by Yvonne DiVita
I'm encouraged by blogs and news outlets starting to report that social media isn't an effective marketing tool. Ok, that's not really what they're saying. They're saying social media is necessary but to make it effective, it has to be focused. It has to be a tool in your marketing toolbox, not a megaphone you shout into.
We're pushing into the second half of 2013, many years beyond the days of early blogs or the launch of Facebook and Twitter, and today we're inundated with so many social media options, it makes one cross-eyed. Even those of us who work in the social media space are rubbing our temples trying to push away the headache of "another social media community?".
How is a small business supposed to determine the best and most effective way to use this tool we call "social media"? I can tell you this much - you don't play pin the tail on the donkey, hoping your push-pin lands on the right answer, rewarding you with riches beyond galore!
Here's what you do...
Continue reading "Social Media: It Isn't Pin the Tail On the Donkey" »
by Yvonne DiVita
It's 2:00 a.m. and you're up pacing the floor, mind racing with thoughts of this, that and the other thing. You can't sleep, there's far too much going on in the business to sleep! You have orders to fill, or clients to call, or blog posts to write, or any number of other things that keep popping into your head like little soap bubbles... clinging, the way soap does, to your brain cells, preventing you from sleeping.
Does pacing help? Does braving the still, cold night... disturbing the cat despite your best efforts to be quiet... work? Are you now in control of those nagging thoughts or...are they just multiplying, even as you struggle to tame them?
Being a small business owner is hard. Yes, it is! Generally, if it's your business, you're in charge and regardless of how many employees you have, or contract workers, or even volunteers... the buck stops with you and if orders don't go out, or if they're mangled somehow, or if someone on staff has words with a client or if orders are down this month and payroll is up and... you get the drift. IF anything happens that causes angst, it's your fault, it's your responsiblity, and you'd better fix it!
by Katie Parsons
It’s Sunday which means I’m headed to the grocery store with my clipped coupons and sales ads, a strict budget in mind. I double check that I have my smartphone before I head in because I have several digital coupon codes on there too. I unbuckle my four-year-old daughter and we head in to stock our fridge and shelves for the upcoming week. We stop for a cookie and then start meticulously checking off our list as we go.
It would probably be easier to do the shopping alone but these Sunday trips are part of a bigger family plan: teaching my daughters about financial matters. The one with me today may only be a preschooler, but she understands that mommy only has so much money to spend on groceries and that she makes that money by working for it. Occasionally she is rewarded for her good behavior by picking out a non-list item that is on sale; sometimes there is simply not enough budgeted to make that happen.
I don’t remember really understanding finances as a kid. I had no idea how to balance a checkbook when I went to college or the dangers of signing up for five credit cards in exchange for free T-shirts. I always worked but had no idea how to budget my earnings. I took out student loans that I probably could’ve passed up because it seemed like free money at the time. Now eight years as a college graduate, I am still at least a decade away from paying off that giveaway money.
by Amanda Ponzar (@LivingUnited)
The Boston Marathon tragedy showed us once again how strong we really are, how we can pull together and encourage each other during the darkest times. It showed us that there is good in the world; something worth fighting for (see Lord of the Rings video clip). After 26 miles, Boston Marathon runners kept running to donate blood. Medical professionals, fire fighters, police, EMTs and more came to the rescue. People tore off their own clothes for tourniquets. This is the kind of country I'm proud to live in. We may not agree on every political issue, but we are united when it comes to helping others.
Although it's often buried and barely covered, there's more good news and good people who deserve recognition for helping others:
1.) This week, United Ways from around the world are meeting to get energized, work better together for collective impact and scale change. Plus, United Way will be awarding our highest honors -- Spirit of America awards -- to seven incredible companies tomorrow. Check it out.
2.) Peter Dudley (@dudleyPJ), young adult fiction author and CSR leader at Wells Fargo, writes some great posts on employee volunteer programs and workplace campaigns for Charities at Work. One of his recent posts discussed how to get company managers on board with volunteering.
Continue reading "Finding our strength: the more we give, the better we get" »
By Amanda Ponzar (@LivingUnited)
We all know women possess the power of the purse, commanding consumer spending decisions (85% of purchases). But what about when it comes to taxes? Are women empowered? Are you? (Check out interesting tables on gender and tax return data from the IRS.)
