outreach, these events usually have brand experience and/or informational components.
  3. Content Generation: Writing blogs and bylined articles both for your organization’s website as well as for other websites and publications is a great way to control your message.
  4. Industry/Competitive audits: Audits (research) will determine the best positioning for your organizational message in terms of making it stand out from your competitors.
  5. Crisis Strategies: As hard as you might try to maintain a positive image in the public eye, sometimes things go wrong. It could be a huge product recall, and it could be something as “small” as an internet troll leaving negative comments on your blogs. Having a crisis strategy in place before it happens is your best bet so you know exactly how to deal with it.
  6. Social Media: This is where there is a definite crossover with the rest of your marketing strategy. You need to make sure the messaging you are putting out on your social media channels fits with the rest of your outreach. It’s a great way to promote your story. It’s also a great way to showcase content across different mediums.

Why Your Business Needs PR

Your business would not go anywhere without some sort of customer, end user, network, or community of fans, which is why you need PR. You need to be able to reach them with your message.

PR helps your business to:

  • Connect with your target audience both through direct channels and infuencer touchpoints (working through people, media, and celebrities who influence your target audience).
  • Package your brand story for maximum effectiveness. A good PR strategy will create a foundation for your business to build its outreach and growth strategy.
  • Get your brand and organizational story in the public eye on your own terms (ie. You have some control of the messaging that is out there).
  • Define its voice. Your business is so much more than a brand name and a website. It has character, values, and purpose.
  • Utilize a variety of outreach channels so you can tailor your strategy to your budget and your organizational culture.

Maintaining a strong presence on multiple channels while reaching your target audience is priceless when it comes to building a business. Most people think the cost of running a successful PR strategy will be too much, but there are ways to work within any budget. Your reputation and business success depend on it.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making it unique to you.

Connect with Candace

Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/email/Website

VENDOR EVENTS

Last year has been quite a ride for us here at Canadian Small Business Women. With one year under our belt, we have made some important connections in the business world to help us host valuable events for our business community. We invite you to be a guest, exhibitor or a partner at some of our upcoming events. I hope to meet you all very soon.

IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

This year, we are hosting two large feature events that are FREE of cost to our guests. We will be hosting our Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo in Ottawa and in Toronto. Our Ottawa event will be held at the elegant Canadian Museum of Nature on October 4th, 2014 from 9am -5pm. This event will feature businesses from around the Ottawa area that offer services or business opportunities for our guests. We are expecting over 1000 guests to attend this one of a kind event. We will be inviting members of the Canadian Government, speakers from across Ontario and prominent members of the Ottawa Immigrant Community. We are currently seeking Exhibitors from business sectors such as education, legal, consulting, Immigrant Services, Real Estate, and more. Please view our event WEBSITE for further details. To redeem your FREE ticket to our event, click on the following LINK.

museum

 

Our Toronto Edition of the Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo will be held at the iconicToronto Metro Hall on November 9th, 2014. This event will be the premiere Immigrant Small Business event of the GTA. Our guest list will be similar to that of our Ottawa event. To redeem yourFREE tickets for this event, click the following LINK.

 

Metro

We are also seeking volunteers for both events. Our volunteer hours are split in two shifts: 6am – 12pm and 12pm to 6pm. We require volunteers in the areas of check-in, set-up, greeting, workshop organization and tear down. If interested, please email us at info@canadiansmallbusinesswomen.caor canadiansmallbusinesswomen@gmail.com and provide us with your name, age, event of interest, volunteer experience, contact information (including phone number) and hours of availability.

We are also seeking VOLUNTEERS for both our events. We are seeking 50 volunteers for each of our Expos. We welcome students, community groups and corporate groups as well. Volunteer areas available are: Exhibitor Check-In, Guest Entrance, Guest Check-In, Media Check-In/Escort, Direction Assistant, Workshop Assistant, Dignitary Check-In/Escort, and Event Check-Out. Please view our Website for our Volunteer application.

 

 

SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR – AUGUST 2014

Join us for our 3rd Small Business Seminar on August 9th , 2014 from 9am – 4pm at Sheraton Parkway North Toronto(Hwy 404 and 407). We are very excited to be hosting our Seminar on the Northeast end of the GTA. This gives us a chance to expand our network and showcase what our business has to offer. We are currently seeking 30 vendors/exhibitors for this show as well as a few workshop hosts. You can fill out our Vendor Agreement Form by clicking HERE. Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 66% discount) by clicking HERE.

 

PERKS: As an exhibitor, you will receive a 6ft table with table cloth, access to our workshops (please do not leave your table unattended), lunch, and 5 complimentary tickets! There will be great opportunities to not only sell your product, but to also network with fellow entrepreneurs.   There is no limit to the great connections that will be made at this event.

