Moms In Business

Tweet Stuff from Linda's Twitter Desk - 9/6/09

Here's a roundup of my Twitter posts for the last few days.  Enjoy!

There is no easy button for life. You got to put in the work and the dedication to make things happen.

Watching Your Pink Slip is Showing Webinar by @barefoot_exec http://bit.ly/hQGqi

Twitter Tip: Never use a profile pic that shows you clutching a wad of cash. Makes you look desperate & sadly un-followable.

Interesting: 11 p.m. Eastern is Internet prime time http://bit.ly/Q3Ny4 - when is your favorite time to surf the web?

iPhone games keep a comin' http://bit.ly/CpThD Hmm, I may have to get Pac-Man Remix

RT @MarkShepard Study Shows Small Businesses That Blog Get 55% More Website Visitors http://bit.ly/11deQ0

RT @FLWbooks Stop laboring for someone else this Labor Day Weekend. Use these books to become an entrepreneur -> http://bit.ly/J3BtE

When was the last time you received a thoughtful handwritten thank you note? How did it make you feel? Write one to someone today.

RT @WendiMooreAgncy Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. Jim Carrey

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." ~ Mae West

How to Create a Great Profile http://bit.ly/3RxDUM

Great advice: Does an Artist Really Need to Be on EVERY Networking Web Site? http://bit.ly/zsQXv

Marketing with Videos http://bit.ly/kVtvu

Why is Twitter so much fun? I like it because I get to met so many interesting people & to read what's on their minds.

Reading: Annoying Facebook-ers, Direct Sales Style http://bit.ly/4x6PA

RT @MeredithGould Designing accessible websites: http://bit.ly/13oZRp

RT @LizzHarmon Great post from chrisbrogan: The Building Blocks of Social Media for Business: http://twurl.nl/f0pyt0

Watching Newsletter Success Formula videos by Martin Avis. Super tips from a pro on how 2 really profit from ezines http://bit.ly/3GQ2KL

Birds on a Wire – Reviewing Twitter Books by @chrisbrogan http://bit.ly/Jkvoz | Be sure to watch this video before you buy.

Do Old School Marketing Tools Still Work? Answer: Yes, these oldies are still goodies. http://bit.ly/17ZHm1

If you ask someone you respect for advice, follow it. Don't blow it off & keep doing what you've been doing. That's why you are stuck!

Shine the Spotlight on You

As a business owner, you know the focus is on your customer. They are the ones that make your business a success. But in order to give more to your customers, you might just have to hog the spotlight for a little while.

Business has its ups and downs. Everyone is happy when things are going well, but not so enthusiastic when things are going the other way. That's when your positive attitude needs to really kick in. Believe in your business again. It may have been a long time since you’ve asked yourself what makes you and your business tick. Do you still stand by your product and/or service? Of course you do.

Go Back to School

Even business owners need to add new skillsets. This is especially true if you conduct business on the Internet. There are so many new ways to market your product you may think you need to take a class to be sure you have learned all that you need to know.

So, let’s go back to school. Take some time out of your schedule to take an online tutorial or classes at the community college. Those with the expertise are offering their skills to you. Learn website design, website building, HTML, podcasting, link building, content writing, social networking and a host of other skills to enhance your business and your confidence.

As an added bonus, learning more skills also increases your confidence. You will feel more comfortable as a business owner. Interacting with other professional business people in person at conferences or online won’t be as daunting. You’ll be able to speak intelligently about a number of subjects much to your success.

Make Your Presence Known

Entrepreneurs hold business conferences all across the country. You can find out about them at online in forums, on websites or in the local newspaper. Attend one or two and find out what others are doing in the business world. It is a perfect excuse to place a business card in every hand that you shake.

Enjoy yourself. Ask questions and take notes. At work, you are the boss but here, you can play the avid pupil. Registering for a conference can be costly, but it is a worthwhile investment if you find the right one.

It’s okay to take top priority sometimes if it is for the sake of your business. Expanding your horizons in different ways can be a big boost to your bottom line and your self esteem. Enroll in a class, find a conference, or teach yourself a new skill that will benefit both you and your business today.

Weekly Tips from Linda's Twitter Desk - 7/11/09

Here's a roundup of some of my Twitter posts from the last couple of weeks.

Enjoy!

Linda Locke
Moms in Business

MBA Moms Blend School and Kids http://bit.ly/svfkj

Is Twitter worth the effort for small town businesses? http://bit.ly/KW7EY (via @BeckyMcCray) - Yes!

