The SmallBizLady Buzz - Issue 102

What do women really need?

This week, we celebrate International Women’s Day, and I thought it would be helpful to share a slither of my world as a professional single mom. I focused on the question, "What does it mean to have flexibility in your life as a woman?"

As a divorced single mother of a special needs child, I had to have flexibility to do what I needed to do for my child. Before he was school age, often he had three therapy appointments a week. After taking him to his appointments and then to daycare, many days I couldn't make it to the office until nearly 11am. If I wasn't an entrepreneur, working for myself, making my own money, someone in a corporate setting would have fired me. Being a mother and business owner in a town with no family was tough, but I regret nothing. I had to work hard and stay focused to keep control of my schedule. I had the flexibility to get my son the help he needed, but many women don't. 

All businesses need to create policies that support the needs of mothers, especially those with young children. You shouldn't have to miss your child's doctor's appointment because you are scared of not being seen as committed or fear of losing your job, or losing pay. We need affordable childcare too. We are the only industrialized nation that doesn't have domestic help as a social norm. Fewer families today can afford the household support that was available to previous generations; paying even a part-time nanny is really tough for some. Women are expected to do it all, even if they have a partner. It puts a lot of pressure on women at home and at work. We all deserve better. I challenge men to do more to support co-workers and their life partners.

 Are you ready to start selling online? Check out Part 1 of my series, How to Use Social Media to Convert Sales 

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How to Use Social Media to Convert Sales Part 1

Want to use social media to convert sales? Excellent idea! Social media marketing is a powerful way to connect with fans and turn them into paying customers. If you’re looking for ways to start converting leads into sales on social media, enjoy part 1 of our series on how to use social media to convert sales. In this article, we’ll focus on selling secrets for Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Continue reading...

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Visually Plan Your Social Content

Planoly is a modern and intuitive Instagram scheduler. The Planoly app is a web dashboard that enables users to manage their IG posts and content visually before posting it live on Instagram. With the clean design, users are able to drag and drop their photos and videos around to visually see how it will look like on their Instagram profile feed.

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Podcast: Managing the Stress of Building a Business with Michelle Rosenthal

Check out this recent podcast here: Managing the Stress of Building a Business with Michelle Rosenthal

Michelle Rosenthal is a keynote speaker, author, and mental health advocate as well as the Trauma/PTSD Recovery Specialist and Program Designer at My Trauma Coach. She has written various books on trauma and recovery and is an award-winning PTSD blogger.

 As a survivor of childhood trauma, Michelle uses her healing journey to help others overcome the pain of the past. Today, Michelle explores the pressures of running a business and how chronic stress affects the mind and body. She reveals how to identify your stress triggers and divulges what you can do to reduce stress in your life. For more information, visit www.mytraumacoach.com.

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So, you want to build a sales system for your business?

It’s going to be tough if you don’t know how to use email. The key to sales is having a follow-up system. Email marketing is the most cost-effective way to follow-up with someone who is interested in buying from you. And if you’ve struggled, take a look at my new online course, Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. In just 6-weeks, you’ll know how to build email sequences, landing pages and how to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to grow your business. Sign up today!

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Melinda F. Emerson, “SmallBizLady” is America’s #1 Small Business Expert. She is an internationally renowned keynote speaker on small business development, marketing and social selling. Melinda is also the president of the Quintessence Group, an award-winning marketing consulting firm based in Philadelphia, PA, serving Fortune 500 brands who target small business market. LinkedIn named her a Top Voice for 2019 in Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In addition to being a former NY Times columnist, she is frequently quoted by media organizations including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox News. She is the host of #Smallbizchat LIVE and The SmallBizChat Podcast. A prolific writer, Melinda has published more than 5000 articles on her blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Her small business advice is widely read reaching more than 3 million entrepreneurs each week online. She is the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, Revised and Expanded and Fix Your Business, a 90 Day Plan to Get Back Your Life and Reduce Chaos in Your Business.