 

 

Social Media Marketing: Beyond the Essentials

June 25, 2014. Microsoft Store, Square One

Our guest speaker for this heavily sought after topic is Kelly Farrell from Teach Me Social.  Kelly Farrell has been a teacher for more than 10 years and has experience teaching children and adults of all ages. Her experience with Social Media dates back to the days when call waiting first appeared! She has always been a bit of a techy and early adopter of new and exciting technologies and networks.

Social Media can help you expand your business reach, draw traffic back to your website and grow your brand online. It goes beyond having a Facebook page. Using Social Media effectively as part of your marketing strategy includes expanding your reach to all of the most popular sites, including Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+, thus reaching a far wider audience of potential customers. Through this workshop, Teach Me Social can show you how to manage your time to gain the most benefit from having a presence across all Social Media platforms.

Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 50% discount) by clicking HERE. No tickets will be sold at the door for this event. Event seating is limited.

 

 

Rose Nixon – Canadian Small Business Woman of the Month of April 2014

ROSE

“An organized space is a smiling face” is a truth that Rose Nixon holds firmly to. As the Chief Organizer and Principal Owner of ReallyOrganizedNow(RON), a Professional Organizing company, Rose knows firsthand the value of an organized space and the power of a smile. “Helping active women and families become more organized in their daily lives is my mission. Life can be stressful enough without having the added burden of disorganization,” reinforces Rose. Known as Your “Anything” Organizer and the recently named 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year (which she will be awarded at the upcoming Microskills Gala Event on May 29th), Rose shares her knowledge, techniques, tips and mindful solutions with her clients and community. Her services focus on de-cluttering, organizing and staging clients’ home, office and small business spaces for renewed clarity and function making it far more welcoming. Rose also knows that when people are organized they smile more.  They are far more pleasant to be around.  They enjoy their lives with greater ease and comfort. They become much more focused on what’s important.

“Stress-less, live more” is an ideology that Rose believes everyone should aim to do more of. Two and a half years ago Rose was faced with a life-threatening health concern that pushed this ideology to the forefront of her life. “I’ve been working since I’m 19 years old and haven’t stopped. Even when I became a mother, I never stopped. When I was rushed to the ER as a result of much discomfort for several days prior, the news that I had an accumulation of more than a litre of fluid around my heart, was astounding and a huge wake-up call to me. I was lucky to have arrived at the hospital on the day that I did”, Rose recounts. She was lucky to be alive and thankful to have another chance to live life differently. She really had to seriously evaluate what that difference looked like.

Choosing to live her life as simply as possible, Rose began to refocused more on the quality not quantity of her life. So, she began by de-cluttering some of the excesses in her life—people, places, things, thoughts and mindset. Stress is a silent killer. With the increasing demands of work and lifestyle, a growing majority of people, particularly women, are on the receiving end of risky health problems and mental disorders. Rose knew that she had to continue to remain relaxed and really organized in order to maintain her overall health.

A mother of two, now teenaged, boys, Rose had to readjust her focus and align her personal vision with what was truly in her heart—to do something significant with her time and her life. Not wanting to re-enter the world of Payroll, Rose decided to explore some of her other interests and passions. Entrepreneurship was always looming and the time had come to explore it with much more vigor.

Combining her innate abilities in domesticated and corporate office management, her sensibilities in restoring order, educational background in Public Relations and Corporate Communications, and her organizational skills was now taking shape in her new endeavor. She enrolled herself in a business plan development program specifically designed for women with entrepreneurial designs, there she reconfirmed that her ideas for ReallyOrganizedNow was viable as a business. Rose Nixon has the desire to chart herself a new course to success and live a life with purpose.

Rose Nixon is an active volunteer in her community, offering support to several causes and organizations. She is a business owner, newbie blogger and aspiring published author, an ambassador of creative expression and a keen supporter of women in small business.

 

Our Q & A with Rose Nixon

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes to me from many different sources. As a woman, I am inspired by other women who simply make things happen. They push for change. They use their creativity and ingenuity to provoke innovation that improves the quality and well being humanity. As an entrepreneur I am inspired by women and men that took NO and turned it into YES through sheer determination and belief that all things are possible. As a person, I am inspired by my children. My life’s interaction with them teaches me that I am capable of far more than I realize.

 

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

My proudest achievements thus far are first and foremost that I have embarked on this adventure and still holding true my vision that organized living is a change maker in living better. My nomination of Microskills 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year Award is another. It is an honour to be considered but it is also an honour to be an award recipient. My appearance on DayTime Toronto highlighting the Basics of Organizing; My The presence of my business on social media platforms—Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin; The growth of my networking community; and my valuable volunteer participation in many community organizations—YWCA, Luminato, CSBW. All of these interactions are motivation to keep active in my pursuit to establishing ReallyOrganizedNow as a well-respected business.

