Are You Mentally Strong Enough For Business?

Are you mentally strong? Much like your body has to be worked out to become strong, the brain does too. Many of the most celebrated CEOs and business leaders around the world are know for being "tough as nails", but this didn't happen overnight. In fact, most CEOs have to practice being mentally strong. Here are the top five habits of mentally strong people.

#1. They don't attend pitty parties. That's right, the mentally strong don't feel sorry for themselves when things don't happen as planned. They don't blame others or dwell on things, either. So, if you want to be great, brush off something that didn't work out and move on without holding a grudge.

#2. They refuse to be complacent, even when the money is good. Yes, complacent only means you will one day be outdated. Embrace change and learn new things daily.

#3. They refuse to please others. Mentally strong people have a job to do. Worrying about pleasing others or how others will react is a distraction that will cut off money and success. Don't worry about people, worry about the task at hand.

#4. Don't give up after a venture fails. Most of the known CEOs have had failures. But they're out there, spinning a new business and looking at other opportunities. If you let failure stop you, then you really do fail!

5. Don't rely on the world for anything, including breaks. The world owes you nothing, regardless of how tough you had it as a kid or so on. If you know the world isn't going to give you a break, then you realize you have to try harder than everyone else to be successful.

Until Tuesday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Business Trends in 2015

I received an interesting question this past week. Someone wanted to know what business trends I've noticed for 2015 thus far. Well, I have noticed a few. I've listed them below.

#1 - The death of traditional advertising. -
Why pay thousands on a print ad when you can pay hundreds and reach a bigger audience?

#2 -E-commerce!
Social media sites are now allowing more embed codes to drive E-commerce sales. See a product topic on Twitter? You are able to view,link and buy too. Talk about impulse buying!

#3 - Online Video replaces SEO content.
You heard it here first! More videos are replacing the all-powerful SEO game. So, make those videos now and know how and when to release them in 2015.

#4- Engage customers through gaming
That's right. You are going to be able to use Farmville to promote your brand through gamification.

#5- Google search will not be as trendy as it is now.
For a second in 2012 it looked as if content writers were out of work and luck. Not so fast. In 2015 content producers will be back at work as it has been proven that user paid content makes more of an impact when it comes to brand association and loyalty!


Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Wi-Fi Hot Spot Linked to Terrorism

A passenger aboard a plane at Los Angeles International Airport picked up a Wi-Fi hot spot named after a terrorist group. Authorities held travelers for hours as they investigated and then said no crime was committed. So, no harm-no foul, right? Wrong!

According to The Los Angeles Times, "The passenger on the American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to London alerted crew members about the network Sunday night, and the plane returned to the gate.
KABC-TV reported Monday that the hot spot was called “Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork” and that passengers were kept onboard for several hours amid the investigation. Los Angeles airport police said Monday that “no crime was committed and no further action will be taken.” Federal authorities who took over the investigation had nothing add Monday morning. An American Airlines spokesman says the flight was rescheduled for 1 p.m. Monday."

Why is this news? Well, there are a couple of important reasons. First, mixing a flight with a Wi-FI Hot spot named after a terrorist group is cause for a concern. But he fact that the entire passenger list was held during an investigation without a crime being committed begs the question of is the DHS being too strict and violating the very same freedoms they are supposed to be protecting? Additionally, why the entire passenger list? Couldn't the passenger who logged onto the HotSpot been left as the one being investigated? What if he didn't know the phrase was a link to a terrorist group? Was it even linked to a real terrorist group or someone being "funny" in a distasteful manner?

My point for all of this is that the DHS has to mix policy and procedure with common sense. We should protect people while respecting their rights. What are your thoughts on this latest Homeland Security news? Let's talk on Twitter. I hope you can join me for an open and honest conversation.

Twyla N. Garrett

Emergency Exits At Work… Are They Safe?

Most people are under the impression that emergency exits at work are always safe and well-maintained. I wish this was true. Many workplace emergency exits aren’t kept up to standard. This isn’t deliberate, but usually a cost-savings oversight.

Here are three things you can do to ensure workplace exits are safe.
1. Lighted exit signs should be in good working order, and have a battery backup in case of a power failure. My best advice is to check these signs as you walk into work and out of work on a monthly basis. Not your job? Schedule yourself to do a visual check anyway and then call maintenance every other month to have them perform the actual checks.
2. Check to see if workplace exits are ADA compatible. Most new buildings already ensure this, but older buildings don’t often have handicap accessible emergency exits. Know where your company stands on the issue and develop a plan to help those with disabilities exit the building safely in the event of an emergency.
3. Doors should be secured to prevent unauthorized entry from the outside, but not to prevent employees from exiting in emergencies. Smokers are notorious for using emergency exits as quick routes to cheat a smoke here and there. These people should be addressed directly and you need to explain that the emergency exit is for emergencies only. Propping a door open while they smoke can allow for a security breach- never good!

