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Posts from the 'Microenterprises R Us' Category
August 28th, 2008 by Allen Voivod
Thanks to the fab folks at Acorn Creative for freshening our WordPress blog with an injection of new code! (Okay, so they updated us to the latest version - I’m stretching out the metaphor well beyond what it was made for.)
And here’s the photos I promised, of me working on a client’s online marketing strategy in the Kokatosi game room…
…and our campsite. After I packed it in and left the game room, Lani and I went out in a two-person kayak and had our weekly business meeting on the lake, drifting as close as possible to the loons floating and diving in the water.
Ah, business. Ain’t it grand?
Posted in Married - With Business, Microenterprises R Us | No Comments »
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June 14th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
Social media. Social networking. Facebook. LinkedIn. MySpace. Ryze. Zaadz (or is it Gaia?). Twitter. Friends. Colleagues. Contacts. Invitations. Clubs. Connections. Communities. Networks. Events. Winks. Tags. Walls…
Anyone else confounded by the whole world of online networking hubs?
Wouldn’t it be nice to connect with real, live, breathing professionals who share similar goals and interests while still remembering to HAVE FUN?!!! (Cuz really, if you’re not having fun while you’re pursuing your passions, building your business, or creating your life, what’s the point?)
I’ve struggled to stay awake at various chambers of commerce meetings from DC to LA to Laconia, NH. I’ve noshed rubbery chicken and flavorless pasta dishes at networking events in and around Boston. I’ve been searching for “My Peeps” for a while now, and had pretty much given up the quest.
 Until last month, when I hit the 1st anniversary celebration of Women Inspiring Women (WIW), a “networking and development” group that’s growing like gangbusters in membership and reputation throughout NH’s Lakes Region…and the state of NH, too.
 Maybe it was as simple as the dozens of pink boas strewn around the tables and displays. (That alone made me giddy.) Or perhaps it was Powerhouse Consulting’s Kathleen Peterson and her keynote speech, “From 34B to 40D…One Woman’s Journey,” in which hard-won tips on personal branding were interspersed with tales from the menopause trenches and the pitfalls of wearing Spanx.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the the fact that I was greeted with genuine warmth and enthusiasm by everyone, including FABULOUS founder and president Leslie Sturgeon, Career Sparks’ Michelle Whitenack, Edward Jones’ Katie Laux, and so many others.
 No one assessed my nametag, shoved a business card in my face, and went off to the next victim…er, I mean, target. No one looked like they were being tortured, or like they overdosed on Lunesta. (Conversely, no one looked like Charo on the Love Boat, either, which can happen at some women-dominant events.)
It just felt like a fit. I kept thinking to myself, “I belong here.” That’s a good feeling, especially in this time of impersonal digital blast networking gone wild. (Thousands of friends? Really?)
This month’s meeting — a lunch soiree featuring Certified Image Consultant Susan Osborne of Be Image Consulting — hit all the right notes, too: Relevant, engaging, well-attended, useful, interesting, unstuffy, and FUN. I gave them my membership dues with gusto, and I’m already looking forward to the next inspired batch of panel discussions, socials, programs, and roundtables.
For a professional gal who’s short on time and always on the look out for personal and professional support and success strategies, I feel insanely lucky that Leslie Sturgeon decided to launch her brainchild up in our neck of the woods. Thanks, Leslie! I’m psyched to be on the WIW team, and can’t wait to learn, blossom, laugh, and grow with you and the rest of the pink boa-wearing power players. 
***Hey — if you’re a chick doing biz or playing with your passions in NH, I highly encourage you to come join the party!***
P.S. Need a reminder of what networking’s all about? Check out this article, “The 1-2-3 of Successful Business Networking,” from Career-Resumes.com (for which my dear hubby serves as Chief Blogger).
Posted in Masterminding, Microenterprises R Us | 1 Comment »
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March 14th, 2008 by Lani Voivod
Wondering how you can bring more wealth into your life? Why not stalk your favorite billionaire, and see what you can learn from someone who knows the tricks of the wealth-accumulating trade?