One way you can take charge of your financial future is through your taxes –- making sure you don’t pay too much (or anything) to prepare and file, plus getting the full refund you deserve.
One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on for the past few years is MyFreeTaxes.com –- this nonprofit partnership provides free federal and state tax preparation and filing services for individuals and families who earned $57,000 or less in 2012. MyFreeTaxes offers a toll-free phone line or chat pod so you can get help to file online, or you can get help in-person at a community-based tax site -– still free.
Why does this matter for women? Because truly free tax preparation and filing (some providers offer a free federal return but make you pay for state) means you don’t have to use a paid tax preparer (saves you about $200), plus ensures you receive the maximum refund, including all the credits you qualify for –- earned income tax credit (EITC), child tax credit and more. Plus, ensures you're getting good advice from trusted nonprofit partners who can help you find other programs and services too.
It doesn’t matter if you’re single or married, head of household or not, a grandmother or a college
student. If you made less than $57,000 and haven’t filed your taxes, you probably qualify. Last year, more than 1.4 million taxpayers used MyFreeTaxes either online or in person to file their taxes free
and got back an average of nearly $1,300 each. With the $200 saved on tax prep costs, that could be $1,500 more in your pocket -- or your friend’s -- so spread the word. When women have more money, they pay bills, take care of basic needs, help their families and make the world a better place.
MyFreeTaxes.com is powered by the Walmart Foundation, in cooperation with Goodwill Industries International, National Disability Institute and United Way Worldwide.
Check out videos.
Check out media coverage in Forbes, Fox Business, MSN Money and more.
Do yourself a favor and check out www.MyFreeTaxes.com or @MyFreeTaxes on Twitter.
I'm surrounded by caring people who go that extra mile, each and every day, so when confronted with the gross negligence and ignorance of 'other' people... I find myself wondering, "What is wrong with people?"
I'm serious. How can anyone...any sentient being...cause so much pain and suffering - so much abuse and terror? I guess some of these people are just plain mean. Or they have no souls. I guess some of them start out meaning well and fall into...tough times, without knowing what to do or who to turn to. I guess some are just stupid. No, not stupid, uneducated. It's not the same thing.
I'm talking about people who perpetuate cruelty and anger on animals. On innocent beings that exist for no other purpose than to love you. Innocent beings that have no voice but live, breathe and FEEL, just as warmly, deeply and purposefully as you and I. It will baffle me now and forever to know this cruelty exists.
Continue reading "Friday Musings - What is wrong with people?" »
by guest blogger, Megan Totka
Small business owners know the importance of utilizing social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest. The relatively small investment of time and money can really pay off. Crowdspring reports that 50 percent of small business owners say they have gained new customers through social media, with LinkedIn and Facebook leading the way. That’s a statistic worth pursuing.
The great thing about social media is the interactive, personal atmosphere it fosters between businesses and consumers. This can be a challenging characteristic for small business owners that are unsure how much personal information really should be part of their professional identity and don’t want to commit one of the 7 deadly online sins. Every industry and business differs, but here are a few ground rules when striking a balance between a business and personal social media presence:
Continue reading "Business or Pleasure: When Social Media Personas Collide" »
by Yvonne DiVita
I work from home. I've worked from home for more than 10 years. Granted, I work for myself... although these days there is a bigger presence in our lives - BlogPaws was aquired by Pet360 and I now work for them. But, they understand that, as the Co-Founder and major contributor to BlogPaws, I need to have a good working environment... which is here at home. Where I can give my dogs lots of attention, all day long.
There's a bit of controversy going around the business world about the whole working from home idea. Back when the Internet began, we geeks were ecstatic that we now had a tool that would allow us to work from home and still be connected to the office. And yet, the numbers haven't changed all that much... people don't work from home as much as we thought they would. Flexible hours is not the norm, as we expected it would be.
by Yvonne DiVita on Behalf of International Women's Day 2013
Heifer International, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty, shares ways readers can “take action” during International Women’s Day (that would be today folks) via the Heifer International’s IWD page.
In Heifer projects around the world, women are the backbone of agriculture and the key driver of food production. One way Heifer is helping to end poverty is by providing women in impoverished communities with the assistance, tools and training to enhance food production and build sustainable assets and income.
Continue reading "Friday Musings - International Women's Day" »
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