Archive for business
How to Use Social Media for Restaurants
Posted by: | CommentsSocial Media for Restaurants
By Guest Blogger: Bethany North
As a restaurant in a local area, you may have a difficult time making your mark if you are competing with the big chains out there. Even if you do happen to be a big chain restaurant, there is no such thing as too many customers, which is why it is important to make social media work for you as a restaurant, whether you are big or small.
- Facebook: Start out by setting up a Facebook account so that you can keep people updated about events in your restaurant, specials, discounts, and even happy hour. This is the best way to get people involved because they do want to know what is going on locally, but they don’t want to have to search for it. The way that this works is that your friends will friend your Facebook page for your restaurant, which will in turn be quickly circulated to their social circles. Genius.
- Submit to Directories: Whether you submit to a paid or free directory, directories are a big deal when it comes to social media. This is where people go for local reviews and information, so if you don’t take the time to submit your restaurant, you may be overlooked in favor of your competitors.
- Twitter: Twitter will work the same way as Facebook where people can follow you to find out the latest happenings when it comes to your restaurant. This is the quickest way to tell people to make reservations in time for Mother’s Day, about your new menu for Valentine’s Day, or anything of the like.
- Encourage Your Customers to Visit You Online: After you have set up all of your social media profiles for your restaurant, don’t stop there! You must include your Facebook page and Twitter profile on your restaurant business cards or website so that people are encouraged to follow you. If they don’t know that you have social media profiles, they won’t search for you. However, if you are easy to find online, you better believe that people will follow you to stay aware of your happenings and come in as potential customers.
Social media is much simpler than it seems for a restaurant, but you do need to put yourself out there so that your customer base can find you online!
Check out guest blogger Bethany North’s Website for a great selection of Pasquini Livia 90 at The Coffee Bump!
Why Foursquare Makes Customer Loyalty Fun and Easy
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Businesses need to set up their customer loyalty programs on foursquare because it makes it fun and easy. All you need to do is decide what promotion(s) you want to offer, and contact foursquare’s developers to make it happen.
Why is it fun:
For users, foursquare is like a game. Users get competitive because you can earn points, badges, and rewards from merchants. It’s also a way to find where your friends are and where you should be. Plus foursquare gives users 3 ways to ‘shout it out’: foursquare friends, facebook status, and tweets on twitter. Contests among friends is common. I compete with friends on number of checkins, number of badges, and number of mayorships.
Why is it easy:
Because foursquare developers are so tuned in to the business market, they are ready to write the code you need to run your promotion. You are limited only by your imagination. Here are some of the most popular promotions foursquare currently has developed:
- Freebies like coffee and lunch for the Mayor* of Whole Foods Market
- % or $ off a promotional item at Starbucks
- Discount of freebie after the 3rd checkin at Carrabas Restaurant
- Free drink at the local bar when you’re part of a swarm*
- Punch on a frequent shopper card
Wait no longer; contact foursquare today to see how you can have a fun and easy customer loyalty program!
*Mayors are foursquare users who check in the most days at the same venue within a 60 day period.
Terri Sinclair is an award-winning speaker, trainer, coach, and founder of develup. She’s been helping people communicate better for over 2 decades. Terri coaches other coaches and entrepreneurs on using social media in their business plan. She also teaches small businesses how to provide exceptional customer service. Anyone interested in her training or coaching can visit develup.biz
IVAA Summit Rocked!
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This past week I attended the IVAA Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. IVAA stands for International Virtual Assistant Association. Even though I am no longer offering Virtual Assistant (VA) services I still attended for two reasons: 1. I was speaking at the conference; 2. To see many of my VA colleagues whose friendship and support brought me (and my business) to where I am today (my virtual friends).
The name of my presentation was Is Your Business THRIVING, or Just Surviving? I presented with Yvonne Weld. Yvonne and I co-authored a book a few years ago titled Managing Your Thriving Business For Success.
I want to give a big shout out to Yvonne Weld. Without Yvonne our presentation would have never happened. Yvonne was the one who took all of our scribbled notes and put them in to a beautifully organized power point presentation. Five minutes before our talk Yvonne said, “where are your notes?”. At this point my heart sank… oops I did not print my notes. Thank goodness Yvonne was there with her notes that she let me borrow a few times throughout the talk. Yvonne was great in front of the crowd, she knows her stuff. I also want to thank all the wonderful VAs who came to listen to our talk. It’s a little intimidating when you know you are standing in front of the top VAs in the industry. You all rock and I sincerely appreciate your support!
