Tag Archives: strategy

Why Marketing and Tech are Better Together: The Role of a Tech & Marketing Manager

In today’s digital age, technology has become an integral part of marketing efforts. As such, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to have a Tech & Marketing Manager on their team. This is because a Tech & Marketing Manager possesses a unique set of skills that can help businesses to leverage technology to enhance their marketing efforts and drive growth. In this blog, we’ll explore why a Tech & Marketing Manager is what a company needs and why.

What is a Tech & Marketing Manager?

A Tech & Marketing Manager is a marketing professional with a strong technical background. They possess both marketing and technical skills, which allows them to develop and execute marketing strategies that incorporate digital technologies. They specialize in leveraging technology to enhance marketing efforts and create more effective campaigns. This can include managing website content, developing email marketing campaigns, and utilizing social media platforms. A Tech & Marketing Manager is responsible for driving brand awareness, generating leads, and increasing sales revenue through digital channels.

Why does a company need a Tech & Marketing Manager?

Technical expertise

One of the primary reasons why a company needs a Tech & Marketing Manager is for their technical expertise. A Tech & Marketing Manager possesses a deep understanding of technology and how it can be used to enhance marketing efforts. They are knowledgeable about various digital tools, such as marketing automation platforms, email marketing software, and social media management tools. With this expertise, they can effectively use these tools to streamline marketing processes, optimize campaigns, and generate higher returns on investment.

Improved efficiency

Another reason why a company needs a Tech & Marketing Manager is for improved efficiency. With their technical skills, a Tech & Marketing Manager can automate various marketing processes, such as email marketing campaigns, social media posting, and lead nurturing. This automation allows for greater efficiency and saves time and resources, enabling the marketing team to focus on other critical tasks, such as content creation and campaign analysis.

Targeted audience reach

Ah, the Tech & Marketing Manager – the elusive unicorn of the marketing world. With their unique blend of marketing and tech skills, they are the magical beings that can bring a company’s marketing efforts to the next level. So, why do you need one? Well, let me break it down for you.

A Tech & Marketing Manager can also help a company to reach its target audience more effectively. They are skilled in using digital tools to identify and segment audiences based on demographics, behaviors, and interests. This enables the marketing team to create targeted campaigns that resonate with specific groups of people. By using digital tools to understand the behavior of the target audience, Tech & Marketing Managers can craft campaigns that are more likely to convert prospects into customers.

Greater ROI

In addition to improved efficiency and targeted audience reach, a Tech & Marketing Manager can also help a company to generate a greater return on investment (ROI). They are able to measure and analyze marketing metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates, and conversion rates, to determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. With this information, they can adjust marketing efforts accordingly to optimize results and increase ROI.

In today’s digital landscape, businesses need to embrace technology to enhance their marketing efforts and drive growth. A Tech & Marketing Manager possesses the technical expertise, efficiency, audience reach, ROI, and innovation that a company needs to stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging digital tools and insights, a Tech & Marketing Manager can help businesses to optimize their marketing efforts, engage with target audiences more effectively, and generate higher returns on investment. Therefore, it’s clear that a Tech & Marketing Manager is an essential asset for any company that wants to succeed in the modern business landscape.

Innovation

Finally, a Tech & Marketing Manager can bring innovation to a company’s marketing efforts. By staying up-to-date with the latest technology and marketing trends, they can introduce new and creative strategies that can set a company apart from its competitors. This can include new methods for engaging with customers, innovative campaign ideas, and creative uses of data and analytics to inform marketing decisions.

Why Hire a Tech and Marketing Manager?

First and foremost, a Tech & Marketing Manager can help your company navigate the ever-changing landscape of marketing technology. Let’s face it, the marketing tech world is a bit of a circus. There are so many tools, platforms, and apps out there that it can make your head spin. But fear not, a Tech & Marketing Manager can help you cut through the noise and find the tools that will make the biggest impact on your marketing efforts.

In addition to helping you find the right tools, a Tech & Marketing Manager can also help you use them effectively. I mean, what good is a shiny new marketing tool if you don’t know how to use it? A Tech & Marketing Manager can train your team on how to use the tools properly, so you can get the most out of them. Plus, they can help you integrate the tools into your existing workflows and processes, so you can work smarter, not harder.

But wait, there’s more! A Tech & Marketing Manager can also help you measure the impact of your marketing efforts. You know that old saying, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”? Well, it’s true. And a Tech & Marketing Manager can help you measure everything. From website traffic to social media engagement to email open rates, they can help you track it all. And not only that, but they can also help you interpret the data and make informed decisions about how to optimize your marketing efforts.

But perhaps the most valuable thing a Tech & Marketing Manager can bring to the table is their ability to speak both marketing and tech fluently. Let’s face it, marketing folks and tech folks don’t always speak the same language. Marketing folks are all about the creative, while tech folks are all about the data. But a Tech & Marketing Manager can bridge that gap and help everyone get on the same page. They can translate marketing-speak into tech-speak and vice versa, so everyone can understand what’s going on.

And let’s not forget about the innovation factor. A Tech & Marketing Manager is like a mad scientist, always tinkering with new ideas and ways to make your marketing efforts more effective. They’re always on the lookout for the next big thing, whether it’s a new platform or a new way of doing things. And they’re not afraid to experiment and take risks. After all, that’s where innovation comes from – taking risks and trying new things.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Wow, a Tech & Marketing Manager sounds too good to be true. Do they really exist?” Yes, they do! But like all unicorns, they’re a rare breed. They’re not just marketers who know a little bit about tech or tech folks who know a little bit about marketing. They’re a special breed that combines the best of both worlds.

So, why should you invest in a Tech & Marketing Manager? Well, they can help you cut through the marketing tech circus, use your tools effectively, measure your impact, bridge the marketing-tech language barrier, and drive innovation. They’re like a one-stop-shop for all things marketing and tech. Plus, they’re just really cool people to have on your team.

In conclusion, if you want to take your marketing efforts to the next level, you need a Tech & Marketing Manager. They’re like the missing puzzle piece that makes everything fit together perfectly. So go ahead, take the leap, and invest in a Tech & Marketing Manager. Your marketing efforts.

If this is something you are interested in learning more about, we would be happy to chat. We have limited spots available, but go ahead and book a free no strings attached strategy call with us today while spots are still available

How to Set Work Hours Working From Home

The ability to design your own work schedule is a double-edged sword. It’s great not feeling chained to your desk for the arbitrary 9-5 grind.

But it’s also easy to avoid ever setting a schedule. Before you know it, you’re always either working or thinking about work. It’s increasingly difficult to leave work at work. Projects that could be done in an hour end up taking longer.

The irony of the “I don’t need to abide by a set schedule” life is that we often function better when we create a schedule.

The Benefit of Setting Work Hours

Many work-from-home individuals resist setting work hours like the plague. One huge appeal of being your own boss is the freedom that comes with control over your schedule right?

But the reality of failing to set work hours tells a different story. Not sticking to a work schedule ends up hurting you in the long wrong in different ways.

It’s hard to leave work at work. When work stops at 5, it’s easier to stop thinking about work at 5. When there is no firm end to the work day, it’s so much harder to transition from “work mode” to “living your life mode.” You feel guilty watching TV and wonder if you should go get that one article done. You daydream thinking of your to-do list. You always feel “on,” making it difficult to give yourself the rest you need.
You waste precious mental energy. Each day you wake up without a firm schedule. Each day, you waste time and energy deciding how much you will work and when. It’s the element of decision fatigue. The more decisions we make each day, the more drained we become. It’s why superstars like Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day. One less decision to make meant a bit more energy for more important matters.
Tasks take longer than they should. Parkinson’s Law basically states however long a task can take is usually how long it will. Maybe you wake up and know, if needed, you could log a 10-hour day today to get that big project done. What ends up happening? You tend to work that 10-hour day. The beauty of the set work schedule is work is only allowed to fill those hours. Usually, everything always gets done.

These problems can be tackled (or at least minimized) by setting a consistent work schedule. The initial constraint of work hours ends up giving you more free time and freedom to enjoy your time outside work guilt free.

Setting an Optimized Work Schedule

Here is where you get to enjoy the freedom of being your own boss. Maybe your peak creativity hours are early morning and early evening. In the middle of the day, you suffer from the afternoon slump. So work in the peak hours and go workout or run errands when your brain power dips.

A work schedule does not mean you must bow down at the altar of the 9-5 work week. Those hours are not ideal anyway! In fact, with the right productivity tactics you may get 8 hours of work done in 7 or 6. All a work schedule means is setting strict work hours and strict non-work hours. If you can accomplish you work between 10-4, that’s great!

You can even set a different work schedule for different days of the week. Maybe you are a work-from-home parent taking advantage of a babysitting co-op. On Tuesday mornings, you get to wrangle the group’s kiddos to the library activity. So on Tuesdays, your work day starts a few hours later.

It doesn’t matter what type of schedule you make. What matters is knowing going into the day which hours you work. Designated work hours protect your “non-work” time.

Once you create a schedule, protect it fiercely. Don’t check your email outside of work hours. Let your clients know what hours they can expect to reach you by phone…and don’t pick up if it’s outside of those (or work into your contract it’s a $75 fee every time they do). When you are done for the day, be done. Don’t fall into the trap of well I could get one more thing done. Allow yourself to rest and relax!

Working from home can be the ideal set up. Setting optimized work hours helps you be the ideal worker and live a balanced life. It’s a win-win!

If you want assistance on setting hours that work for you or need help getting all your work done in the allotted time, Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! Just give us a call or shoot us an email to get started.

3 Crucial Hurdles Before You See Your First Client

Congratulations! You have decided to become an entrepreneur. It is a big step and if you are unfamiliar with the process, it can be very daunting. We are going to look
at the steps of starting a virtual assistant business, but these guidelines can apply to any other field. Making sure you have cleared these hurdles will help you plan, prepare, and manage your business more effectively.

Game Plan

If you are serious about starting a business you have to have a plan, specifically a business plan. Even if you don’t need outside funding to get going, you will want to have a plan to get your focus on what your business is and know what you are really going after. Your business plan should have an executive summary, a business description, a market analysis, a competitor analysis, a design plan, a management plan, and a financial summary. Your game plan is your focus. This is your map and directions to achieve your dream.

Legal

Every business requires legal paperwork to get started and legal considerations in operations. A virtual business carries an even heavier burden when it comes to privacy, security, copyright, and taxation. There are many things you must do before you can ever even call yourself a business and this can vary depending on where you live, so make sure you are paying attention to the details and get everything you need. Here is a quick list of the type of legal documentation that must be in place. This is not exhaustive by any means make sure you check with your local governments about all requirements.

Decide on a legal structure: Is your business sole-proprietorship, partnership, or LLC, etc.? If you are not a sole-proprietorship, everything other structure needs additional legal formation.
Register your business name with the local state government.
Register for state and local taxes, including getting a tax identification number if necessary.
Apply for your business license and any permits needed in your location.

Your First Client

Now things are really exciting! You are all set up and you are ready to take on your first client. Here’s the kicker. How exactly do you do that? A virtual assistant is likely contacted by the potential client via email or maybe a phone call, and you will want to have all you ducks in a row when that first client contacts you. There are a few more things you will want to have ready.

Pricing structure: You will need to know what you charge for what services. Do you work hourly or by package? Do you charge different rates for different projects? Have this set and formatted where you can provide it for any potential client.
Hours: If you ask any entrepreneur, they work all the time! And so will you. Your unbillable hours will likely be more than your billable hours as you get your business going. But even though you are up working until midnight, you don’t want clients contacting you at all hours. Set a schedule where you will be available to your clients and make them respect that.
Account and business management: For your own sanity, you will want to set up some form of business management software. Use something to take care of the business end of things, accounting and bookkeeping, but you should also implement something that will be your project manager. This will help you track hours, due dates, and statuses of all your projects. You don’t want to let anything slip through the cracks.
Legal contract: You need something to help protect you. You need to have your contracted hours, tasks, wages, and length of contract described and include subjects such as copyright, privacy, time off, payment options, etc. This would be something good to have a lawyer look over, as you will want to implement it with every client.
Get to know you: As a virtual assistant it is harder to get to know you clients. You are not working with them daily or face-to-face. You will also work with many businesses that may not be in a field that you are familiar with. Make a questionnaire that you can have clients fill out about themselves and their business to help you understand them and their goals to better help their business.

Make sure you do your research. You don’t want to just jump in over your head. If you have everything lined out early, you will have less headache and stress down the road. After you clear the planning, legal, and your first client hurdle, you will have the confidence you need to make your virtual assistant business a roaring success.

14 Opportunities and Ideas to Help Add Additional Income During the Pandemic

Hello loves! I wanted to share some information that may be helpful for those that recently were laid off and/or you are looking to supplement your income during and beyond the Convid-19 Pandemic. Like many online business owners, I have a unique birdseye view because of the work that I do and the business I run. None of it is a secret or a ninja trick, and much of it you already have likely heard about, so most of it is just a re-iteration.

I have compiled a list of 14 opportunities and ideas to help add additional income during the pandemic for yourself and your family in these times of uncertainty.

As we start to do more and more delivery and curbside shopping, eating and etc… we will see that we simply do not have the force to support it. Here are places that you can look into if you are looking for work.

1) Grocery stores are hiring and their services are in high demand. Check into Clicklist and Instacart shoppers particularly

2) Doordash and Uber Eat Drivers – Even Pizza Delivery as well

3) Talk to your local marijuana dispensers and liquor stores – See about helping them with their curbside services…and in some cases delivery options

4) Amazon warehouses are hiring as well as drivers and customer service agents. Amazon alone is providing over 100k jobs

5) Become a secret shopper. I know that times are different right now, but there are many online secret shopping opportunities, for instance, customer service secret shopping with Expedia. The restaurant and retail store options won’t be available (unless they pivot) is my guess, but there are other opportunities. Let me preface that this is NOT a huge moneymaker, but it is great for supplemental income. https://www.bestmark.com/ I always had fun with secret shopping and I think you could too.

If you are looking at making some extra money in the online sphere here are some pretty great options.

6) For online work look into https://jobs.sykes.com/ , these are customer service jobs that you can do from home. You must have a dedicated phone line (not a cell phone) and highspeed internet.

7) Working Solutions is another home-based customer service opportunity as well – www.workingsolutions.com/

8) United Health Care for those that work in more of a medical field, they are hiring to help with the influx of calls that are coming in.

9) If you have a special craft, like content writing, graphic design, etc… you can look into www.upwork.com or www.guru.com and if you make and sell your own goods, look at facebook market place, www.etsy.com and www.ebay.com.

10) I realize that the stock market is a pretty scary place right now, but it also offers a lot of opportunities. Stocks are at a record low right now. The market will not be this unstable forever and it is guaranteed that there will be a boom (just don’t know when). The beauty of that is if you can get in at a cheap buy-in, like now, it could provide a huge return in 6-months. Only look into this if you feel empowered to do so. You can start up through Robinhood, which is a free platform for buying and selling stocks in the stock market. It is pretty intuitive and if you use this link you can earn free stock to start your journey with. Truly investing in stock (if you have the means) now might set you up for life. It could be like buying Amazon in 1997 if you get my drift! For Robinhood, though, it doesn’t require any investment right now, just sign up, get your free stock and start dabbling. Use this link to get your free stock >>> https://bit.ly/freerobinhoodstock-jg

11) For those that are toying with taking their business or ideas to Facebook, I have a free mini-training “8 Ways to Revive your Facebook Business Page Organic Reach” that you can take. It is a tiny bit outdated, but the content is still very relevant. www.va.alpinesbsolutions.com

12) If you are looking to take your vision into an online setting and getting serious about taking this time to pivot instead of panic, I would like to offer up some of my time to help you brainstorm. While I do have limited time, I still would like to offer up my own time as a resource. I am offering free 30 minute consults for a limited amount of folks (no strings attached, just value, value, value) the rest of the month. Private message me if you are interested.

13) I am also working on some additional free training and webinars to help people with making supplemental income online or to finally start your own online business journey. If you have a topic you would like me to touch on or have someone in the community talk about, please private message me or put your request below.

14) Lastly (for now), I would love to create a container for those interested to network together and join in on the opportunity to join think tanks, masterminds, engagement circles, and other self-promotion threads so we can all build each other up, stay connected, and love one another.

Do you have things to share or add to my list, please do? The more the merrier. The more information we can put out there the better. I will continue to harvest more ideas around this as the days and weeks unfold.

For those that are in a position to help, please help people, offer your time and what resources you can. This is a time to band together, practice impeccable hygiene, be compassionate and remember we are all in this together. Do not lead in fear…keep being amazing and I am rooting for those that are having a hard time. Please share with someone that you think might benefit from this information as well. I love you!

Start Now! 9 Holiday Marketing Tactics

With barely a fall crisp in the air, it may seem odd to be thinking about winter holidays months away. But with up to 30% of sales occurring in the holiday season, it’s not an opportunity to take lightly. Effective holiday marketing requires months of planning, and you can begin now with these tactics.

Check the speed of your website. Slow loading pages frustrate customers, and can result in a loss of a sale. Plug your url into https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ to see your speed, and how you can improve it.
Ensure your website is mobile friendly. Busy shoppers purchase on their phone. A difficult to use app will lose you customers faster than people lose their diet resolutions at the company holiday party. Plug your url into https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ to gauge its mobile friendliness.
See what worked previously. Go over marketing and sales data from previous holiday campaigns. Identify what resonated with your audience, what marketing channels saw the highest ROI, etc. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; you can build on your previous success and learn from previous mistakes.
Make a creative holiday campaign. You want your company to be remembered by frazzled shoppers as they dart around the city searching for gifts. A memorable campaign can keep you on their minds, and get you on their shopping destinations list. Check out these holiday marketing campaigns (http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/holiday-marketing-campaign-examples#sm.00007s6law3dnda8x8c1f2gas6ea9 ) for creative inspiration.
Pick a season’s greetings. Some audiences are offended with the use of “Merry Christmas” while others are equally offended by the lack of “Merry Christmas.” Know which greetings best suit your brand and your target audience. “Happy Holidays” is a safe bet since it recognizes the numerous celebrations.
Create holiday specific designs. Your holiday marketing strategy is different than your typical sales strategy, and your images should reflect that. Canva is a great free site allowing you to design stunning holiday themed graphics.
Clearly communicate shipping and order-by dates. No one buys a present thinking “I sure hope this comes after Christmas!” Clearly communicate on your site when customers need to order by for guaranteed arrival by Christmas.
Host a holiday event. A bookstore can host a holiday children’s book reading with Santa. An art supply store can organize a holiday card decorating workshop. Any store can throw a holiday party with a tree lighting and carol singing. Make a fun event, ideally connected to your business, to draw people to your store. They’ll be reminded of your great selection, which hopefully will get them thinking about crossing items off their shopping list with your products.
Design a gift catalogue. Suggest products/services for everyone on your customers list (grandma will love…what kid wouldn’t love…and so on). Sometimes a tailored suggestion is the simple push a customer needs to make the purchase. It’s an effective email marketing tactic that appears less promotional to customers.

Holiday marketing is a crucial sales strategy for small businesses. If you’d like help creating or managing a marketing campaign, Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! We’re ready to assist with this or any aspect of business building. Reach out with an email or phone call today.

And better yet, if you have some great ideas, make sure you comment on what has worked and hasn’t worked to share with others.

Facebook Chatbots: What Are They and Why You Need Them

Customer service is a crucial component of your business. Quality customer service can generate new sales (after all, it’s cheaper to maintain current clients than to obtain new ones). Plus, an unhappy customer can take to Yelp and other online services to destroy your reputation among your target audience.

The customer service industry was recently revolutionized with the introduction of Chatbots. More specifically, the Facebook Chatbot.

What the Facebook Chatbot Is

The Facebook Chatbot allows you to essentially outsource your customer service interaction to a personalized-to-your-business technological tool. Your company can interact with numerous customers around the world without paying a cent of a customer service representative’s salary. Save big bucks. Make lots of happy customers. It’s a great set-up.

The Facebook Chatbot allows companies to create responses with video, audio, GIFs, files, and text. This variety allows for a high amount of personalization to your company’s brand. The bot can be built by you or by Facebook’s bot creating partners. The bots are designed to learn as they go. The more they are used, the smarter they become.

The Prevalence of Chatbots

In today’s digital world, more customers are turning online to seek help. We saw this rise with Twitter and Facebook. Customers didn’t want to be put on hold when they called the customer help line.

So, instead they turned to social media, where their requests were public and companies had an increased incentive to reply quickly and effectively. Companies who dropped the ball in customer service replies were ridiculed online. Companies who excelled were praised (and often gained new followers and customers).

Customers adapted to this quick reply system, turning less and less to calling in and instead typing in their requests. This set the stage for Chatbots to take off. Customers already turn to the web for assistance. What’s changed is the company’s ability to reply with intelligent, pre-crafted responses.

The Chatbot world is growing, with over 11,500 bots developed and many more in the works. More and more big-name companies are jumping on board and using Facebook Chatbots to revolutionize their customer service. It might be time for your company to get on board too!

Using the Facebook Chatbot for Your Business

The Facebook Chatbot is pretty versatile with the right programing. Take advantage of the many features they offer.

Let customers make a purchase. Customers can place orders within the bot itself, which is especially great for highly mobile target audiences. Pizza Hut, for example, allows customers to place orders through the bot (and reminds them of current promotions).
Let customers get updated information. Send out updates on your business or your industry. The Wall Street Journal, for example, gives users live stock quotes when they text a set code.
Connect customers to your products. Some industries, like tech industries, lend themselves well to this integration. HP allows people to print through messenger to an HP printer.
Help customers make appointments. If you provide a service, the bot can handle appointment times. Sephora noticed an 11% increase in bookings through the bot compared to their other booking methods.
Provide personalized content. The bot can help customers find relevant articles and information on your site. The Whole Foods bot helps customers find a great recipe by typing in words like “lunch” and “turkey dish”
Let customers keep a record of the information. The beauty of bot conversations is they are recorded. Some customers can benefit from keeping this information handy. No more frustrating calling a company for assistance, writing down the instructions, then losing the instructions a few days later. Now customers can just pull up the app to refresh their memory.
Conduct customer analysis. These bots provide a wealth of information and insight into your customers. Go over frequently asked questions. See what customers are struggling with. Find out what they are curious about. It’s like market analysis for much, much cheaper.

The Facebook bot will take time (and, in turn, money) to create and implement. But for many businesses, it can be a valuable investment. Maybe your customer service department is overflowing with the same types of questions. Maybe you want to offer more convenient ways to order products or make appointments. Maybe your target demographic is often online. These are a few reasons to jump on board the Facebook Bot train. If you want assistance with developing a solid Facebook bot marketing strategy, Alpine Small Business Solutions is here for you! Give us a call or shoot us an email today for more information.

10 Leadership Lessons from Celebrities

Celebrities can (sometimes) do more than entertain. Occasionally, their stories and struggles can offer us insight as we work to build our own dynasties in our niche. Looking at their shortfalls and success can help us gain valuable insight on what it truly means to be a leader.

Oprah Winfrey – Leaders need patience

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful rags-to-riches stories of our time. Born into poverty, she overcame personal challenges and found her first media job at age 19. It took several years before she launched her talk show, and several more before her own network found success. When she created her network, everything was in place for immense and rather immediate success. She had the masses of fans. She had the industry experience. She was highly networked. She could afford to help finance it. But the network took years to take off. Even Oprah Winfrey, a queen in her industry, needed time to make things happen.

As you lead your organization, try not to get too discouraged over setbacks. Perseverance is important to getting your company where you need to go. Your staff looks to you for guidance and encouragement. Lead the way with a determined enthusiasm and dedication to working to get your company where it needs to go.

Bear Grylls – Leaders encourage risk taking

Bear Grylls is a well-known adventurer, writer, and TV personality. In his show “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” he takes a new celebrity on an adventure, encountering obstacles from crocodile infested waters to repelling down cliffs. As he coaches celebrities, he encourages them to take calculated risks. It’s not a throw caution to the wind and be reckless strategy, but rather a “nothing risked nothing gained” perspective. He works with the celebrity, understanding their strengths and limitations, and then encourages them to push their boundaries. He serves as their safety net, ready to step in as needed. But, his focus in on getting them to stretch their limits.

Good leaders empower their workers to grow and go beyond their limits. Along the way, they serve as a valuable resource, of course. Good leaders train their employees with all the information they need before giving them the gentle nudge to go off on their own to take calculated risks. Whether you are helping someone survive crocodiles or pitch an unconventional idea, good leaders encourage risk tasking.

Emma Watson – Leaders manage their own imposter syndrome

Emma Watson is a famous actress, model, and activist. She is wildly successful and talented, but even she is not immune to self-doubts. Watson is one of the many celebrities vocal about their own struggles with imposter syndrome, a frustrating challenge where a highly capable individual doubts their own ability. Often, people with imposter syndrome feel as if they are faking their way through their work or life, just waiting for others to realize they are incompetent. Ironically, it’s those who should be the most confident that struggle with imposter syndrome. Emma Watson speaks often about her own struggles and how she works to manage them.

As a leader, you may experience crippling self-doubt. As an entrepreneur, you get an extra helping of insecurity. So many people are counting on you and at times it can feel like you are beyond your depths. Letting these fears stop you from acting or affect how you work can be damaging to your business and your employees. Proactively managing imposter syndrome helps you be a better leader.

Vince Lombardi – Leaders show, not shout

Vince Lombardi is one of the greatest professional football coaches of all time, leading the Green Bay Packers to victory time and time again. You can get lost reading through a collection of his quotes, as each one is an inspirational landmine. When talking about coaching, he famously said “they call it coaching, but it is teaching. You do not just tell them…you show them the reasons.” Lombardi took the time to explain to his players the reasoning behind his choices and strategies, rather than simply yelling orders. This, arguably, helped improve the coach-player relationship, team cohesion, and the players’ motivation (especially when things got rough).

Lana Del Rey – If It’s Not Working, Reinvent Your Brand

Before she found fame as a 1960s-inspired sultry throwback singer, Lana Del Rey was a prep-school graduate from upstate New York named Elizabeth “Lizzy” Grant. She started her career with her given name, blonde hair, no shtick and an acoustic, folksy vibe. But, that wasn’t working. So, she reinvented her career under the stage name Lana Del Rey, dyed her hair, adopted the 1960s makeup and deep voice and had a breakthrough.

If your business isn’t standing out, consider going from Lizzy to Lana — give your location, products or services a makeover and use a bold, high-styled appeal to set yourself apart in a crowded marketplace.

Miley Cyrus – Love Your Customers and They Will Love You

Miley Cyrus loves her fans so much that she has nicknamed them “Smilers” and makes sure to acknowledge them often, whether on tour or on social media. This is a great strategy for your business — it is much easier to market more products and services to your existing customers that are already raving fans than to try to find new ones.

So, make sure your customers know that they are loved and keep telling them. Doing this will create customers who will buy more from you and advocate for you — loyalty is the way to go.

Justin Bieber – Go Niche

Many of us don’t understand the appeal of Justin Bieber (make that really don’t understand the appeal…), but it doesn’t matter because we aren’t his niche. He appeals to tween and teen girls. They love him and he knows how to leverage that, without worrying what everyone else thinks of him.

Your business can borrow from the Biebs by focusing on a very distinct target market and knowing what that market cares about. I remember a very successful shoe store in Chicago that employed a similar strategy. They had only really attractive young men working there, who flattered every female customer incessantly as they tried on shoes. That store did very well. Once you are solid in knowing your target market, find a hook that has a strong appeal to them.

The Kardashians – Strike While the Iron Is Hot

To say that the Kardashians have not been shy about exploiting their brands is like saying that fire is kind of hot. The Kardashian girls endorse clothing, makeup, perfume and more. What they know is that no business cycle lasts forever, so they are not shy about maximizing their potential while they can.

The same goes for your company. Business cycles are shortening, so don’t be afraid to make the most of your opportunities while you are hot.

Lindsay Lohan (And Some Other New Celebrity Just About Every Day) – Even a Good Brand Can Become Tarnished

Even if you have something valuable to offer, if you are a jerk, eventually folks won’t want to do business with you. Alec Baldwin, Tiger Woods and Lindsay Lohan are just some of the celebrities that have learned this the hard way.

Geraldo Rivera – Future success cannot be built on past accomplishments.

Watching Geraldo Rivera bomb five tasks in a row was amusing and sad. Frankly, Geraldo’s ideas were good — 10 years ago, but did not resonate with company executives who were looking for forward thinking, innovative ideas that appeal to today’s consumers. Not to detract from his achievements, but Mr. Rivera thought that his past journalistic success would lead his team to winning each challenge; it did not. In fact, many younger people do not even know who he is. Geraldo is a forceful, strong-willed personality who does not take “no” for an answer. Maybe that’s the reason behind his success; however, when working with or leading a t-e-a-m, there has to be collaboration. Most of Geraldo’s contributions focused on “I am an award winning journalist,” “I’m Geraldo Rivera.” “I should be the one in front of the camera.” The recurring theme was “I,” a terrible mistake for a leader, manager, or anyone in authority to focus all the attention on himself or herself without having any regard for team members’ input.

You can’t get complacent in your business — you need to continually work to earn the trust and respect of your vendors, clients and employees. If you don’t, you may find opportunities drying up, or altogether disappearing.

Good leaders do more than order their employees around. Taking the time to explain the mindset behind your decisions can leave an impression on your employees. It shows you value their opinion and understanding enough that you would spend the time talking to them. It helps them understand the values behind your decisions (i.e. I really value this client relationship, so I want to go overboard in correcting their customer service issue). It opens up dialogue so employees can feel free to express their confusion or differing perspective. Showing your employees the reasons behind what you are asking them to do or the reasons for your choices can help strengthen your business.

Not all celebrities are good leaders. But some stand above the crowd, offering unique ways to lead that translate well into business. As you lead your organization, think about ways you can implement these tactics to be a more effective leader.

6 Tools To Boost Your Business’s Efficiency

Entrepreneurs from all walks of life are all asking the same question, “How can we, the business (or as individuals), be more efficient at what we do?” With modern technology there is a wide variety of tools that has made previously tedious and daunting tasks a breeze! So many tools, in fact, that it’s easy to get overwhelmed figuring out which ones best suit your business. Unfortunately, not all tools are made equal so it’s important to evaluate the features of each. I have outlined a few of my personal favorites that have worked incredibly well for me and my business and I hope they do the same for you. The tools mentioned below range from free to costing a fair sum of money. As previously stated, not all tools are made equal and in the past, I have found myself getting “stuck” in that place of free, but sometimes it isn’t always the best.

1.Asana

I have tried many task/project manager tools and Asana is hands down THE BEST. They have a free basic plan that works well for small teams, but depending on the features you are after and the tasks you encounter daily, one of the upgraded plan options may work better for your team.

Asana is fast, intuitive, and easy to manipulate. Asana’s arrangement features, and user interface make it easy to navigate, prioritize, and organize. My favorite part is that it takes the form of a check list and you can mark tasks completed as you go. You can also schedule reoccurring tasks on any given interval whether that be every x amount of days, weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc.

Asana also makes it easy to communicate with your team on projects since there are notes and comment sections for each project.

2.WorkflowMax

How does having 626 hours of your time back sound? AMAZING? That’s what I thought. On average, that’s how much time WorkflowMax saves its clients — along with $22,000 per year. This tool is perfect for businesses and freelancers whose services are very much dependent on time. Without much effort at all, businesses can track time spent on various tasks and remain accountable for their work.

WorkflowMax allows users to create professional, instant quotes for potential clients, then invoice them later with equally professional-looking forms. Users can even build timelines for special projects and view productivity analytics within the program. You can even integrate add-ons such as Xero to completely customize it to your needs.

3.Slack

Ever come up with an idea, but everyone’s’ calendars are already packed for the day? Plus, haven’t we established how much we all hate meetings? Slack is an amazing tool to help you stay in touch with your team, it’s a simple app without a lot of pizazz, but packs a punch in the productivity timeline.

Another one of my favorite tools—Slack is the most popular and best tools for communicating with your team by giving your team members a workspace with organized and accessible conversations. Slack also includes a searchable archive of teams conversations so everyone has access to the answers they need.

3.Active Campaign

My new favorite tool is ActiveCampaign. It is a hidden gem in the marketing automation world! They’re one of the most affordable providers for small businesses and their software is exceptionally well-designed. What’s surprising is the fact very few people have heard of them! Unlike other marketing automation tools, I have used, I have yet to have an idea that ActiveCampaign won’t allow me to build. It may not be free, but the pricing is incredibly generous for the quality product you receive. Active Campaign for email marketing with its robust marketing automation and multi-dimensional segmentation, makes it super simple for building funnels—love, love, love it!

4.Leadpages

Running a special? Offering a new product or service? Whatever it may be, you can easily create targeted lead pages and track their results without redesigning your website. With over 160 plus free mobile-responsive templates, you can easily create multiple versions of pages to optimize your landing page success rate. Another great thing about Leadpages is that you can easily integrate it with over 40 tools and platforms!

5.Google Docs

If Google Docs isn’t already part of your everyday workflow then it definitely needs to be! It’s free, easy, allows for easy collaborations and file sharing and it has it’s own version of Word, Excel and Powerpoint all with cloud storage.

6.Groove

Groove is a great option to quickly and easily set up all the customer service options you’d want in one place. It focuses on helping small business grow and makes it easy for teams to work out of internally. If more extensive programs like Zendesk are too much for your business, this is a great option to keep your customer service simple and effective.

If you haven’t tried these already, I hope you give some of these a go and see what they can do for your business! Feel free to let me know what your favorite tools are!

The 5 Barriers of Delegation and How to Overcome Them

As a leader and entrepreneur, you will find one of the biggest challenges to be delegating tasks. In 2013, Stanford University conducted a survey which exposed the fact that 37% of chief executives struggle and are working to improve on delegation skills. Outlined are five disadvantages that might be keeping you from reaching your delegation goals. To overcome these barriers, we must first identify them.

It Takes Time & Mentoring

We all know that time is money, and we are always looking for ways to save time and be more efficient in what we do. Those voices in your head are telling you that you don’t have the time to adequately explain or teach the skills for the task at hand to your team member. The good news is, delegating task actually saves time. It might take holding their hand and teaching them all the nitty gritty at first, but once they have it down, that is one less task on your plate in which you can focus your efforts on more important business goals.

Loss of Control

Admit it, we can all be a bit of a control freak at times. Many business owners have a long history of making things happen with their own skill and determination. Even though business owners think they can do the task better, your business will not be successful if there’s a leader micromanaging everything. A way to overcome this is by providing planned accountability amongst your team members, which will calm your anxiety. Besides, you may find out that one of your team members discovers a new, more efficient method of completing the task at hand!

Delegating Yourself Out of a Job or Losing Tasks You Enjoy

Another barrier business owners may come across is the fear that you are going to train yourself out of a job. Or maybe there’s a reoccurring task that you enjoy but you offloaded it to a team member. This is a great problem to have! Now that you have less on your plate you can move to a higher position, take on more challenging tasks, or focus on those business development plans you never had the time for. You will also be rewarded by seeing others succeed because of your coaching.

Lack of Confidence/Faith in Your Team

Leaders may be hesitant to delegate tasks because they don’t have confidence or faith in their team members. It’s okay to feel this way, but it’s something you must overcome for successful delegation. Start small, take small risks and set your team up for success. Successes early on will give you the courage to delegate more and more in which you can gradually increase the complexity of tasks assigned. Be sure to thoroughly prep your team because the more prepared they are, the less worried you will be! Additionally, your team may lack the confidence in themselves, or they are worried they won’t do well. By starting small together, you can inspire confidence and trust side by side.

Asking for Help is a Sign of Weakness

Asking for help sucks, and you might feel like it’s a sign of weakness, when really it is a sign of strength and trust. We are only human, and we can’t do everything by ourselves. Often it is fear that fuels this anxiety: Fear of over-stepping. Fear of appearing too needy. Fear of imposing. Fear of revealing our struggle and having people realize we don’t have it all together after all. When we support other people to be more successful, we discover opportunities for collaboration that ultimately enable us to be more successful ourselves. Besides, didn’t you hire a team of talented people? Leverage their capabilities, you will be surprised!

To tackle the fear and uncertainty associated with delegation, you need to lay the groundwork for success. Clarify the work that needs to be delegated. Which tasks can realistically be handled by other team members? Also determine the tasks that must be done by you, and only you. Be sure to communicate with your team the objectives and goals of each task so they know what is expected of them and how it fits in with the larger picture. Be sure to set deadlines and milestones and/or the frequency of checking up on their work. Be open with communication and make sure that your team understands they can turn to you and that it is ok to ask questions and further guidance.

Have some tasks you need to delegate-Let’s talk!

Comfort Zone-Where Dreams Go To Die

We have seen the inspirational quotes encouraging us to get out and do something different—something we wouldn’t normally do. One of my favorites is, “Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone,” by Neale Donald Walsch.

We know it’s important to push the boundaries of our comfort zone, and that when we do, it’s kind of a big deal. But what is the “comfort zone” exactly? Why is it that we tend to get comfortable with the familiar and our routines? What benefit do we obtain from breaking out of our comfort zone?

There’s actually a lot of science that explains why it’s so hard to break out of our comfort zone, and why it’s good for us when we do it. With a little understanding and a few adjustments, we can break away from our routines and do great things. Let’s get started!

Optimal Anxiety

The idea of the comfort zone dates back to 1908, with a classic psychology experiment by Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson. They found that a state of relative comfort created a steady level of performance.

If you’re a go-getter like me, looking to make the magic happen, you are looking to maximize performance. We need a state of relative anxiety—a space where our stress levels are slightly higher than normal. This space is called “Optimal Anxiety,” and it’s just outside our comfort zone. Can you think of a time when you operated within “optimal anxiety?”

However, too much anxiety and our performance drops off sharply! Anyone who has ever pushed themselves to get to the next level, knows that when you really challenge yourself, you can turn out amazing results. More than a few studies support this idea. However, pushing too hard can actually cause a negative effect. Reinforcing our natural tendency to return to an anxiety neutral state, the “comfort zone.” This fine line between optimal anxiety and too much anxiety is why it’s so hard to kick our brains out of the comfort zone.

Breaking Free

So we learned that optimal anxiety is that place where your mental productivity and performance reach their peak. What’s the incentive to pushing ourselves to that next level? Here is what you get once you’re able to step outside of your comfort zone:

Productivity

Comfort kills productivity because without the sense of unease that comes with deadlines and expectations, we tend to do the minimum required to get by. We lose the drive and ambition to do more and learn new things. Pushing personal boundaries helps you hit your stride sooner, get more done, and find smarter ways to work.

Flexibility

You’ll have an easier time dealing with new and unexpected changes. By taking risks in a controlled fashion and challenging yourself to things you normally wouldn’t do, you experience uncertainty in a controlled, manageable environment. Choosing to live outside your comfort zone better prepares you for when life changes force you out of it.

Creativity

Seeking new experiences, learning new skills, and opening the door to new ideas inspire us and educate us in a way that nothing else can. Trying new things can make us reflect on our old ideas and where they clash with our new knowledge, and inspire us to learn more and challenge our biases, our tendency to only seek out information we already agree with. A positive, uncomfortable experience can help us brainstorm, see old problems in a new light, and tackle the challenges we face with new energy.

The benefits you get after stepping outside of your comfort zone have a domino effect throughout your personal and professional life. There’s an overall self-improvement you get through broadening your horizons: the skills you’re learning, the new foods you’re trying and the new avenues you’re exploring.

Once you begin stepping out of your comfort zone, it does get easier. You become accustomed to that state of optimal anxiety. It becomes normal to you, and you’re willing to push farther before your performance falls off. As you challenge yourself, your comfort zone adjusts so what was difficult, and anxiety-inducing becomes easier as you repeat it.

Contact Alpine Small Business Solutions to discuss what we can take off your plate to help you reach your level of optimal anxiety.