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

My advice to aspiring small business owners: Go for it! Be patient. Enjoy the process. Keeponsmilin’!

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

In the upcoming year, I’m looking to continue taking my business to the next level. I am currently working on a fully functioning website, the development of a radio/TV blog show, becoming an event sponsor, establishing some B2B partnerships, more media exposure, hosting a variety of self-help workshops focused on the principals of organizing and mindful solutions for our living spaces and continuing to involvement in volunteer projects within the community.

 

Vendor Events and Event Discounts!

Last year has been quite a ride for us here at Canadian Small Business Women. With one year under our belt, we have made some important connections in the business world to help us host valuable events for our business community. We invite you to be a guest, exhibitor or a partner at some of our upcoming events. I hope to meet you all very soon.

IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

This year, we are hosting two large feature events that are FREE of cost to our guests. We will be hosting our Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo in Ottawa and in Toronto. Our Ottawa event will be held at the elegant Canadian Museum of Nature on October 4th, 2014 from 9am -5pm. This event will feature businesses from around the Ottawa area that offer services or business opportunities for our guests. We are expecting over 1000 guests to attend this one of a kind event. We will be inviting members of the Canadian Government, speakers from across Ontario and prominent members of the Ottawa Immigrant Community. We are currently seeking Exhibitors from business sectors such as education, legal, consulting, Immigrant Services, Real Estate, and more. Please view our event WEBSITE for further details. To redeem your FREE ticket to our event, click on the following LINK.

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Our Toronto Edition of the Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo will be held at the iconic Toronto Metro Hall on November 9th, 2014. This event will be the premiere Immigrant Small Business event of the GTA. Our guest list will be similar to that of our Ottawa event. To redeem your FREE tickets for this event, click the following LINK.

 

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We are also seeking volunteers for both events. Our volunteer hours are split in two shifts: 6am – 12pm and 12pm to 6pm. We require volunteers in the areas of check-in, set-up, greeting, workshop organization and tear down. If interested, please email us at info@canadiansmallbusinesswomen.ca or canadiansmallbusinesswomen@gmail.com and provide us with your name, age, event of interest, volunteer experience, contact information (including phone number) and hours of availability.

We are also seeking VOLUNTEERS for both our events. We are seeking 50 volunteers for each of our Expos. We welcome students, community groups and corporate groups as well. Volunteer areas available are: Exhibitor Check-In, Guest Entrance, Guest Check-In, Media Check-In/Escort, Direction Assistant, Workshop Assistant, Dignitary Check-In/Escort, and Event Check-Out. Please view our Website for our Volunteer application.

 

 

SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR – AUGUST 2014

Join us for our 3rd Small Business Seminar on August 9th , 2014 from 9am – 4pm at Sheraton Parkway North Toronto(Hwy 404 and 407). We are very excited to be hosting our Seminar on the Northeast end of the GTA. This gives us a chance to expand our network and showcase what our business has to offer. We are currently seeking 30 vendors/exhibitors for this show as well as a few workshop hosts. You can fill out our Vendor Agreement Form by clicking HERE. Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 66% discount) by clicking HERE.

 

PERKS: As an exhibitor, you will receive a 6ft table with table cloth, access to our workshops (please do not leave your table unattended), lunch, and 5 complimentary tickets! There will be great opportunities to not only sell your product, but to also network with fellow entrepreneurs.   There is no limit to the great connections that will be made at this event.

 

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP FOR WOMEN

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The Art of Production will be back in Toronto this May with The Art of Leadership for Women. This event will feature Martha Stewart, Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Hayley Wickenheiser, New York Times bestselling author Erica Ariel Fox, BBC World News Lead Anchor Katty Kay, New York Times Best Selling Author Liane Davey, and Award Winning Broadcast Journalist from CBC Wendy Mesley. I had the pleasure of attending The Art of Small Business last year during Small Business Week and it was definitely worth it. It is a great opportunity to connect with business leaders from companies that are held in high esteem internationally. Canadian Small Business Women is delighted to offer up to $100 off your admission ticket to this May 29th event being held at The Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  Use the promo code SMALLBIZWOMEN32 when you click HERE to register. See you there!

