leavenworth-lansing-area-chamber-of-commerce6f44dbb9

Smart Ways to Use Summer Interns in Any Business

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:09:23 GMT

Summer is a great time to consider the advantage of temporary labor. You know that project you’ve been putting off? How about the organization structure you wanted to build? What about that technology trial? Or maybe there's something you’ve been doing that could easily be managed by someone else so you can free up your time for things that require your attention?

As vacations loom and customer buying patterns shift, it’s an ideal time to explore temporary hires or interns. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers , businesses expect to hire 3.9% more interns than in the previous year, and 81% say they plan to increase or maintain intern hiring.

But if you think you can just bring in an intern, hand over a pile of small tasks, and call it a program, you’re missing a bigger strategic opportunity.

The smartest businesses do something different. They don’t use interns just to fill a chair or display them to the community to look like a business that’s worried about the future workforce.

They use them to tackle work that matters.

Don’t think your business could use an intern? Think again. Here are a few ingenious ways to get things done with the “summer help”:

Process Detective

One of the best ways to use an intern is as a process detective. Every business has systems that have grown messy over time. Maybe your onboarding is inconsistent. Maybe client files are stored in three places, and no one knows which version is right. Maybe your front desk, inbox, or quoting process depends too much on tribal knowledge.

An intern can document workflows, identify bottlenecks (they provide fresh ideas because they don’t know the history), and help organize procedures in a way that saves your team time long after summer ends. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s high-value work and the intern can learn a lot about process, efficiencies, and operations.

Customer Experience Reviewer

Interns can also be incredibly helpful as customer-experience reviewers. When you’re inside your own business every day, it becomes hard to see friction points. An intern has fresh eyes.

Ask them to walk through the experience as if they were a customer. Could they find the right information on your website? Was the contact process clear? Did your social media tell them what you do? Was your location easy to navigate? In almost every industry, there are blind spots the employees stopped noticing years ago.

Content Miner

Another strong use for interns is content mining. This is especially useful for businesses that know they should be marketing more consistently but never seem to have the time.

An intern can help turn existing knowledge into usable content. They can gather frequently asked questions, interview staff, organize customer success stories, pull together blog topic ideas, or help sort photos and video clips you already have. They may not be your final decision-maker, but they can absolutely help uncover the raw material your business has been sitting on. Put them to this task and you may uncover six months’ worth of content that no one can produce but you—an excellent way to stand out on social media.

Researcher

Summer interns are also well suited for research projects that tend to get pushed aside. Maybe you want to understand what competitors are doing, what events are worth attending, what partnerships might make sense, or what new audience segments you should be reaching. Maybe you want a clearer picture of local market trends or customer reviews. Interns can gather and organize that information (or use AI to do it) so leadership can make smarter decisions without spending hours chasing data.

Internal Knowledge Organizer

Another overlooked role is internal knowledge organizer. In many small and midsize businesses, important information lives in emails, sticky notes, shared drives, and one very loyal employee’s head. That isn’t a system. It’s a problem waiting to happen. What becomes of your operations if something happens to that employee? At some point every employee leaves. What information would walk with them?

An intern can help create shared resources, update templates, build simple reference guides, and make day-to-day information easier for everyone to find. That kind of cleanup can be the difference between having information at your fingertips or having to leave countless messages for past employees.

Event Planner or Worker

If your business hosts events, supports the community, or depends on local visibility, interns can help there too. They can assist with planning checklists, event follow-up, sponsorship tracking, guest communication, and post-event recaps.

They can help your business show up more professionally and more consistently. As we head into a season when networking, festivals, community programs, and business events often increase, that kind of support can make a noticeable difference.

But none of this works if the internship is built around filler. Interns don’t need to run your business, but they do need real assignments, some context, and a sense that their work matters. It’s good for them and for you. NACE notes that organized internship programs are linked to better conversion outcomes, and interns who are satisfied with their experience are far more willing to accept an offer from that employer later on.

If you’re bringing in summer help, think beyond the 2026 version of coffee runner. Think about what your business needs that your team never has time to tackle. Consider the projects that improve efficiency, strengthen visibility, and make future growth easier. That’s where interns can shine and that’s a much better use of a summer and a desk.

Read More:

----------------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Roper Romp Map

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:54:43 GMT

Ready to Romp?

7 Ways to Capture Tax Refund Dollars This Month

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:39:39 GMT

Tax refund season creates a short spending window. The IRS writes that most refunds are issued within 21 days, and people can start checking status shortly after e-filing through the IRS refund tracker. In other words, your future customers are getting a little breathing room in their bank account right now, and that changes buying behavior. It may also feel like something that was out of (budget) reach before is now doable.

This is not the moment to sit back and hope people wander in looking for a good deal. Tax refund spending is emotional as much as practical. People use it to catch up, upgrade, treat themselves, solve annoying problems, and finally buy the thing they have been postponing for months.

Your job is to make your offer feel timely, useful, and easy to say yes to.

The Biggest Mistake Businesses Make During Refund Season

The biggest mistake businesses make during refund season is assuming customers will connect the dots on their own. They won’t. Humans love having money and then immediately finding twelve unrelated ways to spend it. You must position your offer so it feels relevant to this moment.

How to Create a Great Refund Offer

Start with the right angle. Refund spending usually falls into a few categories: practical fixes, overdue replacements, personal rewards, family spending, and future planning. If your marketing speaks to one of those motives, you’re far more likely to get attention than if you simply run a generic sale.

A home service business, for example, should not just announce a discount. It should frame the offer around finally tackling the repair, cleanup, or upgrade customers have been putting off. A salon or spa should position services as a treat-after-tax-season reward. A retailer should spotlight wardrobe refreshes, spring updates, or bundle deals that feel a little indulgent but still smart. A professional service firm can offer a package that helps people invest in themselves or get organized for the rest of the year.

You don’t need a complicated campaign. You just need fast, simple, easy to imagine marketing that leads people to spend with you.

The Smart Splurge Offer

One of the easiest plays is the “smart splurge” offer . Many buyers want to their refund without feeling irresponsible. Create a package that feels like a treat but is clearly positioned as a good value. A boutique could offer a spring style bundle. A med spa could create a glow-up package. A restaurant could promote a limited dinner-for-two experience. A home decor store could feature a room refresh collection. The message is not “spend your refund here.” It’s “put part of that extra cash toward something that actually feels good. You deserve it.”

The “Finally Get it Done” Campaign

Another quick win is the “ finally get it done” campaign . This is ideal for contractors, auto shops, dentists, cleaning companies, organizers, landscapers, and repair services. These offers may not be as sexy as the splurge, but it’s a great way to capture the attention of people who have been putting off a necessary expense because everyday bills keep getting in the way.

Your marketing should speak directly to that tension: “Been putting this off? Now is a great time to take care of it.” That kind of message connects relief with action.

Prepaid Packages

Prepaid packages are also strong during refund season. If you offer a service people use repeatedly, sell bundles. Think fitness classes, salon visits or treatments, car washes, dog grooming, chiropractic sessions, meal prep, tutoring, or marketing consultations.

Customers are more willing to commit when they have a little cash cushion, and you improve your immediate cash flow. Everyone gets to feel responsible.

Upgrades

Limited-time upgrades work especially well too. Instead of discounting your core offer, add value. A photographer can include extra edited images.

A furniture store can add free delivery. A service business can include an extended consultation, bonus maintenance visit, or premium add-on. This protects your pricing while making the purchase feel more worthwhile.

Gift Card Bonuses

Gift card bonuses are another smart move that can be implemented quickly. Offer something like “Buy a $100 gift card, get $20 extra.” This is especially effective for restaurants, salons, boutiques, family entertainment businesses, and specialty retail. It works for self-purchasers and for people who want to stretch refund money across multiple visits.

Messaging Matters

Your messaging matters as much as the offer. Keep it benefit-focused. Instead of “We’re having a refund sale,” try language like:

“Use your tax refund to finally tackle that project.”
“Put your refund toward a spring refresh you’ll enjoy all season.”
“Catch up on the service you’ve been putting off.”
“Invest in something that makes your life easier.”
“Treat yourself without breaking the bank.”

That last part matters. Customers do not want to feel reckless. They want to feel smart, a little rewarded, and slightly ahead for once.

Also, don’t ignore existing customers. Refund season is a great reactivation opportunity. Send a message to past clients with a timely reason to come back now. “Haven’t seen you in a while” becomes much more effective when paired with a relevant seasonal offer.

Speed matters more than perfection here. The tax filing deadline for most individual filers was April 15, 2026, and refunds continue rolling out after that, especially for procrastinators who took it down to the wire and others who have been thinking about the smartest way to spend it. This is a live window, not a theoretical one and it’s time to start using it if you haven’t already.

Again, you don’t need a massive campaign. You need a timely offer, a clear message, and a fast way to get in front of buyers who finally have a little room to act. Tax refund season is one of those moments when good marketing is less about brilliance and more about relevance. Show people how your business fits what they want to do with that money right now, and you give them a much easier reason to choose you.

Read More:

----------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

7 Things You Should Do Before Hiring for the Summer

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:48:49 GMT

It’s getting to be that time of year again—the summer scramble for capable employees. Colleges are about to go on break. High schools will finish up soon thereafter, and eager summer employees are looking for jobs now.

In the past, you probably posted a job, hired fast as fast as you could, and hoped for the best. But seasonal hiring doesn’t have to feel like a gamble. Done right, it can give you flexibility, protect your margins, and improve your customer experience. Done wrong, it creates more work than it solves.

Here’s how to hire for summer without regretting it by July.

Start With Demand, not Desperation

Most seasonal hiring decisions are based on a vague feeling that “it’s going to get busy.” That’s not a strategy. Before you post a single job, look at last year’s numbers. When did traffic increase? Which days or hours were stretched thin? Where did service break down?

Hiring should solve specific problems, not general anxiety. If Saturdays were your bottleneck, you don’t need more staff across the board. You need targeted coverage. When you hire with precision, you avoid overstaffing and protect your cash flow when business inevitably fluctuates.

Hire for Flexibility, not Perfection

It’s tempting to wait for the “ideal” candidate who can do everything. But in seasonal hiring, that mindset slows you down and limits your options. Instead, look for people who are adaptable, reliable, and willing to learn.

A college student who can work varied shifts and pick up new tasks quickly may be more valuable than someone with years of experience who needs a rigid schedule. Summer business is unpredictable. Your team should be able to move with it.

Flexibility also applies to how you structure roles. Instead of hiring for one narrow position, think in terms of coverage. Who can help at the front and jump in elsewhere when needed? That kind of cross-functionality is what keeps operations running smoothly when things get busy.

Shorten the Learning Curve

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is assuming seasonal hires will “figure it out” or that the summer is short so why train them on everything. First, they won’t figure it out on their own or worse, they will… just not the way you would have preferred. Additionally, summer may be short but doing something wrong or a way your customers aren’t used to could cost you loyalty in the long run.

If you want temporary employees to perform like permanent ones, you need to set them up for success quickly. That means simple, clear onboarding. Not a binder no one reads. Not a rushed walkthrough during a busy shift.

Focus on the essentials. What do they absolutely need to know to do the job well in the first week? Create quick-reference guides, checklists, or short training videos. Pair new hires with someone who knows your standards and can model them in real time.

The goal is speed with consistency. The faster they feel confident, the faster they become productive.

Build a Team That Can Cover for Each Other

Summer schedules are notoriously chaotic. Vacations, last-minute requests, and shifting availability can create constant gaps if your team isn’t structured well.

This is where cross-training becomes invaluable. When employees understand more than one role, you gain flexibility without constantly adding headcount. It also reduces stress on your team. No one wants to feel like the entire operation depends on them showing up.

Set the expectation early that everyone contributes to the bigger picture. When people understand how their role connects to others, they’re more willing to step in where needed.

Don’t Ignore Your Core Team

Here’s where a lot of businesses struggle in the first few weeks of summer. They focus so much on bringing in seasonal help that they forget about the people who keep things running year-round.

Your core team is the anchor during busy seasons. If they feel overlooked, overworked, or responsible for “fixing” everything new hires don’t know, burnout isn’t far behind.

Involve them in the process. Ask for input on where help is needed. Let them contribute to training. Recognize the extra effort they’re putting in. Thank them. Give them a gift card or extra day off to show your appreciation. A supported core team will elevate your seasonal staff. An exhausted one will jeopardize your business future and company culture.

Think Beyond the Season

Not every seasonal hire is temporary. Some of your best long-term employees will come from these short-term roles.

Watch for the people who show up on time, take initiative, and connect well with customers. Those are the ones worth keeping in your pipeline.

Even if you don’t have an immediate role, staying in touch gives you a head start the next time you need to hire.

Seasonal hiring isn’t just about filling gaps. It’s an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen your future workforce.

Use Your Chamber as a Hiring Advantage*

If you’re trying to solve staffing challenges on your own, you’re doing too much. Your chamber is one of the most underused hiring tools you already have access to.

Start with visibility. Many chambers offer job boards, newsletter features, and social media promotion that put your open roles directly in front of a local, engaged audience. These aren’t cold applicants scrolling job sites at midnight. These people are already connected to the business community.

*Chamber Members are eligible to utilize our job board , Facebook group , and weekly newsletter to advertise job postings. These benefits are included in your membership. Priority listings are also available for additional cost; Builder-Level members and above receive complimentary listings.

Questions: Office@LLchamber.com

But the real value goes deeper than job postings.

Chambers are constantly making introductions. That includes connections to local colleges, workforce programs , and training organizations. If you need seasonal help, part-time support, or even interns, those relationships can shorten your search dramatically. Instead of broadcasting your need into the void, you’re tapping into a network that already understands your local market.

This is especially helpful when you need something more specific than “extra hands.” If your business requires certain skills, certifications, or experience, let the chamber know. Workforce development is a growing priority for many chambers, and they’re actively working to close gaps between what businesses need and what the local talent pipeline provides.

That might look like partnerships with schools, targeted training programs, or initiatives designed to prepare people for in-demand roles in your area. But none of that works if businesses stay quiet about their needs.

If you’re struggling to find qualified candidates, express it. If your industry has a skills gap, bring it forward. Chambers can’t build solutions in a vacuum, but they can be incredibly effective when they have clear direction from the business community.

At the very least, you’ll get access to better candidates. At best, you help shape a workforce pipeline that works for your business long term. And that beats posting the same job ad three times and hoping the algorithm finally shows your listing.

Sure, you can choose to do it like last year, just getting through the season. But while you’re doing the hiring work anyway, why not sure up your business’ future?

Read More:

--------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Outdated Business Practices Are Costing You More Than You Think

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:14:32 GMT

Hello. 1999 is calling. They want their business practices back.

If you’re old enough, that line may remind you of the classic 90s sitcom Seinfeld. But sadly, many offices are still running the same way that Elaine and George experienced way back when.

Why? Because it feels safe. Familiar processes, standard office hours, packed calendars, and old-school management habits may seem like signs of structure. But in today’s workplace, outdated practices slow things down and push good people away.

For Your Employees’ Sake

Modernizing your business does not mean chasing every new app, copying Silicon Valley, or handing your operations over to a chatbot and hoping for the best.

Instead, you need to take an honest look at how people work best today and build a workplace that reflects reality, not 90s office nostalgia.

This is not a call for ping-pong tables in the break room and pickleball courts in the parking lot. There’s a workforce need to adapt to employees because they’ve changed. Job candidates have changed. Customer expectations have changed. A business that refuses to evolve can start to feel harder to work for, harder to grow with, and harder to believe in.

Ax the Unnecessary Meetings

One of the clearest shifts in modern business is the end of the unnecessary meeting. People are tired of gathering for the sake of gathering. If a meeting does not solve a problem, move a project forward, or create true collaboration, it’s probably stealing time from work that matters. Modern businesses are learning to replace some meetings with better written communication, short check-ins, shared project tools, and clear accountability. This respects people’s focus and gives them more room to do their jobs well.

Be Flexible

Flexibility is another major factor in employee satisfaction. For years, many employers treated rigid schedules as proof of professionalism. Now, more businesses are realizing that results matter more than whether someone is sitting at a desk at exactly 8:00 a.m. every day. Flexible hours, hybrid arrangements, and work-from-home options are now seen as competitive advantages in hiring and retention.

That doesn’t mean every business can or should go fully remote. Plenty of roles require people to be on-site. But even in businesses where in-person work is essential, there are often opportunities to offer flexibility in scheduling, shift swaps, compressed workweeks, or greater autonomy over how work gets done. Employees notice when an employer treats them like responsible adults.

Embrace Efficiencies

Artificial intelligence is another area where modern businesses need a more practical mindset. AI isn’t magic. It’s not a replacement for judgment, leadership, or human connection. But it can be a powerful tool for efficiency. Small businesses can use AI to streamline routine tasks, summarize meeting notes, draft first versions of marketing copy, organize research, improve customer service workflows, and help employees spend less time on repetitive work.

Treat AI like an assistant, not an oracle. Businesses that use it wisely can save time, reduce burnout, and create more space for strategy and service. Businesses that ignore it entirely risk falling behind competitors that are learning how to do more with the same team size.

Think Employee Experience

Modern business also includes clearer communication, better technology, and stronger attention to employee experience. People want to know what’s expected of them. They want systems that work. They want onboarding that helps them succeed instead of just handing them a coffee mug and hoping it will work out. Employees want growth opportunities, regular feedback, and confidence that their employer sees them as more than a warm body filling a role.

This is critical when it comes to recruiting and retention. Small businesses often assume they can’t compete with larger employers on salary or benefits alone, and sometimes that’s true. But workplace culture, flexibility, professional development, and smart systems can make a major difference.

Employees are more likely to stay where they feel trusted, equipped, and respected. Candidates are more likely to say yes to a business that feels current, thoughtful, and well run.

Updating your practices also sends a message to customers. A business that adapts well internally is often better positioned externally. It can respond faster, communicate better, and solve problems more efficiently. Modern workplaces tend to be more resilient because they’re built to adjust rather than resist.

This is where your chamber can play an important role. Chambers are uniquely positioned to help small businesses stay current without feeling like they must figure everything out alone. Through workshops, networking, peer learning, leadership programs, and expert-led events, chambers can introduce business owners to new tools, new ideas, and new ways of thinking about workforce needs. Just as important, they create opportunities to learn from other local employers who are facing the same challenges and finding practical solutions.

And when you join the chamber, all your employees join the chamber. You may not be able to afford leadership training and professional development for all your employees, but they can get it from the chamber. Many businesses don’t think of this perk. They assume there’s one point of contact and that person reaps the chamber member benefits.

Becoming a modern business doesn’t require a complete reinvention. It starts with asking better questions.

· Are these meetings useful?

· Are these policies helping people do their best work?

· Are our systems making work easier or harder?

· Am I equipping the team for the way business operates now?

The businesses that thrive in the years ahead will not necessarily be the biggest. They will be the ones willing to adapt. Modernizing your workplace past 90s sitcom jokes makes you the kind of business talented people want to join, customers want to trust, and your community wants to see succeed.

Read More:

--------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

How to Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret in Town

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:46:55 GMT

If you ask a small business owner where most of their opportunities come from, you’ll usually hear some version of the same answer: referrals, word of mouth, “someone who knew someone.”

Behind nearly every thriving local business is an invisible network of relationships quietly moving opportunities from one person to another. No big announcements. No flashy campaigns. Just a steady flow of trust being passed along behind the scenes.

This is how local economies work. Not just through marketing. Not just through pricing or location. But through connection and loyalty. And those connections take time.

The Network You Can’t See (But Feel Every Day)

Think about how business really gets done in your community.

A contractor needs an electrician and calls someone they’ve worked with before.

A new homeowner asks their real estate agent for someone who builds fences or builds organization in garages.

A banker hears a client mention they’re expanding and connects them to a commercial realtor.

A consultant introduces two clients who could benefit from working together.

None of this shows up in a formal report. But it drives real revenue, real growth, and real stability.

These moments happen because of relationships.

And more importantly, because of trust.

When one business refers another, they are putting their own reputation on the line. That doesn’t happen casually. It requires the confidence that the other business will deliver.

Over time, these small, consistent exchanges create a network that becomes one of the most valuable assets a business can have.

Why This Matters More Than Marketing Alone

Marketing gets attention but relationships get action. That’s because people are more apt to act on a word-of-mouth referral than a fancy ad campaign. When someone they trust says, “You should call them,” the decision is already halfway made.

That’s the difference between being visible and being chosen.

For small businesses especially, this invisible network often outperforms traditional marketing efforts. It’s more targeted, more credible, and more likely to lead to long-term customers. And best if all—more affordable.

But you don’t automatically become part of that network just because you opened your doors.

You must become known. Build trust through the quality of your good or services. And you have to be top-of-mind when the opportunity arises.

There’s no ad campaign that can make that happen for you in a few hours. It’s a commitment to quality. It takes time to build a fully functional referral engine.

How Businesses Get Left Out

Businesses struggle when they’re disconnected from the flow of relationships in their community.

You can do great work and serve your customers well, and still be an unknown. If that’s the case, when opportunities move through the network, they’ll move right past you.

People refer who they know.

Which means being good at what you do is only part of the equation. Being known for what you do is the other critical half.

Where the Chamber Comes In

This is where the chamber plays a much bigger role than many people realize. A chamber isn’t just hosting events and sending newsletters. It actively shapes the invisible network of the business community. And chamber membership is like the golden ticket to the business community, if you use it.

Every conversation sparked between two members has potential because every time someone learns what another business does, a new connection point is created.

The chamber becomes the place where relationships begin, strengthen, and multiply. These introductions are the starting points for future referrals, collaborations, and opportunities.

The Compounding Effect of Connection

The real power of this network is not in one introduction. It’s what happens over time. You meet one person. That person introduces you to another. That connection leads to a project. That project leads to a referral. That referral turns into a long-term client.

And it works the other way too. Maybe you’ve been doing your own books and now you’re ready for someone else to take it over. You know that people you meet through the chamber have a connection to the community.

Now multiply those introductions and referrals across dozens or hundreds of relationships. It’s why consistent engagement matters.

Showing up once is helpful. Showing up regularly is what builds recognition. And recognition is what leads to being top of mind when opportunities move through the network.

A Simple Shift in Perspective

Many business owners think of networking as something they must do or conversely don’t have time for.

The more useful way to see it is this:

You are not just attending events or meeting people. You are positioning your business inside a living, moving network of opportunity. Every conversation makes known who you are and what you do. Every relationship increases the likelihood that someone will think of you when the right moment comes. Every time someone sees you in the community you’re building on that top-of-mind recognition.

And those moments happen quietly. In conversations you’re not part of. Between people who trust each other. That’s the invisible network you want working for you because when you’re part of it, your business doesn’t just rely on cold calling and mailers. Interested leads start finding you and wanting to work with you before they’ve even read your marketing copy.

Read More:

---------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Worried About Making Payroll? Use This 2:00 AM Checklist

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:17:09 GMT

It’s the middle of the night. Even the high achievers aren’t awake yet. But you are. Not because of a noise, but because of a number. Specifically, the number of your bank balance, and how it compares to the number required to pay your team this Friday.

You aren’t alone. For small business owners, payroll isn’t just an expense; it’s someone’s mortgage payment. Their rent, their groceries, and their families depend on your ability to manage a spreadsheet.

When the panic hits, swirling thoughts aren’t helpful. You need triage. You need the 2:00 AM Audit: a pragmatic, five-step checklist to shift you from paralysis to perception, and from perception to a plan. After all, worry isn’t action and that’s what you need.

1. Identify the Gap

Panic makes mountains out of molehills. Wake up fully, turn on a dim light, and get the real numbers.

Do not trust the "available balance" on your mobile app. It doesn't know about the three checks that haven’t cleared or the automatic SaaS deduction hitting tomorrow.
Log into your actual accounting software or open your master spreadsheet.
Calculate the precise amount needed for net payroll, plus payroll taxes.
The Triage: What is the exact dollar amount of the shortfall? Knowing you are short $2,250 is manageable; knowing you are "short" is terrifying.

2. Isolate Incoming Cash (The "Real" Receivables).

Now, look at who owes you money.

Sort your accounts receivable by "Age."
Triage: Ignore anyone in the "60+ days" column for tonight; they aren’t helping you by Friday. Focus only on the "Current" and "1-30 days" columns.
Identify the two clients most likely to pay if given a gentle, human nudge. (Example: "Hi Jane, we are doing our end-of-month reconciliation. Any chance you could slip Invoice #104 into this week's payment run?")

3. Review Outgoing Cash (The "Can Wait" List).

You cannot make money appear, but you can delay its departure.

Review every expense scheduled between now and payroll day.
Triage: Categorize them ruthlessly:
Must Pay: Rent, utilities, essential raw materials.
Can Wait: Software subscriptions that aren’t mission-critical, marketing spend, inventory that won't turn over for weeks, and—most importantly—your own owner’s draw.

4. Activate the "Last Resort" Emergency Valves.

If the gap still exists after Triage #2 and #3, it's time to review your pre-approved safety nets.

Triage: Check your business line of credit availability. This is exactly what it is for: smoothing out temporary cash flow valleys. If you do not have one, put "Apply for LOC" at the very top of next week’s to-do list.

5. Design the 8:00 AM Action Plan.

The goal of the 2:00 AM Audit isn't to solve the problem at 2:00 AM. It's to stop the adrenaline loop so you can sleep.

Write down the three things you will do at 8:00 AM:

1. Email/Call Client A regarding Invoice #X.

2. Log into the bank and defer payment to Vendor B.

3. If 1 & 2 fail by noon, draw $Y from the Line of Credit.

How the Chamber of Commerce Can Help

The Chamber of Commerce isn’t just for networking mixers and ribbon cuttings. We’re a powerful resilience engine for small business owners facing financial stress. If payroll anxiety is a recurring theme for you, the Chamber offers structural support to help move you from survival to stability.

Financial Education and Triage

Check for workshops (through the Chamber or partners like SBDC or SCORE) on cash flow management, anticipatory accounting, and fractional CFO services. These sessions are designed to teach you how to predict a payroll shortfall three months out, rather than three days out.

Access to Capital and Lenders

Through its network, the Chamber connects members with local banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders who specialize in small business needs. Chamber membership can give you a warmer introduction to loan officers who understand the local economic landscape and can help you secure that essential line of credit before you need it.

Mentorship and Vetted Professionals

Chambers provide access to mentorship programs (like SCORE) or a directory of vetted, reputable local CPAs and bookkeepers. Sometimes, the best way to solve payroll worry is to pay a professional to manage the daily cash, freeing you to focus on the strategy that generates it.

Read More:

Check out these Chamber Businesses for:

--------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

Substack: @christinametcalf

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

The Hidden Shift Every Growing Business Owner Faces

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:44:54 GMT

If you’re a small business owner, you probably didn’t wake up one morning and declare, “Today, I’m going to be an executive.”

That would’ve required time for reflection and who has that when you’re running a business? Most entrepreneurs don’t get that luxury.

One day you’re making the thing, selling the thing, fixing the thing, or delivering the service. The next day you’re managing schedules, answering payroll questions, resolving customer issues, and trying to figure out why the printer refuses to cooperate with the accounting software.

Somewhere along the way, you stopped being the person who does the work and became the person responsible for making sure the work happens. This is the moment many small business owners quietly become what could best be described as the Accidental Executive.

You may never call yourself a CEO. In fact, most owners of small and mid-sized businesses would laugh at the idea. But if you’re overseeing staff, coordinating multiple functions of the business, making financial decisions, and setting direction for the future, you’re already operating at an executive level whether the title exists or not.

The Maker Phase

Nearly every small business begins in what could be called the “maker phase.” A person has a skill, a craft, or a service people want. A baker opens a shop. A contractor starts taking on projects. A designer begins freelancing. A consultant lands their first few clients.

In this phase, success comes from being good at the work itself. You’re the engine of the business. If you stop producing, the business stops moving. You’re also trading time for money and since there is a limited number of hours in the day, you can only grow so much under that structure.

For many entrepreneurs, this stage feels natural. The work is familiar. The results are visible. Effort goes in and something tangible comes out.

But there is another dynamic at play in those early days.

Most of your first customers aren’t buying because of a sophisticated marketing plan. They buy because they know you. They trust you. Someone recommended you. Maybe they met you through a community group, a chamber event, or a mutual connection.

You shake their hand. You show up personally. You solve their problem.

Those early relationships become the foundation of the business. They lead to repeat customers and referrals. In the beginning, your reputation travels faster than your marketing.

Then something interesting happens.

Customers start showing up more often.

The business grows.

And suddenly you can’t do everything anymore.

The First Hires Change Everything

Hiring the first employee is a proud moment. It signals growth and momentum. But it also quietly shifts your role.

Now someone needs direction, training, and feedback. There are schedules to approve, paychecks to process, and questions to answer.

Multiply that by three, five, or ten people and the nature of the job changes entirely.

The owner is no longer producing the work. You’re coordinating it.

Many business owners still think of themselves as the primary worker in the business even after this shift happens. But if your day is filled with conversations, decisions, troubleshooting, and planning instead of the original craft, the role has already changed.

You are no longer the maker. You’re the person running the operation. And you need to make that transition if you want to grow.

When Clients Miss Seeing You

There is another subtle shift that often surprises growing businesses.

In the early days, customers bought directly from you. They saw you on every visit. You answered the phone and handled the details. You were the face of the service.

As the business grows, that changes. Employees begin doing the work. New team members show up at client sites or in the store. You become the person overseeing the business rather than the person performing the service.

Often longtime clients feel that change. They might say something like, “We never see you anymore,” or “We miss working with you.”

It’s not necessarily a complaint. It’s simply a reflection of change and people don’t always like change. The client trusted you personally, and now the relationship is shifting from a one-to-one connection to a relationship with the company.

For many owners, this moment feels uncomfortable. It can create a sense that something important is being lost.

But it doesn’t have to be.

The key is making sure the client’s trust transfers from you to the organization.

One simple way to do this is to intentionally introduce your team as an extension of you. Let clients know who will be working with them and why you trust that person. Share their strengths. Position them as capable professionals, not just employees filling in for the owner.

At the same time, maintain a visible presence in the relationship. A quick check-in call, a brief email after a project, or an occasional visit can reassure clients that you are still engaged and accountable. You may not be doing the work personally anymore, but they are still guaranteeing the quality of the work.

The Uncomfortable Truth

This stage can feel frustrating because the skills that made you successful early on are no longer the skills the business needs most.

Being a great mechanic does not automatically prepare you to manage technicians, negotiate vendor relationships, and analyze pricing strategies.

Being a talented photographer does not immediately translate into managing a studio schedule, marketing campaigns, and customer service policies.

Running a growing business requires a completely different set of abilities. Leadership. Communication. Delegation. Decision-making. Strategic thinking.

These are executive-level skills, even if the business only has a handful of employees.

The uncomfortable truth is that many owners are never formally taught how to make this transition. Most are figuring it out in real time while trying to keep the business moving forward.

Why This Transition Matters

When business owners don’t recognize their role has changed, they often continue trying to operate as the primary worker while also managing the entire organization.

That combination rarely works for long.

Owners become overwhelmed. Employees feel micromanaged and confused about their role.

Recognizing the shift from maker to accidental executive allows owners to approach their role differently. Instead of trying to do everything personally, the focus moves to building systems, developing people, and creating structure that allows the business to operate effectively. Your work becomes less about personal output and more about guiding the entire operation.

Over the course of your business’ lifetime, your role will likely transition several times from doer to manager to executive leadership where operational duties fall to others.

The Chamber Can Help

This is exactly where business networks and community support become valuable.

Many small business owners are navigating these leadership shifts. Connecting with other business owners provides perspective that cannot be found inside the walls of your company.

Conversations at networking events, leadership programs, workshops, and peer groups often reveal something powerful. Nearly everyone is figuring it out as they go. Hearing how other owners approached hiring, delegation, growth, and leadership challenges can shorten the learning curve dramatically. The chamber environment creates space for those conversations to happen (and sometimes the leadership training too).

The Title Isn’t the Point

Whether someone calls themselves an owner, founder, partner, or president does not really matter. What matters is recognizing the moment when the business begins requiring executive-level thinking.

Once you shift from doer to manager (or exec), the path forward changes. The goal is no longer simply doing the work well. The goal becomes building a business where many people can do the work well and thrive. That’s the real difference between doing a job and leading an organization.

Business.com First Time Hiring Guide
Is Your Business Owner-Dependent?
How to Build a Culture People Want to Be a Part of
Succession Planning Workbook - a resource for planning. Created to help you identify key people/positions that should have redundancies in place and help get a guideline for training and replacements. Free for Chamber Members.

-----------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Brain Fog Is Costing Your Business More Than You Think – Here’s How to Clear It

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:25:48 GMT

For a small business owner, the most critical piece of equipment isn't your laptop, your CRM, or your delivery van—it’s your brain. When you are the visionary, the strategist, and the customer service department, your cognitive clarity determines your bottom line.

However, "founder’s fatigue" often leads to the dreaded brain fog: that sluggish, scattered feeling where making a simple decision feels like wading through molasses.

Here’s how to optimize your neural hardware for peak performance and clear the fog of overload. You do it for your equipment. You deserve (at least) the same level of care.

1. Master the "Context Switching" Fee

Every time you jump from an invoice to a marketing tweet to a customer complaint, your brain pays a switching fee. Research suggests this can lower productivity by up to 40%.

The Fix: Time-Batching. Group similar tasks together. Dedicate Tuesday mornings solely to social media content for the month and Thursday afternoons to invoicing. This allows your brain to stay in one "mode" and reduces the cognitive load of pivoting between these very different tasks.

2. Fuel the Biological Machine

Your brain represents only 2% of your body weight but consumes about 20% of its energy. If you fuel it with erratic caffeine spikes and skipped lunches, it will underperform.

The Fix: Prioritize neuro-protective fats (like Omega-3s) and complex carbohydrates that provide a steady stream of glucose. Most importantly, hydration is non-negotiable; even 2% dehydration can significantly impair tasks that require attention and memory.

3. Implement an "External Brain"

Brain fog is often the result of Open Loop Syndrome—the mental exhaustion caused by trying to remember ten different unfinished tasks. Just like on your computer when you have too many tabs open, performance decreases.

The Fix: Use a Capture System. Whether you use a digital app or a physical notebook, get every "to-do" or concern out of your head the moment it appears. When your brain knows the information is recorded safely elsewhere, it can stop using energy on that thought, freeing up bandwidth for deep work.

4. Optimize Your Sleep Architecture

Sleep isn't just downtime. It’s when your brain’s glymphatic system flushes out metabolic waste (essentially "washing" your brain). For a business owner, a missed hour of sleep is a direct hit to your emotional intelligence and decision-making speed, not to mention it often impacts your personality and desire to do the difficult work.

The Fix: View sleep as a non-negotiable business appointment. Aim for a consistent "wind-down" period 30 minutes before bed where screens are banned.

Quick Tips for Immediate Fog-Clearing

When you hit a wall in the middle of the workday, try these easy pattern interrupters:

· The 10-Minute Walk - Increases blood flow to the hippocampus and resets focus.

· Box Breathing - Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Calms the nervous system.

· Single-Tasking - Close every tab except the one you’re currently working on.

· Cold Exposure - A splash of cold water on the face triggers the diving reflex, slowing heart rate and increasing alertness.

You don’t need to work more hours. Instead, make the hours you work more effective. By treating your brain with the same respect you give your business finances or equipment, you'll find that the fog lifts, leaving room for the clarity and innovation that started your business in the first place.

Read More:

--------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She’s the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within and is currently writing a book for burnt-out overachievers entitled, When Great Isn’t Good.

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

How to Write a Basic Business Plan

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:46:38 GMT

A Simple Guide for New and Growing Businesses

Starting a business is exciting. It’s also easier when you have a clear plan.

A business plan does not have to be long or complicated. It just needs to answer a few important questions:

· What are you building?

· Who is it for?

· How will it make money?

· And how will it operate day to day?

Whether you are launching a side hustle, opening a storefront, or preparing to apply for financing, this framework will help you create a solid foundation and answer the questions you’ll need to answer to be successful.

For this framework, we walk you through the steps with a fictitious business (Sunrise Bookkeeping) so you can understand how you might draft each step.

Step 1: Start with Your Business Snapshot

This is your quick overview. Short and clear.

Answer these questions:

• What is the name of your business?

• What product or service do you offer?

• Who is your ideal customer?

• What problem do you solve?

• How will you make money?

Example:

“Sunrise Bookkeeping provides monthly bookkeeping services for small local businesses that want clear financial reports without hiring a full-time accountant. We offer flat-rate packages and virtual support.”

If you can explain your business in a few sentences, you’re on the right track.

Step 2: Define the Problem and Your Solution

Every strong business solves a problem or meets a need.

Ask yourself:

• What challenge does your customer face?

• Why does that challenge matter to them?

• Why is your solution better, easier, or more convenient?

For Sunrise Bookkeeping, the problem is simple: many small business owners don’t have time to manage their books. They feel overwhelmed by tax season. The solution is ongoing, organized financial support at a predictable monthly cost.

Be specific. Clarity builds confidence.

Step 3: Identify Your Target Customer

Avoid saying “everyone” when it comes to who you sell to. Successful businesses start by focusing on a clear audience.

Describe:

• Who they are

• What stage of life or business they are in

• What they value most (price, speed, trust, expertise, convenience)

• Where they find services like yours

For example, Sunrise Bookkeeping may target local service businesses with 1–10 employees that need reliable reporting but are not ready to hire in-house staff.

The clearer you are about your customer, the easier marketing becomes.

Step 4: Outline Your Products or Services

List what you sell and what customers receive.

For each offer, define:

• What is included

• How much it costs

• What outcome the customer gets

Example packages:

-Basic Monthly Bookkeeping – $400 per month – Includes transaction categorization, monthly reports, and reconciliations

-Growth Package – $650 per month – Includes bookkeeping plus quarterly financial review meetings

Clear offers help customers say yes faster.

Step 5: Understand Your Market and Competition

You do not need complex research, but you should know who else serves your audience.

Answer:

• Who are your top competitors?

• What do they do well?

• Where is there room for improvement?

• What makes your business different?

Your competitive advantage might be:

• Personalized service

• Faster turnaround

• A niche specialty

• Flexible pricing

• Strong community presence

Chamber membership itself can become part of your advantage through visibility and local credibility.

Step 6: Create a Simple Marketing and Sales Plan

Now answer two important questions: How will customers find you? How will they buy?

List your main marketing strategies. Examples:

• Referrals and networking

• Social media

• Partnerships with other businesses

• Search engine visibility

• Local events

Then outline your sales process.

For example:
Inquiry → Discovery Call → Proposal → Agreement → Service Delivery → Follow-Up

Keep it simple and repeatable.

Step 7: Plan Your Operations

Explain how your business will function day to day.

Consider:

• Where will you operate?

• What tools or equipment do you need?

• What are your business hours?

• Will you hire help or work alone?

• What systems will you use for payments, scheduling, or customer service?

Operational clarity builds stability.

Step 8: Review the Financial Basics

Even a simple plan should include realistic financial thinking.

Outline:

• Startup costs (equipment, website, inventory, deposits)

• Monthly fixed expenses (rent, software, insurance)

• Variable costs per sale

• Average price per sale

• Estimated number of sales per month

Then estimate:
Monthly Revenue = Price × Number of Sales

Break-even point = Monthly Fixed Costs ÷ Profit per Sale

These numbers do not need to be perfect, but they should be thoughtful and grounded in research.

Step 9: Set Your First 90-Day Milestones

Turn your plan into action with clear goals:

• Finalize pricing

• Secure space or suppliers

• Build website and online listings

• Join professional organizations (these can be critical for networking, advice, and credibility)

• Launch with a promotional offer

• Gain your first 10 customers

• Collect reviews

A plan only works if it leads to progress.

When You May Need a Longer Business Plan

A basic plan works well for many small businesses. However, you may need a more detailed version if you are:

• Applying for a bank loan

• Seeking investors

• Purchasing a franchise

• Opening multiple locations

• Launching a capital-intensive operation

In those cases, your plan may require expanded financial projections, cash flow forecasts, and deeper market research.

Keep in mind, a business plan is not about perfection. It’s about clarity. It helps you make better decisions, communicate your vision, and build confidence in yourself and others. Most importantly, it gives your idea structure.

If you are starting or growing a business in our community, the Chamber is here to support you with connections, education, and local insight. We encourage you to take the next step and turn your idea into a well-planned reality.

In-person event:

Ready to start? Join the Grow Leavenworth County Incubator Happy Hour!

Thursday, April 9th, 2026

5 - 7 PM

Leavenworth Local Hotel

Read More:

Business Plan Templates
Business Resource Page - with subcategories of Childcare , Food , Manufacturing , and Transportation
How to Start an LLC in Kansas
Kansas Business One Stop
Small Business Info Packet

----------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

The Best Creativity Tool for Your Small Business

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 21:02:45 GMT

A beginner-friendly guide to thinking bigger without working longer

If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen trying to write a social post…

Or struggled to come up with a new promotion that doesn’t feel recycled…

Or wished you had a brainstorming partner who didn’t need coffee breaks…

Your life is about to get easier.

You probably already know the capabilities of AI as a writing tool, but it’s also a creative accelerator. And for small business owners who do it all, that matters. The key is knowing how to use it.

Here’s how to start.

Use It for Idea Generation, Not Just Content

Most small businesses get stuck in repetition. Same sales, same wording, same graphics, same rhythm.

AI can break that pattern fast.

Ask it:

• “Give me 10 unusual event ideas for a hardware store.”
• “What would a luxury version of my service look like?”
• “What partnerships could a local yoga studio explore?”
• “How could I turn my customers into a community?”

You’re not looking for perfection. You’re looking for sparks.

Even if 7 of the ideas are a no, 3 might stretch your thinking in a way you wouldn’t have reached alone.

Let It Help You See Your Business Differently

One of the most powerful creative exercises is reframing.

Ask:

• “If my business were a brand like Apple, how would it communicate?”
• “What would a playful version of my brand sound like?”
• “How would my competitors describe me?”
• “What emotional problem does my customer think they’re solving by using my product/service?” or “What do they want to solve?”

But we’re not being creative for creativity’s sake. There’s a strategic initiative to creativity.

Use AI to Build Systems That Free Your Brain

Overwhelm kills creativity so use AI to free up some of your time by performing administrative and/or procedural tasks such as:

• Draft email sequences
• Create content calendars
• Outline standard operating procedures
• Build FAQ pages
• Organize messy ideas into structured plans

The more structure you build, the more mental space you free up for real innovation. Automation protects imagination.

Use Everyday Questions to Create Invaluable Content

Your customers ask questions all day.

Instead of answering them multiple times in hundreds of emails, ask AI to help you expand them into valuable content such as:

• Blog posts
• Video scripts
• Social series
• Downloadable guides

Example:

“My customers often ask how long this product lasts. Turn that into a helpful blog post outline.”

“Outline the steps needed to make a good decision when buying our product. Add in the following questions and how we provide the ideal solution.”

You’ve just turned customer curiosity into content strategy.

Brainstorm With It Like a Real Partner

Creativity grows through conversation.

You can say:

“I don’t like those ideas. They feel too generic. Give me something bolder.”
“Make it edgier.”
“Tone it down. My audience is conservative.”
“Give me something that would surprise people.”

You can push back. Refine. Iterate. No feelings hurt, no ego in the way. The more you interact, the better the output becomes.

Don’t Lose Your Voice

AI is a tool, but without good prompts and information to who you are, it won’t have your personality. Just as you would build a relationship with a friend, telling it about your business will do wonders for its output. Still…

Always:

• Edit the final draft
• Add real stories
• Insert your opinions
• Infuse local references
• Keep what feels true

The Real Creative Shift

For small businesses, creativity often feels like a luxury. But you need it to survive in crowded markets.

The businesses that stand out are the ones that:

• Tell better stories
• Frame offers in fresh ways
• Create experiences, not just transactions
• Build belonging, not just customer lists

If you’re brand new to using AI to bolster creativity in your business, here’s your simple starting plan (after you’ve told it who you are, what you do, and who you do it for):

Today: Ask it for 10 new promo ideas.
Tomorrow: Ask it to rewrite your homepage with stronger emotional hooks.
This week: Have it help you outline one new offer.

Small experiments. Low risk. High upside.

Further Reading:

---------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

How Do I Raise My Prices Without Losing Loyal Customers?

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:41:30 GMT

It’s a question that feels complicated. If you’re in business long enough, you’re going to have to raise your prices at some point. And yet when you do, it’s possible loyal customers may have big feelings about it. So how do you raise your prices without alienating the people who go you to where you are?

Why Pricing Conversations Get Weird

Costs creep up, your calendar fills, and suddenly you’re working harder for the same money. That’s not a growth plan. It’s a slow leak.

But you can adjust pricing without drama, without apologizing, and without putting your reputation on the line.

Pricing touches three sensitive areas at once for most business pros:

Your confidence: Am I actually worth this?
Your customers: Will they get mad and leave?
Your market: What if competitors are cheaper?

You won’t lose customers because you raised prices. If your customers leave it’s because they don’t understand the value, or they feel surprised. Price increases feel like betrayal when they feel sudden or inexplicable. No one wants to pay more, but when they see the value of what you’re providing and they understand what’s behind the increase, you can likely keep them as a customer.

Before You Raise Anything, Do This Quick Check

You’re trying to run a healthy business. Remember that. Costs increase. There’s no way to continue to provide your goods or services at the same rate you did a few years ago (unless you had a ridiculous markup—and if so, good for you). But for most of us, this is a necessary cost of doing business these days and you have to keep up with the times.

Start with these questions:

1. What’s changed since your current pricing was set?
If your costs, time, labor, or demand have changed, your pricing should change too. Inflation is a business reality.

2. What’s the real cost to deliver your product or service?
Not just materials or payroll. Consider time, tools, admin hours, software, insurance, travel, prep, cleanup, follow-up, knowledge acquired to get you to this point. If you don’t count it, you’re donating it.

3. Where are you losing money without realizing it?

Common culprits:

· Custom work that turns into endless revisions

· Meetings that don’t lead anywhere

· Last-minute changes and reschedules

· Free add-ons that became “expected”

Three Pricing Moves That Don’t Scare Customers Off

You don’t have to “raise prices across the board.” Sometimes the smartest move is reshaping how people buy from you.

Move 1: Repackage instead of simply increasing

If you’re worried about blowback, don’t just raise the number. Raise the clarity.

Examples:

Instead of “$125 per visit,” create “Standard” and “Priority” service tiers.
Instead of “$2,000 project,” define three packages with different scopes.
Instead of a single offering, create an upfront charge or membership, like a wine bar offering a membership club that’s more affordable in bulk than just a single glass, which benefit loyal members
Instead of “hourly,” offer a flat-rate option for common work.

When you package, customers can see what they’re paying for. It becomes less about you being “more expensive” and more about them choosing what fits.

Move 2: Increase your minimums
This is the quiet hero of profitability.

Examples:

Minimum project size
Minimum order quantity
Minimum monthly retainer
Minimum delivery fee

Minimums cut out low-margin work that eats your week. You’ll likely lose the most price-sensitive customers, which sounds scary until you realize they’re also the most demanding per dollar.

Move 3: Adjust for urgency and complexity

Not all work is equal. Not all customers are equal. Pricing can reflect that.

Consider:

Rush fees
After-hours fees
Complexity fees for extra revisions or custom requests
Travel or onsite fees
“Done-for-you” vs “DIY” options

When to Raise Prices

Timing matters because you want the change to feel intentional and not random.

Three good moments to adjust pricing:

When demand is high and you’re booked out
When costs have increased significantly
When you’ve improved your results or delivery (faster, better, smoother)
When you’ve gained new expertise or value
When you roll out something new

If you’re already overloaded, raising prices can improve customer experience. You deliver better quality, which means higher prices.

The Conversation

This is where a lot of business owners hurt themselves. They over-explain, apologize, or sound defensive. Don’t do any of that. Your message should follow the four Cs: cursory, clear, confident, and customer-aware.

Here are a few scripts you can adapt for your business.

Script 1: Simple and direct
“Starting April 1, our pricing will be updated. This change reflects increased costs and allows us to continue delivering the level of quality and service you expect.”

Script 2: For loyal customers
“As a valued customer, you’ll have access to current pricing through May 1. After that, updated rates will apply. We appreciate your continued support.”

Script 3: When you’re shifting packages

“We’re updating our service options to make them clearer and more flexible. You’ll now be able to choose between three packages based on your needs. The new options begin April 2.”

You’re not asking permission. You’re informing them.

What If Customers Push Back?

Some will. That’s normal. The goal is not to avoid it, but to handle it professionally.

If someone says, “That’s too much,” try:

“I understand. If budget is a concern, we can look at an option with a smaller scope.”

Or:
“I hear you. Our pricing reflects the time and expertise required to deliver it well.”

If someone threatens to leave, stay calm:
“I’d hate to lose you, but I understand you need to choose what’s best for you.”

Most of the time, the customers you want will respect you more for being steady.

If you are still worried about raising prices with your loyal customers, grandfather them into their original pricing structure and raise prices for all new customers. However, this only works when you have room to take on new customers.

Eventually it will be inevitable that even your grandfathered customers will see a price increase. But if you want to put it off, that’s a way to do it.

A Quick Action Plan for This Week

1. Pick one pricing move: repackage, minimums, or urgency fees

2. Decide your effective date: give customers a reasonable notice window

3. Write your message: two to three sentences, no apologies

4. Update your materials: website, menus, quotes, proposals, booking links

5. Practice your response so you don’t panic when someone asks why

Then stand firm. Pricing without panic is really about leadership.

You don’t raise prices because you’re greedy. You raise prices because your business has to be sustainable to serve anyone at all. You’re building something that should last. Pricing is one of the ways you make sure it can.

And if you want a sounding board, a few examples, or a sanity check before you hit “send” on the announcement, your chamber community is exactly the place to start.

Read More:

-----------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

How to Build a Culture People Want To Be Part Of

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:41:40 GMT

If you run a small business, you know the struggle. There’s never enough time, never enough people, and the budget is always a limiting factor.

So when someone says, “prioritize employee wellness,” it can sound like another big expense, not to mention something you just don’t have the resources to implement.

No one will argue that taking care of your employees is important but wellness programs are for big corporations, right?

Maybe yoga studios and gyms are. But there are ways to introduce and monitor wellness levels even in the smallest of businesses.

Why Wellness Is Critical to Your Success

Your business is only as strong as your most disgruntled employee. Dissatisfied workers aren’t good at customer service. Their dissatisfaction will be evident to those they’re trying to help. Even if your team isn’t forward facing, a burnt-out employee can spread their angst to other members of your team and erode productivity and moral.

Your team’s stress level doesn’t care that you’re a small business. And if you don’t think your team has a problem, you need to consult the data, which is waving a very large flag.

A recent USA TODAY|SurveyMonkey workforce survey found that 24% of workers say they’re either struggling (12%) or burnt out (12%). An article on Small Biz Trends called it a wake-up call for owners. It also encouraged simple, practical moves like regular check-ins, mental health resources, and a culture of open communication as ways to get these numbers turned around.

This matters because burnout doesn’t just feel bad. It gets expensive.

The Cost of Ignoring Burnout Is Real

Turnover isn’t just the cost of posting a job and running interviews. It’s:

· lost productivity while the role sits open

· extra workload on your best people (who then start browsing job sites at lunch)

· training time, mistakes, customer friction, and knowledge walking out the door

Gallup estimates the cost to replace an employee can range from half to two times their annual salary. And those costs vary by role type. Gallup also notes replacement costs around 200% for leaders/managers, 80% for technical professionals, and 40% for frontline employees.

Small businesses feel that hit harder because every person is a bigger percentage of the operation. One resignation can create a domino effect: missed deadlines, stressed coworkers, and customers who start to wonder what’s going on behind the curtain.

So no, you don’t need a corporate wellness program. You need a culture where people can do good work without slowly melting down.

What Wellness Means in a Small Business

Employee wellness isn’t a perk. It’s the day-to-day experience of working for you. Think of it as your internal brand. A strong sense of employee wellness can keep employees hanging on through the tough times. Many of us have the mistaken idea that wellness is ping pong tables in the breakroom. But it’s not. It’s:

· Clarity instead of chaos.

· Respect instead of mind-reading.

· A manager who notices instead of ignores.

· A pace that’s intense sometimes, not all the time.

Think of it as preventive maintenance. You’re not trying to create a spa. You’re trying to keep the engine from blowing on the freeway.

Micro-Actions That Move the Needle (Without Draining Your Calendar and Wallet)

Resources are stretched for many small businesses, so a company culture relaunch is probably not feasible. That’s why we compiled a list of small, realistic actions that compound into a healthier culture. Pick a few. Build from there.

The 10-Minute “Pulse Check” (Weekly)

Ask three questions of each of your team to get operational intelligence:

· What’s one thing going well?

· What’s one thing making your job harder than it needs to be?

· What’s one thing I can remove, clarify, or decide?

Decide Quicker

A huge source of stress is uncertainty. If you can’t decide today, say when you will. Clarity is calming.

Create a “Red Flag” Phrase

Give employees a simple way to signal overload without shame:

“I’m at capacity.” Or “My plate is full-full.”

Then your job (or the manager’s/supervisor’s) is to respond like an adult, not a courtroom attorney. Be thankful that they admitted they couldn’t take on another task. That means they safeguarded the company from a disappointing customer experience.

Protect One Quiet Hour

Pick one hour a day (or two afternoons a week) that’s meeting-free and interruption-light. Make it normal to do focused work without constant pings.

Normalize Taking PTO for Actual Rest

That SurveyMonkey report even tracks people using PTO for rest and mental health. If your culture subtly punishes time off, burnout wins. If coverage is hard, rotate “on point/on call” responsibility so people can truly unplug.

There should never be a reason to disturb an employee on vacation just because someone can’t find a file. Not only does that call disrupt them in the moment, but it also adds stress causing them to wonder what else will go wrong and what the next call or text will be about. Instead of relaxing, they will be on high alert.

Make Workload Visible

When everything lives in your head (or Slack chaos), people feel like they’re failing even when they’re working hard. A simple shared board (Trello, Asana, a whiteboard) plus weekly priorities reduces stress fast.

Praise Specifically, not Generically

“Great job” is adequate.

“Great job handling that upset customer. You listened to their concerns and escalated the matter quickly and appropriately. I’m happy to announce that because of you, they renewed with us.” makes the employee feel good and helps to identify what’s important to you as a culture.

Recognition doesn’t cost money. It costs attention.

Set “After-Hours” Expectations

If you text at 9:30 pm, your team feels the pressure of always being on call. If you must send messages late, add: “No need to respond until tomorrow.” Better yet, use the scheduling feature so they don’t receive them until business hours.

While you may just want to shoot them an email so the thought doesn’t slip your mind, just remember your habits upset their nervous system.

Build One “Safety Valve” for Hard Weeks

Create a plan for crunch times such as:

· temporary shift swaps

· a pre-set “drop list” of nonessential tasks

· a rotating admin/helper hour

· shortened meetings

Crunch happens. Suffering doesn’t have to be the strategy.

Ask for One Improvement Idea Per Month (And Implement It)

This is how you build trust: ask, choose, act, repeat. Culture improves when people see proof. No one wants to be asked their opinion just to go unheard. When you implement an employee suggestion, give the employee credit (unless they prefer otherwise. Some people don’t like to be called out in a group. Make sure you understand your employees’ motivations and preferences.)

The Mindset Shift That Makes This Doable

Small business owners often assume wellness requires money. Most of the time office wellness can be achieved through altering leadership behaviors that induce daily stress such as unclear priorities, constant urgency, and silence (or ignoring) when people are struggling.

But stress doesn’t just go away (entirely). It leaves residuals behind so that the next time someone feels stress they’re not starting from the same unstressed place they did before. They start at a level two (or more). That means it tends to escalate quicker in the same way that when you’re run down you are more susceptible to illness.

Your goal is not to make work easy. It’s to make work sustainable.

Because when 24% of workers say they’re struggling or burnt out, it’s not a “nice to fix later” issue. And when replacing even one employee can cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their salary, “we can’t afford wellness” quietly becomes “we can’t afford turnover.”

Start small. Start consistent. Treat culture like the business asset it is.

Read More:

---------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

For Business Owners: A Smart QR Code Playbook

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:40:37 GMT

QR codes have faded in and out of popularity over the past decade, but they’ve finally surpassed trend status and they’re here to stay. They are convenient ways to drive traffic to desired information or action platforms. When used with intention, QR codes quietly remove friction and move customers exactly where you want them to go.

QR codes are great for information that could change such as daily specials. QR code stickers can also update old info on printed materials (perfect for the extremely budget conscious business) as in the case of a move and old business cards. Slap a QR code sticker on the cards directing scanners to info on your new locale.

Whether QR codes are effective in your business or not depends on how you’ve been using them.

This guide will help you use QR codes the smart way, without annoying your customers or wasting valuable space.

Start With One Clear Job

Every QR code should do one thing well. Not three. Not “menu, reviews, newsletter, and follow us on Instagram.”

Before you generate a code, finish this sentence:

“When someone scans this, I want them to _____.”

Order ahead. Pay a bill. Join a waitlist. Watch a demo. Book an appointment. Leave a review.

If you can’t answer that clearly, the QR code isn’t ready yet. Confusion kills scans faster than bad Wi-Fi.

Match the QR Code to the Moment

Context matters more than placement.

A QR code on a table should help someone who is already seated.

A QR code at checkout should help someone who is already paying.

A QR code on packaging should help someone who already bought.

Too many businesses ask customers to change mental gears. Someone standing in line does not want to read your brand story. Someone browsing your storefront does not want to fill out a five-field form.

Ask yourself what problem exists in that exact moment and solve only that.

Send Them to a Mobile-friendly Destination

This sounds obvious but it is also the most common mistake. If your QR code leads to a desktop-only website, a tiny PDF, or a page that takes more than three seconds to load, you’ve lost the scan.

Best practices here are non-negotiable:

• Mobile-optimized page

• Minimal text

• Clear headline

• One primary action

• No pinching or zooming required

A QR code is an express lane. Don’t route it through construction.

Tell People What They’ll Get

Never assume people will scan just because a square exists.

Add a short, human instruction:

· “Scan to view today’s specials”

· “Scan to reorder in under 30 seconds”

· “Scan for the how-it’s-made video”

You’re not selling the QR code. You’re selling the outcome. The more specific the payoff, the higher the scan rate.

Use Dynamic QR Codes Whenever Possible

tatic QR codes are set in stone. Dynamic QR codes let you change the destination later without reprinting anything. That flexibility matters more than you think.

Menus change. Links break. Campaigns evolve. A dynamic code protects your investment and lets you adapt without starting over.

It also gives you data. Scans by time, location, and device help you see what’s actually working instead of guessing.

Design for Visibility, not Decoration

QR codes do not need to be pretty. They need to be scannable.

Follow these design rules:

• High contrast between code and background

• Adequate white space around the code

• Large enough to scan from the intended distance

• No visual clutter nearby

If someone must tilt their phone, squint, or move closer than expected, the moment is gone.

Brand colors are fine. Artistic distortion is not.

Respect Trust and Privacy

Customers are cautious. A QR code that feels sketchy will be ignored.

Avoid sending people directly to:

• Download prompts without explanation

• Login walls

• Overly long forms

• Anything that looks unrelated to where they are

If you’re collecting information, say so. If you’re offering value, lead with that. Trust is part of the user experience.

Test Like a Customer, not an Owner

Scan every QR code yourself. Then have someone else scan it. Try different phones. Try different lighting. Try it on cellular data, not office Wi-Fi.

Ask:

• Does it load quickly?

• Is it obvious what to do next?

• Would I scan this again?

If the answer isn’t a confident yes, fix it before it goes live.

Measure Results, Then Prune

QR codes are not “set it and forget it.”

Check performance monthly. Retire codes that don’t get used. Improve the ones that do. Replace vague destinations with clearer ones.

A few high-performing QR codes will always beat a dozen ignored ones.

Note to restaurants and those employing QR menus: COVID created a need for using QR codes to replace physical menus. Some restaurants (and service providers) are enjoying the freedom and cost reduction from using these codes instead of paper menus. There's nothing wrong with this unless your audience finds it annoying. Understand the demographic you're serving and their preferences. Some groups find the lack of a physical menu to be a barrier instead of a quicker way to see it. If that's the case with your audience, you may be losing money because they don't feel like scanning the QR code again to view the drink or dessert menu. Upsells and additions will be less likely.

Used well, QR codes are invisible helpers. They shorten lines, speed decisions, and remove tiny annoyances your customers may never articulate but absolutely feel. But remember: the goal isn’t more scans; it’s smoother experiences.

- How to Make Time for Innovation

- Keeping Up with Tech

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The 48-Hour Rule: Turning Business Ideas into Reality

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:01:59 GMT

Small business owners are usually not short on ideas. You have them in the shower, in the car, halfway through a client call, and even in the middle of the night. Ideas for a new service. A better way to onboard customers. A partnership you should pursue. A social post series that would actually sound like you.

No, the problem is not creativity. The problem is action.

Most good ideas don’t die because they were bad. They die because they never get translated into a next step while they’re still exciting.

That’s why you need the 48-Hour Rule.

The rule is simple:

If an idea doesn’t have a next action plotted and scheduled within 48 hours, it’s not a plan. It’s entertainment.

This is not a judgment on your executing abilities. It’s your business. The urgent pulls harder than the important. And once an idea slips behind payroll, customer emails, and the Tuesday fire drill, it rarely climbs back out.

So, let’s talk about how to make the 48-Hour Rule work in real life with time limits.

Why 48 Hours Works (And “Someday” Doesn’t)

A new idea creates a burst of clarity. You can see the path. You can picture the result. You feel a little lighter because you’ve imagined a better version of your business.

But clarity fades fast.

In 48 hours, two things happen:

Reality returns. Your current workload reasserts itself or you start doubting your abilities, your team’s abilities, your customer’s interests, or any other number of things that begin to cause…
The idea starts to feel bigger than it is. You forget the simple version and only remember the “perfect” version. This becomes next to impossible to put into action.

The 48-Hour Rule protects your idea from both. It forces you to do one thing before the moment passes: choose the next action .

Not the whole plan. Not the branding. Not the full rollout. Just the next action.

The Difference Between an Idea and a Next Action

An idea is fun, creative, exciting, while a next action is specific, physical, and schedulable. It’s something you can do without needing another meeting with yourself. Shy away from your action being “research.” It’s easy to get lost in it with little to show.

Here are examples:

Idea: “We should improve customer follow-up.”
Next action: “Draft a two-email follow-up template and save it in the CRM.”
Idea: “We should partner with another business.”
Next action: “Write one partnership pitch email and send it to two businesses by Friday.”
Idea: “We should raise prices.”
Next action: “List top 10 services, current prices, and margins in a spreadsheet by Thursday at 10 a.m.”

If you can’t schedule it, it’s not a next action.

How to Implement the 48-Hour Rule Without Blowing up Your Week

If you’re excited about your new idea, get something scheduled, even during a busy week.

Try this:

Step 1: Capture the idea in one sentence.
Not five paragraphs. One sentence. Put it in a running note on your phone or a single “Idea Parking Lot” document.
Step 2: Write the smallest next action.
Ask: “What’s the first move that would make this 5% more real?”
Step 3: Schedule it inside the next 48 hours. Not “this week.” Not “soon.” Put a 15–30-minute block on your calendar. Treat it like a client meeting. Because it is. Your future revenue is sitting in the lobby.
Step 4: Give it a finish line.

The goal of that block is not perfection. It’s progress you can point to. A draft. A message sent. A decision made. A file created.

The “Two-Track” Trick for Busy Seasons

If you’re in a truly slammed stretch, use this adjustment: you only have to schedule one of two things within 48 hours :

The next action or
A decision to deliberately defer it (with a date)

That second option matters. Because “not now” can be a smart business decision.

If you can’t do the action, schedule a 10-minute decision block: “Do we pursue this in Q1 or not?” That keeps you moving.

What This Looks Like Over Time

The magic of the 48-Hour Rule isn’t that every idea becomes a big initiative. Instead, your business becomes a place where ideas get handled, not hoarded.

You’ll start to notice:

Fewer loose ends rattling around in your brain
Faster follow-through (which customers feel immediately)
More momentum inside your team
Better instincts about what’s worth doing, because you’re testing ideas in small bites

Action compounds in the way that matters reducing chaos and increasing innovation.

A Simple Challenge for This Week

Pick one idea you’ve been sitting on. Just one.

Write the next action. Schedule 20 minutes for it in the next 48 hours. Then do it.

That’s how businesses grow—small, consistent moments of follow-through.

Ask the Chamber

If you’re thinking, “I have ideas, but I need the right people, resources, or a push,” you’re not alone. That’s exactly what a chamber of commerce is built for: turning good intentions into traction.

Use your chamber for the kind of next actions that matter:

Ask them to make an introduction that leads to a partnership or something specific you need
Attend one event and meet your next vendor or client
Join one committee and get closer to decision-makers
Ask one question and get practical insight from business owners who’ve been there

Your idea may be game changing, but you won’t know until you execute. You may not have time to get it completely worked out and implemented, but you do have time to start with a 20-minute next step. Try the 48-Hour Rule this week. Then let your chamber help you turn that first step into a path.

Read More:

--------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Is Your Business Owner-Dependent?

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:15:45 GMT

Is Your Business Owner-Dependent?

It’s a simple question. Slightly uncomfortable. Surprisingly revealing.

If you stepped away from your business for two weeks starting tomorrow, no email, no Slack, no “just checking in,” what would fall apart?

Most business owners don’t love this thought experiment. Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because many small businesses are built on proximity. You are the system. You are the memory. You are the fixer of last resort.

That works. Until it doesn’t.

We’re not suggesting this asking this question only when you’re about to plan a sabbatical or if you’re fantasizing about a beach with no Wi-Fi. This should be a quarterly question you ask yourself to test the resilience of your business.

What Usually Breaks First

When owners walk through this question honestly, a few pressure points show up again and again.

Decision bottlenecks are common. If every approval, answer, or green light runs through you, progress slows the moment you step away. Not because your team isn’t capable, but because the rules live in your head.

You’ve painted yourself into a corner, which at first feels good because the business needs you. But then the very thing that felt good starts wearing on you and you can’t get a moment’s peace even when you need one.

Customer communication is another. Clients know to “just call you” because you’ve always been responsive and why start at the bottom of the ladder if you can head straight to the top? That’s a compliment. It’s also a vulnerability.

Then there’s institutional knowledge . Passwords. Vendor contacts. Renewal dates. The little things that keep operations moving quietly in the background. When they aren’t documented, they’re fragile.

None of this means your business is poorly run. It means it’s human.

The Myth of “I’ll Get to it Later”

Many owners tell themselves they’ll systemize “when things slow down.” The problem is that things rarely slow down on their own. Growth adds complexity. Success adds volume. Even good seasons create strain.

Waiting for the perfect time to document processes or delegate authority often means never doing it at all. And the cost shows up in subtle ways: missed opportunities, delayed responses, and burnout disguised as dedication.

Don’t remove yourself from the business. Just remove yourself as the single point of failure.

Start Smaller Than You Think

You don’t need a 50-page operations manual to make meaningful progress. In fact, starting that big is usually why people never start at all.

Instead, focus on a two-week lens.

Ask yourself three questions:

· What decisions would stall without me?

· What questions would my team or customers ask first?

· What information only exists in my inbox or my head?

Then document just those things. If this seems overwhelming, dictate them to AI and instruct it to create an operations manual around that topic or create a shared document with clear “if this, then that” guidance. Include a short list of who handles what when you’re unavailable and a basic contact list for vendors and partners.

Go for clarity.

Delegation as Leadership, not Abdication

One of the fears that holds people back from doing this is loss of control. They worry if they hand over the reins that it will be done incorrectly.

Maybe. Sometimes.

But leadership isn’t preventing mistakes at all costs. It’s building capacity so the business doesn’t depend on one person’s constant presence.

Delegation done well includes context, not just tasks. It explains the why, not just the what. When people understand how decisions should be made, they don’t need to wait for permission.

That’s how trust compounds.

Another fear is the fear of being replaced. “If I give up my knowledge, they won’t need me.” You may also be afraid that if “I share my knowledge employees will leave me.”

The latter can happen anyway and if you give them opportunity for growth, they’ll be less likely to do so.

Why This Planning Matters Beyond Vacations

Even if you never plan to take two weeks away, this exercise still matters.

Life happens. Illness. Family needs. Unexpected opportunities. A business that can’t be flexible creates stress when flexibility is needed most.

On the flip side, a business that can run without constant oversight is more valuable, more attractive to partners and high-performing employees, and more resilient in changing conditions.

That’s not just good for you. It’s good for your employees, your customers, and your community.

Where Your Chamber Fits In

This is where chambers quietly shine.

You don’t have to solve this alone. Chambers of commerce connect you to peers who’ve already tackled these challenges. They host workshops on operations, leadership, and succession planning. They introduce you to service providers who help businesses document processes, strengthen teams, and plan for growth. They may also offer AI training that can show you easy, efficient ways to put together the manual that will make all of this possible.

Just as importantly, chambers give you space to think strategically instead of reactively. Roundtables. Mentorship. Conversations that pull you out of the weeds and back into the role of leader.

If this article made you pause, that’s a signal. Start the conversation. Ask your chamber what resources are available. Check out its calendar to see what low-cost (or even free) resources are available. Reach out to another member and compare notes.

You built a business to feed yourself and your family, but you’re past that stage now. You’re helping to feed others too. It’s time you ensure they can feed themselves as well.

Read More:

6 Questions Every Smart Small Business Owner Asks
Disaster Readiness - a PDF focused on Disaster Recovery. Not completely the same topic, but a related concept: What happens when normal operations are disrupted?
Legacy and Longevity: A Playbook for Owner-Operators Who Think Long-term
Succession Planning Workbook - a resource for planning. Created to help you identify key people/positions that should have redundancies in place and help get a guideline for training and replacements. Free for Chamber Members.

---------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

How to Verify the Accuracy of an Applicant's Resume

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:43:22 GMT

75% of hiring managers have encountered lies on resumes, posing a challenge to the trustworthiness of applicant qualifications.
Pruning outdated or irrelevant job experiences from resumes can help applicants highlight their most recent and pertinent skills.
Checking for employment gaps can uncover important character traits or red flags, such as incarceration, which can be further explored through background checks.
Up to 85% of job seekers admit to lying on resumes about aspects like job duties and skills, making independent verification crucial.
Handling discovered resume discrepancies with professionalism and aligning hiring decisions with organizational values are key.
Investing in thorough verification processes, despite initial costs, is essential for reducing long-term expenses related to unproductive wages, training, and turnover.

554 words ~ 2.5 min. read

In today's job market, it's quite common for applicants to exaggerate on their resumes. A surprising find by CareerBuilder shows that 75% of hiring managers have spotted lies on resumes. This highlights a big problem in hiring - how can employers trust what's on a resume? With the honesty of candidate qualifications on the line, it's important for hiring managers to find reliable ways to check the accuracy of resumes to make good hiring decisions. Read on to discover three strategies to help you fast-track the fact-checking process.

Prune Old Jobs

Pruning old jobs simply means removing any outdated or irrelevant information. For example, if an applicant lists a job that they held 10 years ago and haven't worked in that field since, there's a good chance their skills are no longer up-to-date. The hiring platform Indeed reminds job hopefuls to prioritize their most recent and relevant experience , so including historical work experience may also signal a lack of confidence in applying for an intended position.

Check for Gaps

Another way to verify the accuracy of an applicant's resume is to check for gaps. This means looking for any periods of time where there is no employment listed. These gaps could be due to a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family or going back to school. However, they could also be due to something less savory, such as incarceration. Including a background check will reveal gaps due to jail time but also other important things you may want to know like criminal arrest records or driving history.

Resume gaps aren’t always a bad thing, of course. They may reveal an applicant’s character or important values, with gaps devoted to honing their leadership skills through volunteering for schools or charitable organizations. What you do with your understanding of these blank spaces is what’s important — use them to weed out applicants or to ascertain if a candidate is a value match during the interview process.

Fact-Check Claims

According to Good Hire up to 85% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resume. What are they lying about? Most often, dishonest claims relate to job duties, work experience, and job skills. While it may be easy to verify if an applicant has indeed graduated from Harvard or won Teacher of the Year, it can take much more time and resources to fact check work history and job duties. For that reason, many employers rely on independent recruiters and agencies to verify resume details.

What should you do if you discover something that doesn’t check out? When hiring managers spot a lie on a resume, it's important to handle it with care and professionalism. First, double-check the facts to avoid any misunderstandings. If the lie is real, talk to the applicant about it and listen to their side of the story. Then, based on how serious the lie is, decide if you still want to consider the candidate. In the end, your decision should align with your organization’s values. If you do hire someone and later discover the lie, experts recommend confronting the employee to learn more. If you want to terminate the employee, get legal counsel first.

Takeaway

Devoting time and resources to outside services will increase your hiring costs upfront. However, when you factor in the price tag for unproductive wages, in addition to training, firing, and rehiring costs, investing in a thorough verification process becomes a vital hiring and retention strategy.

Read More:

---

The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.

Think Twice Before Hiring or Promoting "Brilliant Jerks"

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:37:31 GMT

Think Twice Before Hiring or Promoting "Brilliant Jerks"

Arianna Huffington criticizes valuing employees solely on brilliance, coining the term "brilliant jerks" for talented yet toxic workers
"Brilliant jerks" can hide their toxic behaviors behind exceptional performance, complicating their identification and the management of their negative impact.
Their presence can damage team unity, foster a toxic work environment, decrease morale and productivity, and lead to significant financial losses.
Tolerating or rewarding such behavior normalizes toxicity and can drive away talented individuals, damaging the company's reputation and its ability to attract and retain top talent.
Leaders often struggle to address these individuals due to their perceived value, despite the negative consequences on the team and overall work environment.
Identifying toxic traits early, emphasizing emotional intelligence, and fostering teamwork in hiring and promotion processes can help create a healthier, more productive work environment.

547 words ~ 2.5 min read

Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of The Huffington Post, famously criticized the practice of valuing employees solely based on their brilliance. She coined the term "brilliant jerks" for those who excel in their job but have a negative impact on the workplace. While it can be tempting to ignore interpersonal flaws for talent's sake, promoting or hiring such individuals often leads to long-term harm. Here, we delve into why this approach is problematic and highlight warning signs of toxic traits.

Identifying "brilliant jerks" at work can be tricky. Their exceptional performance and creativity may hide toxic behaviors, making it hard for supervisors and colleagues to address their negative impact. Sometimes, these individuals are socially adept, which complicates recognizing their harmful traits. This dual nature causes confusion, as their value as high performers clashes with their negative influence. Their behavior might be situationally toxic, especially under stress, making it challenging to address effectively.

The problem is "brilliant jerks" can significantly impede team unity. Their arrogance or aggression can foster a toxic environment, resulting in reduced morale and productivity among team members. When collaboration and mutual respect are undermined, innovation and efficiency are inevitably impacted. Studies indicate that toxic work environments lead to nearly $50 billion in annual losses for U.S. businesses , with a toxic culture being the leading cause of employee turnover in the initial six months of the Great Resignation.

Unfortunately, tolerating or rewarding such behavior promotes disrespect, egoism, and a lack of empathy. This can normalize toxicity, driving away talented individuals who seek a positive work environment. In the long run, it undermines trust and collaboration, crucial for innovation and support. This damages the company's reputation and makes it hard to attract and keep top talent who value a healthy workplace.

Dealing with these individuals can be tough due to their perceived value, even if their behavior is harmful. Leaders may fear losing their skills or impacting key projects, leading to tolerance of their actions. The misconception that high performers can behave differently can cloud decision-making, sending the wrong message to the team.

It can be difficult to spot 'brilliant jerks' in the hiring process, but these red flags can help draw attention to traits that may overshadow stellar performance. If you do hire someone with these qualities by mistake, Huffington advises business leaders to act quickly: “Don't go there. And if you go there by mistake, fire them as fast as possible.”

Red Flags of Toxic Traits:

Empathy Deficit: Failing to grasp or appreciate others' feelings and viewpoints.
Excessive Arrogance: Constantly asserting superiority over colleagues and disregarding their ideas outright.
Resistance to Feedback: Being defensive towards criticism, viewing it as a personal attack rather than a chance for improvement.
Manipulative Tactics: Using deceit or coercion to further personal objectives at the expense of others. "Brilliant jerks" love sharing private information in the form of 'secrets.'
Social Withdrawal: Drifting apart from team activities and discussions, either by choice or due to others' reactions.

Recognizing these red flags is crucial for fostering a healthy work environment. By placing a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence and teamwork during the hiring and promotion processes, organizations can cultivate a culture characterized by mutual respect and seamless collaboration. This, in turn, paves the way for achieving long-term success and sustainable growth.

Read More:

---

Support Your Team With Confidence in Today’s Workplace

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:00:24 GMT

At the risk of starting the year off with doom and gloom, this is a topic that’s becoming increasingly important. Whether it’s personal uncertainties leaking into the workplace or your employees have concerns about the business or their place in it, many of them are feeling like they’re operating on unstable ground. This topic, while uncomfortable, is not something to be ignored or swept under the business welcome mat.