I hope these tips help you realize the importance of clearly marked emergency exits at work.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

Wasteful Spending & Social Media

I was recently asked if spending money on buying book reviews or social media followers was worth it. My immediate answer was "no"! There is no reason I could ever justify spending money to get numbers or fake reviews for the purpose of promotion. Think about this, who are you promoting to? Buying fake book reviews is the worst thing anyone can do. Here's why, the people buying your book really don't like it. They are getting paid to write nice things. And, while you can have all the fake nice things written about your book, 80% of people buy books on Amazon based on a combination of the cover and the summery- not the reviews!

Buying fake social media followers is also a waste. If you load up your Twitter page with 100,000 followers- it seems impressive, but it doesn't equate to actual engagement - which is the entire point of social media. Think about it like this; I go into a store and I pay everyone in the store a dollar to try my new food product and like my Twitter page. So, the people in the store like me on Twitter with a follow and take a bite out of the food product. Maybe, just maybe, .05% actually buy the food product that day. Now, in two weeks I send out a promotion for that product to the people who followed me on Twitter. Do you think I will have a return on investment from that campaign? Nope! I paid people to be engaged. They actually don't like or care about my product and, chances are, will unfollow me in the near future. So, I just wasted a bunch of dollar bills and my time!

I can't tell you about the clients I see who actually buy promotions on Facebook. Yes, their numbers skyrocket, but they never see an actual conversion when it comes to brand loyalty or actual sales. My point here is that paying to get a customer to like your page or like your book is a simple waste of money. You have better chances of turning a paid event sponsorship into real ROI vs. converting a paid social media lead.

Until tomorrow,
Twyla Garrett

Social Media Mistakes

I wanted to start this Monday out talking about social media. I get asked about this topic often, and I don't feel the basics are covered. I read article after article online that discuss HTML5 coding and the SEO debates, but hardly nothing exists on the basic mistakes associated with social media use.

First, let's talk about your profiles. All of your social media profiles should link to one another and they all need to list your basic biography / boiler plate. Make sure you have both your phone and email contact information visible too. If you have a maiden name or nick name, list them within the confines of your profile's content to ensure searchabilty. Publishing an incomplete social profile is a major mistake and yet it happens a lot.

Pitching products through your social media accounts is also frowned about. Think of using Twitter like a walk down a virtual street. If someone jumped out at you and screamed "buy this product now", you would be annoyed! Instead, if someone walked up to you and said, "Hey, I see you're reading ABC. I loved that book so much that I wrote a more indepth version dedicated to the research of C. Here's some more info. if you want it," the sale would go smoother and you would create a REAL connection.

Finally, don't have an autoresponder do your work for you. Social media is about posting and joining live conversation in present time. I don't know how you can schedule present time two Sundays from now, but I see companies doing this all day long. Post to your own social media accounts or hire a live person to write them (and engage people) for you!

Until tomorrow,
Twyla N. Garrett

3 Things New Business Owners Are Failing to See!

There is no manual for being a new business owner. You can go to business school, your family can have owned a business, or you may have held an important decision making role for a Fortune 500 company- regardless, you are still not completely prepared to be a new business owner. Why? Well, each business owner has a specific journey designed around not only his or her industry, but the approach and resources associated with their business and related to their chosen industry.

This said, there are three common areas new business owners fail to pay attention to, or “see”, when launching a new venture. The first, and biggest miss, is cash flow versus profit. Forget making a profit for the first two years. This occurrence is rare. You need to maintain a moving 10-13 weekly cashflow forecast to survive. Most new business owners fail to maintain a working cashflow and then, when an emergency happens, it isn’t there and the business folds.

New business owners have to work in general terms, not specialties. Why? Chances are you will not have the budget to hire a marketing team, writing team, sales team, graphic designer, web designer, social media account manager, etc. right off the bat. These positions will have to come with growth. Ironically, you need many of these positions to obtain growth. Thus, these hats will have to be worn by you! So, be a generalist and not a specialist!

