Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 26, 2013 Blog bookmarklets, google+, searches

Remember your Mom’s pocketbook? Most people call it a purse, but I think the older generation still refer to it as a pocketbook. My mom had everything but the kitchen sink in there! Tissues, gum, makeup, candy, mirrors, combs & brushes, nail file, sewing kit, pocket knife, pictures…you name it…it was in there. As I recall, they were much smaller than the ones we now carry!

While perusing the Internet, I came across a product called “Pocket.” It is actually a product by Get Pocket. How does it work? It reminds me of my mother’s pocketbook.

Sometimes while perusing the Internet, you may come across many stories you’d like to read or products you may want to buy. Maybe you’re in a rush and you just don’t have time at that moment. Using bookmarks or favorites in your browser used to be the way to go, but there really isn’t a clear way to define what it is or why you even thought to save it.

With Pocket, you add a bookmarklet in your browser. When you come across areas you want to revisit, you click your bookmarklet and it will save to your own Pocket (or Pocketbook as I keep referring to it. Using Pocket makes it so much easier to see everything at a glance and it’s easy to remember why it is saved it in the first place.

So, if you are as busy as I am and you don’t have a lot of time… go to Get Pocket and install it on your computer or mobile device. I am sure that once you start using it, you won’t want to live without it.

The Next Big Story…How You Can Be In On It

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 22, 2013 Blog press release, really simple syndication, rss, story, syndication

I watch several news programs during the day. It’s my way of keeping up with the latest news and venturing into the minds of the public relations pros as they help shape the news. I may switch from NBC or CBS to CNN in the morning as I am preparing for work. I always check back to the national news during the day.

Two of the hot stories right now are the Martin/Zimmerman story and the “big wait” for the birth of the royal baby. All of the major media outlets are on both of these stories. Many have sent reporters and their media crews to London to await the royal birth. As of this writing, there is no word from the Palace that the Duchess is even in labor. However, media outlets have scurried over to get “the next big story.”

You are a business owner, and depending on what you sell or what services you provide – there has to be “the next big story” in your field. So, how do you get your next big story? How do you stay up on the cutting edge of new things? What measures do you have in place to hear the little whispers out there that “the next big story” will pop out at any given time?

A few ways you can get out the gate with “the next big story” is to use an RSS feed from all the blogs and news outlets that you regularly visit. Why get the news second hand from someone on social media hours after it has been published? Most Internet browsers have RSS built in.

All you have to do is look for “RSS” on the various websites, click it and grab the link – or click “sign up.” If you opt for grabbing the link, you can manually input that in the RSS in your browser or – if you use Microsoft Outlook 2010 or higher, you can add the RSS into your email system. The great part about having it in your email is that as soon as it is published – it is immediately delivered into your email.

You can take action immediately on that “next big story.” Whether it’s writing a blog about it and sharing it on your own social media accounts, or writing an email and sending it to your clients.

Staying abreast of “the next big story” in your field and getting that information out immediately – will make you and your business very important to your clients.

If you have never used the RSS feed, try it out. You will find that you can’t live without it.

Using Social Media to Land That Next Gig? KIP: Keep It Positive

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 19, 2013 Blog careerbuilder, careers, job search, social media

When the social media explosion took place, job seekers thought it a great venue to showcase their talent and begin new careers. Well…not so much anymore.

In CareerBuilder’s press release, it talks about a survey conducted on how employers used social media to find employees. Many were not pleased with what they found. Read more here…

More Employers Finding Reasons Not to Hire Candidates on Social Media, Finds CareerBuilder Survey

CHICAGO, June 27, 2013 – While your social media profile can be a great asset in your job search, a new CareerBuilder study shows it can also end up costing you the job. More than two in five (43 percent) hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate, up 9 percentage points from last year.

The nationwide survey, which was conducted online by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder from February 11 to March 6, 20l3, and included more than 2,100 hiring managers and human resource professionals, found that nearly two in five companies (39 percent) use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 37 percent last year.

Is social media helping or hurting job candidates?