The gist of our talk was about finding your passion again. Do what you love! We addressed burn out, talked about trying to find work/life balance when working from home, exposed the myths of passive income (income is not passive – there is no free lunch!), discussed how running a multi-VA business does not always equal a six-figure business, and discussed the importance of setting goals, keeping your eye on the goal and finding an accountability partner or coach. Thank you to everyone who participated in the discussion and shared their real stories.
Thank you to the summit committee for your seamless organization of the whole event. The food was fantastic, the venue was great, the schedule flowed, and the presenters were inspiring. You women are superstars!
If you are an overworked business owner or entrepreneur who wants to take your business to the next level… you may want to consider hiring a VA. It will change your life! I know a few Virtual Assistant Rock Stars if you need any referrals.
PS. I just have to say I loved the Twitter backchannel going on during #IVAA10. Thanks for all the supportive tweets during our talk especially @CandyTX because Candy always tells it like it is… I’m so thankful I got the Candy seal of approval. It’s a legit one. Thanks Candy! 
And now I am getting prepared to attend the Social Media Success Summit. I can’t wait!
Should I Set Up a Twitter or Facebook Account for My Business?
Posted by: | CommentsYes! If you are a business owner you really do need a Twitter and Facebook Fan Page for your business. It’s important for businesses to be involved in social networking.
Photo by Matt Hamm.
According to Mashable:
“the study by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies found that consumers are 67% more likely to buy from the brands they follow on Twitter, and 51% more likely to buy from a brand they follow on Facebook (
). Moreover, they’re 79% more likely to recommend their Twitter (
) follows to a friend, and 60% more likely to do the same on Facebook”
Read the whole article here on Mashable.
Is your business on Twitter & Facebook yet? Have you joined in the conversation? If you need some help getting started with social media → Virtual Simplicity is here to help! Contact us if you are ready to jump on the social networking band wagon!
Is your business using social media?
Posted by: | CommentsIf your business is not using social media you may reconsider your strategy after viewing this video.
Virtual Simplicity can help you get set up with a social media plan. Contact us for more information.
Suggested reading:
Thanks @fun_master for sharing this video with me.
Starting up a Business Economically
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I’ve seen people buy all sorts of offices supplies – a new computer, a new fax machine, a fancy printer, a scanner, a phone system, pens, etc.
I’ve also seen people use all these “things” they must have as an excuse to not put themselves out there and really start their business. I hear things like, “I can’t go to that networking meeting because I don’t have a Website yet or I don’t have brochures yet or my Website isn’t done yet.” I’ll let you in on a little secret… Websites are never done!
If you are thinking about starting a business I say start with the basics. Get a Website or Blog and a simple professional looking business card. The letterhead, brochures, logos and fancy Website are not going to get you business. What is going to get you business are your skills at networking and connecting with others, the quality of service you provide and a way for people to find you (ie. contact info on Website and business cards).
What are you waiting for? Stop trying to be perfect. Stop making excuses. Stop wasting money. Remember you have a service to offer that most likely someone else needs.
Pic of office supplies via Flickr User nickjohnson
PS. Thanks to Mack Collier for explaining an easy way to give photo credit when using creative common photos from Flickr.
How Not To Get A New Client
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I am constantly giving the advice to entrepreneurs to network, network, network. I tell business owners to get out of their comfort zone and go out and network. When I say network I don’t mean to go out and broadcast your services or to do hard sales. To me networking is about creating relationships, to get to know others and to let them get to know you. It is not about trying to get that person to be my next client. It’s about making friends and building social capital. You never know who knows your next client or where your next referral might come from.
I recently had a networking experience that felt “icky” to me. How can I explain this? I met a man at an event, he heard me talking about Twitter and social networking (many of you know how much I LOVE to talk about this subject, I get a little passionate when doing so) anyway he asked me for my card and said he’d like to hear more about what I do. The next day he called and asked if I wanted to get together and have coffee to network some more. Being the networking advocate I am, I said yes.
When I arrived for coffee he introduced me to his colleague, explaining they had other meetings to attend today so she came along for this one as well. I thought great, I get to meet another person. They asked me all about Twitter, my blog, social networking and I blabbed on and on talking about being authentic, about how it’s not about sales but is about relationships, they agreed and said they loved the concept because that is how they practice business.
