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?