"Every day try to be a blessing to everyone you meet." ~ Bonnie Raitt

RT @Mike_Stelzner How to Avoid Facebook Disasters (good read from PC World) http://bit.ly/VNrPj

Reading latest anonymous secrets on Post Secret. http://postsecret.com Very addictive, interesting social experiment: http://bit.ly/5c2QA

RT @ducttape New blog post: Local as Differentiator http://bit.ly/2LX9NI

"Get "out of your mind" to get into your right life." ~ Martha Beck

Mom Power Rules in Business: http://bit.ly/pd9i3

RT @ShermanHu [SOCIAL MEDIA] 42+ Social Media Marketing Tools http://bit.ly/MVePj | great resource tool

Reading about mobile shredding events: http://snurl.com/lncuc - Amazing how fast you can shred stuff that took so long to accumulate :)

Super insights. RT @bizauthor Confessions of a mom business owner: http://bit.ly/ysf0a (via @joblessmuse)

RT @RobinHardy Need to send large files or MP3's via email...file too large? Try http://YouSendIt.com

“Man is free at the moment he wishes to be.” ~ Voltaire

RT @nicheprof Confessing you use Twitter & Facebook may help you overcome potential age-bias in hiring interviews http://budurl.com/mb57

7 Strategies to Move Past the Digital Ceiling http://bit.ly/3w4uq0

Short Is Sweet: http://bit.ly/dDSQk ~ fascinating look at evolution of short messages from post cards to text to Twitter

RT @MrBuzzFactor 18 Ways to Become More Retweetable http://bit.ly/mS4e4

Always wanted to write the Great American Novel, but realize the Great American Tweet may be more achievable :) ~ Linda Locke

Snurl was my fav URL shortening tool, but I've moved on to http://bit.ly now. I like how it tracks # of click thrus to my links.

My latest book find: Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love" by Jonathan Fields http://www.careerrenegade.com/

"Chart your own course, but embrace the stormy seas." ~ Laura K. Ipsen

Watch my screen recording on #screenjelly http://www.screenjelly.com/watch/CnHwXwp-4jk

Twittering is “Next To Normal” for Broadway Cast http://bit.ly/viR1G

Tweeting is a lot like eating potato chips. You just can't stop with one :) ~ Linda Locke

Top 5 Fears of entrepreneurs & how to deal with them: http://bit.ly/FOlhQ

The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur http://bit.ly/h6G7k

Mom Power Rules in StartUpNation's Search for Leading Business Moms

Need a little inspiration today?  Check out StartUpNation's story about their selection of the top 200 leading moms in business for 2009. The contending business moms were selected by visitors who viewed their profiles and websites and voted for their favorites. More than 620,000 votes were cast.

The top vote getter was Yana Berlin, whose business is Fabulously40 and Beyond, a social networking site for women in their 40s and up. Here's an excerpt from her winning profile:

"I think any woman that has a family, career and children is a super hero. Women over forty tend to be everything for everyone and often forget to take time for themselves. I took it upon myself to create a social network for women forty and beyond." More

After the contest, the StartupNation staff noticed some clear trends that stood out among the top business moms:

1. Moms want to make a difference
2. Running a business is a family affair
3. Flexibility despite difficulty
4. Home is where the money is
5. Social media and e-mail marketing work

Read more here: StartupNation's 2009 top 200 leading moms in business

Weekly Tips from Linda's Twitter Desk - 6/21/09

Here's a roundup of my Twitter posts from the last week. 

Enjoy!

“Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” ~ Anne Geddes - Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there :)

The cupcake van may be coming your way

My new fav mag is Ready Made. Lots of fun & creative ideas for making stuff & thinking outside the box. http://readymade.com

I really want one of these: “Google Me” Business Card

Myths To Destruct: Creatives are Bad at Business

Using Software To Auto-Build Your Twitter Following Could Risk Account Suspension

Handy Tip: How to set up more Twitter accounts with ONE email address  using gmail

Blog tip: When posting links on twitter, use bit.ly, shortna.me or TweetBurner to get click statistics.

If you are a freelancer, here's a view point you may want to consider: Are You Tweeting Away Prospects?

7 Ways You’re Screwing Up Relationship Marketing

"Find the thing that ignites your passion, engages your mind, and dare to lead." ~ Christiane Amanpour

Learning how to use free Google Local Business Center to control biz info that appears for local searches

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful." ~ Mae West

Tune Up Your Personal Message

'I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on." ~ Roseanne Barr

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." ~ Eric Hoffer

Weekly Tips from Linda's Twitter Desk - 5/25/09

Here's a round up of some of my best tips and inspiration from Twitter this past week:

"If I had my life to live again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner." ~ Tallulah Bankhead

10 Essential Twitter Tools for Business http://ow.ly/7zLi

What to do when there's too much to do http://snurl.com/i9kyj ~ a different approach to dealing with overwhelm

23 Marketing Strategies That Can Make You More Money During a Down Economy http://bit.ly/pyWGN

"Never invest your money in anything that eats or needs painting." ~ Billy Rose

Always be open to new ideas & new ways of doing things. You never know what might lift you to the next level.

