The Tin Shingle Blog

"The Mondays".  Best defined as "symptoms of a horrible Monday morning after returning from the weekend, used in the movie Office Space".  Fortunately for many of us, due to our chosen paths as entrepreneurs "The Mondays" are something we don't come down with as regularly.  That said, I'll be the first to admit that as a small business owner there have been Sundays and Mondays when I look to the work week ahead and I just want to pull the blankets back over my head and avoid them all together.  I eventually learned that there was a better way. 

No matter what your career path is, it's essential that you keep yourself (mind, body and spirit) in top condition, doing so helps you perform better professionally.  When you're a business owner taking care of yourself is even more important because if you're not feeling pumped up mentally or you're not taking care of yourself physically, your whole business will suffer.  Though you may respect that rule physically speaking, ask yourself (honestly) if you respect that rule mentally.  Do you do what it takes to keep your mind and spirit in their idea condition?  You must!  As my mom always says, "When Momma Ain't Happy, Ain't NOBODY Happy."  So let's make sure you, business momma or you, business Poppa are in happy, prepared and in great mental shape and perhaps even eliminate a portion of the stress you feel as the new work week looms.

Below you'll find the first of my tried, true and tested strategies to preventing case of the Mondays (or "Sundays") from slowing my stride.  I'll run a new one each week leading up to the New Year. 

On Mondays We Create!

Sometimes it seems as if we're spending so much time "doing" we're not spending enough time creating, hatching ideas, writing about these ideas, and give birth to our best business and success strategies.  To me, these are often the most enjoyable parts about being a business owner, yet in the past I'd cram them into all to brief, free moments during my days while being regularly distracted by phone calls or emails.  Sometimes, in order to really find time to dig deep and get in my zone to generate awesome ideas,  I'd work early in the morning or after "regular work" at night (which would mean other things in my life would have to give).  Then I learned the beauty of Creative Mondays.  Unless something urgent pops up, I spend my Mondays brainstorming, writing copy for upcoming projects, thinking of strategies that will benefit my business and letting my mind travel where it will professionally speaking. 

The difference in mood AND my business productivity has been huge! I'm more prepared for the week ahead, I've created a work habit that leads to successful output and I have actually started to look forward to Mondays.  Often I'll even close down my email and silence my phone for periods of time and work distraction free. Ahhhh, it feels so good.  Be under no assumption that I don't still put in the early morning or late evening once or twice every week, but this system of working has truly streamlined the way I work and more importantly, make me giddy for Mondays at my desk!

The belief that going, going, going from 9 to 5 will improve productivity is archaic and simply wrong.  Some of the best ideas come when you let your brain rest, play or even recover from all the other distractions and action tasks you throw at it all the time. 

I encourage you to make time for yourself and for creation at the beginning of your week as well.  Here are some examples of what you could be creating on Mondays to get your week rolling...

• Create copy for your blog or newsletter

• Create pitch angles and strategies

• Brainstorm about social media posts or campaigns that would bring your business buzz

• Write Tip Sheets featuring YOU as an expert that you could share with the media

• Be sure your media kit and biography are up-to-date

• Be sure your social media images and bios are up-to-date

• Share your story via the Tin Shingle Small Biz Diaries articles

• Brainstorm new offerings or sketches of new products

• Storyboard your next great idea

• Work on a visual business inspiration boar

• Create some clever cross-promotion concepts

Just get out their and create!  Realize that it's more than okay to let yourself take the time to do so - it's mandatory for your success!

Are you a business owner?  Especially one with a brick & mortar storefront (though digital storefronts lend me your ears as well)?  Well I have news for you: I'm about to share three small changes you can make in your business that will instantly help the press (and other business-changing contacts) find you and help grow your business.  You see, just recently I worked on a hot small business feature story that required me to hunt down entrepreneurs who run storefronts in the New York City area.  Not to hard you'd think, right?  Well actually...wrong! 

While going through the (at times) difficult task of hunting down people to take place in the interview, I observed a pattern of "no no's" that several of these storeowners were a part of that was literally preventing them from being part of this possible business-changing article! To turn lemons into lemonade, I decided to turn those slightly cringe-worthy moments into a checklist we can all benefit from, to ensure if doesn't happen it our own businesses. The truth is, the reporter and I were literally looking for them while they were sleeping, working or doing whatever else and they didn't even know it - which is something that happens regularly to you as a business owner (and you may not even know it as well).  What does that mean?  You have to be sure that your business, website and employees are all set up in a way that ensures that they're helping the press - and other potential business game-changers - find you and work with you, even when you aren't there to connect with them directly yourself!