I just flipped through a “Special Issue” of Forbes mag — the March 24, 2008 issue — which is dedicated to “The Richest People in the World,” “1,125 Billionaires,” to be exact. Some of the numbers and tidbits here were fascinating enough to inspire me to share them in a blog post.
Here’s a highlight reel…
- Turns out you can “Track a Billionaire” with customizable RSS feeds at www.Forbes.com/lists.
- Re: Billionaire Content: You can add Forbes content about billionaires (or other subjects they cover), to you social media pages (like Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle, etc.) or to your own site at Forbes.com/lists, too.
- Read billionaires’ bios, see their pics, sort ‘em by name, rank, and worth, and globe-peep their home bases with Forbes interactive maps at www.Forbes.com/billionaires.
As for a few excerpted fun facts:
- “The 20 richest people on the planet are worth a total of $661.4 billion, or at least $20.8 billion apiece, $3.3 billion more than last year’s minimum.”
- Warren Buffet kicked Bill Gates off his #1-richest-man-in-the-world throne, where he had been sitting pretty for the last 13 years.
- “For the first time, the number of billionaires [Forbes] identified topped 1,000.”
- “On Feb. 11, [Forbes] counting day, the combined net worth of all billionaires was $4.4 trillion, up $900 billion from last year.”
Recession? What recession? Apparently, there’s PLENTY of money and opportunity out there to be had.
As micro-biz owners and lifestyle entrepreneurs, it’s our job to figure out how we can leverage our own unique talents, knowledge, and expertise to tap into this mind-blowing well of abundance.
Oh, and have fun while we do it. That’s important, too.
Posted in Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters | No Comments »
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on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters.
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December 29th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Okay, it’s here. That special time on the calendar when we’re all scrambling with goals, resolutions, business strategies, marketing plans, or just being the contrarian and refusing to give into the New Year crazies with grand aplomb.
Now, a lot of us don’t have the time or the energy to revamp our entire 10-Year Vision Statement, change our business model, or invent a new product or service that’s sure to launch our annual income into the Seven Figure Club. But if all you’re looking for is a quick ‘n beefy emotional boost to prod you into a successful mindset for 2008, Yahoo! Hot Jobs contributor Caroline Levchuck has written the article for you:
Movies to Inspire Your Career Goals
 I gotta say, I categorically agree with her on all 10 of her recommendations. But the coolest thing about recommending Caroline’s article is that I found it (or rather, Allen found it) organically, and showed it to me. And as this funky life happens, I know Caroline. In fact, she gave me one of my first big, ongoing freelance writing gigs way back at the turn of the century, when she was working on various creative projects in NYC at the cutting edge of Internet revolution, before the bust.
What’s more, I just hung out with Caroline in the Big Apple earlier this year, when I went to cheer on my dear friend, Lisa “The Relationship Journalist” Steadman and the big launch of her first book, It’s a BreakUP, Not a Breakdown. Caroline was wayyyy kind and groovy enough to invite us to dine at The French Culinary Institute of New York City. Yum! Caroline was a student there at the time, and gave us the behind-the-scenes tour of the school, just before the extraordinary five-star dinner. In that itty bitty pic I just borrowed from Lisa’s blog post, Caroline’s on the left (then Lisa, me, and our friend Annette.).
Thanks, Caroline - for dinner AND the great movie recommendations.
“Rooooh-deee!! Rooooh-deee! Rooooh-deee!”
Posted in Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters | No Comments »
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on Saturday, December 29th, 2007 at 7:56 am and is filed under Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters.
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September 11th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Sometimes I actually (often unintentionally) take a step back at the life Allen and I are creating together and have a good laugh at what I see.
With all the big rocks AND minutiae that we microbusiness owners have to deal with on any given day - from meetings with clients to meeting project deadlines to wrestling with fussy printers to making sure we don’t forget to take our dog/office mascot for a walk…or else! - it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the to-do’s that you forget to appreciate the ta-da’s.