Employers who took a candidate out of the running for a job after researching social media sites reported finding a variety of concerning content. Top mentions ranged from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 50 percent
There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs – 48 percent
Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33 percent
Candidate had poor communication skills – 30 percent
Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. – 28 percent
Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent

At the same time, some employers also noted that they came across information on social media sites that made a candidate more attractive or solidified the decision to extend a job offer. One in five hiring managers (19 percent) said they found something that has caused them to hire a candidate – top mentions include:

Candidate conveyed a professional image – 57 percent
Got a good feel for candidate’s personality – 50 percent
Candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests – 50 percent
Candidate’s background information supported professional qualifications – 49 percent
Candidate was creative – 46 percent
Great communication skills – 43 percent
Other people posted great references about the candidate – 38 percent

“Employers are using all the tools available to them to assure they make the correct hiring decision, and the use of social media continues to grow,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “For job seekers it is essential to be aware of what information they’re making available to employers, and to manage their online image. At the same time, hiring managers and human resources departments must carefully consider how to use information obtained from social media and whether it is relevant to a candidate’s qualifications.”

What are hiring managers looking for on social media?

The research suggests that hiring managers are using social media to get a glimpse at the candidate’s behavior and personality outside of the interview, and are most interested in professional presentation and how the candidate would fit with the company culture.

To make sure your social media profile sends the right message, Haefner suggests:

Search Yourself – The easiest way for employers to research your online personality is a simple search on Google and other sites. Try it out for yourself so you know exactly what they’ll see and remove any digital dirt you wouldn’t want a potential boss to encounter. Some browsers may save information about you, so search from a public computer to be sure you’re getting the right results.

Read Your Privacy Settings – Social media sites change their privacy settings often, and occasionally this leads to a change in your personal settings. It’s good practice to check in on the privacy settings for all of your accounts regularly.

Showcase Your Talent – This is your opportunity to provide evidence that you are as exceptional as your resume says by posting awards and accolades you’ve received, volunteer activities, accomplishments you’re excited about, etc. Employers often search social media to learn more about your qualifications or to see that you are well-rounded, so be sure to put that information front and center.

Keep Tabs – Just because you’re being careful with what you put online doesn’t mean your friends are necessarily so cautious. Pay attention to what others are posting on your profile and what you’re tagged in to protect your online image.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,184 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between February 11 and March 6, 2013 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,184, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.1 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

The bottom line: KIP-Always Keep It Positive. Although we shouldn’t care that our political views, party photos, rants and raves may offend others, they may be the ammunition someone may use against you.

Keep it positive.

Need Money? Try Crowdfunding

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 17, 2013 Blog capital, crowdfunding, fundraising, venture capital 1 Comment

On several occasions, I’ve read about people, even celebrities, using crowdfunding to raise money for entrepreneurial ventures and social causes.

Crowdfunding is the collective effort of people networking and donating their money to support efforts by other people and organizations. Crowdfunding is used to support many initiatives including disaster relief, company startups, nonprofit campaigns, political campaigns, artists, musicians and a host of other individuals looking to get their project off the ground.

Chance Barnett, a Forbes Contributor, wrote a blog back in May entitled, “Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites for Fundraising.” In this article, he lists his top 10 as:

Kickstarter
Indiegogo
Crowdfunder
RocketHub
Crowdrise
Somelend
Appbackr
AngelList
Invested.in
Quirky

Chance goes into detail about each of the programs here.

There are a number of other crowdfunding resources such as Causes.com, Pozible.com, Razoo.com, Giveforward.com, and a few others.

Before you get excited about crowdfunding, most of these offer free account set ups, but take a small percentage of the fundraising capital. Also, keep in mind that most of these programs do not award you the money unless you have met your stated goal. As always, do your homework and make sure you are getting the best deal possible.

So if you need money to fund a project, help a nonprofit or to get your business off the ground, consider crowdfunding. There might be program out there that’s just for you.

Brand Journalism – A New Way Companies Provide Useful Information

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 15, 2013 Blog, Sustainability branding, journalism, sustainability 1 Comment

The world of journalism is changing. For example, The Plain Dealer, Ohio’s largest newspaper, is moving from home delivery seven days per week to three. Those looking for news can still purchase the paper on non-delivery days, and they can also get their information online and on smart phones and tablets.

The journalism change also hits marketing communications and public relations professionals. There is now the opportunity to provide Brand Journalism, where we give more industry information, not just information about the company…blending the best of both worlds.