About 15 minutes in to our conversation, I asked him why he wanted to meet today, if he just wanted to hear more about what I do or if he had any questions. Suddenly, his colleague took over and dove in to a total sales pitch trying to sell me a service I did not need, nor want. She went on and on, while the wheels were turning in my head and I was slowly realizing what was happening…
I was thinking to myself, did they even really care about what I do? were they here to sell me their services? I felt like a big dummy for going on and on about social networking. Maybe I was too presumptuous myself and should have spent a little more time at the beginning of the meeting to check in with them.
Meanwhile she is still talking about all the benefits of what they do and how much I will benefit from it. Then she said, “so tell me how we can help you?”. I looked at her confused and said, “I’m not looking for help, I’m here today because he invited me. I’m not looking for X services, I don’t need them. Thank you”. I’m not going to bore you with the rest of the conversation but it just didn’t sit right with me. We were all polite to each other but by this point I felt like they weren’t being authentic, I felt they didn’t really care about what I did, they just smiled politely and kept asking questions to keep me talking. I may be totally wrong, because they seemed like really nice people, perhaps they did care about what I do and they just have a different style of networking but I came out of the meeting feeling icky, which means I’m probably not going to use their services and I’m not going to refer them to my large network of friends.
I’m telling this story not to criticize these people but to share with any of you who may be wondering why you haven’t “sealed the deal” lately. If you are having trouble “closing the sale” with clients maybe it is time to take a step back and look at your own approach to networking.
If you are going to invite someone for a meeting to try to sell them your services please let them know in advance. Maybe even find out if they are at all interested in your services. Time is precious these days.
My advice is to network, network, network but please be authentic when doing so.
After re-reading this, I realized I’m being a little hard on these people. I’m sure they are good, nice and caring people. I’m not saying people who do hard sales are bad people, just saying they may want to re-evaluate the way they look at networking and sales. It’s totally fine to share what you do and talk about your business but that is different than trying to convince someone they need your services.
I’m stepping off my soap box now. Thank you for listening.
Being Authentic is Professional
Posted by: | CommentsI’m on an authenticity kick right now. I mean I’ve always believed in being authentic, real and full of integrity but sometimes it’s hard to figure out who my authentic self is. I guess I’m trying to find MY voice.
I just sent a proposal to a potential client. I have to admit I procrastinated on this proposal because I was feeling a little intimidated. Not intimidated about the work, because I know my team would do an awesome job on the project. What I felt intimidated about was how I was going to present my proposal. This potential client had received a proposal from a big company and she showed me the proposal to ask if this is something I could do for her. The proposal was very professional looking and presented in charts and easy to read.
For some reason, because I saw that proposal I felt like I had to submit a proposal that looked just like it. I don’t do my proposals like that. I’m pretty simple and straight forward. I write out what I will do for you and how much it will cost. I don’t add all the bells and whistles.
This morning I realized I wasn’t being authentic by worrying about how my proposal should look. I realized I just need to send her my proposal the way I write them. It is then up to her to decide if she wants to work with me the person who sends simple and straight forward proposals or work with the company that sends the pretty, polished and formulated proposal. Whoever she chooses is probably the right person for her.
Are you being authentic in how you present yourself to your customers and potential clients?
Is your business THRIVING or just surviving?
How many different hats do you wear?
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As an entrepreneur you probably wear many hats. This piece is inspired by a post I just read on the OwningPink blog about living an authentic life. Lissa Rankin described the many different hats she wears and the importance of wearing the hats authentically.
The part where Lissa described wearing the mommy hat cracked me up. I guess I could totally relate to what she was saying.
“When wearing my Mommy hat, I’m supposed to instantly know how to relate to kids, carry organic snacks everywhere, show up at preschool gatherings looking rested, athletic, and unfazed by the fact that my kid puked all over me the previous night – not to mention bring unfettered volunteer efforts to every kiddie project.”
Are you being authentic to yourself? Do you love the business you started? Do you get excited about the work you have to do? Sometimes we get so caught up in what we should be doing we forget to think about what we could be doing.
We think as a Virtual Assistant we should offer these services, but what if we hate these services whatever these services are. Say you hate doing bookkeeping but you thought you should offer it as a service because you are a Virtual Assistant and that is what Virtual Assistants do. Try replacing the word should with could and see how your perspective changes. I could offer bookkeeping as a service. Now check in with yourself and see how that feels. Does that feel right for you or does the idea of offering bookkeeping feel awful? If it feels awful then don’t offer bookkeeping as a service. This can work the other way too.