Yet for business owners, this can feel like one more thing on an exhaustive to-do list. You’re managing cash flow, customers, vendors, and growth. Now you’re also managing feelings. (Insert face palm emoji, right?)

The good news is you don’t need a corporate HR department or a perfect roadmap to support your team well. What employees need most during uncertain times isn’t grand gestures. It’s steadiness. Clarity. And signs that the person at the helm is paying attention.

Smart Ways to Steady Your Team

While you can’t tell someone how to feel, or squash their concerns with logic, you can use these practical, realistic ways to support your employees when things feel unpredictable, without overpromising or burning yourself out.

Start with honest, human communication

When something is brewing at a company, many leaders make the mistake of falling silent. They don’t have all the answers, so they don’t want to share partial information. They vow to tell employees once they have the complete picture. However, silence breeds stories, and rarely the good kind. When employees don’t know what’s happening, they tend to imagine worst-case scenarios. You don’t need all the answers, but you do need to talk.

Share what you know, what you don’t, and what you’re watching. A simple “Here’s where we are right now” goes a long way. Consistent updates, even short ones, create a sense of trust. Think of it like being a lighthouse, not a weather forecaster. You don’t control the storm. You help people navigate it.

Acknowledge concerns while reinforcing stability

There’s a difference between acknowledging uncertainty and amplifying it. You don’t need to constantly reference challenges or dwell on what might go wrong. Instead, name the reality and then pivot to the established light on the horizon. This is not a time for platitudes like “It’s bound to get better.” Share what you know to be true not some overly optimistic view.

Saying “I know this season feels unsettled for a lot of people” validates emotions. Following it with “Here’s what remains solid about our business and our team” restores balance. People don’t expect you to eliminate stress. They want to know you see it.

Offer flexibility where it’s possible

Flexibility has become one of the most meaningful benefits a small business can offer. It doesn’t always mean remote work or reduced hours. Sometimes it’s flexibility in scheduling, understanding personal constraints, or adjusting expectations during high-stress periods.

When employees feel trusted to manage their time and energy, they’re more likely to stay engaged and loyal. Flexibility says, “I care about you as a whole person,” which matters deeply when life feels unpredictable.

Focus on what employees can control

Uncertainty is unsettling because it takes control away. One of the most supportive things you can do is help employees focus on what they can influence right now.

Clear priorities, defined roles, and achievable short-term goals provide a sense of progress. Break big objectives into smaller wins. Momentum is calming. It reminds people that forward motion is still happening, even if the horizon looks fuzzy.

Reinforce purpose and contribution

During uncertain times, people naturally ask, “Does my work matter?” This is where small businesses have an advantage. You can connect the dots between daily tasks and real impact.

Remind employees how their work serves customers, supports the community, or strengthens the business. Specific recognition is powerful. Instead of a generic “good job,” try “That follow-up you did helped retain that longtime client. Great work.” Purpose grounds people when external circumstances feel shaky. It also provides them with ideas of what you and the business value.

Encourage connection, not forced positivity

Team connection doesn’t require mandatory happy hours or constant cheerleading. In fact, forced positivity can backfire. What people crave is authentic connection.

Create space for check-ins that aren’t solely about tasks. Ask how people are doing and mean it. Sometimes support looks like listening, not fixing. A team that feels connected is more resilient when facing uncertainty together.

Model calm, realistic leadership

Your team takes emotional cues from you, whether you intend it or not. That doesn’t mean you need to pretend everything is fine. It means showing that challenges can be faced with composure and thoughtfulness, not short-tempered flares.

Calm leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about demonstrating that uncertainty can be navigated with intention. When you model steadiness, you give your team permission to do the same.

Remember small actions compound

Support doesn’t have to be dramatic to be effective. Small, consistent actions build trust over time. Things like clear communication, reasonable flexibility, and genuine recognition compound quietly, like interest in a well-managed account.

In uncertain times, employees don’t expect perfection. They want leadership that feels human, grounded, and responsive. Robotic repetition of the company line doesn’t instill confidence.

Uncertainty may be part of the landscape these days, but how you lead through it is still very much within your control.

-------

Christina Metcalf is a writer, ghostwriter and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal audience. She’s the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

One Easy Revenue Stream Most Small Businesses Don’t Know About

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:05:22 GMT

Unless you’ve been on the show Survivor’s island for the last six months, you probably have gotten wind of the notion that AI can help you save time, but did you know it can also help you make money? I’m not talking about becoming an AI expert and training the masses. That would take time you probably don’t have.

In this case, I’m referring to creating a digital product for your business that you can sell and make money even when your business isn’t open. And best of all you can likely create it in a few minutes with the help of AI. Here’s how:

Creating a Digital Sales Piece Your Customers Will Actually Buy

This is the same concept as creating a lead magnet, but this one will be so intriguing that people will pay money for it.

You don’t need a tech team. You need a clear problem, a simple format, and a smart way to package your expertise.

Here’s how to go from idea to sale.

Step 1: Start with a problem you solve every week

The best digital products are shortcuts. They save time, reduce confusion, or help someone get a better result faster.

Ask yourself:

· What do customers repeatedly ask me to explain?

· What do people mess up before they come to me?

· What do I wish clients did before our first meeting?

Drawing a blank? Then ask your favorite AI to help.

“Act as an expert in [your industry]. List 20 common problems customers face in [your industry]. Group them by urgency and willingness to pay.”

Step 2: Pick a “simple win” format

You’re not building a course empire on Day 1. Start lightweight.

Easy first products:

· Templates: email scripts, pricing sheets, proposals, social captions, SOPs

· Checklists: launch checklist, inspection checklist, onboarding checklist

· Systems: think multiple connected pieces that work together. (Example: Client onboarding system: welcome email sequence + intake form + onboarding checklist + expectations doc)

· Mini-guides: a 10-page PDF that gets someone from stuck to started

· Toolkits: a bundle of templates + a short how-to video

Rule of thumb: if it can be used in under 30 minutes, people will buy it.

Step 3: Use AI to build the first draft fast (then make it yours)

AI is your idea and rough-draft machine. You are the editor and expert. It’s a high performing partnership.

Workflow could look like this:

1. Ask AI to Outline an idea: “Act as an expert in [your industry]. Create a one-page outline for a [checklist/guide] that helps [provide details on your audience] achieve [desired result].”

2. Make It Sound Like You: Give AI a tone and details about things to avoid or mention (or upload something you’ve written before that you like. Tell it to use that tone and cadence. “Write step-by-step instructions in a friendly, clear tone. Include examples of Y. Don’t mention X.”

3. Add your proof : your best tips, your real phrasing and examples.

4. Tighten : “Rewrite for clarity at an 8th-grade reading level. Remove fluff.”

Important: don’t sell generic AI output. Sell your experience, packaged. AI is your assistant, not your brain.

Step 4: Make it look clean enough to trust

You don’t need fancy design, but you do need “this feels legit” and you want it to be brand recognizable.

For quick “pro” options use:

· Canva for PDFs and templates

· Google Docs → export as PDF with your logo

· Loom for a 5–10 minute walkthrough video

· Descript for course-lite products and workshop replays

· CapCut for quick, clean short-form videos

Add a simple cover page, clear headings, and a “how to use this” section.

Step 5: Price it like a shortcut, not a masterpiece

Common starter pricing:

· $9–$19 for a checklist or swipe file

· $29–$79 for templates/toolkits

· $99+ for a niche bundle with big ROI (like a full onboarding system)

If it saves someone two hours, $29 is a no-brainer.

Step 6: Sell it where you already have attention

Start with what you’ve got:

· Your website (Shopify, Squarespace, or a simple checkout link)

· Etsy (great for templates)

· Gumroad or Payhip (easy setup, instant delivery)

· Instagram + email list: “Reply ‘PRODUCT’ and I’ll send the link.”

Launch with a small offer: early-bird price for 7 days, plus a bonus (a quick-start video or extra template).

Digital products can feel overwhelming when you’re creating your first one, but you don’t have to do it alone on consecutive Saturdays for six months. Instead, you can work with AI, provide your knowledge and let it do the composition. These products capture what you already know, bottle it, and put it on a shelf your customers can grab anytime, increasing your revenue outside of business hours and without a salesperson returning a call.

Further Reading:

-------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Instagram Quietly Changed Stories. Here’s Why It Matters

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:54:05 GMT

For years, Instagram Stories have been like the “cool kids table” of your account: mostly seen by people who already follow you. Great for connection, not great for discovery.

That’s changing and businesses should be pretty excited about this.

Instagram now lets people reshare public Stories to their own Stories, even if they weren’t tagged. There’s typically an “Add to Story” option when viewing a public Story, and you can control this in your settings.

If you’re a small business trying to reach beyond your current followers, this is not a tiny tweak. It’s a built-in word-of-mouth engine.

Get Ready for Greater Reach

When someone shares your Story to their Story, you get access to their audience without paying for ads or begging the algorithm. It’s like your best customer offering to hand out a stack of your flyers while telling their friends how amazing you are.

How this helps you reach your audience:

· UGC gets a turbo boost. A customer posts a Story with your product, you reshare it, then their friend reshares it again. That’s a visibility ripple that used to be harder to create on Stories.

· Collabs become easier. You no longer have to rely on being tagged for someone to amplify your Story. (But don’t give up tags. They’re still good for attention.)

· Your “helpful micro-content” can spread. Quick tips, behind-the-scenes, mini tutorials, reminders, myth-busting, weekly specials. If it’s share-worthy, it can move.

Make Stories “share-ready.”

· Add one clear takeaway per Story frame (tip, reminder, offer, before/after).

· Use text overlays so it makes sense with sound off.

· Add a simple prompt: “If this helped, share it to your Story.” (Yes, you can ask. People like being helpful.)

· If you want Stories to stay more private-community-only, you can toggle sharing off in Settings → Sharing and reuse → Stories to stories.

Early Access Reels: reward followers, attract new ones

Instagram is also testing Early Access Reels. The idea: your Reel is shown to followers first, and non-followers who run into it may see a teaser plus a prompt to follow to unlock it, often with a timer for when it becomes available to everyone.

Think of it like a velvet rope in an art museum. Without it, what’s hanging on the wall is just a picture. Place a velvet rope in front of it and it has instantaneous importance above all other works of art.

Why this matters for small businesses:

· You’re training loyalty . Followers get “first dibs” on announcements, drops, limited inventory, new menus, event registration, or seasonal services.

· You turn curiosity into follows . If someone lands on your profile from a share or search and sees an Early Access teaser, the follow decision gets easier.

· You can build social proof before the wider push . Post early, let your people engage, then later repost or repackage as a broader reach play.

Features like this often roll out in phases and may not show up on every account right away but when they do show up on your account, you’ll be ready.

Editing Upgrades That Make Your Content Feel “Bigger Than Your Budget”

Instagram has been stacking practical creator tools, especially around video.

Bulk Caption Editor (in Edits):
Instagram’s Edits app has added bulk caption editing so you can view and adjust a transcript in one screen instead of hunting line-by-line. This is a time-saver and an accessibility win.

Automated audio control / volume ducking:
More tools are rolling out to help balance voice and music, so your Reel doesn’t sound like it was recorded inside a blender. Better audio = more watch time = better reach odds.

Creative editing features:
Edits has been shipping frequent upgrades (effects, sound effects, planning tools like storyboards). The bigger point is this: Instagram is incentivizing better-made video because it keeps people watching.

“Your Algorithm” Means People Can Tune What They See

Ever feel like you only see puppy Reels? Or maybe you hesitate to click on something because you know your stream will be filled with similar videos. No longer. Instagram is rolling out more controls that let users shape their Reels recommendations, including a feature often described as “Your Algorithm.” Users can view topics Instagram thinks they like, then adjust those interests.

For businesses, the takeaway is simple: clarity beats variety. If your content is all over the map, you’re harder to categorize and easier to swipe past. If you’re consistently posting about a few topics your customers care about, you’re easier to recommend (and be seen).

Emojis Still Matter, but Use Them Like Seasoning, not Confetti

Do I hear clapping? Never mind. That’s me.

Emojis can increase engagement and help your message land faster, especially in captions and comments.

The expert business move is to use them with intention like pepper to bring out flavor in your posts, not to smoother them:

· Use emojis to organize (bullets, steps, quick scans).

· Match tone to brand (you’re allowed to have a personality).

· Don’t “emoji spam” as a growth hack. People can smell that from three scrolls away.

A Simple 7-Day Plan to Use These Updates Without Adding Chaos

Day 1: Turn one FAQ into a 3-frame Story that’s easy to share.
Day 2: Post a customer win (user generated content or testimonial) in Stories with “Share if you know someone who needs this.”
Day 3: Record one Reel with clean captions (bulk edit if you have Edits).
Day 4: Make one “saveable” tip carousel or mini tutorial.
Day 5: Do one behind-the-scenes Story and invite resharing.
Day 6: If you have it, test an Early Access Reel for an announcement or limited offer.
Day 7: Check what got shared, saved, and replied to. Double down on that format next week.

Instagram is quietly turning Stories into a bigger distribution channel and turning follower relationships into a stronger growth lever. If you make content that’s genuinely useful and/or entertaining, people will do the sharing for you. Just give them something worth passing along.

Read More:

-------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

After the Busy Season, a Calm Reset

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:30:02 GMT

Small Business Season is almost in the rearview mirror. The shopping rush may be fading, the wrapping paper is in the trash, and your brain is trying to do two things at once: recover and prepare.

So let’s make this simple.This is not the moment for a dramatic reinvention. It’s the moment for a clean, confident reset. Think of these next few days like sweeping the shop floor before opening day. Not glamorous. Deeply powerful.

Here are end-of-year moves that help most without turning the last week of December into a stress fest.

1. Capture the “Truth” While It’s Still Fresh

Before January turns this year into something for the history books, spend 30 minutes answering three questions:

What worked this year that you should repeat?
What drained you that you should redesign?
What surprised you, good or bad, that you need to plan for?

Write it down. Not in your head. On paper or in a notes app. Your future self will appreciate it.

2. Do a Five-number Year-end Check

You don’t need a 12-tab spreadsheet right now. You need a snapshot.

Pick five numbers that tell the story of your year. Examples:

Total revenue (or best estimate if you’re still closing books)
Average monthly expenses
Your top-selling product or service
Your best marketing channel (the one that actually brought customers)
Your cash cushion (how many weeks you could operate if sales dipped)

This gives you clarity without drowning you in data. Clarity is the point.

3. Fix the One Thing Customers Trip Over

Every business has a small “friction point” that quietly costs sales. It might be:

Confusing hours online
A clunky booking link
A checkout process that feels like a maze
Slow response time to inquiries
No clear “what’s next” after someone buys

Pick one. Fix it this week. Small tweaks are like tightening the bolts on a ladder. Suddenly everything feels sturdier.

4. Clean up Your Digital Front Door

If you do nothing else, do this. Customers are making decisions fast, and your online presence is often the first handshake.

Quick checklist:

Update holiday and New Year hours everywhere (website, Google Business Profile, socials)
Confirm your phone number and address are correct
Add 3 new photos (don’t get bogged down with scheduling professional shots. Your phone is fine.)
Make sure your top service or product is easy to find in one click

This is low effort, high return.

5. Ask for Reviews the Right Way

End of year is perfect for review requests because customers are already in a reflective, generous mood.

Send a short message to your happiest customers:

“Before the year wraps up, would you be willing to leave a quick review? It helps more than you know.”

Include the direct link. Always include the link. Make it easy enough that they can do it while waiting for coffee.

6. Turn Holiday Buyers into January Regulars

Holiday sales are great. Holiday repeat customers are better.

If you sold gift cards, ran holiday specials, or gained new customers, plan a simple January follow-up:

“New Year thank you” email with a bounce-back offer
A “first visit of the year” perk
A limited-time add-on that’s easy for you to deliver

The goal is not a big discount. The goal is a reason to return.

7. Do a Quick Inventory of Your Marketing Assets

Open your social posts and emails from this season and ask:

Which post got the most engagement?
Which offer got the most clicks?
Which message made people reply?

Now circle those. That’s your “winning language.” Bring it into Q1. Let your best words do more reps. If you’re using an AI assistant, communicate this info to it. It can be invaluable in creating future winning content.

8. Choose one Focus for Q1 and Make it Measurable

January feels like possibility, which is inspiring… and also how we end up with 37 goals and zero traction.

Pick one primary focus:

Increase repeat customers
Improve cash flow consistency
Raise prices strategically
Build your email list
Get more appointments booked in advance

Then choose one simple measurement. One. If your focus is repeat customers, your metric might be “number of return visits per week.” Keep it clean enough that you’ll track it.

9. Build Recovery into the Plan on Purpose

You are not a machine. You’re the engine.

Before the year ends, put one recovery decision in writing:

One day off
One half-day with no inbox
One week of lighter blog or social posting (recap posts of popular content work well this time of year—like sharing memories of 2025.)
One boundary you’ll protect in January

Rest is not what you earn after you finish. It’s what makes you able to keep going.

Small Business Season may be ending (technically), but your business isn’t. The goal now is to close the year with your head up, your notes saved, and lessons learned incorporated into a new plan.

There’s no need to sprint all a mess into January. Instead, walk in steady, like you own the place.

6 Ways Your Chamber Can Help You Win in 2026

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:47:27 GMT

The start of a new year begs for reflection and plans. We make promises and resolutions and say things like, “This year will be THE year.”

But unless you win the lottery, making this year radically different requires work and change. Those two things aren’t always easy or sustainable, especially when you’re looking at revenue goals, marketing plans, staffing realities, and that lingering question in the back of your mind: How do I grow without burning myself out?

We have an easy answer to that question.

If you’re a chamber member, there’s a good chance you aren’t making the most of your benefits. We get it. Life gets in the way. You’re busy. Maybe you attend an event here and there. You skim the emails. You tell yourself you’ll “use it more this year.”

This is that year.

Because chambers in 2026 aren’t just about ribbon cuttings and business cards. Chambers are quietly helping businesses solve real problems.

Here are six ways to tap into that value in a strategic way that makes the most of your limited time.

1. Turn Visibility Into Credibility

Marketing is noisy. Consumers are skeptical. Trust is currency.

One of the most underrated benefits of your chamber is third-party credibility. When your business is featured in a chamber newsletter, social post, directory, or event spotlight, you’re borrowing trust that’s already been earned.

You’re being seen in the right places and the “company you keep” has a great reputation.

Make it a habit this year to say yes when your chamber asks for member features, testimonials, or spotlights. And if they don’t ask, raise your hand. Visibility compounds when it’s consistent.

2. Use Education to Stay Relevant (Without Going Back to School)

You don’t need another generic webinar. You need insight that applies to your market, your customers, and your challenges.

Chambers bring in experts on topics like AI, workforce trends, marketing shifts, local regulations, and leadership. The advantage is context. These sessions aren’t abstract. They’re grounded in what’s happening right outside your door. It’s difficult to get that anywhere else.

Instead of chasing every online trend in 2026, choose one or two chamber programs that sharpen your skills where it matters most. Think of it as professional development without the fluff.

3. Leverage the Chamber as a Connector, Not a Crowd

Networking doesn’t have to mean working the room like it’s speed dating. (Although feel free to do that if you enjoy it.)

One of the smartest ways to use your chamber is behind the scenes. Staff and board members know who’s growing, who’s hiring, who’s struggling, and who’s looking for partnerships.

If you need an introduction to a lender, vendor, collaborator, or even a future client, ask. Chambers exist to connect dots. You don’t have to draw the map alone.

Intentional introductions outperform random handshakes every time.

4. Get a Seat at the Table Before Decisions Are Made

Regulations, policies, zoning changes, and local initiatives don’t appear overnight. They’re discussed long before they’re decided.

Your chamber tracks those conversations so you don’t have to. More importantly, they advocate for business voices to be included.

Even if you never attend a council meeting, your membership helps ensure someone is asking, “How does this impact local employers?”

That kind of representation is hard to quantify until you need it. Then it matters a lot.

5. Build Community, Not Just Contacts

Business ownership can be isolating. If your social circle doesn’t include business owners, you can feel misunderstood.

Chambers create space for peer-to-peer learning, shared challenges, and honest conversations. Sometimes the most valuable takeaway from an event isn’t a lead. It’s realizing you’re not the only one navigating a tough season or a big decision.

Resilience comes from relationships as much as strategy. Use your chamber to build a community that supports you when things get complicated.

6. Think Long-Term, Not Transactional

The biggest return on chamber membership rarely shows up in one month. People often expect instantaneous results, but there is action required.

When your business becomes known from those actions (showing up, being a part of the conversations, etc.), people refer you without being asked. Opportunities come your way because you’re visible, involved, and trusted.

Treat your chamber like a long-term growth partner, not a vending machine. Engage consistently. Show up where it makes sense. Use the resources already built for you.

The New Year doesn’t have to be about doing more. Instead, you can use what you already have, better. Think of chamber membership like the wind. It’s blowing whether you harness it or not. But if you shift your sails slightly to leverage its power, you can go where you want to a lot faster.

Learn More:

------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

8 Smart Ways to Bring in Revenue Right Before Christmas

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:01:30 GMT

It’s almost Christmas and we’re in the home stretch to catch those last-minute shoppers, diners, and spenders. But how do you do it without sounding desperate.

One word—help.

No, we’re not talking about you bringing in more help (that’s a you question). We’re pointing out that people who aren’t finished with their list are now feeling the panic. And that’s when you can step in and make their lives easier.

They’ll be relieved and will also remember how helpful you were when they were in the weeds.

Plus, last-minute shoppers aren’t browsing. They’re mission-driven. They want fast wins and clear choices. If you can provide those, you’ve got the sale.

If you meet them where they are, this week can quietly become one of your most profitable of the season.

Here’s how to make the most of it without adding chaos to your already full days.

Start with Gifts That Remove Decision Fatigue

Last-minute shoppers don’t want options. That’s sooo November. They want answers.

Create a short list of “grab-and-go” gifts that require no customization and minimal explanation. Think bestsellers, crowd-pleasers, or services that solve a real problem. Put them front and center in your space, both physically and online.

If you can name it, price it, and say who it’s perfect for in one sentence, you’ve done your job.

· “This is our most popular gift for teachers.”

· “This is a safe and thoughtful choice.”

· “This is a TikTok fave.”

Clarity sells faster than creativity this week.

Bundle What You Already Have

You don’t need new inventory to create something that feels new.

Bundles work because they do the thinking for the customer and increase your average sale at the same time. Pair complementary items. Add a small bonus that costs you little but feels intentional. Give it a name that makes sense in five seconds.

The key is not perfection. It’s momentum.

Thrive Causemetics does a great job of this on its social media ads. They package three products (mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow—which they call Eye Brightener™) under the “3-Step Signature Eye. 3 minutes. 3 products. 1 lifted eye look.” It makes shoppers confident that they can achieve a polished look in the very short time and have everything they need in just these three products.

Remember this when putting together your packages. You’re not curating a museum exhibit. You’re helping someone finish their list and get home.

Lean into Gift Cards, but Elevate Them

Gift cards are last-minute saves, but only if they don’t feel like a cop-out. Many shoppers feel like gift cards are an impersonal gift. If you can make them feel otherwise, you can win big.

If you sell gift cards, pair them with a simple suggestion. A card that says, “Perfect for a January reset” or “Best used on a day you need a break” instantly reframes it as thoughtful, not rushed.

You can even post a funny sign like “Get a gift card. No one wants to look like a ‘pink nightmare.’ ” Or “It’s not a Jelly of the Month Club membership.

They’ll actually appreciate this.” (Hat tip to those two classic Christmas movies.)

If possible, offer a small incentive. A bonus value. A future perk. A gorgeous box or card. Even a handwritten note option goes a long way.

You’re not selling plastic or a digital code. You’re selling relief and giving the recipient something they really want when they’re probably getting a lot they don’t.

Create Urgency Without Panic

Last-minute shoppers already feel behind. You don’t need flashing red lights.

What you do need is clear timing.

· “This is available through December 24.”

· “Order by Thursday for pickup.”

· “Last chance before we close for the holidays.”

When people know the rules, they move faster. Uncertainty slows everything down.

If you have extended hours, special pickup windows, or same-day availability, say it everywhere. In your window. At checkout. On social. In person.

Make it easy for them to say yes now.

Offer Experience-Based Gifts

Stuff is easy. Experiences feel meaningful.

If your business can offer lessons, sessions, tastings, classes, consultations, or events, this is your moment. These gifts work beautifully for people who already “have everything” and for shoppers who ran out of time but still want to show intention.

Package the experience simply. Clear description. Clear value. Clear next step.

Bonus: experiences often deliver revenue now and fulfillment later. That’s a January gift to yourself.

Don’t Forget the People in Front of You

One of the most overlooked revenue opportunities is the customer who is already standing in front of you.

Train yourself and your team to mention relevant add-ons, upcoming specials, or gift options during checkout. Not as a pitch. As a reminder.

“You know, a lot of people are grabbing one of these as a gift too.”

“If you still need one more thing, this has been popular this week.”

Your loyal customers already trust you. Help them solve one more problem while they’re there.

Use Social Media Like a Signpost, not a Scrapbook

This is not the week for poetic captions or long origin stories.

Use your platforms to point clearly to what’s available right now. Show the product. Show the bundle. Show the gift card. Show the hours. Show the process.

Short videos, quick photos, simple captions. Repetition is your friend.

If someone scrolls past your post, they should instantly know:

· What you sell.

· Why it works as a gift.

· How fast they can get it.

That’s it.

Add a Small “Thank You” Incentive

A modest, well-timed incentive can tip a hesitant shopper into action.

This doesn’t have to be a deep discount and probably shouldn’t be. Think small but specific. A bonus item. A future discount. A complimentary upgrade. Something that feels like appreciation, not clearance.

Frame it as gratitude for shopping local and supporting a small business during the holidays. People want to feel good about where they spend their money. Let them.

Remember, Last-Minute Doesn’t Mean Low Value

These shoppers aren’t cheap. They’re busy.

They’re willing to spend for convenience, clarity, and confidence. If you respect their time and remove friction, they’ll reward you for it.

Take them out of the scramble mindset and simplify things. Make the path obvious. Make the choices easy. Make the experience calm.

Help them finish strong, and you will too.

Five Ways to Turn Holiday Foot Traffic into Real Loyalty

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:18:14 GMT

Small Business Season brings a beautiful rush or familiar faces and new customers. Your business is abuzz with activity and you’re doing the hard work. You’re showing up. And yet, you could be leaving opportunity on the table simply because life gets busy and marketing gets…well, pushed to the corner like a forgotten present in the back of the closet.

That’s why when it comes to marketing, you need to go for the low-hanging fruit, the easy wins. Many businesses rely heavily on their email lists and that’s great. Those lists can be gold. But this time of year, inboxes are overflowing and it’s easy for even your most loyal customers to miss something.

Here are five areas worth a gentle tune-up. These missed chances can deepen connection and spark repeat visits with very little effort.

Treat Loyal Customers Like Insiders

If someone chooses your business again and again, they’re not casual shoppers. They’re your people. Don’t rely on email alone to keep them updated. When they’re already in front of you, share what’s coming up.

Something as simple as “By the way, we’re doing a holiday sip-and-shop next Thursday if you want to swing by” creates a moment of attention. Loyal customers love being in the know. Give them that moment.

Don’t expect them to see every email. They’re as busy as you are during the holidays. A gentle reminder or heads up can ensure they make it to your next event or special. You have more than sales to gain by doing this (or lose if you don’t). If you’re hosting a big event (particularly one that will sell out), your most loyal customers may feel slighted if they don’t know about it until it’s too late. Telling them “you should’ve received an email” won’t make them happy if it’s something they wanted to attend and now it’s sold out.

Post Your Specials Where People Actually Stand

Storefronts are full of magic this time of year, but too often the only place a December deal exists is…in a newsletter or email. Add in-store signs, table toppers, checkout prompts, or a simple “What’s happening this week” board.

Sure, some customers may forget the second they step into the parking lot. But many won’t. A quick snapshot of a sign or a note in their phone is all it takes to turn a one-time visit into a planned return.

Make Your Social Feed a Living Bulletin Board

People scroll while waiting in line. They scroll when they can’t sleep. They scroll when Aunt Linda starts talking politics. They’re scrolling even during the busiest time of year—especially during the busiest time of year.

During the holiday season, don’t be shy about posting reminders, deals, behind-the-scenes teases, and event invitations. You’re not being repetitive. You’re helping your fans remember you in a noisy season.

Create a Simple In-store “Highlight Moment”

If someone discovers something delightful when they visit—whether it’s a staff favorite, a limited-edition item, or a seasonal service—give them a reason to mention it to a friend.

A simple prompt like “Perfect for holiday gifting” or a tiny card explaining why it’s special creates a moment customers can repeat later. You’re giving them a story to share, and stories travel farther than coupons.

Additionally, if you see someone hesitating on a purchase, surprise them with a discount on the spot. You can tell them Santa just informed you they were on the nice list and deserved a little something extra. If another customer overhears the offer, extend one to them too. A purchase is better than a stroll in and out of your store.

You can also do this via text. Send them a message telling them you heard from Santa or they “won” is discount or bonus with purchase. The thrill of the surprise may bring them in.

Invite the Next Step While They’re Still Smiling

Small Business Season is full of warm exchanges: conversations at the register, compliments on décor, “I love this place” moments. Those are perfect openings to invite one more action.

A follow-on step could be:

• joining your text list for specials

• grabbing a punch card

• picking up a flyer for next week’s event

• taking advantage of a “today only” add-on

People are most receptive to engagement at the moment they’re enjoying your business. Use that natural goodwill.

A Final Marketing Reminder

The goal isn’t to cram more marketing into your December. We know you’re already busy. It’s to make the most of the interactions you already have. You’ve worked hard to bring customers through the door. A few small, thoughtful touches can turn those holiday visits into return trips long after the lights come down.

If you have a special event, promotion, or sale coming up, let us know about it . We’d be happy to spread the word.

Read More:

The Most Overlooked Growth Practice for Business Owners Isn’t What You Think. And It’s Free.

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:41:34 GMT

You spend a lot of time encouraging everyone else. Your customers. Your team. Your family. Even total strangers on social media.

Today, it’s your turn.

Before the year gets away from you, give yourself a gift that costs nothing and can pay off all year long: write a letter to yourself to read this time next year.

Not a to-do list. Not a strategic plan. A pep talk.

Think of it as sitting down with the future you, looking them in the eye, and saying, “Here is what mattered. Here is what I dream for you. And here is why you’re stronger than you remember.”

Here is how to do it in a way that actually supports you as a business owner, not just adds one more thing to feel guilty about.

Step 1: Start With Where You Are Right Now

Before you talk about dreams, honor the reality.

Where are you today in your business? Be honest and specific. You might write about:

Revenue or customer growth
New services you launched
Systems you finally put in place
Tough seasons you walked through or goals that remained in the either because they never materialized

You do not have to dress it up to make it sound impressive. This letter is not marketing copy. Your competition won’t read it. It is a snapshot.

You might write something like:

“Right now, I am tired but hopeful. We got through a difficult quarter, but we also retained our best customers and improved our online reviews. I am nervous about cash flow and still figuring out staffing, but I can see how far we have come from a year ago.”

This gives your future self context. A year from now, you will likely forget what this moment really felt like. The letter will remind you that you were doing your best with what you had.

Step 2: Name What You’re Proud Of

Business owners are experts at moving the goalposts. You reach one milestone and immediately focus on the next thing you haven’t done.

Slow down here. List what you are proud of this year.

This might include:

A customer you went above and beyond for
A risk you took, even if it did not turn out perfectly
A boundary you set to protect your time or health
A partnership you formed
A new skill you learned

If this feels uncomfortable, pretend you are writing about a friend. How would you describe what they achieved?

Your future self will need this reminder. There will be days next year when you will wonder if you are making progress at all. Reading your own

words about what you already accomplished can be powerful proof you are capable, resilient, and resourceful.

Step 3: Talk About The Hard Things

A good pep talk does not skip the hard parts. It acknowledges them and then points forward.

In your letter, gently name your current challenges. Staffing, supply chain, energy, pricing, burnout, uncertainty, or simply the pressure of wearing every hat at once.

Then, write to your future self with compassion:

“ If you are reading this and still facing some of these same issues, that does not mean you have failed. It means these are real, complex challenges.

You are allowed to grow at a human pace.”

You are not predicting disaster. You are promising yourself grace. That is fuel, not fluff.

Step 4: Cast A Vision For Who You’re Becoming

Now shift from where you are to where you want to be.

Think about this time next year. What would you love to be true about:

How you show up as a leader?
How your business feels day to day?
How much time you have for your life outside of work?
The kind of clients or customers you attract?
The way your business contributes to your community?

Write in the present tense, as if it is already happening:

“You are more confident delegating. The business is less chaotic and more goal-driven. You have a clearer sense of which opportunities to say yes to and which to politely decline. ”

This is not magical thinking. It is a quiet nudge to your brain: this is the direction we are headed.

Step 5: Give Yourself Instructions For Tough Days

Every business has days that make you question everything. Use your letter to speak to that future version of you.

You might include:

A reminder of why you started
A story of a customer you helped
A phrase that always steadies you
Permission to rest without guilt

For example :

“ When you feel like quitting, remember the customer who said, ‘You made my day.’ Remember that the work you do matters here, in this town, with these people. Take a day off if you need it. The world can wait 24 hours.”

Future you will be grateful you took the time to write that.

Step 6: Seal It And Set A Reminder

When you are done, put the letter somewhere safe. If you write it by hand, seal it in an envelope and label it: “Open December 2026.” If you type it, save the file with a clear name and set a calendar reminder to open it.

If six months from now, you’re having a tough day and need a pep talk, open it then. But write yourself another one.

Why This Matters For Your Business

Running a small business is demanding. You are constantly pushed to plan for the future: next quarter, next campaign, next season. It is easy to lose sight of the person at the center of it all—you.

Writing this letter is a simple practice that:

Grounds you in what you have already accomplished
Clarifies what you want more of (and less of)
Reconnects you to your “why” when things get noisy
Offers your future self encouragement from the one person who truly understands

Your business is part of the fabric of the community. When you are strengthened, focused, and supported, everyone benefits.

So, sometime this week, give yourself 20-30 quiet minutes. Pour a cup of something warm. Put your phone in another room. And write the pep talk you will be glad to read a year from now.

Your future self is already cheering for you. This letter is your chance to cheer back.

------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @metcalfwriting

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Meaningful Ways to Stay Connected with Your Customers

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:19:05 GMT

We made it through Small Business Saturday, and we hope it was a great one for you. But guess what? The holiday season shifts into high gear from now on. Foot traffic gets wild, inboxes overflow, and your customers are juggling a million decisions at once. They’re feeling the pinch of not having enough time.

In the middle of all that zaniness, your biggest advantage as a small business is the experience you create and the connection you keep. People want to support local. They just need reminders that you’re here, you’re human, and you’re worth choosing.

Here are simple, sustainable ways to stay engaged all month long without adding stress to your plate.

Show the “Real Life” Moments Behind the Scenes

People love feeling like they’re part of the process. A quick photo of your team wrapping orders, prepping inventory, or laughing their way through a busy day makes your business feel warm and relatable. No polish required. A little authenticity builds a lot of loyalty.

Use Countdowns That Build Excitement

You don’t have to be a big-box brand to create anticipation. Try a countdown to shipping deadlines, holiday bundles, in-store specials, or even a “12 days of local shopping” series. It keeps you top-of-mind and gives your audience a reason to come back tomorrow.

Spotlight the Customers Who Keep You Going

Feature a shopper of the week, share a heartwarming review, or highlight a longtime supporter. Even better, ask customers to tag you so you can repost. These little spotlights do two things: they show gratitude and they hint to others that they could be featured next. You don’t have to be in retail to participate in this for the holidays. One veterinarian decided to post a picture of the “Pet of the Month” in the lobby and now all their clients want to know how they can get their pet featured.

Say a Genuine Thank You—And Say it Often

In the holiday rush, people crave sincerity. A quick post thanking your community for shopping local makes a bigger impact than you think.

Gratitude reminds people they’re participating in something meaningful, not just making a purchase. When people buy from you, don’t just thank them. Go a step further and tell them why it means so much to you. A couple of extra words can make them feel like hometown heroes.

Additionally, if you had someone who just bought a lot from you (or someone who buys on a regular basis), send a handwritten card offering a discount. It doesn’t even have to be large ( or it could be based on another purchase, like a “buy one, get X% off the second one”). It’s much easier to get a past customer to buy again than a new customer.

Repurpose Your Content Across Platforms

You don’t have to reinvent anything. A behind-the-scenes video becomes a Reel, which becomes three photos for Facebook and a carousel post, which becomes a still image for your Google Business profile. A customer spotlight or Google review can double as a testimonial on your website.

Make your content work harder for you.

Share Small, Helpful Reminders

Post your hours, gift ideas, top sellers, or last-minute stocking stuffers. Highlight easy wins like “order online, pick up in store,” or “gift cards available.” These practical posts reduce friction and help customers make quick decisions.

Ever wonder why candy is right next to every cash register? It’s an easy impulse buy. When you make suggestions or bundle products for ease and value, it helps your customers take quick action. After all, as much as we all love the holidays, they’re a lot of work and any help we can get from others to lessen decision fatigue makes our lives easier.

Lean into Community Connection

When you’re local, you have something bigger than any national chain: roots. Celebrate other small businesses, share local events, or partner with a neighbor for a cross-promo. Customers love seeing small businesses support one another.

Spur on Impulse Buys

There are some things people always need more of during the holidays. If you operate that sort of business, consider a “secret” bonus offer that is revealed at the register and they have only minutes to decide. This worked well at a winery. When customers purchased one or more bottles, they had the opportunity to buy additional bottles in that transaction for 20% off. It was a great way to incentivize people to make a quick decision on something they knew they would use ( or could give as gifts or hostess presents).

Close With Consistency, Not Perfection

You don’t need a massive campaign to stay connected this month. You just need regular touchpoints that feel personal and true to who you are. Show up consistently, give people something to smile about, and remind your audience why shopping small matters—not just on Small Business Saturday, but every day this season and beyond.

If you keep customers feeling included, appreciated, and excited, you won’t just ride out the holiday craziness. You’ll turn this month into momentum for the new year.

--------------------------

Read More:

How to Create Community at Your Business

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:52:01 GMT

If you have repeat customers, you already have the foundation of something powerful: a community. You just need to ensure they understand that.

Not a punch-card club. Not just “regulars.” A real group of people who feel connected to you, your team, and each other.

Community is what keeps people choosing you even when a cheaper, closer, or flashier option pops up. It is also a lot more fun than chasing new customers all the time.

Here is how to turn those repeat visits into a community that loves coming back.

Shift from Transactions to Relationships

Most businesses stop at “Thank you, have a great day.”

Community starts when you get curious.

Ask yourself:

· Do I know anything about the people who come back again and again?

· Would I recognize them outside the business?

· Do they feel like guests, or like familiar faces?

You do not have to become everyone’s best friend. But a small shift in how you see them changes everything. When you view repeat customers as “our people,” you naturally look for ways to take care of them, remember them, and connect them.

That is the beginning of community.

Learn Names, Then Learn Stories

One of the simplest, highest-ROI moves you and your staff can make is learning names and using them.

“Hey, good to see you again” is nice.

“Hey, Maria, how did your event go last weekend?” is loyalty.

You can make a quick note after a conversation in your POS system or a notebook behind the counter. Capture just a few details: kids’ names, pets, big projects, favorite order. Train your team to glance at those notes before serving someone.

You are not being intrusive. You are being attentive. In a world where most people feel invisible, that level of care is rare.

Over time, you will know who just started a business, who is new in town, who is training for a race, who is caring for a parent. That is how your space stops feeling generic and starts feeling like “their place.”

Create Simple Rituals People Can Join

Community loves a shared ritual.

This does not have to be complicated or expensive. Think about small traditions, such as a “regulars’ hour” once a week where you test new items, a wall of fame for long-time customers or milestone purchases, or a daily question on a chalkboard that everyone can answer.

Rituals give people a reason to come back and something to talk about.

When someone says, “On Fridays they always…” that is community behavior. You have given them a story to tell.

Start a Club That Gives People a Reason to Return

One of the strongest ways to turn repeat customers into a true community is to create a recurring club that meets at your business.

The club should fit your brand and your customers’ interests. For example:

· A bookstore or café could host a monthly book club or writers group.

· A yarn, craft, or gift shop might host a weekly knitting circle or “maker morning.”

· A fitness studio could run a “goals group” that meets once a month for coffee and conversation.

· A wine bar could host a “Wednesday Tasting Club” where members try a new flight together.

Keep it simple:

1. Choose a consistent day and time.

2. Give the club a name so it feels special.

3. Offer a small perk for participants, such as a discount, early access to products, or a reserved table.

Over time, the club becomes a steady heartbeat in your business. People come not only for what you sell, but for the friends they know they will see there.

Turn Repeat Customers Into Insiders

People do not just want to buy from you. They want to feel in on it.

Treat your regulars as insiders, not just transactions. You might give them early access to new products or menus, “first to know” messages about special items or events, or a quick behind-the-scenes look at what you are working on next.

Ask for their input:
“We are thinking about adding X. What do you think?”
“We have two logo options for this new product. Which one would you pick?”

When customers feel like insiders, three things happen: they show up more often, they bring people with them, and they defend you when someone criticizes you online.

Make Your Space a Place to Connect

Community is not just between you and your customers. It is also between your customers and each other.

Look for small ways to help that along. Arrange seating so people can sit, not just stand in a line staring at their phones. Host tiny, low-pressure events: coffee tastings, lunchtime learning sessions, local maker pop ups, or “meet the owner” Q&As.

When it feels natural, introduce people:
“You two are both new business owners on this street, you should meet.”

“You both come in after the school run. Have you met?”

You are not planning a conference. You are creating moments where conversation is possible. Those moments are what people remember.

Share Their Stories, Not Just Your Promotions

If every post or email is “Here is what we are selling,” your marketing will always feel like noise.

Community-building content looks different. You highlight customer stories and shared moments. You might feature short spotlights of regulars, with a photo and a quote about why they come in. You can show customers enjoying your space (with permission, of course), or share stories of how your customers support one another, like referrals or collaborations that started at your business.

This makes featured customers feel seen and signals to everyone else, “People like you belong here.”

Suddenly your brand is about more than what is on the shelves or the menu. It’s about who gathers around them.

Build Light Systems So It Survives Busy Season

Community sounds warm and fuzzy, but it works best with a little structure behind it.

To keep it going even when you get swamped, create a simple “regulars” tag in your POS or email system. Add a short team habit, such as “two genuine conversations per shift” or “ask one follow-up question of a regular each day.” Once a month, review who you are seeing a lot and who you have not seen in a while.

You do not need a complicated points program. You need a repeatable way to notice, remember, and appreciate the people who show up.

The Quiet Advantage of Being “Their Place”

When customers feel like they are part of a community at your business, a few things shift quietly in your favor. They are more patient when something goes wrong. They choose you even when a big chain runs a sale. They tell people about you without being asked.

In a world where so many experiences feel rushed and anonymous, being the business that remembers their name, knows their story, invites them into clubs and rituals, and connects them to others is not just nice. It is a serious competitive advantage.

You are not just building foot traffic and revenue. You are building a small, loyal neighborhood around your business, one repeat customer at a time, and that feels really good for everyone involved.

--------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Create Meaningful Moments for Holiday Shoppers

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:48:25 GMT

Even with concerns about the economy being on every newscaster’s lead story, the holidays haven’t been cancelled. Your customers are still planning to celebrate. The question is not “Will they spend?” It is “Where, how, and with whom?”

Here is the good news: national forecasts say 2025 holiday retail sales are expected to top 1 trillion dollars for the first time, with overall growth around 3.7% to 4.2% over last year. Online spending alone is projected to hit roughly $253 billion , up more than 5% from 2024.

Here is the tension: despite those industry predictions, individual shoppers say they plan to cut their own holiday spending by about 10%, mostly because of higher everyday costs. They still want to honor traditions, but they are trimming extras and searching for real value in every dollar.

While it may not always feel like it, there is plenty of money moving through the season. But it won’t land with businesses that look generic or transactional. It will go to the places that feel worth it.

So what can you do to be recognized as one of “those places”?

You need to show value and create memorable experiences to attract your community’s dollars right back into local storefronts. You can do this by:

1. Sell Solutions, Not “Stuff”

When people feel financially tight, they become laser-focused on solving gift-giving challenges. Reframe your offers around that instinct.

Create named bundles that solve a specific holiday headache
“Holiday Hosting Rescue Kit,” “Teacher Gift in a Bag,” “Self-Care Sunday Set,” “New Year Refresh Box.” Put everything they need together, price it clearly, and show the “compare if you bought separately” value.

Build “good / better / best” options
Give three price points for your most popular services or gift sets so people can stay on budget without walking away altogether.

Put the value in writing
Use shelf talkers, cards, or social posts to explain why something is a smart buy: durability, local sourcing, free refills, included follow-up, or time saved. Make the math visible.

2. Turn Your Space into a Mini Holiday Experience

If customers can get the same item online, your edge is the experience. It does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be memorable.

Try a few of these:

“Five-Minute Reset” station
Offer a quick chair massage, essential oil hand rub, hot cider sample, skincare mini consult, or stretching corner. Market it as “your five-minute break from the chaos” to draw them in.

Wrapping or personalization bar
Offer free or low-cost gift wrapping, hand-lettered tags, simple engraving, or custom notes. Offer an upsell with festive ornaments and ribbon on the packages. Partner with another local creative if you do not have staff capacity.

Micro events that do not overwhelm your team
Think 60–90 minute happenings:

· “Bring Your List” shopping night with one-on-one gift suggestions

· “Ask the Expert” Q&A for holiday makeup, tech setup, or wellness

· Kids craft corner so parents can shop in peace

3. Collaborate so Your Offers Feel Bigger Than Your Budget

In a cautious economy, partnerships are one of your strongest tools. They expand your reach without expanding your costs.

Try sharing your spotlight. Feature each other on social with quick “If you are here, also check out…” reels or posts. Tag the chamber so they can

amplify. Customers see a thriving, interconnected local scene, not isolated businesses struggling alone.

You can accomplish a similar boost by creating a list of your favorite holiday things in town including businesses and events you love or create a video of “Here’s where I plan on doing my holiday shopping” and share why.

4. Help Customers Feel Like Financial Grown-Ups, Not Guilty Spenders

This year, people are highly aware of prices and tired of surprise bills. If you help them feel in control, they will trust you more.

Promote “planned generosity,” not impulse splurging
Run early “Plan Ahead & Save” weeks where shoppers who bring a list or spend over a certain amount can lock in gift-wrapping, free add-ons, or January discounts. Make it about smart planning, not scarcity panic.

Offer clear, fair payment options
If it fits your business, consider buy-now-pay-later, deposits on larger services, or simple payment plans. Be transparent about terms. Position it as budget-friendly, not pressure.

If you can, eliminate the credit card usage upcharge that businesses are implementing today. No one feels good about paying your credit card fees, especially when they spend a lot of money. If you can’t eliminate them, remarket them. Instead of saying “there’s a 3% convenience fee for using your credit card, have the price tag reflect the credit card price and give cash users a discount. Don’t penalize people for using a card. Incentivize them to use cash.

Teach tiny money wins

Content is powerful here. Short posts, emails, or in-store signs like “Three gifts under $30 that still feel luxe,” or “How to build a skincare routine under $75” prove you are on your customers’ side. Don’t make customers think about value. Point it out to them.

5. Use Digital Tools to Capture Online Spend, Not Compete With It

With online holiday spending expected to grow over 5%, you do not have to beat the big players. You need to meet your customers where they already scroll and shop.

Make it easy to buy from you without coming in
Even a simple “DM to purchase,” online invoice, or quick checkout link is better than “Call the store.”

Turn experiences into content
Film your “Five-Minute Reset,” passport events, or behind-the-scenes prep for short reels. Show your inventory on a reel. Add clear “Here is how to get this” instructions in the caption.

Feature value loud and clear
Pin posts that show your bundles, your warranties or guarantees, your local impact, and your limited-time perks. People are scrolling quickly. Make the “why you” obvious.

Don’t worry about a gloomy economy. It won’t cancel the holidays but it does force you to be sharper, more creative, and more community-minded. If you can show value, design small but meaningful experiences, and work together, your business will not just survive the season. It will become part of how your neighbors remember it.

Keeping Up With Tech

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:53:34 GMT

If you’re a busy professional, “keeping up with tech” can feel like a second full-time job you did not apply for.

New tools launch daily. Your inbox is full of “game-changing” software. Meanwhile, you still have customers to serve, a team to lead, and probably at least 47 open browser tabs. Right?

While there’s enormous pressure to keep up with innovation these days (it’ll make you more efficient), you can’t be on top of everything. And you don’t need to be. You just need a simple system that keeps you informed about the right things, so you can make smart, confident decisions to reach maximum efficiency without losing your mind (or your evenings).

Start by Shrinking What “Tech” Means

“Tech” is a massive category. If you treat all of it as equally important, you will burn out and do nothing.

Instead, filter what you pay attention to through three questions:

Will this help me grow revenue? Things that fall into this category include: better customer relationship tools, email marketing, online booking, e-commerce, paid ads, social scheduling.

Will this save time or reduce friction? Things that fall into this category include: automation, project management, AI assistants, e-signatures, online forms, scheduling apps.

Will this reduce risk? Things that fall into this category include: cybersecurity basics, password managers, backup systems, compliance tools.

If a new technology does not hit at least one of those, it goes into the “interesting, but not for me right now” pile. You acknowledge it, you do not adopt it.

Build a Tiny “Tech Intel” Ritual

Keeping up with tech should not be an endless scroll. Otherwise, it becomes much like the empty promises you make to yourself of “one more reel, then back to work.” Treat it like you would your financials or strategy. Give it a container.

Once a week, block out fifteen minutes on your calendar and label it “Tech Check In.” That becomes your standing appointment to look up, not just grind through.

During that time, you are not randomly Googling. You are returning to a small set of trusted sources you have already chosen. Which brings us to your next move.

Making the most of your time means having the learning materials at your disposal when you’re ready to review them. But ensure you keep this appointment with yourself. Otherwise, things stack up and you end up deleting them and not learning anything.

Let a Few Smart People Review Things for You

You do not need to read everything. You need to follow a few people who already do.

Pick two or three “filters” you like, such as a newsletter that reviews tools for small businesses or your specific industry, a YouTube channel that breaks down tools and trends in simple language, or a podcast that recaps what actually matters each week.

The humans behind these channels are doing the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. Your job is not to chase every link they share. Your job is to skim their summaries and ask a simple question:

Could this help our revenue, our time, or our risk in the next 6 to 12 months?

Again, schedule the time to actually read or listen. Subscribing is not the same as using it. During your Tech Check In, spend those fifteen minutes with their recap instead of random scrolling.

Find a “Guru” Who Speaks Your Language

It also helps to have one or two “gurus” you follow consistently. Not the loudest tech celebrity shouting about the future, but someone who translates tools for real-world businesses.

Look for people who work with companies roughly your size, explain things in plain language, focus on outcomes and use cases (not just features), and share honest pros and cons instead of hype.

You can find them by asking peers who they follow, noticing which experts show up again and again on business podcasts you like, or searching phrases like “small business tech review,” “tools for [your industry],” or “non techie tech tips.”

When you find a voice that feels grounded and practical, stick with them. Consistency beats chasing a new expert every month.

Let AI Be Your Research Assistant

You do not have to read every two-thousand-word review to get the point. This is where AI can quietly make your life easier. You can copy an article into an AI tool and ask it to summarize the key takeaways for a small business owner and flag any obvious risks. You can paste a software homepage and ask what the product actually does, who it is best for, and whether it is overkill for a business with fewer than twenty employees.

You can ask for a simple comparison between two tools you are considering.

You can even create your own GPT that you train on your business and talk to it about how those products may or may not be a good fit for you.

The goal is not to become a technician or a tech consultant. Instead, you want to quickly understand whether something is worth a deeper look.

Use Your Network as a Shortcut

You are not the only one trying to sort this out. Other people are already testing things. Borrow that.

At your next networking event, ask one question that cuts to the chase:
“Is there any app or software you started using this year that you now swear by?”

Inside your own organization, invite more tech-comfortable team members to do short “show and tell” sessions. Ten minutes, one tool, one way it saves them time.

And do not forget your chamber. Many already host tech focused webinars, workshops, or lunch-and-learns that are curated for small businesses. That curation is half the value.

Experiment. Do Not Overhaul Everything.

The fastest way to stall on technology is to decide you need a giant digital transformation before you do anything. You do not. You need small, low-risk experiments.

Start with a single problem: missed appointments, slow invoicing, messy lead follow up, repetitive manual tasks. Choose one tool that might help, ideally with a free trial or month-to-month plan.

Decide what success would look like. Fewer no-shows. Faster payment. Less time spent on a tedious process. Run a 30-to-90-day test with one team or one process, then choose to keep it, switch it, or drop it.

That is it. No epic overhaul. Just repeated, thoughtful experiments.

Park the Shiny Objects on a “Not Now” List

You will see plenty of tools that look cool but are not right for this season in your business. Instead of feeling guilty for not jumping in, create a simple “Not Now” list.

It can be a note in your phone or on Notion (it’s a cool app), a page in your planner, or a shared document. Any time you hear about something promising that is not urgent, park it there with a short note like “future CRM upgrade” or “AI chatbot to explore next year.”

When you plan your quarterly or annual priorities, you can revisit that list and choose one or two to evaluate. You are not saying “never.” You are saying “not right this minute.”

You Are Aiming for Literacy, Not Perfection

You are not trying to become a tech expert. You are becoming a tech-literate decision maker .

That looks like this:

You understand, at a high level, what matters and what does not. You stay curious in small, consistent doses. You test tools in bite-sized ways. You keep the focus on how technology supports people, not the other way around.

If you put even a light system around how you track and test new tools, you will be far ahead of businesses that only react when a trend goes viral.

You do not need every new app. You need the right few that make your work smoother, your customers happier, and your business more resilient.

That is what “keeping up with tech” looks like when you have an actual life.

Read More:

-----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How Small Businesses Can Win Big on Black Friday

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:31:17 GMT

You already know this but you will never out-doorbuster the big box stores. You are not supposed to. Your power is not in pallets of TVs sold near cost to get people in the door. It is in how people feel when they walk through your door.

If you lean into experience, Black Friday can shift from “we cannot compete” to “we own this lane.” Here’s how:

6 Ways to Win at Black Friday

1. Position Your Business as the Calm in the Chaos

Black Friday is loud, crowded, and a little unhinged. Use that to your advantage by being the opposite.

Think of your business as a holiday oasis.

Ideas you can try:

Quiet Hours Shopping. Offer “calm hours” in the early morning or later evening with softer lighting, relaxed music, and a limited number of shoppers by RSVP. This is an ideal way to stand out.
Cozy Comfort Station. Set up a hydration and warmth bar. Think hot cocoa, tea, cucumber water, and maybe a simple snack. You are literally refueling tired shoppers.
Phone Drop Zone. Create a “scroll break” basket where people can put their phones while they browse. Add a small sign: “You will not find peace in your notifications. Try here instead.”

You become the place where shoulders drop and breathing slows. That alone is a competitive edge.

2. Make Black Friday Feel VIP, Not Bargain Bin

People love to feel like insiders. Use that instinct.

Ideas to elevate the day:

By-Appointment Shopping. Offer 30-minute mini appointments for styling, gifting help, or product demos. Shoppers leave with decisions made and gifts checked off.
First Look Access. Give your email list, top customers, or loyalty members early access to your best bundles or limited items. Frame it as a thank you, not a gimmick.
“Done and Dusted” Gift Packages. Curate grab and go gift sets for specific people: “Teacher TLC,” “Hostess Hero,” “Self-Care Sunday,” “Office Secret Santa.” The value is not only in the items. It is in the decision fatigue you remove.

You are not trying to be the cheapest. You are trying to be the easiest and the most thoughtful.

3. Turn Shopping into a Memory, Not a Chore

If the big box experience feels like a stampede, yours can feel like a respite.

Add small, memorable touches:

Gratitude Wall. Invite customers to write what they are grateful for on tags or sticky notes and hang them on a wall or tree. It creates a moment of reflection and looks great on social.
Photo Moments. Set up a simple photo nook. A decorated chair, a small backdrop, a “We survived Black Friday together” sign. Offer to take photos for customers on their phones.
Word of Mouth Marvels. Ideally, word of mouth testimonials will come from customers in the form of reviews or social posts. But you can also use the help of your employees. Help customers feel more confident about their purchases by telling them things like, “That’s one of our biggest sellers” or “I bought that for my son’s teacher and she loved it.” These short employee-led testimonials work in-person and even as physical signs near a popular product or service. If you’re not a believer, check out how Amazon designates some of its products as “Amazon’s Choice.”

4. Create Sensory Experiences That Match Your Brand

Use all five senses to stand out.

Sight. Make your best bundles and gift solutions front and center. Use clear signage like “Gifts under $25” or “Perfect for the person who has everything.”
Sound. Choose a playlist that fits your brand. Calm acoustic, jazzy holiday, or upbeat pop. Just be deliberate.
Smell. A subtle holiday scent can make your store feel warm and inviting. Candles, diffusers, or even a simmer pot if it is safe.
Taste. If allowed, offer small sips or bites. Think sample cocoa, infused water, or a local treat.
Touch. Invite people to try, test, feel, and flip through. Hands-on experiences make products more real and more likely to be purchased.

You want people to feel like they have stepped into a curated world, not just another errand.

5. Partner with Other Local Businesses

You do not have to do Black Friday alone. Collaboration makes everything bigger without blowing your budget.

Ideas:

Oasis Trail. Partner with nearby businesses to create a “Holiday Sanity Route.” Each shop offers a comfort element or mini perk. Share a simple map online and in print.
Shared Experiences. Host a pop-up inside your store featuring a local baker, maker, or artist. It brings their audience to you and gives your customers something extra to enjoy.

This is how you turn one good experience into a whole neighborhood story.

6. Communicate Clearly and Early

A great experience still needs promotion.

Share your Black Friday “experience menu” on social media, your website, and via email.
Focus the message on how people will feel. Less “10 percent off.” More “Skip the chaos and actually enjoy your holiday shopping.”
Let your chamber know what you’re doing. They may share it in their newsletters or social feeds and send more people your way.

If you can make Black Friday feel human, calm, and a little bit magical, you will not just survive it. You will stand out from all the noise and become a place people seek out year after year. They’ll feel like you understand their needs.

You don’t want to compete in the race to the bottom on price. You are competing in something much more powerful: the memory of how your business made people feel in the middle of holiday madness.

Read More:

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How Working Together Makes the Season More Meaningful

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:16:04 GMT

The holiday season is a make-or-break time for many small businesses.

Shoppers are ready to spend, but they’re also pulled in countless directions—online sales, big-box discounts, and time constraints that make convenience one of the biggest factors in their spending.

The best way to rise above the noise isn’t to shout louder, it’s to link arms with your neighbors ; maybe even your competitors (hear us out).

Collaboration is one of the most powerful tools a small business can use this time of year, and it often leads to results that no single business could achieve alone.

When local businesses team up, customers notice. They see a community that’s connected, welcoming, and invested in making their holiday shopping meaningful. It’s the difference between a single store saying, “We’re open,” and a whole town saying, “Come celebrate with us.”

The Power of Partnership

Partnerships can take many shapes, and they don’t have to be complicated. A café might partner with a nearby boutique for a “Shop & Sip” event, offering a free latte when someone shows a same-day shopping receipt. A florist could collaborate with a gift shop to create festive bundle deals—flowers and candles wrapped up as a one-stop hostess gift. Even service-based businesses can benefit: a fitness studio might swap social media shoutouts with a local juice bar, or a salon could share a giveaway with a neighboring spa.

Each collaboration introduces you to new customers and strengthens relationships within the business community. And that sense of togetherness is magnetic. Shoppers want to feel that their dollars are doing more than buying gifts. They want to invest in their community, and they want their purchases to have purpose.

Real-World Inspiration

Across the country, businesses are finding creative ways to make collaboration part of their holiday magic. In downtown McKinney, Texas, the local wineries recently hosted a fall wine walk (with another one coming up for the holidays). They sold passports with maps that they would get stamped as they enjoyed their tastings (the number of tastings depended on the ticket tier). Instead of hosting the tastings at the wineries themselves, the wineries positioned staff at other businesses throughout the town. This event brough in 800 people to enjoy the downtown area on a beautiful fall day. The layout of the event encouraged strolling so all businesses benefitted. Many participants remarked how they were able to explore businesses they weren’t even aware of. The result? Every participating business (not just the wineries) enjoyed greater foot traffic and exposure, while guests discover new favorites along the way, which will (hopefully) bring them back later in the holiday season.

Similarly, other communities organize “Holiday Shopping Passports” that encourage residents to visit a list of participating businesses. Each purchase earns a stamp, and full passports are entered into a prize drawing. It’s simple, fun, and incredibly effective at keeping shoppers local throughout the season. You could do the same thing with a Dining Passport.

Pop-up markets with a mix of artisans, retailers, food vendors, and performers all in one festive location are another crowd favorite. Picture lights twinkling, music playing, and the smell of cocoa in the air. A pop-up gives customers a memorable experience while helping smaller businesses share overhead costs and gain new audiences.

Collaboration Beyond Retail

Even if your business doesn’t fit the traditional holiday shopping mold, you can still take part in the spirit of cooperation. Professional service providers, realtors, insurance agents, and accountants can cross-promote by sharing each other’s seasonal tips, highlighting community causes, or co-hosting an appreciation event for clients.

For example, one real estate agent partnered with a local bakery and ordered 100 pumpkin pies for clients. They gave her a discount, and she talked them up on social media saying she was sharing part of her family’s tradition (ordering from the bakery) with her clients. It benefits everyone.

Another collaboration idea is a law firm and financial planner sponsoring a “New Year, New Goals” workshop together, positioning themselves as trusted local experts. Or a real estate agent could team up with a home décor boutique for a “Holiday Home” open house featuring local gifts and refreshments. These partnerships add value for customers while creating genuine connections among businesses.

Make It Easy for Customers to Choose Local

The more businesses join forces, the easier it becomes for shoppers to stay in town. Bundled promotions, shared marketing materials, and coordinated events simplify the decision to buy local. Instead of asking residents to visit each store individually, you’re inviting them into a full experience—one that’s joyful, convenient, and full of community spirit.

And when shoppers have a good time, they talk about it. Word-of-mouth spreads faster than any paid ad. That sense of shared excitement builds momentum that benefits everyone, especially those who took the time to collaborate.

We Can Help

If you’re not sure where to start, our chamber is the perfect place. We know who’s doing what in the community and can help connect you with other businesses that complement yours. We can also promote your partnerships through our newsletter, social media, and event listings, giving your efforts the visibility they deserve.

Before the season slips by, reach out. Ask how you can get involved or suggest an idea for a joint promotion. Whether it’s a shared giveaway, a neighborhood shopping night, or a creative collaboration, we’re here to help you make it happen.

Because when local businesses work together, the entire community wins. You don’t just increase sales—you strengthen the local economy, deepen relationships, and create the kind of holiday spirit that keeps customers coming back long after the decorations are packed away.

This season, don’t go it alone. Team up, spread the cheer, and watch how working together truly wins the season .

Read More:

A Small Business Survival Guide for the Holidays

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:22:33 GMT

We’re fast approaching the time of year where it can like you’re running a marathon on a tightrope. Customers need attention. Promotions are queued up to be launched (or designed). Your inventory is giving you nightmares and you have huge goals for the end of the year.

And you’re supposed to stay cheerful, strategic, and somehow well-rested through it all.

But the problem isn’t your big aspirations for 2026, nor does the problem lie in trying to solve the things you can’t control.

It’s your habits.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits reminds us that meaningful results come from the small, repeatable choices we make every day. During the holidays, those tiny decisions are the difference between burnout and breakthrough. When you build systems that work even when you’re tired, distracted, or knee-deep in ribbon, the season gets lighter and your business gets stronger.

Here’s how to apply some of Clear’s most practical ideas to help you not just survive the holiday season, but launch into January with invincible momentum.

Start with a 1% Mindset

One percent doesn’t sound like much until you stack it day after day. You don’t have to reinvent your business. You don’t need a perfect storefront, flawless offers, or an Instagram grid that looks like a lifestyle magazine.

Instead, choose one area to improve just slightly. Take that one small step toward your goal.

Maybe it’s tightening up your email promo schedule.
Maybe it’s creating a smoother checkout flow.
Maybe it’s something as simple as promising yourself (and following through on) a good night’s rest for the next month.

Small refinements reduce stress and increase sales. They also remind you that progress is happening, even in chaos.

Re-design Your Environment

Clear says our surroundings often shape our behavior more than our motivation does. This is especially true during the holidays when the pace is high and attention is scattered.

Look around your space with strategic eyes.

If your workspace feels cluttered, simplify it. If your best seasonal products aren’t visible at first glance, elevate them. If your team keeps losing pens, square readers, bags, or bows, create a “holiday command center” with everything in one place.

Tiny environmental shifts create smoother systems. And smoother systems prevent those frantic moments when you’re internally screaming, “Where did we put the gift bags?!”

Build Habits That Support Your Busiest Days

The season is unpredictable, so anchor your day with predictable habits.

A few anchors to consider:

• A 5-minute morning reset, before opening or seeing clients
• A quick end-of-day review: what sold, what slowed down, what needs restocking, what got clicks, what impact on our customers did we see?
• A customer-touch habit: one message, one email, or one thank-you note daily
• A “two-minute tidy” before leaving (your future self will adore you)

Consistency creates stability. When everything else feels like holiday improv, these anchors act like rhythm lines on the page.

Use Systems, not Willpower

If you remember nothing else from this article…pay attention…

Willpower gets weaker when you get tired. Systems don’t.

If you want to post consistently on social media, schedule a week’s worth of content on one calmer afternoon.

If you want to upsell a holiday special, script one clear line for every team member.

If you want to stay on top of inventory, set an alarm that reminds you to check key items before the weekend rush.

During the holidays, systems carry you when energy can’t.

Make Good Habits Easy and Bad Habits Harder

Clear’s “make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, make it satisfying” formula is your season’s secret weapon.

Want your team to use the upsell script? Keep it taped near the register or near each desk.

Want customers to sign up for your loyalty program? Put the QR code where people naturally pause and that can be more than one spot.

Want to stop scrolling between transactions? Keep your phone in a drawer.

Design beats discipline every time.

Don’t Forget Identity: Who Are You Becoming This Season?

In Atomic Habits, Clear says outcomes come from identity. While you’re navigating the busiest weeks of the year, take a breath and remember who you are as a leader.

· Are you the business that handles crowds with warmth?

· The business that makes people feel good?

· The business that takes care of its team so they can take care of customers?

When you anchor yourself in identity, your choices shift. You show up differently. You communicate more intentionally. You prioritize what matters instead of chasing every glitter-coated opportunity.

And your customers feel it.

Give Yourself Permission to Rest

This sounds counterintuitive in a season that thrives on hustle, but rest is productivity’s partner.

Clear reminds us that habits compound. That includes bad ones like exhaustion, resentment, and skipping meals.

Take care of yourself the way you take care of your customers. Breaks aren’t indulgent; they’re fuel.

Let the Season Shape You—Without Steamrolling You

You don’t need massive change. You need micro-moves that create calm, clarity, and steady revenue.

If you build the right habits now, January stops being a “recovery month” and becomes a runway. Your systems will be tighter. Your team will be stronger. And you’ll have proof that even small businesses can thrive in big seasons.

Read More:

-------------

Christina Metcalf is a ghostwriter and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and remain top of mind. She is the author of six books including her recent non-fiction book The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

10 Intentional Ways to Get a Jump Start on Holiday Revenue

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:17:39 GMT

Traditionally, marketers at this time of year are busy trying to attract Black Friday and other shoppers in the days right after Thanksgiving. But thanks to the uptick in pre-Black Friday sales, today’s customers are shopping earlier than ever, spreading out their spending and looking for ways to avoid the December scramble. In fact, nearly half of U.S. shoppers now begin their holiday shopping before Black Friday.

That means November isn’t just the warm-up. It’s your time to shine. With a few smart strategies, you can pull in customers before the big-box stores roll out their doorbusters and get a head start on holiday profits. Here are a few ways to catch shoppers’ attention:

1. Create a “Pre-Holiday Perk” Campaign

Position early shopping as something special. Give early birds their own exclusive event—like “Thankful for You” week or a “Pre-Holiday VIP Preview.”

Offer perks such as:

An early access sale with limited quantities
Complimentary gift wrapping for purchases before Thanksgiving
Bonus loyalty points or small freebies with purchase

Use phrases like “Avoid the rush—shop early and save more” or “Holiday magic starts now” to build urgency and show shoppers what’s in it for them.

2. Partner With Neighboring Businesses

Join forces with nearby retailers, restaurants, and service providers to create a walkable or online “Shop Early, Shop Local” trail.

Each participating business could offer something small (like a $5 coupon or treat) for visitors. when customers visit.

This drives traffic as it reinforces community spirit and keeps dollars circulating locally.

3. Launch a “Grateful Giving” Promotion

People love to feel generous in November. Tap into that with a cause-driven sale. Donate a percentage of early purchases to a local charity, food pantry, or school project or participate in a toy drive and give a special discount to those who donate to it.

For example:

A bakery could donate a loaf to a shelter or needy family for every dozen cookies sold.
A restaurant could give a portion of sales on one night to a nonprofit.

When shoppers know their purchase gives back, they’re more likely to buy early and buy more.

4. Bundle for the Busy Buyer

Many shoppers are looking for quick, ready-to-give solutions. Create themed bundles that save them time and make you stand out.

Think:

“Cozy Night In” kits (candles, cocoa, and socks)
“Local Taste Tour” boxes with hometown treats
“Grill Master” or “Self-Care Sunday” sets

Display them prominently and promote them as limited pre-holiday offers. Bonus: they make for great social media photos.

5. Host an Experience, Not Just a Sale

Before the crowds hit, give people a reason to linger. Host a small in-store event, tasting, or workshop tied to the season:

A “Holiday Decorating Tips” night at a home store
A “Sip & Style” event at a boutique
A “Pie Pairing” session at a café or winery

Offer special pricing to attendees or a first look at holiday items. Events like these encourage people to shop early and to shop locally again later.

6. Reward the “Early Elves”

Give a little something extra to those who shop before Thanksgiving. A small thank-you, like a coupon for their next visit in December, keeps them coming back.

For instance: “Shop in November and get a $10 gift card to use in December.” It’s an easy, low-cost way to extend your holiday revenue window.

7. Promote Your November Hours and Offers Early

Don’t assume customers know you’re ready for the holidays. Tell them! Use every channel you can: social media, window signs, email, and your Google Business Profile. (Don’t forget to tell us too!)

Include photos of gift displays, new arrivals, or holiday décor to set the mood. And if you’ll have special hours around Thanksgiving week, post them early. One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make during this time of year is not communicating hours (or assuming because you posted once, that was enough). Many people shop online because they simply assume their favorite local store isn’t open when they want to shop. While that may be the case some of the time (no one in retail is staying open until 1:00 am just in case someone feels the need to shop), if you are extending your hours for the holiday season make sure everyone in town knows.

8. Lean Into Gratitude Messaging

November is naturally about giving thanks so it’s a great marketing theme. Share posts thanking your loyal customers, featuring favorite local places or other businesses, or highlighting team members.

People are more likely to support a business that feels human and heartfelt. Gratitude builds trust, and trust leads to sales.

9. Offer Early Access to Gift Cards or Experiences

Gift cards are the unsung hero of early holiday marketing. Promote them as stress-free gifts before Thanksgiving with a small incentive: “Buy a $50 gift card, get $10 for yourself.”

Restaurants, spas, and service businesses can pair cards with small add-ons—like a dessert, a product sample, or a digital thank-you card featuring local art.

If you don’t have your own gift card program, become a participating merchant in ours. <chambers with a local gift card, insert your info here>

10. Market to the “Planners and Procrastinators”

Create messaging that speaks to both types of shoppers. For planners: emphasize peace of mind and avoiding the rush. For procrastinators: highlight easy solutions and limited availability.

Example captions:

“The best gifts don’t wait until December.”
“Plan ahead, shop now, and then relax while everyone else stands in line.”

November is full of potential for small businesses willing to act early. That’s why we started Small Business Season on November 1 ^st . Remember, we’re here to help promote your events, amplify your message, and connect you with other local businesses doing the same. Together, we can make Small Business Season the highlight of the year.

Read More:

Getting Your Business Holiday Ready in 5 Simple Steps

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:12:10 GMT

It’s officially that time of year where you have to keep looking at the calendar because it’s so hard to believe how quickly time is going or as we like to say—it’s Blurvember.

The holidays have a way of sneaking up on even the most prepared businesses. One minute you’re stocking fall candles and the next you’re wondering where the extra rolls of gift wrap went.

This is the moment to tighten things up so you can enjoy the revenue boost without feeling like you’re sprinting through December.

Here are five simple, high-impact updates your business can make right now (some so quick you can implement them between customers) to get ahead of the holiday rush.

1. Update Your Hours and Online Info Everywhere

Holiday shoppers are comparing hours, checking maps, and trying to squeeze errands between work, school pickups, and holiday events. If your hours aren’t accurate across Google, Yelp, Facebook, your website, and your chamber listing, you risk losing customers before they even leave the house.

Do a quick search for your business as if you were a customer.

Is your phone number right?
Are your photos current?
Does your holiday schedule show up clearly?

Most people rely on Google’s first page, so correcting those listings now is one of the easiest wins you can score.

2. Refresh Your Signage and Displays

Your storefront or lobby is a strong salesperson this time of year. When signage feels fresh and intentional, customers are more likely to stop, browse, and buy. That’s why so many storefront businesses go straight from Halloween to Christmas. Both holidays are visually appealing. In fact, people will enter your business just because you have a cool window. (Poor Thanksgiving, the middle child of holidays.)

You don’t have to overhaul your entire look. A few simple updates can make a strong impression:

Swap weathered signs for clean, readable replacements (unless antique is your vibe)
Add one seasonal visual element that feels inviting rather than overwhelming
Use clear markers for gift ideas or bestsellers
Make sure curbside or pickup instructions are posted where customers can see them

Even small touches create a sense of readiness that customers appreciate during a busy season.

3. Prep Your Team for Upselling Without Feeling Salesy

Your staff can be your holiday heroes. A little training now can lead to bigger revenue and happier customers later. Upselling doesn’t have to feel pushy. It’s simply offering helpful suggestions that customers genuinely appreciate.

Consider coaching your team on moments where a gentle recommendation is natural. Think gift wrap, add-on accessories, seasonal specials, or limited-time treats. When employees feel confident, customers feel guided. And both walk away happy.

4. Offer Gift Cards, Gift Bundles, or Quick-Grab Options

The closer we get to December, the more people search for simple solutions. They’re panicked. They’re behind the eight ball (or snowball, in this case), and they just want the perfect gift that doesn’t look rushed. Gift cards are a lifesaver for anyone in a time crunch, and they’re one of the highest ROI products you can offer. If you don’t have them, this is the year to add them. Be sure to check out our online egiftcard program!

You can also create:

Small themed gift bundles
Stocking stuffer displays
Grab-and-go treats or purchase add-ons
Digital gift cards for last-minute shoppers

Anything that shortens decision-making for your customers will boost sales when traffic hits its peak.

5. Streamline Curbside or Online Ordering Before Things Get Busy

Convenience is key during the holidays. If your online ordering, reservation system, or curbside pickup process feels a little clunky today, it will feel downright stressful on December 15.

Now is the perfect time to:

Run a test order
Check that links work
Update product descriptions
Confirm your inventory tracking is accurate
Make pickup instructions extremely clear

Even a small digital tune-up can make the difference between a smooth holiday season and a frantic one.

Bonus: Create One Holiday Highlight That Sets You Apart

A lot of businesses do holiday promotions. Far fewer do something memorable. Consider spotlighting one special element this season to help you stand out. It could be a signature drink, a limited-time dish, a themed shopping night, a charity tie-in, or a mini experience customers can’t get anywhere else.

Small moments of delight build loyalty. And the holidays are the perfect time to create them.

Your Chamber is Here to Help

You don’t have to tackle holiday readiness on your own. We’re participating in Small Business Season this year. We have a number of ways we’re supporting businesses across the community, and we want to help shine a spotlight on what you’re planning.

Tell us what you’re working on, and we’ll help get the word out.

Share your holiday hours, promotions, themed events, or special offerings and we’ll amplify them through our channels so more customers know exactly where to shop, dine, and celebrate.

Let’s make this your smoothest and strongest holiday season yet.

Read More:

Win at First Impressions

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:56:41 GMT

You’ve heard the old saying “You never get a second chance at a first impression.” For businesses, that isn’t just a cliché, it’s reality. Customers size up a business long before they make a purchase and often before anyone on your team even says hello. Those first 10 seconds set expectations, shape decisions, and influence how people feel about doing business with you.