Look for Visibility Marketing Inc. to provide more information on sustainability. We want you to know and understand the industry, where it’s going and how you can participate. It’s all good. All of us are able to make our world better.

In the meantime, watch this short video from Ragan Communications that we hope will give you a better explanation about Brand Journalism.

In the coming weeks, we’ll provide “Brand Journalism” that will keep you informed about how we can all save money, save time and save our planet.

http://youtu.be/kpBdCpILNeI

WalMart: An Entrepreneur’s Dream

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 12, 2013 Blog get on the shelf, walmart

Getting your product on the shelf of one of the big brand stores is an entrepreneurs dream. If it’s yours WalMart, the quintessential I’ve-got-everything-you-need-store, is holding a contest called, “Get on the Shelf.” Last year, Walmart announced they were launching this innovative contest (see 2012 Press Release below).

If you, or someone you know, has a great product – please share this blog!

How it works… create a short video showcasing your product and upload it to https://getontheshelf.walmart.com. Video submissions will be accepted from now until July 31 11:59 p.m. EST. The first round of public voting will take place later this summer and the second voting round will begin in early Fall.

Why Sharing Blogs Correctly is a Good Idea

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 10, 2013 Blog blogs, facebook, linkedin, traffic, twitter

If you have a business, one of the best free marketing resources you can use is a blog. If your website does not include blogging capabilities, you should consider it. Most people use social media to share blogs written about other businesses, products and services. Sharing your blogs on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great. It’s never a bad idea to share. That’s what we learned in pre-school, right? However, this will drive web traffic to those companies, not yours.

By setting up your blog and sharing your content – you will drive traffic to your website. There are five key reasons why this is a good idea. You can…

acquire new customers
drive more traffic to your website
build quality relationships with your customers
provide a way to interact with customers and followers through comment boxes
build trust by providing quality and reliable content worth sharing

The more you blog and share, the more traffic you will start to receive. If you have good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) built inside your website and/or blog, you will probably see even more traffic.

Your blog should focus around your business, products, services and most importantly …. your expertise on the subject matter. Write your blog like you own it and write from personal experiences. People like “stories,” so incorporating stories into your blogs that mix with your business will also be very helpful.

Lastly, don’t overdo it! Keep it short, sweet and informative. There is no need to write a blog a day. Your plate is full, so three per week is fine. Schedule your blogs to go out at varying times of the day and different days of the week. Remember… your audience is all over the world… and in different time zones. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to share.

Happy Blogging!

Help a Veteran Become an Entrepreneur – Become a Mentor

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 8, 2013 Blog entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, veterans

On this July 4, we not only celebrated our freedom, but we also needed to celebrate those individuals who helped us keep our freedom – our Military personnel and Veterans.

These brave individuals put their lives on the line for us – and are doing it even as we gathered with family and friends, enjoyed our BBQ meals, games, fun and activities. When they come home, what will they see and experience? For those who left jobs behind, they may or may not have them when they return.

If they don’t have a job when they return and if they are injured, it will make their transition a little harder.

Have you considered helping our Veterans? Did you know that many are college graduates, have learned excellent skills while serving our country, and have a great work ethic.

On July 1, I saw an article entitled, “Entrepreneurship Bootcamp Give Wounded Veterans a New Life” (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227306). The EBV Program offers training in entrepreneurship and small business management to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines wounded while serving or supporting combat operation in Iraq or Afghanistan. On their website, it states that their mission is to:

Raise donations and provide funds to the participating schools for their EBV programs.

Provide mentors to participating veterans to assist in the development of their business plans.
Provide seed capital to veterans to start their business.

Interested? To become a mentor, visit their website at – http://www.ebvfoundation.org/index.php?page=become-a-mentor. That’s it! But, if you are unable to become a mentor, you can still support the program by making a donation here – https://www.ebvfoundation.org/index.php?page=make-a-donation.

Don’t forget our military personnel… they haven’t forgotten about us.

Business Going Stale? It May Be Time to Re-focus, Re-think and Re-brand

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 5, 2013 Blog branding, facebook, linkedin, marketing, rebranding, twitter

If you’ve been in business for a while and sales and service requests have dropped, it may be time to re-focus, re-think and possibly re-brand.

A friend found that her original business slowed tremendously. She started thinking about re-branding – starting with a new name. Her immediate concern was if people would know her by the new name. What if current clients couldn’t identify with her? After careful consideration, she decided to start a different company – with a new name – but providing the same services and adding on a few new ones.

After a few months of sharing this new identify on the Internet, specifically Twitter, LinkedIn groups and other group forums, she began receiving random inquiries. As time went by, her business has picked up even more.

Sometimes, you have to leave your comfort zone in order to focus. Sometimes, in order to be successful, you have to seek out other relationships besides friends and family members. One mutual friend, I’ll call her Dana, was able to experience a rise in new business – merely by changing her identify, re-branding and marketing herself to a different audience. Below are six tips she shares about the process:

Get out a piece of paper and write (yes, I said write) down your current business name on one side, draw a line vertically down the paper and put your new business name on the other side.
Under the current business – write down your products and services and other offerings. Then duplicate that under the new business. If there are any aspects of the current business that won’t be included in the new one, don’t write it. Under the new business, if there are new services/products you want to offer – include them.
Under the new business – write down Twitter and Pinterest. (Dana didn’t include Facebook or LinkedIn, but you may want to consider those as well).
Also under new business – write down several domain names. Keep them short and sweet so prospects can find you. It also makes your email address shorter and easier to remember.
Now, register for a new Federal Tax ID number and register with the state in which you do business. You can also revisit the SBA for opportunities you may have missed the first time.
Lastly, purchase your new domain name and hosting. Find a reputable web developer to design your new site.

If you’re in a business slump, it may be time to do what Dana did…look beyond your comfort zone – your hometown, friends, family and former clients. The World Wide Web is open 24/7. If your business is one that can take advantage of something new (and most are), then think about re-focusing, re-thinking and re-branding. You may be surprised at your results.

Sometimes Business Owners Need a Pick-Me-Up

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 3, 2013 Blog black enterprise, entrepreneurs

No, not the kind that comes in a glass or bottle, but the kind that comes from celebrating others’ success.

Last month I attended the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference in Columbus, OH. Oftentimes as an entrepreneur, the uphill climb can be long and hard. Throughout the years, I’ve participated in numerous breakout sessions and conference workshops, but what I have learned throughout this process is that I get rejuvenated from the success stories of others.

I was waiting to take a photo with Clark Kellogg, basketball commentator and former classmate. Clark had just finished interviewing Magic Johnson, the quintessential entrepreneur. Johnson was the catalyst that got the conference in a winning frame of mind. While waiting, I asked an eager fan to take the photo. At the time, I didn’t know that the chance meeting would turn into the most profound two hours of my entrepreneurial experience.

While leaving, Dee Tolber (who took the photo), president and founder of A Blessed Cookie Company, and I struck up a conversation about our businesses. An hour later I was filled with encouragement and a renewed energy as she told me about the many obstacles that were “divinely” moved out of her way. After listening to her, I knew that as long as I remained true and faithful to the vision, nothing will deter me.

In this tough economic climate, it’s easy to feel defeated. When others tell of their woes, having an empathetic heart can weigh you down. It’s times like these when you need to find encouragement and inspiration from others that have good news to share.

I was also inspired by Dr. Dennis Kimbro, author of the new book The Wealth Choice: Success Secrets of Black Millionaires. I was first introduced to Dr. Kimbro while reading Think and Grow Rich, A Black Choice and my favorite What Makes the Great Great. It was Great that inspires me to move forward with my next project, Just Do Your Dream.

Conferences and seminars are a great way to gather new information. However, I’ve always found that the people who are in the trenches along with us, have possibly even more to share than those on the dais.

SBA Announces Winners

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJuly 1, 2013 Blog sba, winners

I’m all for rooting for others. It gets my entrepreneurial spirit in gear. I always think: If they can do it, so can I.

I mentioned the SBA’s Small Business Week in an earlier blog. If you weren’t able to attend, here’s the information about the winner and runner-up of Small Business Person of the Year.

In my blog, Sometimes Business Owners Need a Pick-Me-Up, I mentioned that hearing positive stories from others like you can spark your flame and get the gears moving againg. Inspirational stories can inspire you to greatness. That’s why we share – so that others can know and feel the excitement and exhuberation of success that we sometimes feel.

Congratulations to John Stonecipher, Noah Leask and Kari Block. Their success and innovations are helping all small business owners. Their success is our success.