Say you want to offer a service that is not traditionally considered a Virtual Assistant service. Other VAs might tell you that you should not do that but you know what? You can do it if you want because this is your business and you can do whatever you want! If you want to offer online classes in basket weaving as a service of your VA business then go ahead and do it. Be yourself, be authentic and next time you hear yourself saying, I should… try replacing it with I could and you just might be surprised at all the possibilities that pop in to your head. I first heard the idea of replacing should with could by Louise Hay in the book You Can Heal Your Life and it really resonated with me.
Superlicious Diva Business Day
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Last month I attended the online Superlicious Diva Business Day with Lisa Hunter. Wow what a great experience that was! I met lots of new entrepreneurial women and we had so much fun together. It was like a virtual playground. Lisa and the group reminded me to have fun while working and to take breaks to play. Even though we were having fun and playing we were also getting down to serious business, we did some brainstorming, talked about business ideas, and made some great connections. Lisa is lots of fun and very inspiring to be around. Lisa has been my coach in the past and she is one the people that helped inspire me to create the new blog: Sally Around The Bay. I always have so much fun with Lisa, I thought it would be fun to interview her about the Superlicious Diva Business Day.
Your Name: Lisa Hunter
Company Name: Inner Business Diva
Type of Company: A place for spirited, go-getting entrepreneurial women to make new business connections and thrive
How long have you been in business? I’ve had this particular business for 4 years. Overall, I’ve been in business for myself for 14 years!
Why/How did you get in to this business? I have the spirited, go-getting-entrepreneurial-woman gene myself, which means that I tend to have friends who are the same way. We have so much fun when we get together – the brainstorming, the inspiration, the connections and the goofball antics. I would feel so alone running my own business if I didn’t have these women in my life. I also love facilitating new connections. So… I decided to make it official and create a network where spirited entrepreneurial women gather and then magic ensues.
Do you have fun running your business? Yes yes yes! I used to be on a very long path of working myself into the ground until I couldn’t take it anymore. Then last year I decided that I would only say ‘yes’ to projects that feel fun and that energize me. Seriously, if fun isn’t in the equation I don’t do it. And the Diva Day network is about women connecting, but it’s also about getting together and blowing off a little steam and getting kinda goofy. You know how you get a little goofy after you’ve been sitting in front of your computer for too long? Well you’re totally encouraged to act on that goofiness on the network, and best of all, the other women “get” it.
What do you sell? What service do you offer? Two things: Superlicious Diva Business Day which is a network for the sassy, passionately-driven entrepreneurial type. Diva Day is just once a month, which I love because it makes the day really special, with lots of synergy. I’m also about to launch a new book/course: Sexy Time Management. It teaches you the art of tapping into your right rhythm and using that to guide your scheduling, rather than all those boring old time management tips that we’ve all tried, but that never seem to fully work for anybody.
What is your favorite product that you sell? Can’t pick! It’s like being a mom and trying to pick your favorite kid!
Do you have any specials right now? There’s a special on your first Diva Day. Since the only way to find out if you like Diva Day is try it, I like to meet your risk by giving you an intro rate of $14 for your first Diva Day. And then the regular monthly membership fee after that is $19 if you decide you want to stay. You can try it out and cancel if you find it’s not your cup of tea.
Any advice for new entrepreneurs, someone just getting started?
It really is important to keep things fun. The products/services that I’ve offered over the years have been progressively more and more fun for me. And I’ve noticed that I get more energy from my offerings, the more they include a playful component. I know that place well of being all serious and tired from owning a business, and it just doesn’t feed the business or you. Now, incorporating fun is sometimes easier said than done, but I’ll tell ya – if you can find even little ways, or if you can weave it into one of your products/services, your business and your soul will thank you!
Where can people find your product? My cute l’il ole website! The specific page for Diva Day is: www.InnerBusinessDiva.com/diva-business-day
What is the best way to contact you or to order your product online? If you’re interested in Diva Day, there’s lots of information on the site and if it feels right to you, then you can just sign up on the Diva Day page. If you have questions, then you can fill out the contact form on the page and I’ll be happy to answer whatever you need to know.
Do you want to offer a special discount or offer to Virtual Simplicity blog readers? Hmmm, they can have the first TWO months for $14/month. And then $19 after that. They’d just need to send me a special email that they read your blog so that I can program the billing accordingly. And they don’t have to commit to the ongoing, they can cancel whenever they want.
Thanks Lisa! I can’t wait until the next Diva Day which I know is coming up soon!