 

 

BECOME A PR PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 2014

Can’t afford a P.R. Agency or Publicist?Now you don’t have to….Veteran Broadcaster and Producer Teresa Kruze (CTV, City-TV, 680News, TSN, Chatelaine Magazine and Metro News) has worked in the media for over twenty-five years appearing on television, radio, and writing for magazines and newspapers. As a reporter, she has worked beside some of the best Assignment Editors in the business and observed on a daily basis what stories made it to air and what press releases ended up in the garbage bin or deleted file. Now she is going to share her knowledge to help small and medium business owners professionally promote their company or events in this informative workshop, you will learn the following:

  • Who are the key players in a news-room
  • How to write a proper press release that will get you and your company noticed
  • How to find your Media Hook
  • The right time to send a press release and the worst time to call a newsroom
  • Insider Tricks and Secrets to get past the Gatekeepers

This event is being held at The Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre from 9am – 1pm. There are only 20 seats available. This workshop is being offered for a special price of $350 to all of our affiliated entrepreneurs. This workshop is normally priced at $797, which is a saving of over 50%. Get your tickets by clicking HERE.

Snacks will be provided.

 

 

5 Ways to Lead and Succeed as A Fempreneur on Your Terms with Less Effort and More Profit

May 21, 2014. Microsoft Store, Yorkdale Mall

 

Our guest speaker is the one and only Janette Burke from I’m Every Woman TV.  Before Janette Burke, Your Marketing Magnet, FEMPRENEUR Marketing/Mindset Mentor, Speaker, Author and Host/Creator of I’m Every Woman! TV became an advocate of Women Rights & Issues and champion to Women in Business she spent 17 years behind the camera as the Founding Publicist of Prime Time PR and Former Editor of PRtalk – Canada’s only online PR magazine.

Today Janette’s mission is to awaken WOMEN’S DIVINE FEMININE POWER and provide them with the muster, support and tools they need to ignite their passions, stay on track and create a business & life they love – which she delivers through her I’m Every Woman! TV Show, Magnetic Women in Business Blog, Marketing/Mindset Mentoring, Dynamic Speeches and Columns.

Thinking of taking the entrepreneurial plunge or already there?

In this talk you will …

  • Break through the # 1 barrier to Women’s Success
  • Make the ONE simple change to be more productive in business that leads to more profit
  • Get the ONE essential element every FEMPRENEUR needs in her business to gain momentum and achieve success day after day, month after month and year after year
  • Duplicate my Marketing Recipe comprised of my ‘guaranteed-to-attract more clients & make more money’ on and offline strategies – which will have you clearing defining and conveying your compelling marketing message – so your ideal client sings your praises
  • Understand the differences between the Male and Female Success Models and go forward creating a Divinely Feminine business and life you love
  • And become an impressive role model for future generations of Women to follow as a result

Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 50% discount) by clicking HERE. No tickets will be sold at the door for this event. Event seating is limited.

 

Social Media Marketing: Beyond the Essentials

June 25, 2014. Microsoft Store, Square One

 

Our guest speaker for this heavily sought after topic is Kelly Farrell from Teach Me Social.  Kelly Farrell has been a teacher for more than 10 years and has experience teaching children and adults of all ages. Her experience with Social Media dates back to the days when call waiting first appeared! She has always been a bit of a techy and early adopter of new and exciting technologies and networks.

Social Media can help you expand your business reach, draw traffic back to your website and grow your brand online. It goes beyond having a Facebook page. Using Social Media effectively as part of your marketing strategy includes expanding your reach to all of the most popular sites, including Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+, thus reaching a far wider audience of potential customers. Through this workshop, Teach Me Social can show you how to manage your time to gain the most benefit from having a presence across all Social Media platforms.

Early bird tickets are now available for only $10 (a 50% discount) by clicking HERE. No tickets will be sold at the door for this event. Event seating is limited.

 

Woman on Fire Gala

Sunday, April 27, 2014

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Canadian Small Business Women is proud to be a media sponsors of the upcoming Woman on Fire Gala being hosted by Allison Harvey, of The Networking Diva Group.   WOMAN ON FIRE will be an epic evening of inspirations; passionate connections, laughter, tears, entertainment and so much more we invite you to become a sponsor or a guest.

Speakers:

The “Woman on Fire” is creating a blazing path, creating success for not only herself, but for those behind her. She boldly shares her journey on this road with others so they too can appreciate her challenges, witnessing her tears, but most of all…the smiles of accomplishment. While on the road full of pot holes and blind spots, the “Woman on Fire” seeks mentorship and support through the hills and valleys of business. She is not afraid to fail because she knows that in her failure lie her lessons for success that will bring her from the darkness and into the light. “Women on Fire” are known for listening to that small voice in the depths of their inner being, choosing to believe in themselves when no one else does.

For further information, please click HERE.

 

Our event blog post is contributed by Dwania Peele, Executive Director and Owner of Canadian Small Business Women. Please connect with her @DwaniaPeele , or at @CanadianSmallBusinessWomen on Facebook or @CdnSmallBizWmn on Twiter.

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