No matter what industry you’re in, your business is constantly sending signals about what customers can expect. The good news is that with a few intentional tweaks, you can make those signals work in your favor.

Your Curb Appeal

No matter what your product or service is, customers start forming an opinion the moment they approach your building. They’re asking themselves an unspoken question: Does this place look like it knows what it’s doing? Curb appeal can also speak to how professional your business comes across and how successful. People will decide whether your business is for them or not by looks alone (that goes for your website too).

A few simple checks go a long way:

Are your signs clean and readable from the street?
Is your entry area clutter-free and welcoming?
Do your posted hours match your online hours?
Can customers tell which door to use or where to park?

If someone has to guess how to enter or what to expect, tension rises before they step inside. A polished exterior tells customers they’re in good hands.

The Digital First Impression

Long before customers show up in person, many have already “visited” you online. Your website, Google Business profile, and social media pages create the first impression for a large portion of your audience. They’re looking for clarity, accuracy, and ease (even if they’re not conscious of it).

A strong digital first impression includes:

Updated hours and services
Clear photos that reflect what customers will see in person
A short, friendly description of what you do in real language that your audience uses
Quick access to booking, ordering, or calling
The kind of design that resonates with who your audience is (or wants to be)

When your online footprint is clean, current, and helpful, customers show up confident rather than confused.

The Welcome

This one seems painfully obvious, but we’ve all walked into a business where the employee is on an obviously personal call or simply doesn’t recognize our existence. How did that feel? Doesn’t make you interested in buying, that’s for sure.

Once a customer walks through the door, the clock starts again. Those opening seconds inside your space shape how long they’ll stay and how much they’ll trust you. No matter your industry, these moments matter.

One of the fastest ways to earn trust is through a genuine welcome. A simple smile or greeting sets the tone for the visit. Customers want to feel seen and valued, not like an interruption or inconvenience.

Encourage your team to greet customers in whatever way feels natural to your brand. It doesn’t need to be formal or robotic. Even a quick “Hi there, we’ll be right with you” works wonders. When customers feel acknowledged early, they’re more patient, more open to suggestions, and more comfortable asking questions.

Consider:

Are customers greeted promptly or at least acknowledged with eye contact (and an “I’ll be right with you,” if you’re in the middle of something)?
Does the space feel organized and intentional?
Can customers easily understand where to go or what to do next?
Are staff members engaged or absorbed in side conversations?

You don’t need to rush over and follow them around your business. You simply need to make people feel acknowledged and appreciated when they come in.

The Sensory Experience

First impressions aren’t just visual. Customers respond to the full environment, even when they can’t articulate why something feels “off.”

Pay attention to:

Lighting that feels warm rather than dim or harsh.
Music that fits your brand and isn’t too loud.
Temperature that’s comfortable for customers, not just employees.
Clean, pleasant scents or, more importantly, no unpleasant ones but keep them subtle, too much may drive people away.

Small adjustments make customers feel at ease, which makes them more likely to stay longer and return more often.

Why First Impressions Shape Customer Loyalty

First impressions influence today’s visit AND shape whether customers will come back, how likely they are to recommend you, and how much they trust your business.

A positive experience in the first ten seconds:

Lowers customer stress
Builds confidence
Increases perceived value
Reduces complaints
Boosts loyalty and spending

And the best part is that improving first impressions doesn’t usually require a big budget. It requires awareness and consistency.

A Simple First Impression Checklist

Here’s an easy way to evaluate your business:

Walk up to your location from the customer’s point of view
Step inside and pause for five seconds
Look around with fresh eyes
Note anything that feels confusing, cluttered, or outdated
Ask a friend or fellow business owner to do the same
Make quick fixes where possible and plan larger improvements over time

These small shifts add up quickly to create a strong competitive advantage.

---------------------

Christina Metcalf is a ghostwriter and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Protect Your Peace During the Busiest Season in Business

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:02:44 GMT

With the holiday season approaching with the speed of a bullet train (holiday prep, year-end sales pushes, family gatherings, budget reviews, etc.), it’s no surprise many of us feel our blood pressure and tension rise, while our patience comes crashing down. While this season is one of the most exciting of the year, it brings lots of extra stress.

But what if some of that stress was unavoidable?

Maybe we can’t keep that troublesome relative away but we can borrow wisdom from the minimalist movement and writer Joshua Becker’s article, “The Stress We Needlessly Bring into Our Lives.”

Here are four practical reframes you can share with your team and apply to your own workflow, designed specifically for business juggling multiple moving parts in busy months ahead.

1. Stop Comparing—Start Aligning

It’s tempting to look at other businesses and feel like you’re falling behind. Maybe their social media looks polished, their storefront’s decorated like a movie set, or their sales numbers seem untouchable.

But comparison steals focus.

Your business has its own rhythm, audience, and goals. Instead of chasing what others are doing, take stock of what’s working for you. Consistency and authenticity will always outlast temporary trends.

2. Simplify Your Season

Overcommitment is one of the biggest stress traps. For business owners, that often means piling on extra promotions, extending hours you can’t sustain, or saying yes to every collaboration that comes along.

You might be busy and pulled in many directions but it’s unlikely you’ll feel accomplished if you overcommit yourself to trying to do it all at the same time. Imagine if you wanted to paint your entire house. If every day you woke up and painted a different area for one hour, it would be a very long time before the house would feel complete. At the end of a month, you will have put in 30 or so hours in painting but you may not even have an entire room finished. You’ll feel depleted and dissatisfied even though you spent a month working on it.

This year, try doing fewer things better. Focus your efforts on what brings in customers or builds lasting relationships. Simplifying isn’t a step back; it’s a strategy for quality and control and doing more of what works, not more of a little bit of everything.

3. Build Breathing Room Into Your Calendar

Every business has busy seasons, but nonstop hustle doesn’t equal progress. Schedule short breaks or “quiet hours” each week to regroup, brainstorm, or catch up. You’ll make better decisions when you’re not rushing from one task to the next.

Encourage your employees to do the same. A calm, focused team provides better service and represents your business more positively, especially during the holidays, when stress levels tend to spill over.

4. Reevaluate Expectations

The pressure to please customers, employees, and family can quickly become overwhelming. But not every long-standing tradition or offer is worth the toll it takes.

If a particular sale or event no longer delivers value, it’s okay to let it go or reinvent it. Communicate changes early and clearly, and most customers will understand. When expectations are realistic, everyone wins.

5. Redefine Success for the Season

This time of year, we tend to measure success by numbers—sales totals, event attendance, new clients. But remember, success also looks like closing the year without burnout, keeping your team motivated, or maintaining great customer experiences through the chaos.

As Becker notes, “We can’t control everything. We can only control our choices.” Choose the ones that keep you steady, clear-minded, and ready for what’s next.

Running a business is demanding, and the holidays only amplify that reality. As your Chamber, we encourage you to slow down where you can, focus on what truly matters, and give yourself credit for how far you’ve come.

You’ve built something worth protecting—your time, your team, and your wellbeing included. As we move into the holiday season, we’re here to support your continued success, one thoughtful choice at a time. Let us know how we can help.

Read More:

Igniting the Shop Local Movement: Every Purchase Has a Purpose

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:01:44 GMT

As a business in our town, we want to help you this holiday season. But we also need some assistance from you. As part of Small Business Season (November 1- December 31), we’re trying to bring awareness to the importance of shopping local.

Every time someone buys from a business in our town, something bigger happens than a simple transaction. Those dollars circulate through the community, supporting local jobs, funding community improvements, and creating a stronger local economy.

According to studies, for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, roughly $68 stays in the community (as opposed to $43-48 when you buy online). That money helps pay employees, supports local charities and children’s programs, and keeps the lights on for other small businesses.

It’s a powerful reminder that shopping local isn’t just about convenience or sentiment. It’s an investment in our shared success.

As Small Business Season kicks off, it’s a great time to think about how your business fits into that story. Whether you run a retail store, a restaurant, a service company, or a home-based business, you play a part in shaping the local economy both as a provider of products and/or services and as a supporter of our community.

Why It Matters to You, to Us, to Everyone

It’s easy and convenient to order online but it doesn’t do as much for our community. That’s why this Small Business Season, we’re trying to educate our residents on the importance of where they spend their money. We’re asking you to help get the word out.

When people understand the impact of their purchases, they’re more motivated to support local businesses. Suddenly the convenience of hitting a button doesn’t look as appealing as the appreciation they see in your eyes.

How can you help? We have an easy way that you can start today.

Tell Your Story

You want to put a face and personality behind your business and that starts with storytelling. Share:

Your personal “why.”
What makes your business unique.
What you love about being local.
How you contribute to the community.
What your family or staff loves.
A picture of something in your business (or your holiday décor).
Why you started your business or talk about someone who helped you along the way.
What keeps you inspired.
What local causes you support and why.
A favorite business memory or that point you realized you were meant to do what you’re doing.

These personal details are what turn shoppers into loyal supporters in the same way that getting to know someone better builds the relationship.

Speaking of building relationships, here are two simple ways to start showing up in the community (and don’t be afraid to wear your branded apparel when you do):

Collaborate with nearby businesses to amplify each other’s messages about buying local. We can help you with introductions, if you need them.
Display a “Small Business Season” sign or “Chamber Member” sign and encourage customers to share photos when they visit.

The more we work together to elevate small businesses and help our residents (and visitors) understand why every purchase here has a purpose, the stronger our community becomes.

Can we count on you to be part of this message?

------------------

Looking to read more about Shop Local?

- Announcement Post

- 16 Questions to Use to Prepare for Small Business Season Success

- Maximizing momentum From Small Business Season

It’s the most meaningful time of the year — Small Business Season!

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:00:03 GMT

November 1st – December 31st, 2025

This holiday season, let’s make sure every purchase has a purpose. When you choose local, you’re investing in more than a product or service. You’re powering dreams, jobs, and the places that make our community feel like home.

Think about your favorite traditions: the café with the best cocoa, the boutique where you always find that just-right gift, the restaurant where celebrations become traditions. These aren’t just stops on your holiday list. They’re the backdrop of your memories and your holidays wouldn’t be the same without them.

That’s the spirit behind Small Business Season: celebrating the people and places that make our community special.

From November 1st to December 31st, we’re honoring the heart and soul of our community—our small businesses. These special folks pour passion into every product and every smile, making our town unique and vibrant.

And this year’s theme says it plainly: Every Purchase Has a Purpose. Your local spending fuels jobs, strengthens the economy, and keeps neighbors connected. The impact doesn’t stop at the counter. It ripples across our schools, teams, and community causes.

Get ready to explore, engage, and enjoy! Watch for festive happenings and community challenges.

Ready to make this holiday season extra meaningful?

This Small Business Season, we invite you to:

• Discover meaningful gifts and one-of-a-kind treasures at local boutiques, craft fairs, and artisan markets.

• Treat yourself (and your loved ones) by dining at family-owned restaurants, booking a relaxing salon service, or joining a hands-on workshop downtown (check our calendar for details).

• Amplify local: share your experiences on social media, tag your favorite businesses, and leave positive reviews. Your voice helps small businesses shine.

This holiday season, we hope every purchase has a purpose for our community. Together, we can make shopping local something you think of first. Let’s show our appreciation for the neighbors who keep our community strong.

Shop local, dine local, love local.

P.S. Are you a local business owner? Let us help share your story! We’re featuring local businesses all season long through spotlights and social posts.

12 Easy Newsletter Formats to Keep Your Business Top of Mind

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:12:03 GMT

Simple Formats That Keep Your Customers Reading (and Buying)

Most marketers will tell you the money is in your e-mail list. One of the easiest ways to create an e-mail list is by offering a giveaway that someone receives in exchange for their e-mail address. What you do with that e-mail address after that initial exchange can be the difference between cultivating a relationship and an eventual sale or losing a potential customer. If you ignore the people on your email list, you’ll never develop the kind of relationship that will drive sales.

Newsletters are one way to stay top of mind and to nurture your audience until they're ready to buy. You may be thinking, But aren't newsletters time consuming and difficult to write? Don't they require a lot of design work? Sometimes. There are many different types of newsletters, and they don’t all require hours of prep work.

In this article, we'll go over 12 formats so you can pick the one that best works for you and your ideal audience and that fits your time, your brand voice, and your audience’s attention span. Keep in mind, you don’t have to pick one. You can use several of these approaches in one newsletter.

1. The Blog-Style Newsletter

What it is: A traditional article-style email with 500–800 words focused on a topic relevant to your audience.

Benefits: Builds authority and SEO value if also posted on your website. It’s perfect for businesses that want to teach or explain, such as accountants, marketing firms, or wellness coaches.

2. The Quick Tip or “Snackable” Newsletter

What it is: A short, easy-to-read email (100–200 words) with one useful takeaway, tip, or idea.

Benefits: Keeps your business top-of-mind with minimal time investment. Great for industries like fitness, food service, or home improvement, anywhere people love small, actionable advice.

3. The “Letter from the Owner”

What it is: A personal message written in a conversational tone, often reflecting on business lessons, challenges, or experiences.

Benefits: Humanizes your brand. People buy from people, and this format makes your readers feel like they know you personally.

4. The Journal-Style or “Behind-the-Scenes” Newsletter

What it is: A storytelling-style message that feels like a peek into your business (or sometimes personal) diary, what’s happening behind the counter, in the studio, or out on job sites. You can talk about things like your inspirations and lessons you’ve learned that week.

Benefits: Builds loyalty by sharing your journey. Customers love seeing your process and progress—it makes them feel part of your story.

5. The Curated Roundup

What it is: A list of articles, resources, or tools your audience will find useful, often with short commentary or links. Can be your materials or things written by others. This format can also be a great way to expand your reach and get noticed by others because you’re sharing their materials.

Benefits: Positions you as a helpful guide in your industry. Perfect for tech companies, professional services, or marketing agencies that like to share “what’s trending.” It can also show a side of you that others don’t know like “What I’m reading this week.”

6. The Local or Community Update

What it is: A newsletter focused on local news, community happenings, or ways your business is involved in the neighborhood.

Benefits: Builds goodwill and brand awareness locally. It shows you’re not just selling, you’re participating in the community.

7. The Offer or Product Feature

What it is: A product-focused email that highlights new arrivals, sales, rollouts, or featured items—but with storytelling instead of hard selling.

Benefits: Drives direct sales while keeping customers informed. Add a few lifestyle photos or testimonials, and this can convert exceptionally well.

8. The Educational Mini-Course

What it is: A short series of emails (often 3–5) designed to teach your audience something step-by-step.

Benefits: Builds authority and deepens trust. Subscribers see your value before they even buy, making the sale much easier later.

9. The “Inspiration + Insight” Newsletter

What it is: A mix of motivational thoughts, quotes, and reflections tied to your brand values or customer goals.

Benefits: Keeps engagement high and emotions positive. Readers come to associate your brand with inspiration and energy.

10. The Customer Spotlight

What it is: Each issue highlights a customer success story, review, or testimonial—sometimes paired with a short Q&A.

Benefits: Builds credibility through social proof and creates a sense of community. Plus, featured customers tend to share it!

11. The Visual or Portfolio Newsletter

What it is: A photo-driven email showing off recent work, products, or transformations (think before-and-after images).

Benefits: Perfect for visual industries where the product or service sells itself. Great for maintaining visibility and showing proof of quality.

12. The “What’s New” Monthly Digest

What it is: A single monthly email summarizing what’s been happening including new products, upcoming events, staff news, and highlights.

Benefits: Keeps communication consistent and professional while saving time. Ideal for chambers of commerce, nonprofits, or small shops.

How to Choose the Right Format

If you’re new to newsletters, don’t overthink it. Ask yourself:

How much time do I realistically have to write each month?
If time is tight, go with the short tip or curated roundup format. AI can help.
Do I want to build relationships or drive sales?
Personal and journal-style newsletters build trust; product and digest formats boost sales.
What does my audience actually enjoy reading?
If your customers respond well to social posts or storytelling, a conversational format will feel most natural.

You can always start small—maybe a quick tip every other week—and evolve into a richer format later. Consistency is far more important than perfection.

Your newsletter reminds your customers that you’re here, that you care, and that you’re thinking about ways to make their lives easier, better, or more interesting.

Whether you’re teaching, inspiring, or just saying hello, the best newsletter is the one you actually send.

So pick a format that fits your style and start showing up in your customers’ inboxes.

Read More:

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Beyond the Mixer: Maximizing Your Chamber Membership

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:47:09 GMT

If your chamber membership is gathering dust because you don't enjoy networking events, you're missing out on significant value hiding in plain sight. While mixers and ribbon cuttings get the spotlight, your membership includes strategic resources that can solve real business problems, even for those of us who hate “working a room.”

Your Chamber as Problem-Solving Partner

Before hiring expensive consultants or spending hours researching solutions or attending City Council meetings with time you don’t have, tap into your chamber's institutional knowledge. Most chambers field dozens of questions weekly from businesses facing similar challenges. Need a reliable commercial insurance broker? Wondering about local permit requirements? Looking for employee benefits providers? Your chamber staff has likely connected ten other businesses with exactly what you need in the past month alone. A simple phone call can save you days of research and connect you with pre-vetted resources.

Leverage Collective Buying Power

Your chamber membership often includes access to group rates on essential services. Health insurance, payment processing, shipping discounts, office supplies, and advertising opportunities frequently come with member pricing that can save thousands annually. Many business owners never explore these benefits because they assume switching providers is complicated. Start with one area—perhaps credit card processing fees or shipping costs—and request a comparison quote through your chamber's endorsed programs. The savings often pay for your membership several times over.

- Medical Plan available to Chamber Members through Aetna

Strategic Visibility Without the Small Talk

Hate networking events but still need visibility? Most chambers offer alternative exposure opportunities: member spotlights in newsletters, social media features, directory listings with SEO benefits, an article in their destination guide, and quote opportunities for press releases.

Volunteer for a committee that meets during business hours rather than evening mixers. You'll build deeper relationships with fewer people while contributing your expertise. Economic development, public policy, events, or education committees often need people and meet in formats more comfortable than cocktail parties.

- Your membership comes with an online listing that has a customizable landing page, complete with ability to rate and review. However, if your current membership level does not include this, feel free to contact us to discuss an upgrade: Office@llchamber.com

- Interested in volunteering? Let us know: Office@llchamber.com . We’re always looking for people willing to lend a hand!

- We’d love to hear your praise for the Chamber—send us a short quote!. Interested? You know the email: Office@llchamber.com .

- Join our 2026 Leadership class and spend time with a select group of up and coming community leaders. Currently accepting applications through December 1.

Make Your Voice Count

Chambers actively advocate on behalf of businesses with local and state government. Your membership gives you a direct channel to influence policies affecting your bottom line from zoning regulations to tax policies. Most chambers solicit member input on advocacy priorities but rarely hear from the majority of their membership. When your chamber sends advocacy surveys or requests feedback, take ten minutes to respond. Your specific challenges and stories give chamber leaders concrete examples when they're meeting with elected officials.

-Check out our Government Affairs Committee or join them, second Thursdays monthly, 9-10AM, at the Chamber. Playlists of past events also available on YouTube !

- Check out our Military Affairs Council- they meet monthly, first Tuesdays at noon, at the conference room in Fairfield Inn & Suites. They also have quarterly MAC socials. Sign up for our December 10 ^th social (free!) or contact us to discuss hosting one: Office@llchamber.com.

Your chamber membership is a toolkit, not a ticket to parties. Identify two or three benefits aligned with your current business needs and commit to using them this quarter. The return on investment is there. You just need to claim it.

- We are also collecting survey answers to better serve our community- please let us know! It’s short (we promise!) and will enter you for a chance to win a “LeavenworthIt” Swag bag.

- How to Build Business Connections (Even if You Hate Networking)

- Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth

- Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever!

-----------------

Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and is currently reading three books at once.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Start Using AI in Your Small Business (Without the Overwhelm)

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:07:31 GMT

Everyone is telling you that you should be doing something with AI for your business. Every newsletter, podcast, and conference talk seems to assume you're already knee-deep in implementation. Meanwhile, you're stuck at square one (or just using it to write an email here or there), overwhelmed by options and uncertain where to begin. Welcome to AI paralysis—the small business challenge nobody's talking about.

When we talk about AI paralysis, we’re not addressing the technophobe or those business owners who are resistant to change. It's understandable that they have their hesitation.

But you’re different. You’re not against AI. You already use it a little but you’re not sure how to implement it in your business for maximum efficiencies.

You’re just being a practical business owner and you don’t want to make an expensive mistake. But you're watching competitors post about their "AI transformation" and wondering if ChatGPT is even relevant to your industry.

The fear of choosing wrong often feels worse than choosing nothing at all.

Why Businesses Are Afraid of AI

The paralysis typically stems from three sources. First, the options are genuinely overwhelming. Do you need a custom solution or an off-the-shelf tool? Should you be thinking about customer service bots, marketing automation, or operational efficiency? Second, the terminology is deliberately confusing. Companies slap "AI-powered" on everything, making it impossible to separate genuine innovation from rebranded software. Third, there's no clear ROI calculator for your specific situation. What works for a tech startup might be useless for a dental practice.

You don't need an AI strategy with all the bells and whistles. You need to solve specific problems, and AI might be one tool in your arsenal.

How to Use AI for Your Business

Start by ignoring the hype entirely. Don’t just jump on the latest rollout.

Instead, write down your three biggest operational headaches. Get clear on the tasks that waste time, create bottlenecks, or drive you crazy. Maybe it's answering the same customer questions repeatedly, writing product descriptions, or scheduling appointments. Don't think about AI yet. Just identify the pain.

Now, for each problem, spend thirty minutes exploring if an AI tool exists that addresses it. Not researching broadly—specifically searching for solutions to that exact problem. You'll quickly discover that for many small business needs, purpose-built AI tools already exist and cost less than hiring additional help.

The key is starting microscopically small. Don't implement an enterprise solution. Try one free or low-cost tool for one specific task. Use ChatGPT to draft email responses for a week. Test an AI scheduling assistant for a month. Let an AI transcription service handle your meeting notes. These tiny experiments cost almost nothing and teach you what AI can do.

For most small businesses, AI's real value isn't in dramatic transformation. It's in recovering small pockets of time that accumulate into meaningful savings. Fifteen minutes saved on daily email drafts. Twenty minutes saved on social media planning. An hour saved on meeting summaries.

It’s unlikely you’ll fall behind your competition because you haven’t built custom AI solutions. The businesses that will struggle in the future are those that haven’t experimented with anything at all.

AI paralysis ends the moment you treat it like any other business tool: try something small, measure if it works, keep it or dump it, then move on to the next experiment. If you’re not sure where to start, check with your chamber of commerce. It’s likely they have resources, programming, or connections that can help you figure out how to use AI tools for greater efficiency.

The Hidden Cash Sitting In Your Business (And How to Find It)

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:19:27 GMT

A Guide to Recovering Revenue You Didn't Know You Were Losing

When was the last time you reviewed your business subscriptions? From software to streaming services, you could have hundreds of dollars out there that you had forgotten about. That’s money that’s been quietly slipping through the cracks.

Most business owners are so focused on bringing money in the front door that they don't notice it leaking out the back. But this "hidden cash" is actually easier to find than new customers, and the returns are immediate.

It’s a treasure hunt through your business finances so grab your coffee, block off a few hours, and let's go find your money.

Stop #1: The Subscription Graveyard

Time needed: 30-45 minutes

Pull up your bank and credit card statements from the last three months. Look for any recurring charges and ask yourself these questions:

When's the last time someone on your team used this service?
Are we paying for user seats that employees no longer occupy?
Did we upgrade to a premium plan for a feature we used once?
Is there a free or cheaper alternative that would work just as well? (This is especially important to ask yourself with many AI programs out there doing things you once needed from desparate pieces of software. Many platforms now do multiple tasks and you can cancel those that are redundant.)

Common culprits include stock photo subscriptions, legacy software that's been replaced but never cancelled, LinkedIn Premium accounts for former salespeople, and that project management tool everyone swore they'd use but didn't.

Action item: Create a simple spreadsheet listing every subscription, its monthly cost, who uses it, and when you last reviewed it. Set a calendar reminder to repeat this exercise every six months.

Stop #2: Your Pricing Structure

Time needed: 2-3 hours

When was the last time you looked at your pricing? Not tweaked it, but truly analyzed whether it reflects your current costs, expertise, and market position?

Many business owners set their prices years ago and rarely revisit them. Meanwhile, their costs have increased, their skills have improved, and their market value has grown. You could be leaving significant money on the table.

Here's a quick pricing health check:

Compare your pricing to three competitors. Are you significantly lower? Why?
Calculate your true cost of delivery TODAY including your time, materials, overhead, and a reasonable profit margin. Are you actually making money on each sale?
Review your most and least profitable products or services. Should you be promoting different offerings?
Check if you have any "legacy" customers still on old pricing from years ago.

Action item: Block out time next week to analyze your three best-selling products or services. Run the numbers, then consider whether a strategic price increase makes sense.

Stop #3: Vendor Contract Review

Time needed: 1-2 hours per major vendor

Your business relationships shouldn't be on autopilot. That insurance policy, cleaning service, or shipping contract you signed three years ago? The market has probably changed, and you might have more negotiating power than you think.

Start with your biggest recurring expenses: rent, insurance, utilities, payment processing, shipping, and major suppliers. For each one, ask:

When did we last shop around or renegotiate?
Has our volume increased, potentially qualifying us for better rates?
Are there competitors offering introductory deals to win our business?
What would it take to get a 10% discount—annual prepayment, longer contract, higher volume commitment?

You'd be surprised how often a simple phone call results in immediate savings. For instance, if you were to contact your credit card processor to discuss rates and review options, and they agreed to reduce their processing fees by 0.4%, how much money would that put in your pocket instead of theirs? It’s worth the ask.

Action item: Identify your top five recurring expenses. Make it a goal to renegotiate or shop around for one per month over the next five months.

Stop #4: The Cash Flow Calendar

Time needed: 1-2 hours initially

This isn't exactly "hidden" cash, but it's cash you're not accessing efficiently. Many businesses have money trapped in poor timing—paying vendors before they collect from customers, missing early payment discounts, or not taking advantage of favorable payment terms.

Cash flow is the most common reason businesses fail. It’s not failing to make sales; it’s the timing of payments.

Map out a simple cash flow calendar showing:

When you typically get paid by customers (net 30, net 60, etc.)
When you have to pay vendors and suppliers
Any seasonal gaps or crunches in cash availability

Then look for opportunities:

Can you incentivize customers to pay faster with small discounts?
Should you negotiate longer payment terms with vendors to match your collection cycle?
Are you taking advantage of early payment discounts from suppliers when they make financial sense?
Could you shift major expenses away from traditionally slow revenue months?

Action item: Create a basic cash flow calendar for the next three months. Look for any obvious timing mismatches or opportunities.

Stop #5: Unused Assets and Dead Inventory

Time needed: 2-4 hours

Walk through your space and look for things you're paying to store, maintain, or insure that you're not using.

Physical inventory that hasn't moved in over a year is costing you money in storage, insurance, and opportunity cost. It's better to liquidate it at a discount and redeploy that cash than to let it gather dust. The same goes for equipment you're maintaining but not using, domain names you're not developing, or office space you're renting "just in case."

Action item: Do a physical inventory check. Flag anything that hasn't been touched in 6-12 months and plan to either use it, sell it, or donate it.

Stop #6: Tax Advantages You're Missing

Time needed: 1 hour + consultation

The IRS will never contact you to tell you that you’re paying too much. Nor will they call with a helpful “you missed this deduction.”

Some commonly overlooked deductions and strategies include:

Home office deduction (if you work from home)
Vehicle mileage for business purposes (not just big trips—those coffee meetings count)
Professional development and continuing education
Equipment purchases that can be immediately expensed under Section 179
Health insurance premiums for self-employed individuals
Retirement contributions that reduce taxable income

Action item: Schedule a meeting with your accountant specifically to discuss tax optimization strategies. Bring your questions. A good accountant can often find savings that more than pay for their fees.

Your 30-Day Treasure Hunt Plan

Finding hidden cash doesn't have to be overwhelming. Start slowly and as you find money, you’ll be emboldened to do more.

Here's a realistic action plan:

Week 1: Review subscriptions and cancel what you don't need (30-45 minutes)

Week 2: Analyze your three best-selling products/services for pricing opportunities (2-3 hours)

Week 3: Contact your biggest vendor to discuss rates and terms (1 hour)

Week 4: Create your cash flow calendar and identify one timing improvement (1-2 hours)

Total time investment: 5-7 hours
Potential monthly recovery: $500-$3,000+
Potential annual recovery: $6,000-$36,000+

Finding hidden cash is as easy as setting aside the time to pay attention to the details that get overlooked when you're busy running and growing your company.

The beauty of this is that every dollar you recover goes straight to your bottom line. You don't have to market for it, deliver it, or service it. It's simply money that was already yours. You just needed to find it.

-----------------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Fix Your Elevator Pitch

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:47:36 GMT

Think of the person in your circle (even tangentially) who comes to mind when you read the word, “boring.” Who is it?

Now ask yourself why you think they’re boring.

It’s your opinion, right?

Maybe all they do is talk about sports or maybe when you’re talking about sports, they want to talk about the weather.

Perhaps they’re not boring at all. Maybe it’s just that you don’t have mutual interests.

If your business is struggling to attract loyal customers, it might be that you’re suffering from the same thing. Maybe you’re talking about things your ideal customer doesn’t care about.

It’s time to get their attention and become much more interesting to them.

The Problem with Basic Marketing

The problem many businesses face when it comes to their marketing message isn’t that they are inherently boring. It’s that what they choose to make their message is not something that appeals to their ideal audience.

To captivate that audience, you need to first understand who the audience is, then present something that they need/want, and make that solution plausible/believable.

But sadly, most businesses and professionals describe their services in generic ways that sound dreamy but completely inactionable or boring such as:

A life coach who writes, “I help people follow their dreams.”

Or a bakery that posts, “We sell cookies.”

Why Generic Messaging Falls Flat

Now before you argue, “But it’s what we do,” consider this: when was the last time you searched, “How do I follow my dreams?”?

While you don’t have to go into long descriptions about what you do and how you do it, you do need to help your ideal client think to themselves, “That’s what I need.”

It’s time to tighten up your marketing message.

1. Identify who you’re speaking to and be specific. Is it moms? Doctors? Students? Who will see the most help from your offerings?

2. Solve a problem they already have. Marketing your product or service will be so much easier if you’re selling something they already know they need.

3. Use language that fits what they’re looking for. Again, very few people are googling, “How do I follow my dreams?”.

4. Show how you can help them get what they want. Your customers have needs, wants, and struggles. They need to trust you understand what that is and can help them.

5. Line up testimonials that speak the same language. If you go through all the work to craft your marketing message, you want to use testimonials that reinforce it.

So, let’s put that all together.

Remember the life coach who helped people follow their dreams? We’re going to transform that message from meh to mesmerizing.

Step 1. Identify the audience

Instead of using the generic “people,” the life coach drills down to the realization she works best with mid-career professional women who feel stuck in unfulfilling jobs.

Step 2. Solve a problem they already have

Their problem isn’t “I can’t follow my dreams.” It’s “I’m burned out in my career and don’t know how to pivot without starting over.”

Step 3. Employ the language they’re actually using

Her ideal client is more likely searching for phrases like “career change at 40,” “how to find a meaningful job,” or “get unstuck in my career” than “follow my dreams.”

Step 4. Show how you can help them get what they want

These professional women don’t just want “dreams.” They want clarity, confidence, and an actionable plan to shift into work that lights them up and pays the bills.

Step 5. Align testimonials

Instead of posting a generic “she helped me follow my dreams,” a stronger testimonial would read something like: “I went from dreading Mondays to launching a consulting business I love. She gave me the tools to make the leap with confidence.”

And you could get a testimonial like that by asking a successful client, “What’s changed in your life after working with me? Where were you before and where are you now?” That leads the client into formulating something much more substantial than, “She helped me so much.”

Are you ready for the revamped marketing message/elevator pitch?

Instead of “I help people follow their dreams,” it’s now…

“I help professional women in their 40s who feel stuck in unfulfilling careers gain the clarity and confidence to pivot into work they love without sacrificing income or starting from scratch.”

Hear the difference?

Now we know exactly who can benefit. There’s no mistaking it and anyone thinking of giving this life coach a referral knows who she’s looking to work with.

Those few simple words transform the original vague promise into something specific, problem-solving, and benefits driven. And that means people hearing it and reading it will know when they are the target audience.

Fast-Track Trust: How to Win Customers Quickly

Helping Customers Move Past "Let Me Think About It"

-------------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

15 Ready-to-Use Social Media Captions for Business Owners

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 18:56:29 GMT

Mastering the Art of Sharing (but not oversharing)

Your audience wants to hear from you and get to know you, but oversharing (or sharing inappropriate topics) comes with its own set of problems. Sharing engaging things about yourself will help you build the kind of connections that improve revenue and customer loyalty.

If you want to help your customers (and potential customers) get to know you better, we have 15 conversation starters (and post templates you can customize) to help.

1. Your Favorite Local Spot

�� “When I’m not at [Your Business], you’ll probably find me at [Local Spot] [verb that fits that business] on my favorite [favorite thing about that business]. What’s YOUR go-to place in town?”

Example: When I’m not here, I’m at Rocco’s Bookstore sipping my favorite caramel latte and perusing the true crime books. What’s YOUR go-to place in town?

2. Morning Rituals

How do you start your day? Share it with your audience.

Example: ☕ “Confession: I’m 90% coffee, 10% small business owner in the morning. How do you start your day?”

3. Behind-the-Scenes Moments

What is working in your line of business really like? Keep it positive but don’t be afraid to show the hard work or humor behind your day.

�� “Behind the scenes isn’t always glamorous. Today it’s [describe something funny/chaotic or show a picture or video of what you’re working on]. What’s something most people don’t know about your line of work?”

4. Local Events You Enjoy

This is a great way to give a shoutout to another business or group.

�� “Loved spending my weekend at [Event Name]! Who else was there? ��”

5. Your “Small Joys”

Life can be overwhelming. Sharing what keeps you grounded can help others feel the same.

�� “Today’s joy: [small moment—like a great cup of coffee, a laugh with a customer, or a pretty sunset]. What made you smile today?”

6. Books or Podcasts You’re Loving

�� “Currently reading/listening to [Book/Podcast]. It’s got me thinking about [short insight]. Any recommendations I should add to my list?”

7. Pet (or Plant) Adventures

�� “Meet our unpaid intern, [Pet’s Name]. Their specialties include napping, snack theft, and morale boosting. �� Show me your ‘coworkers’ in the comments!”

People love to talk about their pets and share photos. Plus, it gives you a point of conversation when a loyal customer shares something about their precious fur baby.

8. Food Finds

Give other businesses a chance to shine by asking people their favorite or giving them a scenario and asking where you should go such as, “It’s Taco Tuesday. Where are the best fish tacos in town?” or “I love the fish tacos at Julies. Are you team fish or team beef when it comes to that delicious dish?” By asking, you’ll discover people have big feelings about fish tacos (and Hawaiian pizza).

�� “Friday night = pizza night. Always. What’s your weekend food tradition?”

9. Music on Repeat

�� “On repeat in the shop/office today: [Song/Band]. Drop your current favorite in the comments—I need new tunes!”

It can also help when asking for new tunes to give a reason behind your ask like a workout mix, soothing sleep, or romantic date night track.

10. Hobbies and Hopes

�� “Training for my first [hobby/goal]. Wish me luck! What new hobby have you picked up this year?”

Not only does this connect you to your audience, but it also encourages people to try new things. This can be helpful for those who are interested in something your business specializes in. Maybe they’ve thought about starting a hobby that you’re a pro at and explaining that you started something will make them feel more welcome. For instance, if you’re a gym owner, make sure you tell people that everyone is welcome whether it’s their first workout in 20 years or their 2,001st. Conversely, if you’re for pros only be specific about that.

Sometimes the hardest part of trying a new business is wondering if it’s for you.

11. Throwback Stories

�� “Throwback to my very first day running [Business Name]. I had no idea what I was in for! Do you remember your first day at your job or business?”

You can also rephrase the question and ask people what their first job was. Everyone has a first job.

12. Community Pride

❤️ “One of the things I love most about [Your Town] is [specific detail]. What’s YOUR favorite thing about our community?”

13. Your Workspace Quirks

��️ “True story: I will fight anyone who tries to take my favorite pen. �� What’s one thing you always keep at your desk?”

Or ask people what drink is in front of them right now. Asking what’s inscribed on their coffee mug is also a fun question with potentially hilarious results.

14. Seasonal Traditions

�� “It’s officially [season/holiday]! Around here that means [tradition]. What’s your favorite tradition?”

15. Gratitude Posts

“Just taking a moment to say THANK YOU to every customer who has supported us. You’re the reason we get to keep doing what we love. �� What’s something you’re grateful for today?”

✨ Pro Tip: Add a quick photo or short video to each of these posts (your coffee mug, your pet, your desk, your town’s mural, etc.). Visuals + these captions = maximum engagement.

If you think of your posts as a conversation and not a monologue, you’ll open up a new connection between your business and your audience. That can be fun and lucrative.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Your Community Is Your Best Marketing Tool

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:00:24 GMT

Maybe you can’t afford a celebrity endorsement like Taylor Swift, but there are still plenty of lucrative opportunities to do something on a local scale. Influence marketing is changing. While businesses once chased celebrity endorsements and mega-influencers with millions of followers, smart companies are discovering that their most powerful brand ambassadors might already be customers or people sitting in the next booth at the local coffee shop.

The Importance of the Micro-Influencer

Micro-influencers (commonly considered individuals with 1,000 to 100,000 followers, although some groups refer to those with follower counts under 10,000 as nano-influencers.) are reshaping how businesses approach marketing. Unlike their celebrity counterparts, these local voices carry something money can't buy—authentic trust within their communities. Their followers aren't passive observers; they're engaged neighbors, colleagues, and friends who genuinely value their opinions.

Research consistently shows that micro-influencers generate higher engagement rates than macro-influencers. A study by Influencer Marketing Hub found that influencers with fewer than 10,000 followers achieve engagement rates of 7%, compared to just 1.7% for those with over 100,000 followers. More importantly for local businesses, 82% of consumers are highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro-influencer.

Since these micro-influencers are part of the community the buyer lives in, they’re likely to feel more connected and act on their suggestions because doing so requires minimal effort. Imagine a digital nomad telling you all the great places to visit in Thailand. If you’re located in Iowa, following in their footsteps is going to require saving for the trip and a lot of planning. On the other hand, if the influencer is giving tips about places in your community, you’re more likely to act immediately and often.

Finding Gold in Your Own Backyard

The beauty of micro-influencer marketing lies in its accessibility. These aren't distant celebrities. They're your customers, community leaders, local bloggers, and passionate hobbyists. They're the yoga instructor who genuinely loves your smoothie shop, the local photographer who always tags your boutique, or the high school teacher who raves about your bookstore on social media.

Start by auditing your existing customer base. Who among your regular clients has an active social media presence? Look for customers who already post about your business organically, engage meaningfully with your content, or demonstrate expertise in your industry. These natural advocates often make the most effective micro-influencers because their endorsement feels genuine rather than forced. You can also take a look at your favorable reviews. Google also makes it easy to see just how active they are in reviewing other businesses as well.

Building Partnerships

The key to successful micro-influencer partnerships is building that relationship. Traditional advertising feels intrusive, but when someone's trusted neighbor recommends a local business, it feels like valuable advice. This is why the most effective micro-influencer campaigns don't feel like marketing at all.

Instead of scripted posts, provide micro-influencers with experiences worth sharing. Invite them to behind-the-scenes events, offer exclusive previews of new products, or ask for their input on business decisions. When a local food blogger shares their genuine excitement about helping you choose your new seasonal menu, it’s great for both of you. You get the attention from their audience and the influencer appears to have a “secret in” to your business, making them look like VIPs to their followers.

Consider offering value beyond payment. Many micro-influencers are more motivated by exclusive access, professional development opportunities, or the chance to be part of something special than by monetary compensation. A fitness influencer might prefer a year of free classes over a one-time payment, especially if it includes early access to new programs they can share with their community. Instead of writing a check, consider how you can help them grow their base by giving them access to things others don’t.

Quick Cross-Promotional Networks

If you’re reading this and wondering how you’ll ever have time to find local influencers, try your chamber of commerce. While they may not know individual influencers, they likely have a good idea about which members are heavily involved in social media. Working through the chamber, you may be able to find a complementary business that is willing to talk you up to their audience. The chamber itself is also a local influencer so share what you’re trying to do with the staff as well.

The Mechanics of Local Influence

Effective micro-influencer campaigns start with clear objectives. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive foot traffic, or launch a new product? Your goals will determine which micro-influencers to partner with and what kind of content to create. Do your best to understand the micro-influencer’s audience. After all, you want their audience to be people who would buy from you.

Local businesses have unique advantages in micro-influencer marketing. You can invite influencers to your physical location, create content featuring recognizable local landmarks, and tap into community pride. A micro-influencer's post about discovering a hidden gem in their own neighborhood carries more weight than generic product placement.

Track meaningful metrics beyond follower counts. Monitor engagement rates, click-throughs to your website, foot traffic increases, and most importantly, sales attribution. Many successful local businesses use unique discount codes or landing pages for each micro-influencer to measure direct impact.

Building Long-Term Relationships

The most successful micro-influencer strategies focus on building lasting relationships rather than one-off campaigns. Treat your micro-influencer partners as extensions of your marketing team. Provide them with regular updates about your business, seek their feedback on new initiatives, and celebrate their successes alongside your own.

Create exclusive communities for your micro-influencer partners. Private Facebook groups or Slack channels where they can share ideas, collaborate on content, and access insider information make them feel valued and connected to your brand story.

Measuring Impact Beyond Numbers

While metrics matter, don't overlook qualitative indicators of success. Are your micro-influencer partners becoming genuine brand advocates? Do their posts generate meaningful conversations about your business? Are they referring other potential partners or customers?

Pay attention to the ripple effects. A single relatable post from a respected community member can influence their followers to become micro-advocates themselves, creating an organic chain of word-of-mouth marketing that extends far beyond the original partnership.

The Future of Neighborhood Marketing

As consumers increasingly seek authentic connections and local experiences, micro-influencer marketing represents more than a marketing tactic. It's a return to community-based commerce.

Businesses that master the art of turning neighbors into brand ambassadors will build deeper community roots and more sustainable customer relationships.

The next time you see a customer post enthusiastically about your business, don't just hit "like" and move on. That customer might be your next micro-influencer, ready to introduce your brand to their trusted network of neighbors, friends, and community members.

In the world of local business, sometimes the most powerful marketing voice belongs to the person next door.

--------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Talking Websites: A Game-Changer for Small Business

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:15:37 GMT

If you’ve ever parented a teenager, you know talking back is not to be celebrated. But when it comes to your business website, talking back is the next big trend.

Most websites feel like digital brochures. You scroll, you click, you squint at tiny menus—and if you can’t find what you’re looking for in 20 seconds, you’re gone. On to the next one.

But what if you landed on a website that immediately addresses your needs:

“Hi there! Looking for a haircut, a color, or some products?”

You type “Color,” and the site replies:

“Excellent. Want to see our stylists’ availability this week?”

No scrolling, no clicking, no calling. Just the information you want right away.

That’s a conversational website—and it’s not just for tech giants. Thanks to new AI tools, even the smallest businesses can create sites that chat with customers, not just sit there looking pretty.

Why Conversational Websites Could Be the Next Big Thing

There are many benefits to a conversational website. Most visitors want quick answers but they don’t want to speak to a person. If they did, they would’ve called. This gives them the answers they want when they want them.

Additionally, a conversational website can:

Save time: Customers get quick answers any time of day or night instead of calling or emailing you. It will also save your employees time because they won’t have to put off customers to answer the phone or respond to an email.
Make sales easier: Instead of a clunky order form, a friendly bot can walk people through the buying process step by step. With advances in AI and search, people are migrating away from typing answers and questions. Most rely on verbal commands and conversations. Search and inquiries are becoming more and more conversational.
Feel personal: Customers want to feel seen, not like they’re filling out a tax form. A conversational flow makes your brand warmer and more approachable, especially when you create the tone for your virtual assistant.

But I Can’t Code

The good news is you don’t need to know a single line of code. Seriously. Tools are popping up every day that do the heavy lifting for you.

1. Build a Site Just by Talking to It

Platforms like Wix’s AI Builder let you describe your business in plain English—

“I run a bakery that specializes in birthday cakes and gluten-free treats.”

—then it generates a full website, complete with text, design, and images.

2. Replace Boring Forms with Friendly Chats

Instead of “Fill out this contact form,” tools like Landbot or Tidio turn that process into a conversation.

Bot: “What’s your name?”

Visitor: “Samantha.”

Bot: “Hi Samantha! Want to see today’s specials or book a table?”

Lead captured. Customer happy.

3. Let AI Test and Tweak Your Site for You

Services like Coframe quietly improve your site in the background. They test different headlines, buttons, and layouts to see what gets the most clicks—no knowledge of A/B testing required.

A Few Tips to Keep It Human

Even with all this cool tech, the magic is in your brand’s personality. Keep these best practices in mind:

Use your voice. If you’re a playful boutique, let your chatbot be sassy. If you’re a financial planner, keep it calm and professional.
Be clear it’s AI. Customers don’t mind chatting with a bot, but they do mind feeling tricked. There are some really good AIs out there. It may not be obvious to them that they are not talking to one of your employees. Be transparent about that.
Guide people forward. Every conversation should end with a next step: “Book now,” “Call us,” or “See more.” Anticipate what would logically come next.

Ready to Make Your Website Talk?

Your customers (and potential customers) want quick answers, easy booking, and a sense that someone’s listening and understands what they want—even if that “someone” is AI.

With today’s tools, you don’t need a tech team or a giant budget. You just need your unique voice and a willingness to let your website have a conversation instead of being a silent billboard. Internet interactions are becoming more conversational. Watch how people around you are using their phones. They’re talking to AIs more often than people. You want to make sure you’re prepared to answer them back.

--------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Disaster Readiness

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 16:12:39 GMT

Surviving Disaster: A Small Business Resource Guide

September is National Preparedness Month. Being prepared before disaster hits could mean the difference between reopening your business in good time, or closing for good. We hope to encourage you to prepare for whatever disaster might come your way with the following information and resources.

Basics:

There are two different plans to look at- A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) , and a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) . A BCP helps you with regular, fairly expected disruptions, like a power outage or lost files. While this is an important plan to have in place, we will be focusing primarily on a DRP, which is meant to guide you through larger scale disasters like floods or tornadoes.

Preparation Resources:

Below we've listed some basic information for how to get your DRP in started and in place.

How to Write an Emergency Preparedness Plan - An article from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on how to write your DRP.
IRS Disaster Preparedness Tips - Tips from the IRS on how to prepare for your business for a disaster
OFB-EZ Toolkit - Handy checklists and pre-made forms for your DRP.
Ready.gov - A website from the US Government to teach you how to prepare for any and all emergencies.
Small Business Readiness For Resiliency - A teamup from multiple companies to create a multi-year initaive to empower small business owners to be proactive about disaster readiness.

Recovery and Financial Assistance:

After the disaster has happened, the danger isn't over yet. There will be many offers of assistance - but many will be scams in disguise. Before accepting help, be sure to verify identification (even from people claiming to be from the government), and be cautious of out-of-state information. Don't pay in cash (keep a record trail!), and only make the final payment after the work is done to satisfaction.

FEMA won't charge for application fees, or ask for bank account/credit card information.

Financial Help:

Recovery:

Small Business Resilience from SCORE
Recover from Disasters from SBA

Are You Accidentally Repelling Perfect Clients? (Here’s How to Fix It)

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:33:22 GMT

You've polished your website, perfected your elevator pitch, and your product or service genuinely solves real problems. Yet somehow, you keep attracting the wrong customers—the ones who haggle over every penny, make unreasonable demands, or disappear after one purchase. Meanwhile, your dream clients seem to float past, elusive, visiting but not buying.

Why?

As in any human relationship, you need to be more magnetic. If your answer is, “I’m trying,” then perhaps you’re creating the wrong kind of magnetic field around your brand.

Opposites Don't Always Attract in Business

Did you ever play with magnets? If you did, then you know magnets have two poles that create distinct fields of attraction and repulsion. Your business has something similar. Every decision you make, from your pricing strategy to your communication style, either attracts or repels specific types of customers.

Most beginning businesspeople think success is about appealing to as many people as possible. Their marketing consists of claims like, “This is a great gift for everyone,” “This item fits everyone’s lifestyle.”

But trying to appeal to everyone creates neutral magnetism that attracts no one strongly. Most customers don’t want to be everyone. They want to be spoken to in ways that catch their attention, such as “Creative architects love our tool,” or “We help people who hate doing yardwork get their weekend back.” Those types of callouts leave a potential customer thinking, “That’s me,” which inadvertently directs them to think, “That (product/service) is for me.”

Speaking in Your Customer's Natural Wavelength

Additionally, your ideal customers operate on distinct "business frequencies," that’s to say, patterns of decision-making, communication preferences, and value systems that are surprisingly predictable within industries and personality types.

Most businesses broadcast on a "Generic FM"—bland, safe messaging that technically reaches everyone but resonates with no one. Your competition is probably doing the same thing, which is why customers can't tell you apart.

Tuning Into the Right Station

Let's say you run a marketing agency. Instead of saying "We help businesses grow," try identifying your ideal client's specific “frequency”:

● The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur: "For entrepreneurs who lie awake at 2 AM wondering why their great product isn't selling itself"

● The Scaling Company: "When your scrappy startup marketing tactics hit a wall at $2M revenue"

● The Corporate Escapee: "Marketing services for executives who fled corporate life and swore they'd never work with agencies that speak in buzzwords again"

Each message repels two groups while magnetizing one and that's exactly what you want.

Availability Affects Attraction

Many small businesses are getting it backwards. They think being constantly available and accommodating makes them more attractive. In reality, it often signals low value and desperation, which is the business equivalent of appearing too eager on a first date.

This doesn't mean you should be difficult to buy from. No one’s going to purchase from someone playing “hard to get.” It means understanding what behavioral economists call "perceived scarcity signals." These are subtle indicators that communicate value through selective availability.

Examples of Strategic Scarcity

● A landscape architect who only takes on three projects per quarter (instead of cramming in as many as possible). You’ll often see this in marketing as “I just had a spot open up. Grab it now because I only have availability like this once a quarter.”

● A consultant who requires a discovery call before proposing. “Let’s jump on a call and see if we’re a good fit for one another.”

● A restaurant that closes one day per week "to maintain quality" (instead of staying open every day to maximize revenue). Chick-fil-a, enough said.

These businesses repel price-sensitive, high-maintenance customers while attracting clients who associate selectivity with expertise.

The Compound Interest of Customer Magnetism

The most overlooked aspect of customer attraction is that it compounds over time if you maintain consistency and think about how every interaction either strengthens or weakens your magnetism.

When you bend your standards, lower your prices, or compromise your values to accommodate a marginal customer (not your ideal customer), you don't just make that one transaction less profitable. You make it harder to attract ideal customers in the future.

Conversely, every time you politely decline a poor-fit customer or maintain your standards despite pressure, you strengthen your brand. Word spreads through your ideal customer network that you're selective, professional, and worth the premium.

The other part no one tells you about catering to someone other than your ideal audience is that it endangers your word-of-mouth marketing. Word-of-mouth or referrals are something every business wants because it’s one of the most powerful types of marketing. When you market to everyone, including those who are not a good fit for you, you attract the wrong kind of customers and what they say about you will either be negative or, if it’s positive, it will attract more people who are not an ideal fit. After all, most people hang out with people who are similar to them so if they’re referring people to you it will be more people who are not your target market.

The Practical Magnetism Audit

Want to identify if your business has weak magnetism? Ask yourself these questions:

Attraction Audit:

● Do your last five new customers have similar characteristics, challenges, and values?

● Would your best customers enthusiastically recommend you to their friends?

● Do people often say "I never would have thought of that" when you explain your approach?

Repulsion Audit:

● Can you clearly articulate who your service is NOT for?

● Do you regularly turn away inquiries that aren't a good fit?

● Would your worst customers give similar complaints about what they didn't like?

If you answered no to most of these questions, you likely have neutral polarity—trying to be everything to everyone and ending up magnetic to no one.

Rewiring Your Business Magnetic Field

Start by identifying your strongest existing customer relationships. What specific problems do you solve for them that no one else addresses quite the same way? What do they value about working with you that they can't get elsewhere? That's your magnetic north.

Then, gradually align everything—your messaging, pricing, processes, and even your office environment—to strengthen that specific part of your brand. Some customers will drift away. Let them. They're making room for the clients who will become your biggest advocates and most profitable relationships.

Remember, in a world of infinite choice and constant noise, being remarkably good for some people is infinitely more valuable than being adequate for everyone. Your perfect customers are out there, searching for exactly what you offer.

The businesses thriving today aren't necessarily the ones with the best products or the biggest marketing budgets. They're the ones that have figured out how to create a strong, focused magnetic field and their ideal customers can't help but be drawn in.

That's not just good marketing. That's magnetic business design.

------------

_______________________________________

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

NEXT EXIT: SUCCESS- 6 Moves to Make in 2026

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 18:00:33 GMT

Unless you've been living under a rock it's difficult to avoid all the posts about school starting back up again and summer being over. Why do those events matter? It means we're quickly approaching Q4 and that is the perfect time to review what has gone well for you this year and what has been a mounting challenge.

While you may be laser-focused on holiday sales, year-end reports, and hitting those final quarterly goals, the savviest leaders know Q4 is also the time to zoom out. The decisions you make now don’t just impact your December and year end. They shape your success well into 2026.

Business cycles move quickly. The economy, workforce, and technology will continue to shift in ways that reward businesses that plan ahead.

Ready, Set, Go!

Here’s how to get future-ready while everyone else is just trying to cross the 2025 finish line.

Set Your Goals

If you haven’t already done so, start by revisiting or creating a three-year strategy for your business. Businesses that thrive don’t just chase sales. They pursue a bigger vision.

Use Q4 to review your long-term goals. Where do you want your company to be in 2026? Expanding into new markets? Adding product lines? Increasing automation? Achieving greater efficiency and cost savings? Write it down, get buy-in from the leadership team, and align next year’s goals with that north star.

Break your vision into yearly milestones so it feels achievable, not overwhelming.

When Strategy Stalls: 4 Moves to Regain Momentum

-------------------

Invest in Movement

Next, consider technology investments. AI, automation, and digital tools are having huge impacts on efficiency and cost-savings. If you wait until 2026 to get around to auditioning these “game changers,” you’ll be behind. Look at how technology can support your growth, through things like customer relationship management, e-commerce, or workflow automation.

Starting small with a chatbot, productivity app, or scheduling tool today could free up enough resources to tackle bigger tech upgrades in 2026.

5 Genius Ways AI Can Stretch Your Existing Content
AI for Small Businesses: Practical Steps to boost utility
How Small Businesses Can Lead Innovation

----------------

Invest in People

Your workforce also deserves attention. The talent pipeline is shifting, with Gen Z stepping into more roles and hybrid work remaining a hot topic. Businesses that build flexibility, invest in upskilling, and cultivate a strong culture now will have a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining the right people.

Additionally, add professional development to your 2026 budget. It’s one of the most powerful investments for long-term growth and employee satisfaction.

If you can't afford professional development for your team, consider affordable solutions like what the chamber of commerce offers. Chamber member benefits cover all employees, which means they can attend the chamber events of their choosing and may be able to meet professional development goals through chamber trainings, webinars, and events. By bringing these opportunities to your employees’ attention you look like the rock star who's assisting them in their career pathing and knowledge attainment. The chamber may also have a mentor program that your employees can participate in. This can be a huge benefit for younger employees looking for guidance.

Perks & Benefits Idea List – Available to Chamber Members
The New Employee Benefit Everyone Is Talking About
Recognition is Free—But It Might Be the Most Valuable Investment You Make

The 2025-2026 Leadership Class is now accepting applications. Access here and return to: Office@LLChamber.com by September 15.

---------

Check the Finances

Financial resilience is another key to success. Interest rates, inflation, and shifting consumer habits make financial agility essential. Look at your cash flow, debt, and pricing strategies. What can you adjust now to weather uncertainty in the next two years? Diversifying revenue streams ensures your 2026 success isn’t dependent on one source of income.

Money Management Tips for People Who Hate Money Management
Get Ready! For Small Business Week
Small Business Resource Round-up
Mid Year reset

-------------

Build Relationships

Anticipating market shifts can also give you a competitive edge. Consumer values are evolving, especially around sustainability, health, and community. Businesses that align with these trends will have a competitive advantage. Pay attention to what your customers are asking for now. It’s often a preview of what will be standard in 2026.

5 Customer-Focused Strategies to Build Loyalty and Drive Growth
Hospitality is the Hidden Edge: Why Emotional Connection Drives Customer Loyalty
How to Build Loyalty Without Spending a Dime on Ads

-------------------

Check-in with the Chamber

Finally, strengthen your community and partnerships. No business succeeds in a vacuum. Your local chamber of commerce offers resources, advocacy, and connections that can give you a leg up in uncertain times.

Don’t just look to network—collaborate. Joint promotions, shared talent pipelines, or advocacy efforts can open doors you couldn’t access alone.

Q4 is the perfect time to step back, not just step up. By thinking beyond the immediate hustle and honing your business strategy, you’ll finish this year strong and ensure sustainable, future-ready growth in 2026 and beyond.

10 Ways to Get the Most from Your Chamber Membership

How to Build Business Connections (Even If You Hate Networking)

Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities, Drive Growth

Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever!

--------------------

Looking for information on making your landing page better? Need technical assistance? Visit here!

Looking for sponsorship/event hosting information? Complete this form to let us know what you’re interested in.

----------------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Regional Sourcing Turns Local Partnerships into Lasting Advantages

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:50:35 GMT

Local sourcing brings speed, quality, and deeper connections.
Being nearby means more control and faster problem-solving.
Investing locally builds community goodwill and brand trust.
Start small today—test one item with a local partner.

579 words ~ 3 min. read

Sometimes the best way to grow your business isn’t about going bigger—it’s about going closer.

More companies are finding that partnerships with local suppliers aren’t just about where products come from—they shape how quickly a business can move, how closely it can control quality, and how much value it can create for customers and community.

Speed You Can See
When your suppliers are nearby, orders arrive while the ink on your sales order is still drying. Questions get answered before lunch. Product tweaks happen in days, not months. That kind of responsiveness means you can serve customers better and seize opportunities while they’re still fresh.

A Front-Row Seat to Quality
Working locally lets you see the process up close. You can step onto the production floor, smell the freshly cut materials, and shake hands with the people bringing your products to life. This connection makes it easier to uphold high standards, solve issues before they snowball, and create offerings you’re proud to stand behind.

Partnerships That Feel Personal
Local sourcing often turns into more than a transaction—it becomes a relationship. When your vendor is a short drive away, you’re not just an invoice; you’re a partner. That trust leads to creative solutions, extra care during busy seasons, and a shared investment in each other’s success.

An Investment in Your Community
Dollars spent locally ripple outward—supporting jobs, other small businesses, and local services. Customers notice when you make that choice, and it often strengthens loyalty. People like to buy from businesses that invest where they live, and they remember it.

A Story Worth Sharing
More customers want to know where their purchases come from. Being able to say, “We work with suppliers right here in our region,” isn’t just a point of pride—it’s a story people tell each other, and it builds trust faster than any marketing campaign.

Your First Step
Making the shift doesn’t have to mean rewriting your whole supply chain. This week, pull up your purchase list and choose one product or service to source locally. Make a call, ask a few questions, and see how quickly a handshake can turn into a partnership. Once you’ve tested the waters, you can decide where else local sourcing fits.

The Bottom Line
Local sourcing is about more than cutting costs—it’s about speed, quality, trust, and connection. It helps you deliver faster, control outcomes better, and strengthen your brand’s story.

Global trade can move mountains, but local sourcing moves at the speed of trust—and that’s the kind of supply chain that lasts.

Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth

---

Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 19:54:53 GMT

Why it matters: In a tight hiring market, top candidates disappear fast... sometimes within days. Small businesses can win by acting quickly and tapping into local networks.
The advantage: Local employers can decide faster, offer flexibility, and connect with candidates on a personal level.
How to do it: Post jobs where your community gathers, partner with schools, and reward employee referrals.
Don’t stop at hiring: Recognize contributions, offer skill growth, and create a workplace people want to stay in.
The bottom line: Speed + relationships = a strong, loyal team in any labor market.

When the job market tightens, the best candidates disappear fast, sometimes in days, or hours. You might see a great résumé come in on Monday and find out by Wednesday they’ve already accepted another offer. In a market like that, slow hiring isn’t just risky — it’s a dealbreaker. The advantage for small, owner-operated businesses? You can move quicker, decide faster, and connect with people in a way big companies often can’t. You’re not just offering a job; you’re offering a place where someone can belong.

The Current Local Hiring Landscape
Right now, almost every “Help Wanted” sign in town is competing for the same small group of job seekers. Large employers might have fancier recruitment ads, but they also have layers of approval and corporate processes that slow things down. Local businesses can spot a great fit and make an offer in days instead of weeks. That speed, paired with a personal, community-focused culture, can tip the scales in your favor.

Where to Source Candidates Locally
The best hires aren’t always scrolling national job boards. They might be the student you meet at a Chamber mixer, the barista who remembers your order, or the neighbor whose cousin is looking for work. Go where people already gather: coffee shop bulletin boards, community Facebook groups, Chamber events. Build real relationships with local schools and training programs so you’re top of mind when they have graduates ready to work. And don’t forget your team’s networks: a good employee referral can bring you someone who already shares your values.

Retention Tips That Work for Small Teams
Hiring fast is important, but keeping people takes steady attention. Flexibility is one of the biggest advantages you can offer — whether that’s letting a parent leave early for a school event or working around a student’s class schedule. Small, thoughtful gestures like public thank-yous, a shared lunch, or a local gift card can make people feel seen and appreciated. And when you cross-train employees, you’re not just filling skill gaps — you’re showing them they have a future with you.

A Local Case Study
Consider a local retailer who hired a high school senior for weekend shifts. She could have been just another seasonal hire, but the owner saw potential and trained her in inventory, merchandising, and customer service. Within a year, she was running weekend operations and turning down offers from bigger stores. All because the owner acted quickly and invested early.

Quick-Start Checklist for This Month

Post your job in at least three local spots.
Reach out to a school or training program.
Refresh and promote your referral bonus.
Plan one new way to recognize your team.
Tell people you’re hiring at your next Chamber event.

The Bottom Line
When talent is scarce, every day matters. Small businesses that know where to look, move quickly, and create a place people want to stay will come out ahead. It’s not just about filling jobs — it’s about building a team that grows with you and strengthens the community along the way.

From Conflict to Collaboration: Turning Workplace Disputes into Growth Opportunities

The Power of 'Entry Interviews' and 'Stay Interviews': Tips from Adam Grant

Recognition is Free- But it Might be the Most Valuable Investment You make

Rock Stars vs. Superstars: Who's Fueling Your Team's Future?

---

5 Simple Numbers Every Small Business Should Track

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 14:57:18 GMT

If the thought of “tracking KPIs” makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone. For many small business owners, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) sound like something reserved for corporations with big budgets, bigger teams, and even bigger Excel spreadsheets. Who wants the hassle?

But here’s the truth: KPIs are just numbers that tell a story and if you’re not paying attention to them, you’re running your business with the lights off.

The good news? You don’t need 47 dashboards or a data analyst to track the KPIs that matter. You just need to choose a few that tell you whether you’re growing, stalling, or unknowingly throwing money out the window. Consider this article a crash course on basic KPIs.

KPIs You Should Be Tracking

If you’re like most businesses that are just beginning their financial tracking and analysis you’re concentrating on two things—what did I make and how much did I spend? That’s a great start but it’s a lot more nuanced than that.

If you’re ready to play in the big leagues but aren’t ready to hire your own analyst, here are 5 simple KPIs you should track (and you don’t need a business degree to do so):

1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

What it is: How much it costs you to get a new customer.
Why it matters: If you’re spending $100 to get a $50 sale, that’s not marketing—it’s expensive gambling.
How to track it: Divide your total marketing + sales costs by the number of new customers gained in that period.
Example: $1,000 spent / 10 new customers = $100 CAC
Pro tip: Keep an eye on every month. If it’s creeping up, your ads, outreach, or messaging may need a tweak.

2. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

What it is: The total revenue a single customer brings to your business over the course of your relationship with them.
Why it matters: It’s not the first sale that makes you profitable—it’s the second, third, and fifteenth.
How to track it: Average purchase value x number of purchases x average customer lifespan.

When CLV > CAC = happy business owner.

3. Lead-to-Customer Conversion Rate

What it is: The percentage of leads that turn into actual customers.
Why it matters: Getting leads is great. Very exciting when someone shows interest in you but converting them is where the money happens.
How to track it: (Number of new customers ÷ number of leads) x 100
Example: 10 customers ÷ 100 leads = 10% conversion rate
Pro tip: If this number is low, your follow-up process or sales messaging might need work.

4. Revenue per Employee (or per Hour)

What it is: A productivity metric that shows how efficient you or your team really are. It’s not about being busy, it’s about what you’re/they’re adding to the bottom line.
Why it matters: Working hard is great but seeing results from that work is critical to your business’ success. For instance, imagine one employee having a laundry list of work accomplished over 40 hours but no sales to show for it or an employee working three hours and making the week’s sales number. Which employee is more valuable?
How to track it: Total revenue ÷ number of employees (or hours worked, if you’re a solo act). This outcome calculates it in a general sense. If you want to figure out which employee is bringing in more revenue, you will have to create a system to assign sales to individual employees. Some PoS systems allow for codes, for instance, while most CRMs allow you to assign clients to salespeople.

This calculation helps you see if you’re scaling well or just staying busy.

5. Churn Rate (a.k.a. Goodbye Rate)

What it is: The percentage of customers who stop buying from you over a given period.
Why it matters: A leaky bucket never fills, no matter how much water you pour in.
How to track it: (Customers lost ÷ total customers at the start of the period) x 100

If this number is high, focus on customer experience, retention, and loyalty programs .

Tracking Tips

You don’t need to check these KPIs every day. Just set aside one hour a month to review them. Use a simple spreadsheet or dashboard, and ask:

What’s improving?
What’s declining?
What actions should I take based on this?

If you’re not sure what the trends mean, try plugging them into the AI of your choosing and ask it to run a basic analysis of the numbers and offer suggestions.

KPIs aren’t just vanity metrics—they’re your early warning system, your gut check, and your business GPS. Track them consistently, and you’ll be more attuned to your businesses and where it’s headed.

Further Reading:

6 Questions Every Smart Small Business Owner Asks

Community-Led Growth: The Secret Sauce Smart Businesses Are Using to Scale

Hospitality is the Hidden Edge: Why Emotional Connection Drives Customer Loyalty

Think Bigger: How Systems Thinking Gives Small Business Owners a Smarter Edge

--------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Build Loyalty Without Spending a Dime on Ads

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:46:11 GMT

When you’re building a small business, it’s easy to focus on the day-to-day grind—inventory, customer service, cash flow, and that never-ending inbox.

But if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know if you’re getting there?

That’s where a vision statement comes in. Some businesses think it’s “too corporate” or “too pretentious,” something people do to impress investors. But it’s more than a buzz phrase or a corporate checkbox.

A clear, inspiring vision is your business’s North Star—and one of the most underused tools in small business marketing. Yes, small business marketing. You don’t need to be a giant organization with stockholders to realize the power behind a well-crafted vision statement.

What Is a Vision Statement?

A vision statement is a snapshot of your business’s future—a clear, compelling declaration of where you're headed and why it matters. It’s not about what you do now; it’s about the bigger picture of what you're trying to build.

It should be:

· Aspirational

· Concise and memorable

· Future-focused

· Emotionally resonant

Examples:

“To give every kid access to affordable after-school care.”

A great vision statement is like the rallying cry of your brand. It energizes, unites, and guides. And note, it also exemplifies your tone. The example above uses the word “kid,” for instance. While not the best grammatical choice, it reflects the casual tone of the brand.

Why a Vision Statement Matters (More Than You Think)

It’s more than a bunch of clever words strung together.

1. It Aligns and Inspires Your Team

When employees understand the bigger “why” behind their work, it’s no longer just a job—it’s a mission. A clear vision gives your team something to strive for and a sense of purpose that fuels motivation and loyalty.

This is especially true for Millennials and Gen Z, who are driven by meaning, impact, and shared values. They want to work for companies that stand for something. If your business has a clear vision that aligns with their ideals, you’re no longer just an employer. You’re a movement they want to be part of.

2. It Gives Customers Something to Cheer For

People don’t just buy products. They buy into stories. Your vision helps customers understand the heart behind your brand. It shows them that when they support your business, they’re part of a bigger mission.

This emotional connection builds loyalty and transforms occasional buyers into enthusiastic advocates.

Bonus: younger generations, especially Gen Z, are more likely to support brands that align with their values and contribute to a better future.

3. It Guides Better Decisions

A vision statement acts like a compass. Faced with tough choices like Should I take this partnership? Launch this product? Shift this strategy?, you can measure your options against your long-term vision. If it doesn’t move you closer to that goal, it’s a no.

How to Use Your Vision Statement to Power-Up Your Marketing

Once you’ve written your vision statement, don’t let it collect dust. Bake it into every part of your brand story including:

Your Website

Your About Page is the perfect place to share your vision. Let visitors see the “why” behind your business. It turns your brand from a logo into a living, breathing purpose.

Social Media

Bring your vision to life with posts that reflect your mission. Share stories, customer wins, behind-the-scenes moments, or challenges you're tackling on the way to your vision. These posts create emotional resonance and are incredibly engaging.

Email Marketing

Include your vision in your welcome email sequence. When someone signs up, let them know they’re part of something meaningful. This builds connection from day one.

Packaging and Product Copy

If your vision is about sustainability, community, or creativity say it proudly on your product labels or inserts. These tiny reminders reinforce what makes your brand special.

Speaking and Press Opportunities

When telling your brand story, your vision is the headline. It sets the tone, grabs attention, and sticks with people. It’s the “why it matters” that makes your journey worth following.

Writing a Vision Statement That Actually Means Something

Corporate speak turns people off. Go for meaning, not fancy words (unless that’s your brand). Your vision doesn’t have to be world-changing to be meaningful. It just has to be real.

Ask yourself:

· What positive change do I want to make?

· What’s the long-term impact of this company?

· How do I want my business to shape the community or industry?

Then, write 1–2 sentences that feel bold, personal, and motivating. If it gives you goosebumps, you're on the right track.

Vision Statements Aren’t Just for Big Brands

You don’t have to rank among the Fortune 500 to have a strong vision statement. You just need to find something that is quintessentially you and where you see your business going. Your visions statement is important because it’s a magnet. It attracts great employees, loyal customers, and opportunities that align with your purpose. It helps you make smarter choices and tell a brand story that sticks.

So don’t bury your vision in a file somewhere. Put it front and center. Share it. Live it. And let people cheer you on as you build something that matters.

Your story deserves a spotlight. Your vision statement gives it one.

Read More on our blog
What is a Vision Statement? - From Business News Daily

-----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

9 Customer Loyalty Programs That Work

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:08:54 GMT

Attracting new customers is important, but building loyalty is where long-term success happens. Loyal customers spend more, visit more often, and refer others. According to business.com, they spend 67% more than first-time customers. Cultivating that loyalty takes more than just great service. It takes creativity, consistency, and value-driven engagement. Whether you run a retail store, restaurant, gym, salon, or professional service firm, there are many inventive ways to reward loyal customers and turn them into your best advocates.

Rewards Programs

One loyalty tactic that has been around long before the internet is a simple rewards program. Punch cards are a timeless option because they work. Whether it’s “buy 9 coffees, get the 10th free,” or “get a free appetizer after five lunch visits,” customers love a visible, tangible progress tracker.

For businesses that want to modernize the concept, there are plenty of easy-to-use digital punch card apps that eliminate the need for physical cards while still offering the same satisfaction of reaching a goal.

Reusable Loyalty Product

If your business sells products or services that people buy frequently, consider creating a reusable loyalty item. You probably have visited a coffee shop that offers branded refillable cups where customers get discounted drinks every time they bring the cup. Smoothie and juice bars can use the same concept. This approach is environmentally friendly and encourages repeat visits. Plus, it serves as mobile advertising when customers carry your branded cup around town.

Not selling food or drinks? That’s okay. Sell merch for your business and every time someone wears it into your establishment, give them a small discount for “being a fan.”

Off-season Rewards

For businesses that rely on seasonal sales, loyalty programs can reward off-season engagement. A clothing boutique might offer a VIP summer sale to top customers who shopped consistently during the slower winter months. A lawn care company could provide early-bird discounts in the spring to clients who stayed on board through the fall. AC companies can offer a “head start on summer” discount for customers who book before the hot season. This tactic keeps customers connected during quiet periods and evens out your sales cycle.

Add-ons

Service businesses have equally creative options for rewarding loyalty. Salons and spas can offer free add-ons after a certain number of visits, think a complimentary scalp massage, a product sample, or a mini facial upgrade. Gyms and fitness studios could give loyal members branded merchandise like water bottles or workout towels, or even a free guest pass to bring a friend. Pet groomers might reward frequent clients with a free pet treat or small grooming upgrade, creating small moments of surprise and delight.

Members-only

Members-only programs in businesses are catching on as many businesses have found out that customers are willing to pay a small yearly (or monthly) fee to have access to specials, discounts, or secret sales. Restaurants can mix it up by offering special menu items only available to loyalty members, or hosting an exclusive monthly “members-only” happy hour. Similarly, bars and breweries can roll out a mug club, where members pay a small fee for their own glass or mug and receive larger pours or discounted drinks throughout the year. These kinds of programs tap into a sense of belonging and exclusivity, making customers feel like insiders.

Personalization and Appreciation

Knowing what your customers want is key to creating loyalty. Reward loyalty through early access to sales (or new rollouts), VIP shopping nights, or birthday discounts. Add a personal touch by tracking customer preferences and offering tailored discounts (like a favorite brand or product) based on purchase history. Offer “surprise boxes” or curated gift packages for your most loyal customers during the holidays, adding a layer of appreciation that goes beyond standard sales promotions.

Rewarding Referrals

Professional services, like accounting firms, law offices, or real estate agencies, can create loyalty by rewarding client referrals and repeat business. For example, a tax preparation firm could offer returning clients a discount or bonus service (you can make this date capped so that people will use the discount sooner and not during your busy season), such as a free mid-year financial check-in. Real estate agents can send home anniversary gifts, calendars, or cards to clients who purchased a home through them, staying top of mind long after the sale is complete.

Competition

Another fun idea is incorporating competition into loyalty efforts. Consider what action you want your customers to take. Businesses can set up friendly challenges, such as a “Top Referrer” program where the customer who refers the most friends in a quarter wins a bigger prize. Fitness studios might run “most classes attended” contests with tiered rewards. Offices or coworking spaces can offer contests for checking in, using conference rooms, or attending events. Bookstores can offer “readers’ rewards” with discounts after a set number of purchases, or host exclusive book clubs. Florists can reward repeat customers with a complimentary bouquet after multiple orders or surprise them with a small arrangement during their birthday month.

The point of any loyalty program is to make your customers feel seen and appreciated. This needn’t be costly. A simple handwritten thank you card, a surprise discount, or a personalized acknowledgment goes a long way in an age where much of business is automated. Loyalty grows when customers know you value their business and reward their commitment in meaningful ways.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s a great time to launch or refresh your loyalty program. Contact the chamber and let them know about your promotional ideas. Networking opportunities provide you an additional platform from which to share your loyalty strategies with the community.

Building loyalty is more than a marketing tactic. It’s an investment in long-term relationships that fuel sustained business growth and help you stand out from your competition.

------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Revenue Without Regret: Designing Offers You’re Proud to Sell

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:57:01 GMT

Growth shouldn’t come at the cost of trust. Your best offers align with your values.
Ethical, high-value offers strengthen customer loyalty and long-term revenue.
The best sales strategy? Solving real problems for the right people, not selling everything to everyone.
Design offers you would recommend to your best friend. That is the standard for lasting success.

580 words ~ 3 min. read

Revenue and reputation are deeply linked. Too many businesses chase short-term gains at the expense of long-term trust. The most successful leaders understand that growth built on misaligned offers, services or products that don’t truly serve customers, eventually backfires. Customers can sense when a business values sales over solutions, and trust once lost is nearly impossible to rebuild.

Building offers you’re proud to sell means aligning profit with purpose. When you design services or products that genuinely solve problems for the people you serve, you not only drive revenue but also strengthen your brand’s credibility. Customers who feel understood and respected are far more likely to become repeat buyers, refer others, and advocate for your business.

