Seven Wonders with Bubs and Scrubs

Who you are: Brenda Foster – mother, soapmaker, animal lover, lefty, morning riser, trying to be runner again…
Your business name: Bubs & Scrubs™
Your website url: http://www.bubsandscrubs.com
Blog: http://www.bubsandscrubs.com/category/blog
Twitter handle: @bubsandscrubs
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bubsandscrubs

We're wondering...

1) What was the first product you ever sold?
BThe first was my little intro soap "A Rose Is Still A Rose" which I launched February (just in time for Valentine's Day) this year. I had been making some soap for some time but wasn't really ready to sell just yet. I had lots of (good) pressure from friends and family so I started with this one item that was supposed to be a limited edition. It received such a great reception I kept it and it's one of my top-sellers now.

2) What is your favorite smell?
I've ALWAYS been a sucker for lavender. It's just that "ahhhhh" feeling that automatically sends me to my peaceful place. Lavender is one of those scents you either love or hate it. I'm definitely in the love camp. I do like to tone it down a bit with another essential oil or two but straight up has it's purposes too. Unfortunately I haven't been able to sustain lavender in my garden yet but I'm not giving up!

3) What is your favorite line from a song?
I do love music and know the lyrics from so many genres; from my youth to now. For that reason, it's really hard to pick just one. However, this song ALWAYS puts me in the best mood: “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige http://youtu.be/G6ZjBPXSmnE

Here's a sample of the lyrics:

….No time for moping around, are you kidding?
And no time for negative vibes cuz I’m winning
It’s been a long week, I put in my hardest
Gonna live my life, feels so good to get it right

So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
No stress through the night, at a time in my life
Ain’t worried about if you feel it
Got my head on straight, I got my mind right
I ain’t gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine….

Feels so good, when you’re doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
Keep your head up high
In yourself, believe in you, believe in me
Having a really good time, I’m not complaining
And I’m a still wear a smile if it raining
I got to enjoy myself regardless
I appreciate life, I’m so glad I got mine…

4) If you were something in nature, what would you NOT want to be?
A slug - too slow and too much risk. Any prey animal. A mushroom cause your kept in the dark and (you know the rest. ) :)

5) What's your favorite pet's name? (Past or present)
I really hate choosing just one but I have to say Angus. He's my beloved Rottie. I rescued him and another Rottie mix about six years ago. They were young adults and were strays so I don't know their exact ages. He's the biggest teddy bear. He loves women and children but has been known to snap at a man or two (I'm okay with that). He snores, loves bones, likes to play, has really soft ears, is my constant companion, is always ecstatic to see me, and has been a treasured gift to me.

6) What's the best pair of shoes you ever owned?
This one is easy: Keen's. I order these from Zappos on the regular. My fave pair are lime green and I've had them for about 4 years. They're still just as soft and cushy as the first day I wore them. I'll be loyal to this brand forever - hope they stay the same and stick around. They’re not sexy, don’t make my look tall and slender, and are anything but fashionable. But they hug my feet just right, help me go the distance, and thus keep me happy. I’m very practical.

7) Seven words that are dear to you:
God, Madison, Taylor, Barbara, Eulas, Carlos and Kaelen. There are many more but these are the dearest.

Marking Your Small Business Calendars

If you're in Western Masachusetts and want your small biz to be kept in the loop with networking events and happenings, then make sure to bookmark this link that I got from Twitter this morning.

Thank you to @massmarketing for putting me onto this. I love the way Twitter brings a host of information right into the small business office.

If you have networking events you'd like to get the news out about, please leave a comment with the info and relevant links. Local lifts local. Together we can be a force!

Seven Wonders with Wunder Budder

Who you are: Lisa Dolloff
Your business name: Wunder Budder
Your website url: http://www.wunderbudder.com
Blog: http://wunderbudder.blogspot.com
Twitter handle: @WunderBudder
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wunderbudder

We're wondering...

1) What was the first product you ever sold?
Back then it was just called "Wunder Budder", as it was my only product at the time, but now it's called "Original" (calendula salve). It was what I founded my company on, back in my early days of offering Wunder Budder only seasonally and by word of mouth. It's what my company was named after, and it's still my favorite!

2) What is your favorite smell?
Oh, this is so hard! Aromas rule my life, good and bad. If I have to pick only one, I'd like it to be the smell of rain on bricks. But, the smell right when it begins to rain... it's the smell of the city being washed away by moving water, the aroma of transformation from dirty to clean, old to new.

3) What is your favorite line from a song?
I can only narrow it down to two songs, and I don't even know how to pick my favorite lines! The entirety of the songs "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver and "Son of it All" by Don McCloskey fill me with emotion. Picking one line just wouldn't do either song any justice, but since I'm already cheating by picking two, here they are: "coming home to a place he'd never been before" (Denver) and "stranded and spinning and hurling through space" (McCloskey). I didn't purposely pick them to have the same meaning, but both of those lines make me feel connected to the world around me on a deep level.

4) If you were something in nature, what would you NOT want to be?
I wouldn't want to be anything carnivorous, violent, harmful or defenseless. And I wouldn't want to be smaller than a quarter. I'm not sure why that coin size stands out, but I know I don't want to be smaller than it!

5) What's your favorite pet's name? (Past or present)
My last and closest animal friend, Axl. She was a tiny alien dog, a grey toy poodle that was sweet and cute, but fiercly loyal and would attack (pant legs!) on command. I adopted her from a friend when I was 15 (sorry mom!), and we fell in love with eachother. I had to live away from her for five years, but we got to spend her last year together on our own when I was 25. Even though it was nine years ago now, I miss her every day.

6) What's the best pair of shoes you ever owned?
A pair of grey Etnies (sneakers) that I bought when I was 17 and wore almost exclusively until I was 21. When they finally started to fall apart, I used superglue and duct tape for a good few months until there was nothing left to glue or tape. I loved those shoes.

7) Seven words that are dear to you:
Love, peace, sunshine, mom, solitude, simple. Those were the first seven words that came to mind! It's interesting to look at them and see what they mean to me and how they fit into my life. In no particular order, the concepts of all of them are very important to me.

Guest Blog: Four Tips for Overcoming Copywriting Fears by Christine Parizo

It is my great pleasure to introduce the first Farsighted CEO guest blog, by copywriter and copyeditor, Christine Parizo. Take it away, Christine...

Writing can be a daunting task. Even as a professional copywriter, I sometimes stare at a blank Word document and watch that blinking cursor, mesmerized, as the words refuse to come. For non-writers, that cursor can be almost mocking (it certainly mocks me sometimes!). The copy – website, catalog, mailers – still needs to be written, and for small business owners just starting out, a professional copywriter usually isn’t in the budget. So until you can afford to hire someone, here are some tips to overcome your writing fears:

1. Do your research. Write down who your ideal client or customer is, then research what she wants from your product or service. Do Google searches; ask your family and friends; even post a SurveyMonkey survey and email it around. This information is invaluable.

2. Talk it out. You’ve got a fantastic product or service. If you can’t seem to get it on paper, grab a tape recorder or fire up the audio recording program on your computer. Pretend you’re talking to your ideal client or customer. Tell her what she’s going to get out of your company and how it can make her life easier/happier/better. You can then directly transcribe this recording or use it as a springboard for your copy.

3. Outline. If you’re writing a longer piece, outlining always helps get those first words onto the screen. Break up the writing into manageable chunks. If you’re selling natural pet treats, for example, you can break it up into cat treats and dog treats, then split your outline further into dry biscuits, liver snaps, tuna-flavored, tartar control, etc. For me, outlining is the framework for a successful piece.

4. Write. When I was in high school drama classes, my drama teacher told us that the best way to cure stage fright was to just walk onstage. The same thing applies to writing: just start. Use the blank page as a “brain dump” and just start writing. It doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, it’s better if your writing isn’t. You can always go back and revise it once you’re done, or as a less expensive alternative to hiring a copywriter, you can hire a copyeditor to polish your words.

Writing doesn’t come easily to everyone. But once you’ve got the framework in place and have your copy ready, you’ll be prepared to sell and grow your business. And, of course, once you’ve grown your business, you’ll be able to call in a professional so that you don’t have to do all the writing yourself!

About Christine Parizo
Modern marketing knowledge and vintage grammar sensibilities - that's what Christine Parizo brings to every project. Whether it's a website, brochure, white paper, or press release, Christine gets the job done right. She can tailor her copywriting and copyediting services to assist any kind of business with their marketing and public relations material. Visit her website for more information; follow her on Twitter at @cparizo; like her Facebook page; or visit her on LinkedIn.

Meet the Expert - Nunzio Bruno

Meet Nunzio Bruno. He's the man behind Financially Digital (not just another financial and tech blog) out of the Greater Springfield Area. In addition to his ultra-informative blog, and his duties as professor of economics at Bay Path College, he's also a financial coach. I will let him describe what he can do for you in his own words:

I take my education and experience and coach those who need that little extra push. Not just your everyday budgets and expense charts, each experience is a dynamic one and focused on making lifestyle changes. How many times have you heard about people crash dieting only to see them eating terribly again after they lose a few pounds, that’s not what happens here. Whether you’re looking to get a second opinion on that portfolio that used to make sense or someone to hold your hand while you’re considering life changing purchases or plans, we take the time to evaluate the situation and create real strategies to get you there. Over the last few years I have successfully put the worries of retirees to rest and started fresh college graduates on paths to financial freedom. It’s not a chore, it’s a lifestyle.

On top of all this, Nunzio has just launched a show called Uconomy over on the Businews Channel, where he and co-host Thomas J. Fox dispense everyday economic advice in easily digestible bite sized morsels for us regular non-economic folk to understand.

If you'd like to learn more about the valuable help Nunzio offers (including Business Coaching and Sales Coaching), check out his other offerings on his consulting page. It's an honor to have him as a small biz advisor on these pages, to help answer your questions when needed.

Make It So

I have a couple of phrases that take pride of place on my workshop wall. Both mean something to me and keep me motivated on those days when motivation wants to walk off in a sulk. One of them is: "Make It So."

For those of you who are "Next Generation" Star Trekkies, you will recognize the great words often spoke by Jean Luc Picard as he leads his crew with an incredible determined confidence. I love him. Always strong in adversity and always compassionate throughout the most difficult of situations.

Jean Luc Picard is a hero for me. A kind of idol to look up at and aspire to be. I think we need idols when we're learning to wear the shoes of the small business CEO. Okay, so this television character tours the galaxy in the world of make believe science fiction and probably has many of you yawning already. But seriously... this man is the go-to-guy of my business day. So do I see my soap company as the Starship Enterprise with me sitting in the commanding chair? Hell, yeah!

"I wish I could find a few more quality craft shows to sell my products at."

Make it so.

"I wish I could get a bit of exposure for my company in the local newspaper."

Make it so.

"I wish I could have my products reviewed on a great blog."

Make it so.

"I wish I didn't have to sit at this desk pouring over paperwork. I wish I had a book-keeper."

Make it so.

"I wish I had a little bit of help. Just a couple of times a week would do."

Make it so.

It's easy to "make it so" when you are your own Jean Luc Picard. Any one of the above wishes and desires can be yours for the taking with just those three little words. Of course, Captain Picard has his own crew to "make it so" for him and many small business owners are going it alone. We are the captain of our ship, and we are the crew. But in being your own crew the skies are the limit... and there's no galaxy you can't reach for.

The next time you hear yourself making wishes for your business, step into the shoes of Captain Jean Luc Picard. Go write that email. Go pick up the phone. Make your wish list of what your small business needs to succeed... and then go "make it so." It really is a simple as making the command when you're the captain of your own Enterprise.

What will you "make so" today? Are you reaching for the stars?

Putting The Block on Writer's Block

I remember sitting down one day to write up a product description for a soap bar. Well, it wasn't just any write-up and it wasn't just any old soap bar. It was the very first write-up and it was the very first soap bar.

I've never had a problem with writing. It comes with ease for me. I'm pretty comfortable with myself, and I learned very early on only to write about what I know. So, there I was with my brand spanking new website, having spent months fine tuning it for both the look and customer experience that I wanted. It would reflect me. It would reflect my products. It would reflect my Manor Hall Soap Company.

"Product photos are up. I need the write-ups now."

"Okay... no problem. I'll have them done tomorrow."

The conversation had been a long time coming. Jason had started creating the website back in September 2005, and here we were, late November of that very same year... with a scheduled December 1st launch. So, I didn't hang around. I sat at the computer, opened up "Notepad" and proudly typed into it: "Honey Me Smooth". Enter key pressed twice, I made to touch the keys to write about my beautiful bar of hand made soap.

Nothing.

Five minutes later... come on, then.

Fifteen minutes later... this is crazy, what is wrong with you, girl?

Up on my feet, I went for a walk around my empty studio. It wasn't a long walk, but enough for me to begin talking out loud about my soap bar. I've never had a problem addressing any group of people, and within seconds the presence of my soap bar was filling the room. Great! And I returned to the keyboard, all set to write.

Nothing.

Gone.

Absolutely Blank.

Incredible! In the short walk from my studio to desk it had all vanished. I left the computer once more, walking around the room talking my head off with a sales pitch like you wouldn't believe. Yet when I sat facing the computer screen once again, I was helpless to stop the words making a break for it through the escape hatch.

Writer's block. It was new to me, and I had to sit down and work out what was happening and why. What exactly was going wrong?

Focus. That great string to the bow of the CEO. The ability to step back and take a proper objective look at things. With focus I noted three things about my writer's block... and also a common theme:

1) While walking around my studio I was relaxed. I was comfortable addressing the empty room talking about my product. I was myself when talking about something I knew well. On sitting down at the computer to write I was trying to be grammatically correct. I wasn't being myself. I'd lost my voice. I was trying to be something that I wasn't.

2) I'd seen product pages on the websites of others... many of them my peers. I thought that's how products should be written up, so I tried. I wasn't being myself. I'd lost my voice. I was trying to be something that I wasn't.

3) I knew my product. I knew why I'd chosen the specific ingredients. I wanted to get the benefits of those ingredients across to the customer. I wanted to sound all-knowing. But I wasn't a recognized herbalist, or chemist, or aromatherapist. I wasn't being myself. I'd lost my voice. I was trying to be something that I wasn't.

In all three instances, I was sitting in the computer chair being something that I wasn't. I wasn't a copy-writer. I wasn't any of my peers. I wasn't an herbalist, a chemist or an aromatherapist.

Once I sat and gave myself permission to just be who I am, the writer's block vanished with as much speed as it had earlier taken me prisoner. I wrote. I wrote freely. I wrote what I wanted to write. I just talked about my soap bar like I was in an auditorium. This was my soap bar. My recipe. My pride and joy. I knew all about it. I knew when I'd made it, and I knew why I'd made it. There was nothing about this bar that I didn't know.

The moment I sat being myself, I was writing copy. It was my copy. It was about my soap bar, and no one knew more about it than me.

To write a good product description, all you need... is to know your product, and then just let loose on the keyboard being who you are. Talk out loud to an empty room with your pride and joy in hand... then sit it close by you, talking again at the computer while it all flows through your fingers. You can spellcheck, edit and delete words once they've all been set free. You can re-work sentences, jiggle it about some, and tidy it all up later. What's important as you sit to write, is being free to talk about your product. Don't tie yourself up in a mental block trying to be something you're not.

Do you find it hard to be who you are? Do you blank when you sit down to write?

A Successful CEO Meetup In Boston

I'd like to thank everyone who made yesterday's IBN Boston Area Event such a wonderful success. It's the first time I've ever been inside Maggiano's Little Italy and the experience of holding an event there has left me wanting to make up a reason to book another event with them. All the staff and management were absolutely fantastic and couldn't do enough to make us comfortable. For me, this is so important when choosing a venue.


This was our private room. There were nine of us total, and this gave us all the room we needed. The tables were set up lovely. We had nice background music that staff would turn up or down according to our desire, and whatever the hustle and bustle of their busy restaurant we had no idea that there were anyone there other than us.

Business consultant and professor, Nunzio Bruno shared his expertise on business plans and answered individual questions in ways that gave everyone at the table knowledge. Being small business owners, there were many questions and everyone gained so much from what he brought to the event.

There was plenty opportunity to get personal one to one sessions with both our guest speakers. Here we see Deb of Grace Farm Organics and guest Alfonso Santaniello, the mind behind the Creative Strategy Agency, a great marketing company here in Western Massachusetts. Deb was able to get insightful advice on Alfonso's Topic of the Day which was how to increase holiday sales as the Fall season approaches fast. Deb brought a great selection of products, including her aloe and jojoba facial cleanser.

Brenda of Bubs & Scrubs makes absolutely wonderful soaps and scrubs. I love the way her soaps are stamped with the name of her company. They look beautiful. Brenda traveled all the way from Philadelphia for the event, and it was a great pleasure to have her there to tell us her story.

This is Lisa of Wunder Budder, and I can see why she calls her company this name. She brought awesome tins of her super soft salve and other magical balms and inhalers. She kindly handed them out and we all got to take one home with us.

House Boss, Dana brought her company's products with her along with questions for Nunzio and Alfonso. Dana's packaging is lovely, and her bath salts were to die for! Here she is in the video room being interviewed by Alfonso, talking up her products. Deb, Lisa and Brenda also got their time in the video room with Alfonso and all will be spotlighted in upcoming business shows on The Businews Channel.

If ever you wondered if Indies really rock or not, let me tell you, as IBN's director in Boston, they certainly do. It was great meeting up in person with these fantastic CEO's. I loved hearing all about them and watching them shine. It was a really special day, and I'm looking forward to meeting up with these dynamic Indies again.

Friday's Food For The Fraught

This is the day of the week where I share a few of the good business articles that have been tweeted. My coffee breaks are not long enough to spend pouring through an encyclopedia of informational text. I like short and sweet. I like to read stuff that is simple, well written, and sinks in fast. I find that this stimulates the creative part of my biz brain into pondering... which in turn, causes me to explore how I can apply what I've just read to improve the health of my business.

So, go grab your cuppa and give your mind a little food for the fraught. These are my best from this past business week from folk who post on Twitter.

Enjoy your coffee break:

From: InteractMedia
Follow on Twitter: @cparizo

From: Ragan's PR Daily
Follow on Twitter: @GarveyComm

From: Uconomy: Episode 1
Follow on Twitter: @UconomyShow

Seven Wonders with Neos Creations

Who you are: Ginger Moore – wife, mother & business founder/owner/creative director
Your business name: Neos Creations™
Your website url: http://www.neoscreations.net
Blog: http://neoscreations.wordpress.com/
Twitter handle: @NeosCreations
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neos-Creations/180473828641054 (sorry for the long url. FB assigned my personalized username to my personal profile and I can’t seem to change it to my biz page.)

We're wondering...

1) What was the first product you ever sold?
Oh that seems so long ago, I’m not sure if I can remember without looking at our records. I know it was a customized gift set order from a friend for his wife for Mother’s Day. I’m pretty sure it contained the Day-Night Moisturizer and the Under Eye Serum from our Mineral Skin Care Collection, a couple of Home Aroma Collection items. Maybe a lotion, body wash and a bath tool accessory or two.

2) What is your favorite smell?
Oh my gosh, I love the smell of my husband when he’s fresh from the shower or my son, fresh from the bath. I know. Not something I can really duplicate or market, now can I? LOL. Another is all the comforting and mouth-watering smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking. Again, can’t duplicate that one for a product. Or can I?! When it comes to my favorite scents in products, I don’t really have one. I like so many different ones and personally, I wear whatever the mood strikes me to wear from one day to the next. Some days, I may be fun and breezy, others I may be sexy and sultry. Another day may be sweet and innocent. You just never can tell about me or what I will be on any given day until you sniff me.

3) What is your favorite line from a song?
I don’t really have one. Many songs came to mind but no one song line that I could say was “My favorite”. It could be because I don’t listen to music much in recent years or it could be because what little I do hear is usually children’s songs from Nick Jr., Noggin, Disney or another kid friendly source that is then relayed to me by my son. Either way, I’m at a loss on this question.

4) If you were something in nature, what would you NOT want to be?
There are a few. #1- A skunk. #2 – Poison oak, poison ivy, etc. #3 – Anything with a stinger. Why? Because people would avoid me at all costs. I love people and conversation too much and would be miserable.

5) What's your favorite pet's name? (Past or present)
Max, a miniature Daschund, black and tan in color. My husband surprised me with him one day a few years into our marriage, when we had been trying to have a baby for a couple of years with no success. Max quickly became a fill-in to satisfy some of that deep yearning I had for a baby. Unfortunately, we had to have him put to sleep just a few years later. Because of the long back of weenie dogs, they often have vertebrae and disk problems. Max had chronic problems with a disk that would bulge and get irritated. It finally ruptured, causing him to be paralyzed from his mid-back all the way to his tail. We just couldn’t justify the thousands of dollars for the operation that could not even be guaranteed successful that he would be well again or pain free. Failure would result in him being confined to a doggie wheel cart strapped to him at all times, so we had to make the difficult decision to have him put to sleep. I loved him too much to see him suffer and not be able to jump and play like he always had. Oh! Sorry, that was TMI wasn’t it?

6) What's the best pair of shoes you ever owned?
Oh gosh, I don’t know. I don’t spend a lot on shoes for myself. If I like them and they’re comfortable to me, I buy them if they aren’t too expensive in my opinion (and I’m Ms. Squeaky Wallet). If you’re talking literally, I’d probably have to say a pair of tennis shoes, no specific brand. Those are the only shoes I don’t bargain shop for as much. If you’re talking figuratively, the shoes I wear everyday as a wife to the greatest man God ever created, mother to an amazing little boy, and business owner of a growing business.

7) Seven words that are dear to you:
I gave this one much thought. Words are potentially tangible ideas and often take flight to give them great meaning. I’d have to say – Love, Family, Integrity, Faith, Peace, Patience, Joy and I’d like to add a couple more – Flexibility and Rest

What's The Price On Free?

Over the weekend I was looking for online for reputable websites where I could place my latest press release. Oh, how things have moved along this past few months in the world of technology. So many more places have sprung up, it's like a maze out there! Where to put my prized release? How do I know what's worthy and what isn't?

Sometimes, just that one more search is all you need for clarity and it was one of those "just once more" moments that turned up a valuable article. It's cleared a much needed pathway through the press release placement maze I had found myself in:

"Now the purpose of this article is to examine free press release sites - and more importantly - to realize that free doesn’t always mean no-cost. As a big believer of online press releases, consider me amazed, even dumbfounded when a new blog post or tweet surfaces with a BIG list of free press release sites..."

You can read the rest of the article here. There's even a small poll box where you can help the author in his research with just one click of a radio button.

I'm a happy chappie right now with my new press release. I could have made so many mistakes with the placement of it. Each and every one of them at the cost of my business.

Friday's Food For The Fraught

This is the day of the week where I share a few of the good business articles that have been tweeted. My coffee breaks are not long enough to spend pouring through an encyclopedia of informational text. I like short and sweet. I like to read stuff that is simple, well written, and sinks in fast. I find that this stimulates the creative part of my biz brain into pondering... which in turn, causes me to explore how I can apply what I've just read to improve the health of my business.

So, go grab your cuppa and give your mind a little food for the fraught. These are my best from this past business week. The first one mentions my own Manor Hall Soap Company, but it's the tips given by Nunzio (#1 thru 3), that make his article a real must read for the small business owner.

Enjoy your coffee break:

From: The Beat
Follow on Twitter: @Nunzio_Bruno

From: Indie Business Blog
Follow on Twitter: @INDIEbusiness

From: Succeeding in Small Business
Follow on Twitter: @JeanneYocum

Meet Me In Boston

If you've been following my Manor Hall Soap company you will have heard of Donna Maria Coles Johnson. She's the President and CEO of the Indie Beauty Network and I'm always talking about her. Donna Maria has been a huge inspiration to me and to many others. Leading a 7,000 member strong network of small business owners, her tireless work and research for all things business bring us together, helping to improve our daily grind.

One of the latest brainstorms from Donna Maria is splitting the U.S. up into Indie regions so that her members can get together and bring our power together locally. I have had the great honor of being named the representative for the Boston region, and I'm really excited to announce that the first meetup is going to be on Saturday, July 30th, at the Indie Business Summer Sizzle Networking Luncheon in Boston.

I recommend that if you have any kind of small business and you think you can get to Boston on July 30th, you go and get more info over at Indie Business Blog. This is a great opportunity you absolutely don't want to miss.

In addition to meeting me and Donna Maria, you'll also get the chance to make contact with two other great business minds. Speaking first is the amazing business coach, financial analyst and professor, Nunzio Bruno (catch him at his informative financial blog, Financially Digital). And speaking second will be the wonderful marketing strategist Al Santaniello, host of the awesome Businews Channel.

One of Donna Maria's favorite sayings is that "a rising tide lifts all ships". Well, Donna Maria is that tide, and she has helped lift me up, along with thousands of others. This is going to be a really great event, designed to bring real information to small business owners, and I can't wait for it. If you have a small business, a start-up business, or even just thinking about going into business for the first time, I'd really like to meet you there. You'll arrive full of the usual wonderings of what it's going to be like.... and you'll leave, knowing that your business has just turned a real corner!

What Are You Looking At?

Focus. For that you need to be able to see close up. You also need to be able to see mid range, as well as long distance. But what happens if all you can see is far ahead. Like... here's what I make, I want my own store. Or... here's my website, I'm gonna sell loads. Or even... here's my product, Oprah's gonna love it.

Yes. We've all been there. We had the dream. We made the products like there was no tomorrow. Only to find there is a tomorrow, and we're paying dearly for it today while we watch our little business stand still in a myriad of yesterdays.

Sometimes, I feel like Dorothy. I'm standing in my CEO shoes, but when I click the heels... they don't take me home. In fact, they take me anywhere but home. I've walked what feels like a million miles in these shoes, and I still don't feel comfortable in them. It's like the soles are gonna wear out before I've even broke them in. I never wanted to be a CEO. I just wanted to make soap. Then folk bought it. Oooh, that felt good. It felt even better when the same folk returned to buy more. Then they brought their friends. Thank you very much!

Then came the website... and it was like, "Where's all the traffic?" Of course, that question only came about after I'd already lived the future. Yes, here's my website... I'm gonna sell loads. I think that was my first hard lesson. It was back in 2005, and it would be two long years before I realized something that could have saved a lot of hair being torn out from my roots.

You see, there's a thing called a "Target Market", and if you don't know it... it's gonna jump up one fine day and bite you in the proverbial. It was a question I had been asked right back in the early days when I was plotting and planning my little company:

"So, what's your target market, then?"

"Target market? Whaddya mean?"

"You know... who's gonna be buying your soap? What people are you aiming at?"

"What d'ya mean, what people am I aiming at? Everyone uses soap. I'm aiming at everyone."

And as naive as that may sound, I meant it. I actually said it with a straight face. I can still feel the sense of my reply inside now as I think back to it. What a stupid thing to ask. And what's more, I told him so. Here I was trying to plan a proper business model, and there's my techy guy husband poking his nose in with what amounted to nothing other than stat-head stuff.

What did he know? He's just one of those math heads with a scientific brain. He uses flow charts, and makes maps. I know what a map is... I can pick one up from the gas station. Data analyst? So some folk need a map showing data. It's all numbers. I suppose someone's gotta do it. I hate technology. It always lets me down, crashing and wiping my work. Well, I don't need to know how a computer works, and get this if you don't get anything else... there's no room in my soap business for excel spreadsheets. Not now... not ever.

Oh, yes. That told him. I wore those CEO shoes, and how! They felt pretty good too. Well, I thought they were feeling pretty good until two years later, when I found myself puzzled at why my fantastic website wasn't taking me to Wall Street.

That's when I discovered the value of target markets. What they are... and what they do. You see, not only do you need to know what your target market is, you also need to have an understanding for how the target market behaves. Are you aiming at the right target market? I thought I was. I mean... who doesn't use soap?

So, everyone uses soap... but not all use a computer. And of those who do, not all shop on the internet. And of those who shop on the internet, not all want a smell they have never smelled. Not all internet shoppers want to buy their soap on the internet. And what's more... those who shop in stores, like to handle and hold. They like to pick up and smell first hand what they are going to invest their spending money in.

Hmm... I wasn't there yet. But I was certainly gaining a sense of what a target market was. More importantly, I was learning what my target market wasn't. And I was learning it from data. I was learning it from numbers on maps. I was learning it from excel spreadsheets.

I'm the farsighted CEO, and I'm always learning to bridge the gap between what's in front of my nose, and what's in the distance. I'm using focus. Without it, there's no middle ground in view. Unfortunately, the ability to view the vast area that is the middle ground, is what makes the difference between success and failure of any small business.

Do you feel that you're walking in molasses? Do you know your target market?