Before you say, "Sabina, I have no time to do anymore work than I already have on my list" let me explain: you will not have to add any more actual press outreach or work to your schedule in terms of marketing efforts.  You simply have to make the time to go through this checklist and be sure you (and anyone involved with your business) is helping make all three of these things happen!

#1 - You must be very easy to reach:

True story: While working on this small business feature, I passed over more than five businesses because they had no clear way to contact them other than a Contact Us fill-in-the-blank form, and I not only had no time to fill it out, but when I see a form like that I can't help wondering when and if they will ever get it! Don't let people wonder this about you either!

So what does this all mean? It means that when someone is on your website there must be a way to get in touch with you at the very least by direct email and if you're a storefront, by phone.  People should be able to find this contact information easily and quickly on your website.  A "contact us" form is the fastest way to get a reporter to bypass reaching out to you.  Short lead stories often are very short lead.  The world of television, newspaper and online editorial coverage doesn't always have time to fill out forms or wait for you to get in touch with them.  They need you, and they need you fast, so make it as easy as possible for that to happen!

#2 - Make Sure Your Employees (or Interns) Aren't Press Roadblocks: They Must Be Able to Speak for You When You Aren't Around!

True Story: I called several businesses who were in fact perfect candidates for this feature story, but their employees and interns, well, those integral members of their team were actually impediments to making the stories about them happen!  One employee didn't think her boss could be bothered (she was a new mother) with a press story. [Note to reader: after consulting with several new mothers/entrepreneurs I can assure you none of them would have turned down a business feature due to motherhood.  They would have made it work].  One employee who answered the phone said her boss was doing inventory in the basement and busy. [Note to reader: One is rarely too busy counting stock to take a press call].  Another employee who answered the phone couldn't recall some very basic business information we needed to know in order to decide to whether or not to include the business in the story.  You get the point, but overall that these anecdotes illustrate is a lack of communication with employees about press procedures.

So What Does This All Mean? You don't have to teach your employees or interns a full course in DIY PR to be sure they are prepared for any possible press opportunities that may come up when you least expect them! You do, however, have to be sure they are prepared for these moments.  Here are some must-discuss plans of action you can discuss at your next team meeting:

• First rule: Make sure your team members always answer the phone politely and patiently - one never knows who may be on the other end!

• Be sure your team members know the importance of a press call.  They should know to hunt you down wherever you may be if you are in the store, or reach out to you immediately if you are out of your office or store.

• Make sure everyone knows how to reach you if and when the press come calling (phone, email) and be sure they have a practiced response to them if you're not around.  For example, "Hi Karen, Sabina is out right now but I'm going to get in touch with her right now and I'm sure she'll be able to reach you within the hour.  Can I take your contact information as well?"  OR..."Hi Sharon, Sabina is working out of the office today but you can reach her directly at THIS NUMBER and THIS EMAIL address."

• Be sure that everyone on your team (from interns to store managers or receptionists) know the skinny on your background, your most important company details, all big events and company news related to your business. If a reporter calls and asks for a bit of information about this or that, you want to be sure the person on the other end can give them as much accurate information as possible!

#3 - Be Sure When an Opportunity That Requires Minimal Energy and Delivers a Big ROI Exists, You're Participating In It.

True Story: If I say to you (and this is entirely hypothetical): The Oprah Winfrey Network is doing a feature on entrepreneurs who are going to participate in "Take Your Daughters to Work Day" (even if they work from home) and you say to me, "I have daughters and a cool work place but I just hadn't thought about doing that before, so I'm not going to do it now", I'm going to be sad.  If I say to you, "A major newspaper is doing a feature on what businesses are doing for Small Biz Saturday and profiling stores around the city" and you say to me, "We usually do something for Small Biz Saturday but this year we just haven't gotten around to even putting a sign outside of our store", I'm going to shed tears in my brain for you. These are all illustrations of low energy high result opportunities that I see entrepreneurs miss on a daily basis, because they think it's going to require more time and energy than it actually does in reality.  They are also often unaware of how much those opportunities can help them!

