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Following the Mister Ed Model of Social Networking

Bonnie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:15:41 +0000

Thie following is not mine, but Jackie Rogers’ of Kitchen Table Entrepreneur. Jackie is the consummate interviewer. I’ve never met better, and she is an entrepreneur. When I read this, it struck a chord with me–what about with you? How do you feel about what she says? Hit “comment,” please!

“I haven’t posted anything new to Twitter for days, or Facebook or LinkedIn and I’m OK with that. I’m in a Mister Ed frame of mind.

Mister Ed was the name of a show in the early ’60s. It was all about a palomino who could talk but chose only to do so with his owner, Wilbur. Some of the lyrics to the theme show hit the nail on the head about my feelings regarding social networking and its importance.

“ People yakkity, yak a streak and waste your time o’ day. But Mr. Ed will never speak unless he has something to say. ”

I’ve taken a step back and humbly realize I have nothing to say or not as much to say as the experts would have me say to “get my name out there.”

I’m host a radio show on VoiceAmerica.com called the Kitchen Table Entrepreneur; a show that aims to motivate, educate and entertain small- and micro-business owners. I love doing it, talking about it and promoting it. I’m also in the midst of publishing my first book.

Both of these endeavors would be greatly helped by MORE social networking. I know it. I get it. But at present I can’t give it any more time. I need that time to actually do what I network about. Oh, I’m not ignoring social networking. I simply no longer feel compelled to say something just to say something when, in reality, I have nothing to say to my audience or customers that matters or even mildly entertains; certainly not on a daily basis.

A month ago, I found myself grasping for hipness; joining this, that and the other social network. I was commenting on this, that and the other; all for the sake of saying I did it. It became a chore, devoid of meaning; all this networking without a purpose. That’s not at all how social networking should be; at least not for me.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion that, for a while, I’m going to be like Mister Ed. I’ll work on making the Kitchen Table Entrepreneur exciting and informative with a tweet here and a tweet there. I’ll finish and publish my book and continue networking about that also.

But for now, I won’t talk about whatever I’m doing every day. It isn’t warranted. Right now, like Mister Ed, I’ll only network when I have something to say.”

Do you Use Quickbooks?

Bonnie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:33:01 +0000

When I co-owned a direct-selling company I was responsible for “inside”–sourcing, receivables, payables, inventory, order processing. You get the drift: If it wasn’t sales, recruiting or design, it was mine. We used Quickbooks and, once I got the hang of if (and I did get some wrinkles because of it), I loved the program. That was five years ago–centuries in software time.

Earlier this week I got to sit down virtually with a senior product developer from Quickbooks to see what the newest version can do. I admit to being dazzled. Intuit has taken care of some of the issues that kept me up nights. For example, what a pain in the neck it was to change prices on 250 inventory items. The company has figured out a way for users to deposit checks virtually and have all the information show up in the appropriate places.

But I want to talk about somethings came late in the conversation . . . strategic thinking and marketing. As After 55 entrepreneurs, we usually don’t have a lot of staff or support AND we usually have extremely full lives in addition to our business. This leaves precious little time to step back and take a look at our business on a regular basis and make strategic decisions. Here are the two features that I think make the program amazing: Company Snapshot and Marketing Center. I’m going to tell you why I am impressed by these, and then I urge you to explore the site and see if they make equal sense to you.

Company Snapshot
On one very colorful page there are graphs to tell you the TRUTH about your business. Comparisons to previous months/years, cash flow or any of a number of completely customizable charts that are important to your business. With a mouse click you get a great-looking page that you can print or send. When I think of the hours I spent crafting a weekly report for Peggy . . .

Marketing Center
The thing we struggle with most is marketing and keeping track of customers. In this new edition there is an area called Marketing Center that takes all the angst out of maximizing customer relationships. Click the report that tells you which customers have ordered in a specific time period or by sales level and then select an e-mail template to say Thank You, We Miss You or to send a coupon, customize it and send it off. It even tracks the resulting sales from these e-mails. Omigosh! What difference would you see in your business if you could have just this feature alone?