So here’s last evening’s “Ta-da!”:
Joey at my desk, taking care of his www.Webkinz.com pet, a little green frog named Supersonic:
Allen at his desk, wrapping up the last few details of the day:
Our dog Buddy, snoozing away in the corner:
And the sign I just bought on a whim (and Allen risked his life to hang by standing on a twirly office chair), to remind us what it’s all about:
And the thing that’s REALLY blowing my mind this morning is that by this time next month, there’ll be a newborn baby boy in the scene, too. *Gulp.*
Ahhhh, this IS the good life…
Posted in Entrepreneur Diaries, Microenterprises R Us | No Comments »
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on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 12:15 pm and is filed under Entrepreneur Diaries, Microenterprises R Us.
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September 1st, 2007 by Lani and Allen
It’s Saturday in the lives of microenterprises. A day off, right? Well, yes and no.
We just spent the morning watching “Best Of” videos from the American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? on YouTube. And laughing ourselves silly while we were at it, no less. Multiple episodes (the number varies per clip), with each clip running just under 10 minutes. Sounds like a lovely way to unplug from the everyday of making money and doing business … sort of.
Naturally, since we’re “The Content Lovers,” we can’t seem to purely enjoy these without also thinking things like, “Why doesn’t every TV station do this for all of the TV shows they want to sell on DVD?” Or, “Wouldn’t it be great if small businesses created their own ‘Best Of’ videos featuring the most emotionally compelling moments in their own companies?” Or, “What would a ‘Best Of’ video look like for our own business?”
While we move on to other adventures on this fine sunny Saturday, and doubtlessly multi-task by answering these questions for ourselves while we drive to one social engagement or another, please watch and enjoy this sample Whose Line clip below.
Posted in All About Content, Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters | No Comments »
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on Saturday, September 1st, 2007 at 11:03 am and is filed under All About Content, Microenterprises R Us, Mood Boosters.
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August 25th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Good writing makes me giddy inside. Great writing makes me long for a post-sex cigarette. And I don’t even smoke.
Tara Zucker’s writing makes me want to join a naked hippie commune so I can revel in an ecstatic and hedonistic existence of reefer, bongo jams, and round-the-clock sensual massage parties.
My most recent dip into the impossibly dry wit, fantastic humor, and stylistic sensibilities of this talented chick is in the singular universe of her “Doll Cannot Fly” blog.
Even the name of the blog KILLS me. You see, I met Tara while we were both “Content Specialists” at Mattel (home of Barbie, among other toys ‘n games). As you’ll see from her blog’s header, the blog’s name is a nod to our good ol’ corporate days, when Mattel’s Legal department always made sure we included cautionary tales with our fantastical copy.
Anyway, Tara and her husband Rick co-own a “small but feisty” (or should I say “fesity“?) media company called Post Haste Media. They specialize in things like promos, trailers, music videos, behind-the-scene vids, etc., and they’ve got 20+ years of experience and serious bragalogue street cred from working with the likes big names like Thomas Dolby, John Fogarty, Burt Bacharach, Sly Stone…even the incomparable Rick James!
So Tara has begun to weave her day-to-day biz experiences with cultural non-sequitors, meandering musings, and a healthy dose of self-flagellation. The “Doll Cannot Fly” blog is filet mignon for the solopreneur or microbusiness used to dining on the gristle of overused marketing lingo and drab biz blather.
Check out why she doesn’t want you to check out their company’s website, how she almost outed Jimi Hendrix, or how some missing powdered sugar inspired her to question her worth as a hostess and write a letter to the makers of Chantilly cookies.
It’s her willingness to be totally transparent as she and Rick navigate their biz successes (and oopsies) around their lives and dreams that I really respect and appreciate:
The great thing about having your own company is you can make mistakes and no one is really going to yell at you. The bad thing about having your own company is you can make mistakes and no one is really going to yell at you. You have to be all over yourself like a cheap suit, watching yourself, giving yourself your own little staff evaluations (”Tara, we feel you need to make more of an effort.” “Thanks, Tara. I’ll work on that!”) When you’re your own boss, you have to set the bar high for yourself. If we promise our clients that we pay attention to the details, we can’t be making spelling mistakes all up in here, can we? Hopefully we’ll catch all our errors, but I know that inevitably things will slip by. We’ll just have to hope that our brilliant ideas and sparkling personalities will prevail, despite our tendency to occasionally be a little “fesity.”