9 Practical Ways to To Help Stay Focused http://tinyurl.com/ojdv8p

How to Surrender (Without Giving Up) http://snurl.com/ihlmw

Golden Rules of Social Media: http://bit.ly/BcAnH

How to Effectively Listen On Twitter http://snurl.com/ik2yf

Using Twitter to help GROW your business http://short.to/l4s

Tweeting Your Way to a Job: http://twurl.nl/garwxf

Now you can wear your best Tweets with http://www.twitshirt.com

Mom Memories

I'm missing my Mom, Bunny, this Mother's Day, but also enjoying all the good memories I have of my life with her.

One of the things I miss most is her sense of humor and laughing hysterically with her over all those silly family jokes that only people who spend a lifetime together can understand.

I also remember her lovely singing voice and watching her perform in many musicals in our local community theater group. She played a nun in Sound of Music, Bloody Mary in South Pacific, Mrs. Paroo in Music Man and a villager in Fiddler on the Roof.

Thinking of her performances also reminds me that she could have been a star, but she chose to be a mom instead. How lucky my brothers, sister and my nieces and nephews are to have had her in our lives.

Funny, talented, creative, musical, and a whirlwind of energy, my Mom was the solid and steady center of the family. She inspired me to be the best I can be and her unconditional love and support gave me wings to accomplish it.

This post was inspired by a story in my local paper this Mother's Day, Memories of Mom, which features a series of lovely short essays on readers giving thanks for their Moms in 50 words or less.

Please take a moment to comment and share your memories of your mom.

Susan Boyle -- It's Never Too Late for a Dream to Come True

If you are one of the millions of people who watched Susan Boyle sing on YouTube in her turn on Britains Got Talent this week, you got a jolt of a surprise and a look at someone who is making their dream come true, literally. If you didn't, here's what you missed: I Dreamed a Dream

The audience and judges took one look at this 47 year old woman and made up their collective minds that this was just another would be singer with delusions of fame. But once she opened her mouth, they were shocked and awed to hear her wonderful voice soar above their pre-judgment of her based on appearance alone. It was amazing to watch the crowd switch from jeering to cheering her in just a few minutes.

So what can we learn from this:

1)  When mom told you to never judge a book by its cover, she was right!

2) It's never too late to make a big dream come true, if you are willing to stare down the naysayers and shine your talents to the world.

Bravo Susan! for reminding us all of this.

Linda Locke
Moms in Business

Note: If you want to hear more of Susan singing, here's her wonderful rendition of Cry Me a River

6 Relaxing Tips for Moms in Business

When you’re a busy mom in business, the last thing you may be thinking about is taking the time to relax. After all, when there’s more things on your to-do list than hours in the day, who has time to relax, right?

That kind of thinking can be unhealthy. If you have too much on your plate, you can easily become stressed. And that stress can lead to anxiety, high blood pressure, and more. Plus taking some downtime clears your mind and helps you be more productive when you are working.

So slow down for a few minutes and read these tips on how to find the time to relax!

1. Pencil in time for relaxing - If you keep a daily planner, pencil your relaxation time into your own schedule. It may sound silly, but if you don’t put it on your schedule, you may never get around to actually relaxing!
2. Get up early - If you’re having trouble finding some alone time, get up before everyone else – even it it’s just 15 minutes. You’ll have time to read a few pages of a book, journal, or just relax and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea without any interruptions.
3. Delegate - Don’t be afraid to delegate some household chores!  Getting your spouse or your kids to take on a chore or two will free up some of your time. Hey – it’s their house, too. They should be doing some of the cleaning!
4. Just say No! - Don’t feel bad about saying “no.” There are only so many things you can do in a day.
5. Get Enough Sleep! Your body needs adequate rest each day. Get into a regular sleeping schedule and make sure you get the amount you need each day. When it’s time to wake up, avoid the snooze button. Sleeping in can throw you off schedule and make going to bed difficult, which will make getting up the next day even harder. It’s a vicious cycle!
6. Make yourself a priority - Most importantly, give yourself permission to take some time for yourself. Don’t feel guilty about carving 15 minutes out of your day for a little bit of relaxation. You deserve it!

Weekly Tips from Linda's Twitter Desk

How to Create Your Own Successful TweetUp:
http://is.gd/ks0V

Being a Useful Twitter User and receiving followers in the process
http://bit.ly/qGRdk

Need a good domain name for your blog? Use this tool:
http://jijr.com/qm5

Interesting LA Times interview with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey
http://snurl.com/cb0kw

4 Simple Strategies for Marketing in a Tough Economy
http://snurl.com/cb01g

How To Juggle Part-Time Freelancing With a Full-Time Job
http://snurl.com/c4gw6

Are you a networking snob? This will open your eyes: You Never Know Whom They Know http://snurl.com/c39lz

How to get ReTweeted - The Formula
http://bit.ly/Yb9Yh

How do you keep from being overwhelmed by the demands of all your social networking sites?
http://snurl.com/c0ox3

Love this story about a woman who combines her passions for fashion & technology into cool accessories.
http://snurl.com/bzkzn

Enjoy!

Linda Locke
Moms in Business