Google Circles and How They Work

Several of my clients come to me confused about Google+.  Should they have a page?  Is it worthwhile?  In a word, yes, if for no other reason than the fact that Google loves Google+ and tends to rank its pages quite well in search results.  So claiming your piece of Google real estate and posting content regularly is important. Google’s entry into the social networking world debuted June 2011. One of the features of Google+’s service is the Google+ Circle, similar in design and purpose to Facebook’s Lists or Groups. Because relationships are at the core of any social networking …

social media dos and donts

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

Social media dos and don’ts are crucial aspects that my clients, who are new to utilizing social media for their businesses, often seek advice on. They inquire about what is considered appropriate or inappropriate to express online, the frequency of interactions, and the appropriate individuals with whom they should engage. To address these queries, I typically provide the following high-level response: Approach your online interactions with the same etiquette you would employ at a cocktail party. Just as you wouldn’t barge into a room shouting your business name or distribute business cards haphazardly without establishing rapport or sharing captivating anecdotes …

dealing with negative comments on twitter

8 Tips for Responding To Negative Twitter Comments

When dealing with negative comments on Twitter, your online reputation, especially on social media, can make or break your business. With more and more customers resorting to Twitter and other social media for bad reviews and complaints, how you deal with these comments will define your reputation. Following are the top eight things that you can do when confronted with negative Twitter comments.  Don’t Take It Personally Sympathy always stands out great in comparison with anger. A negative comment is lets you know what your viewers think about your post. Even if someone is clearly looking for a chance to …

business processes

Do Your Business Processes Make You Sink or Swim?

How did you spend your day yesterday? Did you spend time developing business processes for how you can grow your business? Did you call 10 prospects who might be a good fit for your services? Did you invest time in coaching your successor to allow you to grow into your next exciting venture? No? If you’re like most small business owners, your day was spent delivering the services that make money for your company, fighting fires, answering emails, trying to make it through your “to do” list and then mindlessly scrolling through Facebook or Linked In reading updates when your …

Is Your Brand More Like Carnival or Royal Caribbean? 5 Ways To Tell.

Recently my family and I took a Caribbean cruise. We’re not new to cruising, in fact this was our seventh. But the first six were with Royal Caribbean so this was our first experience with the Carnival brand. I’ll save you the suspense and tell you that it will also be our last, but what I did find interesting was observing the vastly different strategy that each brand employs from its website, to customer service, to the ships themselves and their excursions. I wasn’t expecting the same standard on Carnival as I had previously experienced with Royal, but I wasn’t …

Branding and Process Lessons

10 Branding and Process Lessons From A Whole Foods Store Opening

This morning at 8:00 a.m. the new Whole Foods Market opened in downtown Miami.  From the crowds you would have thought that there was a rock star in town.  People were lined up around the block and traffic was snarled around the corner.  Despite having stores in Miami Beach and Coral Gables, this opening was a big deal.  I must confess to being a bit of a Whole Foods junkie.  Having spent so much of my career on the road, the first thing I would do when landing in a new city would be to check out the nearest Whole …

the importance of focus in business

The Importance Of Focus When You Run A Business

The importance of focus in business becomes evident when you first start your business. You feel a surge of excitement from your great idea, and a sense of certainty that “this is it”! You have done your homework and you just know that this will work. In a way, it feels like having a child and you put your entire heart and soul into the process. And then, you get your first client, then your second and your third…hurray! You’re thrilled to have your great idea validated by others who are willing to pay you for your product or service. …

The Three Ways Running Helps Me Run My Business

  I am a runner.  But that has not always been a true statement, in fact I used to hate running.  When I was a kid I used to swim but when I ended up in physio for knee problems the doctor told me I should not run until I was 21.  “Woo hoo!”, I thought.  I have an excuse to avoid doing something I can’t stand!  In fact, I carried that excuse through into my 40s when it abruptly ended.  You see my husband had running a marathon on his bucket list and while I stuck to my guns …

ZenChange Receives Women’s Business Enterprise National Certification

ZenChange has received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Development Council of Florida, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). “We are proud to count ZenChange as one of the 11,500 certified women business enterprises in the U.S.” said G. Nancy Allen, President and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council of Florida. WBENC’s national standard of certification provided by the Women’s Business Development Council of Florida Certification Committee is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to …