The Alignment Test

A simple way to evaluate your offers is to ask yourself: Would I feel good recommending this to a friend or family member? If the answer is not a confident yes, it is time to revisit the structure, pricing, or positioning of your offer. Too many businesses overpromise, underdeliver, or add features customers don’t need just to justify higher prices. Instead, focus on creating offers that feel authentic, provide clear value, and are priced fairly for the transformation they deliver.

Trust as a Growth Strategy

Trust is more than a feel-good value. It is a competitive advantage. In markets crowded with choices, customers gravitate to businesses they believe in. That belief is earned when your offers consistently match or exceed expectations. Transparent pricing, honest marketing, and realistic promises are not just ethical. They are smart business. A disappointed customer might never complain to you, but they will share their experience with others.

On the other hand, customers who trust you often become your strongest advocates. Word-of-mouth referrals remain one of the most powerful growth drivers, and they only happen when people feel good about recommending you.

Designing High-Value, Ethical Offers

Ethical selling does not mean undercharging or shying away from profit. In fact, premium pricing can be part of an ethical business strategy when your offer delivers exceptional value. The key is clarity. Communicate exactly what customers will receive, who it is best suited for, and how it will solve their problem.

Businesses should regularly evaluate offers against three questions:

Does this solve a real problem for my ideal customer?
Does the price reflect both the value delivered and the effort required?
Would I feel proud to stand behind this publicly and privately?

If the answer is yes to all three, you are on solid ground.

The Bottom Line

Revenue without regret is possible when you align what you sell with what you believe. Ethical, customer-focused offers build trust, deepen loyalty, and generate long-term profitability. The strongest businesses are not just chasing sales. They are building relationships, and that is the kind of growth that lasts.

---

The Referral Engine: How to Get People Talking About Your Business

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:17:04 GMT

People talk about businesses that surprise them in a good way.
Loyal customers are like neighbors who recommend a great mechanic.
Employees are key to creating those “wow” moments customers share.
Make referring you so easy that customers barely have to think about it.
A great referral system grows like a garden when you plant the right seeds.

642 words ~ 3.5 min. read

The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. It feels like a friend saying, “You’ve got to try this place.” Think about it. The last time you tried a new mechanic, plumber, or hair stylist, did you pick it because of an ad, or because someone you trust recommended it? That is the power of referrals.

In his book *The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself*, John Jantsch says referrals aren’t random. They happen when you build a business people love to talk about, treat loyal customers like VIPs, and make it easy for them to share your name. And there’s one more piece many businesses overlook—your employees play a huge role in creating experiences worth recommending.

Give People a Story Worth Sharing

Imagine taking your car to two different repair shops. One fixes the problem and hands you the bill. The other vacuums the interior, leaves a thank-you note on the dashboard, and calls you a week later to make sure everything is running smoothly. Which one are you more likely to recommend to a neighbor?

People don’t talk about “fine” or “good.” They talk about moments that feel special. A “referable” business goes beyond getting the job done. It creates small surprises that make customers feel cared for. That might mean following up after a service, adding a handwritten thank-you note to an order, or solving a problem before the customer even asks.

Ask yourself this: if a customer told a friend about us, what story would they tell? If you can’t answer that clearly, start there.

Treat Loyal Customers Like Friends, Not Transactions

Referrals don’t come from strangers. They come from people who feel connected to your business. Think about how you recommend a great mechanic to friends. You do it because you trust them and want your friends to have the same good experience.

Your customers feel the same way when they feel valued. Discounts are nice, but loyalty is built on connection. Send thank-you notes. Offer early access to new products. Give your regular customers the first look at something new. These little touches make customers feel like insiders, and people love sharing things that make them feel “in the know.”

Empowering Employees to Drive Referrals

Employees are the ones delivering most of those referral-worthy moments, which means they need to be motivated to create them. If customers are the voice of your referral engine, employees are the spark that gets it going.

Think about inviting friends to your home. You make sure everything looks great because it’s *your* place, and you take pride in it. Employees feel the same way when they feel ownership of the customer experience. Share success stories with your team, ask for their ideas, and celebrate when they create “wow” moments.

Recognition matters. People work harder when their effort is noticed. Instead of only rewarding sales, reward the behaviors that lead to referrals. Create a “Wow Moment” board where employees share stories of times they went above and beyond. Give a small prize for the best story each week or month.

Make recognition personal too. A quick shout-out in a team meeting or a handwritten thank-you from a manager can motivate more than a generic “good job.”

Finally, tie incentives to referrals themselves. Track who customers mention when they leave reviews or refer friends. Reward employees who get named. A monthly prize for “most mentioned in customer referrals” turns great service into a fun challenge.

When employees feel proud of the experience they deliver, they create moments customers can’t wait to share.

Make Referrals Effortless

Even the happiest customers won’t talk about you if it feels like work. Think about how you share a funny video. You click a button, and it’s done. Referring your business should feel just as easy.

Give customers simple tools. That might be a shareable link, a short message they can copy and paste, or a quick way to send your information to a friend. If they have to search for your website or figure out what to say, most won’t bother.

The Bottom Line

Think of referrals like planting a garden. A great experience is the seed. Loyal customers are the water that keeps it growing. Engaged employees are the roots that hold it all together. And making referrals simple is the sunshine that helps it bloom.

If you want people to talk about you, give them something worth talking about. Treat customers like friends, empower employees to create moments worth sharing, and make referring you feel as easy as sharing a favorite song. Do that, and you’ll build a business that grows every time someone says, “You’ve got to try this.”

---

Helping Customers Move Past “Let Me Think About It”

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:12:32 GMT

Has this happened to you? Whether online or in-person, there’s a customer who lingers, hesitates. They’re eyeing your item or menu. They’re asking questions about it. You think they’re going to buy and then they walk away or abandon their online cart without making a decision. They don’t say no, they just don’t say yes.

When you see someone who’s interested, but then walks away, it’s likely not your product or service that’s the problem. It’s the fear of a better option.

The problem for most people is that there are endless options that are just a click away. Customers are paralyzed by choice. They scroll through product pages, read countless reviews, and compare minor details, all while wondering, “What if there’s something better?”

Businesses in every industry (from retail to professional services) are affected by this modern dilemma.

The good news?

It’s not a lost cause.

Helping Them Say Yes

You can help your customers move past this hesitation by simplifying the buying process and making it easier to say “yes” with confidence. Here’s how:

Clarity

The first step is clarity. Too often, businesses overwhelm customers by offering too many choices or using jargon-filled explanations. Customers don’t want to decode your options. They want a clear, obvious path forward.

Think of your products or services like traffic signs: simple, direct, and impossible to misunderstand. Package your services into clear tiers, like beginner, advanced, and premium, or create curated product bundles that take the guesswork out of choosing. When customers see fewer, well-explained options, they’re more likely to decide and less likely to second-guess it.

Tell Stories

Stories also help you cut through decision paralysis. People connect with outcomes, not features. Don’t just list the specifications of your product. Share the success story of a customer who solved a problem with it. Show the transformation, the benefit, the end result.

Reviews

When people see the positive impact on others, it creates trust and minimizes the fear that they’re making the wrong choice. In fact, according to PowerReviews, 95% of consumers read the customer reviews before making a purchase online. These reviews are pivotal to increasing revenue. Instead of customers feeling like they’re alone in the decision and aren’t sure what to do, reviews have a way of convincing them and they ultimately follow the crowd. Reviews also provide proof that your business delivers results.

The Cool Kids

If you’ve ever been to a restaurant and chosen the “house favorite,” or you’ve gone to a bookstore and selected the “Editor’s Pick” you’ve experienced the power of social proof.

You can use this same tactic in your business by guiding your customers to your most popular offerings. Label your best-sellers or staff favorites clearly. People feel more comfortable making a decision when they know others have done the same and had a good experience. It’s a simple psychological nudge that reassures customers they are making a safe, smart choice because others have before them.

Transparency

Transparency also builds confidence. One reason customers hesitate is fear of being locked into a bad decision. You can remove this roadblock with easy-to-understand policies like satisfaction guaranteed or flexible return options. When people know they have a way out, they are far more willing to commit. Even if your business doesn’t offer refunds, being upfront about expectations and outcomes creates trust and reduces anxiety around purchasing.

Step by Step

Another overlooked strategy is to guide customers through the process personally. Especially in service industries, potential clients often don’t take action simply because they don’t know what happens next. Make it crystal clear. Explain the process after purchase step by step. Show them how you’ll take care of them from start to finish. By reducing uncertainty and clarifying next steps, you’ll eliminate much of the hesitation that stalls sales.

Urgency

Finally, create urgency in a way that feels helpful, not pushy. Limited-time offers, early bird pricing, or exclusive access to new products can nudge customers toward action by showing them there’s value in deciding now, not later. People fear missing out just as much as they fear making the wrong choice. You can use this natural tendency to help customers break free from endless deliberation and feel good about their decision.

Simplifying the buying process isn’t about tricking customers into a sale or smooth-talking. It’s about creating a frictionless and clearer path to saying yes. When you make it easy to choose, easy to understand, and easy to feel good after the purchase, you’ll find your customers more willing to buy and happier to return.

---------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The New Networking: Why Strategic Alliances Beat Surface-Level Contacts

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:49:05 GMT

More than a numbers game.

Surface-level connections are easy; strategic alliances take intention and trust.
Real growth happens when relationships move beyond business card exchanges to shared outcomes.
Leaders must invest time and purpose in building alliances that yield mutual value.
Shift your networking mindset: think long-term, collaborate often, and build with integrity.
Strategic alliances create doors, not just introductions.

610 Words ~ 3 min. read

Networking has long been the currency of business growth. But too often, it's treated as a numbers game: collect enough contacts, attend enough mixers, and the right opportunity will appear. In reality, the future of business is not built on stacks of business cards; it is built on strategic alliances forged through trust, alignment, and shared success.

Transactional networking — the quick meet-and-greet, the "how can you help me?" exchange — may spark conversations, but it rarely leads to meaningful collaboration. Strategic networking, on the other hand, is about intentional relationship-building. It is a slower, more deliberate process that prioritizes alignment of values, long-term mutual benefit, and deep trust over superficial engagement.

This shift is especially critical for leaders and business owners. The difference between a referral and a revenue-driving partnership often comes down to how a relationship was nurtured. Surface-level connections might get your foot in the door. Strategic alliances, however, keep that door open and lead you to new rooms entirely.

The leaders who excel at this form of networking share a few traits. They listen more than they speak. They invest time without an immediate ask. They view every new connection through the lens of long-term collaboration: Is there mutual respect? Do our goals align? Can we create something greater together than alone?

The value of this approach becomes clear in times of uncertainty or transition. Strategic alliances can bring fresh perspectives to innovation challenges, offer trusted sounding boards for big decisions, or open new markets through co-marketing or joint ventures. These are the kinds of partnerships that help businesses not just survive, but thrive.

Building these relationships requires a mindset shift. First, stop chasing quantity and start pursuing quality. Identify a handful of key individuals whose values align with your mission. Second, show up consistently, not just when you need something. Third, be transparent about your own goals and ask thoughtful questions about theirs. When people sense sincerity, they respond with trust.

Also important is reciprocity. Strategic alliances are built on mutual value. If your first thought is “what can I get out of this,” you are not ready. Instead, ask, “how can I be useful to this person?” The most impactful alliances come from giving before asking and seeking outcomes that benefit both parties.

In a digital-first world, meaningful connections are more valuable than ever. Social media and virtual events have widened our networks but thinned our relationships. Leaders must fight that trend by doubling down on depth. Strong alliances can be the difference between a good year and a breakout one.

The Bottom Line: Strategic alliances do not happen by accident. They require clarity, consistency, and care. Move beyond transactional networking by building relationships rooted in trust, aligned goals, and mutual value. The best opportunities are not found. They are built together.

7 Creative Summer and Back - to - School Marketing Ideas

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:29:36 GMT

Summer Creativity.

As summer hits its peak (yeah, it’s hard to believe) and the back-to-school buzz begins, this is the perfect time to refresh your marketing. It’s also a great time to connect with your customers in meaningful, fun, and creative ways. And you don’t have to be a retail shop to “sell summer” or “back-to-school.”

No matter what your industry, aligning your brand with what your customers are already thinking about can drive real results.

Hot Ideas for Greater Revenue (and attention!)

Here are creative campaign ideas to help your business stand out this summer and fall, along with practical tips to execute them effectively.

1. Host a “Back-to-School Bash” or Summer Send-Off

If your business has space (or can partner with one that does), consider hosting a themed event. A “Back-to-School Bash” with games, school supply giveaways, local entertainment, or teacher discounts can bring families through the door and build brand awareness. Likewise, a “Summer Send-Off” can attract attention by celebrating the last days of summer with frozen treats, live music, or even outdoor games in your parking lot.

Collaborate with other nearby businesses to co-host the event and cross-promote it across your social media channels. This helps reach new audiences while sharing costs and planning efforts.

2. Launch a Limited-Time Summer Discount or Bundle

People love a good deal, especially during the busy (and expensive) back-to-school season. Create a time-sensitive summer discount or bundle that aligns with your offerings.

For example:

Retail stores can offer “Fill-a-Bag” sales where customers get a set discount on whatever they can fit in a branded tote.
Salons or spas can offer “Fresh Start” packages for students or teachers.
Restaurants can offer “Family Meal Nights” with discounted pricing to make back-to-school dinner stress-free.
Bakeries can pitch “End of Summer” discounts for parents celebrating the return of kids to school. For businesses that ship their goods, remind parents to send goodies to their college kids.

Make the promotion feel exclusive by offering early access to your email subscribers or social media followers.

3. Celebrate Teachers and Students

Educators and students are top of mind during the back-to-school season, and many businesses miss the opportunity to show appreciation. Offer a special teacher or student discount week. Consider spotlighting a local educator on your social media or partnering with a school to donate supplies or a portion of proceeds from a sales day.

You could even host a “Nominate a Teacher” campaign where customers submit entries to win a free product, service, or gift card for a favorite educator. It’s a feel-good effort that also builds engagement and goodwill in the community.

4. Embrace Email Campaigns with Personality

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach your audience, especially when it’s tailored, timely, and fun. A “Countdown to School” series can feature daily tips, products, or services to help parents prepare. A weekly “Summer Spotlight” campaign could highlight best-sellers, introduce new items, or share behind-the-scenes business stories.

Be sure to include vibrant visuals, a strong call to action, and, if possible, a promotional incentive. Even a small exclusive discount for email subscribers can drive sales and signups.

5. Run a Social Media Challenge or Giveaway

Tap into the power of user-generated content by launching a back-to-school photo challenge. Ask followers to post photos with your product, tag your business, or use a branded hashtag. Offer a prize for the best or most creative entry, such as a gift card or back-to-school care package.

Don’t forget the social media trends. Do a riff on the popular “first day of school” post for your business. Do a summer wrap-up post. Spend some time on Reels and TikTok to learn what’s trending and do your version of the same.

This type of campaign increases your online visibility, encourages customer interaction, and creates a sense of community, all at a relatively low cost.

6. Offer a “Summer Internship” Experience for Kids or Teens

If appropriate for your business, create a camp, mock internship, or one-day shadow experience for older kids or teens. This can be educational, engaging, and a great way to connect with families in your area. Share the experience on your social media channels to showcase your business’s commitment to youth and education.

It doesn’t have to be formal. Let a student “run” your store’s Instagram Stories for a day or give them a behind-the-scenes look at your creative process. It's fun, memorable, and builds brand loyalty with future customers. Invite a student you know to come in and talk about your business, give a behind the scenes tour, or taste a new offering.

7. Partner with Local Schools or Organizations

Form partnerships with local schools, PTAs, or youth organizations to create mutually beneficial campaigns. For example, offer a discount to parents when they bring in a school supply item to donate, or sponsor a school's first-day breakfast or teacher welcome kits. Adopt a classroom. These partnerships can often be promoted through the school’s own communication channels, giving your business exposure to a wider (and relevant) audience.

The summer and back-to-school seasons offer a natural opportunity to energize your marketing. It’s not just about promotions; it’s about getting more personal with your customers. You know what’s on their mind and you’re there to show them you get it.

Finally, your Chamber of Commerce is there to help. Ask them for assistance, ideas/introductions to help you partner with other businesses, campaign ideas, and/or promotional support. They love seeing their businesses thrive, and they’ll cheer you on every step of the way.

Your Business Isn’t Too Small to Build a Brand

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:27:41 GMT

Branding isn’t about size. It’s about clarity, consistency, and purpose.
Small businesses with strong brands grow faster and retain more loyal customers.
A brand is the promise you keep, not just the logo you use.
Start with your story and values. Then build visual and verbal consistency.
Every customer interaction should reinforce what makes you different.

636 Words ~ 3.5 min. read

When most people think “brand,” they picture big names like Nike, Apple, or Starbucks. But in truth, some of the strongest brands belong to small businesses. Like the neighborhood bakery with a line out the door every Saturday. Or the local contractor everyone recommends without hesitation. What sets them apart isn’t budget. It’s branding done right.

Branding isn’t just for big companies. It’s how any business, of any size, communicates who they are and why they matter. For small businesses, branding isn’t a luxury. It’s your edge. It helps you cut through noise, attract better-fit customers, and grow with confidence. Yet too often, small business owners treat branding as something they’ll invest in later. That’s a missed opportunity.

A strong brand isn’t about fancy design or a clever tagline. It’s about clarity and consistency. It’s the promise you make and keep every time a customer interacts with your business. When done well, branding builds trust, emotional connection, and long-term loyalty. That’s true whether you’re running a restaurant, a retail shop, or a B2B service company.

So where should a small business start? Not with a costly rebrand or an elaborate style guide. Begin with your story. Why did you start this business? What do you believe in? What do you do better than anyone else? Those answers are the foundation of your brand identity.

Next, translate that identity into a voice and look that feel authentic to you. Choose a tone that fits your values. Whether that’s professional, casual, inspiring, or direct. Then use it across every customer touchpoint. One local accounting firm embraced a tone of friendly expertise in everything from its emails to signage and saw referrals rise 30 percent in a year.

Your visuals matter too. You don’t need a world-class designer. Start with a few key colors, a clean font, and a logo that aligns with your message. What matters more than polish is consistency. Make sure your website, signage, social media, and printed materials all feel like they’re coming from the same voice and visual identity.

And most importantly, bring your brand to life in how you deliver your service. Your customer experience should reflect your values in action. If your brand is about reliability, you need fast response times and follow-through. If it’s about community, you should be engaging locally and making people feel seen.

Small businesses that get branding right build something bigger than marketing. They build reputation. They become memorable, trusted, and easier to recommend. A strong brand turns customers into advocates and consistency into growth.

The Bottom Line: Branding isn’t about budget or business size. It’s about being clear on your purpose, consistent in your message, and authentic in how you show up. Take ten minutes today to write down what you stand for. That’s the first step to building a brand that lasts.

Christmas in July: How You Can Sleigh Summer Sales

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:48:48 GMT

It may be extraordinarily hot and sunny (at least it is in most parts of the country right now), but it’s also the perfect time to jingle your way to more sales with a Christmas in July promotion. This festive mid-year moment is a golden opportunity to engage customers, clear inventory, and create a buzz—without the stress of December chaos. Plus, it’s becoming more popular over the past couple of years. With Prime Days in July, it’s also quickly becoming a time when buyers are conditioned to expect deals and encouraged to start thinking ahead to the holidays.

With costs up, buying early and spreading out spending (instead of bundling it into one expensive month) is good advice for customers as well. Even if you’re not in retail, you can offer many of these sales pushes to bring customers in.

10 Cool Ideas for Hot Sales

You don’t need elves or a North Pole budget. Best of all, these ideas are fun and will get your audience talking about you.

Here are some easy-to-execute, creative ideas your business can pull off before July melts away:

12 Days of Deals

Turn the rest of the month into a “12 Days of Christmas in July” flash sale. Each day, highlight a new product or service with a limited-time discount or bundle.

Bonus tip: Use social media countdowns and reels to build excitement daily.

Summer Santa Sale

Clear out old inventory with a "Santa's Clearance Sleigh" theme. Decorate with beachy tinsel, offer free “reindeer delivery” (local delivery or free shipping), and dress a staff member like Santa in shades and flip-flops for Instagram gold.

Gift Card Bonus Fest

Offer a free mini gift card with gift card purchases—perfect for summer birthdays or to use later. (Example: Buy a $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card.)

Host a Mini Christmas Market

If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, invite a few local makers or food vendors to co-host a pop-up “Christmas in July” sidewalk sale. Add festive music, cold cider or (iced) cocoa, and you're in business.

Frozen Favorites or Cool Combos

Restaurants, cafes, and bakeries can create “Frozen North Pole” menus—think peppermint milkshakes, snowflake cupcakes, or Santa sundaes. Pair items for combo pricing: “The Claus Combo” or “Mrs. Claus’s Favorite.”

Run a Holiday Throwback Social Campaign

Invite customers to share their favorite holiday memories or photos for a chance to win a July-exclusive prize. Use hashtags like #ChristmasInJuly or #SantaOnVacation.

Offer ‘Gift Yourself’ Packages

Service-based businesses (salons, spas, coaches) can package their services as self-gift options: “You survived half the year… you deserve a little magic” or “The kids are off for the summer survival kit.”

Host a Virtual Holiday Party

Bring your community together for an online trivia night, ugly tank top contest, or “Hot Cocoa & Chill” movie watch party (featuring a Christmas classic, of course). Offer a discount code during the event to boost real-time sales.

Launch a VIP Pre-Holiday Club

Give your loyal customers early access to limited holiday inventory, deals, or pre-orders starting now. Tease “Christmas in July” as a sneak peek into holiday magic, minus the wait.

Create a “Naughty or Nice” Coupon Draw

Let customers draw a sealed envelope at checkout with a mystery “naughty” (small) or “nice” (bigger!) discount. It’s fun, interactive, and keeps people shopping for a chance at the best deal. Not to mention it’s sure to bring some laughs from their friends as they open.

Make the Holiday Last

Christmas in July may feel hokey, but it’s a great way to get people excited about what’s to come. Cap off your Christmas in July activities with a teaser: “Santa’s headed back to the North Pole… but he’ll be back in December. Make sure you’re on the nice list—sign up for our emails for early holiday deals!” This will bring them back later on in the year and help keep you connected for the next several months.

----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Scaling Your Impact: From Doer to Delegator to Developer

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:15:33 GMT

Most businesses don’t stall because of market conditions or strategy missteps. They stall because their leaders don’t evolve.

Businesses plateau when leaders don’t evolve.
If you’re still the hub of every decision, you’re not scaling—you’re stalling.
True growth happens when leaders shift from doing tasks to developing people and systems.
This article walks through that essential transition: from Doer to Delegator to Developer .
The payoff: a business that grows beyond you.

638 Words ~ 3.5 min. read

Most businesses don’t stall because of market conditions or strategy missteps. They stall because their leaders don’t evolve. If you're still the person everyone depends on to make decisions, approve tasks, and solve problems, your business isn't scaling. It's bottlenecking. The reality is that no organization can outgrow the capacity of its leadership. To truly scale, you must transition from being the one who does the work, to the one who builds the system, to the one who grows the people.

Early in the life of a business, success often rides on your willingness and ability to do it all. In this Doer stage, you’re in the trenches: selling, servicing, troubleshooting. It’s an adrenaline-fueled, high-control, high-responsibility phase. And it works. Until it doesn’t. Over time, the weight becomes unsustainable. When you’re the linchpin for every operation, progress is constrained by your availability and energy. You may be working harder than ever and still feeling like you're falling behind.

Eventually, to grow, you must let go. Enter the Delegator stage. This is where leaders begin to trust others to carry the load. Delegating isn't about offloading. It’s about empowering others with clarity and ownership. Done well, it increases your organization's capacity and sharpens your focus. Yet delegation alone only buys time. It doesn’t build scale. Many leaders plateau here, stuck in a loop of assigning tasks but still making all the key decisions.

The real leap happens when you become a Developer. This stage is less about controlling outcomes and more about shaping environments. Developer leaders create systems that reduce reliance on any one person, including themselves. More importantly, they grow people. Not just by assigning them tasks, but by coaching them to think critically, lead confidently, and take ownership. It’s no longer about asking, “How do I get this done?” but rather, “How do I enable others to do this better than I ever could?”

This evolution also changes how you define your role. Your value is no longer tied to personal output. Instead, it’s measured by the capability and autonomy of your team. Developer leaders build resilient organizations that can operate and thrive without their constant intervention.

Ask yourself: If you took two weeks off starting tomorrow, what would break? If the answer is “everything,” you're still too central to the machine. That’s not a leadership problem. It’s a scalability problem.

The journey from Doer to Delegator to Developer isn’t just a framework. It’s a mindset shift. It requires vulnerability, patience, and the willingness to relinquish control in service of something larger. But it’s also the clearest path to freedom, fulfillment, and sustainable growth.

Leadership isn’t about how much you do. It’s about how well you enable others to do.

The Bottom Line
To scale your business, you must scale your leadership. Moving from task execution to system design to people development is the key transition every founder, executive, and team leader must make. When you invest in building leaders, not just doing the work, you stop being the bottleneck and start being the builder.

For more context, see:

---

Reels and Groups: What People Are Talking About

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:17:51 GMT

Social Media is Constantly Changing.

Facebook continues to be one of the most powerful platforms for businesses to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales. With over 2 billion users and tools that support everything from video marketing to community building, it remains a key part of many business marketing strategies. And that’s why it’s important to keep an eye on it.

Two big pieces of news about the platform just hit (one planned, one not so much). Every business should be aware of:

1. Facebook is merging all video uploads into Reels, streamlining the posting process and pushing businesses toward short-form, mobile-friendly content.

2. A sudden and unexplained deletion of thousands of Facebook Groups shows that access to your audience on social media is never guaranteed—even if you haven’t violated any rules.

This news carries big implications for businesses, not only how you create content, but how you protect your access to your customers and followers.

Keep reading for what these updates mean, how to adapt, and why now is the time to get serious about owning your audience through email.

What’s Changing with Video

Facebook is unifying all video uploads under Reels—so whether you previously posted in Feed or as a Reel, everything now lands in one seamless format. That means no more choosing between formats or worrying about length restrictions.

Clap, clap. It’s about time. Most people didn’t understand the differences between videos and Reels anyway.

Why It Matters for Businesses

Just another change, right? Hold on. This one makes life a little easier because it introduces:

· Simplicity in creation: A single posting interface now offers access to filters, effects, trimming, and more, ideal for creating polished video without added complexity. (Huray. This confused a lot of novice video creators. The tools were inconsistent. It was difficult to tell when you could do what. Some thought they were uploading videos but uploaded to reels. Others thought Reels had to be funny and opted for video uploads, which decreased the number of views they received. Reels just seem to get more views. Options overcomplicated things. No more.)

· Unified audience settings: Same visibility and privacy options for all videos, so no more jumping between post types.

The Good—and the Gotchas

As with all rollouts, there’s a lot to celebrate and a few gotchas. Again, this is largely a good thing for most business creators, but we want you to have the full information.

Advantages

· Boosted engagement : Easier tools let businesses focus on brand storytelling, not tech hurdles.

· Flexible formats: From quick announcements to longer behind‑the‑scenes clips—Reels now supports them all.

Challenges

Generally, this is a good thing that will streamline the creation process, but there is one thing to be aware of. You may need a strategy reset. If your team leans long‑form, you’ll need fresh tactics to work within Reels’ vibe. Longer videos will be accommodated on Reels, but you’ll need to learn about the all-important “hook” when designing for this platform.

And, in other Facebook news…

New Risk: Group Access Can Disappear Without Warning

This week (June 24-25) Facebook mistakenly deleted or suspended thousands of Groups, from gossip and hobby communities to parenting and support networks, citing vague policy violations like “terrorism-related content” or “nudity.” Large, active groups—even with no history of violations—were impacted.

According to an article in the Daily Telegraph, many admins lost access with generic “This isn’t available” notices and slow/no appeals. Meta is calling it a “technical error,” but full restoration remains uneven. Reddit exploded with stories about groups around the globe disappearing.

What This Means for You

No, the sky isn’t falling. We’re not calling for a mass exodus of Facebook, but if you use Facebook for business, this is an incredibly important lesson. This incident proves that without any misconduct or breaches, access can be revoked instantly, without notice and with limited recourse.

Don’t (necessarily) get off Facebook but you should invest time in creating valuable content on a platform you own and building an email list.

Why Engagement & Email Lists Are Mission-Critical—More Than Ever

1. Own your audience. Facebook may change tools or glitch without warning. But your email list is secure, always under your control.

2. Avoid algorithm risks. Today's shift to Reels and tomorrow’s tech issues mean you can’t rely solely on any social channel to reach customers.

3. Deeper engagement builds trust. Move followers from passive viewers to active subscribers. Email interaction is direct, measurable, and permanent.

Strategic Next Steps for Your Business

What should you be doing next? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Double down on Reels. Plan creative video series, use in-app tools, and align content to marketing goals—awareness, leads, and education. Work on creating cohesive, deliberate, and valuable content.

2. Launch an email opt-in campaign. Offer freebies (e.g., tip sheets, checklists) to encourage sign-ups from social.

3. Promote across formats. In every post, include strong CTAs like “Join our list for exclusive updates.”

4. Track channels. Use analytics to see which content drives both views and conversions (website clicks, email sign‑ups).

Facebook’s Reels update simplifies creating high-impact video. But the recent Group takedown incident is a sobering reminder: platform access is fragile and can vanish in an instant. It’s essential now more than ever to actively engage your followers and convert them into email subscribers so you're never left stranded if social channels shift.

------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Rock Stars vs. Superstars: Who’s Fueling Your Team’s Future?

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:01:44 GMT

Every leader wants high performers, but not all high performers are the same.

High performers follow different paths: some seek mastery, others momentum.
Rock stars deliver consistency and depth; superstars fuel innovation and velocity.
Leaders must tailor recognition, feedback, and growth opportunities accordingly.
When managed well, both create a high-functioning, future-ready organization.
Start by asking: What does success mean for this individual?

640 words ~ 3.5 min. read

Every leader wants high performers, but not all high performers are the same.

Early in her management career, author Kim Scott discovered a powerful distinction that changed the way she led teams. In her book Radical Candor, she introduces the idea of “rock stars” and “superstars,” two types of exceptional employees who contribute in very different but equally valuable ways.

Understanding this distinction is essential for leaders. It’s not just about delegation or recognition. It’s about building sustainable, high-functioning teams that deliver results without burning out.

Rock stars are the team’s steady force. They are deeply skilled professionals who love what they do and consistently excel at it. They aren’t motivated by rapid advancement. Instead, they find satisfaction in mastery and consistent contribution. They are the reason everything runs smoothly even during times of stress or transition. Every team needs people like this. Yet they are often overlooked because they don’t seek the spotlight.

Superstars are the accelerants. They seek out challenges, crave growth, and bring fresh energy to every project. Their ambition pushes boundaries and drives progress. They want to move forward and, when supported properly, help raise the performance of those around them.

Both types of employees are essential. But many leaders make the mistake of treating them the same way.

Consider what happens when a rock star is pushed toward a leadership role they don’t want. Over time, they feel misunderstood and undervalued. The result is often disengagement or departure. Now imagine a superstar eager to take on more responsibility, but their manager hesitates or fails to provide opportunities. That superstar will eventually leave in search of a place that better matches their pace and ambition.

The takeaway is clear. Managing talent effectively means adapting your leadership to the needs of the individual.

Rock stars do best when they receive feedback that respects their expertise and encourages them to deepen their skills. They want their work to be acknowledged, not necessarily elevated in title. Praise, opportunities to mentor others, and consistent roles where they can thrive are what matter most.

Superstars need challenging assignments, freedom to solve problems, and regular conversations about their career trajectory. Micromanagement undermines their potential. Instead, they benefit from structured autonomy and clear guidance on how to achieve their goals.

Smart leaders act on these differences. They assign work based on strengths and aspirations. Rock stars are ideal mentors and internal coaches who help maintain quality and team cohesion. Superstars shine in fast-moving projects, innovation sprints, and leadership development opportunities.

The synergy between these two profiles is powerful. Superstars raise the bar, while rock stars keep the bar from falling. One drives innovation, the other delivers consistency. Together, they create a team that is both agile and dependable.

It’s also important to recognize that people shift between these roles. A superstar may move into rock star mode during a new life phase. A rock star may seek a faster pace when inspired by a new goal. Good leadership means staying tuned in and asking the right questions, rather than making assumptions.

A great place to begin is by asking each team member, “What does success look like for you right now?”

The answer can guide your leadership style, improve retention, and unlock performance across your organization. Because real leadership isn’t about driving people toward a single definition of success. It’s about helping each individual grow in a way that makes them—and your company—stronger.

For more insights, check out this article from Fast Company: Want to be a better leader? Start coaching your team like this .

---

How to Build Business Connections (Even If You Hate Networking)

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:05:58 GMT

It's All About Relationships.

Even though being part of the chamber is one of the easiest ways to increase your network, we understand that some business pros can’t make it to networking events. But networking is incredibly important because people want to do business with those they know, like, and trust. If you don’t have the time to attend networking events, there are ways to network.

You don’t need a name tag and a stack of business cards to make powerful connections. In fact, some of the best networking happens outside of formal events (even though our events are lots of fun and you should check them out for yourself). As a business owner, every week is different and sometimes you just can’t get it all done. But while event attendance may not always be possible, networking is.

Here are 7 real-world ways to build relationships that help grow your business:

1. Turn Conversations Into Opportunities

You don’t need a pitch—just be curious. Chat with the person next to you at the coffee shop. Ask your dog groomer about their busiest seasons. People love to talk about their work.

Listen well, ask thoughtful questions, and you’ll be surprised how often the conversation turns back to your business and how you might help. If it doesn’t, you may be able to connect them with someone who can help and that goes a long way to building a relationship too.

Further Reading:

- How To Turn Small Talk into Big Opportunities

2. Support Other Local Businesses (and Let Them Know It)

Buy your birthday gifts at the local boutique. Post a picture of your favorite sandwich shop and tag them on social media. Become someone they recognize online. It doesn’t take much to become a top fan or reviewer.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or be hard, either – take a picture of where you went out to eat lunch and tell people about your favorite meal there. Try a new menu item. Visit a store of the first time. You don’t have to do this daily, start with an easy goal and go from there.

This can also be done from your business page, or your personal page.

3. Volunteer Where Your Ideal Customers Hang Out

If your ideal clients are parents, volunteer at the school carnival. If they’re fitness buffs, sign up to help at a local 5K. We also have plenty of volunteer opportunities at the chamber.

You’re not there to sell—just to show up and be helpful. But you’ll naturally meet people, build trust, and become that friendly, local business owner everyone remembers.

This goes for attending regular events where your ideal audience hangs out. For instance, if you own a cleaning business, look to attend events where you’ll run into real estate professionals. They are often asked for referrals, and they’ll likely refer people they know, not from an ad on the internet.

Volunteer Ideas for Meeting People:

- The Chamber!

- LV Arts

- Fort Leavenworth Spouses Club

- Camp Leavenworth (booths, information & a 5k!)

- Leavenworth County Historical Society

- Leavenworth Historical Museum Association

- Leavenworth County Humane Society

- Stronghold Food Pantry

Further Reading:

- The Leadership Edge You’re Overlooking: Why Volunteering Pays Off

4. Host Something Low-Key and Useful

If you have the time, host your own event but make it casual and valuable. Think:

· “Coffee & Questions” at your shop once a month

· A short Q&A on Instagram Live

· A small invite-only roundtable for local businesses in related (or complementary) industries

No sales pitch. Just connection and value.

Consider even partnering with a location. Check out our dining listings here . Or do you have a location to host events yourself? Let us know!

The Chamber is also currently looking for coffee hosts for 2026! Contact us at Office@LLChamber.com for available dates and requirements.

5. Be Generous With Referrals

If you meet someone great recommend them. Tag them. Share their info. When you refer people without expecting anything in return, they remember you as someone who adds value. And guess who they’ll think of when they need your services?

6. Use Your Content as a Conversation Starter

Posting regularly on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or even a local Facebook group gives people a way to get to know you and comment, share, or reach out. Content can spark conversations that turn into real-world relationships. Just keep it real: show your face, your story, and your expertise in bite-sized, helpful ways and do it consistently if you want people to recognize and remember you.

Also consider becoming a speaker for a luncheon or informational forum.

7. Ask for Introductions

Nobody likes a pushy salesperson. Don’t go into an interaction with the question, “I sell X. Want to buy some?” or “Do you know anyone who needs X?” They don’t even know you yet and you’re asking them to put their name on the line with their network and refer you.

You want a referral to be a good thing for both you, the person being referred, and the one doing the referring. You get the sale, the person being referred gets good service or a quality product, and the referrer looks like a super star to their friend who needed something. That’s why you don’t want to go in demanding a referral. There’s too much at stake for the referrer.

Instead, try:

“Hey, I’m trying to meet more people who [insert industry or shared interest]. Do you know anyone who’d be open to a quick coffee or a 10-minute chat?”

It’s not pushy. It’s human. And when people know what kind of connection you’re looking for, they’re often happy to help.

Networking Is Just Relationship Building

You’re not trying to collect business cards. There’s no prize for that unless you’re trying to get into the record book and that’s not a record you want to go for. (The current record is over 52,000 and the most collected in 24 hours is 414.)

Instead, try building a reputation as someone people trust, like, and want to support. That happens through small, repeated actions, not by accruing piles of cards.

Start with one conversation a week. One kind comment. One helpful share. One coffee.

Before you know it, you’ll be networking without even realizing it.

And come to our next networking event as well. We’d love to hear how your connections are going.

Did you know? Our Chamber Coffees and Ribbon Cuttings are great events to get to know people. And they don’t require an RSVP! So no last minute panicking if you forgot, or if something turns up and you can’t make it after all. Ribbon Cuttings are a way for people to remember you as someone who came to help them celebrate. Chamber Coffees first have guaranteed caffeine, and second, are hosted at different locations each month. A new chance to meet people, or a good way to catch up with someone with a busy schedule.

If you’re looking for a more focused program, no problem. We also have monthly Women’s Division luncheons, Military Affairs Council meetings, as well as Government Affairs Committee meetings.

Further Reading:

- The Referral Revival

- Navigating Networking: When to Say No

- Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth

- FORD vs. HEFE: Frameworks for Networking and Small Talk

- 15+ Creative Partnership Ideas to Boost Customer Engagement and Sales

--------------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

6 Questions Every Smart Small Business Owner Asks

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 19:47:49 GMT

(Your success may depend on how honestly you answer these) 

When you want to get to know someone better and have a great conversation, what do you do?

You ask them questions, of course. Questions get the conversation started and they show you have an interest in the person you’re speaking with.

The same is true of your business.

Asking and answering questions about the operation of your business can increase your efficiency and knowledge. By taking the time to perform a self-audit, you will get to know your business and process better and that means greater alignment with the needs of your target audience.

Get to Know Your Business with These Questions

When you first start your business, you probably stitched it all together on the fly in the least expensive way you could. After all, most of us aren’t backed by angel investors from the start. We cut corners to get going, to make things happen. It’s fine in the beginning. Bootstrapping is nothing to be ashamed of. But it can leave you at a long-term disadvantage.

That’s why at some point in the growth of your company, you need to ask yourself:

What Am I Proud of?

Questioning what you’re most proud of in your business can help you get to the root of your business story. Your story can help you connect with your target audience and increase your revenue. Take some time to think about how and why you help and what makes you beam with pride. Then incorporate that into your marketing.

What Do I Feel Ashamed Of?

Conversely, it’s important to know where you think your weaknesses are. If you’re ashamed of something that means you don’t feel like you’re doing your best and putting forth your best effort. Why is that? Is it because you’re not the best person suited for that activity or responsibility? Now that you’ve built your business, could someone else be doing that?

What Feels Clunky or Delayed?

When you talk to other businesses, watch videos on the subject, or hear others describe their operations, is there something that feels behind the times in your business? Could something run smoother or be more efficient? Don’t ask yourself how you would do it, just note the specific things that could make a difference. Look for the friction in your operations, administration, and/or sales process.

What’s Still Manual That Shouldn’t Be?

Tech has come a long way in the past five years. If you’re still using the same tools you did in 2020, it may be time for a revamp. Conversely, if there’s something you’re doing manually that takes a lot of time and coordination, find out if it can be streamlined with new technology. Chances are it can.

What Do You Hate Doing?

Is there something you hate doing in your business? Why is that? Again, is it competency, time, or resources? Maybe you hate invoicing, for instance, because you don’t see yourself as detail oriented and that’s a role where it’s required. You’re probably right. Get someone else to do it. Maybe you hate doing the books, but you have to be the one to do it. Look into ways that would make it more enjoyable for you such as using dictation.

What Bad Reviews Are You Getting?

Is there something in your operation that everyone hates? Are most of your imperfect reviews about the same thing? If so, it sounds like there’s a sticking point in your process. How can you remedy it so that you and your customers will be happier?

Like relationships, and items for that matter, it’s necessary to revisit the way things work periodically and ensure they’re functioning at their highest levels. Without occasional introspection and examination, your business could wither. Before you make sweeping change, asking yourself these simple questions can help you prioritize the change that is most needed and most likely to yield the best results.

---------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Think Bigger: How Systems Thinking Gives Small Business Owners a Smarter Edge

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:37:22 GMT

If you’re constantly putting out fires in your business, you might be treating symptoms instead of fixing systems.
Systems thinking helps you connect the dots across hiring, sales, customer service, and operations.
It’s not theory. It’s a practical mindset that builds efficiency, resilience, and smarter decision-making.
Small business owners who think in systems avoid waste, anticipate problems, and lead with greater clarity.

604 Words ~ 3 min. read

Ever fix a leaky pipe only to find another bursts a few days later? Running a business without systems thinking is like that. Every fix creates new problems because nothing in your business operates in isolation. Everything is connected.

That is why systems thinking matters. Once used primarily by scientists and large corporations, it is now a strategic advantage for small business owners who want to stop reacting and start leading with clarity and purpose.

What Is Systems Thinking?

Systems thinking is a problem-solving approach that looks at the full picture, not just individual components. It focuses on how different functions, teams, and processes interact, and how those relationships create patterns over time.

For example, if sales are falling, it is easy to blame the sales team. But a systems thinker goes deeper. Is marketing reaching the right audience? Are order delays impacting customer experience? Are internal goals misaligned?

This mindset addresses root causes rather than surface issues. It gives leaders insight that leads to sustainable improvements.

A Real-World Win

Consider a local bakery that saw repeat business begin to dip. The owner initially considered staff retraining but instead decided to map the entire customer journey. She discovered supply chain delays were increasing wait times during peak hours, which frustrated customers. By adjusting vendor relationships and revising inventory practices, she sped up service and brought customers back.

This is systems thinking in action.

Why Small Businesses Need It

Smaller businesses operate with tighter resources and greater exposure to risk. One decision can impact multiple areas at once. That is why systems thinking helps owners lead more effectively. It provides structure for understanding cause and effect throughout the business.

Here’s how it supports growth:

Efficiency: Uncover root issues in operations rather than solving isolated problems.
Smarter decisions: Detect recurring patterns and fix their source, not just the outcome.
Foresight: Recognize how changes in one area will impact the entire organization.

How to Get Started

You do not need a formal system or software to begin. Use these simple steps:

Sketch your system. Create a visual map of how departments, people, tools, and customers interact.
Identify feedback loops. Look for areas where problems tend to repeat or compound.
Ask deeper questions. Move from “What went wrong?” to “What in our structure caused this result?”
Review regularly. Set time aside monthly to assess how recent changes are impacting other parts of the business.

Free tools like Lucidchart or Miro can help you visualize your system. For more advanced insights, explore Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review .

The Bottom Line

Systems thinking gives small business leaders the perspective needed to lead with confidence, not just react to chaos. It connects the dots between actions and outcomes, so you can fix what really matters. The most effective business owners think in systems. They see how each decision shapes the whole. That is what helps them grow stronger, faster, and more sustainably.

---

Mid-Year Reset: 5 Smart Moves to Strengthen Your Small Business

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 19:01:55 GMT

The year's midpoint is your wake-up call—refocus now to finish strong.
Scrutinize your numbers to find what’s working (and what’s not).
Reboot your marketing before seasonal shifts hit.
Remove workflow roadblocks to boost team output.
Reconnect with your business’s core purpose.

597 Words ~ 3 minute read

The midpoint of the year often hits like a reality check: goals half-met, momentum lagging, and a to-do list that keeps growing. But this moment is also a strategic gift: a reset button that can set you up for a stronger, smarter second half.

Here are five high-impact moves to help you reset with intention and finish the year with confidence:

1. Run the Numbers, Then Rewrite the Playbook
Take a hard look at your financials. Are you ahead, behind, or coasting? Scrutinize revenue trends, margins, and expenses. Identify what’s draining resources and double down on what’s driving growth. Use the insights to reshape your financial strategy for the next six months, because winging it isn’t a plan.

2. Reboot Your Marketing Before the Fall Rush
If your marketing has lost steam, this is your window to revive it. Launch a seasonal promotion, refine your messaging, or test new channels to re-engage your audience. And don’t wait to prep for fall. Holiday planning starts now. Review your content calendar, track past performance, and align campaigns with your business goals.

3. Clear the Roadblocks Slowing Your Team
Small inefficiencies become big headaches by year’s end. What processes are wasting time? Where’s the communication breaking down? Invite your team to flag friction points and co-create solutions. Even modest upgrades, such as automating reports, streamlining meetings and clarifying roles, can drive major gains. Harvard Business Review explores how better collaboration fuels better outcomes.

4. Recalibrate Your Goals and Reset Priorities
It’s okay if the goals you set in January don’t fit anymore. Priorities evolve. What matters is focus. Reassess your KPIs and trim anything that’s distracting from your top objectives. Reset your team’s focus around fewer, clearer targets so execution becomes simpler and more powerful.

5. Reconnect with Your Why
Amid the grind, your original mission can get blurry. Take a step back to reflect: Why did you start this business? Who do you serve, and how do you want to show up for them? Realigning with your purpose energizes your leadership and clarifies your brand. Fast Company outlines how reconnecting to your “why” boosts both engagement and performance.

Bottom Line:
A mid-year reset isn’t just a productivity hack, it’s a strategic imperative. It gives you space to pause, zoom out, and ask the critical questions that get lost in day-to-day urgency. By evaluating your numbers, refreshing your marketing, streamlining operations, focusing your goals, and reigniting your purpose, you give your business the fuel it needs to finish the year not just intact, but thriving. This isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most with greater clarity, consistency, and conviction.

---

5 Genius Ways AI Can Stretch Your Existing Content

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:24:29 GMT

Who isn’t feeling the pain of being stretched too thin these days? If you’ve dabbled with AI, you may have cut the time it takes you to do administrative tasks by as much as 26 minutes a day (at least according to a recent survey in the UK). However, it’s possible to do a lot more than that when you move past administrative tasks and see where else you can do more with less.

One of these areas is content. Most businesses are sitting on goldmines of content and don’t even know it. This article will show you five genius ways to get more out of what you already have by repurposing and restructuring the media.

1. Turn Longform Content into Shortform Gold

Feed your existing blog posts, eBooks, or newsletters into an AI tool to extract highlights, tips, or quotes for social media posts.

Creative twist: Use AI to rewrite the same message in multiple tones—professional, humorous, casual—or tailor it for different platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

2. Transform Video or Podcast Transcripts into Written Content

AI transcription tools can convert spoken content into text. Use a language model to turn that transcript into blog posts, newsletters, or Q&A articles.

Creative twist: Convert a video transcript into a “Top 5 Takeaways” post, a tutorial, or a visually rich infographic with AI-generated headlines.

3. Create Content for Different Audiences from One Source

Take a general piece of content (like a blog post) and ask AI to adapt it for different member personas such as new members, loyal/engaged members, or industry partners.

Creative twist: Turn one blog post into:

· A beginner’s guide on the topic

· A technical breakdown

· A “pitch” version for partners or press releases

4. Build an Email Series from a Single Piece

Take a detailed guide or blog post and ask AI to break it into a 3–5-part email series, complete with subject lines, CTAs, and value-focused messaging.

Email series can be very effective in helping your content get noticed. People may not take the time to read a 700-word blog post, but if you email the summary points across several days, they’ll get the gist of the message and will most likely remember it better than reading it all at once.

Creative twist: Include AI-generated teaser lines or questions at the end of each email to boost open and click rates.

5. Reimagine Content as Interactive Tools or Experiences

Use AI to turn tips, FAQs, or how-to guides into interactive quizzes, calculators, or chatbot scripts that educate and engage users. Example: Turn a skincare routine blog into a “What’s Your Skin Type?” quiz, or a business checklist into a “Startup Readiness Scorecard.”

The titles you choose for the materials can make the content a lot more appealing. You can even use reimagined, designed pieces as lead magnets. People often won’t recognize it in another format. Speaking of, upload any written content onto NotebookLM and create a podcast on the topic. You can even tell it which parts of the text you want it to pay attention to or avoid.

There are so many things you can do with existing content and marketing collateral you already have. If you can’t think of any creative ideas on how to repurpose those critical pieces, ask AI. Tell it your audience and your goal behind repurposing the content. Then ask it to suggest some ideas to you. You’ll be surprised what it comes up with.

-------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

When Strategy Stalls: 4 Moves to Regain Momentum

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 19:13:52 GMT

Pause to Stabilize: Cut costs and renegotiate to create breathing room.
Pivot, Don’t Panic: Explore new markets or customer segments while staying agile.
Learn Fast or Fall Behind: Turn setbacks into insights through rapid experimentation.
Guard the Downside: Hedge risks and protect what matters most.

600 words ~ 3 min. read

Even seasoned leaders know the sting of a strategy that’s no longer working. But the real measure of leadership isn’t avoiding failure—it’s how decisively and creatively you pivot when the path ahead shifts.

When strategic plans falter—whether due to market turbulence, internal missteps, or external shocks—leaders must act not with panic, but with precision. Drawing from Harvard Business Review’s “How to Rescue a Failing Strategy,” here are four pivotal moves to help regain strategic traction.

1. Pause to Stabilize

If your strategy is wobbling, the first priority is to buy time without triggering chaos. Consider:

Reducing burn rate by cutting non-essential expenses
Freezing expansion plans that strain resources
Renegotiating contracts or vendor terms to ease cash flow

Retailers, for instance, might pause new store openings to refocus on e-commerce logistics. Nonprofits may temporarily halt new program rollouts to concentrate on core impact areas.

This strategic pause buys clarity—and the space to think critically.

2. Pivot, Don’t Panic

Locking into one approach can be dangerous when conditions change. Instead, design options:

Enter adjacent customer segments
Test low-risk partnerships or distribution channels
Pilot tweaks to product offerings or delivery models

For manufacturers, this might mean adapting existing equipment to serve a neighboring industry. Professional services firms could pivot to virtual delivery or a subscription-based model.

Related reading: McKinsey on adaptive strategies

3. Learn Fast or Fall Behind

Use turbulence as a catalyst to turn your organization into a fast learner. That means:

Running controlled experiments on pricing, offers, or ops
Creating real-time feedback loops from customers and staff
Making strategic reviews more iterative, less static

Construction firms might beta-test prefab components for speed and cost. Tech startups could A/B test UX changes weekly.

Also worth reading: Bain on learning organizations

4. Guard the Downside

Pivots come with risk. Your job? Minimize exposure while staying bold.

Cap investments in unproven ideas
Increase controls around key financial or operational processes
Develop contingency plans for likely risk scenarios

Think of this as smart aggression—pushing forward without leaving your core vulnerable.

Bottom Line

Every organization will face moments when strategy falters. The difference lies in the response. Leaders who act with focus—stabilizing, experimenting, and protecting—don’t just recover; they reposition for smarter, stronger growth.

---

Hospitality is the Hidden Edge: Why Emotional Connection Drives Customer Loyalty

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 19:06:19 GMT

Great service is expected; hospitality creates emotional loyalty.
Hospitality isn’t just for restaurants—any customer-facing business can benefit.
Small, personal gestures yield outsized business results.
Leaders must build a culture where empathy and attention to detail are daily practice.
Hospitality is your most human, and most strategic, competitive advantage.

613 words ~ 3 min. read

Hospitality is the Hidden Edge: Why Emotional Connection Drives Customer Loyalty

In a world where convenience is king and automation handles most transactions, one thing still sets great businesses apart: how you make people feel . That’s the difference between service and hospitality—and it’s more than semantics. It’s a growth strategy.

The Key Difference

Service is the technical delivery of a product or task. It’s checking the box, fulfilling the need, moving on.

Hospitality is emotional. It’s about making someone feel seen, valued, and cared for.

Here’s the truth: service can be excellent and still forgettable. But hospitality? That sticks.

Why It Matters in Every Industry

Though rooted in restaurants and hotels, the principle of hospitality applies everywhere—retail counters, healthcare clinics, banks, car dealerships. Anywhere there's a customer, there's an opportunity to offer more than service.

Research from Harvard Business Review shows that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied customers—they spend more, stay longer, and refer others. Read more from HBR .

That’s the business case. Here’s how to deliver it.

Go Beyond the Transaction

What turns an interaction into an experience?

A name remembered.
A birthday acknowledged.
An unspoken need met.

A hotel staffer notices you’re reading a mystery novel and suggests a nearby bookstore. A coffee shop barista starts your regular order when they see you walk in. These aren’t luxuries, they’re leverage.

The CARE Framework

To make hospitality a habit, leaders can use the CARE model:

Connect: Greet with intention and attention.
Acknowledge: Recognize repeat customers, life moments, or feedback.
Remember: Note preferences or previous interactions.
Empathize: Tune into emotional cues and respond thoughtfully.

Train for this. Celebrate it. Build systems to support it.

Build a Culture of Hospitality

Hospitality can’t be scripted, but it can be cultivated. It starts at the top. Leaders must value it, model it, and reward it.

As Gallup research shows, emotionally engaged employees are the ones most likely to create emotionally engaging customer experiences. Read more from Gallup

Make hospitality a hiring priority, a training pillar, and a performance metric.

The ROI of Being Human

Customer experience is today’s biggest differentiator—and hospitality is its heartbeat. It's not about doing more; it's about caring more. Businesses that prioritize human connection see better reviews, stronger loyalty, and increased revenue.

Bottom Line

Anyone can offer good service. Only intentional, caring businesses deliver hospitality. And those are the ones that win—not just customers, but communities.

---

Community-Led Growth: The Secret Sauce Smart Businesses Are Using to Scale

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:01:23 GMT

Small businesses everywhere are realizing that success isn’t just about how good your product is—it’s about how connected your customers feel to you and each other. The new growth model that’s gaining serious traction? Community-led growth.

This approach focuses on creating value and shared experiences before the sale ever happens. When done right, it doesn’t just build customers—it builds advocates and connections.

But when done incorrectly, it turns potential fans into skeptics.

Why Community Matters More Than Ever

Building a community isn’t just a feel-good strategy—it’s a competitive advantage. In an era where trust is low and attention spans are shorter than ever, people crave connection. A strong community gives your audience a reason to stick around, even when they’re not ready to buy and, like your favorite binge-worthy show, it has a lot of seasons and variations. For instance, it looks like a group where people share wins, ask questions, support each other, and celebrate progress. It’s people tagging their friends in your posts, offering advice in your Facebook group, and proudly using your templates or tools.

Community turns one-time customers into long-term advocates, and it transforms your brand from a product into a movement.

Let’s look at two recent real-world examples of multi-day webinars run by small business owners with something to sell. Both had a course or community behind the scenes. But the difference in how they built interest and trust made all the difference.

Example 1: Teach First, Sell Later

Tanya, a branding expert and course creator, ran a three-day webinar series on visual storytelling for small businesses.

From Day 1, she delivered value. Each day, she taught a specific concept—like choosing brand colors, creating consistent visuals, or writing engaging captions—and gave attendees practical takeaways they could use immediately. There was no bait-and-switch.

She also created a pop-up Facebook group where participants discussed what they learned, shared examples and wins, and supported each other. The sense of collaboration and energy in the group was palpable. People weren’t just learning from Tanya—they were learning from each other.

She gave away free Canva templates to help people apply the lessons, and many posted their before-and-after visuals right in the group. By the time she introduced her paid course on Day 3, she had already built trust and delivered results. Her offer felt like a logical next step, not a sales ambush.

The result? A strong conversion rate and a thriving community that stuck around long after the sales window closed.

Example 2: Sell First, Hope They Stay

Then there was Ashley, who held a webinar to promote her custom sales page software. From the first five minutes, it was clear the goal wasn’t to teach—it was to sell.

She framed everything as “only possible with our proprietary system.” Instead of offering insights or techniques for improving sales pages, the entire event was an extended infomercial. Participants didn’t walk away with tips or strategies—they left with a pitch.

Worse, the attendees were asked to “design their dream page” using mock-ups—but could only create fake versions unless they bought her software. No free templates. No tools. No shared community. Just a vague call to action: show off what you built… or could build if you paid.

The lack of value meant there was no momentum, no conversations, and no community. Attendees didn’t connect with Ashley—or each other—because they weren’t given anything to connect around.

What We Learn from These Two Designs

Tanya and Ashley both had something to sell, but only one built a following.

Community-led growth isn’t about avoiding the sale. It’s about earning it. When you give people real value first—before asking for a commitment—you build trust. And when you create a space for people to share, learn, and collaborate, you build something even more powerful: belonging.

In a world saturated with content and competition, that’s the difference between being scrolled past and being remembered.

How Small Businesses Can Embrace Community-Led Growth

You don’t have to be a mega content producer to be like Tanya. Tanya and Ashley had the same resources at their disposal. Tanya saw sales as a final destination after a courtship and period of getting to know one another. She was confident that once they knew her and what she offered, they’d continue on with her paid program. Ashley, on the other hand, came at sales hard from the beginning and expected everyone would be so wowed by the tech that they’d hand over their credit card.

To be more like Tanya and less like Ashley, you need to:

· Teach before you pitch : Share something useful and actionable for free. Make your audience feel smarter, better, or more equipped just by showing up.

· Create a space to connect : Whether it's a Facebook group, Discord server, private community, or Slack channel, invite attendees to join a space where they can talk, share, and celebrate wins. You’ll get the best results if your community is somewhere people are already connecting so it’s an extension of their online habit and not one they have to remember to log into and visit.

· Provide tools to succeed : Templates, checklists, worksheets—something they can use right away goes a long way in building goodwill. People will feel like you’re interested in them and their success, not their wallet.

· Make the sale a next step—not the first step : Let your offer feel like the natural progression of the learning journey, not the destination.

Community-led growth isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of small business marketing. Those who lead with value and create spaces for connection will be the ones people follow, buy from, and tell their friends about.

--------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

What Businesses Should Know About Selling with Amazon

Wed, 28 May 2025 14:03:55 GMT

Have you ever wondered how you can compete with large companies like Amazon (or Walmart)? Well, the more important question may be more not be how but why. Mega retailers, like the two mentioned, aren’t looking to only sell their own products. They have launched large programs encouraging small businesses to use their distribution platform.

So, do you really need to compete when you can harness their traffic to sell your goods on their sites?

How Do I Sell on Amazon?

According to Amazon, over 60% of its product sales now come from independent sellers, the majority of which are small businesses just like yours. These sellers have generated more than $2.5 trillion in sales over the past 25 years and now support over 2 million jobs in the U.S. alone.

That’s not a side hustle—that’s a serious economic force.

If you’re looking for a way to grow your reach, attract new customers, and build passive revenue, selling on Amazon might be your next smart move.

Here's what you need to know if you’re considering it:

1. Pick a Selling Plan That Fits Your Goals

Amazon offers two selling plans:

Individual Plan – Great for new sellers or those testing a few products. You pay $0.99 per item sold, with no monthly fee. It’s a good low-risk starting point.

Professional Plan – Costs $39.99/month regardless of volume. You unlock powerful tools, eligibility for the Featured Offer (formerly Buy Box), and better exposure. If you plan to sell over 40 items/month or want to scale, this is the plan to choose.

Pro Tip: Amazon doesn’t advertise the Individual Plan as clearly—it’s usually hidden at the bottom of the signup page.

2. Understand the Fees (So You Don’t Get Surprised)

Selling on Amazon isn’t free, and it’s important to plan ahead.

Key fees include:

· Referral Fees – Amazon takes a cut of each sale, usually between 8–15%, depending on the category.

· Fulfillment Fees – If you use Amazon’s fulfillment service (FBA), you pay for storage, shipping, returns, and more. These vary based on size, weight, and season.

· Inventory Storage Fees – Charged monthly and can spike during the holidays.

· Other Potential Costs – These include ads, removal fees, long-term storage, refund administration fees, and high-volume listing fees.

Use Amazon’s revenue calculator before listing to understand your costs and profit potential.

3. Choose How to Fulfill Orders

Amazon offers two fulfillment options:

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) – You ship products to Amazon, and they handle everything from storage to returns. Bonus: Your products become Prime-eligible, which can dramatically boost sales.

Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) – You pack and ship orders yourself. You keep more control but also take on more responsibility.

Most sellers opt for FBA for its convenience and exposure, but FBM can be a good choice for custom, perishable, or local products.

4. Create Listings That Get Noticed

Your product listings are your virtual storefront. To maximize sales:

· Use high-quality images (1000x1000 pixels recommended)

· Write clear, keyword-rich titles (up to 200 characters)

· Add bullet points that highlight product features and benefits

· Include a compelling description

Don’t skip keyword research. Knowing what your customers are searching for can make or break your visibility. There are affordable tools available to help you with this.

And if you own your brand, register it with Amazon Brand Registry. It gives you added protection and access to advanced features like A+ Content and analytics.

5. Price for Success

Amazon shoppers love a deal—but that doesn’t mean you have to race to the bottom by trying to be the lowest one out there.

Instead:

· Monitor competitor pricing (inside and outside of Amazon)

· Use Amazon’s Automate Pricing tool to stay competitive

· Understand the Featured Offer (Buy Box) – Winning this spot can dramatically increase your visibility and sales

Being competitive doesn’t always mean being the cheapest. Customer service, shipping speed, and seller ratings also play a role.

6. Advertise to Drive Sales

While Amazon brings the traffic, you still need to get your product in front of the right eyes. While the eyes are many on this site, so are the products. Most people will only scroll through so many pages of listings.

To stand out, consider using:

· Coupons and discounts to grab attention

· Sponsored ads (pay-per-click) – Sellers say 30% of their sales come from Amazon Ads

Start small, track results, and adjust your campaigns to improve performance over time. This is not a “set it and forget it” undertaking.

7. Track Performance and Scale Strategically

Amazon provides a robust Seller Central dashboard where you can monitor:

· Order defect rate

· Shipping performance

· Customer feedback

· Inventory levels

Keep an eye on your Account Health metrics—Amazon holds sellers to high standards, and consistently poor performance can lead to penalties.

Also consider programs like:

· Amazon Vine – Helps generate early reviews

· Multi-Channel Fulfillment – Fulfill orders from your website using Amazon’s logistics

· Global Selling – Reach international customers

· Amazon Business – Sell in bulk to other businesses

Is Selling on Amazon Right for You?

Selling on Amazon offers enormous opportunity—but it’s not a perfect fit for every business. There’s a lot that goes into being successful on this platform.

It’s great for consumer products, scalable inventory, and businesses ready to play in a high-traffic marketplace.

You might want to think again and consider your options if you sell low-margin items or highly niche goods. If you’re a business seeking full brand control, it might be a painful stretch for you. Only you can answer that.

Still, many businesses find Amazon to be a valuable addition to their overall sales strategy—not a replacement for their own website or in-store sales.

Amazon is not just for mega-brands. It's a proven sales channel that can help your small business get discovered, grow, and thrive. With the right plan and preparation, it could be your gateway to new customers and lasting success.

Additional Resource:

Did you know your Chamber Listing can be converted to sell products and services? Click Here for more information !

Not a Member? Join Today !

Or visit our " Get Listed " page for a new option available to Leavenworth County businesses.

---------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever!

Wed, 21 May 2025 14:49:15 GMT

You’ve probably heard a lot about how AI is changing everything, especially how people search for local businesses.

Tools like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot are being used every day to answer questions like, “Who’s the best roofer in town?” or “Where can I find a local accountant I can trust?”

And guess where these tools look for answers?

Trusted, local sources, like your chamber of commerce.

That means your chamber listing isn’t just about visibility anymore.

It’s also about credibility.

When your business is featured on the chamber’s website, you’re getting more than a backlink with hundreds of dollars.

You’re being associated with a respected, established source of local business information. That sends a powerful signal, not just to Google, but to the AI tools that are shaping how people find and choose who to do business with.

This kind of trust is hard to build on your own.

The chamber helps you shortcut that by putting your business in a position of authority.

It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your online reputation and as AI continues to grow, that value will only increase.

If you’re already a member, make sure your profile is current and complete. If you’re not yet a member, this is one more reason to join .

The future of search is changing fast. Being part of the chamber means you don’t have to keep up with every trend because we’re already doing that for you.

Additional Information:

Are you a new business? Already budgeted your expenses for the year? We've created a new opportunity to be included in our online directory. Visit our Get Listed page to learn more!

Winning Back Lost Customers: Smart Strategies to Reignite Trust and Revenue

Mon, 19 May 2025 18:23:09 GMT

Reacquiring a customer is up to 5x cheaper than landing a new one.
Personalized communication and data-driven offers rebuild loyalty.
Solving past issues signals integrity and earns second chances.
Consistent follow-ups turn past silence into renewed revenue.
A structured win-back strategy boosts long-term retention and ROI.

622 words ~ 3 min. read

Customer churn is inevitable—but it’s not irreversible. Former customers represent one of your most valuable and overlooked assets. Why? Because they already know your brand, your product, and your promise. With the right strategy, you can bring them back—and reignite both trust and revenue.

Why Former Customers Are Your Best Leads

Research from Harvard Business Review reveals it’s up to five times cheaper to win back a former customer than to acquire a new one. Even better? Reacquired customers often spend more and churn less. Yet most companies ignore this goldmine, focusing instead on top-of-funnel growth.

Let’s change that.

Step 1: Understand Why They Left

Before launching any win-back campaign, diagnose the departure. Common causes include:

A negative service experience
Pricing or product fit concerns
More enticing offers from competitors
Life changes unrelated to your business

Exit surveys, reviews, and support tickets are essential to uncovering these root causes.

Step 2: Segment and Prioritize

Not all lapsed customers are equal. Use your CRM to segment by:

Time since last interaction
Lifetime value
Products purchased
Loyalty status

Prioritize those with high potential value or known dissatisfaction you can resolve.

Step 3: Personalize Outreach

Generic “We miss you!” emails don’t cut it. Instead:

Use their name and reference past purchases.
Acknowledge their absence (“We noticed you haven’t been back since January…”).
Address known issues (“We’ve improved our shipping times significantly…”).

Tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and HubSpot make this scalable and automated.

Step 4: Offer Meaningful Incentives

Sweeten the invitation back with offers tailored to their preferences:

20% off their favorite item
Early access to new features
Complimentary consultation or VIP perks

Pro Tip: Align incentives with why they left. If it was pricing, offer a discount. If it was service, offer personal support.

Step 5: Build a Follow-Up Framework

One message won’t do it. Develop a three-step campaign:

Re-introduction email — Personalized with incentive
Follow-up reminder — Share a testimonial or success story
Final nudge — Include scarcity (e.g., “Offer expires in 48 hours”)

Automate where possible, but stay human.

Step 6: Repair and Retain

When customers return, show them you’ve changed. Implement:

Surveys asking what’s improved
A loyalty program to encourage continued engagement
Ongoing check-ins to stay top-of-mind

Bottom Line:

Lost customers aren’t truly lost—they’re waiting to be re-invited. With empathy, insight, and smart execution, you can win them back and strengthen your business for the long haul. The key is in personalization, resolution, and consistency.

Start where others stop—and turn yesterday’s customers into tomorrow’s champions.

---

Small Business Resource Round-up

Mon, 19 May 2025 13:58:34 GMT

Since this is Small Business Month, we thought it would be the ideal time to call attention to some of the resources out there for the small business. With an increase in awareness of how important small businesses are to the local and national economies, large businesses are getting into the groove and pledging their support to help small businesses too.

TikTok Gives Ad Credits

TikTok has announced a $1 million advertising credit initiative to support U.S. small businesses during Small Business Month. This campaign aims to help entrepreneurs expand their reach and grow their businesses on the platform.

Campaign components include:

· U.S.-based small businesses can apply for advertising credits to enhance their presence on TikTok.

· Small Biz Fest TikTok Academy Webinars. Starting May 15, weekly webinars will provide expert advice on creating effective ad campaigns.

· “100 Ways to Grow on TikTok” Video Podcast Series. This series shares success stories and insights from entrepreneurs who have leveraged TikTok for business growth.

· Small Biz Fest Roadshows. In-person events in Los Angeles, New York City, and Austin will offer guidance on optimizing TikTok strategies.

Additionally, TikTok will highlight small businesses at state capitols in New York and Texas, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to engage with policymakers and discuss the platform's economic impact.

For more information and to participate in these initiatives, visit tiktoksmallbizfest.com .

Stamps.com Grant

Stamps.com has launched the Small Business Flexibility Grant, offering a $25,000 award to support U.S.-based service-oriented small businesses. This initiative aims to help businesses overcome operational challenges, particularly those related to manual processes like mailing and shipping.

Key Details

Eligibility:

· U.S.-based service-oriented small businesses

· Minimum of three employees

· Operating for at least two years

Application Period : May 1–31, 2025

Announcement of Winner : June 2025

Use of Funds : No restrictions; businesses can allocate funds as needed to enhance flexibility and efficiency.

Applicants are required to answer questions about their business operations and how they plan to use the grant to address flexibility challenges. The grant is designed to empower small businesses to automate manual tasks and improve operational efficiency.

For more information and to apply, visit www.stamps.com/grant

Walmart’s “Grow with US” Program

Walmart has launched the Grow with US program, a comprehensive initiative designed to support U.S.-based small businesses in scaling their operations and gaining national exposure. This program is part of Walmart's broader commitment to invest $350 billion in American-made, grown, or assembled products by 2030, aiming to support over 750,000 jobs.

Program Overview

Grow with US is a voluntary, four-step program offering:

1. Education . Access to Walmart’s Supplier Academy, featuring 30 e-learning modules across four learning paths: Welcome to Walmart 101, Retail Ready Capabilities, Business Fundamentals, and Advanced Learning.

2. Product Discovery. Opportunities to showcase products through Walmart’s U.S. Open Call, RangeMe platform, and Walmart Marketplace.

3. Mentorship. Pairing with experienced Walmart mentors to navigate the retail landscape.

4. Financing. Access to financial support through Walmart’s Early Payment Program and Bridge Marketplace.

Participation Details

Eligibility: U.S.-based small businesses can participate by providing a voluntary Small Business Administration (SBA) certification or requesting verification through Walmart.

Open Call Event: Applications for Walmart’s annual Open Call event open on June 24, 2025. This event, scheduled for October 7–8 in Bentonville, Arkansas, allows small and medium-sized businesses to pitch their shelf-ready products directly to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants.

Road to Open Call Events: In May and June, Walmart is hosting regional pop-up events in cities including Orlando, Kansas City, Baltimore, Austin, Columbus, and Atlanta. These events offer entrepreneurs the chance to meet with Walmart buyers, receive feedback, and potentially secure a fast pass to the main Open Call event.

Verizon’s Small Business Accelerator and Grant

Verizon has announced a commitment to support U.S. small businesses through a $5 billion investment over the next five years. This initiative includes the launch of the Small Business Supplier Accelerator, aimed at integrating small businesses, many veteran-owned, into Verizon's supply chain by offering training, mentorship, and flexible procurement terms.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program

In partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Verizon continues its Small Business Digital Ready program, offering:

· Free online courses covering topics like digital marketing, finance, and operations.

· Expert coaching sessions and community events to enhance business skills.

· Access to $10,000 grants for eligible small businesses.

Grant Eligibility and Application

To qualify for the $10,000 grant businesses must:

· Be a for-profit U.S.-based business.

· Register on the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready portal: https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/onboarding

· Complete two learning activities (courses, coaching sessions, or events) between January 1 and June 30, 2025.

· Submit the grant application by June 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT.

Need a few more resources? Of course you do. You can never have enough. Check out this list from the US Chamber of Commerce.

PS: Be sure to check out:

Small Business Grant Program from the City of Leavenworth.
Small Business Micro-Grant Program from Leavenworth County Development Corporation
Grants Calendar from Kansas Department of Commerce
Economic Development Incentives from the City of Lansing

------------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is also the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

New Member Spotlight: Trideum Corporation

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:27:24 GMT

About Trideum Corporation

Trideum Corporation is a 100% Employee-Owned company. The company was founded in 2005, with a mission to provide distinctive quality and unparalleled customer service in all aspects of our business. Our employees engage in for-profit work, predominantly for the Department of Defense (DoD).

Our broad range of expertise has been gained through hands-on execution in the design, development, integration, and sustainment of technical and software solutions, specializing in the areas of Test & Evaluation, Training Services & Solutions, Rapid Prototyping, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Data Science, Modeling & Simulation, and Test-Target Systems. Trideum’s Leavenworth office focuses primarily on training services including curriculum development, multi-media instruction, and training support at the individual, small group, and large-scale exercise levels.

Trideum Corporation has appeared on Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 list – the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies twelve times.

Why Your Team Isn’t Getting It (Even When You Think You’re Crystal Clear)

Tue, 13 May 2025 17:01:04 GMT

Many leaders mistake communication for clarity—assuming once it’s said, it’s understood.
Misalignment often stems from inconsistent messaging, assumptions, and cultural "static."
True clarity requires shared understanding, structured communication, and leadership presence.
Clear communication systems—not just repeated messages—drive alignment and trust.

615 words ~ 3 min. read

You’ve said it in a meeting, sent it in an email, and even dropped it into a slide deck. The message seemed clear: here’s the direction, here’s what matters, and here’s how we’ll get there.

So why does your team still seem misaligned?

This is one of the most persistent frustrations for leaders. Not because they aren’t communicating, but because they believe they are doing it well—and often, they are. The words are clear. The logic is sound. The intent is positive. But the outcome doesn’t match. Team members are unclear on priorities. Execution falters. Morale dips. And the leader wonders: what am I missing?

The answer isn’t more communication. It’s deeper clarity.

The Illusion of Communication

Most breakdowns in alignment are not due to a lack of effort, but due to a false sense of completion. Leaders assume that once something is said, it’s been heard. That if it’s repeated, it’s been understood. And if no one asks questions, it must mean everyone’s on board.

But communication isn’t a one-way act. It’s a shared experience—subject to the filters, biases, emotions, and workload of every individual on the receiving end.

In many teams, what derails clarity isn't confusion, but collision: between different versions of the message, between unspoken assumptions, and between what’s emphasized and what’s actually practiced. When team members sense these gaps, they fill them with their own interpretations.

That’s where misalignment begins.

Where Leaders Lose the Thread

There are some common patterns, though they may show up in subtle forms. A strategic shift is announced, but day-to-day processes remain unchanged. A new priority is introduced, but older metrics are still tracked more closely. A bold vision is shared, but frontline managers aren’t equipped to translate it into next steps.

Over time, these inconsistencies create what might be called “cultural static”—background noise that makes even the clearest message hard to tune into. In some organizations, this leads to paralysis. In others, it leads to fragmented execution, where everyone is moving—just not together.

What Clarity Actually Requires

Clarity isn’t just about reducing confusion. It’s about aligning interpretation. That means leaders must think not only about what they say, but how it’s heard. It’s less about repeating a message, and more about shaping a shared understanding.

This begins with structure. Communication that connects typically follows a clear arc: what’s happening, why it matters, what we’re doing, and how each person contributes. It continues with consistency—ensuring every leader and channel reinforces the same priorities. And it deepens with reflection—creating space for questions, doubts, and honest feedback.

Importantly, clarity requires presence. It’s not enough to deliver a message and move on. Teams need to see that their leaders are still in it, still listening, still reinforcing what matters. Without that, even the best message fades quickly.

The Leadership Opportunity

The good news? Most communication gaps aren’t permanent—they’re just unexamined. When leaders become more intentional about clarity, alignment becomes more natural. It starts to show up not only in what’s said, but in how people behave, how they decide, and how they lead one another.

At its best, communication isn’t a script—it’s a system. A shared rhythm that keeps everyone moving to the same beat, even as the tempo changes.

And clarity, done right, isn’t just about being understood. It’s about being believed, trusted, and followed.

---

Small Changes, Big Impact: Support Local Chamber Members This Small Business Month

Mon, 12 May 2025 13:40:56 GMT

Let’s face it, our daily habits often run on autopilot. We grab coffee from the same place, click the same websites when we shop, and call the same service providers without a second thought. Loyalty is great but what if, just for a moment, we paused and considered the impact of those everyday purchases?

Small Business Month is the perfect opportunity to rethink where your dollars go. Instead of defaulting to businesses that may have no connection to the community, consider supporting those that are actively invested in it, Chamber members. These businesses, both large and small, contribute time, resources, and leadership to make your town thrive. From sponsoring events to hiring local talent, they show up for the community every day.