Finally, know that you have competitors and they have established customers. It is very hard to grab a customer away from another business simply based on better pricing. There are countless studies that reflect this. Instead, people tend to change products or vendors based on improved or better features, not pricing. So, think about how your company can appeal to the competition’s clients from a features point of view. Most new business owners dive into price point wars right away, which kills their potential for growth.

Until next time,

Twyla Garrett

Reasons to say ‘No’ to customers.

I’ve used this blog as a platform to help business owners not be bullied by potential business. The customer isn’t always right and you, as a business owner, retain the right to decline a request. I recently received a message asking when it is appropriate to say ‘no’ to a customer. So, I’m listing the top three reasons below. Enjoy!

1. The task is outside the contract. If the client asks you to do something outside the contract – even if they’re willing to pay for it- say no. Chances are the request isn’t something you are an expert in and the client will eventually be disappointed because of a lack of experience. Second, the service many not make sense for the company’s brand.

2. The customer is asking for something that doesn’t work to enhance their overall goal. Maybe you are designing a website and the customer wants hot pink font. Unless there is a really specific reason for this font, you would typically advise against this. It is OK in most cases to say ‘no’ to hot pink font. Stick up for your reasoning behind why saying ‘no’ means yes for their business.

3. The request is illegal. This seems obvious but some clients can be convincing. If your attorney or tax advisor would say ‘no’, then you have to decline the request.

I hope this clarifies when and why to turn a client / customer request down.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

7 Billion for Border Security

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2015 spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Overall, the bill recommends spending $39.2 billion on DHS next year. Don't believe me? Here's the link to the actual press release stating this: http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=384154

According to the release, "The bill provides $39.2 billion in discretionary funding for DHS. This is a decrease of $50 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, but an increase of $887.8 million above the President’s request for these programs. The bill also includes a total of $7 billion, the same as the President’s request, in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster funding to help states and communities respond and recover from unexpected disasters."
WOW!

The reason I am sharing this with you on today’s Homeland Security blog is the same as why I have been harping on border security in just about every Homeland Security blog post ….money. There is no amount of money that will circumvent this problem. As long as people understand that we spend more money blocking people from coming versus allocating resources to handle these situations on a case-by-case basis once they are on, we will continue to have issues!

Many people who cross into this country are arrested for violent crimes. This isn’t a blanket statement as much as it is statistically proven. There are real security threats associated with this problem. Then you have children crossing in search of a better life or those who have been brought over to use as sex slaves in the human trafficking arena. We need to use more common sense than actual cents to alleviate the challenges that come with maintaining border security.

he committee report includes $7.5 million for 22 mobile video surveillance systems, $10 million to make infrastructure improvements for upgraded remote video surveillance systems and $10 million for unattended ground sensors and imaging sensors, a cross border tunnel threat analysis of alternatives and a communications study. Where is the money for the resources once someone gets by the border? And they will get by the border- even with the increases!

We need to ask how we can help those seeking a better life and how we can punish those who cross illegally and then commit crimes. Our standards as to how we help or handle situations needs to be addressed. Anyone can throw money at a disaster, it doesn’t mean the dollars squash the rain.

Twyla N. Garrett

Internal Customer Service

People often ask me about providing customer service. My company, IME, does an amazing job at providing stellar customer service. The trick to providing great external customer services is to provide even better internal customer service. Yes, employees providing customer service to one another is the secret to success when it comes to customer service.

I tell my clients to mimic and then change the tone of a situation that may escalate with either a customer or a co-worker and it works. If someone starts to elevate his or her voice, you do it as well- but briefly. Raise your voice to regain their attention and then calmly lower your voice, changing the tone to positively express your message. If someone crosses their arms in anger then you should do the same, just make sure you transition to unfolding your arms and speaking with a welcome body image to showcase a willingness to listen, change action and welcome feedback.

All of this may sound hokey but it does work. The next time you are in a debate with someone – anyone- remember to mimic and then to change the mimic into a positive stance or tone. I can promise you external and internal customer relations will change for the better. Your profit margins will thank you!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Marketing, Are You At A Standstill?

I often watch new business owners put aside 5k for a marketing budget (based on a year) and then spend most of it during the first three months. They wait, wait and wait some more and still- there is no engagement. What happened?

Well, nothing. To be blunt, marketing isn’t a magic wand and it doesn’t reap rewards quickly. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of many marketing campaigns. Months of A/B split testing, checking out editorial calendars, etc. So, you need to open your budget more, target the right audience, and use multiple venues / avenues to get your message across.

Repetition is key. Three months of advertising o the same channel isn’t going to launch your business. You will find yourself at a standstill. My best advice is to have a realistic budget and then expectations (time wise) for your layered marketing campaign.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

When You Stop Caring......