Let’s be very clear here–I got to hear about this new edition because I write this blog. They walked me through the features and said they hoped I would write to you about it. I am telling you all this, not because of any obligation, but because I loved the program years ago and I am truly, truly impressed with what I saw. Will it work for you? Depends on the size of your business, but it is definitely worth your time to take a look.

Challenge Yourself

Bonnie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:29:56 +0000

“We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.”
– Martha Grimes, author (you have read Martha Grimes mysteries, haven’t you?)

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m a collector of quotes. One of the things I find interesting about these “collectibles” is how few of them are ascribed to women. In fact, one quote said that it was their assumption that Anonymous was really a woman! This isn’t as much of a digression as it looks.

One of the very best things about being an After 55 entrepreneur is that it challenges us to learn new skills (think computer, social networking, Quickbooks) and gives us something new to work toward. Many of us Women of a Certain Age have already lived very full lives and find ourselves looking around and asking, “Now what?” If you have a solid business concept and plan, entrepreneurship will provide you with unlimited challenges (that is not a negative word or euphemism for problems) that will keep you feeling vital and vibrant. You may even develop an entirely new appreciation for who you are and what you can do.

Now to quote a man, Dr. Seuss: “Oh, the places you will go!”

Following Up . . . Following Through

Bonnie — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:40:14 +0000

Last week I mentioned reading an article about unitasking. So much has been made over the past several years about women’s ability to multitask. I have been giving this a good bit of thought the last several months as I switched homes and traveled internationally as well as domestically several times since April 1. Mind you, this is no complaint about my travel–I loved every bit of it–but I’ve been thinking about how we are so available 24/7, my cell phone rings wherever I am in the world, and e-mails arrive, too. Is it any wonder I’ve been feeling frazzled, edgy and a little forgetful? No, it isn’t. I, who used to be so proud of my ability to do three things (at least!) at once, am now enamored about giving my entire attention to the task at hand, doing it to the best of my ability AND enjoying the process.

How much more effective would you be if you focused on your major task until you completed it, or spent the time you alloted to start it? How many more productive ideas toward a project could you come up with if you gave yourself a 15-minute brainstorming session each morning with a specific topic, pencil, paper and even a cup of coffee–no phone, no e-mail? Try it for one, two or four weeks, and be prepared to be amazed!

Adding a Woman’s Touch

Bonnie — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:42:52 +0000

I am spending a few days in Breckenridge, Colo., and in the 36 hours I have been here I am struck by how simply gorgeous the town looks. If you have yet to experience “Breck,” it’s a Victorian-era town that loves its heritage as a mining town and loves its current life as a ski resort and hiking mecca in the summer. What has dazzled me in these two days is the abundance of flowers everywhere. I’m not talking about a pot of petunias here and there; I’m talking redolent with hanging baskets, beautiful containers and gardens stuffed with flowers of every color.

And what does this have to do with you and your business? Pride. Breckenridge lives on tourist dollars, and we all know that the tourism industry has been hard-hit, especially destination locales. There are definitely empty storefronts, empty places where restaurants once stood. The town could have cut back on the flowers as a non-income-bearing expense, but it didn’t. People who are on the streets are in a happy mood because there is beauty all around them. Shopkeepers are working together to give customers a reason to come into their stores, and galleries are becoming innovative to support artists in the area. They are acting “as if” all is well, while working hard to make their dream a reality.

What can you do to lift the spirits of all who come into contact with your business? What can lift your spirits when you head to your office? Flowers always do it for me; what does it for you?

What’s Your Weather–Sunny or World-Weary?

Bonnie — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:59:03 +0000

“I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.”
– Martha Washington

This was brought home to me just this week. My daughter and her family just moved into their new condominium two days ago. It is beautiful and the realization of a dream. To say they are excited is an understatement. A neighbor dropped by yesterday to say hello and pick up some pans from a dinner she provided the night before.

This person was the first to move into the building and had nothing but complaints and disappointments to air.

How do you look at your business right now? Are you accentuating the positive? Are you sliding into the common vernacular and putting on a world-weary face and tone of voice? Remember that your attitude can make the difference. What is yours?

Like a Laser

Bonnie — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:03:19 +0000

No, honey, I don’t mean the kind that removes age spots! Well, maybe I do. I am talking about focus, focus, focus. As entrepreneurs, and especially women entrepreneurs of a certain age, we are used to doing everything ourselves. If you’re cleaning the sink, you can’t be making income-producing calls–unless you have a cleaning business! What are your greatest strengths? Focus, focus, focus on them. When you’re that good at what you do, no one will notice the age spots!

If your position is everywhere, your momentum is zero.

Michael Korda

A Note of Reality That I Keep in Front of Me

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:29:29 +0000

Before we go any further in the step-by-step of opening a business, I want to inject a note of reality here. I have just read David Brooks’ op-ed piece about genius in The New York Times. He echoes what I have read elsewhere, and what I think bears repeating here if someone is thinking that she will whip up a startup company or simply follow her newfound bliss and become an instant millionaire. OK, it has happened, but the number of cases is infinitesimal compared with the number of startups that go belly up each year.

The issue is that excellence has been found to be the product of at least 10,000 hours of focused work on your area of interest or desired expertise. It seems that there is no way around this figure: 10,000 hours minimum. What does that break down to? I’ve done the math for you because I was curious, too:

10, 000 = 250 40-hour workweeks = 5 years of 50 weeks

(generous soul that I am, I have allowed for two-week vacations each year).

Maybe you have a leg up on this number because you have worked in your intended field. That doesn’t mean you will automatically have a “Get Out of Work” card; it means that you can still devote necessary hours about the aspects of your business that you have not studied.

You already know I am passionate about owning your own business. I also want to be fair and clear–having the knowledge to do it successfully is not a slam dunk (I can’t believe I’m using sports metaphors!).

Security Is Mostly a Superstition

Bonnie — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:02:38 +0000

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.”

- Helen Keller

I hope you have now identified an area you would like to address by starting your own business. For entrepreneurs, there is a lot of activity between the two pillars of Helen Keller’s statement, and that is where success begins–with a lot of planning and hard work. Talk to any entrepreneur and you will find she is always thinking about her business. Entrepreneurs love the “product,” and the intricacies and challenges of bringing it to market. Here is this edition’s question:

What three features or qualities make my idea/product/service different from what is already out there?

This may seem like a pretty simple question, but it will be the foundation for your sales and marketing efforts. Don’t slide over this step.

Okay, So It Isn’t All Good News

Bonnie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:30:27 +0000

Of course, there’s a side of entrepreneurship we don’t like to talk about–when the going gets beyond tough, when the water is rising higher than your Wellingtons. Yet, we Women of a Certain Age know a thing or two about keeping on keeping on. To whit, I am going to ask you to do me a favor–when you do, I think you’ll be inspired and motivated, and no longer weakened by seeing the world through rose-colored lenses.

Cindy White is an entrepreneur of many years standing, and the creek is rising. I met her, as we each do with new friends we feel a kinship with, through someone I know and trust saying, “Would you take a look at this?” I did and I’m glad. Here’s what I’m asking: Please click here and read about Cindy–good looking, too, no? If you feel like it, please make a comment–no pressure, just if you feel like it. Getting a lot of visitors and comments/votes will not ensure that she’ll come out a winner, but it won’t hurt either. What’s in it for you? Glad you asked:

The opportunity to:

Meet one of us
Read a great story
Help a “sister”
When you’re finished reading, take a look at her website. Her product is nothing short of magnificent. I have been in the garment business nearly all of my working life, and I have never seen anything like it. Yum!

Let’s go, girls, and win one for the After 55. Rah!