Supporting small and local doesn’t always mean spending more. It just means being intentional. What if you swapped your routine drive-thru stop for a visit to the neighborhood coffee shop—even just once a month? Or replace a service you use with a chamber-member provider just down the road?

Those small swaps can lead to big results for your community, and they’re often more rewarding, too.

Where to Start?

Try these swaps:

Morning Routine . Your go-to coffee spot might be convenient, but have you tried a chamber member café lately? Many offer unique blends, homemade baked goods, and personalized service. Best of all, your dollars stay close to home, supporting jobs, community causes, and your neighbors.

Grocery Shopping . From local markets to butcher shops and farmers’ markets, you’ll find fresh products and friendly faces. Swapping even a portion of your grocery list to local vendors supports farmers, entrepreneurs, and small producers in your area.

Health & Wellness . Where do you work out? Where do you get your healthcare needs met? Many chamber-member businesses in these sectors offer wellness consultations, fitness classes, and personal service. Some cities even offer free or low-cost programs that introduce you to local instructors.

Dining Out . Next time you’re hungry, try a chamber-member restaurant. Whether it’s a taco stand, food truck, or family-owned diner, you’ll enjoy a unique dining experience, and know your meal helps a neighbor succeed.

Special Occasions . Need a gift, flowers, or a card? Shop small first. Local boutiques, florists, and artisans often carry one-of-a-kind items that are far more memorable than what you’ll find online. Many chamber members offer gift guides, curated selections, and even local delivery.

Ideas for Making the Switch

If you're ready to support local and chamber-member businesses, try this:

· Swap one of your regular purchases to a chamber member this month.

· Choose a chamber-member restaurant for your next meal out.

· Use your local chamber’s business directory to find trusted service providers.

· Visit a farmers' market or craft fair to buy locally made products.

· Look for the Chamber Member decal (or badge online), ask a business if they’re involved in the community, or next time you’re at an area event see which businesses are there and patronize them in the future.

What About Franchises?

Yes, many franchises are small businesses and chamber members too. Often, they're owned by residents who are invested in your community. That corner sandwich shop, dry cleaner, or gym? Chances are good the owner lives in town, employs local workers, and contributes to the same causes we all care about. If they’re Chamber members too, you can feel confident your dollars are staying local.

Why This Matters

When you support local businesses, especially Chamber members, you’re doing more than making a purchase. You’re investing in your community. Chamber-member businesses are often the first to step up and support schools, sponsor festivals, and donate to local nonprofits. They hire locally, mentor young professionals, and create the kind of vibrant, thriving economy we all want to see.

This Small Business Month, challenge yourself to be intentional in your purchases. Try a 30-day chamber member spending challenge and discover just how many great businesses are in your backyard or set aside a dollar amount to be spent with your neighbors. Not only will you enjoy personalized service and quality products, but you’ll also be part of something bigger—a stronger, more connected community. And, in that, everyone wins.

Want to find local chamber-member businesses to support? Visit LLChamber.com/member-directory or look for the “Proud Chamber Member” badge in your neighborhood.

-----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Referral Revival: 5 Proven Ways to Get More Word-of-Mouth Without Ever Asking

Tue, 06 May 2025 15:06:05 GMT

Wow your customers. Exceptional service sparks natural buzz.
Seed the idea. Subtle cues make referrals more likely.
Give to get. Reciprocity drives more introductions.
Make sharing easy. Equip clients with shareable content.
Recognize your champions. Public thanks reinforces behavior.

615 words ~ 3 min. read

In a world saturated with marketing messages, word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful business growth tools. Yet asking for referrals can often feel pushy or awkward.

The good news: it’s possible to spark more referrals—organically—without ever making a direct ask.

Here’s how to build a referral engine that runs on generosity, excellence, and subtle nudges.

Wow Your Customers

It all starts with the experience. When customers are truly impressed—whether through speed, attention to detail, or delightful service—they naturally want to tell others.

Prioritize consistency and small touches that surprise people. It’s these micro-moments that turn satisfied customers into raving fans.

Make Sharing Easy

Equip your customers with materials they’ll actually want to pass along. This could be helpful blog posts, visual guides, short videos, or checklists—anything that reflects your expertise and is easy to forward.

Think of these as “conversation starters” your customers can use to talk about you without the awkwardness.

Seed the Idea Gently

You don’t need to ask for referrals outright—but you do need to make it known that they matter.

In your email signature, on your invoices, or in post-project wrap-ups, include a line like:
"Many of our best clients come from referrals. Thank you for spreading the word!"
This keeps referrals top of mind while preserving the tone of appreciation.

Give to Get

Referrals are a two-way street. Proactively refer your clients, partners, and vendors when you can.

When others see you championing their work, they're more inclined to do the same for you. This builds goodwill and a sense of mutual investment.

Recognize Your Champions

Gratitude is a multiplier. When someone sends a new client your way, acknowledge it right away. A handwritten note, a small gift, or a public thank-you can make your advocates feel valued—and likely to refer again.

The goal isn’t to incentivize; it’s to appreciate. Recognition cements the behavior you want more of.

Bottom Line

You don’t need a slick script or a referral program to grow through word-of-mouth.

By focusing on service excellence, subtle cues, generous networking, and authentic gratitude, you create an ecosystem where your customers want to talk about you.

Organic referrals are not just a bonus—they’re a reflection of how well you’re doing the fundamentals.

---

Think Small, Act Big: Fun Ways to Boost Local During Small Business Month

Mon, 05 May 2025 14:25:42 GMT

Another calendar page has come and gone and with it, we’re ushering in May and Small Business Month. There’s no better time to show some local love!

Small businesses are the heartbeat of our community. They’re the coffee shops where we meet friends, the boutiques that stock one-of-a-kind finds, and the service providers who remember our names and donate to our causes.

But before you think this is a new call to spend money, know that you don’t need a big budget to make a big impact.

Every purchase (yes, there’s the money but wait…), referral, and review goes a long way toward helping small businesses thrive.

Whether you have $5 or just five minutes, we have some creative, fun, and meaningful ways to support small businesses this month.

So get out into our community and support those who help make it what it is.

Small Business Is a Big Deal

When we say support small business, most people think of our Main Street shops. But “small business” is any business that employs under 200 people.

Ask yourself, what percentage of your weekly purchases are done with small businesses? Can you increase that percentage this month?

Make a list of where you currently do business. Pull out your credit or bank card transactions. See where your money is going and how that could change this month. For instance, if you visit Starbucks every day, try a local place on the weekends or swap Starbucks for local out completely for this month.

How does that feel?

But don’t stop there. There are a lot of things you can do that don’t cost a lot.

10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Small Business Month

1. Shop Small (and Share It!)

When you buy from a local business, snap a photo and tag them on social media. Your shoutout helps them reach new customers—and shows your support in a way that goes beyond the checkout counter. Plus, a picture is worth a thousand words, and maybe even a purchase or two.

2. Leave a Glowing Review

A five-star review on Google, Yelp, or Facebook can boost a business’s visibility and reputation. Take five minutes to write something kind about your favorite local shop or restaurant—it’s free, fast, and powerful.

3. Take the “Local Love Challenge”

Try to do one locally focused thing each day this week:

Monday: Grab coffee from an indie café
Tuesday: Tag a small business you love on Instagram
Wednesday: Leave a review
Thursday: Buy a gift from a local boutique

Friday: Recommend a local service provider to a friend
Saturday: Try a new-to-you local restaurant
Sunday: Post a selfie at your favorite business add the hashtag #ShopLocal #ShopLVCO
Or if you want a monthly challenge instead, vow to spend $20 locally at a business you’ve never tried before or attend an event at a local business.

4. Buy Gift Cards for Later

If you’re not ready to spend much now, consider buying a small gift card for a future visit—or to give as a birthday or thank-you gift. It gives businesses cash flow now and brings you (or someone else) joy later.

5. Host a “Small Biz Night Out”

Make a night of it! Plan a dinner with friends at a local restaurant, pop into a few shops, and end with dessert from a neighborhood bakery. Bonus points if you post about your local adventure on social media!

6. Introduce a Local Business to a New Customer

Word-of-mouth is still gold. Bring a friend to your favorite store, create a video/reel review on TikTok or Instagram, or tag someone in a post who might love a business’ products or services. Your recommendation could bring in a future loyal customer.

7. Get Involved in Chamber Events

Check your local Chamber of Commerce calendar (like ours! Llchamber.com/events ) for small business events this month, networking opportunities, or to add your own! These events are a great way to discover new businesses and show your support in person.

8. Support Local on Social

Can’t spend right now? That’s okay! Like (use the love emoji instead of just the thumb up), share, or comment on small business posts. It only takes a second to post a sticker or an emoji as a comment. Help them beat the algorithm and reach more people. Engagement matters more than you think.

9. Ask Businesses What They Need

Sometimes the best way to help is to ask. Maybe they’re looking for volunteers, help spreading the word, or even someone to test a new product. Your time and skills could be just as valuable as a purchase.

10. Celebrate Them Loudly and Proudly

Know a small business owner doing great work? Celebrate them publicly! Write a LinkedIn or Facebook post recognizing their contribution. Gratitude is contagious—and so is support.

Small Business Month is more than a campaign—it’s a reminder that we all play a role in shaping the success and culture of our community.

So this May, let’s think small, act big, and show our favorite businesses just how much they mean to us.

Let us know how you’re supporting local this month—tag @llchamberofcommerce [FB] @lvlchamber [IN] and use #ShopLVCO so we can cheer you on!

-----------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Get Ready! For Small Business Week

lauren@llchamber.com (Lauren Batchelor) — Fri, 02 May 2025 15:20:41 GMT

Resources for Small Businesses

If you're a Chamber Member, we sent you an email directly to your inbox with resource articles and websites, as well as upcoming & recorded webinars. Here's some more!

Some of these resources are more time-sensitive than others.

Tariffs:

NAM (National Association of Manufacturers)

Small Business Briefing on Tariffs - Replay

Small Business Update with Neil Bradley: January 2025

What to Know About Bulk Ordering and Buying in Wholesale for Your Business

Money:

8 Tools to Help You Manage Your Small Business Budget

10 Passive Income Small Business Ideas

14 Commonly Overlooked Small Business Tax Credits

Grant Support

How to get a Grant to Start a Business

State Trade Expansion Program

Understanding YouTube Ads and How to Monetize Content

What POS Hardware Do You Need? A Guide for Small Businesses

Work Opportunity Tax Credit

Upcoming Grants:

- Amazon Business

-Awesome Foundation Grants (Ongoing)

- The Creative Business Boost Initiative

- Faire Small Business Grant

-Freed Fellowship Grant

-Hustler's Microgrant

-Start.Pivot Microgrant

- Stepping-up Technology Implementation

-Verizon Small Business Digital Ready

-ZenBusiness Grant Program

Misc:

4 things to do During Small Business Month to Grow Your Company

18 Free Resources for Small Businesses to Leverage Year-Round

A Guide to Business Certifications for Small Business Owners

A Guide to Hiring Top Talent for Your Small Business | CO- by US Chamber of Commerce

Conference- Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (Through K-State Research & Extension)

Cybersecurity & Fraud: Protect Your Business From Emerging Threats (LIVE WEBINAR)

What Is Social Entrepreneurship?

Still Standing: A Love Letter to Business Owners’ Unbreakable Spirit

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:35:26 GMT

Resilience isn’t flashy — it’s courageous.
Your quiet strength is changing the world.
Showing up every day is an act of leadership.
You are seen, you are valued, you are believed in.

519 words ~ 2.5 min. read

Dear Business Owner,

You might not hear it often enough — but you deserve to.

You are extraordinary.

The world often celebrates success with loud headlines and big announcements. But real strength? It's quieter. It’s found in the way you show up every day, even when it’s hard. It's in the moments no one sees — the long nights, the impossible decisions, the silent worries, the small victories you celebrate alone.

Resilience doesn’t shout. It whispers: keep going.

It’s easy to underestimate what you carry. You are the strategist, the caretaker, the visionary, the problem-solver — sometimes all in a single hour. You bear the risks and carry the hopes of not just your family, but your employees, your community, and sometimes even your customers.

And still, you show up.

You lead without guarantees. You invest your time, your heart, and your future into something that only you can see clearly. And that kind of courage is rare.

Maybe today was a good day. Maybe it was a hard one. Either way, you chose to believe in the possibility of tomorrow. You made the calls. You signed the checks. You solved the problems no one else even noticed.

Please know this: your efforts matter. You matter.

You are not invisible. Your leadership ripples outward in ways you'll never fully see. You build stronger communities, inspire those around you, and set a new standard for what perseverance looks like.

We believe in you.

We admire you.

We are better because of you.

Keep standing. Keep dreaming. Keep leading.

The world is richer, kinder, and more hopeful because you refuse to give up.

With Admiration,
The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber

---

15+ Inexpensive Ways to Advertise Your Business

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:54:45 GMT

You know the old adage, “It takes money to make money”? While that may be true, marketing and advertising don’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, some of the most effective ways to get your business noticed are either free or surprisingly affordable (especially with the technology available). Whether you’re just getting started or trying to grow on a tight budget, here are 15 creative and cost-effective ideas to boost your visibility and draw in customers.

15 (plus one bonus) Cost-effective Ways to Get Your Business Noticed

1. Partner with Your Chamber of Commerce

Your local Chamber is a marketing gem hiding in plain sight. Many chambers offer affordable sponsorships, advertising in their newsletters, banner placement on their website, and opportunities to speak at or host events. Chamber membership also often includes social media shoutouts, ribbon cuttings, and business directory listings—all built-in exposure for your brand.

Chambers have excellent reputations in their communities as well as good relationships. Many tourists and new residents rely on referrals from the chamber when they come to town. Plus, the rates chamber’s charge for this type of high-quality exposure is very reasonable.

Chamber Members! Be sure to check out

- Our Facebook Group, Chamber Connect .

- You can also view your advertising ROI from your online listing from August 2024 onward.

- Have an upcoming event? Submit it to our newsletter/online calendar ( Office@LLChamber.com )

- Interested in hosting a Chamber Coffee for 2026? Contact us to see what dates are available: Office@LLChamber.com

- Support our Government Affairs Committee or Operations International. Contact us for more information!

- Interested in event sponsorships? Let us know! We can put you on a priority list for first information- Please note that our sponsorships are all ‘First Come, First Served’ basis.

2. Get Active on Social Media

You don’t need to be on every platform—just the ones where your customers spend their time. Create short videos, behind-the-scenes posts, tutorials, or even humorous content to show off your brand’s personality. Authenticity performs better than high-budget polish. Be consistent with your posting too. The more people see you, the more they notice and recognize you. Soon you will be on their mind.

Check out these past blogs for social media help and ideas:

- 5 Content Marketing Strategies for Small Business Owners

- Feeling Stuck? Try these Content Ideas for Small Businesses

- How to Be More Engaging

- How to Get More Love for Your Business on Social Media

3. Run a Giveaway or Contest

People love free stuff. Give away a product or service in exchange for likes, shares, or email signups. It’s an inexpensive way to create buzz and grow your audience fast. Or run a contest when you host a pop-up or sponsor a table at an outdoor event (if it fits for your business). You’ll get to talk to a variety of people.

A fun contest that also gets you more visibility is encouraging people to check-in when they’re at your business. Then provide a quarterly prize to the person with the most check-ins.

House of Gaumond , a pop-up bakery, used this to great effect to get their following!

4. Create Google Business Profile Posts

Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business) are free and powerful. Use posts to highlight new products, offers, events, or blog content. Bonus: It helps with your SEO.

Get Started

5. Use Customer Testimonials and Reviews

Happy customers are your best marketers. Share their testimonials on social media, your website, and even printed materials. Ask loyal customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, or Facebook. Many people will write them when asked and when you make it easy for them to do so. Use links to get them where they need to be.

Chamber Members : Your built-out business listing allows people to rate you, submit a review, or ‘Like’ particular services.

6. Get Involved in Community Events

Sponsor a little league team, host a booth at a local fair, or donate a prize to a nonprofit raffle. Community involvement builds trust and visibility with your target audience.

Have you seen the traffic from the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope’s 2025 Night of Hope Gala?

Or Ten and Two Coffee- Lansing , is known for being a great place for community events!

7. Start a Referral Program

Reward your current customers for referring new ones. A simple discount, freebie, or exclusive perk can motivate people to spread the word about your business.

HOTWORX- Lansing is a great example of this!

8. Offer Free Workshops or Classes

If you’re an expert at something, share your knowledge. Hosting a free online or in-person workshop can position you as an authority while attracting new leads. Share hashtags at your event to remind people to share on social.

Have an expertise? Would you like to share it at a Chamber Event? Let us know ! Also, we’ve utilized this ourselves with Propert y and Sales Tax Forums, as well as a Cybersecurity Forum . SorWil Technology Solutions also utilizes this for their videos/podcasts.

9. Pitch Local Media

Send story ideas or press releases to your local newspaper, TV station, or community blog. Journalists are always looking for local angles—your business could be the next feature.

Support our local paper, the Leavenworth Times!

10. Use Window or Sidewalk Signs Creatively

A clever chalkboard sign or window display can stop foot traffic in its tracks. Make people smile, laugh, or think—and they’ll remember your business.

Other examples are Leavenworth Main Street’s Passageways project , or the Leavenworth County Historical Society’s Spirit of the Buffalo project !

11. Create a Loyalty or Punch Card Program

Encourage repeat business by rewarding customers who come back. Whether digital or old-school punch cards, loyalty programs keep your brand top-of-mind. It can also sway people to choose you more often. For instance, if they know they’ll get points from buying with you, they may go out of their way to do so knowing that they will benefit from it.

And we’ll help you share the news about your new program!

12. Offer a Limited-Time Promotion

Scarcity sells. Use urgency—“for 3 days only,” “first 10 people,” or “today only”—to create buzz and spike short-term interest.

Sis’s Sweets does a great job updating daily and letting people know what’s available and for how long.

13. Join (or Start) a Local Business Collaboration

Team up with complementary businesses for cross-promotions. For example, a coffee shop and a bookstore might do a “Read & Recharge” special. You both win.

The Red Hibiscus Juice Co ., is one example of a business that coordinates & collaborates with others in the Health & Wellness to promote awareness!

14. Start an Email Newsletter

Email is still one of the highest-ROI marketing tools. A simple monthly email with updates, deals, or helpful tips can keep customers engaged and coming back.

Be sure to check out Constant Contact – it’s what the Chamber uses!

Also, be sure to check out these articles for tips on newsletters:

- Build a Fanatical Following with Email

- 10 Unique Ways to Get More Email Subscribers

- The 5 Most Common Mistakes Email Marketers Make

15. Use Your Vehicle as a Moving Billboard

A magnetic car sign or vinyl decal can turn your commute into an advertising campaign. It's a one-time investment that works 24/7.

The Chamber got ours from Advantage Printing . Support Local!

Bonus: Watch your favorite brands. What makes you stop what you’re doing or stops you from scrolling. Even if they’re in a completely different industry, ask yourself how you might use what they do to improve your marketing.

You don’t need a big budget to make a big impact. With some creativity and a willingness to show up where your audience is, you can get your business noticed without breaking the bank. And this isn’t a “choose one and you’re done” idea. These ideas are designed to get you thinking about what your audience will respond to. Then give it to them consistently so they get used to seeing you around.

And remember—your Chamber of Commerce is here to help. Reach out and ask about marketing opportunities available to members. You might be surprised by how many resources are already at your fingertips.

----------

While we can’t list them all, here are a few more Chamber Members with a fantastic social media presence – Give them a follow!

Alliance Nationwide Title Agency – Check out their past events. They have both fun and informational events that helps get people in the door of their offices, and they also celebrate with the community.

Artistic Works by Lu - a mix of short-form videos, a weekly live stream, and regular posts about what’s new in store. They have a loyal following ready to see what’s New with Lu.

Communication Concepts, Inc . – Their content is more professional, informational, and helpful! But it all leads back to what they do, creating a good sense of brand.

The Small Hinge – Really lets her personality shine! Always showing off finished products and upcoming workshops. It’s easy to feel excited when her posts cross your feed.

PS: Have a great social media strategy that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

---------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Legacy and Longevity: A Playbook for Owner-Operators Who Think Long-Term

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:26:33 GMT

Smart business owners know: legacy starts long before exit.
Growth rooted in values builds staying power.
Your wisdom is an asset—document it and pass it on.
Deep community ties are part of your long-term equity.
Succession is strategy, not retirement.

616 words ~ 3 min. read

Legacy and Longevity: A Playbook for Owner-Operators Who Think Long-Term

You didn’t build this business just to make money. You built it to make a mark—to create something that outlasts your time at the helm.

That’s legacy.

And the smart owner-operators know: legacy starts long before you hand over the keys.

Whether you’re five months or fifteen years from stepping back, building a legacy business means making intentional decisions now that will pay dividends later.

Lead With Values

Values aren’t soft—they’re strategic. Businesses grounded in clear principles like craftsmanship, fairness, and community trust outperform their peers according to HBR .

Ask yourself: Are your hiring decisions, customer experiences, and product standards aligned with what you believe in most? If not, that disconnect is eroding trust—and legacy.

Values-led growth is sustainable growth.

Codify Your Wisdom

Your experience is one of your greatest assets—but too often, it lives only in your head. That’s risky.

Start documenting the systems, instincts, and insights that drive your day-to-day:

Record process videos for training.
Create standard operating procedures.
Mentor rising leaders intentionally.

Your know-how is your company’s operating system. Treat it like intellectual property—and invest in transferring it.

Root Yourself Locally

Legacy is measured by what your business means to your community.

Owner-operators are often local anchors—supporting schools, mentoring entrepreneurs, and sponsoring events. These efforts build goodwill, strengthen brand loyalty, and deepen your impact.

Investing in your local ecosystem isn’t charity—it’s long-term brand equity.

Plan Beyond Yourself

Succession isn’t about stepping away—it’s about strengthening your business for the future.

Here’s a simple way to begin:

Legacy Planning Starter Pack

- Identify: Who could lead in your absence?
- Document: Start with one key system per week.
- Align: Meet with a financial or legal advisor about timelines.

- Even if you’re years away from a transition, having a plan brings clarity and confidence—to you and your team.

The Takeaway

Trends change. Markets shift. But a business built on values, people, and purpose? That sticks.

Legacy isn’t what you leave behind. It’s what you build—day by day.

This playbook isn’t about retiring—it’s about leading with intention, every step of the way.

---

TikTok for Small Business: How to Start Selling Today

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:58:24 GMT

With over 1 billion users worldwide and a rapidly growing e-commerce ecosystem, TikTok has become a powerful platform for small businesses and solopreneurs to reach new audiences and boost sales. Whether you’re a boutique owner, a skincare brand, or a service provider, or someone with an under 40 audience, TikTok offers a unique way to connect through short-form, engaging video content.

But getting started—especially if you're new to the platform—can be intimidating. It can feel like walking into the cafeteria on the first day of high school when you don’t know anyone. You feel like you’re one lame comment away from ruining your career.

But don’t worry. There’s a lot of potential out there. And who knows? You might even have some fun.

This guide breaks down the basics of selling on TikTok, best practices for beginners, what to avoid, and concerns about the platform’s uncertain future in the U.S.

Getting Started: Everything You Need to Sell on TikTok

New to TT? Or still working on building an audience. We have you covered. Follow the steps below to get your ecommerce working.

1. Create a Business Account

Switch to a TikTok Business Account in your settings. This unlocks analytics, a product showcase tab, and access to TikTok's Ads Manager. It will also impact what music you can use in your videos (say good-bye to most trending audio) but it’s a tradeoff that you’ll benefit from. Other benefits include: a clickable website link in your bio immediately as a business account as opposed to an individual account that requires 1,000 followers before you can do that; business accounts have an option to add a business category and contact email; and business accounts have a customizable auto-reply message for DMs (in some regions).

2. Set Up TikTok Shop (if eligible)

TikTok Shop allows you to sell directly on the platform. To use it, you must meet eligibility requirements (which vary by region), including proof of identity and a business license in some cases.

3. Connect a Product Catalog

If you’re using Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, you can integrate your product catalog with TikTok for easy promotion and tagging.

Best Practices for TikTok Selling for Beginners

TikTok may not work for every industry, but if you’re in health/beauty or clothing and accessories, you should probably give it a whirl. In 2024, U.S. sales in TikTok Shop for health and beauty totaled $1.34 billion, and apparel and accessories sales reached $1.01 billion. Ad that’s not including stats from individual influencers!

While there is no formula to become a viral sensation on this platform, and results will vary by audience and niche, there are several best practices you’ll want to stick with:

Prioritize Authenticity Over Perfection

TikTok thrives on real, relatable content. You don’t need a production studio—just good lighting, a phone, and your personality. People want to see the face behind the brand. Some of the most popular sales videos are just people talking about products they like and why.

Use Trends—but Make Them Yours

Jumping on trends (songs—this ability could be impacted by switching to a business account, memes, challenges) can help your videos go viral—but add your own spin. Tie the trend back to your product or service in a way that feels natural. And to use some eighties vernacular—you don’t want to look like a poser, jumping on the bandwagon. If you are going to jump on the bandwagon, make it memorable. Play around with the ideas of “this trend AND…”

Post Consistently and Experiment

Aim for 3–5 posts per week, more if you can. Try product demos, behind-the-scenes clips, customer testimonials, or how-tos. Try a few posts that show your personality even if they don’t directly mention your product or service. People are, after all, on the channel for entertainment. Pay attention to what performs best and adjust accordingly.

Keep in mind many people have become “TikTok famous” out of sheer consistency. Showing up in someone’s feed every day is going to help them recognize you and know you, making it easier to eventually buy from you.

Add a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Whether it's “Click the link in bio,” “Check out our TikTok Shop,” or “Follow us for more,” always guide the viewer to the next step. Much of the time they’ll do it if they enjoyed what they watched.

Leverage TikTok Creator Tools

Use tools like the TikTok Creative Center, Video Editor, and CapCut (free and paid versions) to polish your content. TikTok also offers tutorials and inspiration in the Business Learning Center.

Engage With Comments and Other Creators

Reply to comments with videos, duet with other creators, or jump into conversations in your niche. The more you engage, the more the algorithm will favor your content.

Use Captions, Hashtags, and Keywords

Captions and hashtags help TikTok understand and categorize your content. Use niche-specific hashtags (#SmallBusinessCheck, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt) and keywords in your captions.

Things to Avoid

There are some things that don’t cut the mustard on TikTok. Stay clear of:

· Overly Salesy Content . People scroll TikTok for entertainment. Hard-selling turns people off. Think storytelling first, selling second.

· Ignoring Analytics . Use TikTok’s analytics to understand what content works best—and when your audience is most active.

· Low-Quality Video . Blurry, dark, or hard-to-hear videos won’t keep viewers around. Basic lighting and audio matter.

· Neglecting Your Profile . Make sure your bio clearly states what you offer. Include a link to your website or TikTok Shop.

· Inconsistent Branding . Even if your videos are informal, aim for a consistent tone, aesthetic, or message.

Is TikTok at Risk of Being Banned in the US?

Yes, there is some concern over TikTok’s future in the U.S. due to national security debates and bipartisan legislation. While the app is still fully functional, businesses should diversify their digital presence, which is good advice for any platform that you don’t own. You should:

· Repurpose your TikToks on Instagram Reels and/or YouTube Shorts.

· Grow your email list to maintain a direct line to customers. Social media platforms can become unpopular (or get banned). You want to be able to reach your audience.

· Drive traffic to your website or online store whenever possible.

In short, use TikTok as a growth tool—but don’t rely on it as your sole sales engine.

TikTok Is a Tool, Not a Magic Wand

If you're new to TikTok, be patient. Building an audience takes time, but the payoff can be enormous—especially for small businesses with niche appeal and a story to tell.

Start small. Be consistent. Show up as yourself. And don’t forget to have fun. That’s what TikTok is all about.

------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Smarter Way to Grow Customer Value

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:06:35 GMT

Growth isn't about getting more leads—it's about making more of the customers you have.
Alex Hormozi's Four R's—Retain, Review, Refer, Resell—focus on post-purchase impact.
Traditional marketing builds attention. Hormozi's model builds revenue.
Combine both strategies for stronger loyalty, social proof and long-term profitability.
Focus on what happens after the sale—it’s where the real growth begins.

623 words ~ 3 min. read

You’re working harder than ever to win new customers—but revenue still feels flat. The problem isn’t reach. It’s what happens after the sale.

That’s the insight behind entrepreneur and author Alex Hormozi’s approach to business growth. While traditional marketing focuses on building awareness and brand image through the classic Four R’s— Reach, Reputation, Renew and Refer —Hormozi shifts the focus to what drives real revenue: Retain, Review, Refer, Resell.

Don’t Just Fill the Funnel—Squeeze It

Traditional marketing strategies are built to attract leads. They’re critical, especially for new or growing businesses. But without a strong back end, you’re pouring new leads into a leaky funnel. Hormozi’s model aims to fix the leak and turn one-time buyers into long-term profit centers.

Here’s how each step works:

Retain: Loyalty Is the Real Growth Hack

Customer retention is one of the most reliable ways to increase profitability. A Harvard Business Review study found that improving retention by just 5% can boost profits by up to 95%. Businesses often overinvest in attracting new customers while underinvesting in the ones they already have. Retention means strengthening relationships and solving problems before they cause churn.

Review: Let Your Customers Sell for You

Social proof sells. According to BrightLocal, 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. Reviews build trust, shorten sales cycles and improve conversion rates. Hormozi’s advice? Make it easy for customers to leave reviews, and make sure those reviews are visible.

Refer: Turn Fans Into a Growth Engine

Referral programs aren’t new—but most aren’t executed well. A structured, incentivized referral system brings in leads who already trust your brand. Referred customers typically convert faster and stay longer, making them more profitable over time.

Resell: Serve More, Sell More

It’s easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new one. Yet many businesses stop after the first transaction. Hormozi emphasizes the importance of upselling, cross-selling and solving additional customer needs. Your warmest leads are already in your pipeline—keep serving them.

A Real-World Example

Consider a local fitness studio. Instead of spending thousands each month on paid ads, they focused on automating reviews and rewarding referrals. Six months later, their revenue had doubled without increasing lead volume. The secret? Maximizing the value of their existing customer base.

Combine the Old and the New

This isn’t about ditching traditional marketing—it’s about completing the strategy. Use Reach and Reputation to build awareness, then activate Hormozi’s Retain-Review-Refer-Resell loop to drive repeat value.

Here’s a quick comparison:

Marketing R's: Reach → Reputation → Renew → Refer
Growth R's: Retain → Review → Refer → Resell

Together, these models form a full-circle approach: Attract, deliver, retain, and expand.

Try This: One R at a Time

This week, choose one of the Four R’s and put it into practice. Start with Retain: What would make your best customers stay three months longer?

Growth doesn’t just come from new eyes—it comes from deeper relationships. It’s time to stop chasing leads and start growing value.

---

How to Turn Small Talk Into Big Opportunities

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:04:06 GMT

Let’s be real. Elevator pitches can feel like a late-night infomercial–a robotic recitation of what your business does with an added exclamation point at the end. But for business owners and sales professionals, every interaction is an opportunity. A truly effective elevator pitch transcends mere information delivery.

It's about forging genuine connections that can blossom into leads, partnerships, and lasting relationships. It's about making those precious few seconds count, not just for what you say, but for how you make the other person feel.

What most people get wrong in their elevator pitch is that they make it sound like a commercial and all about them, when it should be about your audience.

Forget the rigid templates and the pressure to cram every detail into a thirty-second spiel. This isn’t about broadcasting; it’s about initiating a conversation. The key lies in shifting your focus from simply explaining your business to creating a spark of interest and establishing a human connection.

If you take nothing else from this article know that:

the pitch must ignite interest

The Psychology of Connection in Brief Interactions

Humans are wired for connection. Even in brief encounters, we subconsciously seek common ground, shared values, and genuine interest.

Your elevator pitch should tap into this innate desire. Instead of launching into a list of features and benefits, start with a relatable problem you solve or a shared passion that drives your business.

Think about your ideal client or contact. What are their pain points? What are their aspirations? Craft an opening that acknowledges their world and subtly positions your business as a potential solution or a valuable resource. This approach immediately makes the interaction less transactional and more empathetic.

Storytelling Elements That Resonate

While quick is crucial, weaving in a concise narrative “elevates” your pitch. Instead of saying, “We offer marketing solutions,” try something like, “I help small business owners who are overwhelmed by social media finally find a consistent way to connect with their customers and grow their brand. I saw my own sister struggle with this, and that’s why I started [Business Name].” This personal touch and the hint of a story make your pitch more memorable and relatable.

Focus on the why behind your business. What motivates you? What impact do you hope to make? Sharing a sliver of your passion can create an emotional resonance that facts and figures alone can't achieve.

Tailoring Pitches to Different Personality Types

Not everyone responds to the same approach. Observe the person you're speaking with. Are they direct and results-oriented? Focus on the tangible benefits and your track record. Are they more relationship-focused? Emphasize collaboration and shared values.

Having a few variations of your pitch allows you to adapt to different personalities and contexts. Practice delivering each version so it feels natural and authentic, rather than forced.

The Importance of Active Listening Post Delivery

Your elevator pitch isn't a monologue; it's the opening line of a potential dialogue. Pay close attention to the other person's reaction. Are they asking questions? Are they nodding in understanding? Are they looking over your shoulder to be bailed out of the conversation the moment they see someone they know? Use their cues to guide the conversation.

Be prepared to elaborate on specific points that pique their interest. This shows you're genuinely engaged and interested in their needs, not just delivering a pre-rehearsed script. A thoughtful question in return can further deepen the connection and open doors for future interaction.

Ultimately, a successful elevator pitch is less about perfection and more about authenticity. It's about conveying your passion, highlighting your value, and making a genuine connection in a short amount of time. By focusing on building rapport and leaving a lasting impression, you transform a brief encounter into a potential steppingstone for long-term growth and meaningful relationships.

So, ditch the robotic recitation and embrace the art of the connection – and your pitch will get you all the way to the top floor.

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

AI Isn’t Replacing SEO—It’s Redefining It

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:47:45 GMT

Google's AI-generated search summaries shift SEO from rankings to relevance.
Local businesses must prioritize clarity, context, and authority in their content.
Structured data, featured snippets, and site experience now influence AI visibility.
Building topical depth helps businesses become the trusted source AI turns to.
Winning SEO in 2025 means answering questions—not just attracting clicks.

581 words ~ 3 min read

The SEO landscape is changing—and fast. But contrary to what you may have heard, SEO isn’t dead. It’s getting smarter, thanks to AI.

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a prime example. Instead of simply listing websites, Google now displays AI-generated summaries in response to user queries. These summaries pull from what the algorithm sees as the most trustworthy and relevant content—and that means your business needs to think differently about how it shows up online.

This evolution is especially important for local businesses . A potential customer may never scroll down to your link if Google’s AI answers their question up top. But if your content is included in that summary? You’re not just visible—you’re the answer.

What’s Changing?

Traditional SEO focused on keywords, backlinks, and meta tags. Today, search engines use AI to understand intent , not just terms. That means creating human-first content that clearly answers questions, reflects authority, and builds trust.

Instead of writing for algorithms, businesses now need to write for clarity. AI doesn’t reward keyword stuffing—it elevates content that solves problems.

Think of it this way: SEO used to be about getting found. Now, it’s about being useful.

Case in Point

A local HVAC company in Texas revamped its FAQ and service pages to clearly address customer pain points like “Why is my AC leaking?” and “How fast can you repair an AC unit in summer?” They added schema markup and structured headers.

Within weeks, their content began appearing in AI-generated summaries. Bookings rose 22%—and their brand authority grew along with it.

Your AI-Ready SEO Checklist

Here are four moves your business can make today:

Optimize for Featured Snippets
Structure your content to answer common customer questions clearly and concisely. Use headers, lists, and direct answers.
Build Topical Authority
Group your content into clusters—blogs, FAQs, videos—that cover a topic deeply. This signals to AI that your site is a credible source.
Enhance User Experience
Fast load times, mobile optimization, and easy navigation aren’t just good UX—they’re now ranking signals.
Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Help search engines understand your content. Schema tags tell AI what your page is about—and how it fits user intent.

Why This Matters for Your Business

AI is changing the way customers find and choose businesses. If your content isn’t being surfaced in AI summaries, you risk losing visibility—even if your site ranks on page one.

But this isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity. Businesses that provide clear, trustworthy answers to common questions will not only stay visible—they’ll become the go-to experts in their space.

And for Chamber members , this shift is a competitive edge. Most small businesses aren’t yet adapting to AI-driven search. By moving early, you stand out.

What to Do Now

✅ Review your website’s top-performing pages.
✅ Ask: Do they clearly answer your customers’ most common questions?
✅ If not, update them with clarity, structure, and supporting content.
✅ Add schema markup where possible.
✅ Improve mobile speed and user experience

SEO isn’t just about being found. It’s about being trusted. In the AI era, businesses that earn that trust—through clear, quality content—will lead the way.

---

10 Ways to Get the Most from Your Chamber Membership

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:33:15 GMT

Some people think chambers of commerce work magic—and in many ways, they do. But to see real results and get the most from your membership, you need to be involved. Joining is a smart move, but the true value comes when you actively engage.

If you’ve been wondering whether you’re making the most of your membership—or if you’re just starting out and you’re not sure how to get the most out of it—here are ten practical ways to tap into the value your chamber offers.

1. Show Up and Be Seen

The simplest way to maximize your membership is to attend events. Networking mixers, ribbon cuttings, educational workshops, and signature luncheons put you face-to-face with other members, community leaders, and potential customers.

Visibility builds trust, and trust builds business.

- Looking for a Chamber event? Visit our calendar and filter by “Chamber Event”! See you there!

2. Introduce Yourself Online

Most chambers offer a member directory, website listing , or social media shoutout for members. Take advantage of it! Ensure your business profile is up to date, includes a compelling description, and links to your website and social media.

- Unsure of your company login? Contact us: Office@LLChamber.com

If your chamber tags members online, engage with their posts to boost visibility. Not sure what they’ll do for you on social—ask. Some chambers have tiers that give more social media and marketing exposure, while others are happy to give you a shoutout.

- Want another place to share your company news? Visit our Facebook group ! Open for all to join, but only open for Chamber Members to post their news.

Speaking of…

3. Use Member-Only Marketing Perks

Chambers often provide exclusive opportunities to advertise in newsletters (or on their website), sponsor events, or be featured in business spotlights. These are often far more affordable than traditional advertising and directly reach a targeted local audience. Ask about low-cost or free ways to get featured.

- We have two emails – a job search (Working Wednesdays) and an announcement email (Community News). To submit your open hiring positions or upcoming event/company announcement, please send the information to: Office@LLChamber.com

- We also have a community job board we’ll add your open positions on!

- Our online calendar is open to submissions! We feature our member events and (attempt!) to feature all events in Leavenworth County. You can submit your event here !

4. Host or Sponsor Events

Sponsorships aren’t just about logos on banners—they’re about association and visibility. Whether you sponsor a lunch and learn, co-host a networking mixer, or provide space for a meeting, you position your organization as a local leader and supporter of the community.

Not into event sponsorships? There may be other opportunities such as naming conference rooms, sponsoring giveaways, or in-kind donations. Many chambers are doing some innovative and fun events with creative sponsorship opportunities. They may even be open to you suggesting your own.

- Check out our speaker/host proposal form on our website!

- Want to know about upcoming sponsorship opportunities? Just ask: Office@LLChamber.com

5. Participate in Advocacy Efforts

Your chamber is your voice at city hall and beyond. Stay informed about local legislation, zoning issues, and economic development initiatives that affect your business. Many chambers host candidate forums, legislative briefings, or policy committees—get involved to shape the future of your local economy. Additionally, voice your concerns and opinions so your chamber knows best how to advocate for you and your industry.

- We are constantly working to do our best to advocate for our membership community. Join our Government Affairs Committee ! Second Thursday of every month, 9-10AM, at the Chamber Offices.

- Or, visit our YouTube channel and watch some of the fantastic videos from events hosted by our GAC!

6. Leverage Learning Opportunities

From business planning to digital marketing to hiring best practices, chambers often host workshops, webinars, and panel discussions to keep you abreast of trends and best practices. Use them.

These sessions can save you hours of research—and sometimes thousands of dollars. Plus, you know the products, services, and companies presented in these learning ops are vetted and (usually) chamber members.

- Again, see our playlists !

- Check out our Leadership program !

7. Connect with Other Members

Chambers are a goldmine of potential partnerships. Need a CPA? Looking for a nonprofit to support? Want a trusted supplier? Look to your fellow members first. When you do business with others in the chamber, you contribute to a stronger, more connected local economy. These new partners may also send business your way.

- Visit our Directory!

8. Tell Your Story

People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. Share your milestones, success stories, or community impact with the chamber staff. Many chambers are happy to highlight member achievements in newsletters or on social media—it’s great exposure and helps build your reputation.

- We’ve mentioned our newsletters, but you can also submit your stories to our Press Releases ! This can be done in your membership login, or send it to us at: Office@LLChamber.com

Get personal. If your chamber asks you for a new member writeup for your business. Give it some thought. What do you want people to know most about you? How can you make them more curious about you so they’ll sample your offerings? Don’t just copy and paste your website’s about page. You want to give people moments where they feel connected to you. Ask yourself what is it about you and your business that people will identify with or find interesting.

9. Get Your Team Involved

Your membership isn’t just for you—it’s for your whole team. Encourage staff to attend networking events, professional development events and leadership programs, or industry roundtables. It can boost morale, expand your reach, and help with talent retention.

- We’re always glad to see our members! Whether you’ve been with the organization for decades or just started an internship, we appreciate seeing you, meeting you, and having you participate in our events .

10. Ask Questions and Offer Ideas

Finally, know chambers are member-driven organizations. If you’re unsure how to plug in or have an idea for a new program or service, speak up. Chamber staff are usually eager to help and love hearing member feedback. Your input could lead to new initiatives that benefit the whole community.

Your Chamber is a Partner, Not Just a Provider

Chamber membership benefits your business even if you don’t partake in all its offerings, but you’ll get a lot more if you’re an active member. Whether you’re a solopreneur, a nonprofit director, or the CEO of a growing company, your chamber is there to support your success. Get involved, build relationships, and use the tools available. You’ll not only grow your business—you’ll strengthen your community in the process.

- Other benefits include:

A. Medical Plans (For companies with 2 – 100 W-2 employees)

B. Advertising Value Report (As long as you have a Chamber Membership, your directory listing is getting views)

C. Low Cost Merchant Account (Looking at credit card processing?)

--------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Recognition is Free—But It Might Be the Most Valuable Investment You Make

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:57:04 GMT

Employee recognition costs nothing, but delivers massive returns.
Specific, timely praise boosts morale, retention, and productivity.
A consistent habit of appreciation builds a resilient, loyal culture.
Small acts of recognition create big business impact.
Leaders set the tone—start with one shout-out a day.

579 words ~ 3 min. read

What if one small leadership habit could boost morale, cut turnover, and increase productivity—without spending a single dollar?

For small businesses competing with larger companies offering higher pay and flashier perks, recognition can be the great equalizer. It’s free, immediate, and incredibly effective.

Why It Works

Employees crave meaning just as much as money. According to Gallup, only one in three workers strongly agree they received recognition in the last week. Yet those who do are more productive, more loyal, and less likely to burn out.

As Richard Branson famously said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

What Meaningful Recognition Looks Like

To make recognition effective, use the S.A.T. Method :

Specific: Don’t just say “great job.” Say “thank you for staying late to help that customer—you really went above and beyond.”
Authentic: Be genuine. Praise should come from a place of real appreciation, not obligation.
Timely: Deliver it close to the moment. Recognition loses power when it’s delayed.

The Cultural Multiplier

Recognition sets the tone for a culture of positivity and respect. When leaders model appreciation, others follow. This creates a ripple effect that lifts morale across the organization.

Recognition reinforces the behaviors and values you want to see more of—whether that’s teamwork, customer care, or problem-solving. Over time, this reinforcement becomes part of your business DNA.

Quick Wins for Busy Leaders

No time? No problem. Here are a few fast, high-impact ways to make recognition a regular habit without overhauling your schedule:

Start every team meeting with one shout-out: Kick off meetings by highlighting a recent win or effort by a team member. It sets a positive tone and encourages others to recognize good work, too.
End your day with one thank-you message: Before you log off or head out, take two minutes to send a quick thank-you email or Slack message to someone who made an impact that day. It’s a small gesture with lasting effects.
Post a “Win of the Week” on your team board: Dedicate a visible space—physical or digital—to spotlight one achievement each week. Rotate who gets featured and make sure it's tied to your values or goals.
Create a rotating “Peer Recognition” award: Empower your team to recognize each other by passing along a fun, informal award each week—like a baton, badge, or symbolic trophy. It builds community and encourages peer-to-peer appreciation.

These simple actions don’t require a budget—just intention. And the more consistently you practice them, the more embedded recognition becomes in your culture.

Build the Habit

It’s not about doing more. It’s about noticing more. Start with one authentic piece of recognition each day. Over time, you’ll notice the shift—not just in morale, but in performance, collaboration, and loyalty.

Recognition is a leadership practice, not a perk. It tells your people: You matter. I see you. Keep going.

Further Reading:

---

How Real Stories Are Boosting Business Sales

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:57:20 GMT

Social media is filled with perfect lives—you don’t see the dirty dishes in the sink, or the tears shed. You see the wins and the brags. The same is true of many social media accounts for business. As business owners we want to show our best selves. Anything less is weak and unappealing.

Or is it?

Lately, something interesting is happening. The most effective posts aren’t the polished ones with perfect lighting or studio-level graphics. They’re the real, raw, behind-the-scenes moments that tell the true story of what it’s like to run a small business.

From TikToks to Instagram Reels, business owners are discovering that authenticity—sharing the ups, the downs, and everything in between—helps them connect with customers in a meaningful way.

You can adopt this new highly effective approach as well.

Customers Crave Connection

People aren’t just buying products anymore—they’re buying stories, values, and the people behind the brand. Today’s consumers want to know who they’re supporting. They want to see the human side of business, not just the highlight reel.

That’s why honest storytelling is gaining so much traction. A short video about the time you overcame a setback, or a post about your “why” as a business owner, can do more than an ad ever could. It builds trust, invites engagement, and shows the passion behind the product.

We’ve also seen a lot of these types of videos where businesses share how they’re bouncing back from hurricanes, brush fires, and floods. The rebuilds are inspiring and help keep customers in the know.

Why Authenticity Works

There are real benefits to showing up as your authentic self online:

· It builds loyalty . When customers feel like they know you, they’re more likely to support you—especially during tough times.

· It boosts engagement . Real stories spark conversation. They get shared, commented on, and remembered.

· It sets you apart . Big brands can’t replicate your personal journey. That’s your advantage.

· It creates emotional connection . And connection drives action, whether that’s a sale, a visit, or a referral.

What Kinds of Stories Should You Share?

You don’t need to be a professional storyteller or social media guru to do this well. In fact, the more natural and honest you are, the better. Just sound like you. Your best friend should read the post and remark, “That sounds like you.”

Be vulnerable in a business savvy way. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

· The moment you decided to start your business

· A major obstacle you overcame and what you learned

· A behind-the-scenes look at your day (the chaos and the wins)

· A thank-you to your customers or team

· A mistake you made—and how you bounced back

· A natural disaster or other problem that required you to rebuild, restructure, or approach something in a different way

One important note: vulnerability doesn’t mean oversharing. Keep your stories focused on what will resonate with your audience. Aim to inspire, relate, or educate, rather than just vent.

Need Help Getting Started to Tell Your Story?

Storytelling may sound simple but showing up on camera or figuring out what to say can be a hurdle. That’s where your Chamber of Commerce can help. Many chambers offer marketing lunch and learns, social media tips, or networking events where you can learn what’s working for other local businesses.

Looking for guidance, tools, or even a platform to share your story more widely? Don’t hesitate to reach out to your chamber team. They’re here to support your growth—and amplify your voice in the community.

Show the Journey—Not Just the Destination

One of your most powerful marketing differentiation tools is already in your hands: your story. By showing the real human behind the business, you’re not just building a brand—you’re building a community of supporters who believe in what you do.

So, the next time you go to post, remember: perfection isn’t the goal. Connection is. And often, all it takes is hitting “record” and speaking from the heart.

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Win Over Customers with Emotional Marketing

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 16:00:43 GMT

There’s a Jeep commercial circulating right now that stars Harrison Ford talking about choices and how life doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. It’s one of those ads you watch the entire way through because it’s evocative and makes you feel something. You hardly even notice that they’re selling a vehicle, but you buy into the lifestyle presented, which is Jeep’s goal.

Winning customers isn’t just about having a great product or service—it’s about making people feel something. The best brands don’t just sell; they connect, entertain, and even challenge their audiences.

If you want to turn heads and build a loyal customer base, you don’t need to have Jeep’s ad spend. You can use these five powerful marketing techniques in your email, video, and social media campaigns.

1. Surprise Them with the Unexpected

Have you ever seen a video of a ferocious gorilla cradling a stuffed animal? You notice it because it breaks the norm. It’s unexpected.

Shocking or provocative marketing makes people stop scrolling and start talking. Use bold visuals, unexpected comparisons, or tackle an issue in a way no one else has. The key is to be tastefully disruptive—shocking for the right reasons, not just for controversy’s sake.

Example: A coffee shop launches an ad/marketing campaign with the slogan, “Sleep is overrated.” The ad features people snoozing in unexpected places—like a boardroom or a wedding—only to wake up rejuvenated with a cup of their signature brew. It’s humorous, eye-catching, and reinforces the product’s value.

2. Align with What Matters to Customers

More than ever, consumers—especially younger ones (hello, Gen Z)—want to support brands that align with their values. Whether it’s sustainability, diversity, or social justice, people are willing to pay more for companies that stand for something.

Example: A fashion brand emphasizes its commitment to ethical manufacturing by showcasing the artisans who make their products, rather than just the clothes. The campaign highlights fair wages, sustainable materials, and real stories, making customers feel good about their purchases. Another example is a restaurant in Florida that printed on the first page of its menu that it pays the staff a living hourly wage with medical benefits as a reason for slightly higher dine-in prices.

3. Make Them Laugh

Laughter is appreciated by most people and humor makes brands more relatable and memorable. If you can cause someone to chuckle (with you, not at you), they’re more likely to remember your business—and even share your content.

Example: A bakery promotes its products with a campaign called “The Breakup Box”— designed for heartbreak recovery, featuring goodies decorated with phrases like “You were too good for them anyway.” It’s witty, shareable, and turns an everyday purchase into an experience.

4. Show What’s at Stake

Fear-based marketing isn’t about scaring customers—it’s about showing them what they might lose if they don’t act. It works well for industries like insurance, cybersecurity, and health because it highlights risks people may not think about.

Example: A cybersecurity company runs an ad featuring a business owner frantically calling IT after losing all their customer data to hackers. The tagline? “Hope is not a security plan.” It’s direct, powerful, and makes people think twice about their own vulnerabilities.

5. Tap into Nostalgia

People love reminiscing about the past. Nostalgia creates an emotional connection, making your brand feel warm, familiar, and trustworthy. Whether it’s referencing pop culture, childhood experiences, or past trends, nostalgia-based marketing can be a powerful tool.

Example: A toy store releases a campaign featuring classic ‘90s toys with the tagline “Some things never go out of style.” Parents who grew up in that era are instantly drawn in, eager to share a piece of their childhood with their own kids.

Hollywood knows this power better than anyone. They came out with a movie based on that creepy cymbal-banging, drum playing monkey toy from the late ‘60s-‘70s. If you were a child then (or watched the movie Poltergeist), you know what I mean. Nostalgia is not always heartwarming, but it does make you feel something.

The Winning Formula: Mix and Match

The best marketing campaigns often blend these techniques. A campaign can be funny and nostalgic, or shocking and value-driven. The key is to know your audience and choose the right emotional trigger that will make them stop, think, and, most importantly, take action.

(You’re still thinking about that monkey, aren’t you? That’s marketing power.)

-------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Leadership Edge You’re Overlooking: Why Volunteering Pays Off

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:59:00 GMT

Volunteering builds leadership skills like empathy, strategy, and communication.
Giving back enhances employee engagement, company culture, and your network.
You don’t need extra time or money—start small, start now.
Volunteering often opens doors to unexpected personal and professional growth.
Leaders who volunteer are more fulfilled and connected to their communities.

604 words ~ 3 min read

In today’s fast-paced business world, leaders are constantly searching for ways to grow—both personally and professionally. But there’s one path to growth that’s often overlooked: volunteering.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving back; it’s a leadership accelerator that builds empathy, sharpens strategic thinking, and fosters stronger connections. And the best part? You don’t have to wait until you have “extra” time or resources to get started. Small actions today can lead to profound impacts tomorrow.

The Case for Volunteering

The personal benefits of volunteering are well-documented. People who volunteer report 27% higher levels of life satisfaction. They experience lower stress and greater emotional well-being ( CNCS ).

For professionals and business leaders, the payoff is even greater:

Volunteering develops empathy , an essential leadership trait.
Serving on nonprofit boards or committees strengthens governance and decision-making skills .
Community involvement expands your professional network and boosts your personal brand .

Deloitte’s research highlights that employees who participate in workplace volunteer activities are 57% more likely to feel connected to their company’s culture and mission ( Deloitte Volunteerism Survey ).

Start Small—But Start Now

Many professionals put off volunteering, waiting for the “right” time—when they’re more successful, financially secure, or less busy. But if you wait for perfect conditions, you could be waiting forever.

Here’s a simple three-step plan to get started within the next 30 days:

Clarify your passion. What causes matter to you—education, health, economic development? Start with what resonates.
Leverage your network. Ask colleagues or friends where they volunteer. You’ll be surprised by the connections and opportunities close by.
Commit to one small action. Whether it’s one hour a month or lending your skills to a nonprofit’s strategic plan, start with what fits your life right now.

What Happens Next May Surprise You

Volunteering often leads to unexpected opportunities. You may start by helping at a local event and end up joining a nonprofit board. Or you might discover a passion that redefines your personal mission—or even sparks a career pivot.

As Harry Kraemer, former CEO of Baxter International, shares in his leadership insights:

“Start small, but be open to where volunteering takes you. Over time, you can grow into roles that allow you to make an even greater impact.”

You’ll also become a stronger leader. Volunteering hones key leadership skills: listening, empathy, resilience, and decision-making in complex environments. These are the same traits that set successful business leaders apart.

Lead by Example—And Create a Culture of Giving Back

If you lead a team or a business, encouraging volunteerism can strengthen your entire organization. Companies that prioritize volunteering experience higher employee engagement, improved morale, and stronger ties to their communities.

Consider these steps:

Offer paid volunteer days or flexible schedules to encourage employees to give back.
Partner with local nonprofits for company-wide volunteer initiatives.
Recognize and celebrate volunteer efforts within your team.

The Bottom Line

Volunteering isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a leadership strategy that pays dividends. You grow as a leader, build your network, and create lasting positive change.

Why wait? Start today. Your future self—and your community—will thank you.

Further Reading:

Why Volunteering Can Be Great for Business – Harvard Business Review

Empathy Is the Most Important Leadership Skill – Harvard Business Review

---

Spring into Success with These Fun Marketing Ideas

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:31:28 GMT

Spring is a season of rejuvenation, growth, and vibrant energy. After winter, most people are thrilled to be outdoors and thinking about warmer weather. It’s a time for us all to come out of sleepy hibernation and explore our areas.

Spring is also the perfect time for you to connect with your customers, boost employee morale, and inject fresh life into your operations.

Here are a few fun ideas to celebrate the spirit of spring:

Embrace the Sensory Delights of Spring

One of the first things people notice in spring is the change of the smells in the air. It’s easy to create an inviting space by keeping this in mind. But smells aren’t the only captivating part of this joyful season.

You might build on this by:

Bringing the Outdoors In: Fill your workspace with the sights and scents of spring. Use fresh flowers, potted plants, or even nature-inspired artwork to create a refreshing atmosphere.
Using Seasonal Scents: Use diffusers with light, floral, or citrusy essential oils to create an uplifting ambiance.
Playing Spring-Inspired Music: Create a playlist of light, upbeat music.

Cultivate Growth and Renewal

Spring is an ideal time to start fresh. You might do this by decluttering, organizing, and/or refreshing your physical and digital spaces. Update your website, streamline your processes, and clear out any outdated materials.

Get your employees (or clients) excited about what’s to come by offering workshops, training sessions, or team-building activities that encourage growth and learning.

Additionally, we’re now almost through with Q1. It’s time to reassess your business goals and set new targets for the coming months.

Connect with Your Community

Winter is often seen as a season of hunkering down and hibernation. Spring, on the other hand, is a time for gathering. You can play this up in your business by:

Hosting a Spring Open House: Invite customers to explore your business, enjoy refreshments, and learn about your latest offerings.
Partnering with Others: Collaborate with other businesses or community groups to host a spring-themed event, fundraiser, or deals.
Support Local Farmers and Artisans: Feature seasonal products from local vendors, showcasing the best of your community.

Introduce Something New

Spring is about rebirth and freshness. You might offer discounts, special packages, or limited-time products and services that reflect the season.

If weather allows, you could host outdoor events or activities, such as a sidewalk sale, a pop-up shop, or a picnic for your team.

Help customers break out of their “winter shell” by creating interactive displays that encourage customer engagement, such as a spring inspiration board, a photo booth with seasonal props, or the ability to “try before you buy.”

You could also offer light, healthy snacks and beverages, such as fruit-infused water, salads, or smoothies. You needn’t be a food business to try this. For instance, a boutique might make cucumber water available to guests.

Marketing Strategies for Spring Success

If you want to bring new life to your business, keep in mind that spring is the perfect time to:

Emphasize the themes of renewal, growth, and positive energy in your marketing and messaging.
Use social media, email marketing, and in-store interactions to connect with your customers and share the spirit of spring—fun, festive, and bright!
Foster a sense of optimism and enthusiasm among your team members and your customers.

By embracing the growth and joyful themes of spring, you can create a vibrant and engaging experience for your customers and employees alike. Capitalize on the positive energy of the season and you’re sure to grow throughout the year.

------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Maker vs. Manager: Mastering Two Distinct Leadership Modes to Maximize Your Impact

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 13:38:36 GMT

Leaders wear two hats: Makers create; Managers coordinate. Each requires different energy and time structures.
Switching comes at a cost: Moving between modes drains productivity and increases burnout risk.
Design your schedule with intention: Block Maker time for focus, Manager time for collaboration.
Model healthy rhythms for your team: When leaders respect focus time, teams follow.

645 words ~ 3 min read

The Scenario: You’ve blocked off the morning to finally finish that big proposal. You’re ready to focus, dive deep, and knock it out. By 9:30 a.m., you’ve already been pulled into two quick meetings, responded to Slack messages, and answered a “just one quick thing” email. Suddenly it’s noon, and your deep work window is gone. Sound familiar?

For most leaders, this tension isn’t new. Balancing creation with coordination is the hallmark of modern leadership. But few people talk about how draining it can be to switch back and forth between these two distinct modes of work. As Alex Hormozi ( https://www.acquisition.com/about-alex ) puts it, success depends on recognizing—and respecting—the different demands of the Maker and Manager work styles.

Maker vs. Manager: Two Modes, Two Rhythms

The Maker Mode

Makers are creators. They add value by building things—whether that’s writing content, developing products, designing strategies, or solving complex problems. Their work requires deep concentration and long, uninterrupted time blocks . A five-minute interruption can cost them hours in lost focus and productivity.

Think Bill Gates’ famous “Think Weeks,” where he isolates himself to read, think, and strategize.

For Makers, success depends on flow , creativity , and undivided attention .

The Manager Mode

Managers are the facilitators and coordinators. Their value comes from decision-making , communication , and oversight . They excel at moving between tasks quickly, leading meetings, providing feedback, and unblocking teams. Their schedules are often packed with interactions that require quick thinking and rapid context switching .

Sheryl Sandberg, during her time at Meta, was known for a highly structured calendar filled with meetings designed to move the organization forward.

For Managers, success looks like clarity , decisiveness , and team coordination .

Why This Distinction Matters for Leaders

Switching between Maker and Manager modes isn’t seamless. Every transition comes with a cognitive cost . You can’t walk out of a high-stakes meeting and instantly drop into deep strategy work. It can take up to 25 minutes to regain full focus after a single interruption (source: Forbes ).

Leaders who ignore this reality risk:

Burnout
Reduced productivity
Frustration—for themselves and their teams

But those who master these two modes can dramatically increase their impact. It’s not about choosing Maker or Manager. It’s about knowing when to operate in each mode—and protecting that time.

4 Practical Strategies to Master Both Modes

Audit Your Week
Are you spending your time intentionally as a Maker or Manager? Track your time for a week to understand where your energy is going.
Time Block with Purpose
Dedicate distinct parts of your day to each role. For example, schedule deep Maker work in the morning when your focus is strongest, and Manager tasks in the afternoon when collaboration is key.
Protect Your Maker Time Relentlessly
Turn off Slack and email notifications. Decline unnecessary meetings. Create a “Do Not Disturb” window and honor it. This signals to your team that you value deep work—and they should too.
Cluster Your Manager Tasks
Batch meetings, calls, and decision-making sessions. This keeps you in a coordination mindset , avoiding constant mode-switching that saps energy.

The Leadership Edge: Modeling Healthy Work Rhythms

This isn’t just about personal productivity. Leaders set the tone for their organizations. When you model intentional Maker and Manager time, you give your team permission to do the same. The result?

More focused teams
Better decision-making
Less burnout
More innovation

As Paul Graham wrote in his essay, Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule, “When you're operating on the maker's schedule, meetings are a disaster.” True then. Still true today.

The Bottom Line

The best leaders aren’t just good Makers or Managers. They’re intentional about how—and when—they show up in each role. In today’s complex business environment, adaptability is a superpower. But adaptability doesn’t mean multitasking.
It means designing your time to win.

For Further Reading:

Paul Graham: Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule

Forbes: The True Cost of Interruptions At Work (And How To Avoid Them)

HBR: How to Structure Your Day for Maximum Productivity

---

Delegation Done Right: Free Yourself and Empower Your Team

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 15:56:01 GMT

Delegation is a leadership multiplier. Done right, it empowers your team, builds future leaders, and gives you back time to focus on strategy.
Why it matters: Leaders who master delegation grow faster. Gallup found they generate 33% more revenue than those who don’t delegate effectively.
Delegation myths hold leaders back: It’s not about losing control or dumping tasks. It’s about creating clarity, trust, and accountability.
The bottom line: You can’t scale by doing more. You scale by letting go—and empowering your team to step up.

You’re juggling too much—and it’s slowing you down.

615 words ~ 3 min read

Many leaders take pride in wearing all the hats. You built the business. You know how everything works. But the constant “I’ll just do it myself” mindset can quickly lead to burnout—and a team that’s disengaged, underutilized, and uninspired.

Here’s the truth: Delegation isn’t giving up control. It’s multiplying your impact. When done right, delegation empowers your team, develops future leaders, and gives you the space to focus on the work that only you can do: vision, strategy, and growth.

Why Leaders Struggle to Delegate

If you’ve ever thought:

“No one can do this as well as I can”
“It’s faster if I do it myself”
“If something goes wrong, I’m the one on the hook”

You’re not alone. These beliefs are common—but they limit your potential and the potential of your people.

A Gallup study found that leaders who delegate effectively generate 33% more revenue than those who don’t. ( Gallup ) Delegation isn’t just a time-saver; it’s a growth strategy.

The #1 Leadership Mistake: Doing It All Yourself

When leaders hoard decision-making and execution, they:

Become the bottleneck
Burn out
Create a team culture of dependence instead of ownership

Delegation flips the script. It encourages autonomy, accountability, and initiative—three things every high-performing team needs.

As Harvard Business Review puts it:

"Delegation is not a zero-sum game where one person’s gain is another’s loss. It’s a win-win when approached with clarity and purpose.” ( HBR )

Common Delegation Myths—And the Truth Behind Them

Myth: “I’ll lose control.”
Truth: Clear expectations and regular check-ins keep you informed without micromanaging.
Myth: “Delegation is dumping.”
Truth: Delegation is a leadership skill that builds trust and empowers others to grow.
Myth: “I don’t have time to train someone.”
Truth: Time invested in training upfront pays dividends in productivity and independence later.

The Delegation Playbook: 3 Simple Steps

Step 1: Clarify the Why

Don’t just assign tasks. Provide context. Explain why the task matters and how it ties into bigger goals. People are more engaged when they understand the purpose behind the work.

Step 2: Match Tasks to Strengths (and Stretch Them )

Delegate based on individual skills—but also look for opportunities to develop new ones. Aligning tasks with someone’s career goals creates buy-in and drives personal growth.

Step 3: Define Success, Then Step Back

Be clear about desired outcomes, deadlines, and key metrics. But don’t dictate how the work gets done. Let people problem-solve and take ownership. Check in, but don’t hover.

Pro Tip: Use this delegation script—
“I’d like you to take the lead on [project]. Here’s what success looks like: [clear outcome]. I trust your judgment. Let’s check in at [milestone] to make sure you have what you need.”

What You Gain When You Let Go

When leaders delegate effectively, they:

Free themselves to focus on strategy, customers, and growth.
Empower their teams to take ownership, which builds confidence and capability.
Avoid burnout by shifting from “doer” to “leader.”

You don’t scale by working harder—you scale by working smarter and building a team that grows alongside you.

Takeaway

Delegation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a critical leadership skill that drives growth—for you, your team, and your business.

It builds trust.
It develops leaders.
It unlocks time and energy to focus on what matters most.

Let go of the small stuff. Step into your role as the visionary leader your team needs.

---

How to Celebrate Women's History Month at Your Business

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:20:20 GMT

Women's History Month is a fantastic opportunity for you to recognize the invaluable contributions of women, past and present. It's not just about historical figures; it's about celebrating the women who drive your business, your community, and the world forward.

And let’s face it, it’s a great reminder to put some good cheer into the world. After all, people love feel-good narratives.

While it may be difficult to implement these ideas before the end of the month, you can always use them to plan for next year or make an announcement this month to unveil a larger plan rollout for another time.

Here are some creative ways to celebrate, internally and externally, at your business:

Internal Employee Celebrations: Fostering Appreciation and Growth

Like Mother’s Day, you don’t have to be a woman to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women. Make it enjoyable and welcoming for all.

Here are a few ways to encourage support for, and interest in, Women’s History Month:

Create a Women Who Inspire Spotlight

Dedicate a segment of your internal newsletter or intranet to spotlighting female employees, customers, or figures who inspire your team. Share their stories, achievements, and insights. But that’s just the beginning. Get your crew involved too. Create a "wall of inspiration" in your breakroom or office (or even your front lobby or register stand), where employees can post pictures and stories of women who inspire them.

Host Skill-Sharing Workshops or Lunch & Learns

Invite female employees to lead workshops on their areas of expertise. This empowers them and provides valuable learning opportunities for the team. For instance, your marketing maven could give a workshop on personal branding.

Organize a lunch & learn session featuring a female speaker from your industry or community. This could be a mentor, a successful entrepreneur, or an expert in a relevant field. Not only is this inspiring but could lead employees to see their career path in a new way.

Launch a Mentorship Program

Launch or promote existing mentorship programs that connect female employees with experienced mentors, either within or outside the company. Create a networking event specifically for the women in your company. If you have a smaller business where that is difficult to do, work with local groups like your chamber to create opportunities for networking, mentorships, and leadership development.

Create a Parent-friendly Job Program

One of the hardest parts of keeping women in the workforce is childcare. While your business may not have the budget to offer employees childcare or a subsidy to offset the cost, you may be able to offer alternative shifts that make parenting and work possible. For instance, you could offer a 9-3 shift to accommodate parents who have to pick up children from school or you could arrange job shares that would allow two part-time employees to share one full-time position. This would ensure the needs of the parents and the business are both met.

External Celebrations: Engaging Your Community and Customers

Women’s History Month has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Many businesses are hosting events and other celebrations. Here are a few ideas of how you can do the same:

Host a Female Author or Speaker

Partner with a local bookstore or library to host a book signing or speaking event featuring a female author or thought leader. If you don’t have time to host a speaker this year, try interviewing one for your newsletter on a topic of interest to your ideal audience.

Support Women-Owned Businesses

Feature products or services from women-owned businesses in your store or on your website. Offer a special discount or promotion for customers who support women-owned businesses. Call attention to the women-owned businesses you work with, such as vendors and suppliers, or highlight the stories of some of your employees.

Community Partnership

Partner with a local women's shelter, non-profit organization, or educational institution to host a fundraising event or volunteer activity.

Long-term idea: sponsor a scholarship or award for female students or entrepreneurs.

Educational Content

Create blog posts, articles, or videos highlighting the achievements of women in your industry or community.

Share educational resources and information about women's history and current issues on your website and social media channels.

Social Media Campaigns

Use relevant hashtags like #WomensHistoryMonth, #WomenInBusiness, and #CelebrateWomen to share stories, quotes, and images of inspiring women. Run a social media contest or giveaway that celebrates women's achievements.

Feature your female staff members and their roles within the company. Ask them to tell stories of the women who inspire them.

Customer Appreciation

Highlight female customers and their achievements through social media posts or blog posts. (with customer permission, of course).

Make It Part of a Larger Conversation

Women’s History Month is a way to instill appreciation for the struggles of women and their contributions to the many areas of our society—personally and professionally. But the historical tribute can also be the beginning of a larger conversation. Is equality something you want to make part of your employee culture? Do you want customers to understand that you have programs in place that help women receive equal pay to their male counterparts? How does this celebration of women tie into your culture of who you are or who you want to be?

By celebrating Women's History Month in meaningful and creative ways, you can demonstrate your commitment to gender equality, foster a positive and inclusive work environment, and strengthen your connection with your community and customers. This month isn’t just about clever marketing. It could be the beginning of a much larger conversation about workforce dynamics and culture in your company and beyond.

------------

_______________________________________

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Are You Asking the Right Questions for Business Growth?

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:05:34 GMT

Growth isn't a passive process; it doesn’t just happen. Unfortunately, you don’t open a business and sit back and wait for it to grow. Businesses rarely go viral overnight and planning on doing so is like funding your retirement by playing the lottery every week.

Business growth is a dynamic journey fueled by strategic thinking and insightful questions that help you see things in new ways. As a business owner, you're constantly navigating challenges and opportunities, not to mention the competition.

But are you asking the right questions to propel your business to the next level?

Simply working hard isn't enough. We need to work smarter, and that starts with asking the questions that reveal hidden potential and drive meaningful change to attain growth.

Internal Questions for Operational Excellence

Every successful business rests on a solid foundation. Let's start by looking inward. Are your internal operations optimized for growth?

Consider these questions:

Are our current workflows efficient, or are there bottlenecks? Take a critical look at your processes. Are there redundant steps or outdated systems that could be streamlined?
Are we maximizing our existing resources? This includes your team, technology, and financial assets. Are you leveraging them to their full potential? A lot has changed over the past few years. It may be time to audition new tech and assess the skills gap that may exist in your business.
Is our team engaged and aligned with our goals? A motivated team is a powerful engine for growth. Are you providing them with the support and resources they need to succeed? Are they fulfilled in their position? A disengaged employee can do a lot of damage to a business and its service reputation.

Actionable Step: Conduct a brief internal audit. Map out your key processes and identify areas for improvement. Schedule a team meeting to gather feedback and brainstorm solutions.

External Questions for Market Understanding

Understanding your market is crucial for sustained growth. Sometimes markets change or new ones open up.

Ask yourself:

Who is our ideal customer, and what are their evolving needs? Customer preferences change. Are you staying ahead of the curve? For instance, if you were a business that served authors, with the recent growth in AI, how did that impact them and what they need from you? If you haven’t answered that question in five years, you’re likely behind your competition. Speaking of…
What are our competitors doing, and how can we differentiate ourselves? Analyze your competition to identify opportunities to stand out. Again, give them a fresh look. They may be doing new things you weren’t aware of. Additionally, sometimes your competition is not doing anything. If your ideal customer isn’t choosing you, are they choosing your competition or doing nothing? Why?
How can we enhance our customer experience to build loyalty and drive referrals? Exceptional customer service is a powerful differentiator. Don’t assume your service is excellent just because you don’t hear complaints. If they’re not talking about you, you’re average.

Actionable Step: Conduct a customer survey or analyze your customer feedback data. Research your competitors' online presence and marketing strategies.

Strategic Questions for Future Growth

Looking ahead is essential for long-term success. Consider these strategic questions:

What are our long-term goals, and how can we achieve them? Develop a clear roadmap for the future.
What new opportunities can we explore to expand our market reach? Consider new products, services, or markets.
How can we innovate and adapt to changing market conditions? Agility is key to staying competitive.

Actionable Step: Schedule a strategic planning session with your team. Brainstorm new ideas and develop a plan to implement them.

The Power of "Why?"

No, this time we’re not talking about YOUR why. Instead, channel your inner four-year-old and don't be content to stop at the surface. Dig deeper by asking "Why?" multiple times. This technique can help you uncover the root cause of problems and identify hidden opportunities. For example, instead of just asking "Why are sales down?" look at the larger picture and ask "Why are sales down? Why are customer leads down? Why is our marketing not generating enough leads?"

Use the word “why” and “and” with each question you answer. Your learning and understanding will improve.

Your Chamber is Your Partner in Growth

Asking the right questions is just the beginning. Your chamber of commerce is here to support you on your growth journey.

The chamber offers a range of resources to help you grow including:

Networking events to connect with other business leaders
Educational workshops and seminars to enhance your skills
Access to valuable market data and industry insights
Business counseling and mentorship

Growth is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and innovating. By asking the right questions and leveraging the resources available to you, you can unlock your business's full potential. Then reach out to your chamber of commerce to explore how it can help you take your business to the next level.

---------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How Small Businesses Can Lead Innovation

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:55:09 GMT

Small businesses are driving innovation—embracing trends that fuel growth and resilience.
Sustainability is a competitive edge, as eco-conscious consumers demand greener products and practices.
E-commerce continues to grow, with social commerce and omnichannel strategies reshaping the landscape.
AI adoption is accelerating, streamlining operations, improving customer engagement, and enhancing decision-making.
Community-focused strategies build trust—hyperlocal marketing and partnerships strengthen customer loyalty.

635 words ~ 3 min. read

Small businesses have always been the heart of innovation, adapting quickly to change and shaping industries in unexpected ways. Now, a new wave of transformation is taking place—one driven by sustainability, evolving e-commerce strategies, artificial intelligence, and deeper community engagement. The businesses that embrace these trends won’t just survive; they’ll thrive.

Sustainability: More Than a Trend, a Competitive Edge

For years, large corporations have led the sustainability conversation, but today, small businesses are proving they can drive change just as effectively. Consumers increasingly seek out brands that align with their values, and sustainability is at the top of their priorities. According to a NielsenIQ study, 78% of consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them.

For small businesses, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Those that commit to sustainable practices—whether by adopting eco-friendly packaging, reducing waste, or sourcing from ethical suppliers—are building long-term trust with their customers. More importantly, sustainability is no longer just a feel-good initiative; it’s a business advantage. Customers are willing to pay more for products they believe are making a difference, and small businesses that embrace this movement will attract and retain loyal buyers.

E-Commerce’s Continued Evolution

Online shopping has been growing for years, but in 2025, the landscape is shifting once again. It’s no longer just about having a website; it’s about being where the customers are—on social platforms, mobile devices, and in seamless digital experiences that connect online and offline shopping.

Social commerce, in particular, is becoming a dominant force. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest aren’t just for marketing anymore—they’re full-fledged shopping destinations. Consumers are making purchasing decisions in real-time, influenced by creators, peer reviews, and interactive content. According to Statista , global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $7.4 trillion in 2025, and small businesses that invest in social selling, mobile-friendly platforms, and omnichannel experiences will be the ones who capture that growth.

For small business owners, this means rethinking their approach. A well-optimized website is still essential, but so is an active presence on social media, easy checkout experiences, and strategies that connect digital and physical storefronts. The businesses that get this right will stay ahead of the curve.

AI for Any Business

For many small business owners, artificial intelligence once seemed like a tool reserved for tech giants. But now, AI is more accessible than ever, offering cost-effective solutions to streamline operations, improve customer engagement, and make smarter business decisions.

AI-powered chatbots are handling customer inquiries 24/7. Automated marketing tools are crafting personalized email campaigns with just a few clicks. Even customer service and inventory management are being optimized with AI-driven insights. The businesses that embrace these tools aren’t just saving time; they’re improving customer experiences and freeing up resources to focus on growth.

Platforms like Shopify Magic, ChatGPT, and HubSpot’s AI-powered CRM are making it easier for small businesses to integrate AI without needing a dedicated IT team. The key is to start small—automating one or two repetitive tasks—and gradually expanding AI’s role in the business. Those who do will be more agile, more efficient, and better equipped for long-term success.