I know, the title of today’s blog is shocking. How could one “not care” when it comes to their business? Well, burn out is a real thing and most business owners are serial entrepreneurs who , once something works, are on to bigger and better things- leaving the old idea to run itself like a well-oiled machine.

If you have stopped caring (or no longer care as much) then keep reading. Below are my top three tips to reenergize your passion!

#1. Spend time volunteering for those who aren’t as fortunate as you right now. Nothing helps you understand why you should care, and how tangible everything truly is, more than a slice of humble pie! So, walk among the people who could really benefit from your time and money and understand why it is important to care. You could grow your business to help benefit non-profit groups or hire people who need a hand up.

#2. Kill your marketing department’s efforts for a month and see how things go. I promise you no matter how well your business is performing, it will never work at full capability without your marketing department. So, make the changes and then figure out how to help your marketing department.

#3. Take a vacation. Yes, the best way to relearn how to care is to step away from the environment. There is something to be said for refreshing your perspective through relaxation. Yes, I am prescribing a day at the beach or a week away from the office to help you care more.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

3 Reasons Why You Need To Be Cheap

Financial mistakes and misspending can kill a business. It is important that you are a cheap CEO or business owners for the first three years of your company. Now, don’t scale back your advertising budget or your PR budget. You will need it. There are ways to scale back costs and I’m listing them below.

First, you don’t need a fancy office. Be cheap with your office space. Rent virtual offices or work from home. You should get an office you can afford now and find a better one later when your business is actually bringing in money. Cut a major expense out by only obtaining the office rental you need, no the one you want.

Next, don’t travel like a king or a queen. Keep your business expenses down by staying at the Holiday Inn. Yes, traveling on the company’s dime when you own the company still isn’t a reason to go all out. So, make sure you travel right by spending as little as possible and flying, driving and staying in economy-class. This small change can save you up to 60% on travel expenses yearly. A bed is a bed, right? Right!

Finally, don’t call your lawyer for every hiccup. Legal fees run an average of $500 an hour. Why! You do need your lawyer for specific items. However, setting up the legal structure of your company can be done for a lesser expense on LegalZOOM.com or alike websites.

Until next time,
Twyla N. Garrett

Fighting and Business.....

“Conflicts are common between you and competitors or employees and bosses. How you deal with conflict and those moments when you feel like you’ve been decked can mean the difference between success and failure.” – Bobby Campbell.

I read this statement today and sat on it. It hit me hard because Bobby talks about how running a business is like getting into a boxing ring each and everyday. The key is knowing when to get out of the ring or when to stay in and fight. As business owners we will encounter daily conflict. This doesn’t mean we have to engage into a conflict everyday. There is something to be said about the above statement.

Walking away from conflict is easier said than done. Chosing your battles wisely will be the difference between failure and success for you. If a conflict is minor, meaning it isn’t going to harm your company regardless if you win or lose, let it go. That fight isn’t worth it. However, if you are engaged in a battle that can harm your business – at the advise of a lawyer- then a fight must proceeed.

I am writing a book on failures in business right now and addressing the issue of fights won but businesses being lost as a result will be included in a chapter. If you have a similar story then I want to hear from you.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Who Has Your Money?

I love when people turn their money over to their accountant and walk away. Why? Would you turn over all your money to a stranger on the street and tell him or her to take great care of it? Nope! So, just because someone is a licensed accountant doesn’t mean they have your best interest in mind or are incapable of making mistakes. You need to be in charge of your money regardless if you have an accountant or not!

Here are 5 questions to ask any accountant you are considering to hire and, again, make sure you audit him or her regularly.

1. What are a few considerations, financially speaking, that I should be touching base with you on and why?

2. Can you help me grow my business? How?

3. What should be my break-even point?

4. What are common mistakes I should avoid when working with you?

5. Can I have a few past clients as references and the reason why they are past clients?

If you start with these questions then you are on your way to being move involved with your own finances. Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Color and Your Website

People tend to use blues, black and shades of red when designing corporate-based websites. While this may be a nice way to design a website, research shows the use of color is changing when it comes to ROI.

In a peer reviewed journal article, Satyendra Singh determined that it takes a mere 90 seconds for a customer to form an opinion about a product. And, 62-90% of that interaction is determined by the color of the product alone. So, boring and corporate based websites that all look alike will not stand out!