Tara and Rick are in this crazy adventure with us. They get it, and we feel less alone having them in the blogosphere with us.
Posted in Blog Bits, Fun With Marketing, Microenterprises R Us | No Comments »
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on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 7:43 am and is filed under Blog Bits, Fun With Marketing, Microenterprises R Us.
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May 29th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
When you think of Microbusinesses, South Korea may not be the first thing that pops up in your mind.
But I just got a quick email from Tara Dolphin, the Marketing & Communications Manager/Goddess at MicroCredit-NH, that really brought home the fact that when it comes to companies with five or fewer employees, expanding the scope and vision beyond US borders is easier than ever:
“We hosted representatives from a microenterprise program from Seoul, Korea this week, so it’s been hectic. They were so nice! Their organization was founded by the Grameen Bank, the Nobel Peace Prize winner. I’ve attached a picture so you can see them visiting one of our member businesses in Windham, Journeys’ Horsemanship Center.”
To borrow from a much overused Disney-ism: “It’s a small world after all…” And Microenterprises seem to play a big role in our ever-converging global economy.
The message? Don’t underestimate the might of the Micro!
For FREE articles, tips, and strategies designed to catapult your content and electrify your business, sign up for our ezine, “The Inciter,” at EpiphaniesInc.com!
Posted in Microenterprises R Us | 1 Comment »
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on Tuesday, May 29th, 2007 at 4:33 pm and is filed under Microenterprises R Us.
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May 15th, 2007 by Lani Voivod
Productivity, visibility, and profits.
Can you say, “More, please!” ???
During the two-hour “Brainstorming for Your Biz” session I facilitated at MicroCredit-NH’s awesome Entrepreneurial Exchange Day 2007 (which took place on Saturday, May 12th), I had the opportunity to mix it up with 14 other big-thinking, creative, adventurous small business owners hungry for new business strategies, marketing ideas, and revenue-building solutions.
In our session, we went over the history of brainstorming, tools and techniques for successful brainstorming, and the FIVE unbreakable rules of brainstorming. Somehow, we also managed to squeeze in “hot seat” brainstorming sessions for a couple of the lucky attendees, so they could benefit from the group’s fertile thinking.
I promised the group I’d post the 3-5 minute, power-packed brainstorming blasts we did in the twilight of the session. So, without further ado, here they are!*
 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY:
- Task list
- Designated email
- Limited time on inter(???)
- Receptionist
- Delegate
- Rules
- Prioritize
- Centrally located list of goals
- Short term goals
- Calendar
- Set aside certain time for working on business
- Notebook for ideas
- Review progress quarterly
- Treat employees well
 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY:
- Website
- Press release
- Joint ventures
- Email list
- Trade shows
- Coupons
- Fairs/events
- Direct mail
- Flyers
- Newsletters - hard copy/email
- Pamphlets
- CofC
- Pro bono work
- Giveaways @ organization
- Vehicle signs
- Banners
- Window signs
- Free speeches
- Hillside planting in words
- Business cards
- Demonstrations
- Business signs
- Logo products
- Sponsoring teams
 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS!
- CO-marketing
- Advertising
- Billboards
- Magnets
- Car signs
- Internet
- Brochure (pro)
- Trade shows
- Income without work - passive
- Franchising
- Customer appreciation days
- Complementary samples or sessions
- Raise prices
- Extend into new markets
- Articles/Newspaper/Press
- Seminars/Workshops/Classes
- Be a speaker
- Teleclasses/Webinars
A fine, spectacular example of Group Think if there ever was one!!! Great job, everyone. Imagine if each group had a whole 10-15 minutes…20-25…or even a whopping 45…!!!
Almost makes you want to stop what you’re doing, get a success-focused group of biz folks together, and come up with ideas, strategies, and solutions for your own business, doesn’t it??? (It should!)
*I’m just transcribing what the groups jotted down. If some of them don’t make much sense out of their original scribbled context, that’s the way the cookie crumbles!
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