Community Engagement: The Power of Local Connections

In a digital world, small businesses have a powerful advantage that big corporations often struggle with: the ability to build deep, meaningful relationships within their communities. More than ever, consumers want to support businesses that align with their values and contribute to something bigger than just profits.

Small businesses that invest in their local communities—by supporting local causes, partnering with nearby businesses, and engaging in hyperlocal marketing—are earning lasting customer loyalty. A Harvard Business Review study found that 64% of consumers prefer to buy from brands that share their values. When a business is seen as a key part of the community, customers become advocates, spreading word-of-mouth recommendations that no marketing budget can buy.

The Future Belongs to Those Who Innovate

The small businesses that will thrive in 2025 are the ones that recognize these shifts and take action. Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a business advantage. E-commerce is no longer just a website—it’s a dynamic, social, and omnichannel experience. AI isn’t out of reach—it’s an essential tool for efficiency. And community engagement isn’t just goodwill—it’s a strategic move for brand loyalty.

The question isn’t whether these changes are happening—the question is whether small business owners are ready to embrace them. The future of business is here, and it belongs to those willing to innovate.

Further Reading:

---

Building a Fanatical Following with Email

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:23:08 GMT

For many small businesses, email marketing is all about promotions and sales. But the most successful businesses know that an email list is more than just a sales tool—it’s a way to build relationships, create trust, and foster a sense of community without the concerns of a platform shutdown.

By shifting your focus from transactions to connections, you can turn one-time customers into long-term brand advocates.

Why Community Matters in Email Marketing

When people feel connected to your business, they’re more likely to stay engaged, refer others, and become repeat customers. A strong email strategy builds that connection by making subscribers feel valued and involved, rather than just being on the receiving end of sales pitches. They want to get to know you and get something in return. For a successful digital marketing relationship to be built, you must give both.

Here’s how you can use email to cultivate a loyal following:

1. Share Valuable, Relevant Content

Instead of only sending promotions, consider what information your audience would appreciate. Valuable content means “valuable” from their perspective, not yours. For instance:

· A retail store might send seasonal styling tips or product care guides.

· A restaurant could share behind-the-scenes stories, recipes, or pairing ideas.

· A professional service provider (like an accountant or consultant) might send bite-sized industry insights, checklists, or tips for success.

2. Create Exclusive Perks for Subscribers

Give people a reason to stay subscribed by offering benefits they can’t get elsewhere. These could include:

· Early access to sales or new products

· Special “insider” updates about your business

· Exclusive events such as subscriber-only Q&A sessions or webinars

For example, a local fitness studio could send subscribers a free at-home workout video each month, while a bookstore could offer early-bird sign-ups for popular author events.

3. Make Emails Interactive

We’ve all read (or trashed) boring salesy emails. They aren’t something we want to see in our inbox each week. Bad emails are a quick ride to Unsubscribeville.

Instead, encourage two-way communication so your emails feel like a conversation, not a broadcast. Keep in mind who you’re writing to and personalize your conversation to them by:

· Asking for feedback through quick surveys or polls. A salon or spa, for instance, could ask customers to vote on a new service they’d love to see offered.

· Inviting replies with personal questions like, “What’s your biggest challenge?”

· Running a contest or giveaway where participation requires a simple reply.

· Telling them you really want to hear from them, and you read every email.

4. Spotlight Your Customers & Community

People love seeing themselves recognized. Feature customer success stories, testimonials, or user-generated content about your product or service like a follower’s post from social media. Other examples include:

· A real estate agent might highlight a happy homeowner’s journey.

· A local café could showcase customer-submitted coffee art photos.

· A business consultant might feature a small business success story from their client list.

This approach makes customers feel valued and shows prospects that your business is trusted by others. Plus, in some cases, your customers will want to be showcased as well. So, they might share or post in the hopes you will highlight them in the future. It can be a great way to drive desired action.

5. Inject Personality & Authenticity

Your emails should reflect the human side of your business as well as your personality. Don’t be afraid to share a story from your weekend—particularly if it’s entertaining or educational. Always write in a conversational, relatable tone leaving a lot of white space.

You can also:

· Share personal insights or lessons learned.

· Give behind-the-scenes looks at your operations.

For instance, a boutique owner could share why they chose to stock a particular product, or a contractor could showcase a day-in-the-life video of their latest project.

The Long-Term Payoff of Email Marketing

When you use email to build relationships rather than just push sales, you create a community that trusts and supports your business. Plus, recipients are more apt to open your emails if they find value in them. This leads to higher engagement, stronger brand loyalty, and ultimately, more sustainable growth.

By making your emails feel more like a conversation and less like a commercial, you’ll not only keep subscribers interested—you’ll turn them into lifelong customers and advocates for your business.

And that sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

PS: Don't have an email marketing tool yet? We use Constant Contact! Take a look at what they can offer.

----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

5 Customer-Focused Strategies to Build Loyalty and Drive Growth

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:18:43 GMT

Customers expect businesses to prioritize their needs, and those that do see stronger loyalty and growth. A customer-first mindset doesn’t require big budgets—just smart, intentional strategies. Here’s how:

Personalize Every Interaction – Use simple tools to track preferences and offer relevant experiences.
Deliver Seamless, Empathetic Service – Make customer support easy, responsive, and thoughtful.
Engage Proactively – Anticipate needs and check in before issues arise.
Build Community & Relationships – Go beyond transactions by supporting local causes and fostering connections.
Listen, Adapt & Improve – Gather feedback and refine offerings, just like top brands do.

Small steps make a big impact. Prioritizing customer experience helps businesses of any size outperform competitors. Ready to strengthen loyalty? Let’s dive in.

628 words ~ 3 min. read

Customer expectations have evolved. In today’s competitive landscape, businesses that prioritize customer needs see higher retention, stronger brand advocacy, and increased revenue. A study by PwC found that 73% of consumers consider customer experience a key factor in their purchasing decisions—yet, only 49% say companies provide a good experience. The gap between expectations and reality presents a major opportunity for businesses willing to go the extra mile.

Here are five strategies to build long-term customer relationships and drive loyalty:

1. Personalize Every Interaction

Personalization might seem overwhelming for small businesses, especially when looking at how giants like Amazon and Netflix use AI-driven recommendations and automation. However, the core principle remains the same: customers respond to businesses that understand their needs. Even without a massive tech budget, small businesses can apply these strategies in practical ways. Start by using a simple CRM to track customer preferences , segmenting email lists for more relevant messaging, or offering personalized discounts based on past purchases. Over time, these small steps can build stronger customer relationships and drive engagement—proving that personalization isn’t just for big brands, but for businesses of all sizes.

2. Deliver Seamless and Empathetic Service

Small businesses might not have the resources of Apple or Zappos, but that doesn’t mean they can’t deliver outstanding customer service. The key isn’t having a massive support team—it’s about making every interaction smooth, responsive, and thoughtful. Start by offering at least one or two reliable ways for customers to reach you, whether that’s email, social media, or a simple chat feature on your website. Focus on quick, clear communication and empower employees (or yourself) to handle issues with empathy. Even small improvements, like a faster response time or a more personal touch, can make a big difference in customer loyalty—proving that outstanding service isn’t just for big brands, but for businesses of any size.

3. Engage Customers Proactively

The best customer service isn’t reactive—it’s proactive. Businesses that anticipate needs and engage customers before they reach out gain trust and loyalty.

Send reminders for upcoming service needs or expiring subscriptions.
Offer educational content, like tutorials or insider tips.
Check in post-purchase to ensure satisfaction.

For example, Spotify’s curated playlists based on listening habits create a sense of thoughtfulness that keeps users engaged.

4. Build Relationships Beyond Transactions

Creating a community around your business fosters long-term loyalty.

Develop exclusive memberships or loyalty programs.
Engage on social media with authentic, two-way conversations.
Align with customer values — support community causes or partner with other businesses to demonstrate connectedness to the goal of a thriving local economy.

For example, a local bakery could build loyalty by partnering with a nearby school for a fundraiser, donating a portion of sales to support classroom supplies. Similarly, a boutique could team up with a nonprofit, hosting a special shopping event where proceeds go toward housing for refugees—showing customers their purchases make a real impact in the community.

5. Listen, Adapt, and Improve

Customer needs evolve, and businesses must continuously refine their strategies. The most successful brands actively listen and implement feedback. Here are a few ways to do so.

Conduct surveys and NPS (Net Promoter Score) assessments.
Analyze customer support trends to identify pain points.
Show customers that their feedback drives meaningful changes.

Big brands like Netflix regularly tweak its recommendation algorithms based on user interactions, ensuring an ever-improving experience. Small businesses can take a similar approach by tracking customer preferences—whether through purchase history, survey feedback, or social media engagement—and using that insight to tailor offerings, suggest relevant products, or refine their services to better meet customer needs.

Final Thoughts

A customer-first mindset isn’t just about satisfaction—it’s about long-term success. Businesses that invest in personalized marketing, seamless service, proactive engagement, strong relationships, and continuous adaptation will stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

---

Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:12:54 GMT

Strategic partnerships expand reach – Small businesses can attract new customers, reduce costs, and strengthen their local presence by collaborating with complementary businesses.
Joint events boost visibility – Pop-up shops, community festivals, and charity partnerships create opportunities for cross-promotion and increased customer engagement.
Shared marketing maximizes impact – Social media takeovers, email marketing swaps, and joint discounts help businesses reach wider audiences without increasing advertising costs.
Co-working and shared spaces reduce expenses – Businesses can lower overhead costs by sharing retail locations, office spaces, or market stalls while enhancing customer experience.
Success stories highlight collaboration benefits – Partnerships like breweries and food trucks or bookstores and coffee shops demonstrate how businesses can thrive together by providing complementary services.

~ 507 words / 2.5 min read

Small businesses looking to expand their reach and strengthen their customer base are finding success through local collaborations. By forming strategic partnerships with other businesses and organizations, owners can tap into new audiences, reduce costs and contribute to a thriving local economy.

Finding the Right Business Partner

Successful collaborations often involve businesses that complement, rather than compete with each other. A coffee shop, for example, may partner with a bookstore to host book signings, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that brings in customers for both. A fitness studio might team up with a health food store to promote wellness programs, offering discounts to each other’s customers.

Leveraging Events and Promotions

Local businesses can increase visibility and engagement by organizing joint events. Some popular strategies include:

Pop-up shops – A bakery can be set up inside a boutique, providing shoppers with refreshments while increasing exposure for both businesses.
Community festivals – Restaurants, retailers and service providers can join forces to sponsor or participate in local events, drawing in larger crowds.
Charity partnerships – Businesses that collaborate with nonprofits or local organizations not only contribute to a cause but also boost customer loyalty and trust.

Such initiatives create opportunities for businesses to cross-promote and introduce their brands to new audiences.

Collaborating on Marketing Efforts

Marketing can be a significant expense for small businesses, but shared promotional efforts help reduce costs while maximizing impact. Local businesses can work together through:

Social media takeovers – Partnering businesses can feature each other on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, increasing engagement.
Email marketing swaps – Businesses can promote each other in their newsletters, introducing their products and services to a wider audience.
Exclusive discounts – Offering customers a deal when they visit both businesses encourages spending across multiple locations.

Exploring Shared Spaces

Another effective collaboration strategy involves sharing physical space to cut costs and increase visibility. Co-working environments, pop-up markets and joint retail spaces are becoming increasingly popular among small business owners.

For instance, a yoga studio and a wellness clinic might share a lease, offering their clients a one-stop destination for fitness and health. Similarly, food halls that feature multiple vendors allow small restaurant owners to reach new customers without the financial burden of operating a standalone location.

Success Stories in Local Collaboration

One well-known example of local business partnerships is the collaboration between breweries and food trucks. Many craft breweries lack kitchen facilities, so they invite food trucks to set up outside their establishments. This arrangement brings in more customers, benefits both businesses and creates a vibrant atmosphere for patrons.

Independent bookstores and coffee shops have also successfully partnered to attract customers. By allowing book lovers to enjoy a cup of coffee while browsing, both businesses see increased engagement and longer customer visits.

The Bottom Line

For small businesses, collaboration is more than just a marketing strategy—it’s a way to strengthen the local economy and build lasting relationships with customers. By forming strategic partnerships, hosting events and sharing marketing efforts, businesses can maximize their resources and drive mutual success.

---

Stop Spinning Your Wheels and Start Seeing Results

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 17:50:47 GMT

Has this ever happened to you? A brilliant idea sparks, you meticulously plan every detail, create beautiful spreadsheets, and envision the triumphant launch. Maybe you even practice a little Law of Attraction in your meditative practices each morning.

But then…<insert sad trombone sound>.

The plan sits there, gathering dust, because life has gotten busy, you’ve been plagued by self-doubt, or you moved on to the next exciting concept.

Sound familiar?

Or maybe you’re the opposite.

Maybe you’re all about action and no planning. You’re jetting off to the next hottest thing without seeing anything ripen and produce.

Many business professionals fall into this trap, leaning too heavily on either the planning or the action phase. We either over-analyze and never launch, or we jump in headfirst without a strategy and quickly burn out.

So, how do we bridge the gap and turn those well-laid plans (or exuberant energy) into tangible results?

Ready, Set, Go

Finding the balance between planning and action is crucial for success. Too much planning leads to paralysis, while too much action leads to a game of chaotic professional ping-pong, bouncing from one thing to the next.

Here's how to navigate that middle ground and start experiencing real progress:

1. Define Your "Why" and Set Clear Goals: Before diving into the nitty-gritty details, revisit the core reason behind your plan. Why is this important? What do you hope to achieve? Does it fit into what you’re already doing or is it a new undertaking altogether? If it’s new, do you aim to replace or enhance what you’re currently doing? Clearly defined goals provide direction and motivation, making it easier to prioritize and stay focused.

2. Break It Down: Large, overwhelming plans are often the biggest culprits of inaction. Break your grand vision into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of "launch a new product line," think "research competitor pricing," "develop prototype," "create marketing materials."

These bite-sized tasks feel less daunting and provide a sense of accomplishment as you tick them off. Building momentum is a large part of sticking with something long-term.

3. Embrace Imperfect Action: Perfection is the enemy of progress. Don't wait for everything to be flawless (or the timing to be perfect) before taking a step. Sometimes, "good enough" is better than "never done." Remember, even a small step is a step, if it aligns with your goals. That imperfect thank you note you send is better than the perfect note you never write.

4. Resist the Shiny Object Syndrome: In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get distracted by the next "big thing." Don't be a "shiny object entrepreneur." Constantly chasing fleeting trends and abandoning projects when they don't instantly go viral is a trip to Nowheresville.

True success is built on consistency and perseverance. Focus on your core plan, refine it as needed, and stick with it.

5. Build Relationships, Not Transactions: Today's most successful businesses are built on strong relationships. You can't cultivate genuine connections if you're constantly flitting from one project to the next, across multiple disparate audiences, solely focused on quick wins. Invest time in building rapport with clients, partners, and even competitors. These relationships can be invaluable for support, collaboration, and long-term growth. Remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.

6. Review and Adjust: Your initial plan is just a starting point. Regularly review your progress, analyze what's working and what's not, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Be flexible and willing to adapt. The business landscape is constantly evolving, and your plan should too.

But this is where a lot of people stumble. They confuse new projects with timely adjustments. When things get rough or boring, they think innovation means a completely new undertaking. It doesn’t have to. Sometimes innovation is making changes to how you’re currently doing something and serving your market in a new way.

7. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognizing and celebrating your accomplishments, no matter how small, is essential for maintaining momentum. It reinforces positive behavior and motivates you to keep moving forward.

8. Create Daily Habits: Following daily habits can keep you on track and accountable toward your progress.

Bridging the gap between planning and action requires conscious effort and a shift in mindset. Not to mention, walking away from the idea of going viral. You still can, of course, but don’t make it your only goal. It’s too easy to get discouraged. Instead, transform your ideas into reality and achieve lasting success through these steps.

----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Embracing Imperfection to Strengthen Your Business

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

What do Han Solo (Star Wars et al), Walter White (Breaking Bad), and Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) have in common? They’re terribly flawed and we love them for it.

Imperfection can also be a powerful asset for businesses when approached with the right mindset. So stop trying your best to be perfect and embrace imperfection as a way to connect with your customers. Here’s how:

How to be Perfectly Imperfect

You’ve probably heard the adage “finished is better than perfect” or “you can’t edit a blank page.” There’s something to be said for embracing life’s imperfections, especially in business. After all, everyone can relate, and imperfections are bound to happen. So you might as well make the best of them.

There’s a popular self-help book called “How to Keep House While Drowning.” It was written by a recovering overwhelmed housewife. It’s funny and terribly relatable, especially if you do most of the housework around your home. But it’s also a book about very boring things like dishes in a sink. You can use this same “common denominator” to relate with your ideal client.

Relatability

It's hard to identify with a perfect business or person. When someone is busy telling us how perfect they are or only showing us the perfect side of their lives, a distance between us will arise. After all, if your life is less than perfect how do you align with someone who is only showing you the sunny side?

Whether it's a fictional character, your best friend, or a business, seeing flaws makes us feel like that person or entity is going through the same things we are. This relatability can be loyalty-building when it comes to business.

Transparency

You can also turn mistakes into opportunities by being openly honest about your shortcomings. When you acknowledge errors and demonstrate a commitment to improvement, you actually build stronger relationships with customers. In fact, 89% of people believe a business can regain their trust if it admits to a mistake and transparently outlines steps to prevent future issues.

Authenticity

Companies that show their human side can gain a competitive edge. For example:

Domino's Pizza ran a campaign admitting their pizza had its issues , but they were addressing them.

Guess what?

It increased sales. Netflix publicly apologized for a pricing mistake, demonstrating accountability (and let’s not forget their Tyson debacle—again, they apologized instead of ignoring it). Coke went back to the original and admitted the change was a terrible idea. All of these companies received kudos for their honesty (and listening to customers).

Fearlessness

From an employee perspective, embracing imperfection can unlock creativity by removing the paralyzing fear of failure. When businesses create an environment that accepts mistakes as part of the learning process, employees feel more comfortable:

- Experimenting with new ideas

- Taking calculated risks

- Thinking outside traditional boundaries

Companies that remove the fear of failure can accomplish great innovation.

Healthier Work Environment

Transparency in leadership can also improve your business. When leaders acknowledge their own flaws it:

- Reduces stress among employees

- Increases job satisfaction

- Boosts overall productivity

If you’ve ever worked for a workaholic, you know their flawed views on work can be detrimental to your own.

But we’re not telling you to hang all your dirty laundry out on the line for everyone to see. There is a strategy behind using imperfection to build a stronger relationship with your customers and employees.

A Strategic Approach to Imperfection

The key is not to aim for mediocrity, but to view imperfections as opportunities for growth. Your business is never going to be perfect; but you can be perfectly relatable. Be real, be resilient, and be ready to learn and grow.

Our best relationships in life (and on the screen) are not between us and perfect people. Quite the opposite. We embrace flaws and appreciate when those around us do the same. Showing your less-than-perfect side will make you more endearing and solidify a long-term relationship between your business and your customers.

------------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

From Conflict to Collaboration: Turning Workplace Disputes into Growth Opportunities

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:56:55 GMT

Workplace conflicts are inevitable—but they don’t have to be toxic. Great leaders turn disagreements into collaboration opportunities. This article covers:

Communication frameworks that promote understanding
Mediation techniques to defuse tension
Strategies for creating win-win solutions

Handled well, conflict strengthens teams and sparks innovation. Let’s turn friction into progress.

527 words ~ 2.5 min.

Workplace conflict is a fact of life. Differing opinions, competing priorities, and personality clashes happen in every organization. But conflict itself isn’t the problem—how leaders handle it makes all the difference. Poorly managed disagreements create division and resentment, while skillful conflict resolution builds trust, strengthens teams, and sparks innovation.

When leaders adopt effective communication strategies, mediation techniques, and solution-driven approaches, they transform tension into teamwork. Here’s how to turn workplace conflict into a productive force.

1. Communication Frameworks That Promote Understanding

Many workplace conflicts stem from misunderstandings. People often assume intent, misinterpret tone, or let emotions take over. Strong communication frameworks prevent minor disagreements from escalating into full-blown disputes.

Active Listening as a Leadership Tool

Listening isn’t just about hearing words—it’s about understanding meaning. Leaders can foster better communication by:

Asking clarifying questions (“Can you explain what you mean by that?”).
Paraphrasing key points to ensure mutual understanding (“So what I’m hearing is…”).
Avoiding defensive reactions and staying open to feedback.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC): A Framework for Respectful Dialogue

Developed by psychologist Marshall Rosenberg, NVC is a four-step process that promotes empathy and constructive discussion:

Observe without judgment. (“I noticed that deadlines were missed this month.”)
Express feelings honestly. (“I feel frustrated because it affects our team’s progress.”)
Identify needs clearly. (“I need better alignment on project timelines.”)
Make a request for resolution. (“Can we set clearer deadlines going forward?”)

This framework removes blame and encourages problem-solving rather than confrontation.

2. Mediation Techniques to Defuse Tension

Some conflicts require mediation—especially when emotions run high. Effective leaders act as neutral facilitators, ensuring all voices are heard and guiding conversations toward resolution.

Key Mediation Strategies:

Establish Psychological Safety: Create an environment where people feel safe expressing concerns without fear of retaliation.
Reframe the Conflict as a Shared Problem: Instead of “me vs. you,” frame it as “us vs. the issue.”
Use the “Third Story” Perspective: This method, from Harvard’s Negotiation Project , encourages participants to step back and look at the situation as an outsider would. It shifts the conversation from blame to understanding.

When leaders mediate skillfully, conflicts become opportunities for strengthening relationships and improving workplace culture.

3. Win-Win Strategies for Long-Term Solutions

Effective conflict resolution isn’t about finding a temporary fix—it’s about creating lasting solutions that work for everyone involved.

Steps to Achieve a Win-Win Outcome:

Identify Shared Goals: Most conflicts arise from different approaches, not opposing objectives. Find the common ground.
Encourage Creative Problem-Solving: Avoid binary thinking (e.g., "my way or your way") and explore alternative solutions.
Follow Up and Hold People Accountable: Agreements should be documented and revisited to ensure lasting change.

When conflict is resolved thoughtfully, teams emerge stronger, more engaged, and better aligned.

Final Thoughts

Conflict in the workplace is unavoidable—but leaders who approach it with empathy, structure, and problem-solving skills can turn it into a powerful force for collaboration. The best teams aren’t those that never disagree; they’re the ones that know how to navigate differences productively.

For further insights, check out Harvard Business Review’s guide to difficult conversations and Forbes’ advice on workplace mediation .

---

The New Employee Benefit Everyone Is Talking About

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:57:45 GMT

First it was pet insurance and foosball tables. Then it was Friday kegs in the office and goat yoga. While those benefits seemed like frivolous ways to bring fun to the office, the current benefit trend that everyone is talking about actually improves productivity and employee well-being (at least as reported by the employees).

And it’s likely something you never thought about offering. But before we tell you what it is, let’s talk about some of the results that employees who have used this benefit experienced.

According to a survey published by sidehustle.com :

· 72% saw an improvement in overall well-being.

· 69% experienced better focus.

· 68% felt lower stress levels.

· 62% saw increased productivity.

· 49% reported greater job satisfaction.

And…

Nearly 50% of employees said they would consider switching jobs if another employer offered this benefit (when their company did not). This new benefit trend could give employers that offer it a leg up on hiring.

So, what is this new benefit?

The Rise of Unhappy Leave

Okay, so leave is not a new benefit. Employees are granted parental leave, sick leave, Family and Medical Leave, and sabbaticals. But this new type of leave—unhappy leave—allows an employee to take time off for mental and emotional well-being. Industries leading this charge include tech, government, and education.

Many managers see it as employee recruitment and retention tools because it can help employees deal with stress. It can also provide a cooling off period where co-workers can “take a break from one another.”

However, there are apprehensions in offering this benefit as well. Surveyed managers cited concerns over:

· misuse or overuse

· workload coverage for employees on leave

· challenges in distinguishing unhappy leave from regular sick leave

· eligibility—what length of tenure would make employees eligible?

The trend originated in China with grocery store Pang Dong Lai offering employees up to 10 days a year of unhappy leave. Unhappy leave means employees can take time off without needing approval or justification whenever they feel “emotionally unwell.” The policy is intended to promote a healthy work-life balance. The big difference between this type of leave and others is that it cannot be denied by management .

Company culture has been a big concern for businesses over the past 15-20 years. Culture has been a big play in recruitment and trying to protect talent from being poached by the competition. Benefits are a big part of this. But companies want benefits that help with attracting and retaining employees, not just ones that look good on paper.

Popular Employee Benefits

Some of the most popular employee benefits with a proven return on investment include:

· Flexibile schedules (offering this benefit shows a 12% reduction in turnover rate).

· Remote work options.

· Professional development opportunities including personalized learning plans and career growth.

· Wellness programs such as on-demand therapy sessions, mindfulness and meditation programs, and designated mental health days (like unhappy leave).

· Eldercare and childcare benefits.

· Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) allowing employees to allocate wellness funds according to their unique needs and preferences.

· Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to support various personal and professional issues.

· Recognition programs.

And now it appears that unhappy leave may have an impressive impact on recruitment and retention as well.

But is implementing “unhappy leave” as easy as writing it up through your HR department? Not exactly. If you create a leave program that does not have to be approved by management, you run the risk of your eligible employees taking it at the same time with little to no notice. Leaving the business in a lurch. But that’s not the only thing to think about before implementation.

Unhappy leave should be a component of your benefits design, not a simple add-on. According to a 2024 Forbes article , there are other organizational pieces you should pay attention to. These include recruiting for values, tailoring development to the individual, monitoring management (after all, that’s one of the top reasons people leave), and providing clear communications on employee culture and company vision.

Unhappy leave should not be used as a bandage for a broken employment environment. If you’re thinking about extending your leave program, make sure you also work on the other end, creating a better work environment so your employees will feel less need to use the perk.

-----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Power of Video Marketing: How to Engage, Convert, and Win

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:52:33 GMT

Storytelling is key – Engaging videos focus on authentic, relatable stories rather than direct sales pitches.
Platform optimization matters – Tailor video content for each platform: YouTube for long-form tutorials, Instagram & TikTok for short, high-energy clips, and LinkedIn for professional thought leadership
Hook viewers instantly – The first 3 seconds determine whether people keep watching. Use eye-catching visuals, emotional moments, or intriguing questions.
Track key metrics – Measure engagement rate, watch time, and conversion rate using tools like YouTube Analytics and Google Analytics to refine your strategy.
Start small and scale – Test short-form videos on Instagram or TikTok, analyze performance, and optimize before expanding your video marketing efforts.

667 words ~ 3 min. read

Video marketing has evolved from a nice-to-have strategy into an essential tool for businesses looking to engage audiences, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. As platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok continue to dominate digital consumption, businesses that fail to embrace video content risk losing relevance.

In fact, online videos can reach 92% of internet users worldwide , underscoring its dominance in the digital landscape. Whether you're a small business or a global brand, an effective video strategy can help you connect with your audience in meaningful ways, differentiate your brand, and ultimately drive business growth.

1. Tell a Story, Not Just Sell

Consumers today are bombarded with advertisements and sales-driven content. To break through the noise, brands need to focus on storytelling rather than just pushing products or services. People connect with stories, emotions, and authenticity—not just features and benefits.

Start with a compelling hook. The first three seconds of your video determine whether viewers will keep watching. Use a thought-provoking question, an emotional moment, or an eye-catching visual to grab attention.
Make it relatable. Video content should address your audience’s pain points, desires, or aspirations. Whether it’s a behind-the-scenes look at your business, a customer success story, or a real-life application of your product, authenticity builds trust.
Use a mix of formats. Consider using:
Customer testimonials to showcase real experiences.
Behind-the-scenes content to humanize your brand.
Educational videos to add value and position your brand as an authority.
User-generated content (UGC) to foster community and credibility.

Remember: please respond to stories, not just sales pitches.

2. Optimize for the Right Platforms

Not all video content works across all platforms. Different social media channels cater to different audience behaviors and content formats. Tailoring your video marketing approach for each platform ensures maximum engagement and impact.

YouTube: The second-largest search engine, YouTube is ideal for long-form content such as tutorials, product deep dives, and educational videos. To boost visibility, optimize titles and descriptions with SEO-friendly keywords , use captions, and create compelling thumbnails.
LinkedIn: Professionals engage with thought-leadership content , industry insights, and company culture videos. Keep LinkedIn videos concise and value-driven , focusing on business challenges, trends, or leadership tips.
Instagram & TikTok: Short-form, engaging videos (15-60 seconds) perform best here. Utilize:
Reels (Instagram) & TikTok Trends to increase organic reach.
Interactive features like polls, questions, and stickers to encourage engagement.
High-energy, fast-paced editing to maintain viewer attention.

Choosing the right content for the right platform ensures higher reach and engagement, maximizing the effectiveness of your video marketing efforts.

3. Measure Success with the Right Metrics

Creating great video content is just the first step—measuring its impact is equally important. Without tracking performance, businesses can’t refine their strategies or improve ROI. Here are the key metrics to monitor:

Engagement Rate: Measures how actively viewers interact with your content (likes, shares, comments). A higher engagement rate indicates that your audience finds the content valuable.

Watch Time & Retention: Tracks how long people watch your videos. If viewers drop off early, your content may need a stronger hook or better pacing.

Conversion Rate: The most critical metric for ROI. If your goal is sales, sign-ups, or downloads, track the percentage of viewers taking action after watching.

To streamline analytics, leverage tools like:

YouTube Analytics for in-depth video performance insights.
Instagram & TikTok Insights for engagement metrics and audience demographics.
Google Analytics to track traffic and conversions from video campaigns.

Data-driven insights help refine content strategy, ensuring that future videos perform better and drive higher ROI.

The Bottom Line

Video marketing isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a fundamental part of modern digital marketing. By prioritizing storytelling, platform-specific optimization, and performance tracking , businesses can create compelling videos that captivate audiences and drive results.

Action Step: If you’re new to video marketing, start small! Experiment with short videos on Instagram Reels or TikTok, track engagement, and refine your approach before scaling your efforts.

The future of marketing is video—embrace it now to stay ahead of the competition.

---

Harnessing TikTok’s Engagement Magic

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:58:49 GMT

Why building a castle on the sand is not always a bad thing

TikTok has been likened to the Yukon—a vast wild place with enormous potential for engagement gold. But also, a potential dark side. That’s part of its allure and if you’re target market is under 40, you’re likely on it (or considering it).

TikTok has revolutionized the way brands connect with audiences. Its addictive short-form video format, fueled by trends, challenges, and a powerful algorithm, has become a goldmine for businesses and creators alike. In fact, TikTok boasts higher engagement rates than Instagram and YouTube, and many creators report significantly higher earnings on the platform.

Even if you’re not monetized on it, you have most likely seen much larger views of your content there than the other video platforms. That’s due, in part, to its users’ voracious appetites for video. Your content will be seen—although it may not be watched (through its entirety, or anything close to it).

But savvy business owners know that relying solely on any single platform, even one as potent as TikTok, is a risky strategy. What happens if the algorithm shifts, your content gets shadowbanned, or the platform itself faces regulatory challenges (a very real concern for TikTok)?

That's why diversifying your marketing efforts is crucial.

Instead of abandoning TikTok (views, clicks, and higher monetization rates make it worth staying), leverage its strengths to fuel your presence across multiple platforms.

Here's how:

Capture the TikTok Magic Across Platforms

TikTok's success isn't just about the platform; it's about the style of content. Sure, there are a lot of theatrics and trends that last a hot second, but “real” video is making a strong comeback. And the TikTok audience loves it so much that this trend is spreading into other channels as well.

Think:

· Authenticity . Ditch the polished corporate vibe. Embrace raw, relatable content that showcases your brand's personality and company culture.

· Storytelling . Condense compelling narratives into bite-sized videos. Whether it's a customer testimonial, a behind-the-scenes glimpse, or a product demo, keep it concise and engaging.

· Speed. TikTok is an exercise in shortening, much like the quote, “Just the facts.” But in TikTok’s case, it could be reworded to “Just the Fun.” Condense everything you want to say into the shortest space you can do it in. Once you master this technique, you’ll appreciate how it can apply to other facets of your business. When you start looking at data, you’ll see how quickly people move on from your video on this platform. But don’t feel dejected. A lot of them will drop off and still give you a heart. The average user of this site is a hummingbird and they’re always moving onto the next flower.

· User-Generated Content (UGC). Encourage your audience to create content featuring your brand. Run contests, challenges, or simply re-share engaging posts from your followers.

Have TikTok Will Travel

Now that you understand the magic of TikTok and why so many people love it, you can apply what you’ve learned about creating content on that channel and use it on others such as:

· Instagram Reels . It’s a natural fit for TikTok-style content. Experiment with similar editing techniques, trending audio, and interactive features.

· YouTube Shorts . Reach a wider audience with your short-form videos and potentially drive traffic to your longer YouTube content.

· LinkedIn (for B2B). Yes, even LinkedIn! While the tone may be more professional, short videos showcasing company culture, employee spotlights, or industry insights can be surprisingly effective.

TikTok as Your Creative Lab

Use TikTok as a testing ground for new ideas and content formats. A viral TikTok trend can be repurposed and adapted for other platforms. Trends also seem to be birthed on TikTok, fade quickly, and then migrate to other platforms, making TikTok the ideal marketing innovation lab.

Keep an eye out for things like:

· Hashtag Challenges: A successful challenge on TikTok can be translated into an Instagram campaign with user-generated content or even a blog post featuring the best submissions.

· Trending Audio: If a particular sound is performing well on TikTok, consider incorporating it into your Reels or Shorts.

· Product Demos: A quick and catchy product demo that goes viral on TikTok can be re-edited for a YouTube Shorts tutorial or an Instagram story series. (Don’t forget the TikTok shop if you sell products.)

The Power of Cross-Promotion

Skilled marketers don't treat their platforms as isolated silos. They use them to drive traffic and engagement across their entire online presence. Each channel/platform has its own quirks and personality. Learn them and you’ll see what can be tweaked for successful cross-promotion.

You can tie your channels together by promoting your other channels on TikTok. Include links to your website and other social media platforms in your bio and video descriptions. You can also tease upcoming content. Use TikTok to generate excitement for upcoming YouTube videos, blog posts, or product launches. Additionally, you can run contests that encourage multi-platform engagement by asking followers to like your Facebook page and subscribe to your email list for a chance to win.

Diversification is Key

While TikTok is a powerful marketing tool, remember that the digital landscape is constantly evolving. By diversifying your strategy and adapting TikTok's winning formula to other platforms, you can build a more resilient and sustainable online presence.

Ultimately, regardless of the platforms you use, you want to build your email marketing list. Funnel your followers back to your site or landing page with a giveaway in exchange for their name and email. That way whether TikTok goes black, or Facebook loses its audience overnight, you can reach them no matter where they are.

----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Mastering Emotional Agility: A Vital Leadership Skill for Modern Workplaces

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:30:34 GMT

Why it matters: Leaders equipped with emotional agility can adapt to challenges, manage stress, and foster stronger team dynamics. In today’s fast-paced workplace, emotional agility isn’t just a "soft skill"—it’s a critical leadership tool.

Key takeaway: Cultivating emotional agility involves acknowledging emotions without being controlled by them, aligning actions with values, and creating a culture of openness and resilience.

540 words ~ 2.5 min.

In today’s dynamic and often unpredictable business environment, leaders face a barrage of challenges—tight deadlines, economic uncertainty, and team complexities, to name a few. While technical expertise and strategic thinking remain critical, emotional agility is emerging as the cornerstone of effective leadership. This ability to manage emotions and adapt thoughtfully to changing circumstances is what separates reactive leaders from truly impactful ones.

Why Emotional Agility Matters

Coined by psychologist Susan David, emotional agility is defined as the capacity to acknowledge and understand your emotions, then respond to them in a way that aligns with your values and goals. For leaders, this means navigating emotional challenges without letting stress or negativity cloud their judgment.

When leaders demonstrate emotional agility, they:

Build trust: Teams are more likely to rally behind leaders who show empathy and emotional balance during difficult times.
Make better decisions: Regulating emotions allows leaders to stay focused and think critically, even under pressure.
Inspire resilience: Teams often mirror the emotional tone set by their leader. Emotionally agile leaders cultivate an atmosphere of calm and confidence, encouraging their teams to persevere through challenges.

In contrast, leaders who struggle with emotional awareness risk alienating their teams or making impulsive decisions that derail progress.

Actionable Tips to Develop Emotional Agility

Pause and Reflect
When faced with a challenge, resist the urge to react immediately. Take a moment to reflect on what you’re feeling and why. Naming emotions — whether it’s frustration, anxiety, or disappointment — can help diffuse their intensity. Journaling or talking to a trusted colleague can also provide clarity.
Focus on Your Values
Emotional agility isn’t about suppressing feelings; it’s about ensuring your actions align with your values. Ask yourself, “What outcome do I want from this situation?” and “How can I respond in a way that reflects my integrity and leadership goals?”
Practice Self-Compassion
Leaders often hold themselves to impossibly high standards, which can fuel self-doubt and burnout. Emotional agility requires treating yourself with kindness, acknowledging missteps without judgment, and committing to growth.
Create a Safe Emotional Space for Your Team
Foster a workplace culture where team members feel safe to express their emotions. This doesn’t mean tolerating unprofessional behavior, but rather encouraging honest conversations and providing support during tough times.
Invest in Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Emotional agility goes hand in hand with emotional intelligence. Strengthen your EQ by actively listening to others, empathizing with their perspectives, and managing conflict constructively.

The Payoff for Leaders and Teams

Developing emotional agility isn’t just about personal growth — it’s a strategic advantage. Leaders who can navigate their emotions effectively create a ripple effect across their organizations. Teams feel more supported, morale improves, and productivity rises.

Research has shown that leaders with high emotional intelligence directly contribute to better employee engagement and performance. The same principle applies to emotional agility: when leaders model emotional resilience and adaptability, their teams are more likely to do the same.

In a world where change is constant, the ability to lead with emotional clarity and compassion is non-negotiable. By prioritizing emotional agility, leaders can inspire trust, drive innovation, and guide their teams through uncertainty with purpose and confidence.

Further Reading

The Science of Emotional Agility – Harvard Business Review
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters at Work – Forbes

---

AI for Small Businesses: Practical Steps to Boost Efficiency and Customer Engagement

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:11:22 GMT

AI tools are revolutionizing small businesses by boosting efficiency, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing customer engagement. Start by identifying bottlenecks in operations or customer experience, then explore AI tools tailored to your needs. Begin small with solutions like chatbots for customer support or AI-powered scheduling tools to save time and resources.

~ 764 words — 3.5 min. read

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just for large enterprises—it’s leveling the playing field for small businesses, empowering them to operate smarter, save time, and deliver better customer experiences. Whether you’re running a local café or a growing e-commerce business, AI tools can help streamline operations and scale your efforts effectively. The challenge? Knowing where to begin.

Here’s how small business owners can get started with AI and see meaningful results.

Identify Pain Points in Your Business

The first step to integrating AI is identifying where it can have the most impact. Start by analyzing workflows, customer interactions, and daily tasks to uncover inefficiencies or repetitive processes that waste time and resources.

Ask yourself:

Are you spending too much time on administrative tasks? Activities like scheduling, data entry, or invoicing often consume hours but don’t directly contribute to growth. AI-powered tools can handle these efficiently.
Do you face customer service bottlenecks? Slow response times or an inability to provide 24/7 support can frustrate customers. AI chatbots and virtual assistants can handle inquiries, ensuring faster, seamless interactions.
Is your marketing lacking personalization? Customers expect timely, tailored communications. AI tools can analyze customer data, predict needs, and deliver targeted campaigns that drive engagement and conversions.

Identifying these pain points will help you choose the right AI tools to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

Leverage AI for Time-Saving Automation

AI’s ability to automate repetitive tasks allows your team to focus on higher-value activities. By reducing manual processes, these tools improve efficiency, cut errors, and save time.

Scheduling Tools : AI apps like Calendly or Motion coordinate calendars, suggest meeting times, and send reminders, streamlining appointment management.
Accounting and Invoicing : Platforms like QuickBooks and Xero simplify bookkeeping by categorizing expenses, tracking cash flow, and generating reports. They also identify trends, enabling smarter financial decisions.
Customer Support : Chatbots like ChatGPT , Intercom , or Zendesk AI provide 24/7 customer assistance, managing FAQs and escalating complex issues to human agents. This ensures fast, reliable service and reduces your team’s workload.

By starting small, AI automation can transform business processes, freeing up resources to focus on growth.

Enhance Customer Engagement with AI

Customers today expect quick, personalized, and seamless interactions at every touchpoint, and meeting these expectations is key to building loyalty and trust. AI tools make it easier to deliver this level of service without overburdening your team.

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants : Tools like Intercom , Tidio , or Drift can provide instant responses to customer inquiries on your website or social media channels. These AI-driven assistants can handle everything from answering FAQs to processing basic transactions, ensuring your customers feel supported 24/7.
Personalized Marketing : Platforms like HubSpot , Mailchimp , or ActiveCampaign use AI to analyze customer data—such as purchase history, browsing habits, or engagement patterns. With this data, they craft highly targeted and personalized email campaigns or promotions that resonate with individual customers, boosting conversion rates and driving repeat business.

Experiment Small and Scale Up

When integrating AI into your business, it’s important to start small and focus on tools that solve your most immediate challenges. Begin with one or two solutions that address critical areas, such as automating repetitive tasks or enhancing customer support. For example, you might implement an AI-powered scheduling tool or a chatbot to handle FAQs.

Track performance metrics like time saved, cost reductions, error rates, or improvements in customer satisfaction to measure the tool’s effectiveness. Regularly evaluate whether the AI solution is delivering measurable value. Once you see consistent results, you can confidently scale up by adding more advanced tools or expanding AI applications to other parts of your business.

Focus on User Training and Integration

For AI to truly deliver value, it’s essential that your team feels confident using the tools. Start by providing hands-on training to ensure employees understand how AI fits into their daily workflows and how it can make their jobs easier. Choose tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, minimizing disruptions during adoption. Encourage open communication, addressing any concerns about usability or changes to processes. Consider designating a team member or hiring an expert to oversee AI implementation and troubleshoot issues. Proper training and integration not only maximize AI's impact but also foster team buy-in, ensuring long-term success.

The Takeaway

AI’s ability to drive small business success lies in its practicality. It’s not about replacing people but enabling teams to work smarter. By automating repetitive tasks and enhancing customer engagement, small businesses can gain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Further Reading:

How AI Is Revolutionizing Small Businesses - Harvard Business Review
Top AI Tools for Small Businesses - Forbes

---

Give These Marketing Strategies a Try in 2025

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:03:58 GMT

The new year is the perfect time for beginnings and setting goals. It also makes for good marketing campaigns and changes to your business. There are so many things you can do to provide value for customers and potential customers. If you don’t use this time to try something new, you're leaving money on the table.

This article contains some excellent business tactics to try for the new year. However, they may not all fit your business. When reviewing this list, keep your target audience in mind and ask yourself, will this provide value for them?

If you don’t have a target audience defined, that should be your first step. After all, if you don’t know who you’re talking to, how do you know if you’re providing value to them?

Marketing and Promotional Ideas

The new year is a time for resolutions. Play off that and run campaigns that are either in support of people’s common New Years resolutions or having a little fun with them. For instance, a donut shop can play around with the common resolution of losing weight—"We’ll be here when you’re done with this New Year’s resolution thing” or “We’re hard at work creating a calorie-free donut. Sign up for our newsletter to find out when it’s coming out.” If you’re taking a jab at resolutions, make your campaigns funny. People might just share them.

Additional marketing ideas include:

· Run a sale on items or services that tie into popular New Year's resolutions.

· Design a New Year's social media contests like “Share your ‘New You’ pics to win.”

· Share your expertise in areas involving common New Year’s resolutions.

Content and Communication Strategies

In 2025, every business needs an email list. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have on social; the platform could shut down tomorrow and you have no way of contacting your fans. If you have their emails, on the other hand, you can always reach them—even when they’re on a social media “break.”

The new year is the perfect time to embrace digital marketing strategies and finally follow through on taking that next step. Also, embrace the technology that can make digital marketing easier like a good email scheduler, AI, a CRM, and design software to create visually appealing content. Some tools can do several of these things for you in one solution. Use them to:

· Write a compelling New Year's newsletter with valuable content

· Draft a blog, video, or podcast series focused on helping customers achieve their goals

· Leverage SMS marketing, which has a remarkable 98% open rate

· Create a challenge that will help educate your customers or interest them in your products/services

Business Development

When was the last time you changed something up in your business? While you don’t want to change just for change’s sake, trying something you’ve been putting off can gain a lot of support this time of year. People expect to see “new” at the new year.

Keep your audience abreast of the changes you’re making. These types of announcements can be exciting. They will enjoy watching your dreams come to fruition and seeing how many people want to start their own businesses, giving them a behind-the-scenes look at what you’re doing can help you amass a following. There’s a big business trend in teaching/coaching after becoming a success. Teaching as a service has become a lucrative offshoot for many businesses.

Technology and Growth

We touched upon this earlier but embracing emerging technology can help streamline your operations and daily tasks to give you more time to do the things that can’t be automated. Make the following a priority this year:

· Integrate AI tools to enhance marketing strategies

· Explore automation technologies

· Utilize predictive analytics to anticipate market trends

Customer Engagement

It’s time to also prioritize relationship building. People buy from those they know, like, and trust. If they can’t remember your name, they aren’t able to buy from you.

Building relationships takes time and you must give (a lot) to get. Here are a few ideas to help you start the new year off right by building those connections:

· Share your business's (or your personal) New Year's resolutions. These types of things can help people connect to you.

· Thank loyal customers. Showing appreciation makes your current customers feel good and leaves an impression on future customers.

· Listen on social media and respond to comments and questions. Insert yourself in conversations in a friendly, helpful way. Don’t barge in like a barker at a circus or auction, “yelling” about what you offer. No one responds to that type of behavior in a social setting.

By implementing these strategies, you can start the year with momentum and create meaningful connections with your ideal audience. After all, “creating more meaningful connections” is probably one of the best business resolutions you can make.

-------

_______________________________________

Twitter: @christinagsmith

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Are You Creating Content for Your Small Business? If So, Take Advantage of this Feature.

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:02:25 GMT

Have you heard of automatic concepts on YouTube? If not, and you’re using the second largest search engine in the world to share business content, you need to know about this. It could be impacting your content through clicks and views.

Automatic concepts on YouTube are an experimental feature that automatically identifies key terms or ideas mentioned in your video and adds explanations of these concepts to your video description. This feature is designed to enhance the viewer's understanding of your content without them having to leave the video page. For instance, if you were a plumber and you referred to a science term as you were describing a process, YouTube might define this concept for the audience.

You may have noticed a similar “summary” feature on Google generated by AI like this one below that came up when I researched automatic concepts and asked if it was still in beta.

When YouTube first rolled this feature out, it was marketed as something they were implementing for explanation purposes in education videos . YouTube described it as, “…a new, automatic way to identify key concepts covered in academic learning videos and surface more information about these concepts in the form of images and short text snippets in real-time, directly on the video’s watch page. For now, this is being tested on a small set of English-language videos related to educational topics taught in schools (across subjects such as biology, physics and chemistry). The experiment will take place on mobile only, for a limited number of people watching YouTube.”

Why Should I Care? It’s Not That New

As a business content creator, you should take notice of automatic concepts for several reasons:

1. Easy definitions. They help viewers learn more about unfamiliar terms or industry jargon used in your videos, making your content more accessible and valuable. That’s the good news. The part to be leery about is that it assumes YouTube will get it right and summarize your concepts in a way you want it to.

2. Increased engagement. By providing additional context, viewers are more likely to stay on your video longer, potentially improving watch time and engagement metrics.

3. Improved discoverability. The added concepts in your description may help your video appear in more search results, potentially increasing your reach.

4. Time-saving element. This automated feature can save you time by eliminating the need to manually explain every technical term or concept in your video or description. However, it’s still in beta so you can’t rely on it to appear on your video, but you can control whether the feature is on or off (we’ll show you that in a sec). It is on by default.

5. Educational value. If your business creates educational content, this feature can complement your teaching efforts by providing additional information to viewers.

What If I Want to Shut Them On or Off?

To enable automatic concepts for your videos, you can follow these steps in YouTube Studio:

1. Open YouTube Studio and go to the "Content" tab

2. Select the specific video you want to optimize

3. Click on the "Details" tab

4. Scroll down and click on "Show More"

5. Enable/disable the "Allow automatic concepts" checkbox

If you don’t see what’s described above, it's worth noting that this feature is still experimental and may not be available for all videos or creators.

You can try it out on some of your videos to see if it adds value to your content and aligns with your business goals. Keep in mind, in some cases, while handy, it may deter viewers from watching your video. For instance, if your video is a short description of a concept in physics, for instance, and the viewer has access to a summary generated by YouTube, they may not watch your video. We’re seeing the same happen on Google with the AI content summaries keeping people from scrolling down the page if all they wanted was a simple answer to their inquiry.

These are the type of features that are changing search and that content creators and marketers will have to keep in mind when creating content for business.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Power of Yes (and no)

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:31:09 GMT

The new year is an ideal time to get clear about your goals. Many people set incredibly inspiring resolutions and plot pathways to their best selves. If you’re one of those people—kudos to you. But if you don’t get straight on one thing, your intentions are going to fall flat.

Here’s the one thing you need to know about goal attainment.

Every yes is a no and every no is a yes.

Did you read that more than once?

Is it a little confusing? Like some riddle of the Sphinx or a quote in a fortune cookie?

Not really. Let’s break it down.

When you say yes to one thing, you’re saying no to another. When you say no to something, you have time to say yes to something else.

What Are You Saying Yes To?

If your holidays were like mine, you said yes to a lot of things that didn’t align with your personal or professional goals. Maybe you exhausted yourself doing for others. Maybe you overspent because you wanted everyone in your life to feel special. Maybe you stayed up late at night worrying about the end-of-year in your business.

Where did those things get you? Did everyone in your life have a joyful, wonderful holiday without complaint? Did that money you spent have a good return on investment? Did your worrying make things better or solve any of your business stressors?

Probably not.

If you are serious about meeting your goals—no matter what they are—you need to weigh your choices and institute boundaries. If you’re focused on growing your business in 2025, for instance, and you’ve plotted out the perfect road to get there, you’re going to have to protect that path like you are a medieval warlord.

There will be distractions, plenty of them. Some of those distractions will come masked as “self-care.” You may tell yourself that you’re only watching one episode of your favorite show to “unwind.” Three episodes later and you’ve wasted one-fifth of your waking hours!

Sometimes the distractions come in the form of other people—Sally who wants your help with the bake sale or Timmy who needs a ride to practice. And you will need to help some of those people because they rely on you. But you don’t need to help all of them. Know the difference.

This year, as you’re planning your goals, give thought to safeguarding your time too. Goals are ineffectual if you don’t have any time to complete them. Some of that lack of time will be beyond your control like having to put things on hold while you take care of someone who is ill.

But much of your time is likely spent doing things that are just “busy work.” They are activities that aren’t moving the needle, or they’re actions that are performed haphazardly. Haphazard, or unfocused work, is the worst kind because it takes up a lot of time and energy but doesn’t help you make progress on your goals. Imagine playing a carnival game where the aim was to hit a target with a bean bag while blindfolded. Your attempts would be splattered all around (some may even end up in the next stall). Because without your sight, you’re simply trying to get the bean bag in the general direction of where you think the target is.

Now imagine, removing your blindfold and being given something like a hose with a powerful stream of water and being told to hit the target with it. It would be much easier because you not only know where the target is, you also have a constant, consistent stream focusing on that target.

You need the same in your life as you pursue your goals. You want a constant, consistent pursuit. That only comes from protecting the sanctity of your work with every yes and no you utter.

------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Empowering First-Time Leaders: 5 Steps to Build Confidence and Success

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:26:52 GMT

Clarity is Key: Establish clear goals, roles, and expectations to align the team, reduce ambiguity, and create accountability. Regular check-ins help maintain focus and celebrate progress.
Earn Trust: Build trust by being authentic, transparent, and reliable. Actively listen, follow through on commitments, and show your team they can count on you.
Communicate Effectively: Foster open dialogue, practice active listening, and adapt your communication style to suit different audiences, ensuring clarity and connection.
Be Authentically You: Develop a personal leadership style by understanding your strengths and values, seeking feedback, and embracing a growth mindset to lead with integrity.
Lean on Support: Seek guidance from mentors, participate in leadership programs, and reflect on your experiences to learn, grow, and overcome challenges more effectively.

516 words ~ 2.5 min. read

Transitioning to a leadership role for the first time can feel like stepping into uncharted territory. New leaders often juggle internal doubts, unclear expectations, and team dynamics—all while striving to prove themselves. While the challenges are real, taking a focused, practical approach can help first-time leaders navigate this transition with confidence and achieve team success. Here are five proven steps for empowering new leaders:

1. Set Clear Expectations

Leadership begins with clarity. New leaders should align their teams around well-defined goals, responsibilities, and success metrics. Taking time to outline what success looks like removes ambiguity and establishes accountability.

Start by holding an initial meeting to communicate objectives and listen to the team’s input.
Use tools like SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set achievable milestones.
Check in regularly to reinforce goals, celebrate progress, and make adjustments.

By setting clear expectations, leaders create a foundation of purpose and direction for their teams.

2. Build Trust Through Actions

Trust is the currency of leadership. First-time leaders need to earn it by being authentic, transparent, and dependable. A good leader walks the talk and supports their team.

Listen actively to team concerns and ideas without judgment.
Be transparent about challenges, goals, and decision-making processes.
Follow through on commitments, no matter how small.

Over time, consistent, trustworthy actions build respect and strengthen team relationships.

3. Master Communication

New leaders must learn to communicate with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Effective communication is a two-way street: sharing ideas confidently while encouraging open dialogue.

Practice active listening to understand team challenges and perspectives.
Keep team members informed about decisions, changes, and progress.
Adapt your message for different audiences—what works for peers may not work for executives or team members.

Clear communication minimizes confusion, fosters connection, and keeps everyone on the same page.

4. Develop a Personal Leadership Style

While it’s tempting to imitate admired leaders, first-time managers should focus on developing their own authentic style. Self-awareness and reflection are key to discovering how to lead with integrity.

Identify personal strengths and values, then align leadership practices accordingly.
Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or team members to understand perceptions and improve.
Embrace a growth mindset—leadership is a skill that evolves through learning and experience.

Authenticity builds trust, and teams respond better to leaders who are real and relatable.

5. Seek Out Mentorship and Support

Leadership doesn’t have to be a solo journey. New leaders benefit tremendously from mentors, coaches, or professional networks who can offer guidance, share experiences, and provide support.

Identify experienced leaders in your organization or industry who can act as mentors.
Join leadership development programs or peer groups for structured learning.
Regularly reflect on successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

By learning from others, new leaders can accelerate their growth and overcome obstacles more effectively.

The Bottom Line

First-time leadership is challenging, but success is achievable with the right mindset and strategies. By setting clear expectations, building trust, mastering communication, developing an authentic style, and seeking mentorship, new leaders can build confidence, inspire their teams, and deliver results.

For further reading on leadership strategies, check out Harvard Business Review and Inc. .

---

Decluttering for Greater Productivity

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:55:41 GMT

The new year often brings a renewed focus on fresh starts and improved efficiency. Many of us are wondering how we might earn more, be more productive, and enjoy a better work/life balance. But as you’re committing to goals for the new year, consider that what your business may need is some decluttering. It’s time to channel your inner Marie Kondo and tackle not just physical spaces, but also digital files, outdated processes, and even stagnant strategies.

Just like a cluttered home can lead to stress and lost productivity, a cluttered business environment can hinder growth and innovation.

Here's how you can embrace decluttering for a more successful year:

Tidy the Physical Workspace

This is not a slam on people who enjoy visual chaos (like me), but if you can’t locate the basic things you need, it might be time for a new system.

Consider how you might:

Clear the clutter: Dispose of or donate old equipment, unused supplies, and stacks of paper.
Optimize layouts: Reorganize workspaces to improve flow and encourage collaboration or easy access.
Embrace minimalism: A clean, minimalist aesthetic can reduce distractions and boost focus.

Digital Detox

We’re not suggesting you give up your electronics, but isn’t it time your efficiency tools actually work for you?

You can do this through:

Organizing digital files: How many times have you not been able to find something in your email or files? Hey, it happens to the best of us. That’s why you need to implement and commit to a clear and consistent file-naming system (preferably something in the Cloud) and archive or delete outdated documents.
Streamline your inbox: Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails (Gmail and Yahoo make that really easy), utilize filters, and adopt inbox zero practices.
Update software and hardware: Ensure all technology is up-to-date and functioning optimally.
Research new options. Pick your slowest day and do some quick YouTube research on efficiency tools or Google plug-ins. You can learn a lot in only a few minutes and there’s likely a way to use tools to streamline your current processes. But if you’re waiting for a golden ticket from these software or app companies, it’s unlikely you’ll get one. Just as you may need to perform continuing education or professional development activities each year, take it upon yourself to keep an eye on tech and the digital world. Speaking of…

Streamline Processes

You can’t make more hours in the day so maximize what you currently have by:

Identifying bottlenecks: Analyze workflows to pinpoint areas of inefficiency.
Automate tasks: Utilize technology (like AI or conditional software that helps you create “if, then” pathways) to automate repetitive tasks and free up employee time.
Eliminate unnecessary meetings: Encourage shorter, more focused meetings with clear agendas. It doesn’t take long to develop a reputation of being a time waster and your employees, vendors, and stakeholders will do everything they can to get out of your meetings. If people opt out, just how effective are the meetings anyway?

Revisit Your Strategy

If you find yourself saying things like, “But it always worked before,” then it might just be time to:

Reassess goals: Ensure your business goals are still relevant and aligned with your overall vision.
Eliminate stagnant projects: Don't be afraid to cut your losses on projects that are no longer serving your business. Just because you’ve spent a lot of time, focus, or money on something does not mean you should continue to do so.
Identify new opportunities: Create space for fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.

Go All In and Foster a Culture of Decluttering

The new year is an ideal time for early spring cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new. After all, if you can’t make room for new opportunities, you’ll be left with the old ones.

Encouraging employee participation: Provide training and resources to help employees declutter their own workspaces and workflows. Encourage managers to find out what the greatest obstacles to their direct reports’ success are.
Celebrating successes: Recognize and reward efforts to improve efficiency and productivity.
Making decluttering a continuous process: Schedule regular decluttering sessions to maintain a clean and organized work environment. Again, remember it’s not all about papers on a desk. There are many ways our work lives get cluttered but all of them eventually lead to breakdowns and inefficiencies.

By embracing these decluttering strategies, you can create a more focused, efficient, and ultimately, more successful business. After all, every garden needs room to grow. Your business does too.

----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

FORD vs. HEFE: Frameworks for Networking and Small Talk

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:33:26 GMT

FORD (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams) and HEFE (Hobbies, Experiences, Future, Education) are two frameworks for networking and small talk.
FORD focuses on personal and aspirational topics, while HEFE emphasizes shared experiences and individual growth.
Use FORD for rapport-building and HEFE for deeper, curiosity-driven conversations.
Master both to navigate diverse networking scenarios effectively.

~ 400 words, 2.5 minute read

Small talk is the foundation of networking, but it often feels forced or superficial. Frameworks like FORD and HEFE can transform casual conversations into meaningful connections. Let’s explore the strengths and applications of each to help you decide when and how to use them effectively.

The FORD Framework

FORD stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams . These topics serve as approachable entry points for conversation.

Strengths:

Universality: Family and work are nearly universal topics, offering familiarity and relatability.
Aspiration-oriented: Discussing dreams often leads to uplifting and engaging exchanges.
Simplicity: Its structure is easy to remember and apply.

Best Use Cases:

Quick introductions or casual networking events.
Situations where building rapport is more important than diving deep.

Example Questions:

Did you grow up around here, or did your family move here later?
Do you have any big goals or plans you’re working toward right now?
What’s your favorite part of your job?

The HEFE Framework

HEFE stands for Hobbies, Experiences, Future, and Education . This approach shifts the focus to shared interests and personal growth.

Strengths:

Depth: Encourages meaningful dialogue by exploring unique interests and personal stories.
Curiosity-driven: Naturally prompts follow-up questions, sustaining conversation.
Relevance: Useful for professional settings, as education and future plans often align with career aspirations.

Best Use Cases:

One-on-one meetings or smaller networking circles.
Situations requiring a balance of personal and professional topics.

Example Questions:

What do you like to do in your free time?
Did you have a favorite teacher or mentor who inspired you?
Do you spend time with extended family, or do you live close to them?

Key Differences

Focus: FORD emphasizes rapport-building through relatable topics, while HEFE dives deeper into individuality and curiosity.
Tone: FORD is light and conversational; HEFE leans more reflective and intellectual.
Adaptability: FORD works well for short, casual interactions, whereas HEFE is better suited for in-depth conversations.

How to Use Them Together

The most effective networkers combine these frameworks, adapting to their audience and setting:

Start with FORD: Break the ice by asking about family, work, or hobbies.
Transition to HEFE: Once rapport is established, steer the conversation toward experiences or future goals to deepen the connection.

Bottom Line

Both FORD and HEFE are valuable tools for networking, but the key to success lies in understanding your audience and the context. Whether you’re attending a large event or engaging in a one-on-one chat, these frameworks provide reliable strategies to connect, communicate, and leave a lasting impression.

---

Our Small Business Season Christmas Wish: Supporting Local in 2025

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:46:26 GMT

The holiday season always seems to bring out the best in everyone—acts of kindness, bestowing grace, being a little more patient with people. During Small Business Season, many of us consciously choose to shop local and support the small businesses that make our community unique. It’s a beautiful time where we feel the power of community.

So what if we carried that spirit with us throughout the year? It’s our Christmas wish.

But more than that, it’s part of our agenda—promoting small businesses and assisting them in gaining traction. We hope you’ll join us.

The Year of Small Business—Good for Our Community

At the beginning of every year, many people vow to do something to make their lives better or healthier. We’re asking you to do the same with us, but you needn’t give up cake or cookies to do it.

Our community’s small businesses are the heart and soul of our local economy. They are the cornerstones of our neighborhoods, supporting local jobs, contributing to community events, and fostering a sense of connection and identity. By continuing to support them all year long, we’re not just making a purchase—we’re making an investment in the vitality of our community. We’re improving its health, and doesn’t that sound good?

Why Support Small Businesses Year-Round

Some people worry it’s more expensive or inconvenient to support local businesses. But what is truly inconvenient is having to shop and dine elsewhere because our stores, restaurants, and other businesses are no longer open. Patronizing a business is a “vote” to keep them around.

Local businesses:

Keep Dollars Local

For every dollar spent at a small business, a significant portion (as much as 68%) stays in the community, supporting schools, public services, and other local initiatives. Shopping local creates a positive ripple effect that benefits everyone.

Foster Community Character

Our local businesses give our community its charm and uniqueness. When we support them, we’re preserving the character of our town and ensuring others can enjoy it, too.

Create Jobs

Small businesses are the largest employers nationwide. By supporting them, we help sustain and create local jobs, keeping our neighbors and friends employed.

Support Each Other

Many small businesses collaborate with one another, purchasing goods or services locally. When we support one business, we often support a chain of local enterprises.

Are Invested in Us

Small business owners are our neighbors. They sponsor youth sports teams, donate to local charities, and step up to support the community when it matters most. By supporting them, we’re reciprocating that commitment.

Ways to Keep the Spirit Alive Year-Round

If you’re ready to join us in our vow to shop local first, consider the following:

· Shop Local First . Before heading to big box stores or online giants, check to see if a local business offers what you need.

· Dine Local . Treat yourself to meals at local restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.

· Buy Gift Cards . Small businesses appreciate cash flow, and gift cards are a great way to share your favorites with others.

· Spread the Word . Share positive reviews online and tell your friends about great local experiences. Word of mouth is powerful.

· Attend Local Events . Many businesses participate in markets, fairs, and other community events. Show up and support them!

· Be Loyal . Build relationships with local businesses and become a regular.

Imagine the Impact

If each of us made just one small business purchase a week, it would create a significant impact on our local economy. Over time, these consistent actions could lead to exponential growth that benefits everyone.

Let’s keep the spirit of Small Business Season alive—because our community’s businesses aren’t just for the holidays. They’re here for us year-round, and they deserve (and need!) our support. Together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant local economy, one purchase at a time.

Let’s make this year the year of supporting small businesses every day. Are you in?

Navigating Networking: When to Say No

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:23:24 GMT

Not every networking invitation is worth your time. Watch for red flags:

1️⃣ A pitch, not a relationship.
2️⃣ Questionable reputation.
3️⃣ Asking for help too soon.
4️⃣ Past negative interactions.

Decline respectfully, and prioritize meaningful connections.

456 words ~ 2.5 minute read

---

Early in your career, you might feel pressured to seize every networking opportunity, thinking it’s the key to success. But not all connections are created equal. Investing time in the wrong relationships can detract from building meaningful, productive networks. Knowing when to decline a networking request is essential for preserving your energy and integrity.

Here are key red flags to consider before saying yes:

It’s a Sales Pitch, Not a Relationship
If someone approaches you with an agenda to sell a product or service rather than foster a genuine professional connection, be cautious. Authentic networking should be about mutual growth and shared value—not transactional gains.
Reputation Raises Concerns
If the individual or their organization has a questionable reputation or operates in a way that conflicts with your values, engaging could jeopardize your professional credibility. It’s okay to protect your integrity by steering clear.
Premature Requests for Favors
When someone asks for significant help or endorsements before you’ve established any rapport, it’s a sign they’re likely prioritizing their interests over yours. Genuine connections develop over time and mutual effort.
Negative Past Interactions
If you’ve previously engaged with someone and it left a bad taste—be it unprofessionalism, unreliability, or other red flags—there’s no need to give them a second chance. Trust your past experiences to guide future decisions.

The Art of Declining

Turning down a request doesn’t have to damage relationships. Politely declining with gratitude for the invitation and offering alternative resources or contacts can soften the refusal. A simple response like, “Thank you for reaching out, but I’m unable to commit at this time. Best of luck!” goes a long way in maintaining professionalism.

Building Intentional Connections

Focus your networking efforts on individuals and groups aligned with your professional goals, values, and vision. Seek out mentors, peers, and collaborators who inspire growth and offer reciprocal value. By being selective, you’ll maximize the impact of your relationships and create a network that fuels your career.

Further Reading:

The Dos and Don’ts of Networking (Harvard Business Review)
How to Master Meaningful Connections (Forbes)

---

6 Ways to Snag Last-Minute Shoppers For Small Business Season

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:48:40 GMT

Turn Panic into Profit

The holiday rush is on, and while many shoppers are organized and planned, there's always a wave of last-minute buyers scrambling for gifts. This is your chance to shine and make some last-minute sales before the new year!

You have a few critical days to capture those frantic shoppers and boost your end-of-year sales.

Capitalize on the Small Business Win

Amazon and other online stores may be able to get items to your doorstep almost quicker than you can find a parking place at the mall these days, but at some point, they’re limited by distance. Late into December shippers simply can’t meet the holiday deadline. There’s an ordering cut-off for Christmas deliveries.

That’s where local businesses can shine. You have items that are available now. But availability alone won’t drive sales. You need to ensure people know about what you have to offer.

Here’s how you can appeal to those anxious last-minute shoppers:

Highlight Express Options & Deadlines

Flexibility is key at the last-minute. People often don’t have time to stroll through a store. They want the convenience of shopping online.

Promote online ordering with in-store pickup. It's the ultimate last-minute solution. Make sure this option is clear on your website, social media, and even Google My Business profile. If you offer local delivery, make sure you talk that up too.

For businesses without an online store, post images of popular items along with their prices on your website and social media. Encourage people to order by phone, Messenger, or email.

You can also sell through some social media platforms without an e-commerce site. However, adding a shopping feature to your website is something that should be on top of your list to get done in the new year. People want to buy on their schedule. An online store allows them to do that.

Create a Sense of Urgency (Without the Pressure):

While most people know when the big day is, adding a countdown clock to your website and social media posts emphasizes the dwindling time. Make sure those social media posts (and your website) display your store hours prominently. Don’t get potential customers interested and then make them search to find out if you’re open or not.

If you’re running low on a popular item, post low stock alerts such as "Only 3 left!" These magic words can spur immediate action. It also can convince people to buy something they hadn’t considered because that alert serves as social proof on the gift’s popularity.

Host a flash sale. Short, intense bursts of discounts create excitement and drive quick purchases. If you post them solely on social media and inform people of that, flash sales will also encourage follows.

If flash sales aren’t your thing, consider hosting a Midnight Sale the day before Christmas Eve or a similar attention-grabbing extension of your hours. Make it a party at your business.

Remember, for these ideas to be effective, you need to ensure people know about them.

Make Gift Buying a Breeze

Last-minute shoppers often are paralyzed by inaction. “Waiting for ideas” is a common reason people put off shopping. Curated gift guides such as "Gifts for Him," "Gifts for the Techie," etc., can help shoppers quickly find what they need and be spurred into action.

Another helpful tactic is to take the guesswork out of gifting with a "Bestsellers" list of the most popular items in your business and share it on social.

Finally, offering gift wrapping services can be a lifesaver for time-crunched shoppers! If you don’t have the manpower for giftwrapping, pack each purchase in a nice shopping bag and throw in some pretty tissue paper.

Extend Your Hours (If Possible)

One of the reasons people often choose box stores over local ones is because they know the chains will be open. That’s the biggest impediment to your last-minute sales. To secure those last-minute shopper dollars, you should consider staying open later in the evenings and on weekend leading up to the holiday. Again, make sure you publicize this so people will shop with you.

Don't Forget the Gift Cards!

Gift cards are the ultimate last-minute solution. If you offer digital gift cards, that’s even better as they can be delivered instantly via email. (If you don’t currently have this technology, look into it before the next big sales season. People enjoy the convenience. Plus, it will help you capture a larger market—those who don’t live nearby.)

Additionally, feature gift cards on your homepage and in your navigation menu. Don’t take last-minute shoppers on a hunt for these items. Display them prominently. You can also offer last-minute bonus incentives such as "Buy a $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card."

Again, none of this works if you don’t get the word out.

Here’s how you can make sure last-minute buyers know what you’re offering.

Master the Digital Marketing Blitz

In the last few days leading up to the big day you can’t market and post enough. Some of the activities you should consider include:

Focus on location-based targeting to reach local shoppers.
Send out emails with subject lines like "Don't Panic! Last-Minute Gift Ideas" or "Still Time to Shop!"
Reengage those who browsed your site but didn't buy through ads, texts, or emails featuring your best last-minute deals.

Finally, put yourself in the shoes of your last-minute shoppers. What do they need? How are they feeling? What can you do to help them come up with a quick and affordable solution?

If you market with this in mind, you will be their hero, and they can shine in the eyes of their recipient. Because even though people put off shopping until the last-minute, they don’t want it to look like they did.

Increase Sales with This Smart Tip

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:08:51 GMT

One of the best things you can do for your business is make it painfully obvious what you provide for your ideal audience. Coyness, after all, does not sell products.

Have you ever known someone who puts what they love out there? They tell you unabashedly what they want for Christmas, their birthday, or just any old day? I had a co-worker like this once. He loved Batman. He told everyone and decorated his cubicle accordingly.

Do you know what showed up on his cubicle doorstep all the time?

Batman.

And they were from people who normally wouldn’t give him gifts. They’d see Batman at a thrift store and think of him. They’d go through their kids’ toy bins to donate items, and guess what they did with the Batmen?

My co-worker amassed a collection of items because he “put it out there.” People knew what he wanted. The power of suggestion is a mighty one. They saw Batman; they thought of him.

If he had directly asked any of our co-workers to buy him a Batman figurine, they would’ve scoffed. But tell them over and over it’s what he loved and enjoyed, he became known for it. Batman became his nickname. Have a tech problem? Go see Batman.

He may not have been in marketing, but he understood the power of association and suggestion.

You need to do the same for your business. Unabashedly announce what you are (or want to be) known for and reiterate it at every chance. Cosmetic maven Laura Geller launched a huge influencer campaign this holiday with the help of (mainly) Gen X actresses. People like Jenny Garth (of Beverly Hills 90210 fame) and Danica McKellar (Winnie from The Wonder Years) were posting “before” and “after” makeover videos like their acting careers depended on it all over social media. They were all espousing how quick and easy it was to apply and how Geller’s cosmetics were perfect for mature skin.

Geller’s marketing team targeted middle-aged women exclusively (if you don’t pay attention to the models on the website). The influencers pointed out things most of us find annoying—makeup settling into fine lines AND a routine taking too long. They didn’t talk price, smell, trends. They focused on the two things they had determined were important to moms and grandmas—looking younger and refreshed and being able to do it quickly.

Because of this niche marketing technique and laser focus on the needs of their ideal audience, this line is becoming known as the make-up for “mature skin.”

If you do nothing else in this coming year, get very clear on “who” your business is, whether that’s THE line for mature skin or Batman. Then put it out there in everything you do.

Don’t assume a happy customer will draw that correlation for you. Too many businesses do this. Geller didn’t wait for someone with mature skin to try her product, love it, and post about how it doesn’t sink into the lines. She linked her name with that ahead of time.

Additionally, she didn’t worry about those who would find this claim unappealing (Gen Z, I’m looking at you). Instead, she found her target and zeroed in on it.

Perhaps you don’t want to be known for an item or service but a vision or mission. Put that out there as well. Don’t assume people will think it of you. Tell them. And tell them more than once. Don’t worry about sounding like a song on repeat. They’ll only hear you about 30% of the time you’re claiming it anyway. It takes a while to sink in and equally long to get past the obstacles of the social algorithms.

While we don’t all have the budget that Geller (obviously) invested in these actresses/stars, we can do what my former co-worker did and stick to something we want to become known for.

This year, as you’re going over sales and planning your business’ future, ask who you want to be and what you want to be known for. Then put it out there.

-----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The Art of Giving Feedback That Inspires Instead of Discourages

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:58:31 GMT

Delivering constructive feedback is vital for team growth and morale. Effective feedback should be specific, timely, and focused on behaviors rather than personal attributes. Utilizing the "sandwich" approach — starting with positive feedback, addressing areas for improvement, and concluding with encouragement — can enhance receptivity. Empathy and active listening are crucial in fostering a supportive environment that encourages open dialogue and continuous development.

621 ~ 3 min. read

Providing constructive feedback is a cornerstone of effective leadership, essential for fostering growth and maintaining team morale. However, when feedback is poorly delivered, it can lead to decreased motivation and strained relationships. Mastering the art of giving feedback that inspires rather than discourages is crucial for leaders aiming to cultivate a high-performing and cohesive team.

Be Specific and Timely

Effective feedback is both specific and timely. Address particular behaviors or outcomes rather than making general statements. For instance, instead of saying, "You need to improve your presentations," specify, "In your last presentation, incorporating more data visuals could enhance audience engagement." In a Forbes article, Robert Lonemann, CEO of Lift Solutions Holdings, offers leaders advice for how to give constructive feedback. He advises leaders to be direct and to deliver feedback promptly while the observed behavior is still fresh, ensuring relevance and clarity.

Focus on Behavior, Not Personality

Concentrate on the individual's actions and their impact, avoiding personal judgments. This approach, according to Logemann, prevents defensiveness and promotes openness to change. For example, rather than stating, "You're careless with deadlines," frame it as, "Submitting reports after the deadline affects our project's timeline."

Employ the "Sandwich" Approach

The "sandwich" method involves beginning with positive feedback, discussing areas for improvement, and concluding with encouragement. This technique acknowledges the individual's strengths, addresses concerns, and reinforces confidence, making the feedback more palatable and constructive. Here’s an example of constructive feedback using the sandwich technique: "You’ve done a great job capturing the main points clearly and concisely; however, adding more specific examples could make your argument even stronger. Keep up the excellent work—your writing shows real potential!"

Encourage Dialogue and Collaboration

Feedback should be a two-way conversation where both parties actively participate in the exchange. Encourage team members to share their perspectives, insights, and suggestions, creating an open dialogue that goes beyond simply giving or receiving feedback. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership , as individuals feel their voices are heard and valued. It also builds mutual respect by demonstrating that all contributions matter, regardless of rank or role. When team members are actively involved in the feedback process, it not only enhances trust but also leads to more effective problem-solving and sparks innovation by incorporating diverse viewpoints and ideas.

Practice Empathy and Active Listening

Demonstrate empathy by acknowledging the challenges your team members face and showing understanding of their viewpoints. Active listening — fully concentrating, understanding, and responding thoughtfully — builds trust and openness, creating an environment where feedback is viewed as an opportunity for growth rather than criticism.

Provide Actionable Steps

Effective feedback should always include clear, actionable recommendations that guide individuals toward improvement. Vague advice like, "Improve your communication skills," can leave the recipient unsure of where to start or how to meet expectations. Instead, offer concrete suggestions that are practical and achievable. For example, you might say, "In future meetings, try summarizing the key points at the end to ensure everyone leaves with a clear understanding of next steps." This specific guidance not only provides a clear path forward but also builds confidence by showing that improvement is within reach. When feedback is both constructive and actionable, it empowers individuals to take meaningful steps toward growth and success.

Follow Up and Recognize Improvement

After providing feedback, follow up to assess progress and offer additional support if needed. Recognize and praise improvements, reinforcing positive changes and motivating continued development. Acknowledgment of effort and progress fosters a culture of continuous improvement and engagement.

The Takeaway

Delivering feedback that inspires requires intentionality, empathy, and clear communication. By focusing on specific behaviors, encouraging open dialogue, and providing actionable suggestions, leaders can transform feedback into a powerful tool for motivation and growth, strengthening team dynamics and driving organizational success.

---

Simplify Seasonal Staffing For Small Business Season

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 19:26:56 GMT

For small business owners, the holidays hopefully mean increased customer demand, higher foot traffic, and a busier-than-usual schedule. While all of those things hopefully mean more revenue, ensuring you have staffing and good service can drive you nutty.

If you feel unprepared, don’t worry—it’s not too late to put a plan in place that will help you manage staffing challenges and deliver exceptional customer service during Small Business Season.

Here are some quick, practical strategies you can implement right now:

Simplify Seasonal Staffing

Finding extra help when time is tight can feel overwhelming, but you don’t need to overcomplicate it.

· Ask for Referrals . Who better to send you new employees than people who love your business already? Turn to your current employees and trusted customers. Offer small incentives for referrals that result in reliable seasonal hires. Don’t forget to tell the chamber about your staffing needs. They may know people looking for work.

· Hire for Flexible Shifts . Look for people who want part-time or flexible hours—students, retirees, or friends of your team can often step in quickly. If you offer employee discounts, you may have people interested in working for you for that reason.

· Leverage Local Networks . Post your immediate needs on community Facebook groups, your business social media pages, or apps like Nextdoor.

· Bring Back Past Employees . Former team members who already know your business might be open to helping temporarily (great for students on break).

Cross-Train Your Team

Instead of scrambling for extra hands, maximize your current staff’s potential. Cross-training employees to handle multiple roles will give you the flexibility to adapt to surges in customer activity.

· Dedicate an hour or two to train team members on essential tasks outside their usual duties.

· Teach core skills like ringing up sales, answering phones, gift wrapping, or managing online orders.

· Make sure everyone feels confident enough to handle basic customer inquiries or complaints. Help them with by training them on your most common scenarios.

Streamline Your Customer Service

Great service doesn’t have to mean lengthy interactions. Here’ are some tips on how to keep customers happy without losing a lot of time:

· Compile FAQs, return/exchange policies, and key product details into one easy-to-access document. Share it with your team. Why reinvent the wheel each time?

· Set up a “Grab-and-Go” area. Highlight popular items, pre-wrapped gift sets, or stocking stuffers near the checkout for quick purchases.

· Offer digital payment options.

Focus on Communication

Clear and consistent communication will keep your team and customers on the same page.

· Spend 5-10 minutes before each shift to go over daily goals, staffing assignments, and key updates.

· Let customers know about extended wait times, limited stock, or last-minute holiday hours through social media, signage, and email.

· Train your team to use phrases like “Thank you for your patience” or “We’re happy to help find a solution” to ease frustration.

Motivate Your Team

The holiday rush can be stressful, so keeping morale high is essential.

· Offer small perks. Provide snacks, coffee, or even a small holiday bonus to show appreciation.

· Recognize employees for going the extra mile, whether it’s solving a tricky customer issue or handling a busy shift with a positive attitude.

· Incentivize performance. Offer small rewards like gift cards for hitting sales goals or receiving glowing customer feedback.

Make Customer Interactions Count

The holidays are an opportunity to turn first-time shoppers into loyal customers.

· A warm greeting, personalized recommendations, or a quick “Thank you for shopping small” can make a lasting impression.

· Offer a discount or raffle entry in exchange for email sign-ups, so you can reconnect with customers in the new year.

· Invite happy customers to leave a review online or share their experience on social media. Respond to those who leave reviews, good or otherwise. Customers will feel seen.

Even with limited time, these strategies can help you manage the holiday chaos effectively while creating a positive experience for your customers and staff. Remember, small improvements can go a long way—and your efforts this season can set the stage for loyal customers and smoother operations in the year ahead.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the holiday hustle. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Why Outsourcing Strengthens Small Businesses and Communities

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 19:50:43 GMT

Boosts Business Growth : Outsourcing non-core tasks lets small businesses focus on strengths, cut costs, and scale efficiently.
Strengthens Communities : Partnering with local providers supports small businesses, creates jobs, and fosters innovation.
Smart Strategy : Delegating specialized services drives business performance and fuels local economic resilience—everyone wins.

585 words ~ 3 minute read

Why Outsourcing Strengthens Small Businesses and Communities

Outsourcing isn't just about cutting costs—it's about growth. By delegating specialized tasks, small businesses can focus on their core strengths, boost efficiency, and scale sustainably. Plus, partnering with local service providers reinvests in the community, creating a virtuous cycle of economic growth.

Outsourcing: A Growth Lever for Small Businesses and Communities

For small business owners, time is the most precious resource. The relentless demands of operations, customer service, and strategic planning can leave little room to breathe—let alone innovate. That's where outsourcing comes in. Handing off non-core functions to experts allows businesses to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and redirect energy toward scaling.

But the benefits of outsourcing extend far beyond business efficiency. When done thoughtfully—especially by partnering with local or regional providers—it becomes a powerful tool for community building.

How Outsourcing Boosts Your Business

Focus on Core Competencies
Time-intensive tasks like accounting, HR, or marketing can distract from your company’s strengths. Outsourcing these functions enables your team to focus on what you do best, leading to stronger performance and customer satisfaction.

Cost Savings Without Compromising Quality
Hiring full-time employees for specialized roles can be expensive. Outsourcing allows access to expert services without the overhead of full-time salaries, benefits, or training costs.

Scalable Growth
Outsourcing offers flexibility, letting you scale services up or down based on your business needs without the complexities of staffing adjustments.

Access to Expertise
External providers bring fresh perspectives, industry expertise, and best practices that might otherwise be out of reach.

How Outsourcing Benefits the Community

Strengthening Local Economies
Partnering with local vendors keeps money circulating within the community. It supports other small businesses, fosters job creation, and strengthens regional economic resilience.

Building Networks and Collaboration
By outsourcing to local providers, you foster relationships and partnerships that could lead to referrals, collaborations, or future opportunities.

Fostering Diversity and Innovation
Local providers often include minority-owned, women-owned, or start-up businesses that bring innovative ideas and perspectives to the table.

39 Examples of Services Small Businesses Can Outsource

Marketing and Advertising

Social Media Management

Graphic Design

Website Development and Maintenance

Content Creation (blogs, articles, newsletters)

SEO and SEM Services

Branding and Logo Design

Photography and Videography

Event Promotion and Coordination

Public Relations

Financial and Administrative

Accounting and Bookkeeping

Tax Preparation and Filing

Payroll Management

Financial Planning and Consulting

Virtual Assistance and Admin Support

Document Scanning and Archiving

Legal Services (contracts, compliance, etc.)

Operations

IT Support and Maintenance

Managed Print Services

Supply Chain and Inventory Management

Cleaning and Janitorial Services

Security Services (physical and digital)

Human Resources

Recruitment and Staffing

Background Checks

Employee Training and Development

HR Compliance Consulting

Benefits Administration

Customer Engagement

Call Center/Answering Services

Customer Feedback Surveys and Analysis

Loyalty Program Development

Mystery Shopping Services

Facilities Management

Property Maintenance (repairs, HVAC, etc.)

Landscaping and Lawn Care

Fleet Management

Office Furniture Installation and Maintenance

Specialized Services

Legal Compliance Audits

Risk Assessment and Insurance Consulting

Catering for Events

Language Translation and Interpretation

Custom Printing (merchandise, stationery, etc.)

The Bottom Line

Outsourcing isn’t just a cost-cutting measure—it’s a growth strategy. By freeing your team to focus on what matters most, your business can scale faster, serve customers better, and even foster community development. When you outsource thoughtfully and strategically, everyone wins.

---

4 Tasks to Make You a More Intentional Leader

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:50:40 GMT

Whether you are starting your own business or reporting to someone else, you can be the leader you want to be with just a few changes to your weekly routine. All it takes is a little awareness.

Before we get into the routines you can incorporate into your week, it’s important to understand that it may feel difficult to implement these changes if you’re really struggling in your professional life. You may feel like you need to concentrate on the basics before you can take on the “fluffy” feel-good leadership tasks. But if you don’t make time for these (even a few minutes of focus will help), you will find yourself struggling between wanting to be a better leader and achieving it. Even if it means concentrating on some of these ideas while you’re in the shower or driving to work (instead of listening to music), make the time. You’ll notice a difference in what you see meaning in.

4 Tasks to Make You a More Intentional Leader

Define Your “Win”

What it looks like : Take a moment each week to clearly define what success looks like for you, your team, or a specific project. Write down one or two measurable outcomes that, if achieved, would make the week feel successful. For instance, a "win" could be delivering a presentation effectively (make sure you define “effectively” by outcome), resolving a lingering team conflict, or hitting a milestone in a project.

How to do it : Use a few minutes on Sunday night or Monday morning to reflect. Ask yourself, “What needs to happen this week for me to feel we’re moving in the right direction?” Jot this down in a note app, planner, on your hand, or whatever works to keep it front and center in your mind.

Why it works : Leaders who define success sharpen their focus and set clear priorities. This habit eliminates decision fatigue and ensures your efforts align with meaningful outcomes.

Take Note of Your Energy Levels

What it looks like: Reactive leaders respond. They don’t strategize. They do things in reaction to something else, they’re not in control of their schedules. That’s not sustainable. To be more strategic, you need to track and understand your energy levels throughout the day. Notice when you feel the most productive, creative, or drained. Over time, you’ll identify your natural rhythms and be able to plan your important tasks during your most energetic or creative times.

How to do it : During moments of reflection—like in the shower, while waiting in line, or even at a red light—pause to ask, “How do I feel right now? When did I feel most energized today?” Start noting patterns, such as your energy peaking in the morning or dipping after lunch. For instance, I wake up groggy, so I use the first couple hours to complete my “quiet time” activities like reading and planning. By the time 8 or 9 hits, I’m ready to implement. If I tried to implement earlier, I would need to redo those tasks, so it makes more sense to capitalize on my natural schedule.

Why it works : Great leaders manage not just their time but also their energy. By aligning high-energy tasks with your peak hours and reserving low-energy periods for simpler tasks, you’ll operate more effectively.

Practice a Daily Management Sprint

What it looks like : Dedicate several focused minutes each day to a “management sprint.” This is uninterrupted time to knock out key leadership tasks: replying to emails, checking in with your team, or addressing project bottlenecks.

How to do it : Pick a consistent time, like the first 15 minutes of your workday, your commute (you can brainstorm ideas with an AI tool on your way to work), or right after lunch. Use a timer and commit to working solely on leadership tasks—no multitasking. If needed, block the time in your calendar to avoid distractions.

Why it works : Leadership tasks often fall by the wayside amidst busy schedules. A short, focused sprint ensures these critical responsibilities are addressed daily without consuming hours of your time.

Implement Vision 30

What it looks like : Spend 30 minutes a week thinking about the bigger picture: your team’s goals, company direction, or your personal leadership growth. This could involve reading an article, brainstorming ideas for a strategy, or reflecting on long-term goals.

How to do it : Use “stolen minutes” throughout the week to ponder big-picture questions. During your commute, you could brainstorm with an AI assistant. On a lunch break, journal ideas. While walking the dog, reflect on long-term goals. Then schedule a formal 30-minute session during the week to organize and refine the thoughts you’ve had during these “mini” sessions. You’ll be surprised how they add up.

Why it works : Leaders can easily get stuck in day-to-day operations, losing sight of the broader vision. But when they block out hours for strategic planning, it can feel overwhelming. This type of bite-sized strategic thinking is doable in everyone’s schedule and ensures you stay proactive rather than reactive, helping you lead with clarity and purpose.

These tasks don’t require hours of effort—they require intention and creativity. By weaving these practices into your daily routine, you can transform “wasted minutes” into powerful leadership moments. Over time, you’ll notice improved clarity, energy, and confidence in your role as a leader.

Leadership Leavenworth-Lansing

Have you gone through our Leadership class yet? This initiative was started in 1985 as a way to bring together leaders within the community to engage with each other, learn about the services and organizations in the area, and grow as leaders. Interested? Class applications are open June-July. Contact Office@LLChamber.com for more information.

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

4 Ways to Get More Sales this Small Business Season

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 17:02:21 GMT

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you are in. People need what you make and provide. If you’re fortunate, they’ll consider you when gift-giving this holiday season, but even if you’re not in retail or food/beverage, you can still bring in holiday customers with these ideas.

4 Ways to Sell Your Products/Services During this Small Business Season

To increase your holiday sales in a non-traditional holiday industry, it’s important to reposition or remarket your items/services. You need to show people how what you offer is essential and deserves some of their hard-earned holiday budget.

Here are some ways you can do that:

Paint a Picture (or sing a song)

Your product or service may not be sexy. It may not be on the top of every good boy’s and girl’s most-wanted list. But you can still have a great holiday if you show and tell your audience why it’s essential to buy what you’re offering. You can even do this with humor. For instance, if you’re a plumber, consider creating a parody of the song Twelve Days of Christmas to point out the workout your pipes get during the holiday. It might go something like this:

“On the first day of Christmas my nice guest gave to me, a giant clog in the potty.”

Tell Your Story

Every business owner has a story. If you're not telling it you're missing an opportunity to connect with your audience.

Small business owners sacrifice a lot for their businesses. So do their families. Posting about your family is part of your business story. Many business owners share how old their children were when they first opened their business. Some proudly point out that those children are now working for that business.

If you have a similar story, create a collage with a picture of your children (or yourself) from when you first opened and a current picture. Placing them side by side can be a really good reminder of how long you've been a part of the community. It's a very effective way to show people how important it is to help keep businesses like yours in the community. It's also a nice time to be able to thank your loyal customers and encourage others to come check you out even if you don't sell traditional holiday gifts.

Reframe

Again, not every business celebrates the holidays because the owners or marketers may not deem their product or service as holiday worthy. But you can have a lot of fun with it. Suggest buying something a product or service from you as a white elephant gift or a gift for someone they don't know that well. For instance, it could be funny and helpful to give your teacher a gift card for an oil change. It's not something you think about as a traditional holiday gift but would be very valued. If you want to increase your sales at Christmas time start marketing your products and services as unique Christmas gifts.

Tie It All In

If you don't sell a traditional holiday product or service, market your tie to the holiday. For instance, if you're a roofer explain that no one wants Santa to get his sleigh stuck on a bad roof. Perhaps a new roof is probably not something someone thinks about during the holidays. But if you're offering discounts and deals (and you're in a climate that allows you to repair a roof in December) you can tie in your service with the holiday.

Just because you don't have a traditional holiday business doesn't mean you can't increase sales during small business season. It just takes a little humor, creativity, and a whole lot of fun to get people to notice you. And when you do, you'll be glad you did it.

Budget-Friendly Marketing: Growth Tactics for Small Teams and Tight Budgets

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 14:49:04 GMT

Small businesses can thrive on tight budgets with smart, cost-effective marketing strategies:
Leverage free tools: Use platforms like Canva (design), Mailchimp (email), and Google My Business (local SEO).
Maximize organic reach: Share engaging, shareable content tailored to your audience.
Repurpose & collaborate: Extend content life and partner with other businesses for mutual growth.
Cost-effective paid ads: Use targeted Facebook and Google Ads sparingly but strategically.
Growth doesn't require big budgets—just big ideas and sharp execution.

472 words ~ 2 min.

For small businesses, competing in today’s fast-paced market can feel like an uphill battle—especially with limited marketing budgets. However, with the right mix of creativity, strategy, and resourcefulness, even the smallest teams can make a big impact.

Here’s a roadmap to stretch your marketing dollars while driving growth:

1. Leverage Free or Affordable Tools

Technology has leveled the playing field for small businesses. Tools like:

Canva : Create professional designs for social media, flyers, and more.
Mailchimp : Run targeted email campaigns to engage your audience.
Google Business Profile : Boost local visibility with a polished business profile.

These platforms are cost-effective (or free) and user-friendly, making them perfect for small teams with limited expertise.

2. Build an Organic Social Media Presence

Social media offers unparalleled reach without hefty ad budgets. Focus on creating content that is:

Authentic : Showcase your brand’s personality.
Engaging : Encourage comments, shares, and likes.
Targeted : Speak directly to the pain points and aspirations of your audience.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn offer opportunities for organic growth when paired with consistent posting and community interaction.

3. Maximize Your Content

Repurposing content is a game-changer for lean teams. Transform a blog post into:

Infographics for Instagram.
Short video clips for Facebook Reels or LinkedIn.
An email series for nurturing leads.

This strategy amplifies the value of every piece of content you create.

4. Collaborate and Cross-Promote

Partnerships with complementary businesses can expand your reach. For example:

Host joint webinars or events.
Share each other’s social media posts.
Offer bundled discounts or referral incentives.

Cross-promotions allow both parties to tap into new audiences with minimal spend.

5. Use Paid Advertising Sparingly and Strategically

When executed thoughtfully, even a small paid ad budget can yield results. Consider:

Highly targeted Facebook Ads : Zero in on specific demographics.
Google Ads : Capture search intent with precision.

Set a clear objective and monitor ROI closely to avoid overspending.

6. Implement Referral Programs

Rewarding loyal customers for spreading the word is a proven growth tactic. Simple yet effective programs, such as discounts for referrals or exclusive perks, can turn happy customers into your best marketers.

The Takeaway

A limited budget doesn’t have to limit your growth. By prioritizing creativity, efficiency, and collaboration, small businesses can build robust marketing strategies that deliver results. Start small, measure your success, and iterate on what works to continuously grow.

---

How to Make Time for Innovation

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 14:41:58 GMT

We know you're an incredibly busy business owner. It's easy to get caught up in the daily tasks and operation of your business. But if you're only doing what must be done, and never making time for innovation, you will fall behind.

But how do you make time to innovate?

For the busy business professional, being told to make time to innovate is like someone critiquing your swimming stroke when you feel like you're drowning. To innovate you must have (or feel like you have) your business under control and very few business owners feel that way.

Something is always coming up that demands time and energy and so innovation takes a back seat to the business’ immediate needs.

It's likely you've heard that AI can streamline your tasks and make you more efficient. While that's true and a lot of businesses are using AI in administrative ways, it can do so much more.

However, even as good as AI is, it cannot oversee your strategic planning and innovation. As the leader of your company, you need to be the one to take that on.

With AI you can get several hours back in your week and that extra time can be used to innovate and strategize.

Here's how:

Things AI Can Take off Your Plate

Here’s a list of ways AI can free up your time as a small business owner, enabling you to focus on innovation and growth.

Please note: these technology suggestions are starts. There are many other options out there. Perform your due diligence to find a solution that works best for the way you work.

Let’s get started…

Automate Administrative Tasks

- Email Management. Use AI tools like Gmail's Smart Compose or apps like Superhuman to prioritize and automate responses.

- Scheduling. Leverage AI scheduling assistants like Calendly or Clara to manage appointments and meetings.

- Document Handling. Use tools like DocuSign or PandaDoc for automated contract creation, signing, and tracking.

But don’t stop there. How much time does your team spend on interacting with your customers, not in engaging ways but answering the same questions over and over. Once when visiting a liquor store on Christmas Eve, I witnessed the employee answer the phone five times within a three-minute span. He answered each time with “Hello, we’re open until six.” Most people hung up after that. All they wanted to know was the store’s hours.

That’s a waste of everyone’s time. Instead…

Streamline Customer Interactions

- Chatbots . Deploy AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Intercom to handle FAQs, basic inquiries, and customer support 24/7.

- CRM Integration . Utilize AI-powered CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce Einstein to manage customer relationships and follow-ups.

Where else are you spending your time? Marketing? Financial management? Training? Let’s look at a couple of ways to streamline those.

Enhance Marketing Efforts

- Content Creation . Generate social media posts, blog content, and email campaigns with tools like Jasper AI or Copy.ai or personalize your email campaigns based on customer data with MailChimp.

- Ad Optimization . Use AI platforms like Adzooma or Smartly.io to analyze and optimize your ad performance automatically.

- Social Media Scheduling . Automate post scheduling and analytics with tools like Buffer or Hootsuite Insights.

Optimize Financial Management

- Bookkeeping . Employ AI-based accounting tools like QuickBooks or Xero for automated expense tracking, invoicing, and tax preparation.

- Budgeting . Use AI financial tools like Fathom to generate forecasts and identify savings opportunities.

- Payment Systems . Square and Clover integrate AI for tracking sales and managing promotions.

Enhance Team Collaboration

- Project Management . Use AI-enhanced tools like Asana or Trello with smart suggestions to streamline workflows and assign tasks.

- Talent Management . Automate hiring processes with tools like Zoho Recruit or LinkedIn Talent Insights to find the right candidates faster.

- Virtual Assistants . Use Zapier to integrate and automate workflows between apps like Gmail, QuickBooks, and Slack.

Boost Personal Productivity

- AI Assistants . Tools like Otter.ai can transcribe meetings and summarize notes.

- Focus Tools . Apps like Freedom or Serene use AI to help you minimize distractions and improve focus.

Gain Insights for Innovation

- Data Analytics . Tools like Tableau or Google Analytics with AI capabilities can help you gather insights into customer behavior or market trends.

- Competitor Monitoring . Tools like Crayon can track competitor activities and strategies in real time.

Automate Customer Feedback

- Survey Tools . Platforms like Qualtrics or Typeform can collect and analyze customer feedback.

- Sentiment Analysis . MonkeyLearn analyzes customer reviews and identifies trends or areas for improvement.

Train Your Team with AI

- Learning Management Systems (LMS). Use AI-driven platforms like Udemy Business or Coursera for Business to provide personalized learning paths for employees.

For businesses with specific industry needs, we’ve compiled a few additional tools as well.

For Retail Shops

Inventory Management:

Tools like Vend or Square Inventory use AI to track stock, predict trends, and automate reordering.

Customer Loyalty Programs:

Platforms like Fivestars or Loyalzoo personalize rewards and send automated reminders to drive repeat visits.

Visual Merchandising Assistance:

AI apps like Diorama can simulate store layouts to optimize product placement.

Pricing Optimization:

Tools like Wiser analyze competitors and suggest the best pricing strategies.

For Restaurants and Cafes

Order Management:

Toast or Square for Restaurants automates online orders, menu updates, and payment processing.

Chatbots for Reservations:

Platforms like Tock or OpenTable use AI to handle bookings, reducing staff workload.

Predictive Analytics:

SevenRooms forecasts demand and customer preferences to manage staffing and inventory effectively.

Social Media Automation:

Use Planoly or Canva Content Planner to schedule posts showcasing daily specials or events.

For Service Businesses (e.g., Salons, Spas, Auto Shops)

Appointment Scheduling:

AI-powered apps like Booksy, Fresha, or Schedulicity automate booking and send reminders.

Customer Upselling:

Tools like Mindbody suggest related services or products during the booking process.

Review Monitoring:

AI platforms like Birdeye aggregate and analyze online reviews to improve your reputation.

Employee Scheduling:

Apps like Homebase optimize staff shifts based on predicted demand.

If you want more time to innovate in your business, ask yourself where you’re spending the most time and if your skills are really needed there. If not, there’s probably an AI tool for that.

Implementing even a few of these AI solutions can free up significant time and mental bandwidth, giving you the space to strategize, innovate, and lead your business forward in 2025 and beyond.

--------------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Tips for Reaching Holiday Shoppers This Small Business Season

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:44:14 GMT

It feels like articles about holiday spending in recent years have all started with the same intro—costs are up, consumers are looking for value. While this year is no different, there are a few parts of the consumer landscape that present a unique set of challenges for small businesses.

According to the latest BizInsure holiday spending survey , there are a couple of things you should be doing to adapt and thrive this Small Business Season.

The 2024 Holiday Shopper: Budget-Conscious and Practical

Forget extravagant gifts and lavish travel plans. This year, it's all about essentials and value. Consumers are feeling the pinch of inflation (again or still, depending on how you look at it) so it’s no surprise they are prioritizing practical purchases.

Here's how your small business can cater to this mindset:

Position Your Products as "Must-Haves." Communicate the value and practicality of your offerings. Highlight durability, functionality, and how your products solve everyday problems. Don’t assume it’s obvious and they’ll know. Spell it out for them.
Embrace the Power of Bundling: Create attractive gift bundles at various price points, combining essential items that offer value and convenience for the shopper.
Promote Gift Cards with a Personal Touch: Gift cards remain a holiday favorite. Offer beautifully designed cards (or gift boxes), perhaps with personalized messages or small add-ons to make them extra special.

Winning Over the Younger Generation

While overall trends point toward practicality, Gen Z shows a stronger inclination toward experiences and supporting small businesses.

Capitalize on this by:

Creating Memorable In-Store Experiences: Transform your shop into a festive destination with interactive workshops, personalized consultations, or holiday-themed events that resonate with younger shoppers. Make it Insta worthy.
Collaborating with Gen Z Influencers: Leverage the power of social media by partnering with relevant influencers who can authentically showcase your products and brand to their audience. Don’t know an influencer? How about a loyal Gen Z customer? Give them a reason to talk about you and share their experience.
Thinking Outside the "Experience" Box: Even if your business doesn't sell experiences directly, find creative ways to incorporate them. A bookstore could host author readings, or a home goods store could offer decorating workshops.

Leveling the Playing Field with Retail Giants

Large retailers are often thought of as more convenient and less expensive. That’s why you have to change the conversation from dollars to value. When it comes to gifts do shoppers really want to give the cheapest gift or do they want to get the most value for their money? If it’s the latter (after all, who wants to be the cheapo) then you want patrons to know how shopping with you is more valuable. Ideas include:

Offering Unmatched Customer Service. No large box store offers personalized attention, expert advice and product knowledge, gift wrapping, and a genuinely warm and welcoming atmosphere like a local business. Big-box stores simply can't replicate that.
Boosting Your Online Presence. Ensure your website and social media channels are top-notch. Use compelling images and descriptions. Ensure you have a seamless online ordering process.
Providing Competitive Shipping and Delivery: While you may not have Amazon's logistics network, offer reliable and affordable shipping options, including in-store pickup or local delivery services. You don’t want inconvenience to be a justification for not shopping with you.

Harnessing the Strength of Community

This holiday season, community matters more than ever. Don’t discount its power. People are enjoying and feeling good about supporting local. Here’s how you can be an even bigger part of the community:

Join Forces with Fellow Small Businesses: Collaborate on joint promotions, cross-promote each other's products, or participate in local holiday markets to expand your reach and create a sense of community spirit.
Give Back Through Charitable Partnerships: Partner with a local charity to donate a portion of your holiday sales. This not only benefits a worthy cause but also enhances your brand image and resonates with socially conscious consumers. If you sell something that I child would be interested in, give a discount to those who are purchasing for an Angel Tree or a toy collection program. Let the nonprofit community know you’re doing that, and they may give you a shout out and direct some people your way.
Nurture Customer Relationships: Actively engage with your customers through social media, email newsletters, and personalized in-store interactions to build lasting relationships and foster loyalty. Listen on social media and in online communities for people asking for gift ideas.

Don't Overlook the Holiday Essentials

Finally, remember the tried-and-true tactics that always contribute to a successful holiday season:

Running Festive Promotions and Discounts. We could all use those right now.
Extending Shopping Hours. Cater to busy shoppers by offering extended hours or special shopping events during evenings and weekends, making it more convenient for them to visit your store.
Creating a Welcoming In-Store Environment: Ensure your store is well-stocked, neatly organized, and festively decorated to create a positive and enjoyable shopping experience.

You don’t have to convince people you are the cheapest store on the block. You just have to give them a reason to want to buy from you and that comes out of festive experiences and good value.

Maximizing Efficiency: Tools and Techniques to Boost Team Productivity

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:45:20 GMT

Communicate clearly : Use tools like Trello or Asana + daily stand-ups for seamless alignment.
Automate tasks : Save hours with Zapier and other workflow tools.
Prioritize smartly : Eisenhower Matrix + time-blocking = focus where it matters.
Support well-being : Encourage breaks for greater productivity, focus, and creativity

727 ~ 4 min. read

In today’s competitive business environment, efficiency is essential. For small teams, productivity gains often come from working smarter, not harder. This guide provides practical strategies to streamline workflows, prioritize tasks, and maintain a motivated workforce.

Clear Communication & Goal Alignment

Effective communication is the cornerstone of productivity. Project management tools like Asana , Trello , and Monday help align team efforts and ensure that everyone is informed and engaged. Pair these platforms with daily stand-ups to set clear objectives, address potential hurdles, and celebrate progress.

Project management tools are invaluable to teams because they centralize workflows, providing a clear and accessible platform for task assignment, progress tracking, and resource management. By offering real-time updates and visualizations like project boards or progress charts, these systems help teams stay organized and ensure accountability. These platforms also reduce the risk of miscommunication by consolidating all project details in one place, allowing team members to easily collaborate and stay informed.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

Automation reduces the burden of repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Tools such as Zapier or Make can integrate your existing systems, automating everything from lead management to social media scheduling. This allows your team to focus on more strategic, high-value work.

By streamlining workflows, automation not only saves time but also minimizes human error, ensuring consistent and accurate results. For small businesses, this can mean faster response times, improved customer satisfaction, and better resource allocation. Tools like these enable teams to operate more efficiently, often achieving outcomes that would be difficult to replicate manually. Automation can also scale with your business, adapting to growing demands without requiring a proportional increase in staffing or resources. This creates a competitive edge, allowing small businesses to achieve big results with limited resources.

Leverage Cloud-Based Collaboration

For remote or hybrid teams, cloud solutions like Google Workspace , Slack , and Microsoft Teams make real-time collaboration seamless. These tools not only enhance productivity but also foster a sense of connection and cohesion, regardless of physical location.

Cloud-based systems also provide the flexibility and accessibility hybrid teams need to thrive. With data and tools available from anywhere, employees can transition smoothly between home and office work environments. Additionally, these platforms offer robust security features and automatic updates, ensuring that teams stay connected, productive, and protected without the need for extensive IT infrastructure.

Time Management Techniques

Prioritizing effectively can transform how a team operates. The Eisenhower Matrix helps categorize tasks by urgency and importance, while time-blocking ensures focused work periods. Both methods reduce inefficiency and help team members maximize their time.

The Eisenhower Matrix divides tasks into four quadrants—urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither—to help teams focus on what truly matters. Paired with time blocking , where specific periods are reserved for dedicated tasks, these techniques create a structured approach to work. This combination reduces distractions, prevents procrastination, and ensures that high-priority activities receive the attention they deserve.

Minimize Workplace Distractions

Workplace distractions are one of the most common productivity challenges. Encourage your team to disable unnecessary notifications and create dedicated “focus zones.” Breaks should also be part of your strategy—short, intentional pauses can significantly boost creativity and prevent burnout.

Science shows that regular breaks improve productivity by allowing the brain to reset and recharge. Techniques like the Pomodoro Method, which alternates focused work with short breaks, take advantage of this principle. Research also suggests that stepping away from a task can spark creative problem-solving, as the brain continues to process information subconsciously. Incorporating intentional pauses helps teams maintain energy and sustain high performance throughout the day.

Affordable Tools for Small Businesses

Maximizing productivity doesn’t have to be costly. Many tools, including Trello, Slack, and Zapier, offer free or affordable plans for small teams. Start small, experiment with these tools, and scale as your business grows.

By adopting these strategies, small businesses can create a streamlined, focused, and engaged team environment. Ultimately, efficiency isn’t about doing more—it’s about empowering your team to focus on what truly matters.

For additional insights, explore these resources:

---

How Small Businesses Can Score Big Media Wins

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:21:30 GMT

Public relations (PR) is just for big companies with tons of connections and celebrity endorsements, right? It can feel like a luxury for those of us with small businesses. Hiring a dedicated PR firm is often financially out of reach. But who has the time to learn the ropes of good PR while juggling everything else? It takes years or deep wallets to make those kinds of connections, doesn’t it?

Not exactly.

You don't need a fancy PR background or a hefty budget to generate buzz. With a little creativity and the internet, you can score big media wins.

Mastering PR Fundamentals

Before diving into tactics, let's make sure you’re not wasting your time. There are a couple of fundamentals you’ll want to have down first.

Define Your Story: What makes your business unique—I mean really unique? (And no, good customer service is not a unique value proposition.) What problem do you solve better (or differently) than anyone else? Identify your key messages and craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. (And, oh, you have to define your target audience too—and it’s not everybody. See below.)
Know Your Audience: Who are you trying to reach? What media outlets do they consume? Understanding your audience is crucial for targeting your PR efforts effectively. If you are trying to target women under 25, they’re not reading the paper version of the Wall Street Journal, for instance. Don’t waste your time pitching them.
Set Realistic Goals: What do you hope to achieve with PR? Increased brand awareness or likability? Website traffic? Leads? Defining your goals will help you measure success.

Generating Buzz on a Budget

Now, let's explore some cost-effective PR strategies that don’t require a public relations degree:

Harness the Power of Social Media

Build a strong presence on platforms relevant to your audience. Share engaging content, interact with followers, and participate in industry conversations. Remember, PR firms are successful because they know it’s a long game of building relationships. Use social media to connect and build relations with your ideal audience and people who work with them (like influencers, media, etc.)

Craft Killer Press Releases

Learn the art of writing concise, informative press releases that highlight newsworthy events, product launches, or company milestones. Don’t assume every press release has to be about a big event like an opening. There is a lot of need for feel-good stories these days. You can pitch these community connection pieces as long as you do your research to understand who is interested in them.

Build Relationships with Local Media

Connect with journalists and editors at local newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and blogs. Offer them exclusive stories or expert commentary related to your industry.

Leverage Online PR Platforms

Explore free or affordable online platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) to connect with journalists seeking sources for their stories. This time of year, many news sources are doing stories on local business owners and the shop small movement. Getting featured can have a big impact on top-of-mind attention.

Become a Guest Blogger

Offer to write informative and engaging articles for relevant blogs and websites to reach a wider audience and establish yourself as an industry expert. Check with the chamber. They may have content needs.

Host Events and Workshops

Organize free events or workshops related to your business. This can attract local media attention and position you as a valuable resource in the community. If you do this, make sure your chamber knows as well so it can help you get the word out.

Partner with Other Businesses

Collaborate with complementary businesses on joint promotions or events to expand your reach and tap into new customer bases.

Don't Underestimate the Power of Referrals

Encourage satisfied customers to spread the word by offering incentives or running referral programs.

Building Media Relationships

Making media contacts doesn't have to be daunting. Here are some tips:

Start Local: Focus on building relationships with local media outlets first. They are often more accessible and eager to cover local businesses.
Do Your Research: Identify journalists and editors who cover your industry or area of expertise. Follow them on social media and familiarize yourself with their work.
Personalize Your Pitch: Tailor your pitch to each journalist, highlighting why your story is relevant to their audience. Keep it concise and to the point.
Be Persistent (But Not Annoying): Follow up on your pitches, but don't bombard journalists with emails. Respect their time and be mindful of deadlines.
Build Relationships, Not Just Contacts: Engage with journalists on social media, offer helpful information, and be a valuable resource. Building genuine relationships will pay off in the long run.

Effective PR doesn't require a big budget or a PR degree. Social media has made connecting easier than ever. You just have to be clear on your story and who it’s speaking to. By doing so, you can generate significant media attention and elevate your business to new heights.

---------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Level Up Your Holiday Game: Attracting Gen Z

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:47:26 GMT

This year, there are approximately 69.31 million Generation Zers living in the United States, which constitutes about 20% of the U.S. population. Their generational cohort is between the ages of 12-27, making them a target market for many small businesses. If you’re one of those businesses and you’re looking for ways to become one of their favorite places, you need to focus on who they are, what they want (it’s all about the vibe), and creating a scene they want to be a part of.

As you would expect, that begins with content.

Engaging Content Creation

Focus on fave platforms with their age group (sorry, Facebook. You’re pretty cringe these days). Instagram and TikTok should be your focus as 49% of Gen Zers have made purchases off of TikTok.

Marketers used to claim that social media was all about helping people get to know you and that you needed to build that relationship to get the sale. These days, with short-form video content, impulse buys are living large. Speaking of…

Video

To make the most of this trend, create engaging, interactive content that showcases your products in a fun and relatable way. Short videos, behind-the-scenes looks, and user-generated content can draw attention and foster engagement. Don’t be afraid to get goofy or work with an influencer (more about that later).

Learn how you can sell from TikTok and Reels. Gen Z spends a lot of time on these platforms. It’s not difficult to get them to open their wallets.

Interactive Campaigns

Organize contests or challenges that encourage audience participation. Ask customers to share holiday-themed photos using your products (or set up photo ops at your business along with a suggested hashtag), offering attractive prizes to boost participation and visibility.

Targeted Promotions

Create urgency through exclusive holiday deals or discounts available for a short period. This encourages quick purchasing decisions among young consumers who often respond well to time-sensitive promotions.

Promote gift cards as a convenient option for holiday shopping. They love getting and giving them, unlike some of the older generations that want to find the “perfect gift” to have something for the recipient to unwrap.

Offer discounts or bonuses on future purchases when customers buy gift cards to make them even more appealing.

Your Business Vibe

If you have a brick-and-mortar business, it’s incredibly important that you make it appealing to their sensibilities. Again, it’s all about the vibe. This generation is sensitive to how things look, smell, and feel. They carefully curate their lives on social media. (They watch videos on how to stand as a couple to create the cutest pictures, for Pete’s sake.)

If you have the budget, bring in a Gen Z stylist/stager. If you don’t have the money, ask your favorite Gen Zer to help. You’ll be amazed at how the smallest detail makes a difference and how the wrong color furniture can throw off the whole scene (We were going to use vibe here again, but as they would say, “That’s a lot.”)

Community Engagement and Doing Good

Participate in community events and/or sponsor local festivities. This enhances your visibility. Plus, it builds a sense of community around your brand, which is appealing to younger consumers who value local connections.

Align your business with a charitable cause during the holiday season. Young adults often appreciate brands that give back, so consider running campaigns that contribute to local charities or promote social causes.

Don’t forget to speak to what you’re doing for the environment. The holidays can be a time of mass consumption. Offering cool reusable bags instead of gift wrapping can bring a smile to a Gen Zer’s face.

Additionally, come out strong with the small business message. These young adults are cause-oriented, and they want to feel good about their purchases. Talk Small Business Season and why supporting small business is important, especially this time of year. This cohort is often raising money for their own causes. Telling them that it’s small business that helps their sports teams, band fundraising, and other interests is a good way to drive purchases.

Email and Content Marketing

Use email marketing to reach out to your existing customer base with tailored messages highlighting holiday promotions. Segment your audience based on their preferences for more effective communication. Consider text promotions too. Gen Z doesn’t mind giving out their phone number.

Develop high-quality content that addresses the needs and interests of young adults. This could include blogs, videos, or infographics that provide value beyond just selling products. Remember, they regularly turn to YouTube for help. What informational videos can you use to become a go-to for them?

Influencer Collaborations

Collaborate with influencers who resonate with your target demographic. Authentic endorsements from trusted figures can significantly enhance brand awareness and credibility among young adults. It also helps establish the cool factor (or whatever the word for cool is these days).

If you want to capture the hearts and wallets of young adults this holiday season, you need to meet them where they are and that’s short-form video. Everything else is icing.

Last-Minute Black Friday Promo Ideas for Small Businesses

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 17:58:48 GMT

Black Friday is this week! Is panic setting in? If you haven't planned a single promotion, and the thought of missing out on the biggest shopping weekend of the year is making your stomach churn, don't worry, you're not alone! Plenty of small businesses find themselves in this situation. But this is no time to sit in a corner worrying. This article can help.

Here's a last-minute game plan to salvage the season and attract customers without any marketing budget:

Black Friday Promo Timeline

Monday-Tuesday: Brainstorming and Planning

No reason to lose your cool. You can put together an awesome marketing campaign and sale with just these simple steps. If you’re really up against it, work with AI to help you get your messaging tight without investing a lot of time.

1. Identify your goal . What do you want to achieve? Increased sales? New customer acquisition? Brand awareness?

2. Analyze your audience . What are your customers' needs and preferences? What motivates them to buy?

3. Draft an offer . Use your answers from step one and two to choose a simple offer. Remember, you're short on time. Opt for something easy to implement like:

· Percentage discount. 10% off your entire purchase.

· Free gift with purchase. Offer a small, valuable item with every purchase or a small value gift card for a sale date in January.

· Flash sale. Deep discount on a specific product or service for a limited time. To create a buzz, you could offer a different discount or special every hour, good for sixty minutes only (announced on social media and in-store).

· Bundle deal. Combine complementary products or services at a discounted price.

4. Craft your message. Remember the 2 Cs—concise and compelling. Highlight the value proposition and create a sense of urgency.

Wednesday-Thursday: Get the Word Out!

1. Social Media Blitz . Create eye-catching graphics with your offer and post them across all your social media platforms. Use relevant hashtags like #BlackFriday, #SmallBusinessSaturday, #ShopLocal #SmallBusinessSeason, #Holidaydeals.

2. Email Blast . Send a personalized email to your subscribers announcing your offer. Include a clear call to action.

3. Update your website . Add a banner or pop-up promoting your Black Friday/Small Business Saturday deal.

4. In-store signage . If you have a physical store, create posters/flyers using Canva to display instore.

5. Tell your chamber . Communicate any specials you have going on so they can share them.

Friday (Black Friday) and Saturday (Small Business Saturday): Engage and Drive Sales

1. Amplify your message . Re-share social media posts, send reminder emails.

2. Offer exceptional customer service . Make sure your staff is friendly and helpful.

3. Create a festive atmosphere . Play upbeat music, offer refreshments. It’s a sales par-tay!

4. Go Live on Facebook . Use video to show the excitement in your business. Talk to customers on air. Create Reels and TikToks.

Example Offers for Goods and Services

Feeling uninspired and having a hard time coming up with an offer your audience will love? Here are a few ideas for different industries:

· Retail Store. "Black Friday Flash Sale! 20% off all winter apparel from 10 am to 12 pm." (Creates urgency and drives early traffic)

· Restaurant. "Free appetizer with any entree purchase on Small Business Saturday." (Encourages larger orders and repeat visits)

· Salon/Spa. "Buy one, get one 50% off any hair service this weekend." (Incentivizes customers to try new services or bring a friend)

· Consultant/Freelancer. "Book a consultation this weekend and receive 10% off your next project." (Generates leads and future business)

· Online Course Creator. "Black Friday Special! 30% off all online courses for 24 hours only." (Boosts enrollment and creates a sense of scarcity)

Keep It Simple

There’s no reason to panic. You can create an awesome offer without months of planning. Remember:

· Even a last-minute effort is better than none. People get excited about deals.

· Focus on easy-to-implement offers.

· Use all available channels to promote your offer.

· Clearly communicate the benefits to your customers. Don’t make them guess or wonder why they need what you’re offering.

· Provide excellent service. A good customer experience can lead to repeat business and referrals.

Black Friday/Small Business Saturday can set the tone for your holiday season. Don’t assume that because it’s coming up at the end of this week that there’s no time to pull something together. You can do it. Now get out there and start implementing!

-------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Unlocking Growth: How Personalization and Data Analytics Empower Business Leaders

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:46:49 GMT

Revenue Growth: Companies excelling in personalization generate 40% more revenue than slower peers.
Customer Expectations: 71% of consumers demand personalized experiences, with leaders like Netflix setting standards.
Strategic Foundations: Effective personalization requires high-quality data, transparency, and advanced tools like CRMs and AI.
Leader Benefits: Personalization drives loyalty, boosts sales conversions by up to 20%, and streamlines operations.
Challenges & Action: Overcome privacy concerns and resource barriers with pilot programs and continuous strategy refinement.

476 words ~ 2 min. read

In today’s hyper-competitive market, businesses must go beyond offering great products and services—they need to deliver personalized experiences that resonate with individual customers. Powered by advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), personalization is now more accessible than ever, providing businesses with a critical edge. According to research from McKinsey & Company, companies excelling in personalization generate 40% more revenue than their peers. Here’s how business leaders can leverage this transformative strategy.

Why Personalization Matters

Personalization drives customer loyalty and satisfaction by tailoring interactions to individual preferences. Forbes highlights that 71% of consumers expect personalized experiences, and businesses that fail to deliver risk losing customers to competitors. Amazon and Netflix exemplify this trend, using sophisticated algorithms to anticipate customer needs and offer relevant recommendations. Their success underscores personalization’s power to deepen engagement and boost profitability.

Moreover, personalization helps differentiate brands in crowded markets. By understanding customers’ unique needs, businesses can build emotional connections, fostering trust and loyalty.

Building a Personalization Strategy

Implementing a successful personalization strategy requires careful planning and execution.

1.Data Collection and Management
Gathering high-quality data is the foundation of personalization. Business leaders should invest in tools like customer relationship management (CRM) systems and analytics platforms to capture meaningful insights. Business experts emphasize that transparency in data collection is essential, as customers demand trust and adherence to privacy regulations.

2. Advanced Analytics and AI
Using predictive analytics, businesses can anticipate customer needs and refine strategies in real time. AI tools enable dynamic segmentation, breaking down audiences into actionable groups based on behavior and preferences. This ensures marketing efforts are not just effective but also scalable.

3. Customer-Centric Segmentation
Personalization thrives on understanding diverse customer segments. Segmenting audiences by demographics, purchasing behavior, and preferences allows companies to craft targeted campaigns. Forbes recommends regularly updating customer profiles to stay relevant in an ever-changing market.

Benefits for Business Leaders

Investing in personalization delivers tangible benefits:

Enhanced Engagement : Customized experiences lead to higher customer retention and loyalty.
Revenue Growth : According to a McKinsey report, businesses using data-driven personalization see up to a 20% increase in sales conversions.
Operational Efficiency : Automating processes reduces manual labor, freeing resources for strategic innovation.

Challenges to Address

While personalization offers immense potential, it also comes with challenges. Data privacy remains a top concern. Leaders must navigate complex regulations while ensuring customer trust. Additionally, implementing these strategies requires upfront investment in technology and staff training.

Getting Started

Audit Current Capabilities : Assess existing data infrastructure to identify gaps.
Develop a Framework : Define clear goals and metrics for personalization efforts.
Pilot Programs : Test small-scale campaigns before scaling up.
Monitor and Adapt : Use feedback to continuously optimize your strategy.

The Takeaway

Personalization is not just a buzzword—it’s a strategic imperative. By leveraging data analytics and AI, businesses can deliver meaningful customer experiences that drive loyalty and growth. Business leaders who embrace this approach today will be the ones thriving tomorrow.

---

Five Strategies for Leading Through Emotionally Charged Times

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:00:04 GMT

In emotionally charged times, strong leaders adopt flexible strategies to help teams stay focused and grounded. Here are five ways leaders can support employees through change and uncertainty — or any time outside events disrupt the workplace.

473 ~ 2 min. read

Managing teams through stressful news cycles, like after an election, can test any leader’s flexibility and empathy. While current events are often beyond your control, how you respond as a leader can significantly impact your team’s morale and productivity. Here are five effective strategies to lead with clarity and empathy in emotionally charged environments.

1. Acknowledge the Climate

Ignoring external pressures like election results or significant news events can alienate employees. Instead, create a space where your team feels seen by acknowledging the collective emotional tension. Starting a team meeting with a short, empathetic acknowledgement —“I know this week has been intense for many of us”—can set a tone of understanding. Harvard Business Review notes that leaders who recognize their team’s emotional state foster stronger team cohesion and resilience.

2. Promote Flexibility and Autonomy

High-stress periods often affect employees’ focus and availability. Offering flexible scheduling options, whether that means remote work or adjusted hours, can reduce stress and empower team members to manage their time more effectively. Research from Forbes suggests that employees with greater autonomy during challenging times experience higher job satisfaction and lower anxiety, contributing positively to overall productivity.

3. Encourage Open Communication

Create an open dialogue by regularly checking in with team members individually and collectively. Encourage team members to voice concerns, not just about work but also about how current events may be affecting them. Leaders who normalize these conversations foster a psychologically safe environment where employees feel supported and respected.

4. Model Emotional Resilience

Demonstrate calmness and resilience to help your team navigate uncertainty. Displaying emotional steadiness encourages employees to mirror these behaviors. Additionally, showing a healthy approach to stress—by openly discussing positive coping mechanisms—sets an example for managing emotions productively. Studies published by Inc. suggest that employees often mimic the emotional cues of their leaders , making it crucial for managers to exemplify balanced reactions.

5. Refocus on Purpose and Values

In times of anxiety, reconnecting employees with the organization’s mission can help ground their focus. Reinforcing the team’s shared goals and values can remind employees of the broader purpose behind their work. This strategy not only strengthens commitment but also promotes resilience as it refocuses energy from external events back to collective goals.

Final Thoughts

In times of high external stress, flexibility, empathy, and clear communication are critical leadership qualities. By acknowledging the emotional climate and prioritizing open support, leaders can help their teams remain engaged and resilient, no matter what’s happening in the world outside. These strategies are invaluable for any organization committed to fostering a compassionate and adaptive workplace culture.

---

Money Management Tips for People Who Hate Money Management

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:45:22 GMT

If you’re the typical small business owner, you began your business with an exciting idea, a passion. No one goes into business thinking, “I can’t wait to work on cash flow challenges.” And yet, cash flow is one of the top reasons businesses close their doors. It’s not that they aren’t making money. It’s that managing it is not everyone’s skill set.

Money management challenges are one of the most critical areas you need to master to be successful.

This article is here to provide general information. Consult a financial planner or tax professional for more long-term solutions.

5 Money Management Tips for Better Business

Here are some of the key issues and ways to address them:

Cash Flow Management

Many small businesses struggle with maintaining consistent cash flow. This can lead to difficulty paying bills, making payroll, or investing in growth opportunities.

You might have the money promised to you on paper, but not knowing when it will come in can be a challenge. Businesses at every level can be impacted by this so it takes consistent monitoring.

To improve cash flow:

· Create detailed cash flow forecasts and monitor them regularly.

· Encourage timely customer payments by offering incentives or implementing stricter payment terms. Enforce those terms and send out reminder invoices.

· Negotiate favorable payment terms with suppliers.

· Maintain a cash reserve for unexpected expenses or slow periods. According to a JPMorgan study of 597,000 small businesses, 25% held a reserve covering fewer than 13 days of expenses if other revenue dried up.

Budgeting and Expense Tracking

Small businesses often lack robust budgeting practices and struggle to track expenses effectively. If this feels like you, consider:

· Creating a detailed, realistic budget and review it regularly.

· Using accounting software (or an app) to automate expense tracking and generate accurate reports.

· Separating personal and business finances to avoid confusion. Your accountant will appreciate it.

· Assessing finances and adjusting budgets regularly as needed.

Debt Management

Taking on too much debt or mismanaging existing debt can be detrimental to small businesses. COVID brought on unparalleled times. One thing we learned from it is that you must be prepared for the known challenges and the unknown ones.

To manage debt more effectively:

· Be cautious about taking on unnecessary debt

· Prioritize paying off high-interest debts first

· Consider consolidating multiple loans to simplify repayments

· Build and maintain a good business credit score

Tax Compliance

Many small businesses underestimate the importance of tax planning and compliance.

To improve in this area:

· Work with a tax professional to stay on top of obligations and deadlines. If you don’t know a reputable one, check with the chamber.

· Regularly set aside money for taxes.

· Stay informed about tax laws and possible deductions.

Financial Planning and Analysis

Small businesses often lack the time or expertise for thorough financial analysis and planning. It’s likely something that’s best outsourced to a pro. Again, if you don’t know one, check with the chamber.

To enhance financial management:

· Understand and regularly review key financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. It’s boring, but beneficial.

· Use financial management software to automate repetitive tasks and generate insights.

· Establish financial protocols and plans, no matter how small your business is. Doing so early will put you on the path to success.

· Regularly assess your business's financial performance and adjust strategies accordingly.

If you don’t have the money to work with professionals right now, talk to your chamber, SCORE chapter, and SBA. There are many low-cost options to help you get on the right track for long-term success.

---------------

Christina Metcalf is an author and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. Christina loves road trips and hates exclamation points. She is also the author of The Glinda Principle, finding the magic within .

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

7 Key Lessons on Leading Without Formal Authority

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:16:54 GMT

Leadership isn’t about titles or authority—it’s about influence. In How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, authors Clay Scroggins and Andy Stanley show how to lead by building trust, cultivating self-discipline, and communicating effectively. With lessons on staying proactive, fostering relationships, and embracing a servant mindset, Scroggins and Stanley provide a roadmap to leading powerfully from any position. Read on to learn seven pivotal lessons discussed in their book.

486 words ~ 2 min. read

7 Key Lessons on Leading Without Formal Authority

In today's complex workplaces, influence is often more impactful than title. How to Lead When You're Not in Charge by Clay Scroggins and Andy Stanley tackles the art of leading from any position, providing actionable insights on how to foster influence and inspire others—even without formal authority.

Here are seven pivotal lessons from the book:

1. Cultivate Self-Leadership

Self-leadership is the bedrock of influence. Scroggins argues that to effectively lead others, you must first master leading yourself. By managing your time, emotions, and energy well, you set an example that garners respect. This foundation makes it easier for others to see you as a credible and trustworthy figure, even without a formal title.

2. Choose Positivity

The power of positivity can’t be overstated. The authors stress that maintaining a constructive attitude, even in challenging circumstances, can uplift team morale. Choosing positivity isn't about ignoring problems; it’s about facing them with resilience and optimism, which influences the team’s energy and collective outlook.

3. Think Critically

Critical thinking is essential for sound decision-making. Scroggins emphasizes that by honing your analytical skills, you can better understand issues, challenge assumptions, and offer insightful solutions. Developing this skill builds respect among colleagues, as they see your capacity to think independently and navigate complexity.

4. Reject Passivity

Passivity breeds stagnation. Scroggins and Stanley advocate for a proactive approach, encouraging readers to recognize and seize opportunities for impact. Instead of waiting for permission or formal recognition, take initiative and demonstrate the value you bring to the team. By showing that you're engaged and solutions-oriented, you influence the direction of projects and inspire others to follow suit.

5. Cultivate Influence Through Relationships

Relationships are at the core of influence. Building trust and rapport with colleagues and leaders creates a network of allies. Scroggins and Stanley provide actionable strategies for nurturing relationships—such as showing genuine interest in others and being reliable. Over time, this network becomes a source of support and leverage for driving change without needing formal power.

6. Communicate Effectively

Effective communication is crucial for rallying others behind your ideas. The authors guide readers on how to craft clear, persuasive messages that resonate. When your words are intentional and engaging, you capture attention and motivate others, making it easier to drive consensus and action.

7. Embrace a Servant Leadership Mindset

A servant leadership approach—focusing on empowering others over personal gain—builds lasting trust and respect. Scroggins and Stanley explain that when you support and elevate your team, they are more likely to reciprocate with loyalty and collaboration. This approach not only strengthens relationships but also fosters a culture where everyone feels valued.

Takeaway

Scroggins and Stanley’s approach to leadership is centered on influence rather than authority. These principles encourage individuals to focus on internal growth, relationship-building, and service to others. By implementing these lessons, you can become a leader who positively impacts the team, whether you have a title or not.

---

How to Win at Content with AI

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:07:06 GMT

AI is one of the most efficient tools we’ve seen since the advent of the computer. But if you’re using it to generate content and then just copying and pasting, you’re missing out. And that kind of “laziness” could be costing you customers.

Here’s how a couple of quick edits can bring your AI-generated content from meh to aaaamazing.

First, we’re going to assume you can write a good solid prompt. Telling AI what role you want it to have (you are a brilliant small business owner, for example), who your audience is, what kind of content you’re looking for, and what tone you want, is essential to getting a solid first draft.

Here’s what you do from there to create non-robot-like narratives and articles.

Add Stats

Stats generated from AI can be questionable (unless you select a tool like Perplexity that cites its sources). That’s why it’s best to research your own. It’s even more effective if you source stats that are taken directly from your community. That gives your content a unique and local flavor.

Link It with Your Narrative

What’s your business story? Add parts of that into the article you just generated. You can include personal recollections, stories, and/or business examples. This livens things up but there’s another reason you want to add your own flavor.

AI-generated content is not copyrighted. If you use AI to create an ebook with no edits from you, there is nothing legally stopping your competitor from taking that content and replicating it word for word. However, if you make it yours with your personality and examples, it’s arguably no longer up for grabs.

Add Art

I know I’ll catch a little flack for this, but when you add your own artistic flair, you are again distinguishing yourself in the market. You are helping your audience get to know you, not AI.

Add a Theme

This is something the AI can do for you, if requested. Doing so helps differentiate the content generation it’s doing for you from that of your competition. If you are a plumber, for instance, and you identify an audience and tone that you share with your plumbing competition, then you ask AI to write a blog post about what to do with a leaky faucet, you could both end up with very similar pieces.

But if you add another step to the article and give it a theme, your post will be more unique. For instance, you might say write a post about how fixing a leaky faucet will make you feel better about your contributions to the environment. That little direction makes your article slightly different from everyone else. It will help give context and drive action on the importance of prompt repairs.

AI is one of the best productivity tools you can implement in your business. But you want to do it in a way that does not jeopardize the quality of your content. Adding emotion and placing your personality into the piece will make it your own.

Finally, while there are a lot of AI tools out there, be consistent in the ones you use for your business content creation. Speak to it the way you would a friend or a long-time employee. Show your personality. Upload pieces of content you’ve produced that you like. AI will respond to you in much the same way a beloved friend will learn your preferences and personality over time. If you do this, eventually the narrative and adding personality suggestions in this article will happen naturally with AI.

Now if only I could get it to fold my laundry. That would be a real win.

------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Unwrap the Magic: Using Nostalgia to Boost Holiday Sales This Small Business Season

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:19:57 GMT

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Cozy lights, warm smells, family nearby, and cheap gifts from big box stores, right?

Not so fast! While the convenience of online giants can't be denied, small businesses have a secret weapon: the power of nostalgia, tradition, and beloved memories .

This holiday season, you can tap into those warm, fuzzy feelings to create a marketing campaign that truly resonates with your customers and beats big every time. Here’s how:

Evoke the Spirit of Holidays Past

Remember the excitement of visiting a local toy store as a kid? Or the aroma of freshly baked goods wafting from the bakery down the street? There are certain sensory memories that are hard to forget, and they lead to purchases. (I’m a sucker for apple cider donuts—and see them as an undeniable sign that fall is here—because they were special treats when we were kids. You can play on these same types of memories.)

Here’s how to capitalize on sensory experiences and powerful memory triggers:

Decorate with a nostalgic touch: Think vintage ornaments, classic holiday colors, and cozy displays that evoke a sense of yesteryear. Yeah, that tinsel may not fit in with today’s more neutral palate, but Gen Xers (especially) love nostalgic nods to their youth, no matter how gaudy.
Share heartwarming stories: Use your marketing channels to share stories about your business's history, family traditions, or how your products played a role in holiday celebrations. You can also share your own holiday memories of “businesses gone by.” Reminding people of all the wonderful businesses that are no longer around can illustrate the importance of their support in much the same way the Ghost of Christmas past showed old Ebeneezer Scrooge what he no longer had in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Create a sensory experience: Engage all five senses. Play classic holiday music, offer festive treats, and use scents like cinnamon or pine to transport customers to a magical holiday wonderland.

A quick word about the science of scent: Scent is extremely powerful in evoking memory and if it works for your business, you should use it. The olfactory system, which processes smells, has a direct connection to the parts of the brain involved in memory and emotion. Smells bypass the cognitive processing that other senses undergo, making the connection between smell and memory more immediate. Additionally, smells are often linked to emotional experiences. For example, the smell of freshly baked sugar cookies might evoke memories of waiting for Santa.

Become Part of New Traditions

Even if you’re new to the area and are thinking, “My place isn’t associated with memories or holiday traditions,” today is a great day to start. You can become part of your customers' evolving holiday traditions by:

Hosting unique events. Parents with littles, people with out-of-town guests, and a host of others are looking for activities to keep their friends and family busy and get them in the “holiday spirit.” Think cookie decorating classes, holiday-themed workshops, or special shopping nights with exclusive discounts.
Offering personalized gifts: Provide gift-wrapping services, personalized ornaments, or custom gift baskets to make holiday shopping more meaningful.
Supporting local causes: Partner with a local charity or community group to give back during the holidays and show your commitment to your community. Some businesses have Angel Trees or collect toys for a nonprofit.

Realize Community is Key

Your business can thrive by building community connections.

Run contests encouraging customers to share their favorite holiday memories or traditions associated with your business.
If you sell handcrafted goods, showcase the stories of the makers behind them.
Participate in Small Business Season and celebrate shopping local. Team up with the chamber and other small businesses in your area to promote the benefits of shopping small.

Embrace the Digital World

Nostalgia isn't just for your brick-and-mortar store. Use your online presence to evoke those same warm feelings. Post old photos of your business or town during the holidays on social media. Incorporate vintage-inspired graphics and fonts in your email marketing and social media posts. Create a "holiday memories" board on Pinterest. Curate images that evoke a sense of nostalgia and link them back to your products or services.

Additionally, if you offer an online store, make sure people know about it. Often they buy online from box stores because they don’t think about their local store selling on the internet. Market your online offers as well.

The convenience of online shopping is undeniable, but convenience is not as memorable as an experience. Small businesses offer something money can't buy: a genuine connection to the community and the magic of the season. By tapping into the power of nostalgia and tradition, you can create a holiday marketing campaign that not only drives sales but also builds lasting relationships with your customers.

Holiday Gift Card Strategies for Small Business Season

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 19:13:46 GMT

Gift cards are the ideal gift during the holiday season. They’re a convenient go-to for customers. They always fit, are always in the right color, and they are an ideal gift for people you know well and people you’re just getting to know. Gift cards also make terrific employee gifts, thank yous and bonuses.

If you have a small business, you should look at gift cards as a strategic tool—not just for boosting holiday revenue. Gift cards can also help you foster long-term customer relationships and assist you in increasing revenue for today for services rendered or goods purchased in the future.

Many businesses discovered the value of offering a gift card program during the pandemic (and at time of natural disasters). During these challenges, gift cards can be a source of revenue even when the business is not open.

Why Gift Cards Are a Must for Small Businesses

Gift cards are appealing to shoppers, especially for last-minute, hard-to-shop-for, or out-of-town gifts (have you seen the cost of mailing packages these days?!). If you sell online and offer gift cards, you can capture out of town buyers as well.

Gift cards don’t have to be an administrative headache. Digital gift cards are becoming the new standard, with over 50% of the market share in the first half of 2024. <If you are participating in Yiftee or some other card program add this line> Check out the merchant options with our community card program <insert URL>.

Gift cards can also be a gateway to future sales, new customer acquisition, and increased brand visibility.

Creative Gift Card Ideas for the Holidays

Boring rectangle cards are out. Instead, create an appealing gift out of them and include some upsells to facilitate purchases by:

Bundling Gift Cards with Small Holiday Extras

Include a small, festive item (e.g., holiday candle, ornament, or seasonal treat) with each gift card purchase as a value-add or offer a discount on a small item with a gift card purchase, such as buy a $25 gift card, get this ornament for an additional $2. Show them bundled together at the cash register to capture impulse buys.

Get creative with your bundle item. For instance, a coffee shop could include a mini bag of holiday coffee beans (a taster) or a boutique could add a scented sachet. It’s a nice touch the recipient will love. It creates a positive impression, encourages impulse purchases, and differentiates your business from all the other rectangle cards.

Tiered Gift Card Bonuses for the Holidays

Offer bonuses based on gift card spending levels (e.g., “Buy a $50 gift card, get a $5 bonus; Buy a $100 gift card, get a $15 bonus”).

Promote these offers on social media, in-store, and on your website to draw in more shoppers. Let us know because we can help you get the word out. Check out our Chamber Connect page on Facebook, or become part of our Go Local eGiftcard program .

This type of tiered bonus encourages higher gift card purchase values and attracts customers who might want to gift (or keep) the bonus card.

Partner with Other Local Businesses for Joint Gift Card Offers

Collaborate with nearby or complementary businesses to create a joint gift card package (e.g., a coffee shop and a bookstore, or a spa and a boutique). Create a gift card deal that adds value and introduces each business to new customers.

You could also work together to create a tiered bonus like above. For example, for every $100 purchased at the bookstore, get a free $5 gift card at the coffee shop.

You would need to work out payment arrangements with the other business. This type of partnership can also increase foot traffic, foster local exchanges, and offer an exciting, unique gift idea for shoppers.

Holiday Gift Card “Mystery Bonus”

Include a mystery discount or reward with each gift card purchase valid after the holidays. For example, a restaurant might offer a “mystery envelope” with a surprise discount for January or a “Buy one get one free” offer for a future visit.

This encourages repeat visits in the new year, provides post-holiday sales boost, and builds excitement around gift card purchases.

Limited-Edition Holiday-Themed Gift Card Designs

Offer holiday-specific designs or branded packaging for gift cards that make them more visually appealing and memorable. A limited-edition design can be created affordably, especially if it’s an e-gift card. Promote it on social media and in email campaigns.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to do this, add it to a special glitter sleeve or other festive mini container. Leave them wrapped beautifully on a tree or at your register to influence impulse buys.

Doing so increases the perceived value of the gift card and encourages more people to choose it as a holiday present.

Marketing and Promoting Gift Card Offers

While gift cards make ideal gifts, they don’t market themselves. Local shoppers may not realize you have a gift card.

Run a social media campaign informing people that you sell gift cards as well as any specials you’re offering. Post stories, photos, and videos to draw attention and drive sales. Get creative with photos of bundled gift cards, reels of mystery bonuses being revealed, or countdowns to encourage last-minute purchases.

Use attractive in-store signage and point-of-sale promotions to bring attention to your gift cards. Create holiday-specific displays near the checkout area to capture impulse buys.

Don’t forget email campaigns and website mentions. Design festive email campaigns focused on gift card promotions and ensure you can sell gift cards on your website for easy holiday gift purchasing.

Bonus Points for Overachievers

Gift cards are a great way to assist people in finding easy holiday gifts, but you also want to create a campaign to help convert those gift card recipients into loyal customers. You can do this by offering discounts or exclusive offers for their next visit. Additionally, you can place a message on the gift card about being eligible for a discount if they join your email list. That way you can continue to nurture the relationship even after the gift card is used.

Don’t think of gift cards as boring. They are an excellent source of revenue and can provide quick assistance for desperate customers. When implemented strategically, gift cards can provide immediate holiday revenue and long-term customer engagement.

Our Go Local eGiftcard program will send you statistics to help measure customer engagement.

Whatever you use, Gift Cards can be a valuable tool for reaching customers and increasing your brand awareness!

15 Respectful Ways to Honor Vets on Veterans Day (and Year-Round)

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:43:55 GMT

Veterans Day is Monday, November 11th, and it is the ideal time to express thanks to those who have protected our freedoms and way of life.

While you don’t have much time to pull it all together, honoring Veterans Day in a meaningful, non-commercial way can strengthen connections between your business and the community while showing genuine appreciation for veterans' service.

And you don’t have to stop there. You can extend the relationship year-round.

Honoring Veterans on Veteran’s Day

Veterans Day is similar to Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day in the way that it serves to remind us to thank those whose efforts go unrecognized. If you remember veterans throughout the year, you may not need the reminder of Veterans Day. But for many of us, it provides time to think about and appreciate their service.

Here are a few ways to honor them:

1. Host a Community Event: Organize a gathering at your business exclusively for veterans, such as a coffee hour or small reception. Offer complimentary refreshments and a quiet space for conversation. Create a welcoming environment for veterans and build a sense of community without a sales focus.

2. Share Their Stories: Dedicate a space in your store or on your social media channels to highlight veterans' stories. Encourage local veterans or their families to share their experiences, with permission, or partner with a local veterans' organization to collect inspiring stories. It’s a way to honor their service while educating and inspiring others.

3. Offer a Day of Service: Instead of focusing on promotions, close your business for a day (or a few hours) to volunteer with a local veterans' organization. Invite staff and customers to join you or make it a company-wide service day to give back to the community and show your appreciation in action.

4. Support a Veterans' Cause: Donate a portion of Veterans Day sales, or better yet, directly donate to a local or national veterans' charity without tying it to purchases. Display information about the cause in your store so customers understand why you’re supporting it.

5. Hold a Flag Ceremony or Moment of Silence: Start the day by inviting the community to join you for a flag-raising ceremony or a moment of silence. It’s a respectful way to honor veterans without any commercial agenda. Remember Veterans Day honors the living, while Memorial Day honors those who have passed.

6. Sponsor or Collaborate on a Veteran-Led Workshop or Talk: If you know veterans with skills they’d like to share (like woodworking, cooking, fitness, etc.), invite them to host a workshop at your business. It allows veterans to showcase their expertise and gives the community a chance to learn from them.

Make Veterans Day Everyday

There are other ways to honor and appreciate veterans year-round such as:

· Hiring a vet or a military spouse

· Offer flexible work arrangements and work-from-home options (so military spouses can continue to work for you even if their family is relocated)

· Providing discounts for veterans and active military

· Sponsor a veteran’s family

· Highlighting your employees who have served

· Support vets in a way that fits in with your business and mission (for instance, if you own a bookstore, carry a vet’s book)

· Be open to seeing the correlations between the work they did in the military and how that might fit your employ (for instance, they may not have direct customer service experience, but they’re used to delivering difficult messages)

· Partner (or work) with veteran-owned businesses

· Welcome new military families into the area; after all, they’ll be veterans someday

-------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. Her latest book The Glinda Principle is due out at the end of November.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

5 Professional Development Practices That Will Elevate Your Team’s Success

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:18:55 GMT

Invest in mentorship programs to pair less experienced employees with seasoned leaders, enhancing career growth and workplace dynamics.
Offer regular skill-building workshops to keep training relevant and adapt to industry changes, boosting innovation and problem-solving.
Create clear career pathways that outline growth opportunities, increasing employee engagement and retention.
Promote a culture of continuous feedback to foster development, accountability, and trust within teams.
Foster employee autonomy by allowing team members to lead projects and make decisions, driving innovation and job satisfaction.

569 words ~ 2.5 min read

Nurturing talent through robust professional development programs is more crucial than ever in today’s competitive landscape. Companies investing in these strategies not only boost employee morale but also strengthen their long-term performance and retention rates. Here are five key practices that can help your employees reach new heights:

1. Build Effective Mentorship Programs

Mentorship is more than just an onboarding perk; it’s a transformative tool that catalyzes career growth. Research indicates that mentored employees are five times more likely to advance in their careers. Structured mentorship programs pair less experienced employees with seasoned leaders who offer guidance, impart knowledge, and foster professional confidence. This partnership helps mentees navigate complex workplace dynamics while mentors gain renewed motivation and satisfaction by sharing their expertise. For businesses, this results in a more competent, cohesive, and motivated workforce.

2. Implement Regular Skill-Building Workshops

Professional development workshops shouldn’t be static; they need to reflect industry evolution and emerging challenges. Deloitte’s 2023 Global Human Capital Trends report highlights that over 70% of organizations identify the continuous development of new skills as a critical workforce strategy. Offering diverse training, from technical upskilling to leadership development, prepares employees to adapt to new tools, technologies, and methodologies. Companies that prioritize these programs often see enhanced innovation, greater problem-solving capabilities, and a workforce that can pivot with changing market needs.

3. Create Transparent Career Pathways

Employees are more engaged when they can envision their future with their current employer. A study by Gallup found that nearly 87% of millennials prioritize growth and development opportunities when choosing a job. To harness this motivation, businesses should outline clear, attainable career paths that define how team members can progress. This includes transparent criteria for promotions and lateral moves, professional benchmarks, and accessible tools for advancement. By investing in visible growth tracks, organizations not only boost productivity but also strengthen retention rates, as employees are more likely to commit to companies that invest in their long-term potential.

4. Promote a Culture of Continuous Feedback

Feedback shouldn’t be confined to annual reviews; it should be part of everyday practice. According to Harvard Business Review, organizations that encourage frequent, constructive feedback see lower turnover rates. A feedback-rich culture allows employees to understand their strengths and areas for improvement, creating an ongoing dialogue that spurs development. Managers can facilitate this by incorporating quick, actionable feedback into weekly check-ins and fostering an environment where employees feel safe to share their perspectives. This practice enhances accountability, promotes skill growth, and builds trust within teams.

5. Foster Employee Autonomy

Empowerment is a powerful driver of productivity. Granting employees the freedom to lead projects, experiment with solutions, and make decisions not only fuels innovation but also helps workers develop problem-solving skills that are crucial for leadership. Workplace experts emphasize that autonomy in the workplace correlates with higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity. Encouraging autonomy means trusting your team to take initiative and support them when they make mistakes. This approach nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and fosters a sense of ownership that benefits the entire company.

The Takeaway

Professional development is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires thoughtful integration into a company’s culture and strategy. By building mentorship programs, offering continual learning opportunities, mapping out career pathways, encouraging feedback, and empowering employees to take charge, organizations can elevate their workforce. These practices create a thriving environment where both employees and businesses can flourish, driving collective success in an ever-evolving market.

---

How to Run an Effective “12 Days of Deals” for Small Business Season

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:49:49 GMT

While the twelve days of Christmas are traditionally celebrated between December 25 (Christmas Day) and January 5 (the eve of the Epiphany), consumer businesses often celebrate with the “12 Days of Deals” observance where they offer a new deal every day for twelve days leading up to Christmas Eve (although any 12 consecutive days during Small Business Season works).

The discounts can be incredibly effective in generating buzz and drawing crowds. After all, everyone wants to know what tomorrow’s discount will be. In this article, we’ll walk you through how you can capitalize on your own “12 Days of Deals” during Small Business Season.

Even if you’re not a traditional retail business, remember all customers enjoy a deal (or, better yet, 12 of them!).

How to Run a Successful 12 Days of Deals Campaign

The holiday season is the perfect time for small businesses to engage customers and boost sales. A "12 Days of Deals" campaign is an effective way to generate excitement, attract new customers, and encourage repeat purchases.

Here’s how your business can make the most of this strategy, regardless of your industry.

Step One: Set Goals for Your Campaign

This is not a giveaway. For your 12 Days of Deals to have an impact on your bottom line, you should get clear about what you want to achieve with your campaign.

Are you looking to:

· Increase overall sales?

· Clear out old inventory?

· Drive foot traffic to a physical location?

· Grow your email list or social media followers?

· Boost brand awareness?

Setting clear goals will help you structure the campaign and measure its success.

Step Two: Plan Your 12 Days of Deals Strategically

Create a day-by-day plan for your promotions. This is not something you want to do on the fly when you have time to post each day. Consistency is key to this type of campaign. You want to build excitement.

Here are some basics to keep in mind:

· Offer a Mix of Deals. Rotate discounts, giveaways, and special bundles to keep things fresh and exciting for your customers.

· Use Escalating Deals. Start with smaller offers and save the biggest deals for the final days.

· Feature Different Products/Services. Highlight various items each day or different aspects of your business, such as services, gift cards, or seasonal products. If you sell to different demographics, keep them all in mind and offer something for everyone during the 12 days. That doesn’t mean offering multiple deals each day. Just make sure you rotate the appeal. For instance, if you sell makeup and you have a youth line and a mature skin line, either create a discount on all makeup or choose a day to offer something special to the youth and something special for the other group. The deals do not have to be the same or equal, but both demographics should be represented so no one feels left out.

Step Three: Create a Promotional Calendar

Again, consistency is key. Develop a promotional calendar that outlines:

· What deal will be offered each day.

· How you will communicate the deal (social media, email, in-store signage, etc.). Save yourself some time and craft and schedule the posts ahead of the day. Use AI to draft them for even more time savings.

· The time frame for each deal (e.g., 24-hour deals or extending some offers through the weekend). Decide whether you will honor the deals if someone “just misses” one.

Step Four: Promote the Campaign in Advance

Start spreading the word about your 12 Days of Deals campaign before it begins. Tell your chamber about it. Maybe they will include it in their newsletter, emails, or videos about Small Business Season. Use multiple channels to build anticipation such as:

· Email marketing.

· Website announcement.

· Social media. Post countdowns to the first day “unveiling” of the campaign.

· In-Store signage. Put up posters or signs to let customers know that the promotion is coming soon.

· Video. On short Reels, TikToks, and Stories, ask customers what they’re hoping to see as part of your 12 Days of Deals promo.

Step Five: Keep It Visible

Use marketing channels to keep the campaign visible and accessible. You might choose to make the deals announcement every day at the same time. You can roll it out in a live announcement to build buzz and interact with your audience. Don’t forget to:

· Send daily deal alerts to your mailing list, including eye-catching visuals and a clear call-to-actions.

· Post daily updates about the deal of the day, using engaging images, videos, or stories to grab attention.

· Feature a “12 Days of Deals” banner on your homepage and social media profiles. Dedicate a section to showcasing the daily offers.

· Promote the deal of the day with in-store announcements or signage to entice walk-in customers.

Step “Six”: Use a Sense of Urgency

While this isn’t a step in itself (thus the “”), it’s critical that with this type of promotion, it’s all about the ticking clock. The deal is only good for a limited time (establish that ahead of the promotion and communicate it with every deal that is announced).

Encourage customers to act quickly by emphasizing limited availability. Use phrases in your marketing and communications such as:

· Today only (or whatever hours you’ve established)

· Limited quantities available

· While supplies last

· Sold Out – if you limit quantities of the deal ahead of time and you sell out, make sure you publish that you sold out on your social media and website. You do this for two reasons—you want to minimize the disappointment and don’t want people to make a special trip only to realize it’s no longer available AND people will see you sell out and that will further drive their fear of missing out. When the next deal is announced, they will not hesitate and will buy immediately.

Step Seven: Engage Your Audience

Run an interactive campaign to boost engagement. You can do this by:

· Offering an additional prize for one lucky customer who takes advantage of the daily deal.

· Asking customers to share photos of their purchases or tag your business for a chance to win a bonus prize.

· Using live-streaming on social media to show people in your business and answering any questions.

Step Eight: Monitor and Learn

Track the success of each day’s deal to see what resonates most with your customers. Metrics to consider include:

· Sales volume

· Website traffic

· Social media engagement

· Email open and click-through rates

If a particular type of deal performs well, consider adapting future offers to better match customer interests. Additionally, if the deal is not inspiring action, think about tweaking deals in the future that were like the one that is not performing.

Drive Post-Campaign Engagement

After the 12 days are over, keep the momentum going. You’re now top of mind for these customers. Don’t waste the momentum. Show appreciation for customers who participated in the campaign by sending a thank you postcard or email. Entice them to return in January with a follow-up promotion.

Early Bonus: Reward Your Loyal Customers

Reward your loyal customers by allowing them early access to deals or a sneak preview of some of the deals. You can use this tactic to encourage sign-ups for a loyalty program or email list ahead of the holiday season. This also allows them to feel “in the know.” While they may leak some of your deals early, talking about you and your deals is well worth the secret getting out.

25 Tips to Increase Foot Traffic for Your Business

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:59:29 GMT

You have a great business. You offer items/services everyone needs, yet you’re struggling to get people in the door. What can you do?

You need traffic to increase sales, whether that’s online or in-person. If your business is struggling to bring in customers, you know that has to change if you’re going to survive. While there are many ways to improve your online traffic (search engine optimization, user experience, etc.), your physical business’ traffic is all about location.

But before you go and pack up your stuff to find a better location, let’s go over a few things you can do to increase your daily visitors.

The Right Foot

Foot traffic is great, but a bunch of Looky Lous aren’t going to pay your bills. You need to attract the RIGHT kind of potential customers. For instance, if you own a bakery that makes the most delicious dog treats ever, a parent looking for a Paw Patrol Birthday cake is not your ideal customer (unless they have a dog celebrating too).

Before you read the rest of these steps to help you increase foot traffic, you need to be sure of your ideal audience, their needs, and their challenges. Use that information to shape how you use the tips below.

25 Tips to Increase Foot Traffic for Your Business

Show Don’t Tell

Most businesses tell audiences what they do or offer. That doesn’t inspire action. It sounds good, but it won’t get someone who’s seated on their couch at home motivated enough to stop in. You need to show them why they need your product or service.

I don’t mean “show” in the literal sense (although images and video are great marketing tools). To motivate people to take action, you need to paint the picture of how your product/service gives them something they need or want.

You can do this through words and/or images. For instance, instead of saying, “We have the best bread in town,” (that’s nice, but I’m not leaving my home for that), say “our bread will make all the other kids at lunch jealous and we’re so sure of this, we want you to stop by for a free sample between 10-2 (nothing beats bread fresh out of the oven). Start winning the cafeteria lunch wars.” In that example, you’re playing on a fear of missing out and parental pride in packing the best lunch. Plus, you’re bringing them in with the offer of a delicious free sample.

Which brings us to the obvious…

Offer Something Delicious

Even if you don’t sell food, offering a free sample is a great way to bring in a crowd; just check out Costco on the weekends during their sample days. If you don’t sell food, you may wonder how offering a free sample of something you don’t sell will work. Give away something that fits with what you sell. For instance, if you have a bookstore, cook up a recipe from one of your cookbooks (hopefully a recipe you can make in-store in a crockpot so the delicious aroma permeates your place). A pet store might give out free pet treats. If you sell furniture (with a fabric care product), offer a messy treat and invite people to sit on your couch. Then show them how easy it is to clean.

Talk to the Chamber

Your local chamber probably receives a lot of visitors. Let the chamber know you want to increase foot traffic to your business. They may be able to send you referrals. Perhaps they have an event coming up that could help you increase visits. Make sure you tell them the type of audience you want to attract.

Here are a few additional ideas to increase your foot traffic:

1. Improve your curb appeal.

2. Ensure your storefront is spotless, windows are sparkling, and any outdoor signage is in top condition.

3. Create interesting window displays that change regularly to draw people in. Use bright colors and unique props. Highlight your bestsellers or new arrivals.

4. Use a sidewalk sign with a clear and enticing message, daily specials, or promotions.

5. Bring your store outside. During good weather (and assuming your city allows it), bring a few items outside to catch the attention of people walking by.

6. Make sure your store is well-lit inside and out, especially in the evenings. You don’t want to lose possible customers because they think you’re closed.

7. Team up for joint promotions. Cross-promote each other on social media or host a small "block party" event.

8. Offer a free class or demonstration (if your products lend themselves to it), such as a quick tutorial or a hands-on/making class.

9. Participate in farmers' markets, craft fairs, or community festivals.

10. Complete your Google Business Profile ensuring it is up to date with accurate hours, photos, and contact information. Encourage customers to leave reviews!

11. Run simple contests or giveaways on social media to increase engagement and attract new followers.

12. Offer free Wi-Fi to encourage people to linger in your store (or perhaps work there).

13. Play appropriate music to set the mood.

14. Use a subtle, pleasant scent to enhance the ambiance. Avoid anything too perfumy.

15. Ensure your store is easy to navigate and products are well-organized. Clutter and crowded aisles are not inviting.

16. Acknowledge each person who enters your store with a friendly greeting.

17. Offer assistance without being pushy.

18. Ensure your staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and provides excellent customer service.

19. Set up a comfortable seating area to encourage people to stay longer and browse.

20. Provide a charging station. It’s a welcome bonus, especially for visitors.

21. Offer water, coffee, or tea to make customers more comfortable.

22. Add an Instagrammable item. Some people lead an Insta life, and they want to show their followers all the interesting things they’re doing and places they’re exploring. Create cool photo backdrops in your business to become a stop for them.

By implementing these ideas, you can create a more inviting and engaging shopping experience that encourages people to visit and return to your store. It might even prevent you from having to scout out a new location.

---------

Christina Metcalf is a writer and speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is also the author of the nonfiction book The Glinda Principle about rediscovering the magic within.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Transforming Employee Feedback into Actionable Insights: A Leader’s Guide

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:59:38 GMT

To manage employee experience effectively, leaders must turn data into action. Gathering feedback is easy; interpreting it to meet employee needs is the challenge. Leaders should focus on synthesizing insights from feedback tools into a clear, strategic response.

The Big Picture :
Managing employee experience is crucial, but the challenge lies in turning feedback data into actionable insights. Leaders must synthesize data from various feedback tools into a strategic, employee-centered response.

Why It Matters :
Collecting feedback is easy; using it effectively is not. Without a thoughtful approach, data risks becoming noise, leaving leaders struggling to make changes that genuinely improve employee engagement and retention.

Key Takeaways :
1. Data Collection Alone Isn’t Enough: Tools like pulse surveys and sentiment analysis provide data snapshots, but actionable insight requires a holistic view. Leaders need to understand patterns, not just isolated issues.

2. Synthesis is Essential: Look for recurring themes across feedback channels. For example, if surveys highlight work-life balance concerns and meetings reveal workload issues, address both through flexible hours or resource adjustments.

3. Build a Framework for Action:
- Prioritize Key Themes: Focus on feedback that aligns with organizational goals (e.g., career growth or flexibility).
- Assign Ownership: Designate leaders or departments to implement solutions.
- Set Measurable Goals: Use metrics like retention and engagement scores to gauge success.
- Communicate Progress: Show employees their feedback is valued with transparent updates.

4. Reduce Data Overwhelm: Prioritize key metrics tied directly to company and employee goals. Advanced analytics can also offer predictive insights, helping leaders act proactively on potential issues.

680 words ~ 3 minute read

For today’s businesses, managing employee experience is both a priority and a challenge. Leaders who invest heavily in gathering employee feedback—through pulse surveys, town halls, and internal data analysis—often struggle to turn these insights into meaningful actions. While data collection has been streamlined by technology, the real challenge lies in interpreting and implementing this feedback in a way that aligns with organizational goals and enhances the employee experience.

Why Data Collection Isn’t Enough

Businesses today are equipped with a myriad of tools to gather employee feedback. From pulse surveys to sentiment analysis within internal communications, technology has simplified the collection process. However, the true value of these data-gathering efforts is only realized when leaders can translate insights into tangible outcomes. Many executives feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, struggling to connect employee feedback with actionable strategy.

Data can provide a snapshot of employee sentiment but without a nuanced approach, leaders risk making changes that miss the mark or fail to address underlying issues. For example, data may show that employee engagement is low, but it won’t reveal the specific cultural or leadership dynamics causing it.

The Power of Synthesis

To truly improve the employee experience, leaders need to view data holistically. Rather than acting on individual data points, organizations should strive to understand broader trends and patterns that can inform strategic decision-making. Synthesis involves identifying recurring themes across different feedback channels and assessing their potential impact on organizational goals.

Consider a tech company that collects employee sentiment through multiple channels. While pulse surveys may highlight a need for work-life balance, data from team meetings might reveal specific workload issues. By synthesizing these insights, leaders can create more targeted responses, such as implementing flexible work hours or resource redistribution, rather than broadly attempting to “improve balance.”

Building a Framework for Action

After synthesizing data, the next step is to build a framework that can transform insights into measurable actions. A strategic framework should connect feedback themes to key organizational metrics, such as productivity, retention, and satisfaction. For example, if feedback indicates a need for career development, the framework might include new training programs, mentorship opportunities, or career pathway mapping aligned with business objectives.

Key Steps to Create an Actionable Framework:

1. Prioritize Key Themes : Identify the top recurring feedback themes that align with company goals. This could be anything from career growth opportunities to workplace flexibility.

2. Assign Ownership : Ensure that specific departments or leaders are responsible for implementing action items related to each feedback theme.

3. Set Measurable Goals : Define what success looks like. Use metrics that reflect both employee satisfaction and company outcomes—such as improved retention rates, higher productivity, or increased engagement scores.

4. Communicate Transparently : Update employees on progress, showing that their feedback has been acknowledged and acted upon. This transparency reinforces trust and encourages further participation in feedback initiatives.

Moving Beyond Data Overwhelm

To reduce the overwhelm that comes with data, leaders can use a “less is more” approach. This involves focusing on a limited number of metrics that are directly tied to the company’s goals and employee experience. By prioritizing relevant data, leaders can simplify decision-making, avoid unnecessary distractions, and focus on strategic priorities.

Using advanced analytics can also help turn raw data into refined insights. Predictive analytics, for example, can provide insights into future employee engagement trends, allowing leaders to proactively address potential issues before they escalate.

Turning Insight into Employee-Centric Culture

For leaders who can manage and make sense of employee data, the potential payoff is significant. An intentional, data-driven approach to employee experience fosters a culture that prioritizes empathy and responsiveness. Employees are more likely to feel valued when they see that their feedback is not only gathered but acted upon in ways that directly improve their work life.

To manage employee experience effectively, leaders must become adept at interpreting feedback, synthesizing insights, and crafting responses that reflect both employee needs and organizational priorities. Embracing these practices enables leaders to bridge the gap between data collection and meaningful action, ultimately enhancing the workplace culture and strengthening organizational performance.

For more strategies on managing employee experience, check out Harvard Business Review .

---

Five Mindset Shifts to Help Leaders Embrace Self-Care

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:22:27 GMT

Five Mindset Shifts to Help Leaders Embrace Self-Care

Leaders often struggle with self-care, but adopting these five mindset shifts can change that. Start by creating a body budget, manage emotional health, identify choice points, and prioritize growth and nourishment. Regular practice of a personalized plan ensures long-term success.

458 words ~ 2 min. read

In today's fast-paced business environment, many leaders know the importance of self-care but often fail to implement it in their daily routines. Why? Because they overlook the necessary mindset shifts that support sustainable self-care practices. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Paulena Neale explores how leaders can use a simple checklist to help take better care of themselves and, in turn, their teams. The five-part checklist below offers you a summary of Neale’s most important points. Read on to learn how you can transform self-care from a wish into a reality.

1. Make a Body Budget

Just like managing financial budgets, leaders need to maintain a "body budget" — the balance of physical, mental, and emotional energy. This concept is essential for self-care because leaders often run on fumes without realizing it. Tracking physical activity, rest, and nutrition can prevent burnout before it happens. Leaders must recognize that maintaining their body’s resources is as important as managing company resources.

2. Manage Emotional Health

Leaders are responsible for setting the emotional tone of their teams, yet managing their own emotional health often takes a backseat. Regular emotional check-ins are key. Strategies such as mindfulness, journaling, or therapy can help leaders stay emotionally grounded, reducing the risk of decision fatigue or emotional burnout. Healthy leaders foster healthier teams.

3. Identify Choice Points

Throughout the day, leaders face decision points that determine the quality of their self-care. Learning to recognize these "choice points" is critical. For example, when feeling overwhelmed, the choice might be between continuing to grind through work or stepping away for a moment to recharge. Identifying when you're at a crossroad can allow you to make decisions that support your well-being without sacrificing leadership performance.

4. Prioritize Growth and Nourishment

Effective leaders constantly seek personal and professional growth. But growth requires more than just accumulating new skills. Nourishment is about engaging in activities that refresh and inspire. For some, that might mean pursuing hobbies, reading for pleasure, or spending time in nature. Leaders should find what nourishes them and protect time for these activities. Regular nourishment enhances creativity, resilience, and leadership clarity.

5. Personalize Your Plan and Practice It Regularly

No two leaders have the same needs, so self-care must be personalized. Crafting a plan that reflects your unique responsibilities, strengths, and preferences is essential. Once you have a plan, the key is consistency. Just as you wouldn’t skip out on critical meetings, don’t skip self-care. It’s an investment that will pay off in your ability to lead effectively over the long term.

These mindset shifts are more than just wellness tips—they are foundational to becoming a resilient and impactful leader. In the same way leaders strategize for business growth, they should strategize for personal well-being. To read Neale’s full article, go here .

---

4 Simple Management Tasks to Make More of Your Limited Time

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:12:09 GMT

If you ask anyone over the age of 20 what the date is, after telling you, they will probably say you how quickly time flies. How it seems like only yesterday it was _____. This is especially true when you own a business. There never seems to be enough time in the day to do what you need to do. And you no sooner pay one bill than it’s due again.

Making the most of the time you have is essential to business success. But how do you beat the clock? When you’re responsible for the entire business, how do you ensure you have the time to be your most effective?

The first answer to this question is delegation, of course. You can’t do “all the things,” but assuming you have a solid team you can count on, here are four management focus and productivity tips to help regain some of that control over your lost time.

1. Define a "Win"

Instead of getting lost in daily tasks, define what progress looks like for the week by listing 3-5 key goals. Create a “Weekly Win” card (on paper or electronically—wherever you will most likely use it) to keep the focus on the most meaningful accomplishments for that week.

Be specific about what makes it a “win.” For instance, if your win is lining up a new vendor for your operation, don’t focus on the number of calls you’ll need to make to find one. Focus on the outcome such as “A caterer by end of week and a cost savings of 2% over the last one.”

2. Maintain Energy Awareness

Burnout is often due to energy-draining activities. Track your energy level for the day (or, even better, week) and compare it to your calendar. What were you doing when you were most energized? What zapped you of energy?

Take that information and do your best to eliminate energy draining tasks. Assign those tasks to someone who is energized by them. (Think introvert versus extrovert. We aren’t all drained by the same types of activities.) If you must complete those tasks yourself, either modify them to be less draining, or sandwich them in between tasks that invigorate you.

3. Use a Daily Management Sprint

Allocate 30-60 minutes late in the day to tackle low-value administrative tasks or better yet find an AI that can do them for you. Administrative tasks rarely require heavy mental lifting so saving them for the end of the day is a great way to be more efficient. Save your mental capacity for heavier loads earlier in the day.

4. Invest in a Vision

Spend 30 minutes daily on activities that build a better future, such as reading, learning a new skill, or working on a project. It’s easy to do this over your morning coffee or lunch. Consistent effort can lead to significant long-term progress toward attaining your professional vision.

These four managerial activities can help you make better use of your time and increase your productivity. At first glance, the tasks may seem simplistic, but that’s why they work. They help us increase our presence, focus on goals, and eliminate things that are clogging up productivity and weighing down our plate.

------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Be More Engaging

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:03:18 GMT

How to Be More Engaging

If you want more views on your business content, you don’t have to be a celebrity (although that makes things a lot easier). All you have to do is help your audience get to know you, and by doing so, humanize your business.

Some people are gifted engagers. They naturally know how to get people interested in their stuff. But for most of us, it’s a learned activity. If you’re not a born engager, here are five things you can do to improve your business content.

5 Engaging Content Tips

First, you don’t have to share everything about your life, but opening up to your audience can go a long way in helping them know, like, and trust you.

It may feel awkward sharing something that has nothing to do with your business, but if you’re talking about a part of you, like your dreams and your struggles, people will identify with you and that increases the draw of your content.

Sharing the Challenges

My neighbor has an e-commerce wellness business. She was recently hit hard by Hurricane Helene. She lost the bottom floor of her home and all her products. Instead of hiding that from her audience, she has shared it in spades. Through live videos every day since the hurricane, she has documented her struggles and her triumphs, her bad times and her blessings. Her audience has been very responsive and when she’s back up and running, I have no doubt they will support the rebuilding of her business. She showed her audience her humanity and they have laughed and cried with her.

For the Love of the Team

Another thing you can share are the triumphs and tribulations of your favorite team, whether that’s your favorite pro, college, or little ones’ team. Don’t be concerned that if you show a love for “State” that you’ll alienate the “University of” crowd. After all, your sports enemies may get a kick out of teasing you after a loss.

Showing the Love

If you feel comfortable with it—and they support you doing so—share info about your family. People love to know you have family and friends. “Family” includes your pets. If you show the love, your audience will see you in a new light and feel a greater connection with you.

Once Upon a Time

We all started somewhere. Sometimes beginnings are comical, and we can barely believe we’ve made it as far as we have. Other times there are serious lessons to be shared. Talk about your origin story. How did you get to where you are?

Full Team Ahead

In addition to sharing stories and information about yourself, get your team involved. Encourage them to tell their stories as well as share their favorites. By helping your audience get to know you, they’ll see your business as something more than just a money maker.

When your business is competing on prices alone, it’s a slippery slope to the bottom cost. When they support you for a reason other than you being the cheapest in town, you’ll have more loyal customers as well.

Finally, it’s best to share this engaging content in the medium that you feel the most comfortable with and the form(s) you’ll stick to. That being said, video is one of the best ways to show your humanity and help people identify with you. If you’re not currently doing video, it may be the difference between a lukewarm following and one that takes off.

----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Why Some Individuals Are Opting to Blur Their Homes on Google Maps

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:18:22 GMT

Growing digital privacy concerns lead homeowners to blur their houses on Google Maps to protect their personal information and enhance security against potential threats.

Blurring homes helps public figures and individuals wishing to maintain a low profile avoid unwanted recognition and attention.

While blurring can safeguard privacy, it may inadvertently attract more curiosity and limit the usefulness of maps for emergency responders and delivery services.

562 words ~ 2 min.

As digital privacy concerns grow, more people are realizing how their personal information is used and stored online. One specific privacy issue gaining attention is the visibility of homes on Google Maps. In this article, we discuss why some homeowners are choosing to blur their houses on this popular platform, important drawbacks to consider, and what to do if you choose to protect your privacy on Google Maps.

Privacy Concerns

For many, the primary motivation behind blurring their homes on Google Maps stems from a desire for increased privacy. The detailed imagery available on Google Street View can offer an uncomfortably close look at private residences, potentially exposing the layout and structure of one's home to anyone with internet access. This visibility could pose security risks, making some homeowners feel vulnerable to theft or unwanted attention.

Avoiding Unwanted Recognition

In addition to security concerns, there are instances where individuals may not want their homes to be easily recognizable on a global platform. This is particularly true for public figures or individuals who wish to maintain a low profile due to personal reasons. By blurring their homes, they can prevent easy identification by onlookers or fans.

Potential Problems

Blurring your house on Google Maps might seem like a harmless way to protect your privacy, but experts warn of potential problems that could arise. One concern is that it may inadvertently draw more attention to your property, as curious individuals may wonder why it’s blurred and attempt to investigate further. Additionally, blurring can limit the usefulness of the map for emergency responders who rely on accurate locations during critical situations or create confusion for expected deliveries. As you weigh your options, factor these potential outcomes in your decision.

How to Blur Your Home on Google Maps

If you've decided to blur your home on Google Maps, the process is relatively straightforward. Follow these steps to ensure your residence remains private:

Access Google Maps: Navigate to Google Maps in your web browser.
Locate Your Home: Use the search function to find your home's address and switch to Street View.
Enter Street View: Click on the image of your home to enter Street View mode.
Report a Problem: In the bottom right corner of the screen, click on "Report a problem."
Request Blurring: A new page will appear with options to blur your house. Use the red box to select the area you wish to blur, which can be adjusted to cover your entire property.
Submit the Request: After making your selection, complete the required fields at the bottom of the page and submit your request.
Once processed, Google will review your request and make the necessary changes, permanently blurring your home from Street View imagery.

The Takeaway

As concerns about digital privacy continue to rise, homeowners are increasingly considering the implications of their visibility on platforms like Google Maps. Blurring one’s home can provide a sense of security and privacy, especially for those who value their personal space or are public figures. However, it’s essential to weigh the potential drawbacks, such as increased curiosity and the impact on emergency services. If protecting your privacy on Google Maps aligns with your needs, the straightforward blurring process can help you maintain that desired level of confidentiality. Ultimately, informed decisions about your online presence will help you navigate the balance between privacy and visibility in our digital age.

---

Why Agility Is One of the Most Important Things in Your Marketing

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 18:12:54 GMT

The market is volatile. No, we’re not talking about stocks. The needs and desires of your audience are evolving, and your business marketing needs to follow suit. If you’re not practicing agile marketing, you’re going to fall behind.

Agile marketing is one of the most crucial aspects of marketing for businesses today. It offers significant advantages in an ever-changing marketplace. And the public’s expectations surrounding it (bet you didn’t know they already expect agility in marketing) can mean a potentially costly mistake for businesses that aren’t implementing it.

What Is Agile Marketing?

Agile marketing is the practice that allows marketers to adapt to changing environments, whether that be social media trends, customers’ needs/desires, or responses using emerging technologies. When you are an agile marketing shop, you can make changes to your current campaigns quickly for the benefit of your customers and ideal audience.

If you’re a solopreneur, you are likely already doing this. But as your company grows, and departments emerge, agility often becomes a larger task and must be purposely addressed.

Let’s break that down…

Key Benefits of Marketing Agility

One of the main benefits of marketing agility is rapid adaptation. Companies with agile marketing capabilities swiftly respond and adapt to market trends, consumer behaviors, and emerging technologies. They are relevant and competitive in a fast-paced environment.

Agile marketing facilitates quicker decision-making, allowing teams to test and iterate strategies in real-time. They’re more effective in their data-driven marketing efforts.

By emphasizing flexibility and responsiveness, agile marketing enables businesses to better meet customer needs and preferences. This customer-centric approach fosters stronger connections with target audiences and drives loyalty.

Companies that embrace marketing agility gain a significant edge over their competitors.

With agile marketing you can:

· deliver products and services faster

· capitalize on new opportunities

· effectively respond to customer feedback

· have more fun with social media trends while gaining greater reach

It may seem like a small thing but having a team that can identify trends, create quick content, and exploit the trends can astronomically increase their audience overnight. Conversely, those that must run all marketing through multiple departments before getting approval will likely miss these opportunities for greater visibility.

So, how do you adopt agile marketing practices? Isn’t planning to be less of a planner an oxymoron?

Implementing Agile Marketing

To harness the power of agility in marketing, businesses should consider the following strategies:

· Foster a Culture of Flexibility and Empowerment. Encourage a mindset of continuous learning and customer-led marketing. Empower employees to make decisions based on your mission. It’s difficult to be agile with multiple levels of signoffs required.

· Leverage Data and Technology. Utilize real-time data analytics and advanced technology to enable personalized and effective marketing strategies. See the next section about Agility in Action for a real-world example of why this is important.

· Work in Sprints. Implement short, focused marketing campaigns to drive rapid progress and allow for frequent reassessment of effectiveness.

· Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration. Encourage communication and teamwork across different departments/areas to enhance problem-solving and innovation. Each of your teams may have a different view or knowledge of your target audience.

Agility in Action

Hurricane Helene impacted people in six states, nearly 200 people lost their lives (at the time of this writing), and over 150,000 households have applied for disaster assistance (this number is expected to rise rapidly over the next several days). The impact of this storm was much larger than most and if you market nationally, your marketing should’ve reflected this in some way.

Agile marketers tweaked or paused their messaging. Many large marketers did not. Facebook is a prime example of this. Although, to be fair, it was an ad from a business and not Facebook directly.

Facebook populated my stream with a paid post about swimming lessons when my street was underwater. While the irony (or perfect fit) made me laugh, it didn’t do the business that had paid for the ad any favors. They should’ve paused it. (Of course, the day after the flood receded my stream became home to all sorts of remediation and hardware store ads. The algorithm was working overtime that day.)

Next, I saw major retailers email (and text) marketing to my area with the same marketing campaigns they had been running prior to the storm.

With today’s access to data, this made them appeal callous and clueless. More is expected of businesses because of technology. Perhaps if it had just been my little town impacted, I wouldn’t have thought anything about their campaigns but since six states were involved, they looked like a prescheduled business with no one behind the wheel.

When there is a major news event (flood, fire, school shooting, or other devastation), at the very least, review the content of your prescheduled social media posts. You don’t want to post about it being a lovely beach day in the middle of a devastating hurricane, for instance. Email campaigns should also be assessed.

Marketing agility can help you from making a PR blunder when marketing nationally. It is a critical factor for business success. People know you have the data; they expect you to use it for good.

Many businesses have spent years collecting data. They’ve used to personalize their marketing. Because of this, they’ve created an expectation around personalization. If you have embraced personalization to get your customers’ attention, you need to be prepared to use it for assistance as well.

By implementing agile principles, you can enhance your business’ adaptability, improve customer engagement, and gain a competitive edge. As the business landscape continues to evolve with new tech, the ability to pivot quickly and effectively will remain a key differentiator for successful organizations and help humanize your business as well.

--------------------

_______________________________________

Twitter: @christinagsmith

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Why Addressing Team Issues Often Backfires — And How to Avoid the Trap

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 13:57:17 GMT

Raising concerns about your team's dynamics can backfire, turning the conversation against you instead of addressing the issue. This defensive response often happens because the message feels like a personal attack. Here’s how to handle it effectively: focus on the issue, not the people, use empathy, and avoid accusatory language to keep the team’s attention on the problem.

577 words ~2.5 min. read

When you raise concerns about your team’s performance or behavior, it should ideally lead to constructive discussions and improvements. However, it’s not uncommon for these conversations to take an unexpected turn, with the spotlight shifting from the issue you’re raising to you, the messenger. Rather than focusing on the concern, people may become defensive, dismiss your message, or even perceive it as a personal attack.

Why does this happen, and how can you navigate it? Read on to learn why "doing the right thing" can provoke such defensive reactions and how to engage your team in more productive conversations.

The Emotional Hijack: Why Teams Get Defensive

When you raise a concern, it can feel like criticism, especially if the team or individual perceives it as a judgment on their abilities or commitment. This triggers a defensive mechanism. People focus on protecting themselves rather than addressing the issue at hand. According to research, when people feel their identity or competence is being questioned, it can activate an “emotional hijack,” where logical thinking takes a back seat to emotional reactions.

This defensive reaction often leads to two outcomes:

Dismissal of the concern: The issue is downplayed or ignored.
Attack on the messenger: The focus shifts to your behavior, tone, or intentions, rather than the issue itself.

Framing the Conversation Right

To avoid this defensive spiral, it's essential to approach the conversation in a way that minimizes the chance of emotional hijacking. Here are a few strategies to help your team focus on the problem, not the person bringing it up:

Be specific, not personal: When addressing an issue, focus on observable behaviors or outcomes rather than individual traits. For example, instead of saying “You’re always late with reports,” frame it as “We’ve noticed the report deadlines are often missed, which affects our workflow.”
Use collaborative language: Emphasize that the goal is to solve the issue as a team. Phrases like “Let’s find a way to improve this” can help shift the conversation from blame to problem-solving.
Empathize and acknowledge emotions: Let the team know you understand their challenges. Empathy helps lower defenses by showing you’re not attacking their character but are instead concerned about the team's success.

Timing and Environment Matter

Choosing the right time and environment for these discussions is critical. Address concerns in a private, neutral setting rather than in front of the entire team, which can lead to public defensiveness. Additionally, be mindful of timing—if tensions are high after a stressful event, emotions may still be raw, and the conversation could backfire.

Prepare for Pushback

Despite your best efforts, some team members may still react defensively. When this happens, don’t escalate the situation. Stay calm, reiterate your intent to support the team’s goals, and offer to revisit the conversation after people have had time to process your feedback. Sometimes, giving space allows for more rational reflection.

Focus on Solutions, Not Blame

Bringing up concerns about team dynamics is never easy, but it’s crucial for growth and improvement. By framing the conversation in a way that minimizes defensiveness and emphasizes collaboration, you can keep the team focused on finding solutions, rather than getting distracted by emotional reactions. Focus on shared goals, use empathy, and be mindful of timing and delivery to keep the conversation productive and constructive.

For more strategies on managing difficult conversations in the workplace, check out Harvard Business Review’s “How to Give and Receive Feedback” or Inc.'s advice on building effective teams.

---

How Being the Bearer of Good News Can Be a Boon for Business

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 19:20:20 GMT

If you’re like many of us, you may have decided that watching the news is not in your mental health’s best interest. From angry rants to misinformation, it’s difficult to understand the benefits these days. That’s why focusing on positivity and feel-good stories can help your business stand out and create a sense of connection with your audience.

But what kind of “feel good” content can you provide?

Good News Topics for Small Businesses

Being the bearer of good news in your community will not only make people feel good, but it will also give you a reputation as someone who cares. When it comes to helping people to know, like, and trust you, this speaks volumes.

Here are a few ideas of things you can share:

Acts of Kindness

Share stories about employees or customers going above and beyond to help others.

Highlight local initiatives where the business or community members are supporting charitable causes. In the upcoming months, especially around the holiday, you’ll see a lot of this.

Customer Success Stories

Feature testimonials or case studies where a customer has had a positive experience or achieved a great outcome thanks to your products/services. Highlight what they have achieved as the primary story then mention how you helped as a secondary point.

Employee Milestones & Celebrations

Announce work anniversaries, promotions, or personal achievements of your team members. Celebrate employees’ birthdays, new babies, or life events (before sharing make sure they are okay with this publicity).

Supporting Local Causes

Share updates on any partnerships or donations to local charities, schools, or community projects. Post about volunteer efforts and the positive impact they are making locally. Ask your employees what their favorite causes are and give them a shoutout on social. For instance, if you have an adopted dog and believe in the importance of adopting and helping the shelters, share that.

New Products or Services Launch

Introduce a new product line, service, or offering that solves a problem or adds value. Highlight how these innovations are making life easier for customers or improving the community. Sometimes the way your product or service helps isn’t directly about your product but the makers who use it. Consider how Sharpie showcases the artists that use their permanent markers.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives

Share the steps your business is taking to become more sustainable—reducing waste, recycling efforts, or eco-friendly products/services. Post about local environmental wins, such as clean-up events or green energy milestones. Talk about how you’re supporting local initiatives and doing your part even if it’s not mandatory for you to do so.

Local Business Collaborations

Collaborate with other businesses in ways that benefit the community, such as joint discounts or events. Share stories of how your business is helping lift up other local entrepreneurs whether it’s through mentoring or working with young people who want to own a business.

Community Achievements

Celebrate milestones in your community, such as a neighborhood clean-up, school achievements, or local sports team wins. Congratulate students on their academic achievements. Share remarkable long-standing achievements or history about the area. Make people proud of your town and your business community. Recognize individuals in the community who are making a difference.

Health & Wellness Tips

Share tips, advice, or workshops on staying mentally and physically healthy during challenging times. Highlight how your products or services can help. For instance, if you run a restaurant, “star” the low-cal or low-carb options to make it easier for those on restricted diets.

Discuss what you do to unwind when you have a bad day. Highlight the success of customers or community members who have made strides in improving their health.

Positive Industry Trends

Share good news about your industry—innovations, recovery stories, or exciting new trends that signal growth and opportunities.

Customer “Thank You” Posts

Publicly thank customers for their loyalty, sharing heartwarming moments, photos, or stories from customer interactions.

Run campaigns where customers share their own good news stories, featuring them on your page.

Feel-Good Holidays or Observances

Celebrate small, positive holidays like National Compliment Day, World Kindness Day, or Random Acts of Kindness Week, encouraging others to spread joy.

Local “Hidden Gems” Features

Highlight local attractions, businesses, or nature spots that uplift the community and showcase positive aspects of the area. Create “good news tours” of local treasures that bring people together and inspire positivity. Send a call-out to some of your favorite businesses—a rising tide lifts all boats.

Small Wins & Milestones for the Business

Celebrate overcoming challenges and adapting in tough times, showcasing resilience and optimism.

Positive Customer Reviews & Feedback

Feature a regular "Good Vibes" post series where you share uplifting feedback from happy customers, making them feel appreciated.

Feel-Good Content (Quotes, Memes, Videos)

Share inspirational quotes, funny memes, or heartwarming videos that brighten up people's day and spread positivity. After all, everyone forgets their woes when they see videos of dogs being reunited with their owners.stud

By sharing the good things in your community, your business can foster a sense of togetherness, spread joy, help people temporarily forget their struggles, and build a strong, positive brand presence. Can’t we all use a little more of that?

-----------------

Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of positivity. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and is currently writing this sitting in a mandatory evacuation zone.

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Preventing Ethical Burnout: Protecting Your Team's Integrity Under Pressure

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:28:26 GMT

Ethical burnout can occur when workplace stress affects employees' ability to uphold their values, making it crucial for leaders to recognize and address this issue.
Rising commercial pressures can lead to ethical lapses; leaders should set realistic goals and promote open communication to prevent this.
Creating a culture of psychological safety helps combat "survival mode" thinking, allowing employees to focus on integrity rather than self-preservation.
Decision fatigue in high-pressure environments can weaken ethical decision-making; leaders should encourage thoughtful consideration and provide decision-making frameworks.
Fostering a collaborative culture that celebrates team achievements over individual ambition can enhance ethical behavior and strengthen team cohesion.

680 words ~3.5 min. read

In today's fast-paced business world, workplace stress is nearly unavoidable. If this pressure isn't managed, it can lead to a serious issue: ethical burnout. This happens when ongoing stress affects an employee's ability to stick to their values, making it hard to maintain integrity in tough situations. As leaders, it's important to spot the signs of ethical burnout and take proactive steps to safeguard your team's ethical standards. Harvard Business Review outlined four ways employees may feel pressured to override their good judgment. Read on to learn how to identify these four pitfalls and how to implement success strategies to create a culture where integrity thrives, even under pressure.

Managing Increased Commercial Pressures

One of the first signs of possible ethical burnout is rising commercial pressure. When employees are pushed to hit ambitious targets without enough support, they might feel pressured to take risks that could compromise their integrity. This can result in ethical lapses as individuals focus on short-term gains over long-term principles.

To combat this, leaders should set realistic and achievable goals that motivate their team instead of draining them. Open communication is key—create an environment where employees feel safe discussing concerns about overwhelming targets. Leaders should also coach their teams to break larger goals into manageable steps, ensuring that success is sustainable. Establishing trust and transparency helps prevent ethical compromises, even in high-pressure situations.

Combatting "Survival Mode" Thinking

When job security is at risk, employees might enter "survival mode," focusing on self-preservation rather than ethical standards. This can quickly lead to ethical fatigue, where employees feel they must protect themselves at all costs, which can harm their integrity.

To avoid this mindset, it's important to create a culture of psychological safety. Start by openly discussing stress and recognizing the pressures employees face. Leaders should consider introducing "ethics ambassadors"—trusted colleagues who can provide guidance and support during ethical dilemmas. These ambassadors serve as role models and confidants, emphasizing the importance of integrity in challenging situations. Additionally, forming peer support networks fosters collaboration and shared responsibility, which helps strengthen the team's ethical foundation.

Reducing Decision-Making Overload

Decision fatigue is a real issue in high-pressure settings where quick actions are often needed. This rush can lead to shortcuts and weaken ethical decision-making. When speed takes precedence, the quality of decisions can drop, which may result in ethical missteps.

Leaders can address this by fostering a culture that values thoughtful decision-making . Encourage employees to take their time and think carefully when faced with complex choices. This approach isn’t about slowing down efficiency; it’s about ensuring that integrity remains a core part of the decision-making process. Leaders should stress that taking time to evaluate decisions is a commitment to the organization’s values, not a sign of inefficiency. Offering decision-making frameworks with ethical checkpoints can help teams handle tough situations while staying true to their principles.

Reducing the Culture of Envy and Competition

While a competitive workplace can drive results, it can become problematic when personal ambition overshadows collective success. A culture filled with envy and cutthroat competition can harm team cohesion and lead to unethical behavior as individuals compete for recognition and rewards.

To foster a more ethical environment, it's important to celebrate and reward team achievements, not just individual ones. By prioritizing team wins and promoting collaboration, leaders can keep high performers grounded and aligned with the organization's values. Publicly recognizing contributions that support teamwork and integrity sends a clear message that the company values ethical behavior over personal ambition. Regular team-building activities and cross-functional projects can also help break down barriers and create a more inclusive, integrity-focused culture.

The Takeaway

Ethical burnout is a subtle yet serious threat that can undermine a team's integrity. As business leaders, it's crucial to spot early warning signs and take steps to prevent ethical fatigue. By encouraging open communication, ethical discussions, psychological safety, and celebrating team successes, leaders can help their teams cope with workplace pressures without compromising their values. Remember, protecting your team's ethics is not just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic advantage that builds trust, resilience, and long-term success.

---

10 Unique Ways to Get More Email Subscribers

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:16:14 GMT

If you’re like most businesspeople, finding ways to get names on your emailing list can be exhausting. We all want tons of fans and followers. There’s value behind a list of people who are interested in what you offer. Most businesses start their list with people they know. But if you want to turn your email list into marketing gold, you need to get strangers (who will become potential customers) interested in you. That’s no easy task.

It’s the kind of activity that most of us avoid because the thought of it seems so overwhelming.

The Basics of Building an Email List

At the most basic level, your goal is to get people on your email list who want to stay in contact with you. From a business perspective, most people join an email list because they are hoping for discounts or special deals.

Here's a list of conventional methods to grow your business email list:

1. Website pop-ups – they’re annoying but they work

2. Lead magnets (e-books, whitepapers, etc.) – give something to get something

3. Blog subscriptions

4. Newsletter sign-ups

5. Webinars or online events – to view the free webinar they need to join the list

6. Social media promotions/ads

7. Checkout process opt-ins – if you sell online, remind customers to sign up for discounts

8. Contact forms

9. Landing pages

10. Trade shows or in-person events

11. Referral programs

12. Free trials or samples – again, you give to get

13. Contests and giveaways

14. Email signature links – some people like you so much, they’ll click on the link

15. Partner cross-promotions – you see this in webinars often where an influencer will support a fellow influencer with a complementary offering

16. Freemium model for software/apps – offer a product for free (or discount) with sign-up

17. YouTube video descriptions – this is prime real estate; if they like your content, they might “pay” with contact info

18. QR codes on printed materials – this is an easy way to get people to your sign-up form

19. Table tents – if your business has tables with people waiting or sitting at them, creating a table tent with a QR code to your sign-up list will get subscribers

These methods, offer tried and true ways to get more subscribers. But they’re also things that everyone else is doing.

Unique Ways to Get More Email Subscribers

If you want to stand out, try these things:

1. Interactive quizzes. Create fun quizzes that provide valuable insights, with results sent via email. These are popular with stylists, trainers, nutritionists, and other personal services professionals.

2. Virtual reality experiences. Offer a VR demo or tour of your products/services, requiring email registration. Developers and hoteliers use this for properties that have not yet been built.

3. Personalized infographics. Let visitors input data to generate custom infographics, delivered to their email.

4. Augmented reality business cards. Design AR-enabled cards that reveal additional content when scanned, prompting email sign-ups.

5. Gamified loyalty program. Develop a points-based system where customers earn rewards by providing their email and engaging with your brand. Online games use this approach by offering additional bonus “coins” or “powerups” for reviews and shares.

6. Time-sensitive digital coupons. Offer exclusive discounts that expire quickly, encouraging immediate email sign-ups. This is a very popular tactic on e-commerce sites.

7. Podcast bonus content. If you have a podcast, offer extra episodes or behind-the-scenes content to email subscribers.

8. Social media challenges. Run contests requiring email entry, with user-generated content shared on social platforms.

9. QR code treasure hunts. Create physical or digital scavenger hunts using QR codes, with prizes for email subscribers.

10. AI-powered product recommendations. Offer personalized suggestions based on user preferences, sent via email.

Growing a business email list requires a multi-faceted approach of conventional and innovative ways. Traditional techniques like website pop-ups, lead magnets, and social media promotions remain effective, while unique strategies such as interactive quizzes, and gamified loyalty programs can get you noticed.

Whether going the traditional route or doing something a little more innovative to get names on your email list, the key is to provide value to potential subscribers. Offer things like exclusive content, personalized experiences, or tangible rewards/discounts.

Ultimately, the most successful email list growth strategies align with your brand's identity and the preferences of your target audience, turning them into long-term, loyal fans.

--------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Navigating the Uncertainty of New Ideas: Building Consensus in the Workplace

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:51:21 GMT

Innovation is crucial for competitive advantage, but new ideas often face resistance due to differing perceptions and a lack of shared evaluation standards among decision-makers.
Research shows that novel ideas encounter increased perceived risk when team members have varying opinions on their value, leading to reduced support.
Establishing shared criteria for evaluating new ideas can reduce subjectivity, facilitate constructive discussions, and align teams toward common goals.
Clear evaluation frameworks help manage diverse perspectives without chaos, promoting an environment where innovative ideas can thrive.
Practical steps for leaders include holding pre-evaluation sessions to agree on criteria, understanding team perspectives, and implementing a scoring system for objective assessments.

670 words ~ 3.5 min. read

Innovation is often viewed as essential for gaining a competitive edge, but new ideas frequently face pushback within organizations. Research indicates that the uniqueness of an idea can lead to rejection because of perceived risks. Recently, it's become clear that there's a bigger issue: decision-makers often lack shared standards for assessing the value of an innovation. This disconnect causes differing views on the potential success of new ideas, which ultimately stifles innovation efforts. It’s important to address this disconnect, as bringing decision-makers together on standards can create a more supportive environment for innovation, driving progress and helping maintain a competitive edge.

Diverging Perceptions Make Innovation Feel Risky

A recent study shows that the more novel an idea is, the more opinions differ about its potential value , which can become a risk factor. When team members perceive the same idea very differently, the perceived risk associated with the innovation increases. As a result, people are less likely to support it—not because the idea is flawed, but due to a lack of shared understanding of its benefits or drawbacks.

Researchers found that differing views on an idea's potential create a psychological barrier to support, especially without a common framework for discussion. In these cases, decision-makers may rely on personal biases or past experiences, leading to the rejection of potentially groundbreaking ideas. This underscores the need for open dialogue and a shared understanding within teams so that innovative ideas receive the evaluation they deserve, rather than being dismissed too early.

The Importance of Shared Criteria for Evaluating Ideas

One main point from this research is the need for shared criteria when assessing new ideas. Without a common framework, discussions about innovation can become scattered and unproductive. When team members view an idea from different perspectives, it can lead to debates that focus more on defending personal opinions instead of objectively evaluating the idea.

To address this issue, leaders and teams should create clear and agreed-upon criteria for evaluating new ideas, which brings several benefits:

Reduces Subjectivity: With a standardized set of criteria, teams are less likely to let personal biases or gut feelings influence evaluations. Discussions focus on measurable and relevant factors like market potential, feasibility, alignment with strategic goals, and the idea's ability to solve problems.
Facilitates Constructive Discussions: Clear criteria allow discussions to center on how well an idea meets specific standards instead of arguing about the idea's validity. This approach fosters more productive conversations that can help improve an idea rather than dismissing it too soon.
Encourages Diverse Input Without Chaos: Different perspectives are essential for innovation, but they must be managed effectively. Using clear evaluation criteria can help organize diverse ideas within a team by providing a common language and framework for discussion, reducing confusion and encouraging constructive feedback.
Aligns Teams Around a Common Goal: When everyone understands what makes a "good idea" based on shared goals and criteria, it's easier to support new concepts. This alignment is essential for creating an innovative culture where new ideas are not only generated but also actively promoted and effectively implemented.

Practical Steps to Build Consensus on Innovation Evaluation

To create a more unified approach to evaluating new ideas, implement the following strategies:

Hold Pre-Evaluation Sessions: Bring the team together to agree on evaluation criteria aligned with strategic objectives and innovation goals.
Use a Scoring System: Implement a scoring system to objectively rate each idea based on the agreed criteria, making comparisons easier.
Emphasize Psychological Safety: Foster an environment where team members feel safe to share diverse opinions, allowing for fair assessment of ideas.

Bottom Line

The journey from coming up with ideas to putting them into action can be uncertain, especially with new concepts. However, teams can manage this uncertainty better by setting up a common framework to evaluate new ideas. By agreeing on clear criteria, organizations can reduce perceived risks and foster a more inclusive and dynamic culture of innovation. The key to overcoming fear of the unknown is building consensus and trust, allowing teams to confidently embrace new ideas with clear strategies.

---

How to Get Unstuck in Your Small Business

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:27:15 GMT

If you’re a business owner or feel responsible for a business (regardless of your actual job title), it’s not unusual to feel stuck. No, I’m not talking about the golden handcuff-kind-of-stuck where because of the cost of living, you can’t get off the work treadmill. I’m talking about feeling stuck from a mental perspective—completely uninspired.

Like the business version of writer’s block, when you’re stuck, you’re not feeling creative, and your business is paying the price for it. Yes, the simple answer to when you feel this way is to take some time off—a vacation or, if you’re able, a sabbatical.

But that’s simply not feasible for many of us.

So, what do you do to bring back that loving feeling? To feel the excitement you used to feel about your business? To see things from a new perspective again?

You must first recognize that there is a problem and then you need to shake things up.

6 Ways to Get Unstuck

These creative approaches to getting past business boredom may not all work for you. They’re not designed to. This isn’t a step-by-step list.

Consider how you might loosen a knob that’s stuck or a car that’s trapped in the mud or snow. You start off applying consistent pressure. When that doesn’t work, you shift to spurts of momentum and exaggerated force. And in the case of getting a car out of the muck, it’s often the rocking (the rhythmic application of force followed by a rest that creates rocking) that frees it.

Your mind (and outlook on your business) likely needs a little on/off switch, which can be accomplished by doing something different. If any of the following are part of your daily practice, skip over that idea or do it in a new way. Psychologists refer to this as Divergent Thinking.

1. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Engaging in mindfulness practices can help you improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance decision-making abilities. Regular meditation fosters a clearer mindset, allowing for better management of daily challenges and long-term strategic planning. With less stress, you may feel invigorated again.

2. Engage in Cross-Disciplinary Learning

Exploring subjects outside of one's industry can spark creativity and innovation. For instance, a tech entrepreneur might benefit from studying art or philosophy, which can provide fresh perspectives and inspire new ideas applicable to their business.

Cross-disciplinary learning isn’t hard, expensive, or time-consuming. Read a book, listen to an audiobook, subscribe to a newsletter in an area you know little about, join Blinkist to have access to thousands of book synopsis (like Clift Notes for adults), sit with an employee and ask them to teach you something—professional or about an interest they have. Learning something new can give you a fresh perspective.

Next, try to find correlations in the learning you’re doing. How do these seemingly random lessons fit into what you normally enjoy or pursue?

3. Seek Out Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship

While traditional mentorship is valuable, reverse mentorship—where younger or less experienced individuals provide insights to seasoned professionals—can offer new viewpoints on emerging trends, technologies, or even language (ever try to have a casual conversation with a Gen Zer? They use a completely different dictionary). This reciprocal learning can enrich your understanding of your market and customer base.

Check with your chamber. They may have a mentorship program or might be able to match you with someone who can expand your understanding in a new area of interest. If you don’t have time to invest in a new mentor/mentee relationship, attend one of the Lunch & Learns in a subject you would never have thought of attending before.

Again, look for correlations between what you’ve learned and how you might use it in your business or life.

4. Participate in Community Service or Volunteering

Engaging in community service can enhance leadership skills and empathy, which are crucial for effective management. It also allows you to build networks and understand community needs. If you don’t have an interest in a cause, talk to your chamber. They’d be glad to put you to work.

5. Use a Swipe File or mymind

Ever stumble across something that interests you, but you don’t have the time to pursue it? Well, that time is now. Take out whatever notes you’ve taken or swipe file you’ve kept and pursue something on your bucket list. If you don’t have a swipe file or bucket list, create one and start adding to it.

I use mymind because it keeps a beautiful visual representation of books I’m interested in, website articles I want to read, movies I want to watch, etc. Prior to the app, I was using my notes function on my phone but it’s harder for me to find the snippets I wanted to save on there. (My notes are extensive so I needed a better solution.)

If you’re always finding articles on the web that you don’t have time to read, try Pocket to save them for later. Pocket will also make suggestions on content to check out based on your interests.

6. Experiment with Personal Projects

Undertaking personal projects unrelated to your business can foster creativity and innovation. These projects allow for risk-taking in a low-stakes environment, encouraging problem-solving and adaptability that can translate back into the business realm. They can also reduce stress, help you meet new people, and teach you the value of patience. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even uncover a new love or revenue stream!

----------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

Why Self-Awareness is a Critical Trait in Today’s Workplace

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 13:34:31 GMT

Self-awareness is essential for both personal and professional growth, enabling individuals to accept feedback constructively and improve communication skills.
Teams benefit from self-awareness as it enhances team dynamics by fostering trust, collaboration, and more efficient conflict resolution.
A lack of self-awareness in employees can lead to a toxic work environment and undermine team trust and collaborative efforts.
Strategies for fostering self-awareness include promoting regular feedback loops, incorporating self-assessment tools, and encouraging a growth mindset culture.
Leaders who model self-awareness set a powerful example, promoting a company culture that values engagement, initiative, and ethical behavior.

698 ~ 4 min. read

Self-awareness is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of professional success. In the context of leadership, it is often considered a key differentiator between high-performing teams and those that struggle with internal friction and inefficiency. A lack of self-awareness can lead to several issues, from poor communication and collaboration to a toxic work environment. Read on to learn more about the value of fostering self-awareness for both employees and leaders in any organization.

The Role of Self-Awareness in Professional Development

Self-awareness is the ability to understand one's strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and the impact of one's behavior on others. This trait is essential for personal and professional development for several reasons:

Receiving Feedback Constructively: Self-aware individuals are more likely to accept constructive criticism without becoming defensive. They see feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack. This mindset is crucial in fast-paced environments where adaptability and continuous learning are key.
Improving Communication Skills: When employees are aware of their communication style, they can adjust it to suit different situations and audiences. This flexibility can lead to more effective teamwork and collaboration, as employees are better equipped to navigate interpersonal dynamics. The DiSC profile is one tool that can help you raise your own self-awareness and understand what’s best for you when it comes to inbound communication.
Taking Responsibility for Actions: Self-aware employees are more likely to acknowledge their mistakes and take ownership of their actions. This accountability is a critical element in building trust within teams and with leadership. Nicole Lipkin, a psychologist and Forbes’ contributor, offers these tips for owning up to your mistakes at work.

Impact on Team Dynamics and Company Culture

A lack of self-awareness doesn't just affect the individual—it can ripple through teams and the entire organization. Consider the following:

Creating a Toxic Work Environment: Employees who lack self-awareness may not realize how their negative behaviors, such as interrupting others or dismissing different viewpoints, affect team morale. Over time, this can lead to decreased engagement and productivity.
Undermining Trust and Collaboration: Trust is the foundation of any strong team, and it is built on understanding and respect. When team members aren't self-aware, they may inadvertently undermine this trust by failing to recognize how their actions or attitudes affect others.
Inefficient Conflict Resolution: In teams where self-awareness is lacking, conflicts may fester rather than be addressed constructively. Self-aware employees are more likely to approach conflicts with empathy and a problem-solving mindset, which can lead to quicker and more effective resolutions.

Strategies to Foster Self-Awareness in the Workplace

Business leaders and team managers must actively foster an environment where self-awareness is cultivated and valued. Here are a few practical strategies to achieve this:

Encourage Regular Feedback Loops: Implement a culture where feedback is continuous and normalized. Feedback should be specific, actionable, and delivered in a way that encourages reflection rather than defensiveness. Managers can model this by openly soliciting feedback on their performance and decisions.
Incorporate Self-Assessment Tools: Personality assessments, 360-degree feedback, and self-reflection exercises can help employees gain insights into their behaviors and tendencies. These tools can serve as a starting point for more in-depth conversations about personal and professional growth.
Promote a Growth Mindset Culture: When organizations emphasize learning and development over a fixed mindset, employees are more likely to see self-awareness as a skill that can be developed rather than an innate trait. This can encourage them to seek out coaching, training, or mentorship opportunities to enhance their self-awareness.
Lead by Example: Leaders and managers must embody self-awareness in their daily actions. When leaders openly reflect on their mistakes, show vulnerability, and demonstrate a commitment to personal growth, they set a powerful example for their teams.

The Takeaway

Investing in self-awareness training and development can lead to significant long-term benefits for any organization. Self-aware employees tend to be more engaged, more likely to take initiative, and better equipped to handle the complexities of modern work environments. They also contribute to a positive company culture where innovation, collaboration, and ethical behavior are the norms.

By making self-awareness a core competency in hiring, development, and performance evaluations, organizations can build stronger, more cohesive teams capable of navigating the challenges of today's dynamic business landscape.

---

Why Having a Hobby is Great for Business

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:38:32 GMT

No, this isn’t another article about how you can turn your hobby into a side hustle. But having a hobby can be great for your existing business. It may not feel like you have enough time for a hobby, but here’s why you should prioritize hobby time (or time spent cultivating one).

Why You (and Your Business) Need a Hobby

Hobbies aren’t time sucks. Having a hobby can significantly enhance your business and your well-being. “Hobbying” does not steal you away from your work. It contributes to it in several ways, including:

Enhancing Your Creativity and Innovation

Hobbies allow us to play in something we enjoy. They are ideal outlets for creative expression, which can translate into innovative ideas for your business. When you explore activities outside of your work, you can develop new perspectives and solutions that may not arise in a traditional business setting. Increased creativity can lead to unique products or services that differentiate your brand. When you take time for something other than work, your mind relaxes, and you can become better at problem-solving.

Relieving Stress and Improving Well-being

Hobbies provide a necessary break from the pressures of running a business. They can reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase overall happiness. A balanced mental state enhances decision-making and productivity. The change in focus from business to pleasure helps you unwind and use different parts of your brain.

Improving Networking Opportunities

Participating in hobbies (and the events surrounding them) can introduce you to new people and potential customers. These social interactions provide valuable networking opportunities, collaborations, and even new business ideas. Building relationships in a relaxed environment can foster trust and loyalty among potential clients.

To meet new people, you could take a class in your new hobby, go to a hobby-based meet-up, join a Facebook group around your hobby, or teach a class on your hobby.

Developing New Skills

Hobbies often require learning new skills, which can benefit your business. You may also learn from other creators on social media and apply some of those ideas to your business’s social media. Additionally, hobbies can improve skills such as time management, organization, and problem-solving, which are crucial for running a successful business.

Validating the Market

If you consider turning your hobby into a business, it can serve as a form of market validation. If friends and family are interested in purchasing your hobby-related creations, it indicates a potential market demand. This initial interest can provide the confidence needed to take the next steps toward entrepreneurship or launching an additional product or service in your current business.

Sometimes a hobby can have a strong tie into your business. For instance, a graphic designer may use their own photography hobby to generate images for clients.

Which leads us to…

Adding Financial Benefits

Transforming a hobby into a business can also lead to financial gains. Many people have successfully monetized their hobbies, creating a profitable income stream while doing something they love. If managed effectively, hobbies can provide financial relief and evolve into a significant income source.

Even if you don’t monetize your hobby, it may lend itself to creating a differentiator for you with your existing business. For instance, if you’re a plumber who enjoys painting, you could paint a mural on your van or send thank you cards to clients on one of your watercolor cards. Standing out in the market helps people remember you.

You may be thinking this is great, but you don’t have time for anything but your business. We know you’re busy but as we’ve just seen, taking a break is beneficial for your business. Here are a few ways you can find the time for a hobby.

You DO Have Time for a Hobby

Reclaim your precious moments with these ideas:

Think in Weeks, Not Days. Instead of squeezing hobbies into a daily schedule, look at your weekly calendar. Identify a few hours each week when you can dedicate time to something you love. Then schedule them in as a standing appointment.

Learn to Say No. If your schedule is overflowing, it's okay to decline additional commitments or delegate tasks. This frees up time for the activities that bring you joy. Understand the difference between being busy and being productive. Prioritize the things in your business that move the dial the most.

Re-evaluate Autopilot Mode . We all have moments when we zone out on social media or TV. (Hello, Netflix, my old friend.) Be mindful of how you spend this downtime, and see if you can swap some of it for hobbies. The problem with TV and screen time is that you can spend hours doing those things and still not feel like you’ve had a break. We tend to be unaware of that time. Instead, switch some of it for hobbies. Not only will you feel like you’ve had a break, you’ll get some mental health benefits from it as well.

Embrace Micro Breaks. Short breaks during the workday can boost productivity. Your day is likely full of moments when you’re waiting for something—a meeting, an appointment, a call, etc. Use these moments to do something enjoyable, like listening to music or reading during lunch. The key to making this happen is having your hobby/relaxing activity ready to go when you have micro break time. If you don’t have it ready, you’ll likely reach for scrolling through social instead. And that’s not a break.

Balancing the zaniness of running a business with a hobby can lead to many benefits for your mental health and your business. Don’t think of a hobby as time away from work. Think of it as a way to investment in your top employee—you.

-----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

A Recent Ruling Overturning the FTC’s Ban on Non-compete Agreements: What It Means for Small Business Owners

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:36:49 GMT

A recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown upheld the legality of non-compete agreements, blocking an FTC rule aimed at banning them.
Non-compete agreements prevent employees from working for competitors or starting their own businesses within a specified time and area after leaving a job, designed to protect sensitive business information.
FTC sought to ban these agreements in order to promote fair competition and empower employees to seek new job opportunities without fear of legal repercussions.
Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, oppose the ban on non-compete agreements, arguing they protect proprietary information, support small businesses' competitiveness, and promote workforce stability by reducing turnover.
Small business owners should ensure their non-compete clauses are reasonable and comply with legal standards while also focusing on building a strong company culture to retain talent.

506 words ~ 2 min. read

Recently, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas blocked a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule aimed at banning non-compete agreements that employees typically sign. Judge Brown ruled that the FTC does not have the authority to eliminate practices it considers unfair competition through broad regulations . This decision follows a temporary ban imposed in July while she considered a challenge from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who wanted to invalidate the rule entirely. The FTC's regulation was supposed to take effect on September 4.

What is a non-compete agreement?

Noncompete agreements are contracts that stop employees from working for competing companies or starting their own businesses within a certain time frame and geographic area after leaving their job. These agreements aim to protect sensitive business information and maintain a competitive edge , but they have faced criticism for limiting employee mobility and hindering wage growth.

The FTC's Justification for Banning Non-Compete Agreements

The Biden administration wanted to ban non-compete agreements as part of its broader effort to promote fair competition and enhance workers' rights in the job market. By restricting these agreements, the administration hoped to empower employees, giving them more freedom to pursue new job opportunities without the fear of legal repercussions from former employer s. Moreover, the administration acknowledged that noncompete clauses can suppress wages and innovation, which may lead to slow economic growth. The goal was to create a more dynamic workforce, fostering competition and allowing workers to fully utilize their skills in a competitive economy.

Reasons for Business Groups' Lawsuits Against the Ban

Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , pushed back against the ban on non-compete agreements, arguing that these contracts are essential for protecting proprietary information and trade secrets. Many small businesses, which often operate with limited resources, depend on non-compete clauses to maintain their competitive edge and protect their investments in employee training. Additionally, employers argue that these agreements can promote stability in the workforce, preventing employees from leaving at the first offer and allowing companies to build knowledgeable teams without worrying about high turnover.

What Small Business Owners & Employers Need to Know

This ruling is significant for small business owners and employers. It reaffirms the legality of non-compete agreements, allowing them to enforce contracts that prevent employees from sharing proprietary information or directly competing for a certain time after their departure. However, it’s crucial for business owners to understand the legal details involved. Noncompete clauses need to be reasonable in terms of scope, duration, and geography to be enforceable. Small businesses should also stay informed about changes in workplace policies and ensure their practices comply with both federal and state laws, as regulations can differ greatly across regions.

While noncompete agreements can provide some protection, they shouldn’t be the only way to safeguard business interests. Employers should also focus on building a strong company culture and engaging employees to retain talent and reduce turnover. As the legal landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and compliant will be essential for small business owners facing this complex issue.

---

How to Get More Love for Your Business on Social Media

lauren@llchamber.com (Lauren Batchelor) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:55:30 GMT

Social media is becoming more and more frustrating, right? If you have used it to connect with your audience for ten years or so, you undoubtedly have seen crazy changes in your reach. If you’re new to the social media for business scene, reaching 2% of your audience probably feels pretty normal.

But if you’re not reaching your audience, how are they going to know who you are and all the wonderful things your business can bring them?

When it comes to building a loyal following, there are several things you can do. Ultimately, reach is still dependent on the platform’s algorithm, but every social media channel claims to respond to value. To reach more people, you need them to see you as providing valuable content they want to interact with. Here’s how you can start doing that.

Get Your Business in Good Social Media Shape

Before we get into strategy and posting ideas, it’s important to get your social media accounts in good shape. Make sure your profile is complete, up to date, and visually appealing. Use a high-quality profile picture and cover image. If you have a profile you are no longer using, don’t just leave it languishing. Add a few posts to it about where you are posting now. An image post or funny video can help people who find you on one platform, locate you on another.

Use analytics tools to understand where you are now. Identify what types of content resonate most with your audience. Check when they are most active. Use that to influence your posting content and scheduling. As you change your posting, track your progress to see what’s working.

Finally, keep up with the latest social media best practices and algorithm changes. They are always evolving changing.

Now, let’s talk about content.

Start with a Strong Content Strategy

We all know stories about how a video went viral, but for business you need to develop a strong and consistent strategy that revolves around dependable and valuable content. If something goes viral, awesome. But don’t count on it as part of your content strategy any more than you would see buying a lottery ticket every week as a way to fund retirement.

When creating a social media content strategy for business, you want:

High-Quality Content. The foundation of your social media presence is compelling and valuable content. Post images, videos (this is a must), and text that resonate with your target audience.
Consistency: Develop a content calendar to help plan and schedule your posts. Post regularly to stay top-of-mind with your audience. Consistency is key to becoming top of mind. Sometimes consistency can even trump value in the short term. For instance, there was an author on TikTok who created some of the most boring videos I have ever seen—speaking in a monotone about the details of everything she did every morning. She posted with the regularity that some people reach for their morning coffee. Darn if she didn’t grow a massive following on consistency alone. Every morning, there she was. And in the same way you might find yourself staring out the window in a daze while you make coffee, I watched her videos.
Variety: Mix up your content formats to keep things interesting. Try using images, videos, carousels, live streams, stories, and polls. But…keep to your branding so that people will know it’s you immediately.
Value: Offer educational, entertaining, or inspirational content that provides value to your followers.

Engage

The algorithms base their determination of valuable content on what people are interacting with. That means you must motivate them to go from a passive state of watching (or reading) to an active pursuit of commenting. That’s not always easy, but here are some best practices you can implement:

Respond to Comments and Messages as soon as possible. Show you value your commenter’s interaction. When appropriate, ask them questions in the comments. This will help continue the conversation. Speaking of…
Ask Questions and Run Polls: Encourage conversations and participation by asking questions and conducting polls. Stickers are an engaging way to do this on Stories.
Use Interactive Features: Utilize features like live streams, Stories, and Q&As to connect with your followers in real-time. Facebook, for one, notifies your followers when you go live.
Community Building: Foster a sense of community by sharing user-generated content. If someone posts a picture of your products or a review, share it and thank them.

Get More Views

Again, the algorithm has a lot to do with how many people see your content. Just because you post does not mean it will be seen. Recently, Instagram seems to be showing more content to non-followers than followers. Here are ways you can build on that:

Cross-Promotion. Promote your social media accounts on your website, email signature, newsletter, and other marketing materials. Make sure everyone who does business with you (or is researching your business) knows where to find you on social media.
Hashtags. Use relevant hashtags to help people discover your content. Research popular and trending hashtags in your industry and community. Speaking of trending, it’s okay to try a little…
Bandwagoning. Jumping on the bandwagon (or posting about something that’s trending or using trending music) is a good way to get new eyes on your content. It may feel a little insincere at first and out of line with your business, but if you do it in a fun way, it can show a lighter side of your personality and help people feel more connected to you.
Collaborations. Partner with influencers or other businesses in your niche or town to reach a wider audience. Do interviews, videos, social media posting battles, and other collaborations to get attention. Talk to your chamber. They may be able to help introduce you to the perfect business partner. Check out this “ sign war ,” which made it out of the social media trenches and onto a local TV station.

Building a loyal following takes time and effort. Be patient, consistent, and focused on providing value to your audience, and you'll see your interactions grow over time.

-------------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Mentoring High Achievers: A Guide for Small Business Owners

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:42:33 GMT

Foster a growth mindset in high achievers by sharing stories of failure as a learning tool and encouraging them to face hypothetical leadership challenges.
Develop emotional intelligence in leaders through regular feedback sessions, focusing on understanding their own and others' emotions.
Expand networks and influence by introducing high achievers to new contacts, encouraging participation in industry events, and employing the “24/7/30 model” for follow-ups to build lasting relationships.
Use these strategies to mentor top performers effectively, driving innovation and excellence in your business while fostering an environment that promotes growth, resilience, and leadership.

555 words ~ 1.5 min. read

As a small business owner or team leader, mentoring high achievers within your team can significantly enhance their potential and ultimately drive your business forward. A recent article in Harvard Business Review by leadership experts Ruth Gotian and Andy Lopata highlights the necessity of sophisticated mentoring for high achievers, offering three effective strategies to ensure top performers flourish. Read on to learn more about how to help your best and brightest reach their full potential.

Foster a Growth Mindset

Encouraging a growth mindset is crucial for high achievers. As Gotian and Lopata explain, highly successful individuals are less familiar with failure and may struggle with setbacks. Helping these leaders understand that there are lessons available ‘failing forward,’ can help them use failure to their advantage.

Gotian and Lopata offer two crucial strategies for fostering a growth mindset among high achievers. First, they suggest sharing narratives of other elite performers who have encountered setbacks and their strategies for overcoming them. Secondly, they recommend engaging leaders in discussions about hypothetical challenging scenarios, such as adapting to abrupt changes in their field. These discussions are instrumental in helping high achievers perceive challenges and failures as opportunities for growth, aligning with their innate drive for improvement.

Develop Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a vital skill for leaders, particularly in small business environments where interpersonal relationships are foundational. As a mentor, Gotian and Lopata recommend helping high achievers gain insights into their emotions as well as those of others. Regular feedback sessions can help in this area by providing structured opportunities for self-reflection. Discuss specific instances where their emotional responses influenced outcomes, in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of their leadership style and interactions with colleagues. This focus can be particularly beneficial for those less inclined towards techniques like journaling or meditation.

Expand Networks and Influence

A strong network is crucial for high achievers aiming to expand their success.Often, these individuals have established connections but may overlook key relationships that could enhance their success. As a mentor, you can play a pivotal role in identifying these blind spots. Facilitate introductions to new contacts, including thought leaders and innovators from various sectors. Encouraging attendance at industry conferences or participation in cross-industry collaborations can yield fresh insights and broaden horizons.

A practical approach to maintaining these new connections is utilizing what Gotian and Lopata call the “24/7/30 model” for follow-ups. This approach provides a straightforward template for individuals to reach out 24 hours after meeting, again after 7 days, and once more after 30 days. This simple strategy helps turn fleeting encounters into lasting relationships, which can be instrumental in developing long-term relationships and networks that can help top performers grow.

The Takeaway

Mentoring top performers needs a smart approach. The HBR article points out that using techniques to develop a growth mindset, improve emotional intelligence, and widen networks can help these individuals—and your business—achieve more. The main aim of mentorship is to motivate and back up your team leaders, helping them keep up their success and grow into leaders who can drive innovation and excellence.

By putting these methods into practice, small business owners can create a setting that encourages growth, toughness, and leadership, making a big difference in their company's long-term success and survival.

---

The Missing Key That Could Help With Employee Retention

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:11:40 GMT

Does your business seem to be a revolving door of employees? If so, there are several reasons why that could be true that have nothing to do with your business itself. It could be the nature of your industry. Some industries are seasonal or attract a more nomadic employee base that tends to wander. It could also be a problem with one of your managers or supervisors. Perhaps, it’s a lack of growth opportunities.

If you’re shaking your head thinking, “No, that’s not it,” and you’re wondering what it could be for your business, The 2024 Intuit QuickBooks Allstate Health Solutions Benefits Survey may provide some answers.

The survey of 1,000 employees from both small and large companies reveals just how important employee benefits packages are in today's competitive job market.

Here’s a summary of the key findings:

Benefits Have a Large Impact on Employee Retention and Hiring

With the costs of medical care these days, it’s not shocking to learn that 78% of the employees polled would consider finding a new job if their current benefits package was inadequate. Healthcare benefits rank as the second most important factor, after salary, when considering job offers. It suffices to say, if your business doesn’t provide healthcare benefits, you could be losing employees. It’s also difficult to become an employer of choice without offering healthcare.

But there’s more to employee benefits than just offering them. What they cost is also now a deciding factor in selecting an employer.

Employee Cost of Benefits

Even with a benefits program in place, 23% of employees struggle to afford their employer-provided benefits. A majority of workers polled (62% at smaller companies and 66% at larger companies) believe their monthly contributions are too high, especially given rising inflation and interest rates.

Sadly, 71% of workers at small companies and 63% at larger companies have difficulty saving for long-term goals due to medical costs. This issue disproportionately affects women, with over a quarter reporting significant financial setbacks (due to medical costs) compared to 18% of men.

What Benefits Employees Want

Okay, so benefits are important but what exactly do employees want? Nearly 60% of employees want options, including HMOs, PPOs, and FSAs. But healthcare isn’t the only thing that makes a benefits package attractive. 50% of employees at small companies and 61% at larger companies desire supplemental benefits such as dental, vision, mental health, and pet insurance.

If pet insurance surprises you, you should know that since 2018, the number of insured pets in the U.S. has increased by nearly 23% annually, with approximately 5.4 million policies active as of 2022, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

The Link of Benefits to Job Satisfaction and Productivity

As you might expect after reading this far, benefits are a large consideration in taking a job but benefits also tie into job satisfaction. The survey found that over 90% of employees at both small and large companies connect their job satisfaction to their benefits package. A substantial majority indicate that inadequate medical coverage could negatively affect their work productivity.

Laurent Sellier of Intuit QuickBooks emphasized that maintaining competitive and affordable benefits packages is vital for employee retention in the current economic climate. She said, “Our research shows that employees are placing higher value on health benefits when it comes to their job satisfaction, but many are finding it difficult to manage benefits costs in today’s economic climate. For that reason, maintaining competitive benefits packages at an affordable price is vital to employee retention.”

While benefits are an added cost for businesses, not providing them could impact employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention. It’s not an easy call as you’re considering your offerings but this survey underlines how important benefits are to employees regardless of the size of your business.

-----------

_______________________________________

Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

The FTC Ban on Fake Reviews and the Use of Bots: Implications for Small Businesses

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 18:52:45 GMT

The FTC has banned fake reviews and the use of bots to ensure transparency in online reviews, requiring businesses to disclose any material connections with reviewers.
New guidelines prohibit businesses from posting false or misleading reviews and mandate that incentivized reviews must be clearly disclosed to consumers.
These regulations aim to protect consumers from fraud and foster a fairer digital marketplace, benefiting both consumers and honest businesses.
Small businesses can thrive by focusing on genuine customer feedback, engaging with their audience, and sharing authentic customer-generated content to build trust and credibility.

689 words ~ 3.5 min. read

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has made an important move to ensure transparency and honesty in online reviews by banning deceptive practices that manipulate consumer opinions. This ban focuses on fake reviews and the use of bots to create false endorsements, requiring businesses to disclose any material connections with the reviewers. As small businesses increasingly use social media for marketing, this regulation will significantly impact their operations.

The FTC has banned fake reviews and the use of bots to tackle concerns about consumer deception and the loss of trust in online marketplaces. As e-commerce and digital marketing grow, misleading reviews can skew consumer perceptions and lead to poor purchasing decisions. This regulation aims to protect consumers from fraud that can hurt their interests and damage the reputation of honest businesses. The ultimate goal is to create a fairer and more transparent digital marketplace, where genuine feedback and honest endorsements can flourish, benefiting consumers and reputable businesses alike.

What the Rules Entail

Under the new FTC guidelines, businesses can't post reviews or testimonials they know are false or misleading. If they hire third parties to generate reviews, those reviews must also follow FTC standards. If a review is incentivized—like when someone is paid or given free products—the business must clearly disclose this to consumers. Not following these rules can result in hefty penalties, including fines and damage to reputation.

All five FTC commissioners unanimously approved the final rule, which will go into effect 60 days after it's published in the Federal Register , the official government source for rules and notifications. Generally, these rules are published shortly after approval, so consumers should expect the FTC's fake-review ban to start in mid-October.

Impact on Small Businesses Using Social Media

The new FTC regulations help small business owners by encouraging honest competition, which allows them to build credibility and attract customers more effectively on social media. With the ban on fake reviews, businesses should focus on getting genuine customer feedback and creating a loyal community around their brand. This transparency can boost trust and credibility, helping to draw in more customers in the competitive digital landscape. Adjusting marketing strategies to follow these regulations will enable small businesses to succeed authentically instead of relying on misleading practices.

Three Ways to Build an Honest Following

Encourage Real Customer Testimonials: Small businesses should ask happy customers to share their experiences on social media and review sites. Reviews listed on your Google Business Profile are one of the most reliable and powerful places to send your loyal fans. This can be done through follow-up emails after a purchase, prompting customers to leave feedback. Highlighting these genuine testimonials boosts credibility and shows a commitment to customer satisfaction, which can attract future customers.
Engage with Customers Quickly: It's important for small businesses to actively engage with customers on social media to build loyalty. They should respond promptly to comments, messages, and reviews, whether they are positive or negative. By acknowledging feedback and showing a willingness to address concerns, businesses can create a sense of community and trust. This interaction signals to potential customers that the business values their opinions and is committed to providing a good experience.
Share Customer-Generated Content: Encouraging customers to share their own content, like photos and stories featuring the brand's products, adds authenticity and helps to grow an engaged following. Small businesses can create unique hashtags and run campaigns to motivate users to post their content. By sharing this customer-generated content on their own channels, businesses can showcase real customers enjoying their products and strengthen the sense of community among followers.

The Takeaway

The recent FTC regulations are a vital step toward fostering a more honest and transparent online marketplace. By promoting genuine customer feedback and discouraging misleading practices, these guidelines protect consumers and support small businesses in a digital world that values authenticity. As entrepreneurs adapt their marketing strategies to comply with these new rules, they can strengthen customer connections, enhance their reputations, and contribute to a fairer online environment built on trust. Embracing this change will enable businesses to thrive by focusing on real relationships and delivering genuine value to their communities.

---