This doesn’t mean you go out and start throwing wild colors on your website. There has to be a right way, the right time, and color catered to the right audience. Yellow is associated as a kids’ color. Unless you sell services or products aimed at kids and their parents, yellow would be a wrong choice of color. Orange is associated with discounting products and services. Does this fit your demographic. There is something to be said about the color of psychology. So, it isn’t just about using color but what colors you use and how you use it!

Targeting women? In a survey on color and gender via Inc.com, 35% of women said blue was their favorite color, followed by purple (23%) and green (14%). 33% of women confessed that orange was their least favorite color, followed by brown (33%) and gray (17%).

My suggestion if you are getting ready to spring clean your website, consider color use. Do a web search on the phrase ‘psychology of color’ and really think about who your website sells to and what colors you should incorporate. For some companies the use of color is a bad thing, even with the popularity of color and social media being high. Risk management companies shouldn’t ever use color. It defeats their purpose.

Still have questions? Connect with me on Twitter!

Twyla N. Garrett

Is Your Brand In Danger of Becoming Extinct?

Just because you built a brand doesn’t mean you can sustain a brand. Going into the weekend, you want to ask yourself if you have any of these three signs related to danger. If so, your brand is failing and you need to regroup.

Sign number one: The phone isn’t ringing. If your business used to have tons of phone calls, inquiries, and flat out business and now the phone isn’t ringing- your brand is in trouble.

Sign number two: You are inconsistent. What do I mean by this? Well, either you are spread too thin to focus on your brand or your trying to accomplish too many things at once.

Sign number three: Your social media accounts don’t reflect your company’s message. Yes, I mean your personal accounts. If you own a company understand people will look YOU up and not just your company. Don’t have a professional website and then photos of you in the club on your Facebook page. It scares investors and possible customers.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

The Homeland Security Website IS A Cause for Concern

I’ve spoken on this topic before but I feel it is worth revisiting. The Inspector General noted that the US Department of Homeland Security – the government division ostensibly responsible for ensuring cybersecurity throughout the nation – itself suffers from serious cyber-vulnerabilities.

So, what has been done since this announcement in December of 2013? Not much. It is continuously frustrating to see business after business reamed for being the victim of cyberattacks breaching customer information when the DHS’s own website sits like a sitting duck. Why isn’t their website held to the same standard, if not a higher one, than private entities? Frustrating, right?!

What exactly is wrong with the DHS? Well, it has leaks so to speak. Windows XP – an operating system that was released over twelve years ago and for which Microsoft plans to stop issuing security patches in the near future – continues to run on computers at DHS headquarters. There is nothing really being done to configure a change in this operating system because 1) the workload is heavy and 2) the workload is heavy.

My point is change requires getting our hands dirty. An ounce of prevention outweighs the unthinkable results that could happen if these patches are not fixed.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

How to Name Your Business

If you’re selecting a business name understand there are a few strategies to consider in order to make your company compete better.

You don’t want to select a business name that only appeals to you. You need to choose a name that appeals to the kind of customers you want to attract. If you want a younger demographic, pick a name that could trend on Twitter. If you are going after a more corporate demographic, select a name that isn’t too edgy and acceptable within the corporate culture.

You also want to create a name that helps customers connect on a more emotional level. You don’t want a name that is confusions or based on a pun. You also don’t want to add the term “Inc.” unless you are actually incorporated.

Don’t forget to check out the completion, either. You don’t want to pick a name to find out months later there is another business already established with the same name and serving the same customers.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Are You An Ego Maniac?

Running a business will require you to wear many hats. Are you willing to do this and ask for help? The problem I have noticed in the past with new business owners is the issue of ego. We all have to wear many hats, but that doesn’t mean we are all experts in different fields!

You, as a business owner, will need help and you will probably have to meet with other business owners from time-to-time to seek out advice. Are you willing to do this? If not, you will run into problems with your day-to-day operations and you will have trouble with growth.

It is always great to be confident. It isn’t great to be egoistical and you will only harm your business and your brand. Even Sir Richard Branson still asks other business owners for advice. It is one of his strengths, not a weakness.

Here are three ways to discover if your ego may be getting slightly out of control.

First, ask yourself if you know how to follow and then site an example of the last time you did follow. If you can’t, you better start asking yourself why not.

Next, ask yourself if you are reading enough. When I say reading, I mean books on leadership. When was the last time you picked one up and finished it? If you haven’t done so in more than a month…. It is time!

Finally, do you volunteer? If not, start. Volunteering will help others and give you time to engage with people who can inspire, even possibly work for, you. Volunteering is a great way to give back and gain a fresh perspective on life and business.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett