Current Affairs
June 14, 2011
Are Customers Walking Out On You?
Did You Know That 2 Out of 3 Customers Walked Out of a Store Because of Bad Customer Service?
According to a Consumer Reports survey, 67 percent of customers said they hung up on a customer service phone call without having their problem addressed.
Customers also found it annoying when businesses hid their phone numbers on their web sites.
Voting With Their Feet
Most people don't complain about bad customer service. They vote with their feet and take their business elsewhere.
Take a look at your customer service and make changes if necessary. Then people will tell the world about your 5 star customer service.
June 04, 2011
Sponsors are Gaga for Lady Gaga
May 16, 2011
What Do Animals Teach Us?
My little 11 year old rescue cat Sneakers needs surgery on her leg. I noticed her limping, took her to the veterinarian and found out that she has a torn ligament.
Sneakers and her mom, Carmella have been the lights of my life and they've taught me so much.
- Unconditional Love: My cats are furry little love machines. They love me even when I'm sick and disgusting.
- Nurturing: The day I found out that Sneakers needed surgery was my anniversary. Instead of a romantic day at the beach, we were at the veterinarian's office. I never even considered a fun day for myself while my cat was suffering.
- Relaxation: It's common knowledge that pets lower your blood pressure. Have you ever watched a dog or a cat sleep? I lose my daily stress just by looking at them. They make relaxation an art.
What Have Animals Taught You?
Please send out good thoughts for Sneakers and let me know what animals have taught you.
April 12, 2011
I'm a Cover Girl
I'm on the Cover of South Bay Woman Magazine
Art Major to Entrepreneur
The article tells the story of how in college I was an art major and I thought business was completely boring. While I was working in an art gallery, I found that I had a talent for sales. I became a seminar junkie and learned everything I could about business so I could become an entrepreneur. The rest is history.
Tribute to My Mother
The South Bay Woman Magazine article also features a tribute to my mother, Blossom Hollander, who is my daily inspiration. She was so proud of me and faithfully came to my Women's Small Business Expo. Her entire life was about helping people and when my mother died last year, I chose to continue her legacy.
March 27, 2011
Top 3 Social Media Opportunities for Women
More women than men visit social networking sites and spend 30% more time per month using them.
Companies are looking to reach women as consumers, advocates and entrepreneurs.
For women, social media offers abundant opportunities to lead, innovate, and build relationships.
1. Become a Thought Leader
Women can gain celebrity and expert status on social media. Michele Cobin Friedlander, a family law attorney, constantly answers questions on parenting blogs and social media. This has led to quality referrals and top-notch clients.
2. Create an Emotional Connection
Making an emotional connection is one of the best ways to attract women to your brand. You want to ignite a reaction like, "Wow, that's me!" By creating a two-way conversation, you are personalizing your brand and creating trust. This is a great way to highlight your stellar customer service.
3. Contact the Person Privately
Once you've gotten to know someone through social media, it's time to initiate a conversation. Be friendly, respectful and brief. After a few messages back and forth, I like to ask for a phone appointment. I've gotten to know phenomenal people from social media that have become clients, cheerleaders and great friends.
January 25, 2011
Steve Jobs: Love and Loss
I've interviewed lots of business leaders, but the one that's eluded me is Steve Jobs, founder of Apple
Steve Jobs has influenced 3 major industries: computers, music and telephones. He's helped to add things like, "iPod, iPad, and apps" to our everyday speech.
Steve Jobs has been in the news lately because of his medical leave. People are wondering about how Apple can survive without him, but many people don't know that he was actually fired from Apple.
Fired from His Own Company
Here is the story of love and loss that Steve Jobs recounted at the Stanford Commencement Speech in 2005:
Steve Jobs found what he loved to do early in life. He and Steve Wozniak started Apple in his parents' garage when he was twenty. They worked hard and in ten years, Apple had grown into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees.
They released Macintosh computer and he just turned thirty. Then the board of directors fired him publicly from his own company.
What NeXT?
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Steve Jobs started a company called NeXT, then another company named Pixar. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer-animated feature film, "Toy Story," and is now the most successful animation studio in the world.
In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT and then Steve returned to Apple. The technology he developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance.
Getting Fired Was One of the Best Things that Ever Happened to Him
November 29, 2010
Did You Support Small Business Saturday?
The First Ever Small Business Saturday was on November 27
American Express sponsored this holiday which encouraged consumers to support their local small businesses.
American Express will give you a $25 statement credit when you shop at any small business until 12/31/10.
I went to Pasadena, California, shopped at some local apparel stores and then had a fabulous dinner at a locally-owned restaurant. It was really rewarding because the shop owners actually thanked me for supporting small businesses.
It's Not Too Late
Small Business Saturday was about supporting retailers, but what about other small businesses?
Remember to support your service professionals: your business coach, hair stylist, attorney, life coach, accountant, and fitness trainer. Let's not forget wholesalers and the direct sellers who will supply you with jewelry, cosmetics, nutrition, clothing, greeting cards, utilities, even legal services.
Small business owners will bring our economy back into prosperity, so let's support them all year long.
November 14, 2010
Carnival Cruise: My Narrow Escape
I missed the terrible fate of those Carnival Splendor Cruise passengers by just a few hours.
I was on the very same cruise ship to the Mexican Riviera the week before.
The Carnival Cruise ship dropped me off on November 7, 2010 in the morning and picked up those ill-fated passengers just a few hours later.
Phew!
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Here are some lessons I learned:
Be Grateful.
I got sick for one day on the ship and missed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico completely. The gorgeous town was just outside my window and I was in my cabin watching TV reruns. It broke my heart, but at least I had air conditioning, lights and a working bathroom. And I lost 5 pounds.
Make Friends
I got the chance to have fun with my friends on the cruise and make some new comrades at sea. The unfortunate Carnival passengers the week after me didn't get to see the beautiful beaches of Cabo San Lucas, but the stranded travelers really bonded each other to make the best out of a really bad situation.
Laugh Loudly and Often
According to the film, Where is Your Heart?, by my new Sponsor Concierge client, Lisa Kamen, children laugh over 300 times a day, and adults laugh only 15-30 times. The ill-fated Carnival Splendor passengers the week after me said they laughed, played cards and took advantage of the free drinks, even though the beer was warm.
I'd love to get your comments
October 30, 2010
What's the Difference Between Men and Women Business Owners?
I've been watching The Apprentice and Donald Trump divides the teams into men and women so we can see their different motivations and leadership styles.
The Gap Between Men and Women Seems to Be Closing
Both genders mention the same motivations according a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship.
Men and women business owners
- Had an equally strong passion to build wealth.
- Started their companies to capitalize on their business ideas.
- Enjoyed the culture of startups.
- Were tired of working for a boss.
- Had a long-standing desire to own their own businesses.
- Were about the same age when they started the business (approx. 40 years old).
- Were equally likely to have children at home when they started their businesses. (However, men were more likely to be married.)
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Here are some differences
- Prior experience was more important to women than men.
- Women were twice as likely as men to secure their funding from business partners.
- Mentoring is extremely important to women.and they valued their professional and business networks.
I'd love to hear your comments.
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