So What Does This All Mean? By no means am I asking you to launch a campaign completely unrelated to what you are currently up to at your business.  But if there's a great press story staring you in the face that requires minimal input of time or energy, and this story is about something you're already more or less connected to, you need to just complete the circle.  You need to go for it.  If that means you bring your kids to work so be it!  If that means you hang a sign outside your store saying "Support Small Business Saturday" and hand out hot cocoa and cookies, do it if doing it means your business will get priceless media coverage.  Think big picture!  This isn't simply about the one moment in time the story captures, it's about the massive introduction this story can make between your brand and potential customers and brand ambassadors!  The positive impact on your business the minimal effort participating in press stories can have is often way more than a business owner realizes, so when possible, make that effort!

You see?  Now that wasn't so bad was it!  Yet these three small changes can make your business 300% more ready for press to come to you - even when you're sleeping! 

Have you ever decided to make the effort and participate in a press story that led to big buzz for your business?  Have you ever had the "press chat" with your employees or interns?  Share your experiences in the comments below!

Be sure you prevent any further bloopers via this #PRTuneUp discussing the top PR Bloopers small businesses make and how to avoid them!

A friend's husband recently pointed out that the first few years of running a business are almost an entrepreneur's own form of business school, except we're often without an instructor!  I support that statement 100%! I've had to learn everything from time management to employee management, organization to accounting skills, and much of which this learning was accompanied by "trial and error moments".  That said, in the nearly ten years that I've been in business for myself, thanks to a lot of practice, studying, advice from colleagues and mentors and I'll admit it, self-examination, I've come to rely on a few secrets to success. 

One of my favorite places to get interesting and impactful business news, Business Insider, recently did a story on these secrets, which they call "success weapons" and featured a few of mine!  Check out the entire article by strategy reporter and fellow Greenpoint-er Max Nisen, here (it's packed with great advice from small business success stories). 

I've highlighted my tips from the article below, along with a couple more bonus tips I thought you may want to incorporate into your own business.

SABINA'S SECRET WEAPONS FOR SUCCESS:

1. A Google doc to-do list: Have this open on your computer at all times, not only does it help you prioritize weekly and daily objectives, it helps remove things from your head and put them onto virtual paper. Whenever I have an idea, something I want to do, something to follow up on or a task to do, I add it to my Google doc list. I can access it from anywhere. 

2. Daily meditation: I believe that to have a healthy and successful business you must be internally healthy, and for me, meditation is key to achieving that. It keeps me grounded, focused, calm, and is pretty much the only part of my day when I’m completely alone and at peace. When we start a business we give up a lot of that personal time for peace, and this helps me get it back.

3. Fotor: I live for this App. It’s like Photoshop for those of us who aren’t tech savvy. People love imagery and visuals. When you’re doing anything from a PowerPoint or other presentation to a Facebook post, Fotor makes creating those easy and stress free.

AS WELL AS...

4. Books on my iPad:  I love to read books that team me, help me better my business and myself as well as engage and inspire me.  I keep several on my iPad and read a little before and after work, as well as anytime I'm in line, on the subway - heck even on hold! Currently my library includes everything from books to inspire me professionally including a study on the business philosophies of Walt Disney to sales theories by Zig Ziglar!  I am also re-reading The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People and the Power of Now.  I think constant learning is one of the keys to not only success but to survival as a small business owner.

5. Mentors and Colleagues Who Tell It Like It Is:  A true relationship, whether personal or professional, thrives when it comes from an honest and authentic place.  In business, having colleagues, partners and mentors that tell it like it is has become vital to my growth as an entrepreneur and to the growth of my businesses.  It's great to get outside perspective on projects I'm buried in, from people who have my best interest in mind.  Their support, advice and honesty helps bring clarity to what I do.  It also helps to decipher why at times, things aren't working as I planned. 

What are YOUR secret weapons for success?  Share them in the comments below!

Etsy changed it's policies recently (October, 2013), to allow sellers to use manufacturers and still sell in a place that continues to dub itself "the handmade and vintage marketplace". As expected, there has been some backlash (this article is a really good feature of the CEO Chad Dickerson, so read it, then scroll to bottom for comments) .

The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC had an open call-in session on his radio show to ask callers, both buyers and sellers of items sold through Etsy, what they thought of the change. Callers brought some very interesting points and perspectives.

Being that Etsy is a marketplace that can help sellers and small business owners reach a greater audience, as well as grow their own community of fellow designers and business owners, we at Tin Shingle keep an eye on it to see if it's an online destination that is worth the time for a shop owner to develop. And not only time, but brain space to think about how to brand a product there and what is sold, versus the seller's own website.

Here's the clip from the Brian Lehrer Show. What do you think?